“They also broke into teachers’ desks and stole test answers and had a huge file of completed essays on a variety of subjects, and they sold those too.”
Yikes.
No wonder he didn’t like them.
I didn’t know what to say, but I was me, so my first choice was levity. Though, considering the subject matter, I went carefully with that levity.
Thus, I joked hesitantly, “I suppose in every profession it’s good to diversify.”
Levity worked, sort of.
He touched his nose to mine.
Then he went right back to it.
“As for me, I was into sports. All sports, and anything about sports. Watching. Playing. Football. Soccer. Baseball. Basketball. Tennis. I even watch the Tour de France. Since Crew and Poe were following in the family business, and Dad was so proud they were, me and my little sister, who was first into dolls, and then into nothing but boys, were the disappointments.”
The family business?
Well, hell.
This crap was even more messed up.
“You have a sister?”
“Gypsy. She’s a couple of years younger than me.”
Right, that was the easy question.
Now for the hard.
“The family business?”
Knox didn’t hesitate.
“My dad isn’t a dealer. Or, at least he worked hard for his various promotions, so he used to be, but he isn’t anymore. Now he makes a fuck ton more money, though he also takes a fuck ton more risk. That isn’t exactly true. He doesn’t personally, because Crew and Poe are on his payroll, so they do.”
“Risks?”
“Transport, warehousing and distribution with direct ties to cartels.”
“Ah, risks.” That came out strangled because, seriously, that was a lot.
“Yup.”
“And you went into the army,” I noted.
“Yeah. My pops can pitch one helluva fit, but I’d never seen him so furious as when I told him I’d signed on.”
I couldn’t believe that, but there it was.
“Oh, Knox,” I said softly.
“He told me he hoped some Al Qaeda member shot me in the head.”
Hearing those words hurt my heart, way down deep in a way I wasn’t sure that hurt would ever heal.
I couldn’t imagine anyone saying that…but a father to his son?
