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Wonder how Teague would feel about helping me bust Red out of the clink?
The Hard Truth 101
Chapter Twelve
 Is there anything you d like to say before we hand down your sentence, Redmond?
 No, sir. Red stood before the council, his back straight and his head held high. No one
needed to know he was biting into the fleshy inside of his cheek so hard the taste of copper
was overwhelming his taste buds and leaking down the back of his throat.
Everything that could be said had been, and he refused to snivel or beg for lenience. He
wasn t even going to apologize. He may have broken the rules, but he d done the right thing.
If push came to shove, he would protect Cadge and Teague all over again. They were the
only family he had left.
 Very well, Zahn replied, shuffling papers on the table in front of him.  After
reviewing your transgressions, the overall deceit, and cyber-crimes alike, it is the decision of
this council to show leniency in deference of your exemplary service record up to this point.
Red s chest deflated like a popped balloon. They weren t going to make an example of
him. Thank God.
 However, Zahn continued,  it is this council s belief that you intentionally broke the
very rules you swore to uphold. Because of this, we have no choice but to discontinue your
service. You will relinquish any property belonging to the council, up to and including your
102 Amanda Young
private apartment within the compound and all arms you may have in your possession. By
daybreak we expect you to have your things cleared out and vacate the premises. In the
future, you will not be allowed in the compound without an escort or other sponsor. Do you
understand, son?
 I&  Red bowed his head, stunned.  I do, sir. Thank you.
 You only have until morning to get your things together and make arrangements. I
trust you ll respect our wishes without having to be forced out.
It wasn t a question, but Red answered nonetheless.  Yes, sir. I ll be gone by morning.
 Perhaps you can call on Mr. Johnson to provide transportation. I believe he left the
guest suite earlier today.
Red s chest constricted.  Maybe so. A pain much like acid reflex built in the back of
his throat.  If I may be excused& 
 Of course. Dario Zahn waved his hand and then turned to say something to the man
sitting next to him.
Dismissed, Red turned and walked out of the room with his pride intact, even if his
emotions were wrecked. Cadge was gone. He shouldn t be surprised, but he was. Even as an
optimistic boy he d known any relationship between them was doomed. That hadn t stopped
him from hoping then, and it hadn t stopped him now.
When am I ever going to learn?
* * * * *
Red swiped his key card through the locking mechanism on the door to his room, his
mind racing, and watched the light flash green for what was probably the last time. The
plastic card felt solid and real in his hand. In a few short hours it would disappear like the
rest of his life. He d leave the compound with all the clothes he could stuff into his one
oversize duffel bag and the money he d stashed over the years. Although he was thankful
The Hard Truth 103
that he got to keep his life, he couldn t help but wish things had ended differently. Once he
could access his finances, money wouldn t be an issue. Until then, he had a problem. The
offshore accounts that held his funds didn t exactly come with bank cards. For the time
being, all he had were a few hundred dollar bills tucked away in his wallet for emergencies.
If this didn t qualify, nothing did.
The how and where part of the equation was a little more difficult to figure out. He
had until sunrise to leave, and then he needed to find somewhere safe from the sun before it
fried his pasty ass. There was always the option of holing up in a motel and sleeping in the
tub during the day, although the cold ceramic was hell on his back. Getting there was going
to be a problem. With the compound located so far out in the boonies, it wasn t as if he could
pick up a telephone and call a cab. He supposed he could ask a favor from Griff if worse came
to worst, but he wasn t looking forward to the amount of shit he would hear about Cadge.
The worst thing was remembering the oh-so-casual way Griff tried to pretend it hadn t
bothered him to learn Red was carrying a torch for someone else when he talked in his sleep.
Griff could be a jackass, but he didn t deserve to know Red had been fucking him and
dreaming about someone else.
Although part of him wasn t surprised, he had a hard time believing Cadge had left
without saying good-bye. He couldn t really blame Cadge, not after the way he d fucked
everything up. However, that didn t make him feel any better. If there was one thing he
knew with all certainty, it was that you didn t run out on someone you loved. He d never
known Cadge to lie -- the other man was almost too honest -- but actions spoke louder than
words.
Red felt like a fucking idiot for believing otherwise -- not an uncommon feeling when [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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