Page 98 of Broken Mercy
She pushes herself to her feet and drifts toward the truck. “I have one more question before I let you go do whatever you plan on doing. Is that the only one?”
“Only one of what?”
“You know. Come on, a thief can’t have just one safe house, right?”
I laugh despite myself and wave her off. “See you later, Riles.”
My sister watches as I drive off, the truck filled with all my old stuff. It’s shockingly empty. Now that I’ve been living with Tallie for a month, I’m getting dangerously used to having things like blankets, pillow, decorative soap, that kind of domestic crap I avoided like a plague.
But that stuff is home now. It’s comfort and I like it. I don’t have to live like a hermit with all my earthly possessions carried on my back.
I don’t have to run anymore.
I slow the truck and park outside my penultimate stop for the day. I shade my eyes as I climb out, squinting at the person waiting out front for me.
Haik Sarkissian ambles down, grinning like he always does, and roughly shakes my hand. “Didn’t think you’d show,” he grunts and laughs very loudly. “Glad you did though.”
“I wouldn’t last the night if I refused.”
“Damn right. Come in, come in. None of the kids are around for this, don’t worry. I made sure of it.”
I follow Tallie’s father through his house. She didn’t want to be here with me and I understand why. Being in here brings back old memories and makes her feel like the person she used to be, which is exactly what she’s trying to avoid right now. Eventually we’ll come here for family dinners and all that stuff, but for now it’s the two of us trying to figure out who we are and doing it together.
Haik slides open the back door and steps onto his porch. A burn barrel is set up in the middle of the yard surrounded by gravel. He gestures at it like it’s a party trick.
“Doesn’t look like much,” I comment.
“What did you expect? A full fucking band to play the funeral march?” He nods at the bag I’m holding. “Did you bring them?”
“Every copy.” I hand it over.
He peeks inside and gives it back. “I’ll trust you.”
“But does Arsen?”
“I think so, otherwise he’d be here to do it himself.” We walk toward the barrel. Haik takes his time throwing in some kindling and squirting in a bit of lighter fluid. “Do you really have all of them?” he asks like he’s trying very hard not to sound curious.
I know what he’s thinking. These ledgers are power over the Patron of the Brotherhood and a man like Haik can hardly help himself. The idea of having copies is too seductive.
“It’s really all of them.” I give him a pointed look as I dump the bag into the barrel. “And they’re all burning.”
He sighs wistfully but doesn’t argue. I accept a matchbook, light one, and toss it after the ledgers. I have to throw a second before they catch.
We stand back and watch the smoke lazily rise into the air.
I wasn’t lying to him. These really are all my copies. The originals were returned to Arsen weeks ago and this meeting was set up after everyone was comfortable with the deal and the blowback. Now I’m destroying my leverage and if Arsen decides he wants to kill me and Tallie, he sure as hell can do it without any repercussions.
It takes a lot of effort not to keep some trick hidden away, some secret page copied just in case, but that was the old Brenden. That was how the thief used to think, always working a new angle, playing a new game. It’s not the person I want to be anymore and truly burning these books in front of Haik is an important victory, like getting rid of the extra apartments with Riley, and like telling Tallie how I feel.
No more hiding. No more running away.
This is my future and there’s no changing it anymore.
“Well, that’s fine.” Haik turns from the barrel. “I’ll report back to the boss. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”
“I hope so.”
“It was crazy, what you did. Auditing his damn books like that. Stealing from the Davises.” Another loud laugh. I can’t tell if Haik actually buys that story or not. “He must’ve put you up to it from the start.”
