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“Are you sure?”
Not anymore. “Yes. I promise it won't interfere with either of our jobs.”
“Bueno. We're at the front of the building. Try not to jump the curb with your reckless driving.” The humor in his voice is hard to miss.
Phillip is puffing on a cigarette, and Zacharias walks up to the passenger side to open the door. “Look who's finally here. Now I can finally go home to Andres instead of suffocating in your boy's cloud of smoke.”
A laughing Phillip stomps on his cigarette and slips in the car, shoving a lollipop in his mouth. He waits until the door is closed and Zacharias waves us off to turn to me and say, “Hey, Daddy.”
“What happened today?” I pull onto the road, heading somewhere to grab food. I don't have the energy to cook tonight.
“What do you mean?” He tugs at his seat belt, slipping a hand over mine.
“You know what I mean.” His smile says he's fine but his heavy eyes tell a different story.
“It's fine. Tyson and Zacharias took care of it.”
“That still doesn't answer my question.” I drive into the lot of the first fast-food place I come across.
He draws a breath. “Some man in black clothing looking like a Mexican version of the guy fromBladefollowed me into the bathroom. Not wanting to make a scene in the hospital, Tyson waited until the man forced me to the parking lot and snuck up behind him, slitting his throat before he could shove me in the car.”
It should have been me there. I would've never given the asshole a chance to ever enter the building if I was there. “So we don't know if it was EG.”
“It's not. Just another man he paid to track me down. He left no trail either.”
“Of course not. Eventually he'll run out of errand boys. Especially if he keeps sending in amateurs. I might have to go to him after all.”
“How will you find him?” Phillip's eyes hang on to mine as I pull up into the drive-through.
“You forget, burrito, tracking people down is my job and I've been doing it for fifteen years. I always find who I'm looking for. Always.” I tug on his chin and kiss his forehead before turning toward the speaker to order our food. Four burgers, three orders of fries, and two Cokes later and we’re heading to the house. Phillip finishes half the fries before I'm in front of my house and turning off the car.
“I like fries too, you know.”
“You'll learn to order four next time then.”
“Next time, huh? We aren't having fast-food Sundays now, are we?”
Laughing, he pops another fry into his mouth and pushes open his door. “It's not a bad idea. Sundays are meant for being lazy and winding down before Monday.”
“Sounds like something someone who doesn't work weekends would say, and I hate to break it to you, but that's not you.”
I'm right behind him when he gets out of the car, and he holds the food while I turn the key in the lock. “Tony?”
“Yeah?” I shove the door open and he walks in first.
“When is your next job?”
“Whenever Zacharias or Enrico tells me it is.”
“Can I come with you?”
Pausing, I think over if him accompanying me on a dangerous mission is safer than him being in the hands of anyone else. “Yes. I think it's better to keep you with me from here on out.”
“Until when?”
Kicking the door shut, I take the food from his hands and set it on the counter. “Until you don't want to be anymore.” I don't know exactly what I'm offering. I'm only sure of one thing, I want him with me as much as possible. Maybe he's a distraction, but me not knowing if he's safe is an even bigger one. I can't guarantee he stays alive unless he's in my sight at all times. I have to be able to see him. To walk up to him any time I want so he can press his chest to mine and I can feel his heart beating.
“What if that never happens?” He steps closer, hooking his fingers around my shirt.
