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“Has Kellan said anything?” Elizabeth asks, a brief flicker of longing burning in her green eyes. “Why are you here telling us this instead of him?”
“I think you both know the answer to that,” I reply bluntly. “And I am not one who normally meddles in your family’s affairs, but I don’t like where things are going. Charlene needs to find another place to stay, and the two of you should be talking some sense into her.”
“You seem to know an awful lot about Charlene’s position,” Bill narrows his eyes at me again. “What’s your endgame, boy?”
Apparently, I’m not Mr. Hayden anymore, I’m now simply “boy.” He’s pissed. Good. I want him angry, nervous, and with a slippery tongue, so I just keep on smiling. “Mr. Cassidy, whatever Charlene is up to, I’m sure you have a part in it. Or at least some kind of input. I need you to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. Kellan has already made it clear that he wants nothing to do with her and neither does Fallon. I certainly don’t. I hope she intends to live a clean and lawful life from here on out. Preferably, somewhere far away from us.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and tell her that yourself, then?” Bill replies. “We’re not Charlie’s keepers.”
“You were her business partners. You should’ve gone to prison with her five years ago, but somehow you dodged that. I also know that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, so I’m willing to bet that Charlene would be more than happy to restart her old operations across Lincoln County, provided she has some initial financial support. The court froze all of her assets so she’s not getting a cent back from any of those accounts.”
“What are you accusing us of?” Bill asks.
Elizabeth shakes her head and moves closer to the window. “He wants us to keep Charlene away from them. From the boys.”
“I want you to keep her out of trouble,” I correct her though I don’t want Charlene coming anywhere near us, especially Avery.
“We are not doing anything illegal or inappropriate,” Bill says, holding his saggy chin up high. A few decades ago, this man could charm half the county with just his smile. Stripped of his youthful, good looks, a victim of time, all Bill has to show for now is old age and a shitty character, both hidden behind a fat bank account. “And as far as Charlene is concerned, our friendship with her is our business and nobody else’s. Whatever it is you’re after, you’re not gonna get it here, boy.”
“I want peace. I want my best friends’ parents to stop giving them so much grief,” I tell him. “Do you think you can do that?”
“And I want you to stop sticking your nose into my family’s business. Do you think you can do that?” the old man snaps back like a striking cobra snake.
“I’d love to be able to do that, but given your history, given Charlene’s history, it’s a hard no on my part. Mr. Cassidy, Mrs. Cassidy, let me make myself clear—I say this on behalf of your sons but also on behalf of Wolfhound Security—do not try anything funny or there will be hell to pay. Your own sons will destroy you if you don’t stop what you’re doing.”
Elizabeth gives me a long and startling look. Something has shifted in her demeanor. There’s a coldness that trickles down my spine, and I can’t help but wonder—is this the same look she used to give Kellan and Fallon when she wanted them scared and helpless as little boys? Because I’m sure it would have worked rather well. “How is Avery?” she asks, her voice as sweet as poisoned honey.
“Excuse me?” I ask, my breath cut short.
“That blonde you’ve been shacking up with. Avery is her name? With the two little girls?” Elizabeth replies, half-smiling. “How is she doing? How are Annie and Miley getting along with the other kids in school? I hear Samson’s kids are bullies and they just love pulling girls’ pigtails.”
My blood runs cold as I understand the veiled threat behind each word. She’s not mentioning Samson’s kids without reason. Samson is a former service member himself, but unlike me, Kellan, and Fallon, he opted for less savory dealings to build his post-military fortune. The sheriff’s department has a couple of open murder-for-hire case files on him but all the evidence they’ve got so far is circumstantial. I didn’t know his children were going to the same school as Annie and Miley, though. That’s new information, and Elizabeth isn’t simply letting it slip. She wanted me to know.
I say as calmly as possible, “Avery is none of your concern. And I hope this is the last time I hear Miley and Annie’s names coming out of your mouth, as well, or there will be consequences.”
Elizabeth laughs lightly, briefly glancing back at her husband. “The snake is rattling,” she says.
“Do not threaten me or the people I care about,” I reiterate. “I may choose to handle things legally most often, but I will not hesitate to do what your sons don’t yet have the nerve to do, if push comes to shove. Don’t think for a second that Samson scares me. I’ve killed worse for less, and you both seem to be forgetting who I am and where I come from.” I take a moment to look at them both, noticing the expressionless faces and dead eyes. “Don’t fuck with me, because believe me when I tell you, you really don’t want me fucking with you.”
“I think you need to leave now,” Bill declares. “You’ve said your piece.”
“I mean it. About Charlene, about everything. Don’t be stupid. This isn’t the sixties and seventies anymore. It’s a new day, a new age, and your old bullshit won’t work as smoothly as it used to,” I warn them.
“Get. Out.”
I nod once and head for the door, fully aware that they’d shoot me dead where I stood if it weren’t illegal. But they’ve gotten away with worse, so there’s no point in fueling the flames any further. Bill is right; I said everything I came to say. The message has been received though not well, which was to be expected. I can only hope they will think twice before they reach out to Charlene in the coming days.
“Oh, Mr. Hayden,” Elizabeth calls out just as I open the door to leave. I pause in the doorway and give her an over-the-shoulder glance. “We know about your history with Charlene. We know about you and our sons, I mean, and what you like to get up to when you think nobody’s looking. The three of you forget we’ve been around much longer than you have. The people here know us, they fear and respect us, even if you don’t.”
“What is your point?” I reply.
“It means I don’t like being threatened either,” Elizabeth says, and it suddenly becomes clear—it’s not Bill that I need to be afraid of, it’s her. She’s the devil in disguise. “I wouldn’t think you’d want all sorts of unsavory rumors floating about town regarding your past, Mr. Hayden. Perhaps you’ll keep that in mind going forward.”
I’ve got nothing left to say at this point. I’d hoped I’d gain some insight with my visit. I did, but not the kind I’d hoped for. The Cassidy’s are clearly dangerous players—ruthless and well connected. At least I now know how low they’re willing to go in order to get what they want. I also know that they definitely have some kind of new business dealing flourishing with Charlene, otherwise they wouldn’t have pricked up as harshly as they did. They wouldn’t have mentioned Avery and the girls, either.
If there is one thing the Cassidy’s hold sacred, it’s their family reputation. While they may no longer be on the best terms with their sons, they wouldn’t allow nasty gossip about their sexual exploits to soil their good name. The fact that Elizabeth felt the need to mention Avery and Charlene in less than a minute and solely for the purpose of rattling me speaks volumes. The gloves have come off, it was only a matter of time.
At least I now have a clearer picture of what it is we’re dealing with. Kellan will be upset when he finds out that I paid his parents a visit, but he’ll be better off knowing what I found out. I think Fallon will understand. Of the two brothers, Fallon is the one with far less empathy left for his parents. Kellan still hopes to use only the law against Elizabeth and Bill, but I have a dark feeling looming in the back of my mind, one that says they won’t go down easily, or quietly.
