Page 12 of Beneath the Surface

My phone vibrates across the desk and I pick it up without looking. “Yeah,” I bark.

“What’s up, kid?”

A grin twitches at my lips. “Don, you big bastard.”

“Only big where it counts.” Amusement lines his voice.

I chuckle. “How’s retired life?”

“Boring as shit.” He sighs. “But the lady likes it, and if she’s happy then I’m happy.”

Rolling my eyes, I lean back in the chair. “Soundsthrilling.”

He laughs. “You’re still young, Mase. You’ll learn. How are things there?”

My eyes creep over the black-and-white photos of a younger Lily. Ones that her brother sent me. “Things are just fine.”

“Everything going okay?”

My stomach tightens. “Everything’sfine.”

“Mmhm.” He grunts. “You find what you were looking for?”

My jaw clenches. “Yep.”

“You on your way home?”

My chest pinches. “Nope.”

There’s silence on the line for long, stretched moments. “What do you mean, ‘nope?’”

“Imeanthere are some loose ends for me to tie up still. Some more information.”

“Ah, I see. He paying extra for that?”

My heart falters and for the first time, I consider lying to Don. Butwhy? He’s retired. I can run things however the hell I want.

I clear my throat. “No. This is just to make sure he deserves to know where she is in the first place.”

Don sighs. “Kid, that’s not your problem.”

“Well, I’mmakingit my problem,” I snap back.

“Jesus. Fine.” He chuckles. “What is it you need to know that you haven’t figured out?”

Defensiveness swirls in my gut. “If I knew then I wouldn’t still be here trying to find out.”

He chuckles again and irritation snaps at my back. Most likely because he’s hitting me with valid questions that I have no answer for and we both know it. There’s norealreason for me to stay. There are a million reasons why I should leave. I’m being a fucking moron.

I groan, lifting my head to the ceiling. “I met her.”

“Yeah, and…”

“No.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Like… I fuckingmether, Don. She knows who I am. She knows my face. Her fucking kid saw me.”

“What?” His voice is low and surprised. “How the hell did that happen, Mason?”

My chest pulls.“I don’t know it just… did.”

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