I don’t pretend that his words don’t choke me up inside. They’re not directed at me, but they are. It’s Bodhi and me, and we’ve always been a package deal.
“So get in the car before Hank puts you in the car,” Sorren tells him.
“Hey, I don’t want that job,” Hank retorts.
“Did I ask your opinion?” Sorren utters with an eyebrow raised and a slight twitch of his lips. It’s almost imperceptible but I catch it because I’m watching him.
And I’m watching the way Bodhi watches both of them, trying to figure out his odds.
They’re not good.
But that’s never stopped him before. But this time there’s no doubt that Case and Otto will jump in.
And hell, I will too. I’ll do anything to keep him here with me.
“Get in the car, man. Really don’t want to have to hog-tie you and throw you in the back,” Sorren tells him as Hank scowls.
“Don’t scratch the seats, man. I worked hard for those.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Bodhi mumbles under his breath. “Listen, it’s not that I don’t want to be here. I do, and if things were different I?—”
“Yeah, I’ve heard enough.” Sorren’s words are full of bite as he turns to Hank. “Sorry about the seats, man. We’ll deal with it later.”
Otto snickers again but it’s Case who steps forward, palms out, his voice smooth and placating.
“Listen, we know what happened. And the good news is you’ve got a hell of a
family here, man.”
“A family with resources,” Hank adds with a smirk. “Lots of resources.”
“And deep pockets,” Sorren adds.
“You’ve met my wife, right?” Hank grins, his expression wolfish, no doubt thinking about his wife and their three babies at home.
“I can’t?—”
“It’s not a handout,” Sorren barks. “You got some shit odds. We’re going to figure out how to make them better. You came here for a reason. Picked a spot on the map. And lucky fucking you landed in our hometown.”
“Means you’re stuck with us,” Otto tells him.
“Let them help,” I beg because what else can I do?
Bodhi’s head turns slowly toward me, and it’s like a wave of defeat crashes over him, his shoulders slumping and his head bowing slightly forward.
He doesn’t want help.
But he’s out of his mind if he thinks I’m just going to let him disappear. He made a promise to me when I was seven years old that it will always be us—brothers until our last breath.
“Be easy, brother,” I manage, fighting back the emotion as he nods.
“Easy and free.”
Otto, Case, and I watch as he finally gets in the truck with Hank and Sorren, the three of them kicking up a cloud of dust.
“I think that’s enough for today,” Otto says, clapping me on the back. “Go home to your girl. Take tomorrow and we’ll figure it out after that.”
Thank fuck.
