She looked at the restraints on his wrists and then on his feet. “Pro job on the restraints.”
“Thanks.”
She grabbed the folding chair that was leaning against the wall, unfolded it, and sat down. “How many years were you in the ATF?”
He swallowed, and then answered. “Two, with training.”
“How many as an active field agent?”
“Seven months.”
“Have any regrets?”
He looked at me.
“Don’t look at me, you piece of shit,” I snarled. “I’ll put Tabasco in the tip of your dick again. Answer her question.”
He looked at her. “I’ve got quite a few.”
“Care to share?” she asked.
“Speak freely?” he asked.
She gave a nod. “Sure.”
“I took this detail, and I wish like hell I wouldn’t have.” He swallowed hard, leaned forward, and wrapped his lips around the straw. After taking a short drink of the water, he continued. “I thought it would be different. Criminals running dope. Trafficking women. Murdering anyone who got in their way. Once I got accepted to prospect, I saw that wasn’t the case.”
“Why didn’t you walk away?”
“Pressure, I suppose. Desire to succeed. Something. Those aren’t excuses, they’re observations.”
“Okay.” She looked him over, and then looked at me. “Did you really put tobacco in his dick?”
“Nope. In it.”
She fixed her eyes on him. He looked to the side and raised his eyebrows.
“Did you poke squash in his butt, too?”
“Cucumbers.”
“Oh wow.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay. Here’s where we are. You’re going to die. Tomorrow. You’ll be tossed off a bridge. It’s going to be ruled a suicide, because you’ve got PTSD. Your wife will get nothing, you’ll be a statistic, and nobody will care. Life will continue, and about the time you start pushing up lilies at the cemetery, your wife will be screwing one of your ATF buddies. He’s probably comforting her now while she gives him a blowie in the park. Now. Convince me in fifty words or less why you shouldn’t die.”
He took a drink and then stared at his feet.
So far, Joey was impressive.
He took another drink, looked at her, and sighed. “On my God, my country, and my Corps, I swear these words. I will testify that I planted Meathead’s pistol, and that I’ve been wandering the desert aimlessly this entire time. I’ll claim PTSD got the best of me. Meathead will go free, and you’ll never see me again.”
She looked at me. “He did it in forty-nine. We need to go outside and talk.”
I looked at him. “One fucking peep, and the tarantulas are coming out. We clear?”
He nodded.
“You’ve got tarantulas?”
“Got ‘em at the pet store in Temecula. Big fuckers.”
She shook her head.
We walked out of the container, and to the side.
“Didn’t you say Crip was a SEAL?”
It seemed an odd question, but I responded nonetheless. “Yep.”
“Call him.”
“About what?”
SEALs and Marines are both in the department of the Navy, so Crip should know the answer to the question.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Which is?”
“If a Marine swears on God, Country, and Corps, is it the truth or a lie.”
My eyes shot wide. “That’s what we’re going to go off?”
“I’ll tell you after he responds.”
I pulled out my phone and called Crip. He answered on the third ring.
“Brother Nut. What can I do you for?”
“Quick question, Prez.”
“I’m listening.”
“If a Marine swears on his God, Country and…” I looked at Joey. She mouthed the word Corps. “Corps, is he lying or telling the truth.”
“He swore on all three?”
“Yep.”
“Is he a veteran? A real Marine?”
“Yep.”
“He’s telling the truth.”
“Would you bet your life on it?”
“I have, and I will.”
“What percentage of the time?”
“From a Marine vet? 100%, why?”
“I’m asking the questions, not you,” I said. “That’s all I got. Bye.”
I hung up and turned to Joey. “He says we’re golden.”
“Let him go.”
“Just like that?”
She nodded. “Just like that.”
“You think I should trust him?”
“I think we both need to learn to trust. If this goes the way I think it will, it’ll do us both a lot of good. If it doesn’t, I’ll be your alibi.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll be your alibi. Whatever he says you did, I’ll say he’s a liar, and that you were with me. I’m pretty sure we can get Josh to agree to give the same testimony, considering how afraid of you he is. All we need to do it get rid of this trailer.”
“Container.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“You want to tell him, or you want me to?”
“You can. He’s probably got an attachment to you.”
“Motherfucker better not.”
She laughed. “Come on.”
As the sun began to lower itself behind the distant mountains, we walked around the trailer and stepped inside.
“Well, we did rock, paper, scissors, and I won,” I said. “She wanted to put a bullet in your head, and I wanted to believe you. So, tomorrow, after you and I agree on some terms, I’m going to let you go.”
I expected him to cheer, start crying, or somehow show the joy that I was sure that he felt. Instead, he simply sat and stared.
“What you got nothing to say?”
“You said not to say anything unless I was asked.”
“Speak free or whatever you said earlier.”
