Time to Bounce (Carter Brothers #6)

Chapter 15

Every family has that one sibling who stresses everyone out. I’m that sibling.

— Gable to Athena

GABLE

I woke to my phone vibrating, and extricated myself from Athena’s Medusa grip to get it.

I pressed answer, but waited until I was well into the kitchen before answering.

“ Sorry , hello?” I answered.

“ Um , did I wake you?” Callena sounded worried.

“ Yeah , but only about two minutes before my alarm,” I said right before my alarm interrupted the call and I turned it off before placing it back to my ear. “ What’s up?”

“ Tyrone and I were hoping to meet you to discuss the case,” she supplied eagerly. “ A couple of new things have popped up.”

I sighed. “ Sure . I’m at my house. I have about two hours before I need to be on shift, though, and it’ll take me thirty-five to get there.”

Meaning , we didn’t have long, and maybe they should wait.

Callena didn’t want to wait, though, and said, “ We’ll be there in fifteen.”

I scrubbed my tired face and once again glanced at the clock.

Athena and I had to be at the station at the same time.

As I was leaving last night, Quaid asked me if I would be willing to take a shift working in a less than desirable beat that tended to be one of his highest turnovers.

I’d agreed, but only if I could come in when Athena needed to so I could get her there safely since we’d left her car behind last night.

Speaking of her car… it needed some work.

I realized she liked it and all, but she seriously needed to look into something more reliable. One that also didn’t look like it was going to have a tire pop off at any moment.

Heading to the laundry room, I got dressed in my jeans since I didn’t want to wake Athena .

When I was done, I headed to the guest bath to brush my teeth.

I was back in the laundry room looking through a load of mostly towels for a t-shirt when I heard the knock at the door.

My door opened and closed before I could get to it, and that meant one of my brothers had seen my light on and headed over.

“ Gable ,” Garrett called.

The sharp click-click of Boss’s nails on my hardwood floor would’ve also been a dead giveaway on who it was.

Boss was the only dog in the Carter neighborhood right now. We loved animals, but none of us were here enough to take care of them. At least, none of us had been here enough at first. Now that the majority of my brothers were wifed up, they could have a dog if they wanted to. The only issue was that their wives worked just as much as they did, and none of us would subject an animal to the boring existence of staying inside all day with nothing to do to entertain them.

My dad and mom had talked about getting a puppy after they retired, but with no retire date in sight, no puppy was in sight, either.

“ Hey ,” I said as I came out of the laundry room, dish towels in my hand.

“ Can I use your coffee pot?” he asked as I put the towels away. “ I really need to leave, but my coffee pot isn’t working, and I’m dying.”

I snorted out a laugh, then handed him a cup from the cabinet I was in front of.

He grumbled something dark about the cup I chose, and I couldn’t help the lecherous grin that spread over my lips.

Garrett had a thing about clowns.

He hated them.

So , of course, I’d given him the one with Ronald McDonald on it that said, ‘ I’ve about McFuckin ’ had it.’

“ I hate you,” he said as he went to my coffee pot.

The doorbell rang, and I reluctantly walked over to it, glancing to the hallway where I’d hoped not to wake Athena up for another twenty minutes or so before I had to take her into work.

Grimacing at the rude wake up call, I went to the door and opened it—but only after looking out the peephole to make sure it was who it was supposed to be.

After my brother had made that mistake and gotten shot for his troubles, I’d always made it a priority to know who I was opening the door to.

Opening the door, I said, “ Where’s Tyrone ?”

Callena smiled and pushed into my home uninvited.

I moved to the side to allow her entry without having to touch her, then closed it behind her when she said, “ Wow , this place is beautiful. I would’ve thought you were an open floor plan type of guy, though.”

I didn’t respond, instead heading back into the kitchen.

Garrett and Boss were leaning against the counter straight across from us when we came in.

Callena’s eyes went to Garrett , and she paused, “ Oh , I didn’t know you’d have company.”

