Assurance

Six | Business Calls

SIX

" L E W I S "

We finish our food, and begin to clean up the mess. We do it in a comfortable silence. It's nice. We walk around the kitchen bumping into each other. She practically bumps into me each time she walks to the cubbers to put something away. Bailey apologies with a sassy chuckle.

But then, of course my phone rings. "I'll be right back." I announce walking into my office. I look at my phone, it's Joseph. "What?" I spit into the phone.

"Grim. I need to call a meeting with you." He says. "Can you meet me at my warehouse?" He asks.

"Is it urgant?" I counter.

"Very." Joseph answers.

"I have your daughter with me." I state, trying to get out of the meeting.

"I don't want her to come. Leave her somewhere safe. How is she doing?" He asks.

"She is doing fine." I answer. "When do you need me there?"

"How about five this afternoon?" He asks.

"Yea, yea. I'll be there." Then I hang up the phone before he can get another word in. He tends to continue talking, way too much. And I am having a good morning. I walk back out to the kitchen to see it's spotless. And Bailey is nowhere to be seen. "Bailey?" I called out.

"I am here." She calls back. I follow the voice to the living room couch. She lays there with the remote in her hand as she flips through the channels.

"What are you doing?" I ask while sitting on the recliner.

"Nothing." She answers.

And that's how the day goes. We sit, eat, watch TV, and talk. I've never wasted a full day like this. I still have to go see Joseph later, but for right now I'm relaxed. For a little while I forgot about my life.

- 2:14 pm -

"Bailey." I say breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" She replies, still focused on the TV.

"I have a meeting that I have to leave for soon. You have to stay here. Up in your room until I get back. I'm trusting that you will stay in your room, okay?" At this point I have her full attention, television off, and she is sitting up looking at me.

"Okay? What's that supposed to mean?" She snaps.

"It means what I said. You must stay in your room." I repeat.

"I need to stalk up then." She states walking into the kitchen. She didn't sound too happy.

I follow into the kitchen, and she doesn't even glance in my direction. "Are you mad?" I question.

"Nope." She mumbles as she plops some chips on the island.

"You look mad." I answer.

"Well, I'm not." She scoffs.

"It's for your safety." I said to her.

"It always is." I barely hear what she says.

"Be mad all you want, but this is how it's going to work." I explain trying to stay calm.

She doesn't say anything else. Just gathers her food and walks up to her room. I don't follow her. I just go to my room and get out a maroon button up, and black trousers with black dress shoes. I have to look fancy, and intimidating. I then take a shower and fix up my hair. Once I am all dressed and ready, I go to Bailey's room, but then I realize she is in the shower.

"Bailey?" I say knocking on the door gently.

"What?" She replies.

"Can I come in?" I ask.

"I don't care." She answers.

I open the door and hear the water plop onto the ground from her hair. "Uh, Bailey. I don't know when I'll be back. But if you need anything, there is a flip phone in your closet on the top shelf." I state. "But that doesn't mean call the police. It only works for my number." I say.

"Okay." She simply says.

"I'll see you later then." I say before closing the door.

God, I hope she does as she is told.

- 4:59 pm -

I walk into the meeting room with two of my guards behind me. I have another two groups outside waiting for any orders. Before I take a seat, Joseph shakes my hand.

"Grim, thank you for meeting with me." He says. I take a seat across from him.

"Let's get into the meeting." I ordered.

"Alright. To get to the point. I need some help."

"Define 'help'." I counter.

"I need some of your men." Joseph states.

"How many?" I ask him.

"How many can you give me?"

"I thought you wanted to deal with this issue, you got yourself into, all by yourself?" I state.

"Grim. I need some help so I can end this and get back to my daughter." Joseph explains.

"You are lucky I care enough for your daughter. I'm only helping her. Not you. You put her in danger. You are a dirtbag father, who can't do anything without calling for help." I spit.

"That was years ago. I apologized." He says through gritted teeth.

"An apology doesn't bring him back." I snap. "You sent my brother to his death."

"Ezekiel was a great soldier. I am sorry." He tries to calm me down.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance. I have to do some moving around. But I'll loan you an army." I say as I stand. Before I walk out the door I turn to look at him. "And it's not for you." Then I walk out of the door.

The only reason I am helping him is so Bailey can eventually see her father again. Only for Bailey. Just for Bailey. She'll be happier with a father. I have to keep reminding myself that so I actually send him the army I said I would.

- 6:18 pm -

I sit down at my office, and try to see who I can move around. I'll send the people I trust. People I know he won't be able to murder like Ezekiel. A few years ago, my brother was with Joseph and Joseph told him he needed to get on a helicopter to get some supplies. But the helicopter got shot down. Killing Ezekiel. Come to find out the supplies were already there and he was sent into a war zone. Now he is gone. Gone because of his negligence.

- 1:23 am -

I walk into the house and right up the stairs. I am so exhausted. After hours I finally got the regimed perfect, and ready to send it to Joseph. I am so ready to just lay in bed and sleep. Before I go to my room, I see Bailey's door is creaked open. I knock before walking in to see it's empty. I begin to panic.

I race all around the house looking for her. No luck. Not even in the pantry. I race back upstairs and notice my bedroom door is opened just a little bit. When I open it all the way, I let out a breath of relief. She is laying in my bed with the remote next to her hand. She lays in the middle of the bed with the pillows stacked around her. She looks so comfortable.

I look at her for a long moment before I snap back into reality. I change into a pair of shorts and wash my face, getting ready for bed. After that I walk back into my room and lay at the end of the bed with a throw blanket over my back. As my eyes begin to close, I watch Bailey as she sleeps peacefully. Then I'm asleep.