Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
He didn’t know how he’d made himself do it.
Maybe deep down he was braver than he realized?
The roar of metal made him stiffen, but then, the massive grapple lifted the car with Paul’s corpse as if it were a toy and moved it to an imposing piece of machinery the size of a large shed.
Dex looked focused like a big kid playing with his favorite toys. Ezra would never consider him normal after what he’d seen in that container before his accident, regardless of whether his actions were truly motivated by saving puppies. Still, this was Frank’s nephew, and therefore—family.
Shane lit another cigarette and approached them. “You can go, Frank, we can handle the rest.”
“You sure?” Frank asked.
Shane pointed to Ezra with his chin. “Yep, I’m pretty sure you two need to talk.”
Ezra exhaled and grabbed Frank’s hand, squeezing it firmly as he met Shane’s gaze. Shane hadn’t been certain of his intentions at first, but maybe tonight’s events would finally convince him that Ezra was in it for the long haul, and that he intended to stand by Frank.
“Thanks. Yes,” he said before Frank could get a word in.
Frank just nodded at Shane as if they could have a complex conversation without words, and squeezed Ezra’s hand. “Are you okay with walking?”
Ezra nodded. “I might just need that,” he said, already leading Frank away from the others and toward their home. Frank put on a flashlight to reveal the way, and Ezra focused on it rather than on the sharp cries of breaking metal erupting behind them.
For a while, they walked in silence, cooled by the night air, but then Frank spoke. “If anything like this ever happens again, and it’s me who ends up dead, I need you to think of your safety first, okay? No one but Shane knows this, but I have small gold bars stored under the floor in our house. Under the bed, under the shower, and under the sofa. You’d need to grab an axe and break the floor there. They’re small, so they’re easier to cash in, and the price of gold doesn’t fluctuate as much—”
“Frank. It’s gonna be fine. But… I do appreciate you telling me this,” Ezra said, even though the thought of Frank dead made Ezra’s insides twist and bile rise up his throat. At the end of the day, Paul was dead, and they were safe.
For a moment, he did wonder why Frank lived the way he did if he had gold bars stashed away, but as that first thought settled, he understood the reasons without having to ask. It would be fun to have more spending money, but in Frank’s line of work, he needed a backup. One slip up could lead to medical expenses that insurance couldn’t cover, or a bribe that needed to be paid on the spot.
The gold bars were safety and security.
Ezra rather liked that, so he squeezed Frank’s hand in reassurance. They were more alike than Frank could imagine.
Frank took a deep breath. “I’m sorry you had to see it happen, but I think there was no other way. Paul would have never let go.”
Ezra, who up to this point chewed through all the things he should say, stepped in front of Frank and held on to his arms. “I’m sorry I told you to do it. I know it meant a lot to you that you’re not a killer anymore,” he said in one breath before lowering his gaze to the downturned flashlight in Frank’s hand.
In the silence, he could clearly hear Frank swallowing.
“It’s just… It’s something I tried to stick to, but when he threatened you, my rules no longer mattered.”
Ezra’s exhale sounded shaky as he took half a step closer. “I worried they might shoot you through the window while we were in an impasse. Everything happened so fast, and when you held him in place, his death seemed like such a straightforward solution. But it shouldn’t have been my decision. It’s my fault that you broke your rules, and now you’re hurting. I can feel it.”
Frank might not know it, or even want it, but his former life hadn’t dulled his emotions. They were still very much alive under this stoic exterior, and Ezra desperately needed to bring them to the surface, to know that their relationship wouldn’t change because of this night.
Frank pulled him in for a hug and stroked his back in a soothing motion that was as much for Ezra as it was for him. “It’s not your fault. I gave you the choice, because I wanted you to have the final say. It’s a big burden I put on your shoulders, but I didn’t see it that way in the moment.”
Air left Ezra’s chest as he sunk against Frank, soaking up his scent. Earthy yet fresh, it would always be his comfort. He could only hope Frank felt the same way about him.