Chapter 7
CASH
FOR the life of me, I will never understand how someone gets off on causing another living being harm.
I don’t really want to. Being able to comprehend something like that means that my darkness is the blackest of black, and capable of committing such atrocious acts.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t keep me from asking myself the same question over and over again, driving myself insane.
I knew things would get worse before we figured out what Phil was up to and correct it, but we can’t fix everything.
We can’t bring back the people who died. And I can’t fix Hazel.
I’ve never heard anyone cry the way she did last night. It was heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. Her strength is immeasurable and awe inspiring. She hasn’t given up, at least not yet. I pray she never does.
Once I led her back to my father’s old bedroom and tucked her in, she asked me to stay.
I didn’t want to leave her, but this room brought back too many memories.
I hadn’t spent any time in there since he died, and barely gave the closed door a passing glance after all these years.
When my grandparents moved to California, I started having the housekeeper clean it once a month.
That room just didn’t exist to me anymore.
But when I decided to bring Hazel down here, my apartment didn’t come to mind.
I wanted to bring her home. Having her sleep in his room felt right.
And it was logical since it is right next to my old bedroom.
I pushed aside the ghost that has haunted me and pulled another blanket from the closet.
As much as I wanted to hold her, I didn’t want to hurt her.
So I lay on top of her blanket, hoping it would cushion her body if I bumped her through the night.
It didn’t take long before she was sleeping soundly, and I followed right behind her.
Waking up curled around her with the scent of coconut in my nose put a smile on my face.
For the second time, I slept without nightmares.
The only other time was the first night I spent with Hazel.
The happiness didn’t last long after last night drifted through my mind.
I couldn’t just lay there; I had to get up and start righting all my wrongs.
I set my coffee cup down when I hear Dale and Joseph pull up the drive. It’s early, and I want to talk to them before they go to work. I greet them on the porch, so their knocking won’t wake Hazel. She needs all the rest she can get.
“Keep it down, Hazel is sleeping,” I tell them as they enter the house. “Coffee’s ready in the kitchen.”
After making their cups, we sit in the living room and get down to business.
“Now that Hazel is here, I think it’s time to confront Samuel,” Dale says, breaking the ice.
“I agree,” Joseph chimes in.
I tap my finger on my mug as I think about what that entails. It means we have to get rough with him, possibly take him out. I don’t want to kill anyone. And after seeing Hazel’s battered body, I don’t want to dole out that kind of punishment.
“Remember when we started all this?” They look at me questioningly. “We promised one another that if things got out of control, we would end it.”
They nod, knowing exactly where I’m going with this.
“We just started. Things will calm down and go back to the way it was when we made it in my basement,” Joseph says, trying to reason with me.
“Will it? People are dying because one dumbass decided to turn our venture into his dream. He may be the first, but he won’t be the last. Some other fuckwad will come up with the same idea later.
There’s always someone trying to make something bigger and better.
What happens when someone who has more money and power decides they want to take what we have?
Are you willing to put your loved ones at risk?
Are you willing to give your life for it? ”
Several minutes pass as they stare into their coffee cups and think about what I said. It’s a lot of money to give up, but what’s the use in having it if we can’t spend it? We knew eventually we’d have to deal with some shit over Snap, but not this soon into the game.
“You want out?” Dale asks, and I nod.
Dale and Joseph watch me for a minute before turning to each other.
They have a silent conversation, making me wonder what they’re thinking.
If they want to continue making Snap, I’m not going to stop them.
But we aren’t doing it at RCC anymore. I want that shit as far from me as possible.
There’s a chance I could be happy for once, and, goddamn it, I’m going to take it.
Dale breaks eye contact with Joseph and the two turn to me, letting out sighs almost in unison.
“We’re out, too, then,” Joseph says.
“Yeah, we started this together,” Dale adds, setting down his coffee mug. “I don’t want to do it without either one of you.”
“I wouldn’t want you two going off on your own. If something happened to either one of you….”
There’s no need to finish my comment. They are like my brothers and understand where I’m coming from. I just hope this is really what they want, and that they won’t hold it against me later.
