Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
"We made contact with Coach Wymack shortly after you were admitted here and asked him to bring his people for questioning," Towns added. He checked his watch and said, "They should be wrapping things up soon. When we're done with them they are free to return to South Carolina."
He didn't say "without you", but Nathaniel heard it in his tone.
"It's your turn," Browning said. "Where is your mother?"
Nathaniel told them about running into his father in Seattle and the vicious attack they weren't fast enough to escape. He told them about fire and sand and burying her on the coast. It was brutally unfair that she hadn't lived long enough to see Nathan die, but Nathaniel kept that bitter misery to himself.
"All this time you were hiding out in Seattle?" Browning said, sounding annoyed by their oversight.
"No," Nathaniel said. "That was just the last real stop before Arizona."
"What came before Seattle?"
"I want to see my teammates."
"What came before Seattle?" Browning repeated.
Nathaniel pressed his mouth into a hard line and stared at the ceiling. Browning tolerated the silent treatment for a few minutes, then started talking. He laid out everything they were willing to offer Nathaniel if his cooperation was worth their while: immunity from all charges, a fresh start in the Witness Protection Program, and the chance to tear apart his father's circle. When Nathaniel remained unmoved by such generous offers, Browning turned to threats instead. What they had on Nathaniel so far was enough cause to lock him up, and they'd eventually dig up the dirt they needed to throw away the key.
"I want to see my teammates," Nathaniel said when Browning finally took a breath.
"Be reasonable," Towns said. "Don't make this harder for yourself than you need to."
"You think this is hard? Look what I've been through. Surviving you is easy." Nathaniel tipped his head to one side and fixed Towns with a cool look. "But can you survive me?"
"Are you threatening a federal agent?"
Nathaniel smiled so hard his burns ached. "I wouldn't dare. What I should have said was: can you survive my family? My parents are dead, but my uncle remembers me. More importantly, he remembers that you gave him permission to take on my father last night. Since when do suits cut deals with gangsters?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Browning said, with a cool neutrality Nathaniel didn't believe for a second.
"Whatever," Nathaniel said. "I'm going to nap."
They didn't argue, so he closed his eyes and drifted off. He woke some indeterminable time later when a nurse came in to check his injuries. All the painkillers in his system meant nothing as she cleaned the burns on his hands and arms. Nathaniel clenched his teeth so hard he thought he'd break them and fought the urge to kick her away from him. She gave his stitches an approving nod and promised to have the doctor stop by later. She closed the door on her way out.
It was impossible to sleep again when his nerves were screaming alarms in his ears. Nathaniel flexed his fingers instead, checking his range of motion. Lola had burnt him to hurt him, not maim him. Maybe she'd feared too much melting skin would wreck the coils and kill her fun. He knew from the nurse's reactions his face hadn't gotten off so lightly, but he didn't want to see a mirror yet. Nathaniel was as furious as he was nauseous just thinking about it.
Before the latter could win out Nathaniel looked up and said, "I want to see my teammates."
"And I want coffee," Browning said. "You two good here?"
Towns nodded. Browning checked his pockets for his wallet and left. Nathaniel gave his handcuff a couple experimental tugs just to see how Towns responded. Towns was unimpressed by that faint attempt at rebellion and went back to his files. They ignored each other until Browning came back. Browning sat quietly until his coffee was gone, then perused one of Towns' discarded stacks. After an hour of this, he made another attempt at getting through to Nathaniel.
"Feel like cooperating yet?"
"I still don't see my teammates, so no," Nathaniel said. Browning made a dismissive gesture. Nathaniel yanked at his cuffed hand again. "Look: these are the people I chose to stay with even knowing I couldn't stay for long. I picked them over my own safety. So give them back to me and I'll answer anything you ask."
"You only think you want to see them," Towns said. "Remember that they just found out who and what you are. If they still want anything to do with you, I'll eat my hat."
Nathaniel opened his mouth, closed it again, and looked away. His teammates had accepted the vague confession Aaron forced out of him, but knowing his family was awful and dealing with the reality were two entirely different things. Maybe Kevin had had time on the ride from New York to tell them how the Wesninskis and Moriyamas were connected, in which case they now knew how much danger he put them in by signing Wymack's contract.
He'd promised them his family wasn't going to be a problem for them, but he'd gotten them hurt and was going to cost them championships. They might hate him, they might fear him, and they would likely never forgive him, but Nathaniel couldn't leave them like this. He hadn't gotten to say goodbye yesterday. He had to say it today, before the feds pushed him so deep the light would never again reach him.
"In fact," Towns continued, "they're probably already on the road south. It wouldn't have taken long to get their statements, and there's nothing else we need from them yet."
"You're wrong," Nathaniel said. "They can't leave without Andrew, and Andrew won't go anywhere until he talks to me."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do." Even if it was just to tear Nathaniel apart for hiding this from him, Andrew would wait as long as it took. He wasn't the sort to leave things unfinished. Nathaniel knew that, believed that, with every fiber of his being. It was enough to soothe the sting of Towns' callous warning. "You can take me to him, or you can let me rot silently in a cell somewhere. Those are your only options."