Tori felt glad she had not told them her real plans. Walking out of the building, she thought about what it really meant, and she could not help wondering if being freed was her destiny or her fate.
Remaining after the room had cleared, Dr. Bennet, Warren La Buff, and James Godfry sat in the tiny chamber. Leaning back in his chair, La Buff lamented, “I think we should have brought the judge in on this. He isn't going to be too pleased when he finds out he was duped.”
“How’s he going to find out?” Dr. Bennet countered. “The only way anyone will ever know is if her identity is discovered and a birth certificate is produced, which it won't be. Otherwise, no one will question my judgment.”
La Buff narrowed his eyes at the doctor's words. “Don't get cocky. You better hope no one finds out. I cannot believe I’m even involved in this.”
Godfry gave him a wry grin, “Like you’ve never done anything that was off the books. Come on, this is perfect. The judge signed the papers.” He turned his palms toward the ceiling, indicating his hands were clean. “The girl practically works for us already. All we do now is give her some time on her own, and then we reel her in. You guys can get her off on her little assignment, and when she’s done with that, we offer her a full time job doing what she’s best at.”
The three men stared at one another, considering what Tori Farrell was best at, the pause in the conversation growing long. La Buff nodded slowly, “All I can say is, you’re fucking with a girl who has murdered about a dozen of the worst men we have ever had on the books. You better hope she never finds out you did this to her on purpose, under false pretenses. I don't think she would bat an eyelash at taking care of any of us in the same manner.”
Like New
The trio chatted non-stop as they made their way back to the halfway house. Sharon appeared the most excited, Tori observed, but Brandon looked pretty pleased himself. She smiled genuinely at the couple, content with their happiness for her.
She had been given a card to carry that stated she had been emancipated, so she would be able to conduct business as an adult, but she could also get a copy of the full file if she ever needed one. She had placed the card in her wallet and kept peeking at it as they drove, as if she were afraid it would disappear. She could get a regular picture ID as well, whenever she got herself settled, and mentally added it to her list of tasks for the future.
The group stopped for a late lunch at a large restaurant, and Tori could feel the pulse of the crowd that scurried about them while they ate. Sharon asked her questions and made suggestions, and she allowed the woman her plans for a place near the house so they could remain close.
Brandon sat in silence, watching the girl’s expression as the meal went on, and his wife spoke. He had heard her say she planned to build her life near them, but her body language made him wonder if she had something to hide. He fondly recalled the first time he laid eyes on the tall young woman, when she had exited the tunnel at LAX, so much about her has changed; and yet so much is the same.
After their meal, the three climbed back into his grey Toyota, and they rode in a more peaceful quiet the rest of the way. As soon as the car stopped in the drive, Tori leapt out and announced she needed to visit the shop. She knew the guys there would be on pins and needles, wanting to know the outcome.
She made it to the glass door in record time, practically bouncing over the counter. Opening her wallet, she showed Terry the card, and he gave a loud shout. A little freer with the hugs that day than she had ever been, even Derrick got one. They were still standing around, laughing and talking, when all four members of Indelible walked through the door.
Brian immediately inquired what the celebration was about, and before she could head him off, Max had blurted out, “Tori got emancipated this afternoon.”
She tried to hide her displeasure, having wanted to keep the news to the confines of her small group of friends. She drew a deep breath to clear her thoughts and not spoil the mood. Changing the topic, she introduced herself to the drummer and lead singer of the group, Chuck Stotts and Cody Pierce, respectively. Making the effort, she shook each man's hand in the process. This is a day for celebrating, after all, and she managed a small smile to boot.
After hearing the news, Collin had gotten a funny look on his face. Working his way next to her, he leaned in close enough to whisper in her ear, “So… you're not eighteen?”
Tori blinked at him calmly, thinking about the paper in her wallet for a moment. Hmm, he still smells good, she noted. She had not intended to tell him anything about herself, but now that she had her freedom, what would it hurt? “It's a really long story,” she replied, giving him a coy grin.
“I don't have a date for dinner. We should go, and you can tell me all about it,” the bass player countered her with a teasing tug on a few locks of her hair.
Tori thought it would be better to refuse, but something in the angry glare Brian gave her made her change her mind. “You wanna pick me up or meet somewhere?” she cooed sweetly.
“No time like the present,” he offered her his arm. Taking it, she allowed him to whisk her away, pleased at the sour look that remained on Brian’s features.
Outside, they climbed into the limo. She looked around the car in amazement, and he smiled at her awed expression. Knowing he watched her, she could feel her palms begin to sweat, and she felt unsure that she had made a wise choice.
“What do you like to eat?” he probed, his voice deep and rich.
Tori's heart began to thump, but she managed to reply, “I’m a meat and veggies kind of girl.”
He grinned at her riposte and instructed the driver to head back to the hotel. She shot him a questioning gaze at their destination, but he only continued to smile in response.
