But Neo.
Well, Neo is home, waiting for me to return.
I find myself driving over the speed limit to get there.
10
WYLDER
I’m sorting through The Firm requests a few days later. They’ve been coming in thick and fast recently, but that’s common for this time of year. The holidays are just around the corner, and there are many families living below the poverty line.
Too many.
I sift through the requests, calculating the amount needed to cover them. What we usually do is make rich fuckers pay off their debts to us with money. Then we use that to settle these smaller requests.
We’re like Robin Hood in a way…except we’re also disgustingly rich. Which is why I’ll be paying a large portion of these out of my personal bank account. They’ll also be added to my monitoring list. Families who make it onto this list are checked in on occasionally by people who work for me. If the agents discover they’re struggling, then I anonymously arrange for whatever they need. Groceries. Furniture. Bills settled. New clothes for their kids. Toys for Christmas presents.
Of course, it would be simpler to just deposit money, but that’s not always the best course of action. I tried that years ago with Wyatt’s parents once I found out how my father had forced him and Matthiasapart. I didn’t know just how important Wyatt was to Matthias back then, but I knew my brother missed him. It was enough to make me want to help. I tried to make Wyatt’s life better by depositing money into his mother’s account.
Only for her to blow it all on drugs. Wyatt never saw a cent of it. To this day, he has no idea what I did, how I tried to help and failed.
I learned from that. Cash is only granted directly if requested via The Firm. After that, I try to help in other ways.
No one knows I do this, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. My actions are against what The Firm stands for—the strict code my father insisted we abide by.
People make requests.
We fulfill them.
For a price.
There’s not meant to be anafter. And we’re certainly not meant to help them following their request being granted.
But I can’t help myself. It’s my own silent rebellion against a life I never wanted. A life I’m not certain I even agree with.
I pick up the next one and freeze. The handwriting is messy, almost illegible.
The sight of my name is clear enough. I squint to make out the rest of the words.
I request that Wylder Buckingham take me on a date. It must be romantic and last at least two hours.
Neo Smith
I blink a few times before rereading it. Nope, I wasn’t wrong.
Neo wants me to take him on a date.
A romantic date.
“Neo,” I ask slowly, turning the page in his direction. “Care to explain this?”
“Oh, you finally got to it.” He beams at me from his chair. “I was waiting for you to find it. You know, you’d get through these a lot faster if you let me help you.”
“You’re not part of The Firm,” I say distractedly. “Speaking of, what is the meaning of this?”
His eyelashes flutter innocently. “Do you have reading comprehension issues?”
Brat.“No. But I am confused as to why you want us to go on a…date.”
