Sebring

“You don’t obey an order immediately again, Tom, this will not make me happy.”

He stared.

“Now, get back to doing whatever you need to be doing,” I finished curtly, gave him a sharp nod of my head, yanked open the door and I walked into the hallway.

I heard the door close, drowning the noise behind me.

The second indication it was not going to be my day was when I barely lifted my head from watching my feet take me toward my office and I saw my father walking my way.

Damn.

“Olivia,” he called.

“Dad,” I replied.

I stopped at my door.

He stopped with me.

I took him in.

Seeing him for the first time in weeks, I noted that he looked old.

He’d been good-looking. Average height, sloped shoulders, but he’d had a strong-featured, interesting face that was classic enough to be handsome, rough enough to give him an edge.

All that was melting. Booze. Broads. Three wives, none (but the first, my mother) lasting long but all of them lasting long enough to be a pain in everyone’s ass (that including my mother, in perpetuity, unfortunately). Living large.

There was a reason when you lived like that you wanted to die young, because you didn’t want to get to the point where you were wearing your life on your face.

As sick as it made me, and it made me sick, I couldn’t help but think, regrettably this long since had not been my father’s end.

“I hear you’re seeing someone,” he announced.

My heart stopped beating.

Had I missed a tail on my way to Nick’s?

Dad didn’t notice I needed resuscitation.

“Finally, your mother and I agree on something,” he stated.

What?

“Sorry?” I asked.

“Dustin Culver,” he answered. “Good match for you. I like it.”

I heard the door to the loading floor open and looked that way to see Gill walking in.

Gill was back.

I wonder what that meant about David.

Dad saw him too because, without another word except, “Good-bye, Olivia,” he walked that way.

I watched him, feeling strange in a way I very much didn’t like and I continued to watch him as he and Gill disappeared through the door.

The noise had just again been drowned out when I heard, “Yo.”

I looked to Georgia’s office door to see her standing in it.

She was looking down the hall.

“Did I hear Dad out here?” she asked the hall.

“Yes,” I answered, and she looked at me. “He took off with Gill.”

“Come in here,” she ordered and didn’t wait, she walked into her office.

I sighed and followed.

I shut the door behind me and wandered to the chairs in front of her desk.

She was already seating herself behind it.

I made a point that I didn’t intend to stay long by standing at the back of a chair and putting my hand on it.

She didn’t seem to care about my point. She was preoccupied, shuffling papers around on her desk like she was looking for something at the same time talking to me.

“A quick brief,” she started. “Our supply is exceeding our demand. I knew it would but our boys have gone without so long, they’re itching to turn product. It’s far too soon for us to challenge Valenzuela territory so Tommy suggested expanding outside Valenzuela’s influence, namely some turf that’s weakly protected in Fort Collins and Greeley. Tommy’s taking off tomorrow with Miguel to look into that.”

“And what did Dad say about all this?” I queried.

My back straightened when she replied nonchalantly, “I haven’t told him yet.”

She had to be joking.

“What?” I asked.

She glanced at me then back to whatever she was looking for on her desk as she repeated, “I haven’t told him.”

“But, Georgie—”

“You’re not going to tell him either.”

“Georgia—”

All of a sudden, she locked her eyes to mine. “You’re not. And you’re gonna quit fucking around and make a date with that fucking Culver guy.”

“What?” It was a whisper this time as I felt a chill snake down my back.

Dad and Georgia mentioning Dustin when neither of them spoke to Mom so neither of them should know?

What was going on?

She didn’t answer my question. She released my gaze and went back to whatever she was doing at her desk, but again she did this talking.

“Gill hasn’t found David. This is frustrating. With all that’s happening here, we need him so I called him home. I’ve contracted with Raid Miller to find him. You’ll deal with cash for Raid. I already gave him half, but you know the drill. He’ll want the other half on delivery. You know his fees. Raid doesn’t fuck around so we’ll have David soon. Arrange for the cash to be in my safe as soon as possible. As he works this, I’ll communicate with Miller.”

“I always work with Raid.”

She again gave me her eyes. “This time, I’m working with him. Now, Dad and I discussed it and we want you full-time doing David’s job. I’ll deal with some of the stuff you do. Tommy’s going to take over the boys.”

I stared at her, wanting to believe this was a boon, considering David’s job was entirely legitimate. That was, it was legitimate outside me using some things to launder money, none of which David was “officially” in the know about so he could “officially” deny it and keep our money safe should something happen to any of us. This was in order for us to have that money when we got out of whatever jam we found ourselves in or to use it to fight our way out of that jam.