Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
She turns to me, a big grin on her face. I smile at her, but deep down, I know I shouldn’t have said that.
“Do you know the other one? Lily?”
“The other what?”
She blinks at me like it’s obvious. “The other hero.”
I shake my head. “I know Lily.”
She giggles. “Then why did you do this, silly?” She shakes her head overdramatically, causing her braid to spin around her neck. “Oops.”
Because I don’t consider myself a hero, but that’s depressing to say to a kid. I chuckle. That’s the beautiful and magical thing about kids. No matter what, they can find a way to laugh and be happy about the small stuff.
“I know Lily,” I tell her.
Grace lights up. “That’s so cool. She was so nice. If I ever had a big sister, I’d want her to be like Lily. Lily said she’s going to help me, too.”
“She’s the reason I’m here.”
“Whoa. Really?”
“If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here,” I say honestly. “I might’ve tried to get a case going, but I wouldn’t have hired security. I wouldn’t have done what I did last night. She’s the reason I keep going. I inspired her to get into social work, but she inspires me.”
Grace laughs again. “Is Lily your girlfriend?”
“I wish,” I say, getting another laugh. “Do you want to watch TV?”
“Yeah. Can I choose?”
“Sure.”
“They’re sleeping right now,” Ethan tells me thirty minutes later. I’m making myself some coffee in their little rundown kitchen. There are pill bottles in half the cupboards, some with pills, others for the trash. “I’m pretty sure they are, anyway. I can knock lightly if you want to talk to her?”
“No, don’t do that. Let her sleep.” I force myself to say this, but it’s not easy. The urge to hear her voice is real. “How did she seem?”
“Shaken up, but she’s strong. I can tell that. I might’ve said more than I should have.”
“How so?”
“Vivian asked about your dating life. I think she was in mother-bear mode, you know. I told them the stuff you said to me once about never being able to find a lady.”
“Until Lily,” I growl. “Maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe she’ll know how special she is now.”
“What are you doing, Landon? Exactly?”
“It’s better if you don’t know,” I tell him. “Just try to get your cop buddies interested in that video. Somebody has to care.”
“I’ve sent it to two friends from … the time before.” He’s talking about the apple tree. “But this is different. This is the mob.”
“Just let me know what they say,” I snap.
He sighs. “I will, but don’t get your hopes up. I can’t make any promises here.”
“But she seemed okay?”
“Yeah, man. She did. Maybe you should call her.”
“She can’t be part of this,” I snap. “It’s too dangerous. As long as she’s okay.”
“Yes, Landon, she’s okay.”
I sense the sarcasm in his voice. I must’ve used the word okay about twenty goddamn times.
“Good.”
“Just be careful, brother.”
“Or what? I’m dead anyway.”
“Jesus, Landon.”
“I’m sorry. That was too much.”
I hang up, feeling glum and way too ready for more violence. It’s like my frantic energy comes from knowing that I have to handle Damon and his goons if I’m going to spend time with my Lily. My Lily? I don’t care how it sounds, dammit. I’m going to think of her that way. It feels true. When she broke down last night, holding me, I felt closer to her than I ever have to anybody.
Ethan was right to tell her I’d sometimes look at the happy few married couples in public, on some level, wishing I could have the same. Though on another level, even more profound, I knew I never could. Something in me makes me cold, and Lily sees it. She accepts it.
Lex calls me when he’s outside, as I requested. He’s waiting for me outside his black jeep. Three men stand in a perimeter around the vehicle, all young with military-style haircuts. Lex is around my age with a Marine cut and the bearing of a soldier.
He approaches me and offers his hand. “Sir.”
“Please, call me Landon. Let’s go inside, Lex.”
He motions to his men, whirling his hand around in a circle. His men immediately disperse and begin looking for places to watch, to wait. Lex follows me into the apartment. Grace has disappeared back into the bedroom.
“Coffee?” I offer.
“Sure, thank you.”
“So,” I go on, “how does this work?” I pour him a cup.
He narrows his eyes in confusion. I can see the businessman in him resisting the urge to say, We spoke about this on the phone, which is true. We did.
“What if I want to put the son of a bitch in the dirt myself?”
“Premeditated murder, Landon?” Lex says.
“You know the person we’re talking about. You know what he was planning.”
“Still,” Lex says, shaking his head slowly, “it’s more than I can officially discuss.”