“A wax moth?” I already knew the point he was trying to make, so I figured I’d attempt to change the subject.
“A greater wax moth, get it right. Damn thing developed the keenest sense o’ hearin’ in order’ta keep from getting’ eaten by them bats.” He shook his head in exaggerated, mock disappointment in me. I thought I’d won, but then he said, “Now, back to your claim that ya didn’t have time to call me.”
I closed my eyes and groaned inwardly.
“To me, it seems like ya had time to debilitate ’im, to get ’im in your car, to drive to his house, to get ’im inside, and somewhere along the way, ya had time to have a conversation with ’im. Yet ya didn’t have time to call me?”
“You know what I mean, Rhett.”
“You’re right. I do. It’s got nothin’ to do with time, b’cause ya clearly had enough of that. You was blinded by madness, deafened by vengeance. I get it. And that’s exactly why I don’t let my men handle that shit on their own. It’s not that I don’t trust y’all to handle a job, b’cause I do. You’re one of the best men I have—when you’re usin’ your brain. But you can’t use your brain when chasin’ after a personal vendetta. No one can—myself included. Too many lines blur until you’re makin’ stupid mistakes, like grabbin’ a grown-ass man from a well-lit parkin’ lot in front of a fuckin’ hospital, for Christ’s sake.”
“I checked for cameras,” I argued. “There was no one out there. No one saw me.”
“You’re so smart, son. Maybe you could teach me a few things.” It would’ve been better had it been a real, sincere compliment instead of sarcasm smothered in mockery. “I think I can retire now knowin’ I got someone to take the reins.”
“Fine.” I raised my voice, tired of the passive-aggressive verbal attacks. “I fucked up.”
“Yeah ya did. And as if that ain’t bad enough…you took ’im to his house. Without gloves. Without protection or even a damn plan. You can’t sit here and tell me any of that was done with a clear head.”
He was right. From the moment I’d pieced it all together, common sense had evaded me. Not just that, but my training and experience, as well. Everything I’d ever been taught about staying in the shadows and not crossing the lines between my professional and personal life went out the window. I had one thing on my mind, and that was to take him out. Blinding emotion led me to kidnap him in a place anyone could’ve walked by and seen. One witness, one phone call to the cops, would’ve ended me on the spot. But I didn’t let that stop me—hell, I had barely given it any thought. Desperation and a thirst for revenge drove me to his house. Again, putting everything I’d ever worked for in jeopardy.
I was smarter than that.
Apparently, weakness didn’t discriminate.
“You went against everything I ever taught ya.” The anger that had been in his voice was no longer present, and instead, all I could pick up on was disappointment.
“I apologize. It wasn’t intentional.”
“You’re human, son.” He peered at me briefly from the corner of his eyes. “You guys are lethally trained, just as potentially dangerous as a loaded gun. In the right hands, everyone’s safe, but if it found itself in the wrong situation, it could prove to be deadly. You’re not a monster. I don’t have to worry about anyone who works for me turnin’ their skills into a public hazard. But we’re human, Cash. We all have a trigger, and when it’s squeezed at the wrong time—generally speakin’—the wrong person can get hurt.”
He didn’t have to explain it to me. I understood what he meant. Following orders and taking out targets was one thing, but when we strayed down the dark path of our own vengeful desires, we took the chance of getting caught, of our families finding out what we really did at WireComm. And not only could it have negative repercussions on our own lives, but the lives of our entire team, as well.
He pulled up to a motel and parked in front of a building decorated with matching red doors, each with a brass number hanging on the front. The clock on the dashboard read ten till eleven, and I wondered where the time went. It hadn’t felt like two hours had passed since I’d driven into town, but with all the chaos of the evening, it wasn’t like I’d kept track of the night. I grabbed my phone from the cup holder, where it’d been since the hospital, and remembered the wallet in my console. Rhett would want it, but for a split second, I questioned keeping it for whatever information it held. I’d already put myself in the line of fire tonight, and I didn’t need more, so I reached inside the compartment between the seats, took the wallet out, and handed it over to my very surprised boss.
“You must really wanna keep your job,” he joked, and then turned off the ignition.
We each climbed out, and Rhett made his way to a door marked with the number nine. He slipped a card into the reader to open the door. I followed his lead, but as soon as we stepped inside, I came to a screeching halt.
“I know you’re all about being a team and whatnot, but how the hell are three grown-ass men supposed to fit in two double-sized beds?”
He slapped my shoulder with a resounding thud and laughed as he moved around me. “What? Don’t like to cuddle? I promise not to spoon ya if you swear ya won’t fork me.” Fucker thought he was a comedian. “Nah…Kryder will be busy all night. You’re stayin’ here with me ’til he comes back, then you can head home in the mornin’.”
“That’s it? Just like that? You come in, tell me what a piece of shit I am, and then let me go after a full night’s sleep?” Rhett had made it incredibly clear how much he didn’t tolerate his men going rogue, and even though I hadn’t intentionally done so, I still expected more of a backlash than a night in a motel.
He fell into one of the two chairs at the tiny, round table in front of the beds. I didn’t care to be too close to him in case this was his old age kicking in. There was always a chance that in a few minutes, he’d remember who he was and what he’d caught me doing. Being within arm’s reach for that was a little too close for comfort. So I settled on top of one of the mattresses and propped myself up with all the pillows it came with.
“Nah, don’t be foolish, Cash. I had to reorganize multiple teams just to move ya to the desk for a week. Now I’m gonna have to put my best man on suspension, which means more interruption for the entire crew.” A lot of the guys called him Sam Walton, saying he had more departments than a Walmart Supercenter. None of us fully understood the entire organization or what most of the other teams did, but we were all aware of Rhett’s operations. “If I didn’t think so highly of ya, you’d be gone.”
I nodded, accepting my fate.
When he spoke again, his voice was low and growly. “Was it worth it?”
I stared at him, not needing a second to contemplate the answer, and unequivocally said, “Yes.”