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I glance at Dad. I’m about to say maybe we should let it be, but he shakes his head slightly.
“Jude?” She looks at him. “Do you remember when I saved Charlie the last time? I could’ve let him die, and I let him keep the money. As a result, he owes me. Now, I appreciate all you two have done for me, but we aren’t done untilI saywe’re done.” Jude’s gaze drops to the floor, and Charlie puts an arm around her. “Having said that, we’re going. No one will know we’ve been here. I’ll contact the fixer and tell her we didn’t need you after all. You’re safe.”
Jude keeps her head down and shrugs.
Dad looks at Charlie, who gives him a slight chin lift.
“Is it safe to move him?” I ask.
Charlie’s dark eyes come to me. “Yes, but no physical exertion. He’ll rip the stitches. He needs to take it easy for the next little while.”
“Thank you,” I reply.
Charlie’s eyes rest on the Sig Sauer in my hand. “You never needed that.”
“Better to be safe than sorry.” It’s a phrase Dad uses often.
Charlie gives me a mirthless smile and looks at Dad. “Chip off the old block, hey?”
Dad straightens up and nods once. “No, she’s better.”
Charlie reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out two bottles of pills. “These are for pain, and these are for infection.”
“You can keep the pain pills.”
Charlie scoffs. “You got shot twice and a graze. They’ll help you sleep, Jamison. Use them.”
Dad says nothing, but he holds out his hand. Charlie puts both of them in his palm and then holds onto Dad.
“Don’t come back here in a hurry.”
Dad holds his gaze and replies, “Take your name off the list, Charlie. No one will know where you are except me.”
Jude gasps and hurries from the room. Charlie and Dad continue the staring contest for a little longer. Eventually, Charlie is the one to break it. He stares at me one last time, and then he, too, leaves the church. I wait until he shuts the door before I holster my gun.
“We need to leave,” states Dad.
“What did all that mean?” I ask.
Dad puts both legs over the side of the gurney. “They owed me. It was me who had them put their names on the list. If they take their names off, no one but me will come calling. They can relax. I won’t be here again.” He places both legs on the floor, and Simon hovers around him to make sure he doesn’t fall. “Not that I’m going to tell them that. You never know what the future holds.”
“Do you think they’d betray you?”
Dad shakes his head and takes a tentative step, then another. He keeps moving toward the back of the church.
“Jude is bat shit crazy. She’s not happy that I’m here and is just as likely to kill all of us than continue to owe me a favor.”
He leans heavily on Simon as we make our way back to the Escalade. Dad sits in the front passenger seat, and Simon climbs in the back.
“We need a new car.”
“I know, Dad. It’s on my list of things I need to do.”
He barks out a laugh. “What else is on the list?”
“We need new clothes for you and to get out of the state without being caught.”
Simon clears his throat. “I have a suggestion.”
