Page 122 of Daring You

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Ben

He’s smallerthan I would’ve figured.

The man who orchestrated my parents’ deaths sits across a reception lobby from me, and all I can think is how scrawny he is.

Short. Thin. A weird, handlebar mustache. Bald head. Plain brown suit.

This is the guy who tortures, kills, ships drugs and people around the world like its his kingdom filled with pawns he moves around at will.

And it’s only time I’ve ever wanted a gun. So I could pull it out of my coat pocket and shoot him between the eyes.

I have good aim.

“Mister Chavez?”

The mafia boss looks to the perky, red-headed receptionist at his name.

“We have a conference room available for you where you’ll be more comfortable, with some canapés laid out. If you’d like to come with me?”

The fuck’s a canapé? I bet Ash would know. It’d be nice to have my guys beside me in this room, flanking my left and right, ready to pummel at my get-go.

This Chavez stands and smirks at the woman. “Now, that is more in line with how I like to be treated.”

He turns his back to me at an opportune time. I want to kick him between the shoulder blades. Scream at him while he’s down for taking away the people that were meant to raise me.

Chavez follows the receptionist out, and my stare doesn’t leave his exposed, gnome-like back.

What can I kill him for?

My parents are long dead. Their torture was over decades ago, and they’re hopefully at peace now. I was raised well, on a full belly with a whole heart. My friends are safely ignorant, as are my adoptive parents. I gave testimony, I remembered enough, to help bring justice for Rose and Tim Delaney. I found additional love with Callie and Ronnie Donahue.

I have a good—no, great—thing going with Astor, and my best friend and her brother will have to come to terms with that.

I remembered.

Enough of a killer’s face formed in Ryan’s mind, and he gave that image to me at a time when I needed it most.

I’m happy.

That has to be enough.

Chavez’s back disappears, and he passed me without any once-over, zero fucks given, as he went to go find his canapés.

Chavez changed my life, but I’m making it better as best I can. I hear Astor’s voice in my head, leveling me out. Outing yourself to a guy like him, with fifty others waiting to take his place, would serve no purpose.Worse, it could get you killed. And I don’t think the Delaneys would ever want that.

Is it enough? I want to ask her. Will it ever feel like enough, to keep this secret of mine, to remember my parents in silence, to never tell a soul who I am? To let that man walk away from the boy he wants dead?

Maybe I will ask Astor, because I can. She’s here, she’s mine, and she’s coming down the hallway, whatever meeting she had with Yang at an end.

That was quick, and can’t be good for us. Frowning, I stand to meet her.

She comes down the hallway, her features…pissed.

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