Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
My lip quivers slightly. “And I believed in you too, buddy. Nobody I’d rather be in a foxhole with.”
“Me either, and I was in foxholes with some of the best.” Leif comes forward and embraces me.
And it feels good.
Feels good to have my pal back.
18
SAVANNAH
I’m not sure what the story with Leif and Falcon is, and I may never know.
If Falcon doesn’t want to tell me, he won’t. He’s made that pretty clear.
But I’m no longer his parole officer.
That happened when I called Bridget this morning.
“Hey, Bridget. Savannah Gallo.”
“Where the hell are you? I’ve been leaving messages all morning.”
“I apologize. Some stuff went down last night. I was up late, talking to cops and such.”
“Cops?”
“Yeah. It’s a long story. I hope you won’t read about it in the papers, but you might. Suffice it to say, I apologize for not calling you earlier. I could tell you the truth. That my phone was dead and I didn’t know where it was, but would you believe me?”
“I have no reason to disbelieve you, Savannah.”
“I hate to leave you in a lurch, Bridget, but I’m going to have to resign.”
“Resign? You know how shorthanded we are.”
“Yeah, I know, but I haven’t been the best parole officer.”
“You’ve done fine. Your paperwork is impeccable.” She pauses “What aren’t you telling me?”
“That’s just it, Bridget. I can’t tell you. But I do apologize for leaving you in a bind. I hate doing that.”
“Can I talk you out of this?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“What about… Today’s Wednesday. Take the rest of the week off. Use PTO. We’ll talk Monday, okay?”
“Bridget—”
“Monday, Savannah. Okay?”
“No, Bridget. I’m sorry. But I quit.”
“So what next?” Leif asks.
“Savannah and I are free for now. Do you want to have dinner tonight and discuss it?”
“Yeah. You mind if I bring Kelly?”
Falcon narrows his eyes. “How much of your work do you share with her?”
“Everything,” Leif says. “She’s completely trustworthy.”
“Are you going to level with him?” I ask Falcon.
Falcon doesn’t reply.
Leif turns to me. “If he levels with anyone, it will be me. He may ask you and Kelly to leave the room.”
I shrug, though inside my heart crumbles a little. “That’s fine. I just feel like he needs to talk to somebody.”
“Hello?” Falcon shakes his head. “He is right here.”
Leif nods. “We know that, Fal.”
“What’s going down right now,” Falcon says, “has more to do with Savannah’s past than with mine. In fact, it doesn’t have anything to do with mine. Except that it might come bite me in the ass and they’ll decide to charge me with manslaughter again.”
“We won’t let that happen,” Leif says. “Will we, Savannah?”
“I agree. We won’t.” I grab his forearm. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You were protecting me. And I think now I may be able to protect you.”
“No,” Falcon says. “You will not try to protect me, Vannah.”
I shake my head. “That’s not fair. If I can, I will.”
“You can’t protect me, Savannah. And don’t even try. Please.”
He has no idea of my connections.
Frankly, I’d like to sever all ties—except I do love my parents, my brothers. Brother, I guess, since one is gone for good.
But my family can help the situation. They can make it go away.
I don’t like asking for favors, though. Because the problem with favors when there’s a situation like this? A family situation?
They want to be repaid.
My family does owe me.
They owe me for all the times I looked the other way in my job as a parole officer in Austin.
But this is a big favor to ask, and it will no doubt get them in trouble with the McAllister family. If it indeed was the McAllisters who came after me.
I have to wait for my father and grandfather to find out.
“You think you can help him?” Leif asks me.
“I know I can.”
“Vannah, no…”
I cross my arms. “I don’t take orders from you, Falcon. I don’t take orders from anyone, which is why I left Austin in the first place. But I have a feeling that you would move heaven and earth to help me if I needed it. Why won’t you let me do the same for you?”
I already know why.
On the inside, he was the leader. He took care of his cell block, but no one took care of him.
He was on his own.
“I think we’ve got a lot to talk about, Falcon,” Leif says.
Falcon frowns. “I can’t talk about all of it.”
“You’re going to have to. I’ve told you that if you want my help, I need to know what I’m getting into. In Afghanistan—”
“Don’t throw Afghanistan in my face,” Falcon says, anger lacing his tone. “You know damned well I wanted to be there, Leif.”
“But you weren’t.” Leif holds up a hand. “I’m not saying that to be rude or mean or to throw it in your face. I’m saying it because it’s a simple fact. I imagine I’ve been through quite a few of the same things that you’ve been through. Or I’ve watched my companions go through them. It’s far from pretty.”