He took a drink of water, looked at Joey, and nodded. “Thank you.”
“For fucking what?” I asked. “She wanted to kill you.”
He looked at me. “You won’t regret this. All a man has is his word, I gave you mine. It’s all I’ve got.”
“Listen, motherfucker,” I said. “I don’t want to swap spit, make s’mores, or sing kumbaya. You’re being freed because she believes you. If it was up to me, I’d be shoving veggies up your ass until you were 64 years old. I’ll be back tomorrow, and if you spill that cup, you’ll be walking to Temecula a pretty thirsty man.”
I turned to Joey. “You ready?”
She gave a nod.
We walked out of the trailer, and closed the door. As I locked it, she looked at me and laughed.
“What?” I asked.
“Tarantulas? Tabasco? Cucumbers? Now I know why they named you P-Nut.”
I doubted she did, but I entertained her anyway.
“Oh yeah? Why?”
“P for Percy, and Nut because you’re crazy.”
“But you love me anyway?”
“With all my heart,” she said.
We strapped on our helmets, hopped on the bike, and rode toward the sunset. In a matter of minutes, it was pitch black. The clear sky was filled with stars. In the distance, I noticed one shoot across the sky and flicker out.
And, while the ATF agent undoubtedly thanked his lucky stars that Joey made an appearance in his life, I did the same.
Chapter Forty-Three
Joey
Albert called me in for a meeting. Certain my managerial duties were coming to an end, I walked to his office and knocked on the door.
“Enter.”
I pushed the door open.
“Close the door behind you, please.”
Crap.
I pulled the door closed.
“Have a seat.”
I sat down.
“I’ve decided to cut the six-month thing short. There’s not much s
ense in continuing.”
“I thought I’d been doing a good job. I’ve increased profit by 11%, reduced Blane’s hours by 10 per week, and in turn, decreased payroll by 6%. I’m sure in time it will get--”
He raised his index finger, and cut me off. “I’m cutting it short because I’m giving you the job.”
Holy cow.
“Oh. Wow. Permanently?”
“That is correct.”
A cheesy smile formed despite my best efforts to prevent it. “You won’t be disappointed.”
“I know I won’t.”
“Do I have all the freedom in the world to make changes that I believe will make improvements?”
“You’re the boss. The buck, as they say, stops with you.”
“What if you disagree with my decisions?”
“I won’t second guess a manager,” he said. “Unless the sales figures go below the benchmark.”
I knew that would never happen. “No matter what?” I asked.
He gave a sharp nod. “No matter what.”
“Thank you.”
“Undermining a manager’s decisions doesn’t make for an effective manager. I’m an asshole,” he said. “But I’m an intelligent asshole.”
I stood. “Anything else?”
“That’s it.”
“Again. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Joey.”
I walked through the door, and to the parts department. Blane was on his phone. I purposely walked behind him and glanced at him. He was updating his Facebook status.
“When you clock out tonight,” I said. “Take your stuff with you.”
“What stuff?”
“Anything you want to keep. I reminded you of the company’s policy on Facebook. You signed the employee manual. Yet, you continue as if you don’t care. You’re officially fired.”
He shot me a condescending look. “You can’t fire me.”
“I just did.”
“You’re not even the manager. My dad outsells every other salesman in the--”
“I am the manager. Go get a job working for your dad. You’re done working for me.”
“Fucking bitch,” he snarled.
“Keep it up,” I said. “And that guy who bought the tank console will be paying you a visit.”
He clenched his jaw, looked at the timeclock, and then at me. “Fuck you. I quit.”
“As long as you leave, that’s all that matters to me.”
He stomped to the timeclock, took out his card, and punched it.
“Have a nice life,” he said over his shoulder.
Believe me.
I intend to.
Chapter Forty-Four
P-Nut
Joey’s eventual acceptance of my kidnapping the ATF agent proved to me she was in it for the long haul. There was no doubt in my mind that she’d make it through the thick and the thin. I needed to make her feel the same way about me, but had no idea how to prove myself to her.
“Yours is better,” I said.
Her fork clanked against her plate. “It is not.”
“Damned sure is.”
“This place is the best Italian in San Diego.”
“According to the reviews. How many of those people have eaten your lasagna?”
“None.”
“Precisely.”
She lifted her fork to her mouth and took a bite. After swallowing, she smiled a shy smile. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Everything. For bringing me here.”
“You shouldn’t have to cook every night.”
“I like to cook for you.”
“And, from time to time, I like to take you out so you don’t have to.”
“From time to time, I’ll accept the invitation.” She took a drink of wine. “This wine is making me loopy.”
“That’s what wine does.”
She leaned forward, glanced over each shoulder, and then met my gaze. “I want to suck your dick,” she whispered.
I let out a light laugh. “You’re drunk.”
