Page 111 of Clean Slade
“What are you thinking about?” Slade asked me.
“About my father. He tried it again last night.”
“He’s very impatient, huh? It’s like he wants to get caught,” Slade said.
“It’s like he wantsmeto get caught.”
Once again, he’d tried to convince me that I needed to order more and increase the volume. He didn’t care about the optics. He didn’t care about how I’d explain moving so much product as a dog groomer.
“It’s fine. You just have to keep reminding him—”
“I don’t know how much reminding he’ll take before he puts a bullet through my head.”
“Hey.”
It was becoming his trademark word every time I spoke. Or every time I was pessimistic, as he called it. I didn’t know what was pessimistic about calling a spade a spade.
He snuck a peak at Mac, who was busy playing with the puppies, before pulling me into his arms for a very brief moment.
I didn’t exactly want to hide our relationship from Mac, but there was already so much going on that I didn’t want to overload her.
If I made it out of this alive, we’d tell her.
“Just buy as much time as you can. Don’t push him. Never push him.”
I nodded and watched my daughter. She was being attacked by an avalanche of dogs, and her laughter filled the air with warmth.
“I just…” I started but paused.
Moments like this were such stark reminders of what I had to lose.
“What?” he asked.
“I thought I left this world behind me. And now look at me. I’m a drug mule. And what if Salieri really did send that man? What if he sends more? I don’t know what kind of shit I’m getting into.”
“I know, baby. I know.” He squeezed my hand and watched her with me.
It was only moments later that I realized he’d called me baby.
I like it.
“I hate not knowing if she’s safe. If any of us are safe.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. To any of you.” He was quick to reassure me, but what about him?
Who would keep him safe? I could barely keep myself that way.
“Maybe I should just up and leave. Take her away and just disappear again.”
Slade studied me with sad eyes for a moment before he opened his mouth.
“I know. You don’t want me to leave. I don’t want to leave either. But maybe it’s the only—”
“That’s…that’s not what I was going to say.” He turned me to him and stood so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. “If you go, I’m coming with you.”
“What?”
Had he really just said that? Was he being serious? Why would he say that?
