MC: Brighton (12 page)

“Pen, what do you want to do about the appointment with the scar doctor?” She’s behind me at her computer, mumbling something at it. It’s not easy working with her. I want to laugh every two minutes. Her fiddlesticks and darn it all happen a lot more frequently when she’s on the computer.

She spins around to see me. “Do you want me to go?”

Like I’m going to answer that. “This isn’t a
me
thing, this is you, babe. If you want the scars removed I need to confirm the appointment. If you don’t, I need to cancel. What do you want to do?”

“Fiddlesticks! You’re not helping.” She’s pissed and I can’t help but laugh.

“Just once I’d like to hear you say fuck.”

She sucks in a breath as if I offended her. “I’ve never said that.”

“I can dream.” I smile at her, but she’s not smiling. “You want to go or not?”

She takes a minute. “The kids made the worst of it go away already and Amanda said she can camouflage the rest with flowers.” She looks down. “Would you rather them be gone?”

“Look at me, Pen.” I wait until she does. “I loved you with the scars. They’re not as red or deep as they were before. I don’t give a fuck if they stay or go. This isn’t about me, this is about how you feel about them. Does it hurt you to see them every day?” She shakes her head no. “Do you want to have more surgery, leave it alone or sit for Amanda’s gun?” She’s watching me but not answering. “I would love to see ink on your body but that’s another you decision.”

“I like the idea of flowers and it can’t hurt as much as the acid.” She says it like a question, waiting for me to agree. I’m not saying a fuckin’ word. Her shoulders slump and she looks down again. ”I want the tattoo,” she says softly.

I’m relieved, but I’m not telling her that. “What was that?”

She looks at me pissed and I’m clenching my jaw. “I. Want. The. Tattoo!”

“That’s what I thought you said. I’ll cancel the appointment and get you in with Amanda.” I spin around and smile. She’s had enough surgery to last a fuckin’ lifetime. At the hospital she told the nurse about the reconstructive surgery for her “private parts” and I wanted to kill him all over. He poured that shit on her pussy, causing her to have to go through grafts and having everyone and their brother looking at her. Knowing how she is, I’m proud of how determined and brave that was. My girl is a fighter.

I cancel the doctor and schedule an appointment with Amanda. She wants me to get a picture to her so she can plan it out using the scars as a natural color. I get a measuring tape and have Penny take her top off. Standing her by the desk, I set the tape so it’s starting from the top of the scars. When I put the camera up to my eye she turns.

“Wait! I can’t be showing my lady parts all over!”

I’m doubled over laughing. “Lady parts?” That’s a new one. When I straighten I see she’s not amused. “Babe, lady parts? You’ve called them breasts before. That’s better than
lady parts
.”

“You talk like a man! I’m not a man. I don’t say things like you do!”

She’s pissed. I hide my smile. “Breasts are still better than lady parts. That sounds like a fuckin’ dish.”

“It’s better than
tits
!” she yells, then covers her mouth with her hand. I’m too stunned to speak. She said tits. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

“The fuck you are! You know the words, now you can use them. That ranks right up there with Badass.” She looks mortified. “No going back from that one, babe, from now on it’s tits.”

“No, I didn’t mean it. I was angry. I’m sorry.”

I move closer and put her hands on her nipples with her elbows out so she’s not covering her torso, then step back. “Not letting you take it back. Move the hand at your sensitive tit so I can see the underside.” I’m smiling and know it’s pissing her off. “Perfect.” I hold the tape sideways and snap two more pictures.

When I put the camera down she relaxes and I bend to take her bar in my mouth, then flip it. She steps back. I straighten and look at her. She’s still pissed. What the hell?

“I don’t want you to touch my
tits
.” She spins around and grabs her shirt, then stomps by me. She’s shaking as she goes. I’m not sure if she’s pissed or scared.

