Page 9 of Before the Bond
"Olivia, good news,” she said. There was the smallest hint of nervousness in her voice. “We need you to shift gears.”
“Shift gears?” I said a little too loudly. “I just got here.”
“I know, I know,” she said. “It’s still the same town, just a new… client. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, who’s this ‘client’?”
“Their file is rather old, but…” Daisy’s voice trailed off. “Here we go. Male, young adult. Hereditary condition, complex management needs. When they heard we had a nurse in the area, they requested a live-in assignment.”
“Live-in?” I asked. “You know I don’t do —”
“Let me finish,” Daisy cut in. “Take this job, and you get triple the regular rate. Don’t you think you’d want that?”
I blinked.
“Triple, you said.”
“Yep. I think you’ll like the next part even more.”
I didn’t realize it, but as Daisy was speaking, I managed to make my way to my car.
“You requested to relocate before, right?” Daisy said. “To another branch?”
“Yes.”
“Well, get this,” Daisy said. “Admin said that if you pulled this off, we could work out getting you something in Los Angeles. That’s what you’ve always wanted.”
Los Angeles.
No more trees. No more cold.
“That’s…” My voice didn’t follow up.
“Do this,” Daisy said. “And you can consider it granted.”
No more memories. No more reminders.
“Well?” Daisy asked. “Will you do it?”
I could go further than I'd ever wanted to go. Away from the Pacific Northwest. Away from Northern California.
“I’ll do it.” I’d never said anything more certain in my life.
“Great!” I could hear Daisy typing things up now. “I promise, you’re going to love this place. You should see the estate. The photos are?—"
"Wait,” I said, just realizing I forgot to ask something important. “You didn’t give me the name of the client.”
“Right,” Daisy said. “I’m sending the file now.”
I reached my car. I opened the e-mail with the attached file on my phone. I froze.
“Here we go,” Daisy said on the other end. I wasn’t listening anymore. “First name, Jake. Family name… “
I looked into the distance, where the mountains were. I remembered Stella’s words.
“I’d be careful going up the mountains.”
I stared at the name on my screen as Daisy pronounced the name that was glaring at me in all caps.
