I head back to my office, where I can hear Mouse snoring from under my desk.Sitting down, I boot up my computer, determined to catch up on some paperwork and get a few orders out we’ll need next week.Normally, I’m on top of things like this, but there have been so many distractions lately, I’ve fallen out of the habit.
It’s not the only thing I’ve slacked off on; last night I missed my weekly poker game again.It totally slipped my mind, until my phone started blowing up when I was at Tessa’s place.Most of the messages were from Buck, and to avoid becoming the subject of his ongoing harassment, I quickly responded that I’d opted to stay with Mouse to give her a chance to get used to me.
Not technically a lie, since the dog was lying at my feet at the time, but I didn’t volunteer those feet were under Tessa’s table.
Going forward though, I should probably see if Tessa would come with me to The Kerrigan at some point.Give the boys an opportunity to embarrass me in front of her, and be done with all of that.
I finish sending out the orders, and spend some time checking several online suppliers for that Chevy transmission for Remi’s truck.The only one I come across has a ridiculous price tag.Still, I save the link, in case I’m not able to locate a transmission anywhere else.I still have a few other junkyards to call first.
Tessa walks into my office, just as I leave my last voicemail message, and sinks down in the chair on the other side of my desk.
“What’s wrong?”
She looks at me and shakes her head.“The man was a youth minister.Can you believe it?”
I’m pretty sure I know what man she’s referring to.Last night she was struggling to come to terms with the fact her son’s shop teacher looks to have been involved in that car-theft ring investigation.Maybe even two murders.
I already had trouble believing a teacher—someone you’d expect to look out for the welfare of the kids he teaches—could manipulate and exploit his students like that.Finding out he also used religion to target those boys doesn’t even seem like such a stretch.It says enough about this Benjamin guy to know if ever I came face-to-face with him, I don’t know if I’d be able to keep from pounding the ever-loving snot out of him, or at least try to.
“I don’t think man is an appropriate descriptor for that miserable piece of shit,” I grind out between clenched teeth.
“Exactly,” she confirms, smiling her appreciation at the fact we are of equal minds.“But he’s going down, and his crime ring with him.Sadly, it will leave a number of kids, not unlike Remi, having to deal with the fallout.Whether it be emotional trauma, family estrangement, criminal charges, or likely all of the above.The real victims in this devious design of his are those kids.”
I nod my agreement.I would imagine for some of those boys there may not be any way out of this.No one who cares enough to fight for them, so they’ll likely disappear into a cycle of crime because there is nothing else they trust.
Compared to them, Remi is lucky.To start with, he didn’t get sucked too deep into this organization yet, but also, he has people in his corner, his mother and brother.Hell, I’ll go to bat for the kid too.
“There’s a reason those kids turned to him to begin with,” I point out.“What’s going to happen to them once the dust settles?That void they were trying to fill will only be larger once he’s taken out of the picture.There’s gotta be something that can be done.”
I swing my chair around when Tessa gets up and rounds my desk, a little smirk on her lips.She sits down on my lap and kisses me, as my arms band around her.I don’t give a flying fuck about the window and being in full view of the guys in the shop.They’d better get used to it, because I don’t plan to ever stop touching or kissing this woman.
I wasn’t looking, but Tessa rolled into my life, and I’m totally hooked.
“I’m falling,” she mumbles against my lips.
“I’m already sunk,Ilusake, so feel free to let go.”
Chapter23
Tessa
“Oh, buddy…”
The last thing I expected was the rib-crushing hug Remi gives me as he walks in the door.His face pressed in my neck, and his body tense in my arms.
My eyes find Jason Mancuso still on my doorstep.He wears a grin, instantly settling my flash of panic at my son’s greeting.
I press a kiss to the side of Remi’s head.
“Sorry, Mom,” he mumbles before quickly disentangling himself from my hold and beelining it for the stairs.
Only then does Mancuso step inside, carrying Remi’s duffel bag.
“Just drop it right there, I can take care of that later,” I tell him, closing the front door.“Would you like some coffee?”
I just put on a second pot.I’ve had a pretty busy morning already and only had one cup after I got up and before I hit the ground running.Clem came over again last night with Mouse, but this time he cooked for me and ended up staying the night.Linc had made plans to go to a party with Naomi, so he didn’t come home until late, when Clem and I were already in bed.
I briefly woke up, heard him talk to the dog downstairs, and promptly fell back asleep.