“Babe!” She stops and puts her head down. Her whole body is shaking. Shit! “Being pissed at me is okay. I pushed you to it because I’m a bastard like that. When I put my mouth on your tits is up to
you
, I gotta tell you hearing it come out of your mouth is a fuckin’ turn on. So you walking away is your right and justified, but I don’t think you want to walk into the construction crew with no shirt on.” Her shoulders are shaking. Shit, she’s crying? “Pen.” I step closer and she raises her head with the biggest smile.

“Because it’s me, I would have walked straight into a worker.” She cracks up and I hug her because she’s fuckin cute.

I help her get her shirt on. “Now you can go be mad at me. I’ll make you a special dinner because I was a dick then I’ll fuck you until you scream Badass and tits for me.”

She smiles up at me. “Okay.”

I sit laughing and log into surveillance. The CK have quite a few tags running. I get lost in tracking and logging info. This gets them more time to do whatever else they’re working on. When the last is tagged with the info I jump into OPs and start digging on the politicians Geek left me. I only have two left and get one almost halfway done. I have a week, so I’m not worried about the deadline, but two of these pussies have some of the same shady characters putting money into their treasure chests, or as the public knows it, campaign funds. One fuckin’ guy took his girlfriend to Paris and charged her new wardrobe to his campaign. I have no idea how he’s still in office.

I check the time and close out of the programs, then pull out of the satellite. I love the satellite. It keeps what we do hidden and only a select few have access. I get the information but can’t talk about it, so no one knows I’m clued in. Geek says it will keep me safe and I’m all for that, so I keep my mouth shut. I smile, remembering washing windows and mirrors for days when I was Prospecting. Pres told me I should take a good look at myself and decide if I’m becoming the man I want to be. I never needed another lesson like that. By the time I finished the glass in all the buildings I knew what kind of man I wanted to be and exactly how I was going to get there. I work and train to be that man every day. We do some shit jobs, but it’s always for the right reasons and I can be proud of that.

Thinking of being proud, I remember I need to get my girl fed. She stood up to me when I was being a dick, she deserves something special. I get to the kitchen and see the chicken I pulled out. I decide on chicken parmesan and start prepping everything when the doorbell rings. Danny follows me back to the kitchen and washes his hands to help.

“You didn’t come to cook, so what’s up?” I ask as I’m cutting tomatoes.

He starts slicing the chicken breasts in nice even sections. He can do every fuckin’ job in the MC, but I’m always surprised by how well he does them. “We have some trouble coming and HS will be spread pretty thin. You know how OPs work, your reactions are good and you’re a crack shot. If you were needed to run with HS, would you do it?”

Fuck! “If I’m needed, I won’t say no, but I’m more valuable behind a computer than a gun. Why would HS need me?”

He looks at me with that damn eye. “You’re good. You surprised the fuck out of everyone not only keeping up with me but the dead eye shot with only a second to assess.” That felt good. I throw chin, letting him know I’m listening as I bread the chicken. “We’ve got kids coming up that can work the boards but aren’t equipped to run with OPs. Jessie, little Ben, and Darren can run with HS, but they handle the kids and training more effectively than the Brothers do. VP, Bob, and Rich are running with HS when they’re needed, but lately they’re needed every fuckin’ day and it takes them away from their real jobs.”

“Yeah. I’ve noticed they’re putting in more hours than usual. I’ve never done Ops, though. Isn’t there someone in Security that is more capable than me?”

He doesn’t say anything, so I look from my chicken to him. “I wouldn’t be here if there was. Look, I know where you’re comfortable, but right now we need help in HS. You’ve got all the training that everyone else does, you know how everything works, and you can ride. Driscoll and Colby couldn’t keep up, but you stuck to my side the whole time. My partner always keeps my right and you did that. If Bob, Rich or VP aren’t available I need a partner that I have confidence in. That’s you. I didn’t expect it, but there it is. Jessie’s got it from Christian we’re coming into trouble. I need a partner and you need to get comfortable with the job before that hits.”

I start frying up the fillets and watch him get the vegetables going for the sauce. He needs a partner and he chose me. I’m fuckin stunned that he would, honored to be considered, and scared shit that he’ll shoot my toes off if I screw up. “Have any of your partners ever fucked up?”

