“How the fuck that happen?” Los wasn’t really asking because I didn’t know any more than he did, so I just shook my head and entered the cafeteria.
“Your guess is as good as mine, but we’re about to find out.”
I grabbed damn near one of everything I thought Sophie might eat, paid, then Los and I headed back to her room. By the time we got there, Maddie was already there and the two were deep in conversation. Whatever it was had to do with Carlos because the second we stepped into the room, they both looked at him with goofy ass grins.
I was just happy to see my baby smiling. I was pissed with myself for not being there when she needed me, even though I didn’t really have a say in it. Even still, my list of casualties for this situation was growing by the second.
William and Lincoln were at the top of that list, but the gotdamn feds who’d held us were running close behind. They were all going to be dealt with.
“They fuck y’all looking at me like that for?” Carlos asked, making them smile harder.
Maddie was on her feet and walked over to him. But when she tried to hug him, he stepped back.
“Nah, none of that. Answer me first,” he said, holding his hand up.
“I missed you too, asshole.” Maddie rolled her eyes and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back so he could hug her.
“I missed your hostile ass, but that ain’t got shit to do with what y’all in here whispering about.”
I laughed and walked over to Sophie with the bag of food. I placed it on the rolling cart and lifted the hospital tray.
Sophie was already digging through the bag and pulled out a fruit salad. I chuckled, thinking I should have left all that other shit because I knew exactly what she would eat.
“I was telling Sophie I spent the day with your mom. That’s why I wasn’t here and didn’t answer when she called.”
“My mom?”
I looked right at Carlos as I nudged Sophie over enough for me to climb on the bed with her. This muthafucker’s eyes got wide as hell.
“Yes, your mother.”
“Wait, how the hell that happen?”
Maddie frowned, sensing he wasn’t really feeling that. I laughed before sliding my arm around Sophie while she relaxed against my side and started on her fruit salad. Watching the two of them was funny.
“She came to my… your apartment. When you weren’t there and not answering either of our calls, she stayed. I made us lunch and we got to know each other.”
“Fuck, man.” Los was frustrated as hell and Maddie wasn’t feeling it.
“Don’t get mad at me, it’s not my fault,” she snapped. “If you wanted to keep hiding me, you should have answered your phone.”
“I’m not hiding your ass, Madeline, and I was tied up with the gotdamn feds. It wasn’t like I was just ignoring you. You really think they would have been like, ‘oh, that’s your girl? Cool, get that. We’ll wait.’”
Sophie and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“Yo, shut the fuck up. I’m serious as hell. Ay, let’s go. We need to talk.” Carlos grabbed Maddie’s hand and looked right at Sophie.
“Ay, Sophie, I’m glad you’re okay. Don’t worry about this shit. We got you, baby girl. Trust that. Troop, I’ll holla at you after I get this shit straight.” He turned to Maddie. “Tell your girl bye, we’re out.”
She snatched her hand from him and he looked like he wanted to slap her. They were funny as hell.
“I’m not leaving, I just got here. Sophie needs me.”
“Yes the fuck you are, and she don’t need you right now. Troop got her.”
“She’s good, Maddie. You better go with that muthafucker before his gotdamn head explodes. Maureen been trying to marry his ass off for years now,” I said.
Carlos looked like he wanted to rock the shit outta me.
