Chapter 4
Jameson
The front door opens, and I glance up as it chimes. A rough-looking kid walks in, probably the age where he just finished school. He strides up to the desk, with a determined look on his face.
“I’m here to see Marcus.”
Luke gives him a once-over before pushing his chair back. “I’ll go get him,” he sighs out.
I watch from my place on the couch while the new guy waits. He’s completely still, not even the slightest tick. It’s impressive considering who he’s about to meet.
Billy shifts beside me, his attention on the homework spread out before him.
It’s not long until Marcus’s footsteps echo through the room. “Good, you’re here,” he says to the kid. “Follow me.”
Luke takes his seat at the desk, always trying to distance himself from what goes on in the back.
“Who was that?” Billy asks.
“Some new kid Marcus is trying to bring in.”
“You think he’ll go for it?”
“Don’t know,” I tell him. It’s been a while since they’ve brought in someone new.
He turns back to the worksheet in front of him, and I try to focus on the open history book sitting on my lap. I only get through a couple pages before I hear my name being called.
Marcus tilts his head toward the back room, and I stand to follow. Luke catches my eye, but I turn away before I have to see the look on his face.
I trail behind Marcus in silence as he leads us to a familiar closed door. He pushes it open, and my father’s gaze locks on me.
After I enter the room, he turns to the new guy and explains, “This is Johnny. He’s gonna be helping out with some things.”
I tip my chin up.
My old man waves a hand in my direction. “My son.”
Johnny tips his chin back at me in greeting.
“Johnny here is gonna do your pickup from Sid today,” my father says to me.
I raise an eyebrow, surprised he would trust the new kid with something like that so soon. “Do you want me to—”
The back of his hand connects with the side of my face, his ring catching my lip. I run my tongue across my bottom teeth, tasting blood.
“Don’t interrupt me,” he spits.
Before I can say anything, he turns to Marcus. “You’re with the kid.”
Marcus grunts his understanding, and my father shifts to Johnny. The kid stares back at him with a blank look on his face, seemingly unfazed by the whole situation, but then I notice his hand balled in a fist at his side.
My father crosses his arms over his chest. “You do good today, and we’ll see.”
“I will,” Johnny answers coolly.
Marcus exchanges a silent conversation with my old man before he heads for the door. “Let’s go.”
Johnny follows him out, his gaze briefly catching on my lip.
The door clicks shut again, and I stand in place, waiting.
I keep my chin raised as my father takes two fast steps toward me. “Don’t you ever fucking question me in front of others again.”
I don’t respond. I know he doesn’t want me to.
“You’re useless, Jameson.” He leans forward. “Say it.”
I keep my eyes trained forward. “I’m useless.”
“Without me, you’re nothing. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, sir,” I answer. “That’s right.”
He walks around his desk, speaking more to himself than to me. “But I’m gonna make you into a man.” He looks back at me. “Everything I do is for your own good.” He’s watching me like he expects an answer.
I keep my voice even, burying the anger beneath the words. “I know.”
Nodding, he crouches down in front of the safe behind his desk. He punches in the code then grabs a wrapped brown paper bag. “I’ve got somewhere I gotta be,” he tells me. “I want the rest of this rolled by the time I get back tonight.”
I take it from him and nod, already knowing what’s inside.
He turns back to the safe. “Get out of here.”
I pull the door shut behind me and head right to the bathroom.
The dim light flickers on above me as I twist the lock shut.
Dropping the toilet lid, I set the bag on top of it before bracing my arms on either side of the sink.
Finally, I let myself breathe, the air coming in as gulps, making it feel like I’m drowning inside my own body.
Slowly, I raise my head and run my tongue over my split lip. The faucet whines, and the water rushes out too quickly as I cup my hands and splash it over my face. I rub until the caked blood washes away then dry it off with a paper towel.
Closing my eyes, I count to three, letting each number bring me back to myself. My eyes blink open, and the mask slips back into place.
I don’t give myself time to think before I leave the bathroom and start toward the front of the garage.
Billy looks up, and his pen stops when he sees my lip. His face hardens as I drop down beside him, shoving the brown paper bag into my backpack.
“I’m fine,” I tell him before he can start in on me.
“He shouldn’t be able to—”
“I said, I’m fine, Billy. Drop it.”
He blows out a breath, scrubbing a hand down his face. “You want a soda?” He starts to stand. “I’ll go get you a soda.”
I sling my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll go with you. I want some air.”
He watches me, looking for a sign he knows I’m not going to give him before he turns toward the door.
I grab his arm and mutter, “Thanks.”
“Always,” he answers.
