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“He hired me and the guys for a case,” I told him. “He had a snake.”
“Got it,” he agreed, not needing me to give him every detail. A quality I always appreciated with him. Because, lord knew, my mom, aunts, and cousins were all going to grill me about it.
“He’s okay, right?” I asked, hearing the vulnerable edge to my voice.
To that, he gave me a soft smile, reaching out to grab the back of my neck, fingers massaging a bit.
“He’s fine. Last time I saw him, he was dragging who seemed to be the leader downstairs. Figure shit is… getting handled.”
“He’s the guy who did this to me,” I said, waving at myself.
After my dad’s gaze moved over me again, taking in the damage once again, a muscle ticked in his jaw.
“Remind me I need to buy A a drink when this is done,” he said.
And that was a stamp of approval from my father.
“He didn’t say what’s going on after this,” my dad said. “So I am thinking I’m gonna get you out of here. There’s some… work to be done here.”
Bodies.
There were bodies to clean up.
“Okay,” I agreed. “But, um, I, ah, I have to bring Val,” I said, patting the dog’s head.
“One of the guys bought the SUV,” he said, nodding. “We may or may not have to drive very slowly back to Navesink Bank,” he added.
He didn’t need to explain.
I knew that SUV was weighed down with a shitton of illegal weapons.
With that, I followed my dad into the building, trying not to pay too much attention to the bodies on the floor, focusing on the men who were gathered around, some already working on cleaning up the crime scene.
There were curious gazes and concerned looks, but they all let us pass by without comment.
I pretended to ignore the howl of pain I heard as we passed down the second floor before making our way outside.
After that, we climbed into the SUV, and heading back toward Navesink Bank.
It was over.
Or, at least, it would be soon.
And I knew I wasn’t going to see A again until he was sure he had his house in order.
“Where are we going, baby?” my dad asked as we turned into Navesink Bank.
“Work,” I decided.
“Hope…”
“I’ve been missing. I want to at least tell them why,” I explained. “Then I will absolutely go and crash at home.”
“You know, I am equal parts proud and frustrated that we produced such an independent, stubborn kid,” my father told me as I climbed out of the SUV. “I am sending some of your cousins over to your place to hang with you. Don’t want you to be alone. Prepare to be questioned. Extensively.”
“Hey, Dad?” I called.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Thank you.”
“That’s what I’m here for, kid.”
With that, I moved into the office, Val jogging along at my side, happy to be included.
“Where the fuck…” Mike started, then stopped when he got a look at me.
“What the fuck?” Vane asked, voice tight.
It was the first thing he’d said to me in, like, half a year.
“I’ve been in the hospital. And then a safe house,” I explained.
“What happened?” Vane asked.
“A’s case got a little out of hand. I was leaving work, and got attacked. But things came to a head this morning. The case is closed,” I told them, going over to my desk. “It’s been a fuck of a few days. But I think it’s time to address this,” I said, waving around the office. “I’m done here,” I told them.
Because, finally, I was.
I didn’t need their approval.
And I damn sure didn’t need their abuse anymore either.
I guess I’d only put up with it for so long because it was all I had. I’d let work overtake my life.
I was done with that.
I was done with this.
“But you are going to sign off on my experience,” I told Mike. “And give me a positive reference. And if you don’t,” I said, cutting him off when his mouth opened, “I will go to your father and take him up on his offer to run this place myself,” I told them.
It was a lie.
But he didn’t know that.
And he did know that his dad loved me.
So it was a pretty solid lie.
“Fine,” he submitted.
“Fine,” I agreed. “Now that that’s settled, it’s been a fuck of a day. I need to go home,” I said, grabbing my spare set of keys out of my desk since I was pretty sure mine were in the alley somewhere, and I was in no mood to look for them, then making my way out the door.
“Hope, wait up,” a voice called, surprising me enough to stop me dead. Turning, I saw Vane making his way toward me. “Don’t leave,” he said.
“I don’t need to prove anything anymore. I made that my life,” I said, waving toward the office. And I have nothing to show for it. Not even the grudging respect of my coworkers.”
