A Wolf's Purpose

•Chapter 65• Listening in

Luckily, no one was listening in on their conversation, what he wouldn't give to have a few hours with her. Just her. "It's not that bad, is it?" Jerry asks her. He heard Liz's soft laugh on the other side. "No. You'd think I'd be used to it by now." Jerry gasped as if he was offended. "I'm joking," Liz added quickly. "I promise I will make up for it. When all this is over, we're going to that restaurant you like. You know the one that's not too far from your work. I'll even dress up nicely if that's what you want. Take you out on a date. A real date. We haven't done that in a while." He suggested. This scenario has been planted in his mind for months. He came up with it all the way back when they were at the cabin with Megan. Only back then he thought it would be a date to cover up a murder. That it would be the last time he saw her. It didn't feel like that now. "That does sound nice." Liz replied, "You know what else we could do?"
"Don't." He said in a warning tone. He could hear her whine a little through the phone. "You don't even know what I was gonna say." She said. "I do, actually. You're very predictable." Liz let out a sigh and shifted in her seat. He could hear the couch. "I could come to you. I sneaked in once. I can do it again." She said to him. "As tempting, and slightly threatening, as that sounds, Lovey. You're staying right where you are. You will be safe there." 
"But I want to be with you. It's taking too long." Liz complained. They've been through this more often than not. He missed her. He wanted to be with her. Now that his brothers knew about them there was no problem for her to be around the house. But they weren't in the house. That's the problem. They're always apart. 

Jerry squints his eyes together and pinches the bridge of his nose. He didn't want this. Liz did not deserve this. "I know, I know." He said, "We just gotta figure this out. You know I will. Megan might have found something to help with our case. Everything will be okay."
"Yeah, but what if you don't figure it out?" All of a sudden, she sounded very grown up. Liz was mature for her age but still had some childish flaws every now and again. Right now she sounded like a grown woman, and Jerry felt like a child. "Have some faith in me, will you?" He said to her. "You don't have to say it like that." Liz spat back at him. His words did sound harsh. It wasn't something Jerry would say, usually. Especially not to Liz. He stayed silent for a second or two. He didn't want a fight with her. Not over the phone. "I'm just saying -"
"I know what you meant, baby. It's fine." He cut her off. He scratched his forehead and sighed. "It's hard. I am constantly moving around. Meg's losing her mind. And my dad... I am sorry, Liz. I really am." He said, "I don't want to fight with you. Not over the phone. Not over this."
"Me neither," Liz replied very quietly. "I'd rather argue about the other thing," Jerry said to her, trying to lift her spirits again. He heard a giggle, she couldn't hide it. "I heard that."
"You never want to talk about it. Unless when you're telling me off. You know Jayden would-" Jerry furrows his eyebrows together. "Jayden would what exactly? Care to finish that sentence?" He could see her blush in his mind. God, she looked cute like that. "I heard my name? Is Lizzy talking about me?" Jayden appeared behind his brother. Jerry tried to push him off when Jayden tried to take the phone from his hands. "Hey, let me talk to her. If you're not doing her, I will. If that's what she wants. You've got to give a lady all she wants." Jayden joked but Jerry didn't think it was funny. 

"Jayden," Leah spoke up behind them in a warning tone. Had she been listening too? Jayden looked at her with a cheeky grin. "Jealous, Mrs. Elms?" Leah simply glared at him. Jayden, for some reason, backed away a little while keeping eye contact with Leah. Jerry took this opportunity to slap the back of his brother's head. "You're horrible." he tells him, "Lizzy?" Jayden whined childishly. "Ouch!" 
"Hey, if anything you should be thanking me." Jerry briefly looked at Leah who wasn't paying attention. Jayden smirked at his brother and patted his shoulder. "Thank you. Lizzy, I really hope you've got something special in your closet for when he gets back. He's being a good boy. Mrs. Elms! Jerry just slapped me!" Jerry laughed awkwardly. "I might have something special in my closet, though. Maybe two things." Liz speaks up again. Jerry groaned a little and pinched his nose again. "You're not making it easier, baby."  He recalls saying something similar to her. She had sneaked into his house and surprised him. That was right before Jade ambushed them in the woods and betrayed them. Liz had put so much effort into herself that night. Her hair was all nice and her robe. He never saw what she was wearing underneath... He had to snap himself from his thoughts. "You're not making this easy."
"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Liz teased him through the phone. "Stop talking about it. I'm about to run all the way back to your home." He said. "Door is open."
"Liz, stop," Jerry warned her with a chuckle. 

Jade silently watches as her father discusses something on the phone. She has no idea who he's talking to. She can only focus on the name. Casper. Her father was keeping his promise to her. He'd been texting and calling around with some of his people looking for Casper. That terrible gut-twisting feeling was unbearable. She left the boy behind. Not that she could've dragged him out of there. She was almost unconscious herself. If anyone could find him it would be her dad, right? Casper is all alone out there. She wants to be there with him like he was there for her when she called him. Her mind wandered off to Andrew. He was alone too... He had been alone for so long. She'd barely talked to him. "Keep me posted." Bill put his phone in his pocket and turned to his daughter. She looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Maybe. They're going to check it out." He tells her. Jade nods her head silently. "We are moving soon. Can't stay here for very long." Bill said. "Where are we going?" Jade furrows her eyebrows. "I'm going to take you home. You need a proper place to live. We just need to go there without being seen." He brushed some hair out of her face and kissed the top of her head. "We're going home?"
"Yes. You need your room and your bed. This place won't do." He tells her, "It's also easier with the blood." It felt weird to talk about it. She and her brothers have been taking care of their father for years. Now she needed that same treatment. And going back home with her father felt unreal. "I'm kind of happy to go back home." He said. Jade simply nodded without making a sound. Bill noticed it. "If it is your boyfriend, I will take you to him immediately." He assures her. Jade nodded again. Something was off. She felt weird and couldn't explain it.

"That him?" He questioned. The man beside him hummed in approval. They watched through the window. This young man fitted their boss' description perfectly. Aside from the cuts and bruises on his face and arms. "I thought he wanted him dead." 
"So did I. Never know what he wants. Maybe it's his boy toy, we don't know." The man said. He tilts his head slightly. "Doesn't the boss have a daughter?" The man glared at him. "Don't ask questions." He said. "I'm just saying. Maybe it's her toy." He turned back to the window and pointed at Casper unconscious in the hospital bed hooked up by tubes and wires. "A very broken toy, that is. Boss daughter is a feisty one if that's her doing."