“ You called and told me you were coming over, and had very important news, at seven in the morning. I’m not quite sure why you would expect my house to be empty,” I pointed out.

Callena shrugged. “ I guess I just thought it was early.”

“ And early means people would be here from the night before,” I said. “ Tyrone ?”

“ Oh , he’s coming,” she hedged.

Garrett pushed off the counter, and his eyes went to something over my shoulder.

I turned to find a sleepy looking Athena in my hallway looking at Callena , who’d moved closer to me at some point.

Her eyes went over my shoulder to see Garrett . “ Uh , would you mind dropping me off at my place? It’s on the way to your work. I heard you talking about needing to go.”

Garrett looked at me before saying, “ Sure .”

I gritted my teeth. “ I was going to take you.”

And I hated that she was giving off a ‘stay the fuck away from me’ vibe right now.

What the hell?

“ Yeah , but you look pretty busy.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “ And I need some work clothes. I forgot to bring them, and my boss, although cool, doesn’t like it when we show up not looking ready for work.”

I’d heard about her immediate boss, Blane . He was a good guy when he wasn’t stressed, but seeing as his job was very stressful, he made a lot of people nervous with his spasticness.

“ I really do need to talk to you,” Callena put her hand on my arm.

I pulled away from her and walked over to Athena , who backed away.

I stopped and frowned. “ Athena ?”

She looked at Callena , then shook her head. “ I’m gonna go. Have a good day, Gable .”

Then she was turning on her heels.

Her hair still stuck up in the back, letting me know that this was a very hasty retreat.

Goddammit .

Mother .

Fucker .

I watched her go, unable to do anything else.

“ Guess that’s my cue,” Garrett said as he reached for his coffee cup—no longer the clown one might I add—and headed out. “ Have a good day, motherfucker.”

“ Fuck you,” I said to him without heat.

Garrett shrugged, knowing damn well what I was saying ‘fuck you’ about, and kept going.

When I heard the front door shut, I turned to Callena and said, “ What happened with Tyrone ?”

She pulled out her phone, then sighed. “ He sent a text saying he was caught up at the office.”

“ Well , then we can have this discussion at the station,” I suggested. “ I’ll meet you there.”

Callena looked like she was about to argue, but I didn’t take no for an answer.

I led her to the door and let her out, seeing Garrett’s taillights as I did.

“ Oh ,” she looked like she was conflicted. “ But I have…”

I closed the door on her face, angry.

Not that Callena had really done anything overtly flirtatious, but she’d ruined my goddamn morning.

I’d wanted to wake Athena up with my mouth, and instead I had to watch her take off running because another woman was in my home.

Awesome .

Just fucking awesome.

Instead of driving straight to work, I stopped by Pie Hard , and was unsurprised to find Maven glaring at me.

“ What ?” I asked.

“ You brought another woman into your home this morning?” she asked. “ What were you thinking?”

“ I was thinking that the lady I brought into my home said that she had important information about a case that I participated in, that has a guy involved in it who’s currently in jail but obsessed with Athena ,” I pointed out. “ So yeah, when she has some bad news about it, I want to know what it is. Immediately .”

Maven’s shoulders slumped. “ I thought that Madman guy was out of the picture now?”

“ I think he still is,” I agreed. “ But a lot of shit can go down when you sleep overnight. I would think if anything happened, my dad or one of my brothers would’ve called me, but sometimes they don’t always know things first.”

Maven reached for a box, then started filling it with a few things.

She handed it over to me and said, “ Stop by the gas station and get her some chocolate milk.”

I nodded, thankful that she was trying to help.

“ What about me?” I asked, pouting.

Maven rolled her eyes. “ Your dad already came in here and got a lot of stuff. It’s in his office so y’all can have first pick when you get there. I gave him all of my chocolate eclairs that were ready, so unless you want something else…”

“ No , thank you.” I winked. “ Thanks , Maven .”

