Total pages in book: 206
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
He lets her take Tia. The other guy comes back out and finds out. After I get off a phone call, I see I missed a text from Luc telling me not to worry about Tia; that Tessa has gone to get her. I piece everything together as my guy at the house is phoning. Tia’s not answering her phone and then I finally get ahold of my sister.
Two minutes after I get off the phone with her my sister is calling me back and telling me that Tia took off on her, ran like her hair was on fire, and left her engagement ring in the fucking car. I heard her voice in my head, how she ended that call with me saying, “Goodbye, Tommy.”
Fuck! Not only has she taken off without the ring that has the damn GPS in it but the anonymous note we got is nagging at me. Heads are gonna damn well roll!
I got to a mall two blocks from that strip plaza and finally found one of the few remaining pay phones in the world. I was debating between calling Susie and calling Rose. I was freaking out. I turned the stupid iPhone off and dropped it in a garbage bin a block from the mall.
I decided to call my Aunt Carol to ask where my father was. I called directory assistance and they connected me, but after the operator laughed at my asking for Carol O’Connor. “Archie Bunker?” She giggled, like I’d been prank calling.
“No, Carol a female, not the actor.”
It rang twice, then there was a scratchy sounding “Hello?”
“Aunt Carol, it’s me, Tia. Athena.” I felt shaky but tried to keep my voice steady.
Dead air.
“Aunt Carol, I’m really sorry to bother you. I know you don’t talk to him much, but it’s imperative that I find my father. Like… life or death kind of thing. Do you have any idea where I might reach him?”
She sighed. “I have nothing to do with your father, Athena. He’s a loser. I’m sorry to say that, but he is.”
“Please; do you have any idea how I can reach him? It’s really important.”
She sighed, “He works at the car parts place on Dufferin Street. Last I heard, anyway. I don’t know if he’s working today. It’s Sunday. I don’t have a home number. His girlfriend is Sadie Lewicki. She’s probably listed.”
“Thank you.”
“Athena?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t call me again.”
Click.
What a royal bitch.
I called directory assistance again. I didn’t have that much change left in my purse but when I fished around the bottom, looking for more, I found a folded up ten that I could break, if needed.
I got through to my dad’s work and typed his last name into the keypad via the auto attendant. I got transferred to him and he answered.
“Dad!”
“Tia? Is that you, sweet pea?”
“Dad, I took off. You need to hide. I’m sorry, I don’t know why you did this to me and it doesn’t even matter now but you need to hide because they could hurt you and I had no choice but to run so I have and I wanted to warn you about it.” Tears were streaming down my face.
“Shit, Tia. Breathe, sweet pea. Where are you?’
“It doesn’t matter. I’m gonna get out of Dodge and you need to as well.”
“Meet me. We need to talk.”
“No Dad. I-I don’t trust you. You have no idea what I’ve been through the last few days. I can’t trust you after you did this to me.”
“I have things to tell you. We need to talk.” He sounded like he was choking up.
“You’re at work. You’re not trying to find a way to pay off the debt because it’s apparently an unpayable debt, unless you count putting your daughter on the table to become Ferrano property. You’re not coming to my rescue; you never planned to rescue me. For whatever reason, you sold me out. Your own daughter. I don’t know what I did to deserve this but I just wanted to extend the courtesy of letting you know I took off and I’m getting out of here before he catches me. I hope he doesn’t have you killed.”
“Sweet pea, I just need five minutes of your time, I just want to give you my side of the story, okay?” He sounded desperate.
I held the phone and squeezed my eyes shut.
“I have a bit of cash. I can give it to you, help you get out of town,” he said. “Where are you? I’ll meet you after work. I’m just here today doing inventory.”
I had $248 in my account and that wouldn’t get me far. I knew I’d have money deposited in about a week for my allowance from social services, if they hadn’t cut it off already at my disappearance. I didn’t care so much about Dad giving me money, although it’d be nice to have a little bit of help, but I did want answers. I’d been losing sleep over the fact that he’d sold me out. I wanted to know why he did this.