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.Maddox loved it.It was the kind of flavor that only a true dive bar could provide.Nolan frowned, holding the beer up to the dim light fixture hanging over the table.He didn’t appear to appreciate the flavor the same way Maddox did.He took another tentative sip.“Why not you then?” Nolan asked, biting back a grimace from the spoiled beer.“Why not follow in your family’s footsteps? I assume it was some kind of tradition.”Maddox took another drink, stalling.He’s waiting for me to dodge the question.He had a reputation for being callous and aloof, bordering on unapproachable.Sure, his superiors and the other agents respected him—that came with success—but that didn’t stop the whispers or the nicknames.They might respect him, but they didn’t like him.They didn’t understand him.But Nolan wasn’t just another agent.He was the longest tenured partner Maddox had had in years.So he deserved answers.The realization struck Maddox like a fatherly slap to the back of his head.When had he started thinking of Nolan as his partner and not just another fresh Quantico graduate who would wilt under his pressure?“I grew up without a home,” Maddox said simply.“I lived on a lot of bases, in a lot of houses, but never in a home.” Maddox rubbed the condensation off the side of his glass with his thumb.“Every time we moved, I had to say goodbye to my school and my friends.At first, it was fun.I got to see the country and meet a lot of new people.But by the time I was in middle school, I stopped trying.Why build new friendships when I knew I’d have to say goodbye? I promised myself then that I would never put my family through that.My children would have friends.They would have a home.So I decided that my father’s life wasn’t for me.”“I didn’t know you had kids.”“I don’t.”“But you’re married?”“Divorced,” Maddox said.He held up two fingers.“Twice.”“What happened?”“It didn’t work out.”“Obviously,” Nolan said.“It must be frustrating to forsake the family tradition in the name of a family you never had.”“I’ve never thought about it like that.”Nolan gave him a skeptical look but didn’t press the issue.“How’d your father take the news?”“He never forgave me,” Maddox said.He took another drink to quell the building emotion in his chest.His father’s anger had never subsided, not even during his final days.“That’s unfortunate.”Maddox shrugged.“That’s the way of it.There’s nothing I can do about it.”“You might say that, but I know you don’t believe it.I can hear the pain in your voice.”Maddox snorted.“Pain? I don’t know about that.”“It’s okay,” Nolan said.“I know you’re a guarded man, Maddox, and I don’t mean to pry, but it’s okay to be regretful.You still are, I think, a human being.”The conversation was quickly turning into one Maddox didn’t want to have.Talking about the past, even his father, was okay.But talking about feelings? Men just didn’t do that.Fortunately, before Maddox had to answer, the door opened, and two boisterous men stepped into the bar.They were laughing and yelling obscenities at someone outside.Once they turned their attention inside, they froze.The few patrons sitting at the bar irritably eyed the two men who had invaded their peace and quiet.The bartender watched from behind the bar, scrubbing the inside of a pilsner glass with a dirty rag.The two—more boys than men—gave each other a disapproving laugh.Neither could have been a year or two over twenty-one.Both wore oversized button-down shirts tucked loosely into a pair of baggy jeans, unbuttoned to show their bare chests.Large diamond earrings, matching necklaces, and gold wristwatches filled out their attire.“Bro,” the first man said with a thick, wannabe-urban accent, “I thought this was gonna be a titty bar.Let’s bounce.”“Nah, bro,” the other said, talking out of the side of his mouth.“It’s legit.” He made for a booth near the entrance, walking with his legs wide, one hand holding the front of his pants so that they didn’t fall down around his ankles.“Really, dawg? There ain’t even no bitches here.”The second man sat down, his back to Maddox.A series of designs had been shaved into his dark cropped hair near the neckline.The first man, who could have been his brother, groaned and cursed under his breath before reluctantly sitting down.The bartender shuffled to their table, hesitant, obviously not wanting to help his new patrons.Maddox ground his teeth.He came to bars like this specifically to avoid people like them.Young, dumb, and with a supposed chip on their shoulder, these kinds of kids were dangerous, if only because of their sheer stupidity.Their hardness was likely an act, but their boisterous attitudes were bound to rub somebody the wrong way.Nolan looked uncomfortable.It was hard to believe that the two kids were only a few years younger than he was.I don’t give him enough credit, Maddox thought.Compared to others of his generation, Nolan was an adult among children.“You ready?” Maddox asked.Nolan nodded, taking a final drink of his beer with another amusing grimace.Maddox downed his and pulled out his wallet.After throwing a twenty onto the table, he stood and buttoned his jacket.The bartender had returned with the new patrons’ drinks.He glanced at Maddox and rolled his eyes.He wouldn’t be happy about losing business to the obtrusive customers.Maddox nodded at him, his silent way of saying, “I understand, but I’ll be back.” He and Nolan made for the front of the bar, passing the booth where the young men sat.“Yo, this beer tastes like shit, homie.”Maddox stopped at the door, turning to watch the situation play out.“What are you doing?” Nolan asked quietly.Maddox ignored him.“It’s a fresh keg,” the bartender said from behind the bar.“I ain’t drinking this piss.”“Would you like a bottle instead?”“I want my damn money back.”“You haven’t paid for anything yet.”The man’s lips turned into a crooked smile.“Damn right.Come on, Travis.We’re bailing.”“Really, Anthony?” Travis said.“Sit down, homie.”“I’m bouncing.”Anthony stood and strode for the door.Travis shook his head but followed.The two men approached Maddox, confident, probably expecting him to move out of their way.Maddox caught the bartender’s eye.“Let them go,” the bartender said.“They didn’t pay,” Maddox said.“It’s fine.”The more boisterous of the two, Anthony, strode up to Maddox, stopping when their faces were only inches apart.He smelled like a mixture of alcohol and smoke, masked by too much cologne [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]