Page 47 of Ace of Spades

Theo is eighteen. He has a job. He’s almost as old as I was when I joined the service after finding out I was going to be a dad. He’s fine. I wish he’d get his life in order and stop hanging out with those boys from the tattoo studio. But it’s his life.

A redhead with knee-high boots fills my thoughts again.

Maybe it’s not Theo I’m worried about. I think back at the sight of him and Sienna at Rusty’s earlier.

My son and Brody’s daughter. There’s no way, right? He can’t be interested in her.

Who am I kidding?

Of course Theo would be interested in her. She’s stunning. She’s smart. She’s more than capable of handling herself. There aren’t many girls her age that just radiate confidence and can go toe to toe with guys twice her age and twice her size.

Maybe she’d be good for him. Maybe a spitfire is just what Theo needs. But what about Sienna?

She’s still so young, too. They both have so much life to live.

I sigh, staring at the spreadsheet I told myself I’d finish tonight when my phone goes off.

“Who the hell is calling at this hour?”

I turn the phone over to see the screen lit up with my ex-wife’s name.

This can’t be good. I take a deep breath before answering.

“What is it, Evie?”

“Well, hello to you, too.”

“Is there a reason you’re calling me in the middle of the night?”

“Levi,” she sighs out.

I take off my bluelight glasses and pinch the bridge of my nose.

“Evie, what is it?”

“You know I wouldn’t call you unless I didn’t have any other options.”

I don’t say anything. Instead, I just wait for her to get to the point.

“It’s Josie.”

“Is she okay?”

“She won’t sleep, Levi. She just keeps crying and crying. And you know how she is, she can’t tell me what’s wrong.”

I reach for my shoes and start pulling them on, the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear.

“Is she sick? Does she have a fever?”

Evie hums to herself.

“Umm… I don’t… I don’t think so.”

In the distance I can hear Josie’s cries.

“Evie, where are you?”

“You don’t need to–”

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