The Hacker (The Bro Series Book 2)

by Xavier Neal

  “Si,” I agree. “We’ll see you soon.”

  After ending the call, I shut off the phone so it will charge faster, toss it in the cup holder, and turn around to announce, “We’re going for a little bit, but if your listening orejas fall off once we are leaving. Lo entiendes?”

  They both nod and Sage immediately starts twisting her earlobes.

  Lynk frowns. “What are you doing?”

  “Making sure my listening orejas are on super tight!”

  I smirk at her adorableness, turn back around, and put the car in reverse.

  Once we’ve stopped by the grocery store to grab a feast of desserts where both children insisted they got to pick at least one for everyone to eat, we head directly to my parent’s home. Thankfully, both seem to be in better spirits, and I’m simply relieved we’re momentarily past the fighting.

  At the house, Lynk helps get Sage out of her car seat, while I gather all the desserts in my arms.

  Drawback to having a huge family? Nowhere to park for get togethers.

  The three of us start the trek from the back side of the corner house where we parked. Music and laughter floods over the gate instantly causing a warm smile to cross my face.

  I wish everyone had a family they loved being around like this. It’s definitely an experience to be surrounded by constant love and caring. It makes me happy Holden has this with his friends, but saddens me his children don’t.

  Or at least they didn’t.

  They will now…and so much more.

  Lynk opens the front door for me and I loudly announce, “Hola!!! We’re here.”

  My mother’s face pops up in the open kitchen. “Hola!”

  “Mrs. Tamara!” Sage says rushing towards her.

  The two hug before she moves onto hugging Lynk who greets her the same.

  I drop the grocery bags full of desserts onto the kitchen table just as she says, “Marco and Cameron are outside in the backyard already playing.”

  Lynk eagerly asks me, “Can I go? Can I go?”

  With the bags free from my grip, I usher us towards the door with Sage reaching for my hand.

  “Meena!” Mario tosses his beer free hand in the air at the sight of me. “Ahí está mi hermana mayor!”

  He hustles over from where he was standing with Papi and two other men. “Hola…”

  We exchange a quick hug and kiss. Having him back in my arms even if it’s just for a second momentarily soothes the fear of losing him to tragedy. Having him enlist in the Marines broke everyone’s heart, but it was what he had his sights on. Protecting. Serving. Determined to make a difference for the next generations. His speech on why he was joining only made it harder to let him go.

  My baby brother’s too handsome for his own good face brightens. “And you brought invitados!”

  “Sage, Lynk, this is my youngest brother, Mario. Can you say hi?”

  Sage shyly waves along with Lynk.

  Mario gives Lynk a playful look. “Are you the soccer star?”

  He takes the bait. “Yeah! That’s me!”

  “Marco says you’re pretty good…But I don’t know…I might be better. I played when I was in high school.”

  “You did?!” Lynk gasps.

  And I footed the bill for most of it.

  “Yup.”

  “Why didn’t you play in college or go pro?”

  Mario shrugs at the same time we’re joined by the men he just left. “Decided to join the Marines instead. It was better for me.” Lynk nods, which is when Mario states, “But being a pro could totally be better for you. You wanna show me what you got little man?”

  “Yeah!”

  “And who is this?” The male to my brother’s left questions, his chocolate face flashing a blindingly white smile.

  “This is my big sister, Meena. And when I say big, I mean, big. She’s the oldest. She’s always been responsible for keeping our culos in line.”

  His praise colors my cheeks.

  At least he acknowledges it.

  “Meena, this is Erick Lamar,” he points to the dark-skinned male, “and Brian Styles.” His head motions at the tall one with bronze skin. “They were both at basic with me.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Erick is first to shake hands.

  Immediately after, my hand lands in Brian’s, though his dark blue gaze lingers longer than it should. “Pleasure…”

  “Nice to meet you both,” I politely coo.

  Suddenly, there’s an unusual huff from Holden’s mini.

  My lips swiftly press together to prevent laughing.

  Like father, like son, I see.

  “These two are my boyfriend’s kids,” I emphasize and give Lynk’s head a sweet rub hoping to calm down his uneasy nerves.

  Brian gives Lynk a friendly nod before he leans down to Sage’s level. “You know I have a little girl here who is probably just about your age. How old are you? 5?”

  “4 almost 5.”

  Brian’s smile expands. “Well I bet she would love some company. She brought some coloring books and was coloring with Mia. Wanna go over there and join them? I was just about to go check on her. We can go together if you want.”

  Sage’s blues eyes begin to sparkle as she shoots her face up in question. “Can I go?!”

  Quickly, I nod and dismiss them both. “Both of you go play. But remember what I said in the car.”

  “Listening orejas!” They reply in unison.

