Eli flexes his jaw as if he’s grinding his teeth. “Are you going to be able to do what I’m asking? Can you protect Emily?”
Every man fixes his eyes on me and the weight of their expectations smashes onto my shoulders. Eli’s trusting me with his daughter, just like each man here will be trusting me with his life when I join the security business. I glance down at the gun. This is going to be my life.
“Listen to me,” Eli says. “We’re a legit club. We manage things aboveboard. You know this. No illegal shit is done within our community. With that said, you have the right to pull the trigger when someone is threatening bodily harm and I’m asking you, do you have the balls to do what needs to be done when the time comes?”
This is it. This is what should have happened last night. This is the start of them testing me. “Fuck yeah.”
Eli tosses me the holster and I tuck in the gun.
“Congratulations,” says Eli. “That gun is your graduation present from all of us. When we’re in public you’ll have to keep it on your hip as you’re not old enough to conceal.”
The guys start to clap and I can’t help but smile. A couple of them call out their congratulations or a well-done. Eli lets the moment ride. When the room goes silent again, Eli looks me over. “You were supposed to become a prospect last night.”
“I heard.”
“If you join the club, I need to know you’re going to be firm and do what needs to be done. I got a second chance once. Consider this yours. We’re considering this your probationary period for a job with the security company. We’ll vote on your position when this stuff with Emily calms down. Prospect is going to be a wait-and-see.”
The muscles in my shoulders relax. I’ve bought myself time. It’s not the best-case scenario, but it’s not the worst. Keep Emily safe and alive and I’ll have a job. As for prospect, at least I’ve been granted a fighting chance.
I head for the door and when I open it, Cyrus calls out, “For your information, I consider anyone hitting on my granddaughter bodily harm. Shoot any son of a bitch who’s stupid enough to think of touching her.”
My grip on the knob tightens. My entire future hangs in the balance and Emily and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other for twenty-four hours.
Damn.
Emily
FRESH OUT OF the shower and in a pair of black shorts that are way shorter than anything Mom would have ever allowed me to wear, I do a sweep of the room again. It has to be around here somewhere. Nothing else from the past twenty-four hours has been a dream so there’s no way that picture Olivia gave me was a figment of my imagination.
I drop to my hands and knees and peer underneath the darkness of the bed. Guess I could have lost it outside. Two knocks and I jump to my feet. “Yes?”
“Hey.” Eli opens the door and I lace my hands behind my back. Nope, I’m not keeping secrets.
“I know it’s late,” he says. “But Izzy put some sandwiches together for dinner. You should come out and hang with us. I promise nobody bites.”
Ha. I bet they do, but they probably already ate the two orphan kids who left a path of bread crumbs. “I was hoping to use your phone again so I could video chat with Mom.”
Eli refused to let me take my cell from my parents, insisting that I not have anything that was “traceable.” Talk about being overly dramatic.
His eyebrows furrow together. “I thought you talked to her before your shower.”
“I talked with Mom and Dad on the phone, but I’d like to see her.” And I need to speak with my mom...without Dad, because maybe he’s wrong. Maybe she will tell me the truth. “You said I could talk to them as much as I wanted.”
“I did.” He did.
He said it when Mom and I were locked in a hug outside of the warehouse with no signs of letting go. Mom’s shoulders started to shake and my own eyes began to water and I sent a pleading glance to my dad because I was seriously backsliding on my decision to stay. Eli stepped in and said that I could call Mom and Dad whenever I wanted. Any time. Any day.
“Plus, I need to call Trisha. Her dad’s a state trooper. If she informs him I’ve become a missing person then I’m not responsible for what happens after that.”
I’m kidding, yet I’m not. Even though I did agree to stay here, I still feel rather kidnapped.
Eli pulls his phone out and hands it to me. “You need to eat and your mom would be pissed if I let you starve. Plus, it’d mean a lot to Olivia if you ate with us.”
“Okay.” I rub my thumb over the back of his cell.
“Izzy’s going to buy you a burner phone tomorrow so I’d appreciate it if you’d wait until then to call your friend. Then we’ll go shopping when I get back from this trip. Clothes. Everything. Just like our yearly visit in Florida, but bigger.” He smiles and I force myself to return the gesture, but I spot in the mirror how fake it looks so I quit and, instead, nudge the floor with my toe.
“That sounds great.”
“It will be.” Eli stands there as if conversation between us should be easy. “Do the clothes Izzy got you fit?”
I twist, hoping he’ll catch on that the clothes are tighter and shorter than what I own because it would be rude for me to point it out. “What do you think?”
“They’ll work.” So much for hoping. “On calling your friends, I’d appreciate it if you make a list of who you need to talk to and keep that list small. Also, be careful what you tell them. Don’t say anything about the Riot. Maybe tell them you’re visiting out-of-state colleges for a few weeks or something.”
Shouldn’t be hard. Only Trisha knows I’m adopted so no one will even begin to think I’m being sequestered by my crazy biological paternal family. “I’ll only call Trisha and she’ll tell everyone else I’m gone for a bit. I was supposed to go on vacation with her next week.”
Eli stares at me. I stare at him.
“I’m costing you your summer,” he says.
I shrug, but yeah, he is.
We continue to stare at each other and it’s like Eli’s searching for something else to say. We’ve already gone through the Spanish Inquisition in the truck earlier so we’re good on conversation for at least a year.
“I’m sorry I won’t be here the entire time. I’ll check in, though, and make sure you’re okay. These deliveries are important and after what’s happened with you and the Riot, I don’t feel right letting anyone else be point on it.”