“What about him?”
“Who was he?”
“What was your impression of him?” he asks instead of answering.
“He looked like a clown playing a businessman.” But even that was an understatement. He might appear to be a clown on the surface, but he carried a malevolence about him that left me certain he was a terrible man. The kind of evil that surpasses even Eric. Ericeven called him a sicko—if that doesn’t say it all then nothing does.
“Never was a truer statement said. That was Barry Franz.”
“He came personally? What the hell was he doing talking to Eric and why would he offer to help him get the boys back? This doesn’t make sense.” As far as I knew, Eric didn’t have those kinds of connections. Logically, Gresh might though. He’s a dog to more than one master in the Vale, running errands between them all for scraps. And Eric mentioned Gresh earlier when Hanson’s guys were waiting for me. Huh. I wonder if he appreciates he only has his new friends because of me?
“Not to you, but it does to me. That letter you gave me was addressed to Barry Franz. It had information about my operations that he wants, and it seems he’s been told that you know what was written on there.”
“But I don’t. I never read it. I swear.”
Dax reaches across and cups my face. “I know that, little gem, but someone has told him otherwise. Eric has just tapped into a powerful ally.”
The doors chime as they open, breaking the bubble between us. He drops his hand and sweeps us out of the elevator, through the foyer and around the side of the building to a sleek, black car. He fishes keys from a trouser pocket and presses the door unlock button. The carclick-clunk’sit’s acquiescence.
There’s something sooffabout all this, though. Eric has nothing—nothing that Franz couldn’t discover for himself.
We climb into the car and shut out the world before I share my concerns.
“I don’t understand why Franz even made a deal with Eric. He’s got no real ownership over us. Franz and Hanson could just as easily sweep us off the street for nothing. Why pay a man like my father for information they could get for free?”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
“Unless he’s sold them more than just our location at the bar?”
“What are you thinking?”
I shrug my shoulders. I’m not sure what I’m thinking, but I list out a few possibilities. “My college. Charlie and Koko’s place. My schedule?” What else? I couldn’t think of anything else he’d know. But if Gresh has been watching me all this time, there wouldn’t be a safe place for me in the Vale from here on. The weight of that—of my entire life in shreds—is just too damn much. I need to prioritise. “Is Aiden with my family?”
“Yes. We’ve planned for every eventuality. There was always a chance something like this might happen and Franz would go after your mum or the kids. We’ll be relocating them for a while…until we can clear this problem up.”
“Like witness protection?”
He stares out toward the bridge. His lips pinching slightly before he answers. “Pretty much, yes.”
“Are you taking me to them?”
He nods. “We’ll meet them at Carlo’s place.”
“Mum will be furious. I’ve taken everything from her now…and Carlo…what will Carlo do about the bar? Is it even safe there?” God, if they didn’t truly hate me before they will now. What’s worse is I’m not too concerned about Mum. She had nothing to begin with, at least now she’ll be safe. It’s Carlo who concerns me. The man built himself a business, a reputation. He has a home, belongings, a whole life that he’ll have to walk away from.
“That’s not for you to worry about. Carlo will arrange something, or I will,” Dax says matter of fact.
“This is my fault. I’m uprooting everything. I never meant to screw everything up so badly.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong! None of this was your fault. There were grown ass adults around you making decisions that led to these fucked up situations. You’ve been dancing in the middle of the storm, trying to keep everyone safe by taking all the blows yourself. It was never your responsibility. Not Eric, your mum, those kids, me, Tom…none of it should ever have come to rest on your shoulders.”
“But it did.”
They keep telling me that these supposed grown adults can manage their own shit, but if that were true, why have I been managing it for them for years? I’m as much of a fucking adult as they are, if not more. While they’ve been selfishly cheating and planning fantasy lives together, I’ve been playing mother, breadwinner, beating post…UGH! Why do I despise them and worry for them all at the same time? How is that possible?
“It did. You’ve done everything you could and more to keep everyone safe and alive. It’s my turn to take that responsibility now. Let me take it for you.”
“I can’t…I can’t let you…anyone…They’re my family, Dax. I’m the one who loves them enough to withstand it all, so they don’t have to. You can’t offer them that. No one can.”
