Chapter Text
The car is slowly creeping forward in the pick up lane. Beth takes a moment to herself to unwind from a day of working. Dean had dropped the kids off this morning, so she had opened up Boland Bubbles. It had given her sufficient time to go over the ledgers a last time, double checking that it all adds up in the end.
It also means she is on pick up duty. Picking the kids up, driving home to make dinner then having a late shift at the Porcupine.
These past few months had consisted of work and then some more work. Getting back in Rio’s good grace, working up to a statue’s quo.
She cracked the windows a little, the summer had come and gone, she had been spending most of her days in the back room of the Porcupine sweating as she printed. Now the cool breeze of fall felt like a blessing. Having a few minutes to herself before her kids would be filling up the car chatting about the day, she closed her eyes for a few seconds, craning her neck softly from side to side trying to work out the kinks.
Opening her eyes in surprise as someone opens the passenger door and slides in. Rio clasps the hands on his belly, looking for all in the world like he was invited in.
“Yeah, so we have a problem.”
“What are you doing here?” Beth hisses, looking around, making sure nobody saw him getting in her car.
“We have a problem.” Already looking bored to have to repeat himself. He focuses on the trees on the lawn, the leaves turning red and orange.
“Then you text me. Or call. You don’t come to where my kids go to school.”
Turning to her sharply, “I’m sorry, where did you get the impression that this gig is 9 to 5?”
“There are better places to meet.” After Lucy, she didn’t trust him around her kids.
He pointed forward to let her now she needed to catch up to the car in front of her. “Now, why is that?”
Beth was briefly stunned, “I just don’t want the other parents to see you getting in my car, is that too much to ask?”
“Shit ma’, what would happen if they did?” Faking concerns and dripping with sarcasm.
“Dean would throw a fit if he found out, that’s for sure.”
Things were already frosty at home. Once Beth no longer could put off explaining where she had gotten the last funds to buy a store of Spa’s Dean had accused her of all sorts of things. Like she was back to sleeping with him. She tried explaining to him that was not the relationship they had (anymore), but she guessed you knew others like you know yourself.
Rio let out an almost silent laugh, “Yeah, I don’t give a fuck about your husband.”
“You still could’ve called, or texted.” It was how they did most of their communication these days, she mostly dealt with Mick. It was easier, less messy.
“As I was saying, it’s come to my attention that we might have a problem. There’s been whispers of the feds looking into us again.”
“Meaning?”
“I just found out.” He clicks his tongue a few times. “Just telling you, you need to keep your eyes open. Anything suspicious you come to me. Don’t do your usual shit.”
The car slowly creeps forward.
“I haven’t seen or noticed anything.”
“Good. Also, you’re gonna’ quit the card shop.”
“Excuse me?”
“I managed to get a hold of the same printer. I’m gonna’ need a list of what you need to print. If the feds are snooping around, I need you sharp and on top. Don’t really trust your husband to do that.”
“You can’t just tell me what to do.”
The look he gave her was cold and a few seconds too long, it had Beth almost adjusting in her seat to get away from it.
“Sure I can. I’ll be in touch.” Dismissing her and this conversation.
As the car came to a halt, he exited the car in the same way he had entered the car, on his own terms. She watched in the rearview mirror as he put his hands in his pockets of his black jean jacket, a dark blue beanie on top of his head, pulling his hoodie underneath to cover more of his neck before he disappeared out of sight and the car filled up with four children chatting away about their day.
Beth didn’t see Rio after that, Mick had texted her the next day that he was outside in need of a list. She guessed they didn’t want a trail on their phones of what they needed to print money. Once she had gotten outside and knocked on his car window, he had only rolled it down enough to gesture for her to get in the passenger seat.
Trying to pry more about the FBI snooping around, but Mick had given her nothing. Going over the list instead, asking if she was committing to only be working selling Spa’s (also inquiring about some of the newer models, getting a faraway dreaming look). Dorothy had gotten her notice and she had agreed to work another two weeks, giving her some time to hire someone in her place instead. Annie and Ruby would continue printing without her at the place Rio had set up.
“This is all you need?” Mick read the list quietly, his lips moving as he read.
Beth had divided the list in two parts, one of the tools she needed to shred and make the paper to print the money on to. The other to what ink, and what she needed to get the right color and glow.
It stung a bit leaving over the recipe to print money, something they had worked hard on to achieve. She meant what she had told him that night at the bar, she would try her hardest to go back to the way they were before and that meant showing him goodwill.
Besides, he still needed her company to wash the cash through.
It’s a late night at the office, Beth’s doing paperwork and putting off going home. Things were not good with Dean. It smarted more than she wanted to admit but now she knew the signs and she was sure he was cheating again. She knew she should call him out on it, but she couldn’t help the feeling of shame and that she somehow was the reason he was.
That’s why when Rio showed up telling her she needed to go with him, she only hesitated for a second before agreeing. He had gotten the tip that the feds that were investigating them were having dinner at a restaurant that night. Wanting her to join him in case she would recognize anyone or if she saw them again she would know where from.
It irks him the way she sighs heavily as they wait in his car, this wasn’t how he wanted to spend his evening either. Parking a bit ahead made sure they could see everyone coming in or out.
She had dozed off a few times, they had been here close to two hours already and he guessed she had to catch sleep whenever she could. Her phone had buzzed a few times, setting her mouth in a tight line as she read the messages. A few times he had woken her, telling her to sharpen up as a few people had come and gone.
Wearing a navy blue dress with buttons on top and a wrap around her middle, as she cuddled to her side leaning against the window he caught sight of her black lace bra and her milky skin between the sliver of fabric between two buttons. Instantly filling him with rage that had him clenching his jaw and biting the inside of his mouth.
How she got to be unmarked by him when she had marked him three times. How she could just walk away like he never existed in the first place. How she could invite him to her home, lull him into a sense of belief, only to ask him to leave once she was through with him.
That had been what he wanted when he had her brough to him that night, making her tethered to him in a way he was to her.
Poking the bear, “You done sulking?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, you're done sulking?” He turned to face her, his face set.
“I’m here, I don’t have to enjoy it too, do I?” Giving as good as she got.
“It’s part of the job.”
“I thought we were done fraternizing, that’s all.”
“That’s not up to you, now is it?”
“You don’t want me here anymore then I want to be here, why pretend otherwise?”
“You’ve always been this much of a bitch?”