more than I’m going to.
“The time for keeping things from me has passed,” I say, wrapping my arms around myself. “There was something going on between you and Dad. I’m aware you were doing business together. Do you know anything that could help me find out what happened? I need to hear the truth, and you’re the only one that can help me.”
He studies me closely. It’s the hesitation there that has me intrigued. “Bronte—”
“Don’t you ‘Bronte’ me. I want you to tell me what you’re thinking. Tell me what you know. Because I’m not going to stop until I find out what happened, and we both know damn well Dad wasn’t trying to overdose. He wasn’t even taking any medication that I was aware of,” I fire back, gritting my teeth. I don’t care if they found pain meds next to his bed. Anyone could have put those there. I know my dad, and I know in my gut that he’s not the type of person to do something like that.
He sits down next to me, coffee in front of us both. He pours some whiskey into his. “It’s complicated.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Bronte—”
“Whatever it is, I can handle it,” I assure him, but he still looks uncertain.
There’s something he’s not telling me, and I need to know what it is.
“Okay. You know that all my businesses haven’t always been...legitimate,” he starts, tiptoeing on the subject.
“I do know that. Dad told me that you deal with some unsavory characters with your business deals sometimes,” I reply, shrugging. “What does that have to do with this? Do you think they targeted Dad instead of you? Mixed the two of you up or something?” I don’t understand.
“Your dad worked with me as a partner.”
“Okay,” I say slowly, dragging the word out. I mean, my dad always had money, and I knew it had to come from somewhere. “The construction company, right?”
“You don’t make that kind of money in construction,” he mutters, clearing his throat.
My dad never acted like he was rich. I always knew my uncle had money, though. Not because he showed it off, but I could tell that money was never an issue for him. He may portray himself as a farmer, but he was a wealthy farmer.
“And what exactly did the two of you do that’s making you look at me like that?” I ask him.
His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “We...we were trying to get out of some of the deals and become completely legitimate, but it was a harder process than we had anticipated.”
I’ve never seen my uncle nervous in my entire life. He’s full of confidence, and he can bluff with the best of them. He’s never been one to give anything away, but right now he looks uncomfortable.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I press, looking him dead in the eye. “Just say it, please.”
He bites down on his lip before he replies. “You’re going to look at me differently, and I don’t want you to ever think badly of Freddy.”
“There’s nothing you can say that will make me think badly of my dad.”
“Okay. One of our most profitable businesses ever has been dealing in...narcotics.”
Wait, what?
My mouth drops open. “So you’re telling me... Dad was a drug dealer? You’re a drug dealer?”
What the actual fuck has been going on this entire time that I had no idea about? How could I have been so blind? I’ve been living in my happy little world while these two have been dealing drugs this whole time?
He winces. “A little more up the ladder than a drug dealer.”
Blinking slowly a few times, processing this, I don’t even know what to say right now. I can see why he didn’t want me to hear this little bit of information. I’m shocked, but I also feel a little stupid that I didn’t know this about two men who are close to me.
My head feels like it’s going to explode. I feel like everything I knew about my father is a lie. I’m not a do-gooder. I’m not one to judge my uncle and father for what they did to earn a living. Am I shocked that it was related to drugs? Yes. Do I love them less? No. But he lied to me. That’s what stings the most.
I rub my face with both of my hands. “So how did this happen? How’d you both get into this?”
He sighs. “When I was young, I wanted to find the quick and easy way