Harley's Choice Read Free Page A

lid was the letter, a pink
letter, dread filled my stomach. No, no he wouldn’t do this to me
now. He knew I was on vacation and we had a branch in LA for all
west coast hits. I slid my finger under the flap and ripped it
open.
    It read:
    My darling
daughter,
    I knew you would be half
out of your nerves by now so I sent something along to help calm
you. Now don’t worry, you are not needed for any jobs there. We
have Delta for those. I just wanted you to know that I love you and
I worry, and I always think ahead.
    Enjoy your
vacation,
    Love Dad
    I was officially confused. I placed the
letter on the bed and opened the package. There was Baby, my
Remington M24 .308 with synthetic stock…aww dad! I loved that man.
I pulled her out and placed her on the bed.
    I went back to the box and saw another box,
smaller, with a tiny card attached.
    Hars-
    Go! Have fun!
    See you on
Tuesday
    Kari
    I opened the box then dropped it! I blushed
beat red, inside lay a strip of Trojans. I am going to kill her! I
placed the offending box in the draw next to the bed, I may blush
but it was no reason not to be careful. I was about to put the box
down when yet a third box grabbed my attention. This one was longer
and one word printed across the top in my brother scrawl:
    Harry.
    I opened the little box and inside sat two
.338 cartridges with Carson and Kyle’s names etched into them. I
sighed and pulled them out and stuffed them into my purse – my
brother’s way of a warning, how lovely.
    I placed the package next to the trash can
and stripped down to my under garments. It felt good to get out of
the clothes and shoes and besides I usually do this next part
dressed in skivvies. I stood at the foot on my bed staring down at
my rifle. Dad had bought it for me when I passed all tests and
basically graduated, my brother bought me the scope that sits atop,
and I did the feminine etches.
    I loved it.
    After my first assignment was confirmed my
father called me and told me I now had to name the rifle. I was
still sitting in the rundown hotel room cradling it like a baby and
it stuck. So now Baby and I were in the hotel where somewhere
around me were not only the men I have loved for ten years but all
the others who made life hell. I grabbed the package and turned it
upside down, shook it and ripped it to pieces – no ammo. I pouted
and picked up Baby and sat with her on my lap.
    Ok so my father knows me better than I would
care to admit.
    I stood and walked to the window, pocketed
the rifle and looked through the scope. The song My Favorite Things
sang through my mind as I focused in on the world through scope
markings. Through the sight the world is not so scary, things are
put into perspective the important things are brought to the
forefront and the rest just fades away.
    I stepped away from the window and placed
Baby on the bed, now where to put her, maybe behind the chair? No
because ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner.’ Then I thought about
under the bed, it might work, if there was enough room on either
the pedestal or directly under the bed. I flipped back the covers
and sure as cyanide there was enough room. I took the jeans I was
wearing and sleeved the rifle and then got out my handy roll of
duct tape and taped her up.
    I stood and brushed off my hands and faced
the mess that was now my bed. I picked up the toiletry bag and took
it into the bathroom and went back to hang up the clothes I
brought. Two dresses, two pairs of shorts, an extra pair of jeans,
four tee shirts, two tank tops, a swimming suit, two pairs of heels
and the tennies I wore today. Ok so I hung the dresses only, the
rest were capable of hanging out in the suitcase, and then I went
to take a shower.
    I had turned on the water and was waiting
for it to warm up when I heard my cell. “Hello?” I said into the
phone as I grabbed it quickly off the bed.
    “Hey…did you make it?”
    “Bryant Anthony Shelton! Tell me you haven’t
been waiting around for me to