Page 48 of Theo

Julius smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes, which are full of pity. “I’ll do the job, then I’ll go home to my wife.”

“Is there a point you’re trying to make?”

Victor shuffles into view, a guilty look on his face. “We know about the Lawson girl, boss.”

I don’t have anything to say to that.

“You’re just not going to talk to us about her?”

“There isn’t anything to talk about.”

“Theo, stop!” Julius sounds like he’s trying very hard to keep himself from punching me in the face. “You’ve never been like this before, and we’re worried about you. We just want to make sure you’re alright.”

“And see if there’s anything we can do to help.”

“There isn’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

Victor’s soft encouragement, the gentle hope in his voice, is what finally breaks me. “She doesn’t want me. Can the two of you change that? Can you make her love me the way I love her? Can you make her feel this pain, this gnawing, clawing ache in her chest every time we’re apart? Can you make her see me? Make her understand I would do anything, anything, for her happiness? Because I sure as fuck couldn’t.”

Neither of them seems to know how to respond, and I wave a hand dismissively. “Don’t look at me like that. I know what I sound like. I’ll be fine. She’ll either come back to me or she won’t. I’ll live either way.”

“Will you?”

I’m saved from having to answer by the sound of a phone ringing. It takes a moment to pinpoint where it’s coming from, but Victor eventually points to the phone hanging from the wall next to Maddock’s office. We’d all made fun of him for installing a landline, but it’s proving more useful than anticipated.

“Hello?”

“Thank fuck!” Merrick’s angry voice makes my eyebrows jump to my hairline. A quick look at Julius and Victor shows they heard him, too. “Get your ass to Peaks. Now!”

I snap my fingers at Julius, pointing to the crate of Glocks he just shelved. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a pissed-off woman shouting at my patrons.”

“What do you?—”

My question is cut off by an angry roar followed closely by glass shattering. “WHERE IS HE?!”

“Is that?—”

“Yes,” Merrick sighs, sounding beyond pissed he’s having to deal with this. “And she’s refusing to leave.”

“I’m on my way.”

Hanging up, I spin in a circle, unsure of what direction to move in first. Julius pulls me into focus with a sharp whistle. “Boss, what do we need?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Victor’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline. “Why not?”

I shake my head, still unsure what’s actually happening. “It wasn’t an attack, it was, well...It was Charity.”

“The Lawson girl?”

“She’s at Peaks?”

I nod at both of their questions, moving toward my coat in the corner. “I have to go. Finish the last few crates, and I’ll give you both a day off.”

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