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His nostrils flared in anger as he walked over to me. “Then don’t bother coming in tomorrow.”
I clenched my fists to keep from knocking this guy to the ground. My pulse hammered in my ears, drowning out the voice inside telling me to back off. I was two seconds away from slamming my fist into his face when Matt’s voice broke through.
“I can stay and help him finish.”
I would be late picking up Hannah, but with Matt’s help, we could knock out the inventory in an hour or two. I took a breath, then another, repeating the process until I calmed down. Rick waited, wanting me to throw a punch so he could toss me out. He couldn’t fire me without just cause. Despite the little shit that Rick turned out to be, his father was a good man and treated his employees fairly. But the last man that went over Rick’s head ended up working the graveyard shift.
“Fine,” Rick snapped. “Get it done.”
When he was out of sight, I turned to Matt. “I’m sorry, man.”
“Don’t be. I don’t have anything better to do tonight.”
“I doubt inventory was on your list of things to do.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t mind helping out. Look, I know you have it rough, man. Don’t let him get under your skin. You need this job.”
“I know. Believe me, I’m trying.”
“You could still go to the boss. He would?—”
“He would tell his son he has one more chance and that would be the end of it. How many last chances has that guy had?” I shook my head. “I can’t afford to be put on the graveyard shift. I have to be there for Hannah.”
“Maybe she could stay with a friend overnight. I’m sure?—”
“She’s my responsibility,” I said, cutting him off. “I won’t shove her off on someone else like my parents did.”
He held up his hand. “Alright, I know. I just wish I could help in some way.”
“You are. Let’s get this shit done so I can get to Hannah.”
I tossedthe keys on the table as I shut the door behind me. “Hannah?”
The trailer was silent, which was unusual for this time of night. Hannah didn’t like to be left alone, so she always turned on music to fill the silence. Shit. Sighing, I turned around and headed back for the door, grabbing my keys on the way out. She was probably still waiting for me at the gas station.
I cranked the engine on my old pickup and tore down the driveway, angrily slamming my fist into the steering wheel. It was two hours past the time I was supposed to pick her up. She was probably exhausted from the day, and on top of that, she might still have homework to do.
I pulled into the station five minutes later, squealing to a stop and jerking the gear shift into park. I hopped out, not bothering to kill the engine. Yanking the door open, I nodded to Hank.
“Where’s Hannah?”
He shot me a funny look. “She left hours ago, mumbling about how you forgot to pick her up.”
A nasty feeling engulfed the pit of my stomach. She wasn’t here and she wasn’t at home. “Call the police. She wasn’t at the house.”
I turned and shoved the door open, then got back in my truck and tore out of the parking lot in search of my kid sister. With every minute that passed, a sick feeling grew inside me. I should have told Rick to fuck off. I should have been there for her when she needed me.
I drove up and down the streets, looking for any sign of her. After ten minutes, a cop pulled up behind me and flashed his lights. I pulled over, waiting for the officer to walk up to my window.
In my side mirror, I saw Bruce get out of the car. He knew all about my parents and the shit deal they left us with. He was the one that arrested my dad, and he was there for me, to help us through the process. As he walked up to me now, I felt like it was happening all over again. “I heard about Hannah. You’re sure she wasn’t in her bed?”
No, I wasn’t. “I didn’t check.”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Son, you should have?—”
“I know, but trust me, she never stays at home without music on. It was silent when I walked into the trailer.”
Sighing, he thrust his hands on his hips. “Look, I’ve got every officer out combing the streets for her. We’ll find her if she’s out here. In the meantime, go home and check the house. We need to be sure she’s not there. You have my number. Call me if you find her.”