I turned on my heel and had my hand on the door to head back out to my vehicle when Maven’s voice stopped me.

“ How are you about learning that she could possibly have issues down the road?”

I’d been trying really, really hard not to think about it, to be honest.

“ I’m okay.” I paused. “ I’m trying to act like everything is normal, because if I don’t, I’m going to drive myself crazy waiting until Tuesday .”

She nodded. “ She’s scared.”

Was she?

She wasn’t acting like it.

She was acting like everything was normal… I guess just like I was.

We’d talked a small amount about it last night, and I’d told her that no matter what we found out on Tuesday , it wouldn’t change my feelings for her.

But would it be the same for her? Would she want to stay with me ?

“ She’s skittish.”

I turned to look at my sister-in-law.

“ She’s never had a boyfriend in her life because of skipping all of those grades.” She frowned. “ Well , I take that back. She had one three-month-long relationship a year and a half or so ago. But I don’t count that one because the guy was a douchebag.”

I was suddenly angry with said douchebag, and I didn’t know why.

“ What happened there?” I asked.

“ Douchebag didn’t know how to stand up for her,” Maven explained. “ Let his family talk complete shit about her every time they thought Athena was gone. One time she walked in on them bashing her, and she waited for the boyfriend to defend her, and he didn’t. He instead laughed, and Athena realized maybe he wasn’t the one for her.”

“ No ,” I agreed. “ He sure the fuck wasn’t.”

Because I was the one.

“ She’s been sheltered her entire life due to her mother, which you got a very good picture of yesterday with all of her overprotective bullshit,” Maven continued. “ She’s also not very used to someone caring about her. Especially not a man.”

“ Are you trying to say that I’m intimidating her?” I asked.

“ No ,” she explained. “ I’m trying to say that you overwhelm her, because she’s not sure what to do with all the feelings you invoke in her. Give her some time, woo her. If there’s anyone in this life who needs wooed, it’s Athena .”

With that, she pushed backwards into her kitchen, waved at me, then disappeared.

I took the box and headed to my truck.

The entire way to the gas station, where I found her chocolate milk, and then the station, I couldn’t help but think about wooing.

What the hell was wooing, anyway?

I decided that I needed to ask my mom.

When I pulled into the station, I parked my truck, and immediately headed to the auxiliary building that was used for visiting agencies to have office space, or conduct business, while they were here.

I found Tyrone and Callena in the conference room.

“ Hey , Gable .” Tyrone stood and offered me his hand. “ You’re late.”

I frowned. “ I’m not late.”

He glanced at the clock. “ You were supposed to be here at fifteen after. It’s almost eight.”

I shrugged. “ Sorry , buddy, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tyrone glanced back at Callena , who had a guilty look on her face. “ I got confused on the location, okay?”

Doubtful .

But instead of calling her on it, I chose to set my bakery box off to the side and lean against the wall by the door. “ What’s going on?”

Tyrone launched right into it.

“ Darryl Horton’s lawyer is trying to get him out on a technicality,” he said. “ One that might actually work.”

My brows rose. “ What do you mean?”

“ Darryl wasn’t listed on the original arrest warrant,” he started, explaining everything.

“ What are you fucking talking about?” I said when he was finished. “ Madman was listed.”

“ Madman , not Darryl Horton .” He rubbed the spot between his eyes. “ That’s not his legal name. The legal names of Wizard , Hybrid , Time Lord , and a few others were all listed. But not Darryl’s .”

“ Fuck ,” I hissed. “ Now what?”

“ Now we hope we can fill in that loophole before he’s let out,” Tyrone answered.

“ Dammit , dammit, dammit,” I grumbled.

“ Once I get any information on this, I’ll give you a call. I know he’s obsessed with Athena ,” he said.

I sighed. “ At least it’ll give her a reason to have to stay with me.”

“ You have to force her?” Callena laughed.

