Wolf: Arranging everything. This will require us skipping morning classes.
Like I gave a fucking shit. I started to get up, but Wolf texted me back.
Wolf: We’re going to meet at seven.
Me: Where?
Wolf: The location.
I checked the time. Just passed four.
Me: I’m going to head over to you now.
Wolf: You don’t have to. We’re taking care of everything. Just be there at seven.
Me: No, I’m coming.
Wolf: Just stay put. Stay with Sloane. All you have to do is show up. We got you.
They got me.
And stay with Sloane? He didn’t like her.
I started to text back, but he got back to me again.
Wolf: We’ll see you at the location.
The location was an abandoned factory my dad used to run some of his business operations out of. My f
ather had many businesses, many of them spilled over from the days of my grandfather and his father before that. Once Dad took over, he shut down the less efficient ones.
AKA the corrupt ones.
I read all about my father’s legacy growing up. I did because one day it’d be mine. He ran any business the family name was on with pride, no greed, and everyone, man or woman, who worked for him was seen. He treated people as people. He did things the complete opposite of my grandfather.
I’d read about him too.
I’d done a fair amount of research and even more in recent days. I needed to know what I was getting into, who he was and his potential. Going in, I’d been well aware of who my grandfather was when I’d decided to solicit him for his aid.
I just didn’t know it’d pan out the way it had in the end.
Negative thoughts about him actually ended up keeping me in Sloane’s bed for longer than I should have. A greedy motherfucker, I just held on to her, studying her face and wishing things were simpler. That I could be anything else or be anywhere else than the road I was clearly continuing on.
But then I thought about Charlie.
Charlie got me out of that bed. Charlie kept me out of my head. I had to leave Sloane, and I didn’t know when I’d see her again.
Who knew what the hell would happen after today?
I wasn’t thinking, and my buddies weren’t either. We were goal-oriented, and I’d be naive to think they weren’t laboring partially for me. Revenge for Charlie was my cross to bear.
They were simply along for the fucked-up ride.
I expected to help with something surrounding this thing with Mayberry, but when I showed up at the abandoned factory surrounded by cornfields, my buddies were already here.
The van was already here.
I rushed toward the doors, both Wells and Thatcher already there. They had skull masks on, dressed in all black down to their sneakers.