The emotions he’d felt at that proclamation were many, but rather than analyze them as Dr. Rutenberg would have wanted him to do, he’d pulled Toni in for a kiss in front of his family and Cross. It was the best he could have done with an audience.
A text thread was set up between Toni, Becks, Ghost, and Ranger. Every day by eight in the morning, three in the afternoon, and nine at night, Toni and Ranger had to check in with the thread. It didn’t have to be much, a simple “I’m alive” message, but enough that the others in the group knew they were okay.
Ranger and Cross worked out a new schedule so he could attend meetings at the same time as an Al-Anon or Nar-Anon forToni. Becks also proclaimed that she wanted to start going more than she’d been, admitting that she was struggling when Ranger was out of her sight at nighttime.
Cross brought up drug testing, stating that many couples where one or both were addicts participated in regular testing. Not out of distrust, but as an incentive. In a way, Ranger could understand it, but it also felt extreme. Toni, however, said that she had to quarterly at work, as did her business partner and both their secretaries. While it might be unusual practice for a small firm like theirs, Ranger suspected the requirement had been created due to her history with her parents.
It wasn’t something he was overly happy about, but Ranger did agree to also participate in the drug test when Toni had to do hers.
The biggest discussion was about Ranger’s sleeping arrangement. Becks was not happy with the idea of Ranger having sleepovers elsewhere. He knew his sister meant well, and he couldn’t argue that her worry was not warranted, but he also had the right to privacy. Becks eventually,begrudgingly, agreed that Ranger was allowed to sleep at Toni’s only if Toni spoke to Ghost and Becks directly, not over text, and Ranger had to call Becks in the morning rather than his standard morning check-in on the thread.
Ranger was happy with the arrangement, though he wished that Becks would loosen the reins just a little. But he supposed after everything that he put her through, he didn’t have room to complain.
They were just finishing up when Toni’s phone rang. Pulling it from her pocket, she said to everyone, “Excuse me, please. It’s my secretary.”
Ranger’s eyes trailed after her as she stepped into the living room.
Becks rounded the table to bump hips with Ranger. “I like her. She’s quiet, but she’s got a backbone.”
Pride filled Ranger at his sister’s praise. Just because he felt like being an ass and ruining the moment, he nudged her back. “It was still a bunny.”
Becks’ laugh was interrupted by Toni returning to the kitchen, her phone pressed to her chest. Her face was too pale for his liking. “Um, Liam? Ghost? Could I borrow you a moment?”
Frowning, Ranger hurried over to her, Ghost on his heels. They followed Toni back into the living room. “I’ve got Gwen muted on the phone, but I’ve got a serious problem. She says my dad is at the office looking for me.”
CHAPTER 11
When Toni messaged Gwen that she was taking a personal day, her secretary had been thrilled, claiming that she could handle anything and everything that came up that day. The fact that Gwenwantedher to take the day said more about Toni’s work habits than Toni cared to admit.
Gwen was in her fifties, and extremely competent. Half the time she solved problems before Toni even realized they existed. She was definitely due a raise if Toni could work it into the books. So for Gwen to be calling Toni already sent up red flags before Toni even answered the phone.
“Ms. Anderson, I’m terribly sorry to pull you from your meeting, but your father is here in the office looking for you. He says his phone died and it’s urgent that he speak with you.”
For a single second, the words sparked a flicker of hope in Toni. Her dad wasalive. She must have been wrong, must not have realized he still had a pulse! He’d survived! He was at her office! She could go there and apologize! Swear that she’d get him help, get him clean, and they’d find her mom and the three of them would be a family again, just like Ranger, Becks, and Loretta were!
Except…that second passed far too quickly as reality crashed back down on her, and those memories she’d fought so hard to suppress for the last day and a half came flooding back. Her dad was dead.She’dshot him. Twice! In the back. He was buried in an unmarked grave in some wooded area next to Becks and Ranger’s kidnappers and tormentors. She supposed it was a good thing she was bad with directions, because she’d never be able to find those graves again without Ranger’s help. Not like that would change the fact that he was very, very dead, though.
“Ms. Anderson?”
Gwen’s voice snapped her back to the present, and that was when Toni realized that Gwen was using her title instead of calling her “Toni”. While some might consider it improper in a business setting, Toni felt ridiculous having Gwen call her “Ms. Anderson” all day long. Therefore, they came up with a system, where Gwen would call Toni “Ms. Anderson” only to give Toni a head’s up about a problem client. Gwen had worked for several law firms over the years, and she had an instinct for the troublemakers, especially the ones who did not show Gwen any respect because she was just a “lowly secretary”.
If that wasn’t troubling enough, Gwen knew damn well that Toni wasn’t at a meeting. They’d spoken only hours ago about Toni taking a personal day, and Gwen’s memory was sharper than an elephant’s. Which told Toni that Gwen either knew that whoever was in the office was not her fatherorshe instinctively knew something was off about Toni’s “father”.
“Are you safe?” Toni asked, knowing Gwen would not have her on speakerphone. She normally had her headset on from the moment she entered the office to the moment she left for the night.
“Yes, thank you, Ms. Anderson. It’s good to know your meeting is wrapping up.”
Toni tried frantically to think when the last time either of her parents were at the office. Her mom had met Gwen several times, but had her dad? Obviously, itwasn’ther dad in the office with Gwen, but would Gwen know that? Toni did not have any family portraits or anything personal in her office. Regardless of Mount Grove being a relatively safe small town, she did not want anything about her home life displayed for others to see or use against her.
“I’m going to mute you, but you can make it sound like I hung up and am on my way.”
“Sounds good, Ms. Anderson. See you soon, and drive safe.”
Toni quickly muted the call as she walked into the kitchen, asking to speak to Ranger and Ghost privately. She didn’t know what Becks knew about why Toni was staying in one of the club trailers, but she was still not willing to have this conversation in front of Becks, Loretta, or Stuart Cross. A part of her wondered if Cross knew Charles, her dad’s sponsor, but was also not sure how to ask. Somehow, they’d made it through the entire conversation about boundaries and rules without it being brought up that her parents were addicts, too.
Or had been, in her father’s case.
“I’ve got Gwen muted on the phone, but I’ve got a serious problem. She says my dad is at the office looking for me.”