He adds the tomatoes in, then looks at me. “No, I work with the best of the best.”

I think about that. VP, Rich, and Bob. Fuck, I’m no match for any of them. I put the chicken in a lasagna pan and sprinkle it with parmesan. “I’m not even close to any of them on their worst days. I rode alongside you, spending the whole time just trying to keep up. If I fuck up you’ll shoot my feet. I like my toes right where they are.”

He smiles. “I will never shoot your feet, Digs. I’ve never shot a partner.” I stir the sauce, breaking up the tomatoes, thinking at least my feet will be safe from Danny. “Where’s the bread?” I point to the cabinet. He pulls out a knife and cuts a chunk off, then sprinkles cheese on it. I just watch as he makes a sandwich with a piece of the chicken and spoons the almost ready sauce on it. “I missed dinner,” he says, walking toward the door. “You need to get Geek the files you have open and be at the firing range at eight tomorrow. You work my schedule this week. Rich will text it to you in.” He looks at his watch. “Seven minutes. Pres says he’ll talk to Jess tomorrow about your raise and Tess is coming to help Penny. The women will work out a schedule for her. Have a good night.” He walks out the door, taking a bite out of the sandwich.

“All right, I’ll take the job,” I say to the door. They had it all worked out before he got here. Fuckin’ Brothers are probably betting on it.

“What job?”

I turn and see Penny coming down the stairs. She’s carrying her iPad, which is unusual to see. She seems to hate technology. “HS needs help. Danny just left.”

“Don’t you already work for them?” Shit.

I need to tell her, but she’s already pissed at me. “Yeah, but this isn’t on the computer, it’s working as Danny’s partner.” I watch that play out on her face.

“So you would be like Rich and Bob? They’re his partner, right? When he’s not building things, I mean.” By her facial expressions she’s clearly confused.

I walk back to the kitchen to check on the sauce. “Yeah, he’s the Building Super, but he works HS one or two days a week when things are quiet. When shit’s going down he works HS or whatever other job he’s needed at. Mostly it’s HS.”

She follows me and leans on the counter, watching as I drop some sauce on each piece of chicken. “Doesn’t he build houses too? How does he work everywhere, but I always see him with the kids and Kate?”

“He used to build houses, now he just draws them up. He’s an architect, but he only takes certain jobs. He specializes in upscale green buildings and he only works jobs for HS, so it’s not full-time unless things are bad. He works his schedule around the kids’ activities so he’s with them a lot.” I sprinkle cheese, then pop it in the oven.

“What job will you be his partner for?”

I want to laugh, but it’s a legitimate question since he’s every fuckin’ where. “HS, actual High Security detail. I’ll work jobs like Danny, so it would be less hours than what I put in now. I can still do IT here if they need help but when times are rough I’ll be working more out of Security and it’s still an on call position like I have now.”

She nods, getting plates down while I throw spaghetti in the pan of water. “So you’d work like Driscoll? When there is a threat you’d be seen and when there isn’t people don’t see you?”

“People don’t see me?” What does that mean? Driscoll is always HS Security.

“Yeah, like he follows Tess, but you never see him. She says he’s there, but he’s hidden. Once I saw him behind her, but it looked like he was just walking down the street.” She finishes the table and looks at me.

“I guess. I’ve only ridden with HS twice before you were taken. Danny doesn’t do regular Security, he does jobs. It’s usually a specific issue. I’ll be partnered with him, so I’ll work his hours. I don’t know what I’m doing the rest of the time yet, but it could be like Driscoll.”

She gives me her smile. I guess she’s not still pissed at me. “And you get a raise! Jiminy! We should celebrate.”

She’s got me smiling. Jiminy. Shaking my head, I grab her waist. “The women will set up some time to help you while I’m training this week. I’m going to celebrate as soon as dinner is done. Maybe I’ll spread some ice cream on you for dessert.”