Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
I don’t know what to say. His words pound in my ears. I’m trying to make sense of it as I stare at him in total shock, but suddenly his appearance makes sense.
He looks sick.
It’s the worst I’ve ever seen him, and I’ve seen my father in some bad states over the years. Drunk, strung out, scared for his life.
But this trumps it all.
“Daddy.” I walk over and sit next to him. He puts an arm over my shoulders as I try not to cry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I would’ve helped or done something.”
“It’s alright, Heloise, it’s okay. I made peace with it a while ago. We all gotta die sometime, right? This is my time.”
I lean my head on his shoulder. “What kind is it? Is there anything we can do?”
“Started in my lungs, but now it’s all over. And no, trust me, I tried. Doctors say I’ve got a few months left at best, but the way I’ve been feeling lately, I think they’re a little optimistic.”
A sob breaks out from my chest. I can’t hold it back anymore. The sick irony kills me. I get my father back, only to find out that I’m going to lose him for good.
He holds me while I cry. I wish I could be stronger for him, but it’s my dad. He has always loomed large, a massive presence in my memory, immortal and incredible, and he still has that magnetic weight about him even looking like he’s half the size he used to be. But his smell is the same, his hands are the same, he’s still my father, and he’s here right now. Eventually, I get myself under control.
“What I don’t get is why you’re doing all this,” I say after a while of just sitting with each other. “If you’re so sick, why wouldn’t you spend your last time with me instead of pulling off another job? You don’t need the money, right?”
His grin is bitter as he rubs my shoulder. “Here’s the thing. That last job, that money, I had this grand idea for what I’d do with it, but I got fucked.”
“Fucked how?”
“I don’t have a dime, Heloise.”
I laugh but he’s not kidding and my grin fades away. “Seriously?”
“I had a partner.” He grimaces as if something hurts. “I hate working with partners. Still hate it. But I needed one for this job, because I was too sick to pull it off alone.” He pauses to catch his breath and I’m caught between hating him for doing something so stupid and loving him so fiercely it breaks my ribs. “He took everything. Screwed me hard and left. He knew I couldn’t do anything to stop him, not in this state, and he didn’t give a damn. Rob an old cancer patient? That’s just another Tuesday for a guy dumb enough to go up against the casinos.”
“Dad. You’re a thief too, remember. You’re just as dumb.”
“Right. But I’m a thief with morals.”
“You stole from my high school science teacher. Remember that? You took his wallet during a parent-teacher conference.”
“Did I get away with it? I don’t remember that at all.”
“No, you got caught. And you don’t remember because of all the pills you were on that time.”
He smiles fondly. “I could use some of those about now.”
“Dad.”
“Right, I get your point, but my point is this. I have no money, Heloise. I can’t pay back Erick and the other two even if I wanted, which I really don’t, because fuck those rich bastards. They’re still fine, aren’t they? I don’t see them fucking suffering.”
“Dad.”
“Okay, I’m staying on track.” He takes a deep, rattling breath, and I imagine I can hear the sickness inside his lungs. It’s ugly, crinkling like tissue paper. “I can’t hand my partner’s identity over. That’s another problem. Because once I do that, I don’t have any leverage anymore, and anyway, I don’t know where he’s hiding. All I’ve got are guesses and they might all be wrong.”
“You can make a deal.” I glance over toward the door. Erick said he’s not eavesdropping, but I can’t help but wonder. “He’ll listen to me. I can negotiate something for you.”
“There’s no way the other two are gonna listen. Costa might go for that though. So far, he’s been shockingly soft on me, which I guess is your doing.” Dad’s lips press together. “What’s the deal with that?”
“Complicated,” I say, feeling uncomfortable. My dad’s never been shy about boy stuff but still, it’s a little weird. “But he really will listen to me if you want me to talk to him.”
“Frost and Gallo are the real problem. Even if Costa cuts me some slack because of your complicated relationship, the other two sure as hell won’t. I’m in a bad spot, my girl.”
I nod slowly, staring at him. “Why did you email me? Why did you reach out to begin with? You might still be hiding if you hadn’t.”