Page 48 of The Maverick (WaterFyre Rising #7)

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

ATTIKUS

After my meeting at the museum, I followed up on a clue my team had uncovered. Someone had tried to sell Joseph’s watch at a pawnshop.

Though the watch wasn’t a Rolex, it was a customized watch. I had a European watchmaker create it with Joseph’s name engraved on the back. The interesting thing about the watch was that the dial for the date was changed to something that intrigued me.

The man who’d found it said he’d spotted it near the Canal Walk, an area filled with retail businesses and office space along a section of the Providence River entering the city. I’d been that way several times.

Had Joseph wandered there? Had something happened to him, and he dropped the watch? The dial and the number were set to 020700. Had someone tried to change the number? Had the watch malfunctioned? Or was this a clue to something?

I strode along the Canal Walk.

Where are you, Joseph? Are you okay?

The recordings my team had uncovered around this area had shown nothing suspicious. I didn’t see Joseph or anyone who looked like him.

This was a busy section of the city, and those numbers could mean anything. They could be license plate numbers ora code into a building. I could go crazy trying to decipher this. The numbers could also mean nothing.

After wandering around for another hour, I headed home to work on my video game.

The International Game Convention was coming up and ran from late July through to September.

This would be the perfect opportunity for my friends and me to showcase the finished WaterFyre Rising. This was our debut to the world.

Two days ago, an idea came to me on how to improve Level Seven. That inspiration was what I’d been waiting for. The main framework and characters were all set. I just needed to fill in the details—the easy and fun stuff. The game was so close to being finished.

I also included the names of those who had hurt my friends and me in the game. They became villains that players wanted to kill. I wanted my game to declare the truth of how corrupt this world was. But I also wanted to show hope.

Vanessa’s face popped into my mind. She was the hope that contrasted the dark world I’d lived in for too long. Working on the game would take my mind off Joseph. I didn’t want to think that he was dead.

When I got home, Vanessa had just showered and looked happy.

“Guess who came to visit me at the gallery today?”

“Who?” I pulled her to me and inhaled her comforting floral scent. It immediately soothed my tension.

She wrapped her arms around my waist and peered up at me. “Your mom and sister.”

Vanessa had spent a lot of time creating the perfect gift for Mom Gigi and Ellen. One gift—which symbolized us as a couple—was enough. My mom and sister didn’t need another plant from me to earn their forgiveness.

Even though Vanessa had been screwed over by many people, she still held onto hope and kindness. I wasn’t like her, but she proved that the world still had good people.

“Oh, yeah? Did they like the terrariums?” I held a strand of her soft hair in my hand. “Also, where’s my terrarium?”

“They loved them. Yours is in your office. I wanna start selling them at the gallery.” Her eyes beamed with excitement. “These would be terrariums inside unique containers.”

“I think that’s a fantastic idea. I haven’t seen any galleries that sell terrariums. You’ll start a new trend.”

“Thanks! This gives me a reason to work with plants again. Also, you should check out the greenhouse. We can start eating the vegetables in a few months!”

I’d received an alert on my phone that my greenhouse had been activated, but I hadn’t gone out there to see what she’d done.

“Thanks for starting it.”

“You’re welcome. I figured you were busy. It was fun.”

“I want to see my terrarium.” We walked into the office, and I saw a uniqueglass jar with a cover on top.

A set of steps made of tiny twigs led up to a small gazebo.

Small sticks and moss lined the path. Adorable trees and flowers were perfectly placed around the jar to create a peaceful scenery—a safe and magical world inside a jar.

That was how she made me feel. When I was here with Vanessa, I felt like I was entering a safe space where nothing could bother me.

“It’s beautiful. I love it.” I gripped her face and kissed her. “These would sellwonderfully at the gallery. Youshould price them high. They’re unique art.”

“That’s what your mom said.”

Needing the comfort, I pulled her in for another hug.

“Are you okay?”

I didn’t want to talk about finding Joseph’s watch and worry her. My job was to protect her .

“Yeah. I want to work on my video game today. Wanna see what I have so far?”

“Yes, please.” She reached for a chair, dragging it over next to my desk.

But I said, “Sit on my lap.”

“How are you going to work like that?”

“It’s perfectly fine.” I patted my thigh.“I want your ass to kiss my thighs.

Shaking her head, she slid onto my thighs, and all was well with the world again.

I clicked on my computer and opened the folder with all the video games from my friends.

“I like how you named it level one, two, three, and so on.”

“Yes, that signifies the elevation of power.”

“What power? Is there an element that links all the games?”

“It’s WaterFyre—a powerful energy that builds over time. The players gather this potent energy every time they move on to the next level.”

“That’s an interesting way to link them all together.”

“Remington started this with Grayson, Royce, Forrest, and Arrow when they were teens. Orion and I joined later.”

I played a trailer for all the levels that we’d be showing at the International Game Convention.

