“Don’t you see, Drew, this is what they do.”
“That’s not —” I try to interrupt him, but he just continues over me, taking out his frustrations on me.
“They pick the ones they deem to be the weakest link and try to weasel information out of them.”
“Goddamnit, Z.” I snap. “I couldn’t care less what bullshit you guys do. If I did, don’t you fucking think I would question you guys about how they found a body this morning in the prison. I don’t even fucking know how you pulled that shit off, but…” shaking my head as I force myself back to the topic of… Drew. “And if I were, why the fuck would I think Drew was the weakest one? She broke my fucking nose when she was 12.” I can see Drew smirking to herself as I shout it at them, in a way defending her. “Plus, she’s been at school so long she probably doesn’t even know what you guys are doing. I’m trying to do my fucking job.” Should I know she’s been at school for as long as she has, probably not, but I notice that no one in the room seems to pick up on it.
“Yeah, well, it seems like you’re too interested in what we’redoing. Why is that?” Zeke’s attempting to intimidate me.
“I’m sorry.” I look back at Z, trying to keep my anger at bay, but between this and what I just found out, I’m not sure I can. “Didn’t I come to you about Tate last year because I gave a damn? Didn’t I stop Darren from beating the shit out of you when he arrested you?” I turn and look at Zeke this time. “Wasn’t I the one who you reached out to when Drew got hurt? Didn’t I fucking tell you what was going on? Didn’t I fucking call you to tell you about Z when he ended up in the hospital and got you guys in to see him? Why am I the fucking enemy when I’ve done everything in my fucking power to look out for you guys?” I shouldn’t be revealing this much.
“Regardless of all of that.” Zeke steps even closer, trying to size me up. “You’re still our enemy. Your loyalty doesn’t lie with us. You changed out of your uniform hoping it wouldn’t be as much of a reminder, but you can take it off, but you can’t rid yourself of that fucking stench.”
This time I don’t back down, matching his stance and moving in closer. Out of my peripherals I can see Drew become uneasy. “The problem is, you guys have no fucking clue who your enemy is.” Moving past Zeke, shoulder-checking him, I pause for a moment before leaving the room. “Don’t worry. I’ll just write it up as no one knew who would do anything like this.” Then I actually make eye contact with Tate. “Hope your sister’s okay.”
I’m down the hall and turning towards the doors as I hear a voice call my name behind me.
“What?” I turn, exasperated.
“I’m sorry for that.” Drew says as she gestures back towards the room.
“It’s fine.” I’m surprised she came after me.
“Are you really going to write it up vaguely?”
“Yes,” I sigh, rolling my eyes. “That’s what I do. I protect your brothers. Regardless of the detriment it puts me in.”
We both know I mean her. The detriment that it puts me in is losing her. That’s why I’m angry. I gave up everything to protect them, and they look at me as if I’m the goddamn enemy.
And who the fuck knows, maybe if I had come back to the house, if I had never left her that morning. If I hadn’t agreed to all this bullshit so long ago, would she have lost the baby?
“Then why?”
“What?”
“If it causes you pain, why do it?”
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”
“I’m sick of that answer.”
“What?”
“Give me a real fucking answer. Why do you protect them?” She stands her ground, staring up at me.
I know I can’t answer her question. “Drew, I don’t give a shit about writing up a report. I didn’t come here to talk to anyone about today, or to get a statement about today.”
“Then why did you come?”
“Come on.” I can’t help but let out a dark chuckle. “You know why.”
I watch as confusion fills her face.
“I came to talk to you.”
She says nothing this time.
Sighing as Is lift my hands in a prayer motion before touching the sides of my fingers to my mouth before lifting them just enough to speak. “I’ll regret that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me for the rest of my life.”
