“Sure he will. All he has to do is add more zeros to the check.”
“Get him the hell out of here before I do something that’ll cause me to lose my job.”
I leave the room, not waiting for Ricky. The sheriff can kiss my ass. I brush by Deputy These Nuts on the way out of the building. He doesn’t have to open his mouth. The expression on his face tells me everything I need to know—he’ll be gunning for me now.
Ricky catches up to me in the parking lot. “What you did tonight was reckless.”
“Well, you know reckless is my middle name.” I yank the door to Ricky’s truck open, then get in.
He starts the ignition. “Were Josh and his friends involved?”
“You’ll have to ask Josh that question. How much did the old man pay him?”
“It doesn’t matter. He wants you to go live with him since I’m not capable of handling you—his words. Shit, maybe he’s right.”
“Like he’d do any better. Anyway, I won’t go.”
“If you keep screwing up, I’ll have no choice but to ship you to him.”
“The day he comes for me will be the day I disappear.”
He controlled my father. I’ll be damned if I allow him to control me.
I lay on my stomach across the bed, glowering down at Trevor’s digital image through video chat.
“Babe, I’m sorry.”
He gives me his best sad puppy-face expression. I cock an eyebrow to let him know that look is not going to get him out of the doghouse.
“What you guys did was really shitty.” I roll onto my back, holding my cell phone above me.
“Come on, Cin, give me a break.”
“So many things could’ve gone wrong. Chaos is getting way out of control.”
“Well, during Chaos if you’re not out of control—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”
“Look on the bright side. Maybe Ricky will get rid of Art now.”
I should want him gone, but I don’t.
“That’s what you want, right?”
Damn, I need to learn how to control my facial expressions. “Yeah.”
I hear the rumble of an engine outside.
“They’re here.” I walk over to the window. “I have to go.”
“Call me later to let me know what happens.”
“Okay.” I end the video chat.
I watch as Ricky and Art exit the truck and walk up the porch steps. It’s nearly one o’clock in the morning, but I couldn’t go to sleep until Art got home.
“Josh, get down here,” Ricky yells.
