He lived six houses away, and was part of the little gang of us who grew up together. There were half a dozen of us, all within about a year of the sa...e age, and we were inseparable, even as pre-schoolers. There was no kindergarten program in our county, so we all hung out together constantly for three or four years until we started the first grade. Ric was always the leader in any game we played, whether it was soldiers, cowboys & Indians, or something we’d made up entirely on our own.. ”“Got it.”“You are right in that there is nothing you can do. That doesn’t mean I’m going to sit back. You know how this plays out if we don’t do anything. Rachel ends up dead, or if she is lucky, she ends up living on the street as a penniless crack whore. All I have to say is, if I decide to give my bodyguard the slip, there is nothing he can do about it. When it happens, don’t give him too much shit.”“Don’t do anything stupid.”“Don’t worry. I won’t get caught. I will need this guy’s name and. Even though it's probably not the life you would have chosen willingly,given the option."Tyler sighed, looking at his beautiful, big-breasted reflection in themirror. "No. This definitely isn't how I thought things would turn outwhen I left. That's an understatement." Well, look on the bright side. Surprises can be good things sometimes.Unmet expectations can lead to unexpected benefits. You are enjoyingyourself, after all."Tyler turned to Connie, feeling another onset of genuine. “What’s the matter? Your commission on a zillion dollars gonna put you in another tax bracket?” I said.“Nothing compared to yours,” he laughed, breaking the ice. “I knew that you had a franchise that could span generations, but I never dreamed you rated a ride at Happy Land.”“Didn’t ask for it. Opportunity knocked anyway,” I said, annoyed. “Why are we needing to talk, Thomas Lee?”“I wanted to suggest a crazy idea,” he said. “Althea told me that you had written a shitload of new stories and had.