Page 47 of Enforce This
“Let’s face it… Montana and Banshee could never convince the three of you to vote for either of them, but you… You’re a solid choice. Right down the middle. I’d have voted for you.”
“I’m honored.”
“You should be. Enough of the pleasantries, though, you will be handing over that Happily Ever After in exactly ninety minutes–”
“Well, that’s the thing– I’m pretty fond of that book. In fact, I beat you to that one, Demetri. I clipped it right off the shelf this morning over in Rochester, you’ll probably find the receipt in the public records as soon as they update them.”
“It’s funny you say that. I’m a man who likes to flip to the end of the book before I read the beginning. You should try it some time. If you had, you would’ve known that particular book ends with the white knight on his knees and the kingdom burning down around him. I’ll see you boys in the morning.”
A click sounded from the counter. The phone remained lit up, letting me know our conversation had lasted exactly two minutes and twenty-nine seconds.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Eric
“That’s it. We ride,” Oak announced, looking down at his watch. “Mount Up.”
I felt like shit. I’d napped in the tree house in Daisy’s backyard, and still had no idea how the floorboards had been good after all those years.
I awoke thinking of my childhood and what it would be like to be a father someday. Mak was right, our lifestyle wasn’t a place for children.
In the end, I’d convinced myself this presidency was only for as long as it took Mark to figure out how to walk again. It probably sounded like waiting on a miracle, if I’d have taken the time to tell anyone my grand plan, but sometimes, a person just needed to tell themselves whatever it took to make it through the day.
That is exactly the type of day this was.
We just had to get through it. One day at a time. Today wasn’t the first day of this war. We were more prepared than we had been on Black Monday, I just had to trust my brothers and believe in myself.
I could get us through this.
I had to.
The road was a straight shot. A nice smooth ride; I could see everything around for miles.
There wasn’t any threat that I could identify. A farmer hauling a nurse tank of anhydrous slowly neared the crossroad ahead. When he paused for a brief time only to shift and roll, I thought he meant to go straight through, but instead, he pulled out in the same direction we were intending.
“Shit,” I scoffed, knowing how slow those good old boys could be when they were moving that stuff.
I mean, I couldn’t blame them. Any number of mishaps could be lethal.
I sighed and dug deep for patience as the procession slowed. We were approaching miles of hills that meant there would be no safe way for all of us, both hearses, and the damn semi to pass.
“Fucking farmers,” I cursed.
“Don’t hate!” Oak yelled over the roar of the engines, “Someone has to feed your sorry ass.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I revved my engine, hoping to put a little pep in Farmer John’s step.
I could see him nervously eyeballing his rearview.
“You think he’s worried we're trying to rob him?” I laughed.
“Fucking hell,” Oak grinned. “Who could blame him if he was?”
We joked about it, but inside, I was winding tighter and tighter. What was wrong with me? I was the one who fucked shit up.
I couldn’t do this…
The light was green in the distance, and I tried to calm myself down. The truck would be turning. We’d be at the cemetery soon.
