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In the meantime, I call my lawyer and start the process of turning both companies over. I’m not sure if my father knows about Red, White, and Whiskey, so I’ll have two sets done. I’m not going to risk pissing him off by not having both.
An hour later and I have the documents in my hands and wire instructions on my phone.
“I can have it look like the money went through without it actually doing it,” Frank offers.
I shake my head. “No. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Cash, my guys will be at the meeting point. They will get her out, and your father won’t make it past them…I can handle it.”
“You’re not hearing me. I’m not taking any risks. Yes, have your guys there. Yes, kill my fucking father if they have to, but above everything, Grace needs to be okay. And if that means he gets my money, or it disappears into the ether…that’s what fucking happens…because I”—my voice cracks as I contemplate a world without Grace in it—“I can’t live without her, Frank. Just…do it my way, please.”
Frank nods and I click the button, authorizing the transfer of funds. As soon as the phone lights up indicating every last dollar has been transferred, Frank and I stare at one another and he blows out a breath.
“Damn, Grace always said she didn’t care about the money.”
I stretch my neck. “Now really isn’t the time for jokes.”
He reaches over and squeezes my shoulder. “I know. Okay, make the call.”
Per my father’s instructions, I shoot him a text with a picture of the transfer, and the phone rings moments later.
“Where is she?”
“Cash, good news, since you’ve played along perfectly, I’ve brought your girlfriend to you. Come downstairs. She’s waiting.”
I close my eyes in relief, and we both get to our feet. Frank is already on the phone calling his family. “I’m not sure they are going to be here quick enough,” he says honestly, the nervousness evident in his entire demeanor.
“It’s fine. We gave my father what he wanted. He’s a prick, but he’s just a selfish prick. I’m sure his threats about Grace’s safety were nothing more than hyperbole.” Even as I say this though, a seed takes root in my brain, and it raises alarms I’m not quite sure what to do with. If Frank’s guys don’t get here in time, and my father really has gone off the deep end, can Frank and I take him?
Yes.Maybe?
Yes, we absolutely can. We have to. We don’t have a choice.
As we leave the elevator, Sal sees our tense demeanor and stands up. “Need help, boss?”
I nod and Frank motions for him to follow. Now we’ve got three on one. We can do this. It’s going to be fine. My phone rings as we walk outside, and I spot my father standing on the curb, his back to a black sedan. I squint trying to make out if anyone is in the car. I see someone in the front, but the back windows are tinted and I don’t see a thing.
“Is Grace in the car?” I ask into the phone as I walk in his direction.
My father looks almost jubilant as he holds up a button and jeers at me, shouting, “Now you’ll understand what it’s like to watch the woman you love die.”
I lurch forward, but he’s too far away. As I fall to the ground, the hard sidewalk scraping my hands and knees, I hear the car engine start, and it jumps the curb going in his direction.
I watch as my father realizes what’s about to happen, the way his face turns into a scowl and then he appears to shrug as he pushes the button in his hand, and in that moment, as the car rams into my father, sending his body flying into the air and tumbling over the top of the hood, a loud thunderous noise descends upon us and the entire area bursts into flames.
For a moment, the entire world goes silent as black descends upon us. My eyes shut and I will myself to open them again.
I’m jarred from the silence by a high screeching ringing noise which echoes through my eardrums, and I cough through the black smoke that billows from the car, trying hard to push myself up, determined to find Grace. Praying and begging with each army crawl that she wasn’t in that car. When I don’t see her, I collapse onto the ground, sobs wracking my body.
This can’t be happening. This has to be some fucking nightmare. I pinch the skin of my arm so hard that it will leave a bruise, begging to wake up.
Someone pushes on me, and I look up to see Frank covered in soot. My eyes try to blink through the tears so that I can understand what he’s saying, but I can’t hear a thing. I study the way his mouth moves, trying to make out the words. When he sees I’m not understanding, he points, and I follow his finger’s direction, watching as Sal runs toward a body which is sprawled on the ground, only twenty feet away.
He sits the body up and I see her face, a mask of confusion, tears coating her cheeks and her violet eyes staring straight into mine.
Frank offers me a hand, and I take it, pushing myself off the ground. My ankle feels sore, but I lean on Frank’s shoulder, and we hop as quickly as we can to where she’s sitting.
The street looks like a war zone. Cars that were once moving have come to a standstill and their occupants are slowly getting out and staring. Red lights alert me to the police, but I can’t hear the sirens.
I hear nothing but white noise, but I don’t feel any pain, only relief at the sight of Grace in front of me. She looks almost okay. Shaken but not bleeding. When we reach her, I fall beside her and go to reach out to touch her face, but she pulls back, her eyes narrowed and her lips trembling.
“Grace, it’s me,” I say…or more likely shout as she looks like I’ve assaulted her with my words. “It’s Cash,” I try to say quieter.
I watch as her lips form the words that break my heart. “Who?”
