Chapter 21
know lon and nur men would be on high alert for one billowing in, I could take the time to focus on her. I had hated every moment she had been in the presence of the sun inside that motinimust. I had hated that I didn’t have a choice but to bring her into a situation like that. But she had been fading imaging She acted the she negotiated with mob berses every Thursday and twice on Saturdays. But I had seen the way Aksakey had looked at her, the hunger in his eyes. He had the lacking alocity to have won practically humping him in front of us and at the same time looking at Hara like she was his nest meal. Not on my watch. The sling in my chest was new to me and a quick mement of the bold me I should look clmer. I locked at her sitting next to me in the backseat and the booked dained. The colour had gone from her lace and I was alad she would faint on merched back in the bag in the frank and pulled ent a bottle of anda. I opened and put it into her hind..
“Drok” I said. She looked at meant, but I could tell she didn’t see me then she looked down at the toda and took a sip. She then tried to hand it back to “No, you need to f You look ye muld use the sugat.” I told her, Shredded and kept sipping the drink. I malda’t home her for buying out. It would have taken a lot of willpower to be a thong ashes when living Alsakey. And he had thrown a maple al carve ball at hey, and at me even though he didn 1 know it. Deaming that Seton was ured in the mafia in the eat which Aktakes had
wasapainful surprise, I needed to sit down and think that cor though when I had the time. I put my hand over Hara’s, the one she didn’t hold the soda with Her hand was cold and it had a slight tremble sa 11. “Aar you okay?” | asbest, she hadn’t spoken since we had got back the cat
“Yeah.” The answer came in a long exhale, I saw Jasin looking at han frst, then me in the marrime mime
“The hard part in ever,” I said and she added and formed a smile. I could see how unnatural it was, that let her think it ineled me
“What happens now?” she asked. She had emptied the sad and was nowhaling with the ran in her hand
I we use so we can verify that the transfer in completed and that can act as evidence if Akuko tries to claim he hasn’t reorived the money. I’m come by tomorrow and pick you up and we can do the trans at our office, would that be okay?” I asked. She nodded.
Thank you, Both of you. I don’t think I could have done this without you,” she told us, fason smiled at her in the mare, which threw in all. He never smiled, but he had
I done a lot of it tonight
“It’s our pleasure.” he reared her. He parked the car in front of her apartment building and I got out and held the door open for her. I allowed her up to her door, I didn’t think Aksaker would send someone after her. But Twain’t ready to say goodbye.
“Ass you okay with what he told you?” I asked. I didn’t need to alabonte, we both knew what I was talking about.
“It was a bit of a shock. Bat Tri fine. It’s not as if we are still manied,” she told nut could the art in her eyes. It made me wonder what feelings she had my son. They were deed but that don’t mean her findings for him had gone. Was she still in love with Simpos? The thought went pulses of pain through my being which I did my best to ignore. We hadn’t talked about in 1 hadn’t anked because it was those of my business. No, I contacted export, I hadn’t asked because I didn’t want to know.
“will you be okay on your own? 1 could stay a while if you want to,” Duffered. She gone nie anoch
, this one was genuine.
Thank you. But lawan is waiting for you, I will be fine. I will make tothe tou and upon the coach and do some thinking” I sighed and nodded.
“Okay. Call me if you need | me. Whether it’s because you feel unate or just need simeone to talk in,” I told her and put try hand on far shoulder.
*Twill. Thank you for being there for me,” she said.
‘t thank me. Now go inside and lock the door. I will here until you are sak. I’ll come by around how if that it okay?”
“Don’t
“You, that its good Good night, the old and went inside. I waited until all the locks were engaged and then I walked back down, suppressing my need to demand that the let mac stay. I got into the plunger sat next to Jason and he drove ff. We sat in silence for a while, he sol ne sone side glances miery now and then. The man saw too much.
“What?” | finally asked in an imitated tone.
