“Maybe after I’m patched in. If I get patched in,” I murmur as a plan begins to stir in the back of my mind.
“Dude, you know you’re a sure in, right?” Yak says.
“I don’t know. Some of the brothers still don’t trust me,” I tell him.
“Panther does, though.”
“It’s not just up to him,” I remind him.
“True, but if you keep working your ass off and thinking fast on your feet, they won’t have a reason to say no,” he tells me.
“Time will tell.” I shrug.
My phone vibrates in my pocket.
“One sec,” I say as I pull out my phone.
My heart races when I see a text from my sister on the screen.
Quickly, I open the message.
Ashley
Are you alive? I need proof of life. It’s been too long.
I let out a breath when I realize nothing’s wrong.
“You okay?” Yak asks.
“Yeah, my sister texted me.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. I’m just not used to hearing from her often, is all. When I was undercover, I made sure she had a way to get ahold of me if she really needed me, but we’ve never really been able to just check in and talk. So now that we can, it’s…weird.”
“That’s rough, man.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter.
I send her a quick text back.
Me
I’m alive and kicking. You good?
She replies right away.
Ashley
I’m good. I just heard your name at the coffee shop and thought of you. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon?
Me
I’ll see what I can do.
Ashley
Cool. I’m heading into work. I love you. Stay safe.
