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“If Reese doesn’t nail your ass to a damn chair, old man, I will,” Franks’ voice boomed. “There is no way in hell I am going to agree with this.”
“Oh no,” Reese worried. “What has Pappy done?”
“I suppose we should go find out. It sounds like Franks is about to lose it.”
Cash walked into the kitchen first. Franks and Pappy were still yelling, unaware of anyone else joining them. Another officer was standing in front of the door, watching it all unfold. Reese nudged Cash out of her way.
“What the hell are you two yelling about?”
Franks whipped around, finally noticing she and Cash were in the room. “Ask him what he did?”
“Pappy, what did you do?” Reese groaned. She was afraid she already knew.
“The only thing that could be done. They weren’t going to bring our boy back. They weren’t going to call for any kind of ransom. The only thing they want is money, and they can get it easier with me than Mav.”
“You called them,” Reese knew it was true as soon as the words left her.
“Yes, girlie, I called my son. He has a private line. I went over to Cash’s and called him. He is more interested in my life insurance policy than he is in trying to get money out of you for the safe return of Mav. He finally realized you didn’t have the money to pay him. He is panicked because now he has Mav and doesn’t know what to do. Reed is just a lackey. Without Mitchell telling him what to do all the time, the man would be living off the money his wife makes flashing her fake boobs for the camera. It isn’t like he is going to offer up a reasonable backup plan. I offered him a solution. He took it.”
“How is that a solution? He is going to make you live under his thumb for the rest of your life,” Reese tried to reason with him.
“Tell her the rest of it,” Franks commanded.
“I have had a good life. Your grandma and I had a lot of good years together. I was blessed enough to see and do a lot of things most people never do.”
“Pappy,” Reese whispered around the lump in her throat. “What are you saying?”
“Don’t do it, Oliver,” Cash bargained. “There has to be another way.”
“Pappy?”
“It was your boy or me,” Pappy shrugged. “As I said, I have had a good run. May as well go out like this than lying in a bed rotting away.”
“Mitchell has connections. He has done some questionable things for some people the FBI has had their eye on for a long time. That is how your father got on their radar,” Franks cut in, filling in the blank spots for Reese and Cash.
“When Oliver contacted his son, he agreed to willingly hand himself off to be killed for the insurance policies, as in plural, in order to get Mav back. Whoever Mitchell screwed over is coming after him hard.”
“Wait, policies, plural, as in more than one?” Reese’s brain whirled, attempting to make sense of everything.
“Yes, honey, more than one,” Franks glared. “The FBI dug up three your grandfather didn’t know about plus one he did. So far, the total amount is a hair under five million.”
“Five million dollars?” Reese balked. “How is that even possible? Aren’t there physicals or something for policies that big? How could Pappy have life insurance he didn’t know about?”
Cash wrapped an arm around Reese’s waist, anchoring her against him as she ranted.
“It goes back to the part where Mitchell has his fingers in a lot of things. He caught the attention of some people who would like to give him a new home in a six by nine cell.”
“You can’t do this to her,” Cash told Oliver. “What about Mav? After you go, there is no guarantee she gets him back.”
“Where is he going to meet you?” Reese demanded.
“He is supposed to call here in a few hours,” Pappy told her. “My decision is made, my favorite granddaughter.”
“Oliver,” Cash started.
“It’s already done. I gave my word I would do whatever Mitchell said as long as Mav got back home. It doesn’t matter what happens to me.”
“Isn’t there anything you can do?” Reese pleaded with Franks.
