Page 120 of Maverick

I open my mouth to argue, but he holds up a hand, silencing me. "It's not just about us anymore. It's about Cadence, and Cara, and all the others. They're part of this family now too. And that means more variables, more potential problems, more hearts to protect."

His words sink in, and I start to see what he means. It's not just about keeping us boys in line anymore. It's about a whole network of relationships, of lives intertwined.

"And there's a lot less control now," Ransom continues, his voice softening as he leans forward, elbows on his desk. "Before, I could at least try to steer you guys in the right direction. Now? There are partners involved, people with their own ideas and plans. It's... it's an adjustment. Every decision has ripple effects I can't always predict."

It hadn't occurred to me that our happiness might be adding to Ransom's stress rather than alleviating it. "I hadn't thought about it like that," I admit, running a hand through my hair.

Ransom gives me a wry smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "That's why I'm the one who worries, little brother. Someone's got to see the big picture." His words hang in the air, and I feel a shift in my perspective. The sense of obligation I feel towards my clients - the late nights, the constant strategizing, the weight of their futures on my shoulders - gives me an idea of what he must feel every day.

How does he manage this intricate web of relationships and responsibilities? It's not just about keeping us in line anymore, making sure we don't get arrested. It's about safeguarding an entire network of lives, dreams, and futures. The complexity of it all is staggering, and not a little overwhelming.

"Fuck," Colton mutters, sounding awed. "You need a break man. You know what? We've all been way too stressed lately. We need to let off some steam," he says, rubbing his hands together. "Why don't we do a movie night up on the roof? We can get one of those big blow-up screens and more floaties for the pool. It'll be fun!"

My mind immediately flashes to the mountain of paperwork waiting on my desk. "You know what? I'm in," I say, surprisingmyself a little. "We could all use a night off. But we need popcorn."

"Do you think we can get one of those movie theater popcorn poppers on the roof?" Colton asks.

Ransom nods, looking almost relieved. But I can't tell if it's because we've changed the subject or because he's happy to have some tangible problem to tackle. "I bet we can. I'll make some calls, and get it figured out."

As we start planning, I feel a twinge of disappointment. "Cadence has a shift at The Escape tonight," I explain. "She'll miss out."

I wish Cadence would quit that job. She doesn't need to keep worrying about saving up for a place, not when she's living with me. But every time I bring it up, we end up going in circles. She's stubborn about her independence, and I love that about her, but sometimes it drives me crazy.

Colton claps me on the shoulder. "We'll do it again soon and make sure she can join next time. We can leave the screen up all summer."

It's a nice idea. Completely unrealistic, but nice. "Do you know what the wind speeds are up there? I guarantee you it won't last the summer."

I stand on the roof,hands on my hips, staring at the massive inflatable screen flapping in the light breeze. A few hours ago, this seemed like such a great idea. Now? Not so much. The sun is nearly down, it's long past Mia's bedtime, and we still haven't figured it out. We should have let the guys who delivered it do this instead of assuring them we could handle it ourselves.

We can not handle it.

"We need to anchor this thing down," Colton says, tugging on one of the corners. "If the wind picks up even a little, we're screwed."

Ransom nods, his brow furrowed in concentration. "It needs to be anchored into the roof, but I wouldn't even begin to know how the fuck to do that."

"We just need something heavy to tie it to. Like those planters." Colton points at the large concrete planters.

It might work…maybe. "They're all on one side though. It seems like that won't keep it stable enough."

"Guys," Declan interrupts, "have you considered the physics of this situation?"

Jonas scowls, arms crossed over his chest. "The aerodynamics of the screen's surface area combined with the potential wind velocity?—"

"English, please," I groan, rubbing my temples.

Before they can launch into what I'm sure would be a fascinating lecture, Kade and Micah join us on the roof, carrying fifty pound dumbells in each hand.

"We can just tie it to these," Kade says, putting his weights down next to the screen.

Jonas shakes his head and sighs. "That's monumentally stupid," he says flatly.

"Excuse me?" Kade bristles, turning to face Jonas. "It seems pretty fucking smart to me. We need weight, so we got some fucking weight."

Micah nods, casually doing bicep curls with the weights while listening to them argue.

"The screen is essentially a sail," Jonas explains, his tone softening slightly. "If the wind picks up, it will not just blow over. It will carry those weights with it, turning them into potentially lethal projectiles."

We all fall silent, imagining the chaos that could ensue.