Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I feel like the pre-requisite grouchy old man as I pull the door, only to find it locked despite the other government-issued cars parked out front.
I practice deep breaths and calm thoughts as I pull out my key and slide it into the lock.
"In here," my supervisor, Dale Fredricks, calls from deeper in the office.
I follow the sound of his voice, finding the man sitting behind my desk.
If I've learned anything while working for ICE, it's that supervisors don't like to be challenged. Doing so could make for a very long day for me.
"Morning," I tell him, dropping my satchel by the door, before taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
"I'm going over this report," he says instead of greeting me back like a civilized person.
Hell, I'm a hundred percent certain Hemlock hates me and the man still shook my hand and treated me with respect when I was at the cabin the other day.
Dale can't even look up from the folder in his hands to acknowledge me.
"Which report?" I ask, because I have several irons in the fire.
"The Winslow case."
I do my best to hide my reaction, even though he isn't looking at me.
"I think Agent Crews took things too far. She should've—"
"She might be a better fit for that group in Gatlinburg," he says, looking up at me for the first time.
"She needs a vacation," I counter. "She's been working for eighteen months straight."
"So Gatlinburg?"
"It isn't a dumping ground for agents who can't keep their shit together in the field," I say with as little emotion to my voice as I can manage.
"You don't think she's a good candidate?"
"I don't make team decisions for Cerberus," I remind him.
"But you can make a recommendation."
I pull in a deep breath, my irritation growing with every word coming out of his mouth.
"I would not recommend Megan Crews to join Cerberus."
He frowns, but I can tell by the gleam in his eyes that he fully expected my response. He should know better than to think that she'd be a good fit.
"Speaking of vacations. When was the last time you took a break?"
My jaw clenches, the muscles in my cheeks growing taut.
"If it's been too long to remember, then maybe it's time you took a break for a while as well."
There's no sense in arguing with the man. The last vacation I took was also a suggested vacation, and he has to know that because he was the one to facilitate it the last time.
"I'll take two weeks," I tell him as I stand.
"You'll take a month," he counters, his eyes challenging me to argue.
I know doing so could either land me in forced retirement or a reprimand in my folder for the way Agent Crews' last case was handled.
"I have a lot of things in the air right now," I argue.
"And we have agents that can easily step in and handle those."
I want to rip his head from his shoulders, but doing that to a supervisor is frowned upon, no matter what organization you work for.
"I appreciate that," I tell him. "I'll get the paperwork filled out and the request placed this week."
I turn to leave, but he clears his throat, an indication that he isn't done with me.
"I've gone ahead and worked on that request for you. All I need is your signature," he says, holding the top page up. "Here and here."
I'm spitting fucking nails by the time I make it back out to my car. I thought I'd at least have a few days to clear some shit before he shoved me out the door, but it looks like my forced month-long vacation starts today.
It leaves me no choice but to call Kincaid, but when I pull my phone out, I falter.
Maybe a true vacation, one with a beach and drinks delivered by hot waitresses, is just what I need, but then I remember that skin cancer is a real thing at my age, and I hate fucking sand.
Chapter 4
Cora
"Please explain to me why they couldn't come to us?" William asks, his eyes locked outside of the car as we trudge along slowly through Pigeon Forge.
"They scheduled the meeting," I explain. "I didn't argue. We're lucky they're willing to meet with us."
"Lucky." He scoffs under his breath. "Lucky would've been if Sadie wasn't such a brat or, hell, if she was never born at all. Our family could've done a lot better had she not been so willing to show her ass around every turn."
"Don't say things like that," I chastise. "She's our sister."
"This is a waste of time and effort. She'll come crawling back and beg for more money for drugs like she always does."
"She has never stayed gone this long," I remind him. "Not without so much as a text or answering her phone and telling me to leave her alone before hanging up."