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He even knows that the wires in that shaft include a hardwired alarm that goes not to any security firm, but to the number one client of the bank—hell, theonlyclient of the bank, though it’s plastered over with shell companies.
Pacific Syndicate.
Max lays it all out, and I guess it makes sense, but still, I give him an admiring laugh. “Well, shit. And here I thought I was being all mysterious.”
“Oh, you were,” he says. “Extremely mysterious.” He smiles, but it dies away. “Chuckles Moran won’t like it.”
Chuckles Moran is the leader of the Pacific Syndicate, and Max is right. He won’t like it one little bit. “Damn straight,” I say. “And that’s the point. We’re taking out First National to send a message.”
“But if someone in your crew is feeding intel back to him—”
“I hear you,” I cut in. “But it’s not that easy to call this off. Moran’s been due a humiliation for a long time, and we’re going to give it to him.”
“Bricker,” he says, his voice soft and reassuring. “Anna-Vittoria will understand that you want to put the safety of her people first. You’ll find another way to prove yourself.”
“Easy for you to say,” I grumble, my fingers batting gently through the warm water. “You’re not the one who’ll be taking it up the ass from the higher-ups. Metaphorically,” I add quickly.
Max gives a wry smile. “No. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll go in with you and stand there while you tell her you need to call it off. And I’ll keep the higher-ups out of your ass, too, if I can.”
My dick gives a happy little bounce under the water and I smile back at him. “I appreciate the offer,” I tell him. “But I can take care of my own ass. If I’m calling the job off, it’ll bemycall. I’m Capo. Last thing I need is to make it seem like some Castellani is calling the shots.”
“It’s not my call,” he agrees, his eyes meeting mine with maybe something more than just camaraderie. “But the offer to stand with you is there.”
I listen to the bubbling water for a minute before I relent at last. “Alright. I’ll contact Anna-Vittoria tomorrow, let her know what happened today. Tell her I think we should call the big one off until I can verify everyone in the team…again.” I thought saying it out loud might make me feel worse, but it’s the opposite. I feel my stomach unknot itself a little.
It’s the right decision. I’m sure of it.
Max just nods, but I can feel his approval. And I like it. More than I should.
“Let’s call it a night,” I say, and stand up and step out of the hot tub. The cool evening breeze brushes against my damp skin, sending goosebumps racing across my body. Max follows suit, water cascading down his muscular frame as he rises.
He sees me looking, and he does nothing to hide.
“You coming upstairs, or what?” I ask, toweling down.
“So you can lock me up in that guest room again?”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” I reply, a wicked grin crossing my face. “Not if I’m in there too, keeping a very close eye on you, if you know what I mean.”
His eyebrows go up. “You’re not shy, are you, Bricker?”
“Hey, if you prefer, I can lock you in alone and go back to my own room,” I tell him with a shrug. “Your call. Sorry if I misread.”
Max’s face lights up with amusement, but there’s something else there, too. Something that makes my pulse race. I step closer to him and his hand comes up to rest against my hip. For a moment I think he’s going to push me back.
But he pulls me in closer.
“I don’t think you’re the kind of guy to misread anything,” he murmurs, his breath playing over my still-damp neck. “I think you know exactly where you stand at all times.”
I tilt my head back, meeting his gaze. “So what’s it going to be?”
“Bricker,” he says, and hesitates. I ready myself for rejection. “There’s something you should know.”
Instantly, I’m on guard, taking a step back. “What is it?”
For maybe the first time since I’ve known Max Pedretti, he doesn’t seem to know how to phrase something.
“Spit it out,” I tell him.
