been passed on and on from person to person. “Fuck you,” I growl.
“Ah, there it is,” he says with a smile that irritates me.
Before this he was cold, but maybe he gets enjoyment out of being mean. I suppose he has been warming up to me some but hearing his upbeat voice pisses me off. “Fuck you so much. You’re an asshole. I have done nothing to deserve this! My father’s the fuck-up that Tony’s pissed at, but I have to pay for it! I finally had an opportunity to get away, and you fucked it up! It wasn’t even like Tony was watching you so you had no fucking option. You could have just looked the other fucking way!” I yank my arm toward me hard, jerking his arm off the bed.
He sits up, but he still has to look up into my eyes. “First off, I have no loyalty to you. It’s not my job to care about your feelings. I’m supposed to do what Tony wants me to do, so I do. And secondly, Tony gave us permission to shoot your legs because, and I quote, ‘He won’t need them for long.’ So as I stepped out of the building, I happened to notice Delta with a gun aimed at you. I told him I’d handle it, so I did. Now please, feel free to tell me if you’d have preferred I let Delta shoot you. There’s one thing I know about that man, and it’s that he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot you in the head and let you bleed out.”
I drop my eyes as I think about what he’s saying. Had he really saved me? It’s hard for me to believe that he played the hero part, but I’m about ready to believe anything and anyone at this moment. I just need something to believe in. “I… I didn’t know.”
“I know.”
“I just want to get away.”
He nods his head, and I know that he understands at least in part. “I know.”
“This is so fucking stupid. This is awful and horrible, and I hate it.” But maybe I deserve it. Maybe that’s why I’m here.
“Then stay smart and don’t let Tony shoot you in the back,” he says before turning the light off.
I lie down on the ground, arm held up in the air, and pull the blanket over me. My entire body aches and my head throbs, but my anger is slowly draining away. It’s all I can do to keep from letting myself sink into defeat.
I will make it out. I won’t let him kill me.
“Thank you… even if you’re a bad guy asshole.”
“Yeah. Don’t expect me to risk my life for you again.”
“I won’t,” I say as I roll onto my side in the hopes of getting some relief for my aching body.
So as I lie on the ground, waiting for sleep to come for me, I try to figure out how I’ll break free. I know that now that I’ve made two escape attempts, they’ll be watching me even more closely, so I need to outsmart them.
And I wonder if I’m currently attached to the key to my escape.
Age Eighteen
“This is where you live? From the way you mope around and dress, I was expecting you were from the poor side of town or something,” Rose says.
I scrutinize her as we walk. “Why do you think it’s okay to say whatever comes to your brain? Like most people don’t say shit like that. That’s how you lose friends.”
She laughs as she waves me off. I’ve been around her enough at this point to be familiar with her nonchalant, no-fucks-given attitude.
“I feel like people are more honest with you if you’re honest with them. What do your parents do that made you guys so rich?”
I shrug, not really wanting to get into it too much. “My father’s the chief of police and my mom just…” Does what? Stares at TV wishing for a different life? “She’s not working right now.”
“Chief of police?” Rose says, eyebrow raised. “Wow… I didn’t expect that. They pay this much?”
“No, it’s family money. I don’t know what my father’s job pays, but I think he does it more for the joy of doing it than actually making money off it. I don’t know. We don’t talk about that kind of stuff a whole lot.” That’s when I see my father’s car in the driveway. He shouldn’t be home for another two hours, so why’s he here?