Leader Thug sighs. “Okay, Red, he’s paying us. Settle down.”
“I like that car. It might be green, and I’m Red, but Red doesn’t discriminate. Let’s just take it for a joyride, shall we, boys? She looks like she can really rip.” He tries to lunge for the keys, but Warrick’s hand with the phone shoots out, punching him straight in the throat.
Red or Steve or whatever rolls on the ground, gurgling and gasping for air.
Warrick steps back, his face perfectly neutral. He just executed the most badass throat slammer, and he didn’t even release his phone or break his composure. He almost looksbored.
The other two take two steps back.
“I’ll compensate you for that,” Warrick sighs. “I’ll add another two thousand for your trouble.”
Nate Thug helps Red, and Leader Thug gives Warrick the info for the transfer. He types it out quickly, and once it’s complete and the transfer is made, the three skulk away, Red still groaning and gulping for air. He limps between the other two over to a white van parked across the street. It really can only be described as a candy van. These guys are for sure candy hander outers on November first.
“Ooh! He’s muscly, nice, smart,andrich.” Granny grasps my arm and doesn’t even attempt to whisper. “I like him.” She gets to direct her next question to Warrick himself as he walks right up to the open door. The four of us take a collective breath, but Granny breaks first. “Who are you, anyway? I told those thugs not today, Satan, but I might change my mind. I’d take all the today where you’re involved.”
“Granny!” I whisper-scream under my breath. “I’m going to have a heart attackandan aneurysm if you don’t stop.”
I can just imagine myself hooing like Booty Sue with wide eyes over Granny’s behavior.
She fits her dentures back into her mouth. God, they must be dry after hanging out in midair all this time. “I missed meatloaf night for this. They were baking it into the shape of a giant elephant. I should get to have some fun.” She thrusts her cane out in the direction of the car. “Can I have a ride in that contraption?”
Warrick’s stoic composure doesn’t crack. “Certainly.”
“You’re not going to throat punch me too?”
“Mother!” Dad grunts.
“No!” I yelp at the same time.
“So, who are you, mystery meat? I mean man.” Her eyes sweep over him. “Well, maybe I mean meat.”
“This is…this, uh, he’s Reginald’s father,” I stammer.
“Mmm.” Granny mulls that over. “Straight from the frying pan into the fire! Well, I don’t blame you. Not with an—”
“Granny!” I need to get her into the house before this gets any worse, but all of us just keep standing here, frozen from the whole terrible scene that just played out. Things like this happen in movies, not in real life. It’s utterly horrifying.
At least for the four of us, counting Booty Sue, who is still hooing and whimpering at my dad’s side. Granny seems to be the least affected.
“Well, he did save us. Maybe you should go on one date with him, just to be nice.”
“He hasn’t asked me out,” I grumble.
Also? Hell would have to freeze over repeatedly for that to happen. I’m not a dad fucker. I’m also never going to say those words out loud. It seems a little like tempting fate, and I don’tswear in front of my granny. No matter how I phrasethat, it’s a swear.
“I haven’t, and I promise I won’t, but I’m here to make things right and to apologize.” Warrick’s deep voice wraps around me like dark velvet.
He flashes my family a genuine smile to reassure them, but it just makes his dimples appear. Inbothcheeks. Do you have any idea what dimples do to a body? Namely, my body? I guess I didn’t fully know until this moment, but now it’s not just my midsection that is buzzing. I feel those dimples straight down to my toes and in my swimming head.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you earlier. I don’t want to get into why that is, except to say I’ve been taken advantage of in the past. I was gullible once, and it has made me suspicious.”
Mom’s motherly instincts kick in. “The only thingsuswas those guys. Someone needs to find your son and get him some help.”
“I’m on it.”
“Corporeal punishment works wonders,” Granny suggests, not so helpfully. I silently debate the merits of putting my hand over her mouth, but she can do this crazy trick with her dentures, and I don’t want them snapping out and biting me.
For the first time, Warrick’s composure cracks, and something close to raw hurt seeps through for an instant before he gets himself under control. “I wasn’t…I didn’t really…it’s complicated, but I’m not really in his life.”
