Clint shook his head. “It doesn’t matter how old it is, if it’s guilty, it’s guilty.”
“It’s bullshit.”
“We don’t have any evidence to prove otherwise,” Clint said. “No matter how real the originals are we don’t have them, they do. And what we have is a big pile of steaming illegal shit. Shit that can put us under, Con.”
I blew out a breath, my hands going to my hips as I started to pace. “Okay. Okay, don’t freak out.”
“I’m not freaking out,” he said calmly, but a little mechanically.
I nodded. Sure he wasn’t. “Where’s Clay?”
My brother’s hand went to his forehead, rubbing. “He’s outside holding her off.”
“Her—” I started to ask but stopped.Oh. Mom was here. Of course she was here. “Why are you holding her?”
Dropping his hand, he looked up at me. He’d ventured over to his desk, leaning against it in an almost seat. Now he leaned forward, his forearm on his thigh as he stared at me. Grimly, he said, “Because I wanted to talk to you before she riles you up. I want your opinion.”
“You what?” I asked, whirling my shoulders to face him. I couldn’t help my surprise. My utter shock, really.
The grim look didn’t go anywhere as he pushed off his place against his desk and crossed the room to stand in front of me, hands tucked deep in his pockets. “Connorplease, I know you’ve had your own thing going on this summer. I don’t know what, but I just know, alright? And I know she’s been harder on you than ever, but please. If this gets underway and we’re in the same place we have been for the whole summer, we’re so screwed it’s not even funny.Weknow the records are false, but the way they read, they look…it’s bad man. We need this handled.Now.”
I pressed my lips together, my mind going to the woman undoubtedly on her way here right this very second. I shook my head. “What do you expect me to do about it, Clint?”
“Do what you do Connor. What you’re good at.”
“You mean the same thing you told me you didn’t have time for a month ago?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Exactly that.”
“Clint—”
He shook his head and lowered his voice as he leaned in. “I’ve seen the data. Since you got to Ferguson, you’ve done what you said you’d do. You’ve increased functionality by over 200 percent, reduced breaches by eighty, and enhanced efficiency overall. Not one of the files accessed was one under your jurisdiction. I know that you’re good at what you do. I’vealwaysknown. And I’m sorry I’ve been so nonchalant about telling you that, I just…” He scraped his hand over his hair. A sign that he was really getting flustered. “I’ve been busy with other things and Mom always wants everything a certain way and I can only do so much with her, and I know that shouldn’t be an excuse. I’m sorry I haven’t tried to do more on your account.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, his words getting the better of him. “I know it’s different with you guys and her. I know that you can fight back and the more you do the more vicious she gets. But we’re all grown now, and I thought you could handle it, but I—I guess I don’t know when to say when.”
“Clint.”
“What?”
“I said don’t freak out,” I grumbled. “You're rambling. Which means, you’re definitely freaking out.”
He huffed. “You’re right. I just, I’m at my wit’s end, Con. Someone is out to get us while Mom is out to get you and you’re out, I don’t know, punishing us for it.”
“Hold on,” I said, cocking my head and holding up a hand. “I’m not punishing anyone for anything. What are you talking about?”
Clint looked at me, his face hard, but his eyes appraising. He swallowed. “Mom may want you to be something else, but I’ve been counting on you to be you since I asked you to help me.”
“To be me?”
“Yeah,” he pulled his eyes away and looked out the window. “Stubborn as hell. Determined as hell.Smartas hell. I haven’t found the need to hire anyone else to look into this because I knew you’d be able to figure it out. But it seems like you’re over feeding a hand that lets its controlling mother bite you all the time.”
I pressed my mouth together. Damn, he was laying it on thick. And I didn’t even think he was meaning to. He was just so…sad. I think the hardest thing to watch about Clint making mistakes (something he didn’t do often) was watching how badly he took it.
I swallowed. “Are you sulking?”
“No.”
“You sound like you’re sulking.”
