“I visited her earlier today,” he goes on, taking out his cell phone. He flashes the screen at me, showing a photo of Grandma withAaron’s arm wrapped around her. Grandma is beaming at the camera. “You see? She loves me. I wish you could find it in your heart to love me too.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I grunt.
“Do I?” he says, smirking. “I wasn’t aware Ihadto do anything you said.”
I don’t reply. What’s the point? A jerk’s gonna be a jerk no matter what I say.
“Join me for a chat,” he says, climbing into the driver’s seat before I can reply.
Grandma, of course,wouldsmile for the photo. She has no idea what Aaron’s really like. As far as she’s concerned, he’s shown her love and care after reuniting. She’s forgiven him for everything.
“How long are you going to keep me waiting?” he barks when I climb into the car.
“I’ve done two shifts!” I snap.
“Easy,” he snarls. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to. Don’t forget who owns your ass.”
I shudder with disgust. What a pig.
“I could make quite the scene,” he goes on. “Today. It wouldn’t take much. All I’d have to do is walk in there and tell them she’s no longer welcome. Imagine all her screaming and bleating. And this sickness she’s got? I hear it turns into hell without proper care.”
“She’s in hell already.”
“So, you want me to stop the care?”
“Obviously not,” I hiss.
He laughs cruelly. “Then you need to do your job.”
I think about the memory drive and the files I photographed yesterday. I’m not sure if any of it is usable, but it shows Vale Construction splitting payments between various shell companies. Corporate fraud, perhaps.
“Care to share with the class?” he grunts.
“Excuse me?”
“You looked like you were thinking something important.”
“Nope,” I say. “Sorry to disappoint.”
He strokes his beard, looking closely at me. “It would be a dangerous thing to lie to me. This goes far, far deeper than you could ever comprehend.”
“I think I can understand wanting to deal drugs in low-income neighborhoods.”
He darts his hand out. Clamps it onto my leg and squeezes just hard enough to make me breathe through tightly clenched teeth. “I made a passing comment, and now you think you understand everything about us.”
“Us?” I say, refusing to let my voice shake. “Who’sus?”
“I saidme,” he grunts.
He didn’t, but whatever. “Let go of me.”
“Hurry up.” He releases my leg. “And get the fuck out of my car.”
I flee from his car, wanting to scream or rake my fingernails down his stupid face. I want him to pay for daring to scare me, not just for myself, but for Grandma too.
Climbing into my car, I leave quickly. The road blurs as tears slide down my cheeks. I see Dom, of all people, the man I’m betraying. He grabs Aaron by his beard and violently yanks his head down, smashing his face into something. I don’t care what. Something hard, that’ll do.
Back in my apartment, I drop onto the couch and close my eyes. I need to kill the tears. Sobbing is out of the question. I can’t let myself devolve into a self-pitying mess. That’s not me, and it never will be.