It sounded wrong.

I frowned at her.

“ She’s gun shy,” I admitted. “ You scared her away with showing up at my house this morning.”

“ What ?” Tyrone asked. “ Why did you go there?”

I chose not to get into the middle of whatever argument was brewing between the two.

Instead , I grabbed my stuff, said my goodbyes, and headed to the communications building where Athena worked. A building I’d avoided at all costs until now.

Until I’d decided that I was done denying myself what I wanted most— Athena Murphy .

I headed into the building, my brows rising when I saw the rows of desks, and a man waving his hands in the air as he talked about climate change, the full moon, and multiple other things that I was lost about.

Maybe if I’d been in on the beginning of this conversation…

“ Don’t mind Petey ,” a woman said from the desk beside me. “ He’s a little rough because he had a full night with lots of calls.”

I looked over at the older black woman and said, “ Got it. Hey , do you mind helping me?”

She smiled at me, her red lipstick making her white teeth pop, and said, “ Let me guess, Athena ?”

I blinked. “ How did you know?”

“ She came in here in a bad mood, and she’s never in a bad mood. And you have apology pastries,” she answered.

I looked down at the box.

“ Oh , and she loves chocolate milk,” she continued.

I chuckled. “ Then yes, they’re apology pastries, and this is her chocolate milk.”

She pointed a red-tipped nail at me and said, “ Get her back into a good mood. She’s been gone a long time, which means she’ll have a long ass day. Long ass days here go better when you’re in a good mood.”

I nodded.

“ She’s in the back corner. With all the pink.” She pointed.

“ Thank you,” I winked and moved toward the pink.

It was very pink, too.

The cubicle she was in was bright pink—wallpaper maybe—and she had pink desk accessories, a pink blanket over her chair, and even a pink rug.

She wasn’t wearing pink, though.

She was wearing a black t-shirt, black yoga pants, and a black headband in her hair holding her gorgeous locks back.

She was scowling at her computer screen, and she looked so damn cute I wanted to lick the damn dimple in her cheek.

Fuck , I loved that dimple.

It only came out when she was frowning, and usually it was aimed at me.

I had no doubt her scowl was my fault, too.

“ Athena ,” I said softly.

She snapped her head in my direction, and for a second she looked happy to see me. Then that happiness fled as she remembered she was mad at me.

“ What are you doing here?” she growled. “ I’m at work.”

My lips kicked up at one corner, but I didn’t dare smile.

“ Garrett always comes to visit you,” I pointed out.

Her phone rang, and she shot me an annoyed glance and picked it up.

“911, what’s your emergency?” Athena answered professionally, not a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“ Ma’am ,” Athena said, “this is 911. Not 811. You have to call 811 if you want to dig.”

Athena hung up after a few more seconds, and then her glare returned to me.

“ That happen often?” I asked.

“ More than you would think,” she admitted. “ What are you doing here, Gable ?”

“ I finally allowed myself to come over here because I’m done telling myself I’m no good for you,” I admitted. “ And sure, maybe I am a dirty old man creeping on a barely twenty-one-year-old, but if you can handle the grossed out stares, so can I .”

She widened her eyes at me. “ What do you mean, grossed out? Nobody would look at us being together as gross. You look like you’re ageless.”

Sure , I could probably look younger if I got rid of the beard, but I’d found that I liked it.

Though , I was glad to finally have it back to a more manageable length.

“ I’m thirteen years older than you,” I pointed out. “ Not to mention, you’re this beloved friend to almost all of my family. You have this deep connection with Maven , who is cherished. Garrett loves you. My parents love you. The department loves you. And then there’s me, the man who goes and immerses himself in trouble, and allows some fuckin’ douchebag to become obsessed with you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, started to say something in reply to that, and stopped when her phone rang again.

She answered it.

“911, what’s your emergency?” she asked in her professional voice.

It was hot as hell.

