“Yes, sir. I understand, sir.”
And that was that.
Agent Reyes hung up the phone, his knuckles stretching white as he tightened his grip around the device. He hadn’t turned to face me yet, but I could picture so perfectly the outrage charring the gold of his stare pure black.
“So…” I began, teetering a line I shouldn’t have. “You wanna stop and get road snacks?”
Standing with his back to me, Agent Reyes' head disappeared from view as he dropped it low, pinching his fingers over the bridge of his nose.
From behind, I noted the sheer size of him and couldn’t lie that he would be an intimidating man if I at all cared. He was mountainous, wide-berthed shoulders that petered down to a more narrow waist. He could probably snap me in two, and I wondered for a moment if I should ask him just to end both of our misery.
Those broad shoulders pivoted around, a grim expression slacking his face as he looked right over my head. “I hate my life.”
“Join the club, man.”
His eyebrows flattened, and he didn’t say anything. He just breezed right past me, and I tagged along behind him with a pep in my step. Agent Reyes slumped into the driver’s side of his car, and I couldn’t help the bubble of laughter in my throat.
He should be happy. He just didn’t know why yet.
Whether it was when we stopped for food and I made a break to escape or even if I annoyed him until he pushed me out of the moving car, Agent Reyes and I were both going to be able to keep our promises.
He would take me on this trip like my dad wanted.
And I would die like I wanted.
After all, there were plenty of ways to die on a road trip.