Dream Maker (Dream Team 1)

“Now are we finished?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said.

“Talk to your sister,” he ordered.

“Will do,” she replied. She then gave an airy wave and said, “Laters,” before she started heading out.

“Later, girl,” Elvira called.

Mag got another look from Evan’s sister, a happy one, before she walked by him.

He then felt Mo get close.

“What happened?” Mo asked.

Mag looked to Mo.

“Evan was offered academic scholarships. And she’s stripping.”

Mo’s lips tightened.

“Yeah,” Mag grunted.

“Keep on,” Mo grunted back.

“I got no choice, worse, neither does she.”

“Just to say, my desktop at home is givin’ me fits,” Elvira put in.

Mag cut his gaze to hers. “Call Computer Raiders and request Evie.”

She was smiling broadly when she replied, “Will do.”

“You good?” Mo asked Mag.

But it was Elvira who spoke.

“I’m inviting that sister of Evan’s out for a cosmo,” she declared.

Mo looked over his shoulder at Elvira then back to Mag.

“You’re good,” he said.

Then he strode out of the office.

“Mag,” Elvira called.

“What?” Mag answered, his attention still on his friend’s departing back.

“Boy, look at me.”

He looked at her.

“It isn’t right, and it isn’t good, how it came about, but since it did, you got an opportunity to do something normally you would not. That is, help your girl to be all she’s meant to be. And Mag, as much as it sucks she got delayed in her path to that, and how, if you give her that, you’ll always be the one who gave it to her. That’s a beautiful thing. And if she’s as smart as everyone says she is, she’s not gonna miss it.”

Hawk could go guru because he was good at it.

With work shit.

Elvira could do it because, as she’d just demonstrated, she was good at it too.

With life shit.

“Thanks, Vira,” he muttered.

She gave him a scrunched-nose smile.

And with nothing for it, Mag got back to work.Evie was sitting next to him in his truck, giggling.

He was surprised about this because, not five minutes ago, both of them were standing outside his truck, bickering.

She did not like that he was driving with his arm in a sling.

He did not allow anyone to drive his truck but him and there was no way in hell his ass was going to be in a Prius unless he was unconscious or so weak from loss of blood, he didn’t have it in him to fight it.

When he’d shared these things, the last bit got her ass in his truck.

And now she was giggling.

“What’s funny?” he asked.

“You came home early to make Gert chocolate chip cookies,” she answered, still laughing.

“I told you I was gonna win her over,” he reminded her.

“Bribing her with cookies is the way to go,” she replied. “Especially your cookies. I didn’t decimate them like you did the clusters, but I nabbed one and you’re right. You kick chocolate chip ass.”

He was glad she thought that, because, “Babe, there’s a dozen left at home, all for you.”

That got him nothing.

He glanced her way and saw he was wrong.

It hadn’t gotten him nothing.

She looked like she didn’t know whether to smile big or bust out crying.

He decided to help her make that decision.

“What’s my cookie bribe for you gonna get me?” he asked.

When he glanced again, he saw she was now grinning.

Mission accomplished.

“You’re oversexed,” she teased.

“Me bein’ oversexed means you’re oversexed so is that a complaint?”

“No,” she said quickly.

That was when he busted out laughing.

She curled her hand around his thigh in the middle of it, and when he shot her another glance, he saw her grinning at him.

Shit, fuck.

He had that from her, and he had to do what he had to do, and for her, he had to get it out of the way.

So, he set about doing that.

“Right, one piece of bad news and two pieces of interesting news.”

“Oh boy,” she mumbled.

“Bad news fast, Cisco was not the one who nabbed that bag out of your car. So, he’s still…whatever he is.”

“What is he?” she asked, sounding curious.

“A bad guy.”

She didn’t ask any further questions about Cisco.

Yeah, his girl was smart.

“The interesting news is, first, your dad is doin’ what he can to make sure the people in that sphere know you got nothin’ to do with this.”

She had no reply to that, but her hand still on his leg twitched.

“The second bit of interesting news is your sister came to my office today and—”

Her nails dug in through his jeans, which was one reason he stopped talking.

The other one was her shouting, “What?”

Her hand disappeared and he heard her digging in her purse, he knew for her phone, so he talked fast.

“It was not a bad visit, Evan. Listen to me, I think—”

She cut him off to say, “Hang on, honey, it’s ringing.”

Mag sighed.

“Yes, it’s your sister,” she snapped into the phone. “Yes.” Pause, “Yes, and I am not okay with that.” Longer pause and then, “No, he told me you…” Pause. “What? I don’t care if you approve.” No words, then, “Sidney, you can’t just walk into Danny’ place of business and—”