But the one thing I know is, I need to get out of this town. I’m not safe here.
As much as I don’t want to leave my job, because I enjoy teaching my students, I have to.
There will be other teaching jobs, it’s not worth risking my safety for a school that doesn’t even appreciate me.
The question is, do I find a new town to start over in or do I go back home?
Rickie said my father is the one to blame for these bad drugs. Drugs that kids are dying from.
It’s not true. I might not be as in touch with the workings of my family as I once was, but my father isn’t the one to blame for this, that much I do know.
And I can’t just ignore that people are blaming my family.
Does my father know about this? About what people are trying to pin on him?
Guess there’s only one way to find out.
BECKHAM
Last night was one of the worst sleeps of my life. My brain wouldn’t shut off. All I could think about was who was lying. I haven’t been very close with my father in years, but I know one thing he was very adamant on: no dealing dirty drugs.
Watching your daughter overdose is enough to scar you for life.
My family aren’t good people. We kill the people who do us wrong, lie to get what we want and scheme to get what we can’t.
But one line my father won’t cross is harming innocent women and children. Knowing how easy it is for teenagers to get their hands on drugs these days, and how easy it was for my sister to go down that road, my father vowed never to be the one to contribute to that outcome.
If teenagers were going to die by drugs, it wouldn’t be by his hand.
Then why the hell is this Rickie fucker so adamant that it’s my family behind this?
As if my father can feel I’m thinking of him, my cell phone goes off.
“Hello?”
“That was fast.” My father huffs. “I know you get up early for work, but it’s a weekend. And you don’t sound a bit tired.”
Sighing, I swing my legs out of my bed and lean over the edge, my elbows resting on my knees. “Been up for hours.” I grunt, running a hand through my hair, closing my eyes asexhaustion hits me. A nap may be needed to get me through this weekend. Hell, to get me through the day.
“You don’t sound good. Are you okay?”
Do I tell him I’ve been forced to resign? If I do, that's only going to lead to more questions.
I need to handle this carefully. I can’t outright ask him if he’s behind the drugs, he can easily lie if he was, and I’d lose any upper hand I have.
“Stressed,” I tell him. “A few students on campus have died over the past few months. And I just found out a student that meant a lot to me passed.”
“What the hell is going on at that school? I knew that place was too beneath you. Students just murdering each other and nothing's being done about it? At least be smarter if you're going to kill someone." he huffs.
My brows jump. Is he for real?
“The students aren’t killing each other,” I grumble. “They’re overdosing.”
He’s quiet and for a moment, I think he hung up. “Young people being stupid, or something more?”
“Something more.”
“Those Serpents are dirty dealers, I fucking knew it. Never trusted the lot of them. Always make sure to stay far away from doing any sort of business with them. Thought they cleaned up their act once Reco’s son Rickie took over. Clearly, not.” He fumes. “You shouldn’t be working at that school. Or living in that damn town Beckham. You should be here, home, where you belong.”