  Sage promptly drags Brian to the opposite side of the yard while Mario has Lynk follow him and Erick to where they’re kicking around the soccer ball.

  I watch for a moment to insure they’re both settled before heading back inside. Lynk’s jealous outburst reminds me that I should send Holden a quick text to let him know we’re fine. On the other side of the closed sliding glass door, I reach into my back pocket intending to pull out my phone, yet I’m puzzled when I don’t. It takes a minute to remember where I left it, yet when I do, I make my way back towards the front door to get it from the car.

  “Oh, Meena, can you help me in the kitchen for a minute?”

  Halfway through the living room, I pause. “Can it wait? I need to grab my phone from the car.”

  She removes a pan from the oven. “It’ll only take a sec. I just need you to mix Mario’s ‘secret’ BBQ sauce together for me, please. He’s been whining about it since the first batch of meat was finished.”

  With a crooked smile, I shake my head, and relocate to the kitchen. “You still haven’t told him, it’s just two generic brands with a bit of brown sugar and cayenne pepper?”

  My mom smiles wide while wiping her hands. “Why ruin the illusion?”

  I laugh with her and remove the bottles from the fridge.

  “How are things going with you, by the way?” She questions as I arrive in front of the mixing bowl. “Still happy with this job? Not ready to run away yet?”

  The word choice twitches a glare from me. “I don’t run away, Mom. I just move on when it’s time. When I’m not needed anymore.”

  Her hum is occupied with her offering me the brown sugar. “Are you still feeling needed?”

  Memories of Holden’s body pressed tightly against mine while rambling erotic declarations trails rapidly through my mind forcing me to reply, “In a different way.”

  She scoots a little closer. “Meena…I know you two were…engaged in mixing a little business with convenience…”

  I glower at the poor phrasing.

  “But I didn’t know it was more than that. Are you two…Are you two more than that now? Are you a couple?”

  My hand reaches for the big wooden spoon while nodding. “Si.”

  Her attempt at hiding her excitement is terrible. “Really? Are you…Oh my God are you gonna quit then? Just do the girlfriend/mom role instead of the nanny?”

  There’s a question that needs an answer. And fast. Watching my boyfriend’s kid for pay yet sleeping with him feels like some sort of weird unclassified babysitter hooker sc
enario I don’t want to be a part of.

  Unsure of how to answer, I choose to remain silent.

  Catching onto my uncertainty, she simply nods, and begins chopping up the chicken. “Well, when the time comes and you need a new job, my boss’ boss is looking for a tutor for her daughter. Might be an easy job you can do in between caring for Holden’s kids.”

  The idea takes a deeper root than I imagine.

  Maybe that’s not a bad idea. It’s not like I need a shit ton of cash or anything. Just a little something to funnel into their accounts to help with bills or groceries or a house full of siblings unexpectedly.

  “Want me to get more information or give her yours?”

  “Maybe…” My hand stops swiftly mixing the concoction in the bowl. “All done. I’m gonna go grab my phone. I’ll be right back.”

  She nods again this time not stopping me.

  However, no more than three steps out of the kitchen, the sound of Sage’s voice ceases my movements. “Miss Meena, can I have a popsicle?”

  I turn to face her. “After you eat lunch.”

  She pouts and Lynk appears beside her. “Can I eat now? I’m hungry. They’ve got hot dogs!”

  “I want a hot dog…” Sage’s voice almost whimpers.

  This is exactly why I try to always make sure she gets a nap.

  “They’ve got chips too! A bunch of chips!” Lynk asks wiping the sweat off his brow. “Can I have a Dr. Pepper?”

  How can he possibly be sweaty already? He’s been out there for like five minutes and it’s winter!

  “I want a juice box,” Sage announces.

  “No juice boxes,” my mother interjects, “but I do have fruit punch. Do you want that?”

  “Sí, por favor!”

  “Meena, why don’t you help them get their hands washed, and I’ll make their plates?”

  I offer her a warm look of thanks before saying, “Alright, lets get you two washed up and fed.”

  “Then we can both have popsicles!” Sage shouts with another rush of joy, her tiny body now stumbling towards me.

  “What about the brownies we brought?” Lynk reminds her.

  “Can I have a brownie?!” She begs promptly.

  A deep exhale escapes me as I do my best to collect my lost sanity.

  After a long afternoon filled with lots of laughs, lots of messes, and lots of love, the three of us pull into the driveway completely exhausted. While Lynk is barely awake, Sage is completely passed out in her car seat. Thankful bedtime will be quick for them, I grab my bag, cradle her against my chest, and lead the three of us to the front door.

  On our way down the hallway inside, I say to Lynk, “Teeth. Face. Bed.”

  He nods his compliance instantly.

  Suddenly, Holden’s seething body blocks our path. “Where the fuck have you been!?”

