“It says a lotta things; what’s your point?”
“I’m trying to figure out how a business major at Harvard got into psychology.”
“It’s called the school of Kat and her damn kids, her mother-in-law, and a whole slew of assholes.” He looked around at his friends, who all gave him the finger. Classy bunch.
“So, seriously, what do you plan on doing now?” Mem leaned forward in his seat.
“What’s your name? Your real name?”
“Track!”
“It suits you. As to what I plan to do next, I haven’t the slightest clue. Ricci was the end game, sorry Pop.”
“It’s okay, son; it’s okay.” Pop clapped me on the shoulder.
“So, is this how you two play it?” I looked at Mancini. “You play the frontman while you keep the real deal in the background?”
“What? You saying I’m not the real deal?” He didn’t even try to pretend to be upset. Relaxed, charismatic, trained, cold when needed. A very deadly combination.
“I’m guessing since you’re here and you’ve gone to all this trouble that there’s something you want me to do.”
“Tell us first, what are your plans?” Lyon spoke up again.
“Right now? I’m gonna go home and play with my kids. I promised my girl I’d take her shopping, so now that you’ve taken care of my headache, I guess I can do that this weekend as well.”
“Ah, no long-term plans.”
“Like I said, Ricci was the end game. I don’t know many people who plan things for after their death.”
“Fair enough, Mancini, he’s yours. I got what I wanted.” He smiled; I smiled back. I know exactly what he got because I gave it to him. I should probably thank him, but he’d probably get all gruff; he looks like the type.
Mancini spent the next hour trying to talk me into joining his squad. I thought it was my hacking skills he was after, but he was more interested in my level ten standing. But it was Track who actually sold me on the idea to at least see what they were about on their island. Maybe because we already had a rapport.
I didn’t commit to anything but by the time Pop and I stood up to leave, there was an understanding that we’d see. “You’re really not upset that they took Ricci out?” Pop asked as soon as we got in the car.
“Ricci’s not dead.”
“What?”
“Pop, it was a test.” A very simple and basic test, but a test all the same.
LYON
“I didn’t know you were gonna lie to the kid.”
“He knows I’m lying, well now he does. I wanted to see his first reaction, and it’s what I wanted to see since you have a hard-on for this kid.”
“Could you like maybe phrase that better?”
“Whatever!”
“Explain. What do you mean it was a test?”
“This is the thing with you college grad types; everything’s gotta be a damn textbook. Whatever happened to plain old human nature? I wanted to see how the kid would react if he knew the thing he’d worked so hard for was taken from him.”
“He didn’t react anyway.”
“Exactly. He didn’t blow up, didn’t get angry, but it was in his eyes, relief. He was thinking about his woman and his kids. Now can we go dafuq home because Kat’s gonna have my ass if we stay here any longer than necessary?”
“Yeah, and we need to swing by Godiva because there’s none on the island, and the women have been acting damn near feral without their fix.” Logan started whining. “Bitch made!” Tyler sneered at him, and they started scuffling back there like delinquents. Fuck my life.
LANCE
I felt like Daniel heading into the lion’s den when I approached the door to the twins’ suite of rooms. Only I doubt any angel anywhere would tussle with these two. I knocked on the door and opened and entered when given the okay to come in. As soon as they saw that it was me, Anna turned her back while Rosa stuck her nose in the air.
“So you’re still upset with me, okay, let’s hear it; what is it that has got you two so mad at me?”
“You know the answer to that already, so why pretend?”
“Are you two seriously jealous of this girl? Why? What is she going to take from you?” They didn’t have an answer, just looked at each other with frowns on their faces.
I guess it’s mine and their brother’s fault that they’re so spoilt, though I’ve never seen them acting this shitty before. I’m trying to understand their position, hell I’m confused myself with a lot of things that are going on right now, but the one thing I know for certain is that I don’t want them acting like this. They’re too sweet and kind to be going the way they have been since Natalia showed up here. Like they'd lost their damn minds.
“Do you like her?”