The hotel turned out to be spectacular. The foyer had a high ceiling, filled with glass and light. Tori thought he would take her to the restaurant, but instead he led her to his room, which she noted to be equally stunning. As soon as they were inside, he pulled out a menu, and they picked out steaks, salads and vegetables. I wonder if he always eats like this, or if it’s only because I’m here, she pondered while chewing her cheek and studying his profile.
Walking around the suite, she felt reminded how far removed her life had become from what it had once been. Dropping her jacket on an expensive looking chair, she stopped in front of the large wall of glass that looked out over the city. Admiring the view, she exhaled loudly as the sun set, and lights began to twinkle across the skyline.
Collin sidled up beside her, focusing on her bare arms for the first time, “Would you like something to drink? Beer, wine?”
Tori waved her hand, “Naw, I can’t drink that stuff.”
Taking a step back, he asked in a scoffing sort of tone, “Who's gonna know? I'm not gonna tell anyone.” He smiled again, still trying to play it smooth, and keep his eye on the prize.
Turning to face him squarely, Tori realized she stood at the point where she would have to choose. She had a chance to stay clean, but the temptation would always be there. In a stiff voice, she replied, “That's not what I mean. I mean I won't.” She laid her right hand flat against the upper part of her chest for emphasis.
Staring at her for a moment, he got an odd, almost angry, look on his face, but said nothing else.
“I would like water though, if you don't mind.” She smiled, but suspected he regretted bringing her there.
Turning his back, he walked away, leaving her alone for several minutes. When he returned, he held a bottle of water for her in one hand, and a glass bottle in the other.
Tori took the frosty beverage, her face expressionless as she felt unwelcome after his long absence.
He motioned out the window, waving his second beer at the sun as it sank into the shadows. “Beautiful here,” he made another attempt at small talk.
She sipped her water, not bothering to reply.
He cut his eyes over at her, and then chugged his beverage. Their mood broken,
neither of them felt comfortable. A loud knock at the door interrupted the tense moment, and a waiter pushed their dinner into the room. The awkward silence continued as they sat down to eat the delicious meal. If the company had been only half as good, it would have been a wonderful experience.
Chewing slowly, Tori thought about the men she had been with throughout her life. If this would be considered a date, she had not been on many. She sighed deeply, thinking how the only thing she really had going for her was her body, and that, she did not want to use. Staring down at her plate, she suspected he hadn't really asked her there to hear her story.
This man probably couldn't care less about me personally. He only wanted one thing, the same thing most men want: another conquest. She suddenly felt overly warm, her anger beginning to grow. I gotta get out of here. Standing, she spit her words curtly, “Thanks for the lovely evening,” and grabbing her jacket, headed for the door.
He watched her go, still eating and drinking from his third bottle. She wasn’t all that after she got her jacket off anyways; some serious scars for damn sure, he muttered to himself in consolation.
Tori made it down to the lobby, where she asked the clerk to call her a cab. A few minutes later, she sat in the back seat, headed for home. The ride seemed a lot longer from inside the taxi than it had from the window of the limo. While she rode, her thoughts churned. Taking care of the physical needs of some spoiled man isn’t part of my job; at least not anymore.
She swore to herself she would choose the next man she lay with far more carefully than she had in the past. Of course, she hadn't taken the alcohol either, and that probably helped her keep her resolve. She wasn't happy with the outcome, but then again she felt pretty confident she would still feel the same if she had given in to him, only to be discarded afterwards.
By the time she arrived at the house, she had the words to a song rolling around in her head. Stomping up the stairs, she grabbed her journal and put them down on paper. Thinking she liked the way they sounded, she decided she would make sure she had time in the morning to play and try for some music to go with her lyrics. It may have been her first attempt at song writing, but from the peace it gave her in her chest, she had a feeling it would not be her last.
Sitting in the wooden rocker, she thought about the plans she had made. She knew where she had to go first when she left, but after that, only an idea of what she wanted. She had learned so many skills at the shop; she felt confident she could run a small business if she were able to open one.
She had enjoyed rebuilding the bike, too. Rocking slowly, she allowed herself to imagine rebuilding them for a living, buying broken down motorcycles and making them like new again. In a way, that’s what Brandon, Sharon and the others had done for her; taken someone who had been broken and made her like new. But soon, it would be solely up to her to stay that way.
His Little Girl
When Tori awoke the next morning, she could feel her heart pounding with anticipation. She rushed to get to the store as early as she could, hoping she would not be interrupted. Scurrying about, she finished up the paperwork and opened the registers. Finally, she made a quick trip around the store, and then headed for the instruments on the wall. Pulling down her favorite, her fingers trembled with excitement.
Setting up quickly, she began to run through the music she had mentally written the night before. After a few minutes, she pulled out the piece of paper, the edge jagged where she had removed it from the spiral. Laying it on top of the amp, she played the guitar and went through the words together, and then she began to sing.
