Page 175 of Five Mountain Daddies

She sips her wine and looks away. “It’s notimportant.”

“Mom,” Isay.

“They said I’d end up like Atticus, but they’d rape mefirst.”

I stare at her, surprised. “Jesus.”

“They said if you don’t stop what you’re doing, I’m going to be next.” She sighs. “Oh, honey. Why did you have to dothis?”

I grimace a little bit. She’s clearly afraid, but I didn’t think she’d be this afraid. I thought she wanted to solve Atticus’s killing, and that she’d be willing to do anything to get itdone.

“Someone had to,” I say, standing up. I walk over and pour myself somewine.

“But why you?” She turns toward me. “We can just let the police do theirjob.”

“They’re not doing their job,” I snap at her. “You knowthat.”

She looks surprised. “I know what I said before. But I neverthought…”

“Never thought I’d actually dosomething?”

“Yes,” she admits. “You and thatboy.”

“Me and Wyatt. Mom, you knew we were doing this, or are you too drunk toremember?”

I see the anger flare up, like it does every time I call her out for drinking too much. “Don’t talk to your mother thatway.”

“Don’t make me haveto.”

She glares at me in silence for a minute. I sip my wine, equallyangry.

But all at once, my anger goes away. I realize that she’s not a scared woman, in over her head. She’s the same as me, except I’m going forward, and she’s ready to give up. But she’s been through so much, and she didn’t ask for any ofthis.

“Look mom,” I say, sitting back down. “Why don’t you stay with me? At least until this is allover?”

She shakes her head. “No, thank you. I don’t want to be a burden.” Her words are meant to hurt me, but I don’t let them dig downdeep.

“Come on. I just want to make sure you’reokay.”

“I’m perfectly fine.” She finishes her glass of wine in record time. “I just want you to know what you’redoing.”

“I know,” I saysoftly.

“There are consequences. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” I can hear her unspoken words: and I don’t want to end updead.

“I won’t,” I say toher.

“You always were stubborn,” she says softly,standing.

“Mom, please don’t go. At least staytonight.”

She shakes her head. “No. I’m goinghome.”

“If anything happens, call me,” I say to her. “Seriously.”

“I’ll be calling the police, thank you very much.” She walks to my door. “Just… becareful.”

“Iwill.”

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