“So, what’s the plan, Cash?” Joseph asks. “You wouldn’t have called us over if you didn’t already have an idea of how to end it.”
I give them my thoughts on what we can do.
Find a bigger dealer and offer them the chance to purchase Snap.
Someone reputable who won’t fuck with the formula and is willing to rename it so it stays off the radar.
It could be our last payday. Or destroy all evidence that it even existed to begin with.
Offer our employees severance packages so they can provide for themselves and their families while they job search.
Break down the back rooms and ensure that all traces of Snap are gone from the building.
“What about Samuel? What are we gonna do with him?”
I glance between the two men before responding. “Do you trust me?”
They chuckle, and Dale says, “That’s a stupid fucking question, man.”
“When’s the next cleanse scheduled for?” I ask Joseph.
“Tonight.”
“Tell the workers to take the weekend off, and you guys get some rest. We’ll call them in early Monday for a meeting. Don’t give anything away.”
“That works good, ‘cause Samuel is on a run tonight delivering the last batch,” Dale states.
“Good. See if you can hook up with any of your connections this weekend,” I tell Dale.
“We can get them started on boxing up everything Monday.” Joseph stands to leave. “No reason for us to do all the work when we pay them to do it.”
“Amen to that,” Dale adds, following Joseph to the door.
“Thanks, guys. I wasn’t sure how you two would take the news.”
“Hey, bros before dough,” Dale blurts, then stops and thinks about what he just said.
My brow quirks, and I glance at Joseph who’s mirroring my expression. “You’re an idiot.”
“You got what I meant, douche,” Dale retorts. “I’m out of here. Some of us have to do real work today.”
Joseph shakes his head and walks outside after Dale.
I lean against the door frame and watch them walk toward their cars. “Have a good weekend. I’ll be there early Monday night for the meeting.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
HAZEL
A tickle across my shoulder wakes me from a deep sleep. I pull the sheet up to snuggle in tighter. The bed moves as a warm body comes to rest against mine.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” he purrs next to my ear.
I’d rather lie here longer, curled up with him. Instead, I roll his direction and bury my face in the front of his shirt, breathing in his musky scent mixed with his cologne or deodorant. I never could tell what he was wearing.
“What time is it?” I groan.
“After one,” he answers as he tucks my hair behind my ear.
“Ugh. Why’d you let me sleep so long?” I roll to my back and rub the sleep from my eyes.
“Because you needed it.” His voice is stern but softens. “I made you some food. Want me to bring it to you?”
“No, I’ll get up.”
As I roll to the side and push myself up, Cash rushes to help me.
The sheet slips down, reminding me that I never got redressed last night.
He grabs my t-shirt and gently pulls it over my head, and I slide my arms into the sleeves.
Next, he grabs my sweatpants and pulls them up to my knees.
I grip the waistband, and carefully pull them up as I stand from the bed.
Cash smiles and laces his fingers with mine.
Bringing my hand to his mouth, he kisses it, making me stomach flip.
Why couldn’t I have found him before Phil asked me out?
Oh, that’s right. I had to go through all that shit to meet him.
He sets up trays in the living room and brings our plates in there.
I guess after seeing my body last night, he understands why I wince when I sit and wants me to be comfortable.
He brings me eggs, bacon and toast, with a big mug of coffee.
I’d be happy with just the coffee right now.
I smell the coffee and sigh, feeling more awake.
Sleeping for long periods always makes me even more tired.
Cash watches me out of the corner of his eye as I eat.
When he notices that I catch him, he winks at me or smiles.
Just like the morning we had breakfast in my kitchen.
Although I adore this side of him, I wonder if this is the Cash I will see from now on.
I worry I’ll be given whiplash with his back-and-forth behavior, being warm one second and cold the next. The thought makes me wary.
After showering and getting dressed, I join Cash on the couch. He scoots next to me and drapes his arm over the back of the cushions. His fingers play with a strand of my wet hair.
“You’ve got my full attention for the whole weekend. What would you like to do?”