“It’s amazing,” she said, browsing the levels. “I’m not a gamer, but this makes me want to play. There’s magic, suspense, and mystery. I like the hidden treasure boxes where you reference names and things in Providence and The Trogyn.”

I looked at her profile: beautiful and strong—a warrior who would help me defeat the villains.

“My friends and I have sprinkled evidence of all of The Trogyn’s crimes into the game. We’ve changed the names a bit, but the criminals who are part of that organization will know who we’re talking about.”

“That’s brilliant.” She shifted to look at me, and her ass made my cock hard.

“Grayson did it first, and the other guys went back to their demos and inserted the details.”

“The video game isn’t just a game.” She searched my face, and pride soared in me. I was fortunate to be with an intelligent woman who saw the plan.

“No, it isn’t.”

“Top secret billionaire stuff?” she asked.

“Exactly.” I kissed the side of her head.

She knew not to ask any more questions, and I loved her more for that. I wanted her to be safe, and part of that protection was keeping certain things secret.

I showedVanessa Level Seven, where a warrior goddess was a painter, and her weapon was a paintbrush. She could paint portals to escape dire situations. Her brush could also heal injuries, depending on the energy source.

“Wow,” she said. “Each color on the palette is a source of power.” She zoomed in on the warrior artist’s face. “That looks like me!”

“It is you.”

She whipped her head at me. “What? You made me a character in your game?”

“How can I not add the woman I love into a game that’s very important to me?”

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped. Emotion gleamed in her eyes.

Shifting, she straddled my hips to face me. “What did you say?” she asked nervously.

Taking her hands in mine, I lifted them to my chest. I hadn’t meant to say those words to her today. But after encountering so many deaths recently and not being able to locate Joseph, I realized that life was unpredictable.

What if something happened to us tomorrow? I wanted her to know how I felt now.

“I love you,” I said. “It all started with one painting that set me free.”

Her eyes teared up. “How do you know it’s love?”

“How does the sun know whento rise or set?” I skimmed her cheek with my fingers. “It just knows.”

She said nothing as tears slid down her cheeks.

I grabbed a tissue from my desk and dabbed her eyes. “How does a plant know how to grow?”

She smiled but didn’t say anything, probably waiting to see what I would say.

“It just does. Like you said, nature is intelligent.” I brushed my lips against hers.

“It follows the natural rhythm of what it’s made of.

” I swallowed, trying to calm my heart as raw emotions flowed out of me.

I didn’t realize how thoroughly I’d prevented myself from expressing my feelings all these years.

Vengeance had been my driving force, but it was also my crutch.

“You’ve brought my heart back to life. It was dead before you appeared. ”

She placed a hand on either side of my face and looked into my eyes.

“I love you too.” She kissed me, lingered, and then drew back.

“Your heart was never dead. It just took a nap.” She hugged me.

“We all have moments when we need rest.” I felt her heartbeat against me as she rubbed circles on my back and muttered, “I’m going to protect you too. ”

“What?”

She kissed my cheek. “Whenever you need to rest or take a nap, we’ll do it together, okay?”

I nodded. “Want to help me add details to Level Seven?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She grinned. “By the way, I think Nessa Lily Pad needs a magic lily pad that could take her places like the flying carpet in Aladdin.”

“I can show you the world . . .” I sang an awful rendition of the song.

“Oh, my god.” She laughed and shifted her body to face the computer.

“I’ll leave the magic lily pad for you to design.” I massaged her shoulders.

“Yeah?” Excitement filled her eyes. “And I think the warrior, Whistler Ren, needs a powerful cane that’s a magic pen and a spear all in one.”

I laughed, agreeing with her design. “The boys and I should hire you to help design the game. You’re good at this.”

She leaned back and looked up at me. “It’s because I’m hanging out with the best of the best. It’s like osmosis, you know.”

“I sense a cheesy plant line coming.”

Her eyes sparked with mischief. “Do you know you have flowers on your face?”

“Where?” I patted my cheeks.

“You have tulips.” She grinned, pressing her finger to my lips. “I want to plant a kiss on them, but I’m too nervous. What plant am I?”

“A sweaty palm.”

Her face brightened. “You realize we’re having a very cheesy conversation, right?”

“Yup, and I’m loving it.”

My stomach growled, having missed lunch. It was past dinnertime now.

“Let’s have dinner first, and we can resume later.” She hopped off my lap and grabbed my hand.

“No, we can’t.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because I haven’t botany .”

“Oh, my god.” She rolled her eyes but laughed. “That’s stupid.”

“It made you laugh. I’m catching on, aren’t I?”

“We have plenty of leftovers.” She dragged me into the kitchen. “After we eat, I’m going to make Whistler Ren the coolest protagonist in existence. Your friends will be jealous of this character.”

Pride and love radiated from me. I was in love with an intelligent, creative woman with a big heart and a strange sense of humor. “I can’t wait to see the revision.”