MAX

From the passenger seat of Uncle Justin’s Audi, Dad watches his brother hang up and says, “I forget how important you used to be.”

“Used to be?”

“Yeah, you’re old now.”

“You’re no spring chicken.”

“My whole life you’ve reminded me you’re two minutes older, so now I get to hold that over your head, Grandpa.”

Justin laughs, “Fuck off,” and locks eyes with me through his rearview mirror. “Do me a favor and never let your dad forget this favor I’m doing for you!”

“I won’t.”

“Where do you hide when you don’t want to be found?” Justin asks, driving toward an industrial part of town. “Where they already found you once before.”

My dad says, “That’s what your friend said? The game is in the same place again?”

“Yep. Genius really. Let a couple years go by and hideout until the search goes cold. Not that I sent anyone looking for him, but I’m sure he disappeared for a while. Found another place to set up the tables.”

As we drive over, Dad bends to lock eyes with me in the backseat. “Natalie seems like a nice girl.”

My eyebrows twitch. “You expect heavy makeup and no clothes.”

Uncle Justin mutters with humor, “Reminds me of the old days.”

Not paying attention, my father tells me, “I didn’t know what to expect. Men have done some pretty stupid shit for women.”

Since I’ve been neck deep in the story of his terrible love affair I nod, and don’t rub it in.

After awhile of silent driving I confess, volume low, “Dad, I never realized how much the support of a good woman adds to a man’s life.”

He and his brother exchange a knowing look, but don’t say anything as the Audi slows in front of an old warehouse that appears abandoned.

Justin warns us, “Don’t let this fool you. If my detective friend at the precinct says they’re here, then they’re here.”

“If Detectives know where they are, why not bust them?”

“They’ll just move. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” To Dad he says, “Jason, let me lead on this.”

“Are you kidding? You think I’d try to do the talking? What would I say, You guys want me to play you some music?”

Justin chuckles, “Only you could make me laugh at a time like this.”

We get out of the car. If I were still Hunter’s size, they wouldn’t let me come along. But I’m a big guy, just like they are. We’re not as naturally bulked up as Uncle Jake, Jeremy or Jaxson And nobody is as ripped as Uncle Jett, but he trains every day to be that strong. Still, my dad and his twin brother can throw a punch. I’ve seen ‘em do it. I’m no slouch, myself.

Confident as a unit, we head for the heavy metal door.

My uncle opens it without a problem. Whoever’s inside wants paying customers. But by the looks on the eight faces around the long oval poker table, they don’t want us here.

“We meet again, Franklin,” Justin smiles with a warning in his eyes. Three bouncers step out from the shadows, and the biggest one I recognize from the strip club, the gatekeeper there. He locks onto me, and I can tell he remembers who I am. My uncle knows him, too. “Is there a problem gentlemen? Boone, wasn’t that your name?”

The bodyguard snarls with that look people get when they’re looking at twins, confusion, and in this beast’s case—annoyance. The old man with a yellow linen suit drawls, “Down boys. We’re havin’ a party. Let’s hear what our ex-Congressman has to say.”

His title was demoted on purpose to get him angry. But Uncle Justin doesn’t take the bait. “Perhaps we can have a private moment of your time.”

Bushy white eyebrows stay put as Franklin leans back in his chair. “I seem to remember a bargain made over one Robert Miller. And yet do my eyes deceive me because here you are again, causin’ drama. Which I do not like. Didn’t you make a vow that you’d let me and my friends be.”

“It wasn’t in perpetuity.”

“Your promise came with an expiration date?”

My dad surprises me by speaking up, and his voice is different than I’ve ever heard it. “The promise was kept on both sides. This is a new situation, not related.”

“Related,” the old man says, eyeing the twins. “What an interesting word at such a time when I see you both standing before me lookin’ like you do.”

Dad takes a step forward, face rigid but displaying no fear. He’s protecting his brother, something I’ve never been around to see him do. I bet before I was born he had many a chance.

Uncle Justin says, “Let’s talk privately. I’m sure your friends won’t mind winning a hand for once.”

The old man stiffens at the suggestion that his game might be rigged.

Eyeballs flick around from guarded faces, suspicion now in everyone’s minds.