Tori didn't know how to write music on paper, so she made some notes for herself on the page of lyrics as to what she had in mind. She continued to play through and sing, making changes until she had it exactly the way she wanted. Folding up the paper to put back in her pocket, she put the guitar away, ready to open the doors when the time came. All day, her mind kept returning to the song, like an obsession she couldn’t shake.
The next morning went much the same, with Tori taking out the guitar to work on her creation. This time, however, she knew what she wanted, and she practiced it many times, until it sounded the way she heard it in her mind, and she could sing it the way she had envisioned.
Now, all she had to do was wait, and hope for the opportunity to play the song for Collin Graham. Not because she ever wanted to be famous or anything like that, but rather because she had written the song for him. It held her story and explained her as a person. Basically, all the things he had ignored about her the night she had dinner with him at his hotel. She didn't have a lot of time though, as the contest would be the next day, with the finals the following afternoon.
That evening, Terry came in, and everyone worked to set up for the contest. Those who were going to play in the competition had already registered during the autograph session. At five minutes each, it would take over four hours to hear them all.
The store had a very large sales floor, so the fixtures were shifted to create a larger seating area around the small stage and chairs were set up and roped off. A judge’s table had been placed along the wall end of the instrument case where a group of execs from the record label would sit to choose the winners.
While she worked, Tori thought about her plans for after the event ended, and she would be on her way. She wondered if she shouldn't mention to her boss that she intended to leave. She had not planned to do so. In fact, she had not planned on telling anyone; she would simply get up the next day and be gone. Thinking about it at the moment made her fidget anxiously.
Finally, she made her decision. Staying late, Tori waited until everyone had departed, and she had him to herself.
Terry beamed, finally beginning to feel they were ready for their big event. He stood next to the stage area, admiring their work as she waited patiently for her chance to clear the air. He smiled at her excitedly, eager to see how this would work out for him.
She liked seeing him so happy, and for a moment thought about reconsidering her choice. He grinned broadly when he thanked her for staying after to make sure everything would be perfect.
For a moment, she allowed him to gush on; then holding up her hand, she announced, “That’s not really the reason why I’m here.”
Terry's smile shrank a bit, “What’re you talking about?”
“I have something I need to discuss with you,” she answered quietly.
Sensing her heightened emotions, he reached out to squeeze her upper arm, “Then spit it out. You need something?”
Tori looked up at her friend and mentor. Drawing a deep breath, she allowed it to escape slowly before she began. This’s going to be harder than I thought. “After the event is over, I’m leaving.” She blurted the news out, hoping his reaction would be calm.
Stunned, he stood for a full minute considering her words in silence. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if the words were stuck, refusing to come out. Eventually he asked, “Is there a particular reason why?”
To this, Tori nodded, and tried to explain. “I’m emancipated. That means I don’t need supervision, and I can go wherever I want.”
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, like he wanted to protest, but she cut him off with her hand, and continued, “Just hear me out, ok? What I mean is, I’m able to take care of myself, not that I want to go. But I have to go. I can't stay here. I’ve betrayed a very powerful organization. I got lucky with Enrique. His finding me could have turned out very ugly for me and for a lot of other people. I can't take that risk. You guys mean too much to me.”
Tori paused for a moment, licking her lips anxiously. “You guys are like the family I never had. The last thing I want is to see any of you hurt because of me. The Organization would do that; they would hurt or kill people I care about just to get to me or to punish me.”
She stopped there, seeing Terry's expression become grave. He knew what she was talking about. He had seen what bad men could and would do during his ye
ars as a Fed. He knew she was right; being there put everyone around her at risk.
“But there are always going to be people, Tori.” He desperately wanted to change her mind. “No matter where you go, there are always people. We would look after you because we care about you. How do you know the people where ever you end up will do that for you?”
Tori shrugged, his logic somehow sounding flawed, as she had no intention of forming new relationships. She wanted to be alone, away from people. It would be the only way to make sure no one else paid the price for her actions. Besides, it was painful enough to leave. The last thing she wanted was to care about more people she would someday lose.
After a few more minutes of debate, Terry realized he wasn’t going to change her mind. “Have you told anyone else?” he asked quietly.
She explained she did not think that would be a wise course of action. “It’s imperative that no one know where I’m headed.” She intended to slip away quietly. “I only thought it better to let you know since you will have to replace me.”
Terry smiled at her thoughtfulness; she realizes what her absence will mean. He had come to care so much for her, it broke his heart that she intended to leave and never speak to him, or any of them, again.
Deep down, he knew this had been a difficult decision for his young charge, even though she chose what she believed to be right. He could not fault her for that, or for caring more for others than she did for herself. Nodding slowly, he asked, “What can I do?”
“Please tell everyone that I’ll miss them. And tell them not to worry; I’m going to be ok.” Stepping forward, she threw her arms around him, remembering the day they had met that she had refused to even shake his hand.
Rocking her back and forth, Terry stroked her long dark hair for several minutes. When he released her, he gave her a weak smile while fighting back the tears. He had never had any children, but for a brief time, she had been his little girl.
A New Life Series - Starter Kit Page 30