ReBoot (MAC Security 4)

This isn’t good… this is bad… beyond bad.

I’ve been sitting in my safe room for two days in a row now: hacking systems, trying to find anything out that will help Lexi. Pop said that he’ll see her later this week—she’s been back inside nearly a week now and I still haven’t heard from her.

Does she not want to talk to me? Surely she can pick up a payphone? But then I start to wonder: does she have money? Does she know my number?

It doesn’t matter anyway because I’ll do anything and everything to get her out of that place and back here where she belongs. I won’t stop at anything until she’s back in the safety of my arms.

The pounding on my cabin door starts yet again, but I ignore it, waiting for the footsteps to echo above as whoever it is walks in without permission—just li

ke they’ve been doing since I hid myself away.

“Evan!” I shake my head. First Ty, then Kay, and now Luke. Don’t they get the point? I don’t want to talk to them.

Not one of them has offered to help. When Kay was in trouble, we were all there. When Kitty needed rehab, it was me who booked her in. But when I ask them to trust me, they doubt all of my intentions.

“We want to help!” he shouts, only this time it’s closer and I hear his footsteps. “Where the fuck are you? I just want to talk!”

My nostrils flare at his tone and I’m up out of my seat in two seconds flat and opening up the hatch, storming toward him. His eyes widen when he sees where I’ve come from but I don’t let him talk. “You want to judge!” I grind out. “You don’t want to help.”

“Ev—”

“No! When it was Kay, I was there!” I smack the palm of my hand off my chest. “When Kitty needed help, I was there!” I make a closed fist and smack that off my chest too. “When any of you need or want something…” I look into his ice-blue eyes. “I’m. There.”

I take a breath, my chest rising and falling.

“We want to—”

“I’m sick and fucking tired of this shit… none of you know a fucking thing about me, never mind me and Lexi.”

The anger is rising to the surface, flowing through my veins like molten lava as I storm out of my cabin and to the warehouse, intent on giving them all a piece of my mind.

I’m not doing this anymore, they have no idea of half the things I’ve had to live with.

I push open the metal door, walking inside with Luke hot on my tail.

“He’s not doing good—”

“Shut it!” I shout, whipping my head around to him and then back at them all where they stand scattered around the table. “I’m done.” I swipe my hand through the air. “You need anything and I’m there… always. The one time I need all of your help and you disappear. Lexi is my family. My family.” I pause. “Don’t you get that? I can’t…” My breath catches in my throat. “I can’t live without her… she’s…”

There’s a beat of silence before Ty says, “She’s it.” His eyes rove over Kay. “I get it.”

I open my mouth, trying and failing to form words as the rage slowly fizzles out. My body is exhausted, my brain tired, and I feel like I’ve been put through ten rounds with Tyson.

My shoulders droop as my gaze wanders around the warehouse, finally seeing what they’re doing.

“We’re trying to help,” Kitty says, walking around the table and placing her hand on my arm. “Like you said… you’re always there for us. It’s time we did the same.”

I swallow when my eyes meet the board on the wall, seeing information and photos pinned to it.

“While you’ve been holed up in your cabin we’ve been trying to figure out what happened,” Luke says, walking toward the board before lowering his voice so only I can hear. “And when we’ve got your girl out, we’re definitely talking about the fucking hole in your floor that you appeared out of.”

I snap my head up, making sure no one else heard him as Kay clears her throat. “We know she didn’t do it, Evan.” I see the truth she’s telling reflected in her eyes.

I shake my head, agreeing with her but also pissed at myself. I should have known they’d back me all the way.

Why did I think that they wouldn’t?

I’ve been in gen pop for five days now. They kept me separated for a few days while they ran tests, and I was right, I was eight weeks along… well, nine weeks now.