Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27475 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27475 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
“I don’t know. I just don’t think you have it in you to kill me,” he spits through the blood from his cheeks.
I grab him by the hair and pull his head to the side. “Listen, you sniveling little bitch. You want to kill me for killing your piece of shit brother. What do you think I would do to protect that little girl in there? You and your brother don’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.”
“Do it. Make the call.”
This isn’t the way I normally end things. In my life, in my work, you never leave your enemies standing, but Tess doesn’t perceive the world the same way I do. I don’t want her to see me as some kind of monster.
The call is made and a broken, bested Dario vows to abide by our agreement. In this world, our word means everything, especially when we’ve given it to the boss. If he wants to earn, if he wants to continue breathing, he’ll leave us alone.
I open the office door and peer inside. Tess is crouched down behind a long, metal desk.
“It’s alright, baby. You can come out now.”
“Are you sure? What happened?” she asks as she brushes the cobwebs off her clothes.
“It’s over. Dario won’t be bothering us anymore,” I say and lead her out onto the factory floor.
She sees Dario’s men helping him to his feet and smiles. “You didn’t kill him.”
“No, I didn’t. Now, let’s get you home.”
She tries to take my hand, but I pull it away.
“You’re bleeding. Did he shoot you? We need to go to the hospital.”
“No, we need to get you home. The bullet went straight through. I’ll take care of it myself.”
We exit the factory, and I look up at the star-filled night sky. The air is crisp and cleaner than I remember, and I take a deep breath. My girl is safe and by my side. At this moment, all is right in the world.
10
TESS
For the next few weeks, I watch Torin’s behavior.
He’s the calmest he’s been since we met, which confirms that we’re no longer in danger thanks to him. He was expected to return to the city once this issue was resolved, but it’s so close to the holidays now that he’s decided to remain here with us until the New Year. I’m thankful every day that he’s here, but there’s a darkness lurking just around the corner. What will I do when it’s time for him to leave? He hasn’t said a word about it.
It’s the last day of school before winter break, and tonight is the long-awaited holiday pageant at school. Marta and I have enlisted Torin to help the crew erect the sets they built from the lumber he helped me deliver.
With everything that’s happened since then, it seems like it was so long ago. The kids who found him a bit intimidating at first are now cutting up with him as he lifts the bulky sets over his head and carries them to their marks on the stage.
When everything is in place, Torin comes over and asks, “Do you need anything else from me?”
“We’re about to start dress rehearsal. You can stay and watch if you want.”
“No, I’d like to be surprised when I see the real thing later. I don’t want any spoilers.” He grins. “Besides, I have a few things to take care of for later.”
“What’s later?” Marta eyes him suspiciously.
“I’m taking Tess into the city for a late dinner after the show.”
“Sounds lovely. You can go to the park and see the giant tree. It should be all lit up now. I still have your ice skates in the garage. Maybe you two can go skating.”
“I haven’t skated in twenty years, Mama. I don’t need to break my leg for Christmas,” he replies. He kisses my forehead and the older children giggle. “I’ll be back in time for the show. I promise.”
I watch him exit the auditorium and can’t help but wonder what he’s up to. He’s taken a few trips to the city and had some whispering phone calls lately. I won’t ask him about his work, but I still worry sometimes.
He’s the type of man who won’t let me know if something’s wrong, so I just try to remember how capable he is. Heck, I think he can do anything he puts his mind to.
Dress rehearsal ends and I run home to shower and change before the recital. I have a general dislike for standing on stage in front of all the parents and staff, but I think that’s why Marta put me in charge in the first place. She’s always talking about stepping out of your comfort zone and confronting your insecurities.
Having Torin in the audience will help. I can just stare at him and pretend other people don’t exist. The problem is that when I arrive back at school, I don’t see him anywhere. I go straight into panic mode, thinking about all of the terrible things that might have happened to him. Marta sees the expression on my face and tells me, “He’ll be here. The train was probably delayed.”