  Baffled by his brass bite, especially in front of his children, I keep my composure and lower a stirring Sage to her feet. When her tiny face sees mine, I sweetly command, “Go upstairs with your brother to brush your teeth. Wash your face. And then put your jammies on. Okay?”

  Sage yawns and mumbles her answer.

  “Lynk help your sister, please.”

  “Now!” Holden barks, pointing to the stairs beside us, eyes still pinned on me.

  I stand back up and watch them disappear the direction they were told.

  As soon as they’re out of sight he shouts again, “Where the fuck have you been, Meena?!”

  “I-”

  “Where the fuck is your phone!?”

  The realization that it’s still plugged in the car barrels at me aggressively.

  Shit. I forgot to go back to the car to get it. Every time I started to, something came up. Either the kids needed me or my parents or my siblings. At some point, I just abandoned the idea of retrieving it. If there was an emergency I know his number by heart.

  “Answer me!”

  “Deja de gritarme!”

  “I don’t know what that fucking means!” Holden’s voice booms. “Just like I don’t know where the fuck you were for the past seven hours!”

  “Have you been home this entire-”

  “No! Just an hour, which I have spent searching all over the fucking internet for you! The last place I pinged your phone was at the goddamn grocery store hours ago!”

  My mouth twitches to reply yet he continues shouting.

  “Where the hell have you fucking been, Meena?! I’ve been going out of my goddamn mind!” His rage ripples through his entire body as I stiffen. “I couldn’t even follow which way your fucking car went because one of the traffic cams went out! I even tried turning the camera around on your family member’s phones to see if you were there, near any of them, but only kept getting black screens from fucking pockets or purses and so much fucking Spanish I felt like I had travelled to Mexico!” He barely takes a breath. “Who the fuck do you think you are not answering my calls or texts when you’ve got my kids! My kids!”

  His tangent takes an ugly turn I know I’m not going to like. Quietly, I implore, “No hagas esto. No vayas alli….”

  “English!” He screams yet I don’t bother repeating myself. “Tell me that in English for fucks sake!”

  I silently refuse.

  Holden’s anger is amped up a notch. “You can’t just fucking disappear with my kids, Meena!”

  Thoughtlessly, I roll my eyes. “I didn’t disappear-”

  “You sure the hell weren’t here! Where you should’ve been! Where they should’ve been! You had no right-”

  “No right?” I quickly interrupt. “I had no right to take care of them? To spend time with them? To take them to play, have lunch, and a generally good fucking day?”

  “You had no right to do whatever it is you were doing all fucking day and not tell me! Or call me! You aren’t their fucking mother! You don’t get to do that!”

  “I wish she was!” Lynk’s voice rains down from the top of the stairs beside a teary-eyed Sage.

  “Go to bed!” Holden yells violently.

  “Don’t.” I viciously bite. “I don’t care how mad you are at me. Do. Not. Take it out on them.”

  “Don’t tell me how to raise my kids! They’re mine, goddamn it! Not yours!”

  The repeated declaration spreads a solemn reaction throughout my chest and an expanding knot in the back of my throat.

  Holden drags his hands down his face in an attempt to calm himself. When he faces his children again, his heaving chest ceases, and he kindly states, “Will you two please get into bed? I’ll be up in a minute to tuck you in.”

  Lynk starts to argue, but I motion my finger to my ears.

  He silently nods yet the action spirals Holden back the direction he was facing. “You have a secret language with my children now?”

  “I-”

  “You don’t think I can fucking parent on my own? You don’t think I can handle a little push back?!”

  “I think you can’t handle shit,” I chomp cruelly before I can stop myself. “I think you’re afraid to let anyone else love your children because the last woman who did failed so fucking miserably at it!”

  “Fuck you!”

  “Fuck you!” My mouth spouts without hesitation. “You wanna know where my phone was all day? In my car. It died after sending your ass pictures and videos all morning! You know why it was left there? Because I forgot to grab it! You wanna know why, Mr. Perfect? You wanna know how in the world I could live or exist without a stupid piece of technology plastered in my goddamn hand? Because I was busy living my life! I was letting your children live theirs! I was giving them fucking memories they’re never going to get locked up in your digital fortress!” Shaking my head, I begin to back up slowly, lungs burning in desperation for air. “I can’t do this…”

  His brow creases.

  “I won’t do this….”

  Holden’s jaw ticks rapidly.

  “I’m done.”

  “What the fuck do you mean you’re done?”


  “Termine.”

  “What the fuck-”

  “It means, you’re absolutely fucking right, Holden. I’m not their mother, which means I can walk away from you any fucking time I want.” He starts to speak and I announce, “Lo dejo.” With a snarky sneer, I snap, “In English? I quit.”