Page 31 of Absolute Valor

Her phone rings in her pocket, surprising her in the process. “Oh, I never get calls.” She says surprised as she fishes the phone Dylan gave her from the pocket of the sweater she always wears.

“Hello?”

“Yes, this is Audrey Helms?” Her brows furrow as she concentrates to listen. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were with?” Dylan glances in the rearview mirror, his worried expression grows as he listens hard to her side of the conversation.

“Sir, can you tell me who paid the past due amount?”

I’d been waiting for this call all day long, preparing for a little resistance, and perhaps a few tears. Audrey would need to become accustomed to having a good man take care of her.

“Yes, sir, thank you. Someone will be there in the morning. You too, sir.” Audrey ends the call, slowly lowering the phone to her lap.

“Why did you do that?” Her voice monotone, her eyes still fixed on the leather of the seat in front of her.

“If you’re worried about the money—”

“It’s not about the money,” she cuts me off.

“Then what?”

“Never mind.” She spits, angrily shoving the phone back into her pocket.

“No, it is something. And as stubborn as you think you are, you ain’t got nothin’ on me. I once waited four days for an insurgent to come out of hiding, in the desert sun. Hell, I’ve got air conditioning and a soft fucking chair in here, so I’m all set.” Placing my arms across my chest, I prop my feet on the seat in front of me and cross my ankles in a huff.

She tries to avoid looking at me, sticking her fingers in her hair with her knees to her chest. “Audrey Faith, why don’t you want the electricity back on at your house?” Angry tears fall down her face and her bottom lip trembles, but I hold steady. “Why would you chose live in a filthy closet, instead of a house you paid for? Who in their right mind would give up their home and be homeless voluntarily?”

“Audrey, please answer my brother.” Dylan warns from the driver’s seat, using the tone he saved for the criminals he’s arrested. Audrey shakes her head, the tears now running in long angry streaks down her face.

“Don’t make me call Priscilla.” I threatened, having no real intention of doing so. “She’s married to a prosecuting attorney and has her ways of pulling out the truth.”

Her body shakes with sobs and in a normal situation, I would pull her into my arms and tell her she can keep her secret. But I’m done with women I want to get closer to keeping shit from me.

“Tell me why.” I pull her hands out of her hair, wrapping my hands around each wrist, and stare into her red rimmed eyes, as I enunciate each word through clenched teeth.

“To protect Grace, all right!” She shouts, but I’m not easily swayed. I remember Ginny using the same name when she confessed her scheme to Audrey on my security system.

“And who is this Grace?” I demand, squeezing her wrists a little harder. She shakes her head, scrunching her face up as sobs wrack her body harder. “Audrey, I’m not fucking playing! Who the fuck is Grace?” Dylan has slowed the SUV to a stop alongside the road and turned around to face her.

“Answer him! Right fucking now!” Phones start ringing, no doubt Daddy wondering what’s wrong with the car. We all choose to ignore them, every eye remaining on Audrey.

“She’s my daughter… okay?”

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