He looks behind us, making sure we’re not being followed, and when he looks back at me, he rolls his eyes at my impatience. “You’ve got a lot of balls in the air, one of them’s bound to fall down eventually, but it doesn’t mean you ain’t a good juggler.”
Immediately I catch on to what he’s saying, and I shake my head disagreeing, “Yeah but it’s a big ball I dropped.”
“And I still reckon you need to focus on being able to juggle in the first place.”
“How do people do this pack thing?” I ask, genuinely interested because from where I’m standing it’s freaking hard work, and I’m doing a terrible job.
“No disrespect but you’re kind of doing it your way.”
My eyebrows pop up, “Hey?”
“Most packs are already formed for starters. I’d put money on that big fancy school of yours working with the government setting it up like that in their cookie cutter world of theirs. You ever been to a meet and greet that’s unpacked Alphas only?”
“No,” I answer, surprised I’ve only just seen that’s exactly what does happen. Unity always pushes Omegas to established packs.
“You ever seen a pack you liked at one of those events?”
I sputter out a laugh, all but confirming I haven’t.
Big Tom looks back at me smugly, knowing he’s right. “For some people it works, obviously. I guess I’ve always thought you would find your pack a bit like the way you live your life.”
“Pardon?” I heard him, but what has me interrupting him is the insinuation in his voice, which sounds a lot like admiration. It’s unexpected.
“Since the day I took you on as a job, you’ve been a fucking good person to me and Tonka. You’ve never been a brat, trying to sneak out without letting us know. You go out of your way to be polite, which you didn’t need to do because I get paid good to watch you. Don’t get me wrong, you’re stubborn as a mule sometimes, but you’re a good sort.”
“I honestly don’t know what to say.”
“Guess that means I keep talking, huh? You make your own way, and that takes guts. It doesn’t mean you don’t stumble, and stumbling is important because it forces you to see what made you trip up. But you always get back up, Tristan, and just go for it until you’ve got what you want.”
For the second time in a few minutes, I stop dead in my tracks as his words sink in. And I’m kind of shaken because I never saw it like that, and I didn’t think people saw me like that either. It’s eye-opening but it doesn’t make me feel any better about the issue at hand.
“I didn’t tell King about Tyson,” I admit, and the guilt from before bubbles up again.
“Don’t you reckon you’ve had a fair bit of other shit going on since you met Tyson. And seriously, whenever you and King get together, I’m surprised you both remember how to talk.” He chuckles.
“And that means?”
He waves me on because we’re out in the open. “You’re good to each other, and for each other. I know you share somethingwith Maverick, and maybe it’s the same with Tyson. Life isn’t fucking peachy straight up, sometimes there’s things in your way to test you.”
“So philosophical!” I shoulder bump him, and we get close to where I parked.
Big Tom doesn’t say anything until I’m sitting in my car. “I have to be honest though, I think King is going to have a real issue with the Tyson thing.”
I look at him before I screech, “Are you serious? I was feeling okay, and now I feel sick again. Oh my god, thanks a lot!”
He rolls his eyes and waits until I stop whining. “King won’t be happy for a number of reasons and none of them have to do with you not telling him. I’ll even put money on it.”
He holds out his hand, and I eye it suspiciously without reaching for it. “What are you doing?”
“We’re shaking on a bet. If King reacts how I think he will you give me”—he looks off thinking for a moment—“you sort me out a table at that fancy restaurant that’s always booked out. Food and drink for two.”
I look at him in shock before my mind locks on what he wants. My phone is in my hands and the number for Roda’s is on my screen. “Big Tom, you should have told me you wanted to go there. I can get you a table anytime you want. When? And do you want their set menu, or you want to order your own?”
Big Tom pushes my hand down. “Tristan… you just proved my point you’re a good person. Now back to our bet. If King doesn’t react the way I think and you win, what do you want?”
I say the first thing that pops into my head. “You tell Raney.”
He throws his hands up and rocks back on his heels. “No chance. You two idiots should have done that already. You’re on your own there. But how about I do a big cook-up for you and your pack if you win.”
