Page 108 of Smart Ass

Well, they could stare all they wanted. Ben’s world was falling apart, and he’d been awake for almost twenty-four hours. Of course, he’d probably fall into bed only to toss and turn for the next twenty-four hours, too, worrying himself into insomnia.

God, it was going to hurt looking up at those cameras and knowing that no one was looking back at him.

Unless those FBI fuckers had taken the cameras, too?

He trudged down the hall and opened his door.

His eyes flew immediately to the corner of the room, where a big chunk had been torn out of the plaster. It was such bullshit. The cameras couldn’t even store data. They just streamed data with a few seconds of cache.

Yet they’d taken them. Taken away his link to Max.

At least the monitor was still attached to the wall, for what good it would do him.

Installing new cameras was the first thing he was going to do later. Once he figured out how to order shit without a phone or computer or the other basic necessities of life.

He hadn’t even crossed the threshold, and it took him a minute to register the sound of voices.

Then he was enveloped in strong arms.

Quincy and Evan, holding him from both sides, until he could barely breathe.

“What’s going on, man?” Evan asked. “You look like shit, and we’ve been waiting all night for you.”

Ben’s eyes stung again. He didn’t have the strength to push either of them away. “So, you remember Maxamillion?” His voice came out choked.

“He sent us a message.” Evan led him over to the couch.

Quincy pulled out a blanket and put it over the three of them.

Ben finally let go and snuggled in.

Evan stroked his hair. “Tell us everything.”