When I pay closer attention, Javier and Charlie do seem happy. It’s really only Erik who looks like he’s sucked a lemon. Javier once told me he knew of Charlie and Erik before coming to the ranch to find me. Everyone in the anti-trafficking community knew who Charlie was, but nobody knew Erik’s name. They simply called him The Silent One—a nickname so inaccurate it still cracks me up.
Even without words, Erik’s looks are anything butsilent.
“So,” Charlie begins, rubbing his hands on his thighs and leaning forward, “as you know, we are working more closely with the Wimberley team for these high-profile extractions.”
“Yeah. It’s why you don’t have to do the paid bounty work anymore,” I point out.
“That’s true,” Charlie says. “Though, if there’s an extreme case where someone’s in real danger, we still take it on. We just don’t need to do it for the money anymore, which is why we wanted to talk to you today. The folks at Wimberley, namely Hedy,” he says, referring to my therapist, “were shocked to find out you still work for the fencing company.”
“Why?” I ask, completely thrown. “What’s wrong with the fencing company?”
“Uh…nothing,” Charlie says, searching for the words. “Hedy was mostly surprised you were only going on weekend ops with the colonia campaign and still went to work during the week.”
Erik shifts in his chair and avoids my eyes. Like I said.Loud.
I shrug. “I still have to make money.”
“Well…that’s what we needed to discuss. You know how we gave the land next door to Nacho, Bram, and Levy?”
“Yeah…”
“That’s one of the ways Wimberley pays people for the missions. We take down an organization or a bad guy, and Wimberley takes their assets and liquidates them, then splits the profits and holdings with anyone on the mission.”
“Wait. Is that how Nacho was able to buy into the fencing company?”
Charlie nods. “It’s also how he was able to move his mom here.”
“Oh.” I drum my fingers on the armchair. “But he went on missions that made money for Wimberley. That doesn’t work for the colonias, though, because we only killed people and saved the kids. We didn’t take property.”
“When that happens, and it’s a longer plan of attack, Elijah Energy, the company that runs Wimberley’s operations, gives a monthly stipend to cover living expenses. You were overlooked because someone”—Charlie’s eyes flit to Erik, who’s examining a hangnail—“left your name off the reports back to Wimberley.”
“Isn’t a stipend like, I dunno, an allowance? I’ll take extra money, of course, but it doesn’t sound like something that’ll pay my bills.”
“Itisan allowance. One that is easily three times your current wage,” Charlie explains, red touching his cheeks. “Um, so…yeah. Wimberley has since corrected the oversight and deposited the money in your account as of an hour ago.”
I fish my phone from my back pocket and pull up my banking app.
While I’m waiting for the sign-in to process, Charlie continues, “Also, since you were technically in on the raid next door, they’ve retroactively given you the value of your portion.”
“What?” Erik grumbles, looking up from his oh-so-important hangnail to glare at Charlie. “He shouldn’t get paid for sneaking onto an op.”
Meanwhile, my account looks like an accident. I hold the screen up to Charlie. “There are six digits in this number.”
“Oh, that’s right. Since your actions saved Erik’s life next door and my life at the warehouse, there’s a bonus structure for that kind of thing.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Erik growls, finally turning his glare to me.
Bunny snarls, showing his teeth as a warning, and I pet his head.Good boy.I absentmindedly flip Erik the bird while trying to make this account balance make sense.
That’s when it hits me. Charlie hates paperwork.
“So…when you say I was left off the reports, you mean Erik purposefully removed my name so Wimberley wouldn’t officially know about my involvement.”
Sure, myfriendsfrom Wimberley knew about my involvement, but I’m guessing the suits didn’t.
Erik fists his huge hands, shaking his head. “Excuse me for trying to protect you. I hope you’re happy. Hedy said we can’t relegate you to the weekends anymore and threatened to sic my Aunt Anja on me if I kept blocking access to you.”
Hoo, buddy. Hedy went and pulled out the big guns. Anja and her husband, Georg—Anders’ parents—temporarily took me in after Erik and Charlie saved me, and they feel like family as much as anyone I’m actually related to.