“Drunk and horny.”
“Well, there’s not going to be any dick sucking in here, and it’s pretty tough on the sled, so you’ll just have to wait.”
She rested her chin against the palm of her hand and gazed into my eyes for a long moment. “I’ll suck your dick in the street.”
“In the street?”
“Yep.”
I took a drink of my beer and studied her. She was adorable. Not because she was willing to perform oral sex on the hot asphalt, but because everything about her, when assembled, defined perfection.
She was flawless.
“I might take you up on that one of these days, but right now we need to finish our meal.”
She sat up and let out a sigh. “Okay. But the offer stands. Now, and always.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
As she ate, I studied a couple across from us. As they ate their meal, the woman frequently checked the status of her baby, who was sleeping in a car seat at the end of the table. Given the child’s size, my guess was that he or she was only a few weeks old.
I found it reassuring that instead of making excuses on why they couldn’t, that the couple found a way to go out to eat with a newborn baby.
“Did you see that little baby over there?”
She smiled. “When we came in. She’s adorable.”
“How do you know it’s a she?”
“She’s wearing pink.”
“Oh. How old you think she is?”
She shrugged. “Maybe a month. Not two or three, that’s for sure.”
“That’s cool that they brought her with them.”
“I thought the same thing.”
I found it reassuring that we often shared the same thoughts and feelings. It seemed infrequent that we disagreed on anything.
“What are your thoughts on kids. I mean, you know, when the time comes?” I asked.
“What about them?”
“It’s something we haven’t talked about. It’s like we’ve avoided the subject. Do you want kids?”
She twisted her mouth to the side, and then began poking at her food.
In the past, the thought of having children brought along with it thoughts of responsibility, restriction, and sacrifice.
When I thought about having children with Joey, the only thoughts that came to mind were joy, love, and commitment.
Beyond her, I watched as the woman carefully lifted the child from the seat, cradled her in her arms, and rocked her back and forth. The baby seemed so delicate. It hadn’t been something I’d thought about much in the past, but as I watched her, it immediately came to mind how reliant a child was on a parent’s care.
“Look.” I motioned toward the mother. “That baby’s tiny.”
Joey turned around, watched for a moment. Upon the mother noticing Joey’s interest, she waved. Joey waved in return.
The woman smiled. “|Do you have any?”
Joey shook her head.
“Not yet,” I said. “But we will.”
Joey spun around. “You want kids?”
“With you?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, with me.”
“I’d love it. It’d give someone for Smokey’s twins to play with.”
Her eyes lit up. “I’d love to have a child.”
“Children,” I said. “Close to each other in age, so they get along.”
“That’d be awesome.”
“Stop taking the pill,” I said.
Her eyes shot wide. “When?”
I shrugged. “Right now, if you want.”
“You’re ready now?”
“We won’t have one tomorrow,” I said. “It takes time. I’m just saying. I’m ready.”
She smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We finished our meal, and I paid the tab. On our way out, we took one last look at the couple, and their baby.
“She’
s adorable,” Joey said as we passed.
“Thank you.”
“How old is she?”
The woman beamed with pride. “Two weeks.”
I glanced at her husband. He was smiling from ear to ear.
“Holy cow,” Joey said. “That’s young.”
“Start them out early, and they never complain. This is number four for us.”
“Congratulations,” she said.
“Thank you.”
We exchanged smiles, and Joey and I walked to the door. After grabbing a mint, I noticed a trash can buy the door.
“Let me see your purse,” I said.
“Huh?”
“Let me see your purse.”
She handed me her purse. I rummaged through it, found her birth control pills, and held them over the trash can.
“You don’t have the guts,” she said. “If you drop them, it’s on like Donkey Kong.”
They hit the bottom of the empty container with a clank.
I glanced at the canister, and then at her. “Bring it.”
She raised her index finger in front of her face, and wagged it back and forth loosely. “It’s been brought.”
She was right. I’d had been.
And I was forever grateful.
Chapter Forty-Five
Joey
In the center of the driveway, Percy sat in his folding lawn chair, drinking a beer. It was his favorite place to relax before we met, and as much as he liked spending time inside the house with me, getting him to give up his outdoor time was difficult.
As instructed, I walked outside, stepped in front of him, and did a half-assed curtsy. “Well?”
He looked me up one side and down the other. “I love it.”
I couldn’t believe he bought me a dress. Even more, I couldn’t believe I was wearing it. It felt great to have the confidence to wear whatever I wanted, and I thanked Percy for helping me with that.
“I do, to.”
“Did you do what I said?”
“What do you mean?”
“I said no panties.”
“Oh. Yeah. I left them inside. But you can’t tell in this one.” I brushed my hands against my hips. “It’s loose.”
He took a drink of his beer and grinned. “Put my cock in your mouth.”