He takes out his phone, presses a button, and then brings it to his ear.
Who is he calling?
“Yes,” my father says into the line. “You can come in now.” He hangs up and slips the phone back into his pocket.
He looks at the door in anticipation, and I’m clueless as to what this is about. When I hear the door open, I don’t turn right away.
“I want you to meet my associates,” my father says.
When I turn around, my blood pressure skyrockets. I jump up from my chair and take a step behind the table. Two men stand there, the men who tried to kill me at the Starline Hotel.
I look quickly at my father. “What’s going on?” I ask.
“I just told you,” my father says. “These are my associates—they work in security. Now, they reported to me that your boat was somewhere it shouldn’t have been. So what I need to know is if you were with that boat, or if it was another time the local girl stole it—leaving you completely innocent of these charges.”
I’m not sure how to answer. Does my father know they shot at me? Would he even care? I won’t deny being there because it would put Noa in danger. I won’t take that chance.
“I was just out exploring alone,” I say, glancing at the men to see their reactions.
“Exploring,” my father repeats. “And while you were exploring, what did you find?”
“It was just an abandoned building,” I say. “Happened past it while out on the boat, so I… went in and looked around. That’s when yourassociatesshowed up.” I motion to them. “I took off so I wouldn’t get in trouble. That’s how I hurt my arm.” I hold it up as proof. “I’m sorry, Dad. I hope I didn’t put you in an awkward situation,” I add, trying to sound sincere.
My mind is spinning, though. Why do a couple of possible murderers work for my father? Not only that, how is my father connected tothe Starline Hotel? Oh, shit… did he have something to do with Felix’s body being there?
The men watch my father, and I realize that they’re scared of him too. They told him about my boat, but seems they left out the part where they tried to shoot me. Twice.
What happens if I tell my father that? Which of us does he side with? I’m not sure I want to take that chance.
“It won’t happen again,” I tell my father before the men can speak. Just wanting to get out of the room. “Besides, I don’t have a boat anymore, and I don’t remember where the place was. So my reckless adventures are over.”
My father studies me. “You really are such a disappointment, James,” he states. “You know that, right?”
“Every day,” I reply simply. But inside, I’m knotted up and sick. I’m struck with the knowledge that my father is deep in this mystery and that he almost got me killed. That he might have killed someone else. I swallow hard. “Can I go now?” I ask.
My father watches me with contempt, before turning to the men. “Was there anything else, gentlemen?” he asks them.
They glance at me and then back to my father. “There is a concern about his discretion,” one of the men says. He’s wearing a flowered shirt, sunglasses on his head. “As a security breach, it would fall under your responsibilities.”
My father sighs loudly, but he doesn’t even look in my direction. “It is handled,” my father says firmly. “Now, this concludes our business, gentlemen,” he says to them. “I expect to not see you again.” He leaves no room for argument. The men walk out, closing the door behind them.
When they’re gone, my father sits back down at the table. In a rare moment, he lets down his guard. He rests his face in his hands, rubbing roughly at his skin. He sits back in his chair, and glances over at me.
“Even now, you just can’t mind your own business,” he says.
“I have no idea what any of this is about,” I tell him. “I swear, I wasn’t trying to mess up anything for you. For anybody.”
He watches me a moment. “I believe you,” he says. “But I do have to wonder about the friends you’re hanging out with. About the girl. I remember her, you know?Noa…” He says her name, and from his mouth it sounds like a threat.
“She has nothing to do with this,” I say, holding his gaze steady.
“I’m just concerned,” he says. “People like that, they have an agenda, James. Have you thought about that? When you’re in a powerful position, people want to get close to you. Sometimes women.”
“So you’ve said,” I reply.
My father nods, the open secret of his affair and the aftermath hanging heavily between us. And even now, he’s still trying to make an excuse for his bad behavior.
“So long as you understand the consequences,” he says. “Now you may go. I have more to do today.”
