(Formerly known as "When Our Paths Crossed")
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A tale of two lost souls brought together by pain, grief and trauma.
Atlas tries to find a place in a world he's worked so hard to escape. Elijah struggles to balance the life he's building and the...
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JASON STANDS BETWEEN Eli and me. Eli stares at Jason, his chin set with his trademark determination. He has yet to look at me. I want to scream at him to look at me, but June's hand is gripping my arm so tightly I'm starting to lose feeling in it.
Upset by the sudden commotion, Sam lifts his head groggily, clutching Jason's shirt with one hand, rubbing his sleepy eyes with the other. I can't see him either, but he starts babbling happily, reaching for him as soon as he sees Eli.
Jason ignores my nephew and scoops down to pick up the bag. "Where's the rest of it, Elijah?"
"I have it," Eli replies. "But I'm not giving it to you until you release the kid."
There's a coolness in his tone I've never heard before. He doesn't seem scared or jumpy. He's facing this head-on with a stony mask that I don't think even Dan could have managed. Silently, I applaud his courage.
"You're in no position to negotiate," Jason warns, adjusting Sam, the baby now balancing on his hip. "Atlas is awake now, and the doctor said he could go home soon, so your time is precious. I wouldn't waste it by playing games."
"I'm not playing games," Eli says. He crosses his arms, and I catch a glimpse of a smirk ghosting his lips. "I imagine you're hurting quite a bit financially, right? That's why you're so hell-bent on getting it back. Fifty thousand probably wasn't a whole lot of money to you back when you first started, but now you have to deal with the younger generation coming in and taking your business away. Suddenly, fifty k is a blow to your whole operation.
"Initially, Dan started skimming drugs from you because he needed the extra money. He felt bad for what he'd done to me and wanted to make it up to me by saving enough money to get through university. He probably wasn't even aware that he was moving in on your business, literally stealing it. But you had no hard proof, except that some drugs were missing from your production facility. You couldn't sick the police on him because you would go down too. That's why you had him killed, right? Were you intending on killing Rin too? Since she's your biggest competitor."
Eli's words hit me like the truck that rammed into the car that night of the accident. Horror must be visible on my face because Eli finally turns to me and gives me a sombre smile. He didn't need to say anything, but I knew that he was struggling with that revelation as well. The accident wasn't an accident after all. I'm confined to a wheelchair because of the greedy asshole standing three feet in front of me.
The shock soon burns quickly as the flames of rage ignite within me.
If that confrontation impacted Jason, the crime lord did an impeccable job hiding it. He tapped the gun absently against his thigh as he considers Eli. "Look at you playing detective. Dan was smart, but I'm starting to think you're smarter. I suppose it wasn't entirely an accident, but I didn't send the truck out to kill him if that's what you think. It was more of a suggestion. Take something to ease the guilt and pain, then go for a drive. It was quite easy. As for Rin, well, she's a tough cookie. It still doesn't explain to me why the rest of my drugs aren't here, though."
