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He held up his cell phone. He didn’t know how Cheeky got so close without either Arnold or his latest schoolgirl obsession realizing it.
In the photo, Arnold was very much naked behind the driver’s seat of the car, his hands all over the girl.
“I’ve got to say, do you think she’s eighteen? Did you know it’s an offense to be with a minor?” It was a little hypocritical of him to judge, but he didn’t prey on schoolgirls, and he happened to know Arnold liked to leave a long line of them. “Now, do you want this to be made public? I can make it happen. It would be so easy.”
“What exactly do you want?”
“I want you to open up your teaching staff where Robin needs the extra help, and I want her to be able to graduate within the next year. She didn’t get the chance to and I want her to have what her heart desires.”
“And if I refuse?”
“I’m not a very nice person when I don’t get what I want. By all means, we can have this fight, but you’re not going to win.” Preacher perched on the edge of the desk.
“How do I know you won’t send that out?”
“Regardless of what you think, a deal’s a deal. You’re not hurting this girl and it looks to me like she’s very happy to be with you.” Preacher shrugged. “I can’t accuse the girl of bad taste. I can, but I won’t. So how about we settle this? Are you going to give me what I want, or will I be pressing this magic button?”
Arnold glared at the phone. “If she doesn’t attend one of the classes—”
“You’ll do what? Don’t think you’ve got the power to negotiate here. I’ve got all the power. All you have to do is help her. That’s all I ask.”
“Fine. She can start tomorrow.”
“No, today. I want to give her a special treat and the only way I do that is by making sure she has all the paperwork today.
I’ve got all day. Come on, get it done.”
With every passing second, Preacher found torturing him so much fun. He held all the power and people like Arnold believed they were better than men like him. Like he had some kind of ulterior motive, but it was all bullshit. Arnold was just as bad as him, if not worse. There was no difference between them. He sat in Arnold’s office as each teacher Robin would need supplied him with the necessary paperwork. It was fun to get under his skin. It really made for a lot of fun. Fun he hadn’t been expecting, but it was there regardless.
When he had everything he needed, it was lunchtime, and so he left the high school, feeling happy. On his way back into town, he came to a stop when he caught sight of Bishop. He was carrying out a large bag of what looked like bird feed. He placed in the back of an old man’s pickup, wiping his hands before he caught sight of him.
“Hey, Dad,” Bishop said.
“So I’m Dad now.”
“To be honest, I don’t know what to call you. It’s not like I’ve got some kind of knowledge about what’s happening to me.” Bishop shrugged. “Did you make a decision?”
Preacher wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t know what his son was talking about. “No. I haven’t really thought about you or what I should do with you.”
“Ouch. I’m surprised the boys haven’t ordered you to deal with my ass long before now.”
“You think I don’t know you helped us to locate the Slaves to the Beast? Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to take them out.”
“Yeah, well, if it wasn’t for me, I wouldn’t be out in the cold like this, and I’d still have Robin. She never would’ve been taken and I wouldn’t be one of the world’s biggest fuck-ups, but I can’t go back and change what I did.”
“You think of yourself as a fuck-up?”
“Aren’t I?”
“I honestly don’t know anymore.” Preacher didn’t have it in him to get into this argument with his son. There was nothing he could do to change the past. No way of stopping what was to come. “You’re working here now?”
“Yeah, it’s a good way to make a living.”
“It is? Hauling birdseed?”
“It beats sitting at home all day waiting for the bullet.”
“When your time comes, you’ll know about it.” Preacher looked around and he caught several people watching them. “Did you hear about Robin?”