“ No , sir.” She winced. “ Does he for sure not have a pulse?” She paused. “ Oh .”

She started typing on her computer, so fast that I could barely see her fingers zipping over the keyboard. When she was done, she said, “ Just leave the car alone, sir. That’s a hearse. It’s likely the body is supposed to be there.”

I chuckled.

Looked like she dealt with as much bullshit as we did on a daily basis.

After a few more minutes, when units arrived at the scene, she hung up.

She looked back over at me, hurt still on her features, and my shoulders drooped.

“ Callena means nothing to me, baby,” I promised. “ She’s just a colleague. Nothing more.”

Athena looked away. “ Y’all looked awfully cozy.”

“ We weren’t,” I disagreed. “ She’s just… I don’t know. I’d say clingy, but that would imply that she’s something more than she is. Overly affectionate, without the ability to understand I want nothing to do with her.”

“ Oh ,” she said. “ Well …”

“ Athena , I’m going to be very clear with you about something, okay?” I asked.

“ Okay .”

“ I’m into you,” I said. “ I’ve been into you since the first time I saw you.”

Her eyes went downcast.

“ I’ve tried so hard to stay away because the age gap is going to be a problem. Not to you, but to everyone else. And I will not ruin your reputation. The department already looks at you like a little sister since Gavrel passed. And I will try to be very respectful of that, but I’m done trying to stay away. I want you. I want what we can have. I want to find out where this can go.” I paused. “ And I’m sorry for how I acted while I thought I was doing the right thing by staying away.”

She stood up, pressed a button on her phone, and then took off her headset.

She walked up to me, then stood directly in front of me, looking into my eyes, before saying, “ I’m tired of people making decisions for me.”

“ I can see that,” I agreed.

“ My mom has been smothering me since my sister was taken,” she said. “ My brother and father weren’t far behind her. Now that I confronted my mother yesterday, I realized a few things. One , I don’t want to be treated like I’m a delicate flower. Two , I want to be out in the open with you, not in hiding. And three, no more yelling at me when you’re scared. If you think there’s something that needs to be addressed, address it. But don’t push me away. Okay ?”

I caught her hand in mine, waiting.

“ And you’re right,” she said. “ You are older. The department does love me. And they’ll get over it once they see that we’re serious about each other.”

I squeezed her hand.

“ However ,” she lifted her free hand and poked me in the chest with her finger. “ I don’t like waking up to beautiful women hanging all over you.”

I leaned down and kissed her nose, causing her to scrunch it at me.

“ I promise to never let another woman into that house that’s not you.” I paused. “ Unless it’s one of my sisters-in-law or my mom. They don’t count.”

“ Glad to hear that I don’t count as a woman,” my mom chirped from behind me. “ What’s that box you have in your hand?”

“ This is my apology pastry for being an ass to Athena ,” I looked over my shoulder at my mom. “ Dad has a ton of pastries in his office, though.”

“ That rat,” she turned around and left.

“ What’s she doing here?” I wondered.

“ There was some meeting with the communication crew and a couple other people,” Athena said as she dropped her eyes to the box that was poised between us. “ What did you get me?”

“ Your favorite, according to your best friend.” I paused. “ And I have a chocolate milk in my pocket. That’s not my dick.”

She threw her head back and laughed, reaching for the box and the chocolate milk. “ Go to work, Gable Carter .”

“ Yes , ma’am.” I paused before walking backwards toward the exit. “ Athena ?”

She paused halfway down into her seat and looked at me. “ Yes ?”

“ Will you go out on a date with me tonight?” I asked.

Her eyes went soft. “ Yes , yes I will.”

I grinned and turned around, sauntering out of the communications building and heading to my brother’s office.

When I got there, he was angrily looking at his watch. “ What’s up?”

“ I’ve had four people go out with the goddamn stomach flu.” He looked at me. “ And you’re late.”

“ I’m on time,” I pointed out. “ Tell me where you want me.”