“She is able,” I agreed in all hoped was a mattal voice. Jason burst out laughing
Sur, buddy. In apring Sheet and but both know that the state that pops into your mind when you think of her,” he and after cat
le and after caning down a
“Oli come on, Hunter, Yeni hid i will dating thing but puse can see that you like her,” lavan salli
“You know, you like her. Like inny ki
klasy, and some touchy touchy Com un, it can be that
it can be that lang shien po
| skica poa syre interested in a woman that you have gotten how it works?”
“Es–wile. And I know he’s your son but I get the impression he didn’t treat her right,” an old me I granted, Simon was a beachy subject for me. I suspected the same thing in laser did, but it was another topic Hina and I stayed clear of tin all, I don’t see wing you shouldn’t go far a
“Prep Jason. It’s not like that. And avenir, she is almost twenty par my
in my junk.” I said he was trying to me off has doing good job
15
come on How bad can it be? You were like teen when you had Simen?” he asked
“Seventeen.” I comected him.
“light“Lawn said, as if that proved his point.
“She is one year his junior,” I added.
“Okay, so eighteen years may be off putting
you had been thirty, but you’re like fifty?” lum asked with a smirk. Instinctively I smacked the back of his head.
“Forty, you idiot,” cocted him, knowing full well he knew as he was only six months younger than me
print is. You are both adults. If there is a spork, then why not?”
“Fint off, there is no spark, Second of them in a long list of reasons. Her connection with Simon, she’s our client, the age difference, she needs someone better.” I started listing the points that always ran through my head when my hout on my body whispered, maybe.
“Yeah, 1 xee it now” lason said. I nodded, content that I had made him see me, it wasn’t often he changed his mind. “You are a pity, so scared that you can’t face reality. Cool man,” he
- Am. Not. Scared.”
“Sure you are. We have discussed the Simon thing, it’s none Age gap, come on. Denny is like twenty two years older then his wife, Sure he closer to fifty than both of us, but still. They seen happy. Mamed for Hoe four or five years? A kid and another one on the way. So the client thing. Sure, I can see that. But from tom on, that won’t be an issue any longer. The rest are just things you made up because you ar a pussy.” Loon told me.
“Whater,” I said.
“Hey, I’m serious. You deserve to be happy what if you didn’t get you hoppy ever after on the first go. The two of you were kids and if you ask me, you dodged a bullet getting away from Simon’s mon. There is still time to do it the right way” lason had become serious, he meant what he was saying, 1 sighed and rubbed my hand over my face.
“I don’t know, I don’t think she sees me that way. And I’m convinced it’s a bad idea. It would be the final nail in the coffin of my relationship with my son.”
thee to punch me when I stop the car, but in’t that mad already in place? How much shite you willing to take from him on asked.
“He’s my son. I wasn’t there when he needed me and this time I won’t let him down,” I stubbornly told him,
“You need to get it into that fucking thick scall of your that you at being there when he was a kid it all your felt. Sure, your job made it hard to do regular visits. But his mother did her best to make sure vou couldn’t see him even when you won stateside. And it’s not like you can just walk up to your superior officer and tell them you had a change of heart and want to go home.” lason was getting worked up. “You have dedicated your life to that boy. You enlisted to put food on the table and a roof over his head. All the thit we went through, you did it so you could end bine money. And don’t think I don’t know that he is the only reason you decided to start this company with me. I did it as I saw an opportunity to get rich and still do some good. You did it so you
My income to support your son. And what does he do? Nothing! He can’t even keep his fucking nose clean. Stop taking reiperdibility for the stupid things he does. He needs to b
a man and man the fuck up!” There was a long silence, we were almost at the office.
“Did it make you fool tetter?” ) isled.
“Fuck yeal. I have been holding that in for a while now,” las huffed. We looked at each other and the laughed. “We don’t say it to you, because we know he’s your son. But we all think so.
pulted him on the shoulder.
“Okay, okay. Enough of this many shit. Are you joining me and the boys for a beer?” Janson asked.
“III take a rain check on that.“I am. A smirked on his face.
“Going to go home and wait for her to cal? be asked
“Shut up,” I said. But he wasn’t entirely wrong. I didn’t want to drink case Herded ma