I press the can of Coke against my lip before cracking it open. A cool breeze cuts through the heat as I take a sip.
Billy slides down the side of the building, and I do the same, coming to sit beside him.
“There’s a girl in that car over there,” he says.
I follow his gaze to the beater parked right up front. “So?”
He chokes out a laugh. “I don’t know. We could go say hi. She’s just sitting there.”
I can’t make out much of what she looks like. Her head is bent down, causing her hair to fall over her face. “Go over if you want,” I tell him. “I’m not in the mood to talk.”
He tips his head back, resting it against the wall. “Nah. I’ll hang here.”
A tapping noise fills the silence as he drums his fingers on the side of his Coke can and I let my eyes close, the hot sun beating down on my face.
I don’t get much of a rest before I feel his elbow dig into my side.
“What?” I grunt.
“Marcus,” he mutters.
I blink my eyes open, adjusting to the sudden brightness. Pushing up to my feet, I turn just as Marcus approaches. He looks from me to Billy.
“Your dad needs you for something.”
Billy hesitates until I give him a subtle nod.
Once he’s gone, Marcus says, “I’m taking the new guy out.”
I already know this, so why is he telling me?
“He’s got his kid sister with him. We don’t have time to drop her at home, so I told him she could stay here till we get back. I want you to keep an eye on her.”
I pull my head back. “You want me to babysit?”
“She’s fifteen, not five.”
I flick my eyes over to the girl in the car. That must be his sister.
“Yeah, okay,” I tell him.
“Good,” he says, patting me on the chest.
Johnny comes up behind him, and Marcus mumbles, “Be back out in a minute.”
He stalks off inside, and Johnny takes his place in front of me, leveling me with a hard stare. “Hear you’re watching out for Sam while I’m gone.”
I nod.
His hand comes down on my shoulder, and my eyes narrow. “If anything happens to her—”
I shake his hand off. “It won’t.”
He keeps his gaze trained on me, and I don’t back down until finally he nods. “Good.”
Brushing past me, he starts toward the car. After opening the passenger door, he bends over, probably explaining the situation. He’s blocking my view of the girl, and they’re speaking too low for me to hear what they’re saying, but it isn’t long until he steps away.
Tan legs swing out of the car before a pair of dirty Converse hit the ground. She stands, and my eyes rake up her body until they settle on her face.
I’ve never seen a girl who looks like her before.
Not even close.
She catches me watching, and her eyes brighten with curiosity.
My heart begins to race as she walks toward me, never letting her gaze stray from mine. She stops right in front of me, pushing her nearly black hair away from her face. I follow the movement, frowning when I see a butterfly bandage covering an angry red scratch by her hairline.
“What happened to your face?” I blurt out.
“What happened to yours?”
I bite back a smile. I’m not used to people talking to me like this, especially not girls. They usually just tell me what I want to hear or don’t say anything at all.
“I fell.”
She snorts, and I again fight back the urge to smile. The sound couldn’t be more different than the obnoxious giggle that came from Billy’s cling-on earlier.
“Sure, let’s go with that,” she says. “I fell, too.”
“If somebody—”
“So, are you Jameson?” she questions, cutting me off.
I want to keep asking her about the cut on her face, if somebody’s hurting her …
“Well?” she presses. “Are you? My brother said I’m supposed to—”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I am. And you’re Sam, right?”
She stiffens like she just remembered where she is and why she’s here. “Right.”
“Do you want to go in?” I ask, motioning to the side door.
She turns to look over her shoulder. “Do you know where my brother is?”
“He might have already left,” I tell her, and she nervously bites her lip. “But I can find out for you.”
She nods, and I lead her inside.
“Want a drink?” I ask as we pass by the break room. The question seems to relax her.
“Sure,” she answers, walking in behind me.
“Grab anything you want from the fridge.”
She opens the door, and her eyes widen at all the choices. She takes her time scanning each of them before settling on a can of Coke. After shutting the door, she wraps her long hair around her hand, pulling it up and placing the cold can against her neck. “Thanks,” she sighs.
I nod toward the table in the middle of the room. “You can wait in here if you want.”
“Are you gonna be in here?”
Does she want me to be?
“I have to go check on a couple of things.”
“Like my brother?”
I run a hand through my hair. “Yeah, like your brother.”
“And then?”
“And then I’ve got some work to do.”
“I’m guessing it’s not homework,” she deadpans.
I actually laugh, and she lowers into a chair with a satisfied smile.
“No,” I tell her. “It’s not.”
She watches me with newfound interest. “Well,” she says, relaxing back into her seat, “I’ll be here.”