Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 2

ANOTHER LONG DAY

Joshua Bailey's nightly routine:

1. FEED PETE DINNER

2. GET PETE CLEANED UP

3. HOLD PETE UNTIL HE FALLS ASLEEP

IT'S NOT MUCH, BUT I DON'T HATE THIS LIFE.

ACTUALLY, I'M CONTENT.

HELL, WHEN PETE LEAVES FOR COLLEGE, I'LL PROBABLY CRY MY EYES OUT.

HELLO?

...JOSH, WHAT DO I DO?

EMMA? WHAT HAPPENED? CALM DOWN.

IT'S MOM, UGH, SHE COLLAPSED. SHE'S IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW.

WHAT? TAKE A BREATH AND TELL ME SLOWLY.

IS SHE IN THE ER?

MHM, UHH.

HOW IS SHE DOING? WHAT DID THE DOCTOR SAY?

SHE'S STABLE FOR NOW.

BUT THEY SAID SHE NEEDS TO STAY FOR A FEW DAYS.

THEY WANT TO RUN MORE TESTS TOO.

WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

THEY SAID LAST TIME WAS THE LIMIT. THEY WON'T COVER ANYTHING ELSE.

I ALREADY TOLD WORK I NEED TIME OFF, AND I'M LOOKING INTO A BANK LOAN.

JOSH, I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONE.

SHE WOULDN'T ANSWER ME, WASN'T BREATHING, NOTHING, AAH.

EMMA, BREATHE. HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY SLEEP?

Hic, no...

TAKE A BREAK. YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH

I'LL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT, OKAY? DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

MHM, JOSH... PLEASE DO.

HAA...

NO INSURANCE. NO LOANS.

WHAT'S LEFT IN THE SAVINGS?

DADDY?

OH, PETE, YOU’RE AWAKE.

COME HERE.

THAT’S IT.

...IT'LL BE OKAY. I'LL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.

M. SECURI SERVIC

GOOD MORNING, ROSE.

HI, JOSH. BOSS ISN'T IN YET, YOU'RE EARLY.

WANT SOME COFFEE?

YEAH, THANKS.

GIVE ME A MINUTE.

DID YOU SEE THE PAPER?

THE PROSECUTOR ON THAT NEW YORK MURDER CASE.

HE'S REALLY HANDSOME, RIGHT?

THINK HE'S AN ALPHA OR OMEGA?

NO IDEA...

Here's your coffee.

HE COULDN'T BE A BETA.

THEY DON'T USUALLY LOOK LIKE THAT, BUT WHO KNOWS?

MOST ALPHAS OR OMEGAS

WHO MANIFEST PROPERLY IN THEIR TEENS ARE INSANELY ATTRACTIVE.

YOU CAN USUALLY TELL AT A GLANCE WHETHER THEY'RE ONE OR THE OTHER, PHEROMONES OR NOT.

I REALLY THOUGHT YOU'D BE AN ALPHA, JOSH.

A FACE LIKE YOURS, BUT YOU'RE A BETA? SHOCKING, REALLY.

HAH, IF ONLY.

I'M NOT A BETA OR AN ALPHA.

I'M AN OMEGA. WITH THE MARK TO PROVE IT.

IF I DIDN'T WORK AS A BODYGUARD, I WOULDN'T BOTHER HIDING IT.

NO ONE HIRES OMEGAS AS BODYGUARDS.

MY PHEROMONES ARE WEAK ENOUGH TO SUPPRESS WITH MEDS,

AND PEOPLE JUST ASSUME I'M AN ALPHA.

THE MARK BEHIND MY EAR?

EASY TO HIDE WITH TAPE OR AN EARPIECE.

HOW OLD'S PETE NOW?

ISN'T RAISING A KID ALONE TOUGH?

IT'S MANAGEABLE.

BUT DON'T YOU THINK A KID NEEDS A MOTHER?

I COULD DO WITHOUT THIS KIND OF "CONCERN."

ROSE, YOU'RE STANDING A LITTLE TOO CLOSE.

STILL NO WORD FROM PETE'S MOM?

POOR KID, HE MUST MISS HER SO MUCH.

ROSE, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU FIGHTING HER IN YOUR HEAD OVER ME.

WHAT 'MOM'? THERE IS NO HER.

WELL, WHO KNOWS? SHE COULD SHOW UP ONE DAY OUT OF NOWHERE.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, I HEAR FOOTSTEPS.

MAYBE SHE'S HERE NOW.

WHAT?

ARE YOU MESSING WITH ME?

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE SO EARLY IN THE MORNING?

OH!

MORNING, MARK.

YOU WAITING FOR ME? JOSH, COME IN.

WOULD IT KILL YOU TO ACCEPT SOME HELP? RAISING A KID ALONE CAN'T BE EASY.

HIS MOM'LL COME BACK ONCE SHE'S DONE WITH SCHOOL.

YEAH, SURE.

MARK, CAN I ASK FOR AN ADVANCE?

HOW MUCH?

...TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS?

YOU GAMBLING?

NO, MY MOM'S SICK. I NEED MONEY FOR HER TREATMENT.

OH... SHE HAD HEALTH ISSUES, RIGHT? HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

YEAH, AND HER KIDNEYS ARE BAD.

I'VE GOT SOME SAVINGS, BUT IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

CAN'T YOU HELP ME OUT?

I'LL TAKE ANY JOB. GUARD DUTY, WHATEVER.

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE TEN GRAND DOING THAT?

BE REALISTIC.

YEAH, I FIGURED.

...BUT THERE IS ONE JOB.

REALLY?

PAY'S GOOD AND THE CONDITIONS ARE BEARABLE.

IT'S A VERY NICE DEAL.

A LUMP SUM PAYMENT AROUND THE AMOUNT YOU MENTIONED.

BUT THE CLIENT'S THE PROBLEM...

WHO IS IT?

...CHASE C. MILLER.

YOU REMEMBER HIM, DON'T YOU? YOU WORKED SECURITY FOR HIM A FEW YEARS BACK.

HOW COULD I FORGET?

THOSE PIERCING VIOLET EYES LOOKING DOWN ON ME.

THAT BLINDINGLY GOLDEN HAIR.

CHASE C. MILLER, HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN BOY.

THE MAN WHO MARKED ME,