Guns and Sirens (boyxboy)

19. Last Night

River Lockhart

"Why did you do such a thing in front of all the employees?" my dad questions me.

"Mr Anthony has stolen around five thousand dollars just last month." I point out. "Not only last month. I found mismatches in the records and decided to call him out and-"

"So you still think you did the right thing?!" he suddenly yells at me without sounding pleased about what I did yesterday.

"He won't do it again... right?" I ask, not sure why he's acting like this.

My dad massages the bridge of his nose before walking to the glass table, where he keeps his alcohol in glass bottles. He opens one and pours a drink for him. He sips on the drink for a while and then looks at me, "What are you even learning in that stupid university of yours??"

I look away with one of my hands clenched behind my back.

"You don't understand business, River, though you are about to obtain your degree." he shakes his head. "I know you meant well, but you can't do that again, understand?"

"Why?"

"Why? Because it's only five thousand dollars. Do you think if I fire Mr Anthony, the new manager won't exploit my money? The new one will steal ten thousand dollars. Sometimes, you should turn a blind eye to your employees. It gives them a certain satisfaction knowing that they can steal that amount of money. They will take care of the business well." my dad explains.

"How do you know that?? He might be stealing more!" I say.

"You will learn when you work more in my field. You can never find a hundred per cent honest employee. To take something from them, you have to lose something as well. I was aware of his stealing, but I turned a blind eye because he managed everything else really well."

"   "

"You don't have to call out and stop them. You should just be aware of each of your employee's behaviour and act as if you don't know their acts. Do you really think I have any honest employees around me? None."

I look aside, thinking about what my dad just told me. I still don't understand what he meant by all that. I might get it later on-

"You'll get everything as you work on it. Don't worry," he says, not scolding me but letting me know, and it surprises me so much. I don't know how this change happened, but he still hasn't scolded me as he does every time he sees me.

"Mr Anthony also showed up forty-five minutes after I arrived there," I say.

"Well, that's something you should change as soon as possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Your dignity, their respect, and their fear. You should get them by yourself, as I told you before. Change your speech and learn more about my business. Practice your gun and learn to speak with people."

I walk out of the mansion with a heavily confused mind. My dad said a lot of things that sounded like Greek to me. I mean, what? I should let the employees steal, and I should know how to speak!

I groan to myself and take out my phone to check the time. It's four in the evening.

I go to my inbox, where I check if I've received any text from Officer Damian after I sent him an emoji last night. He has seen it, but there's no response, which is bad! I don't even know what might be in his mind after that rushed kiss.

Maybe I shouldn't have kissed him yesterday. I should've kissed him when I had more time to do it. I did it in a rush. He might've thought I was being rude.