Sterling stands by a window, staring out, and he looks upset, probably because Ben has to deal with another one of my problems. Vera has a plate on the table and is sitting in an empty chair with a cup of coffee. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I can get it, thank you, though.” I take the empty glass from my place setting and fill it with water, then join her. Nerves barely there, my stomach only feels hungry now, so I take a big bite of scrambled eggs. “These are great.”
“I’m glad you like them. They’re Bennett’s favorite.”
“I know.” I stab more onto my fork. “He made them all the time. He must have gotten his skills in the kitchen from you because he’s a great cook. Good baker, too.”
Her head rears back, and her long brownish-gray hair sways. “Hebakedfor you?”
“Well, just double-chunk chocolate chip cookies, but they’re so good. He actually made them last night. They’re in a container on the counter. You should try one.”
“Really?”
I nod as I chew. “Yeah.”
“You must be pretty special if you got that boy to bake for you.”
“I’m not.” I drop my fork, and it clanks loudly against my plate. “Sorry, I just…why are you guys being so nice to me?”
She genuinely looks confused. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“I’ve been trying to think how to broach it so I can apologize. My dad shooting Ben because of me, when I…” I can’t bring myself to say it out loud.
“You’re to hold no blame for that.” Sterling turns toward me, his gaze steady. “If anyone does, it’s me. I assumed Ben would get word that I gave your father the address to the safe house so he could surprise you for your birthday.”
“But my dad—”
“He reacted as any decent father would if he walked into a situation where he thought his daughter was being assaulted. I reacted as any decent father would if someone he’s known for decades thought his son was capable of assaulting his daughter.” He sighs. “So again, there is no ill will or anger toward you because you didn’t do anything wrong, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“My name is Sterling. And I should have said it earlier, but I’m truly sorry to hear about your father’s passing. We may have had our differences at the end, but his loss is a great one.” He turns his attention back to whatever is on the other side of the glass.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “That means a lot.”
Vera hums quietly. “I thought I understood why Ben has been so lost lately.”
“What do you mean?”
A happy light dances in her eyes. “I thought he just missed the job, but I’m realizing I was wrong…what he really missed was you.”
That’snotcreepyatall.
Ben
Unlocking my phone, I pull up the cameras in my house to check that everything’s good, and as I suspected, all is well. Dad is just standing there, with a relaxed posture, looking out, something he does all the time. My mom is at the kitchen table with Annie, who has her leg up on a chair with an ice pack on her ankle.
I use the tips of my fingers to enlarge the screen and see Annie up close. She’s smiling, chatting, and eating a cookie. It’s eight in the morning, so of course she’s eating a cookie. That girl loves her breakfast sugar, which reminds me I need to hit up the grocery store to get her some cereal. I’ll do that later.
I exit the app and get back searching Vito’s room.
I’m standing in his dirty bedroom, next to his unmade bed, with a photo in my hands. An image of Annie, Vito, and an older woman in a wheelchair fills the glossy print. I’m assuming the woman is his grandmother, but because her face is scratched out, I can’t be positive.
They’re in a cafeteria of sorts with holiday decorations hanging from the ceiling. Vito’s arm is around Annie, who’s wearing a pair of red scrubs, and her body language screams that she doesn’t want him touching her. Her shoulders are hunched, her hands on her bent knees, her body made purposely small, angled away from Vito, but still smiling.
Something about the fear in her eyes in this picture gets to me in a bad way. She’s been scared for way too fucking long, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make her feel safe again, only this time it won’t be temporary.
“We need to bounce,” Shep hollers from the other room.
