Page 69 of Obey

Maddox claps him on the back. “Hey, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I doubt you did anything wrong.”

Jim leans closer, and I grimace when I realize his eyes are tearing up. “I didn’t tell Brad he had to leave. I woulda… I’d’ve… I don’t care about that kind of stuff, all right?”

“Who’s Brad?” I ask, although I already have a sneaking suspicion.

“My son,” Jim answers. He wipes his eyes. “He coulda stayed. I wasn’t gonna kick him out just ‘cause he was… like you.”

I tense up. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that people were able to see through us, considering how hard it’s been not to touch each other.

Maddox looks at me again, and his voice is gentle when he says, “You’ve been nothing but kind to us. I bet he understood that you wouldn’t judge him for who he loves, but…” He casts a glance around the bar. “A lot of people wouldn’t say the same. Doesn’t matter if it’s a small town or a bigger one like where we’re from.”

“Yeah,” I add awkwardly. “You’re a good guy, Jim. Much better than most people I know.”

Ain’t that the truth. I get along with the others in the Cresci organization, but I don’t know that I could call them good. Hell, if Jim knew half the shit Maddox and I have done, he wouldn’t be sobbing out his sorrows to us right now.

“He calls,” Jim says, “but he doesn’t visit. He’s not far! Only in New Valence. I just want to see my son.”

Fucking hell. Of course Maddox had to go and feign sympathy and invite this sort of disclosure.

Maddox hums, and I can see him carefully compartmentalizing what we’ve been through as he says, “He’s lucky to have you, Jim. Really. Don’t forget that.”

Jim starts sobbing openly then, and I hastily cast a look around for Charlie or Hank or Rebecca—anyone who is better equipped to comfort him than we are.

Of course, they’re nowhere to be found, and even Maddox looks alarmed by this.

Not so empathetic after all, I note, which would be funny if it wasn’t for the fact that a drunk man is pouring out his problems to us.

“Hey, Jim, let’s get you out of here,” I say. Maddox nods at me, and between the two of us, we manage to get Jim out of his chair. He leans heavily against me, and I support most of his weight as we stumble to the entrance.

“Where are your keys, Jim?” I ask him once we’re outside.

“Dunno. Patty wanted to take the truck. I fought for her though,” Jim says through soft sobs.

I look around for his truck, and I spot Hank making out with a blond woman up against the side of the building. That explains where he went, at least.

Maddox notices and says, “Hey, Hank! Sorry to interrupt, but…”

Hank immediately pulls away from the woman. “It’s not what it looks like!”

I roll my eyes. “It looked like you and the lady were having a good time. But we don’t care. We just want to get your uncle home.”

The woman laughs and pushes him toward us. “Go on. Help sad ol’ Jim. I can wait.”

Hank makes a few apologetic sounds, but he approaches me. “Man, he always gets like this when he’s drunk.”

“We just need the…” Maddox starts to say, but the rest of it is drowned out by the sound of motorcycles.

We all tense. Maddox and I get closer to the truck so we’re shadowed and not immediately visible.

Hank and his girlfriend are slower. The motorcycles pull into the parking lot while the two of them are still gaping like idiots.

I start fumbling along Jim’s pockets to find those keys. We need to get out of here.

“I’m not like that,” Jim mumbles. “You should talk to my son.”

Fuck, this is not the time.

“We’ll talk to him,” Maddox promises, holding him up so I can dig for the keys. “But for now, let’s get going.”

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