There are six people playing—four men, two women, none of them trusting or trustworthy, if appearances mean anything. Then the dealer. Then Franklin.

“Now don’t let this smart devil plant ideas in your head. That’s what he wants. You’re all intelligent people who know better.”

One of the women sets her cards down, tapping her nail on them as she says, “Why don’t you take care of business so we can get back to the game?” I notice she has few chips.

Franklin’s eyes sharpen despite his frozen smile. He takes his metal cane, stands up and tells her, “I think your invitation has been revoked.”

Her lips part and she glances around as each of the bodyguards takes a step toward the table. Exhaling through her nose with contained outrage, she gathers her chips, and throws him a silent question—are you going to take my money now, too?

“Let her cash out,” Franklin orders the man guarding the bank. They’ve set up an elegant table by the side wall to serve as one. Looks good, but is easily portable like everything else. Franklin makes sure everyone hears him as he adds, “I’m a fair man,” and uses his cane to help him walk to a door I hadn’t noticed before.

Boone crosses the room to watch over his boss. Uncle Justin stays back to enter the small room last.

“After you.”

Boone glares at Justin.

Doesn’t move.

“Boone,” the old man calls to him. “You want to leave me in here with these two? Think man, think!”

The bodyguard snarls but he comes into the room with my uncle shaking his head, purposefully smiling, cool and collected. This is all a dance. The players know their part. Anyone acts weak or anxious, they lose.

Never met a weak Cocker in my life, when the shit hit the fan and family was on the line. Natalie might not be family, but I am. And Dad knows now how much I need to protect and help this woman I care about, no matter what becomes of us.

Justin negotiates like an Archangel dealing with one of Lucifer’s right hand demons. My father adds emphasis to certain points when needed, garnering a steady glance from the old man.

“I don’t like messy things.”

“He’s not a thing. He is a human being and doing away with this ‘messy thing’ means murder. That happens, and I’ll know about it.”

Dad acts bored. “How many times do we have to go over this tiny detail? Don’t you have a game waiting for you?”

I speak up for the first time. “Doesn’t look good out there as the clock keeps ticking. Might not think they need you anymore.”

That does it. The threat gets him clicking his cane to the door. “Consider it done.” He pauses over his shoulder, eyeing Justin, “I hope to never see you again. And I mean that with the greatest lack of respect.”

Pale green eyes glitter as my uncle bows his head slightly. “Same.”

Grumbling under his breath Franklin loses his cool, barks, “Boone, open the door!” As we return to the table his composure miraculously returns on a self-assured smile. “Where were we?”

“Are your friends staying?” A man in a pinstriped suit asks.

“My friends were just saying how they’ll be leaving us alone.” He locks eyes with Justin, then my Dad and finally me. “For good.”

“If our agreement sticks,” Justin reminds him. “But I’m sure your friends will like to know that I hope you’ll carry out your end.”

Guarded eyes dart around again, and the old man takes the chance to save face. “I am a man who keeps his word.”

He dips his chin, “That’s why I came to you in the first place. Gentlemen. Last lady here. Have a good evening.”

We walk to the door, darkness growing as the lamplight fades. I don’t breathe again until we get outside and my fists release.

Sliding into the car, the doors quietly shut.

As we drive away, my dad asks, “You alright, Max?”

“Part of me expected they were going to jump us on the way out. The way he was looking at you guys was like, if he took out two famous brothers it would be a statement of power to his community.”

Justin’s voice is heavy as he reveals, “I saw the same thing. That’s why I pitted those vipers against their snake charmer. Make them suspicious of each other and bonds vanish.”

My throat is dry as I clarify for my own sanity, “That’s why you did that? I thought it was to make him talk to you.”

“That was almost guaranteed. I realized as we walked in, leaving wasn’t.” Glancing to my father his voice lowers, “I’m not taking you on these kinds of things again. You see his face?”

Dad runs a hand through his hair, staring out the windshield. “Yes. But you handled it well.”

“We both did.” Justin glances to me through the rearview. “If he ordered his bodyguards to jump us, he’d have lost everyone’s trust completely. Total mutiny. Max, you did good, too, when you spoke up.”

I take a deep breath, and sit back as rain starts to fall, the sound soothing as we ride back into the heart of Atlanta.