Jack lets me go, and I nearly mewl in protest. “You’re getting a flight out of here with your buddy,” he tells Chad as he pulls out his phone.
Chad groans.
“You’re involved in this, and you needa be questioned.” Jack lazily types out a message. “Plus, you’re a liability, because you know too much, and I’m guessing whoever killed Brandon wants to make sure you don’t talk.”
“I’m not ending up likehim.” Chad gulps, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb as a shudder wracks his body.
Not so macho now, is he?
“That’s exactly why you get a nice flight out of here,” Jack grumbles.
“So, um, what are we going to do withhimin the meantime?” I grimace with a nod around the corner where we left Brandon’s body. Being so close to it got…weird.
“There’s a heli on the way to deal with it. But we need to wait for it so I can update the crime scene team.”
“This is messed up, man.” Chad pops to a stand, running a hand through his hair, fists balled.
Jack is in front of him in a second, gripping his shirt and towering over him. “What’smessed upis how you were an accomplice to some shady crap and harassed and stalked a woman. Were you also trying to get into her hotel room a couple nights ago?”
“What? No! I swear I didn’t do anything,” Chad protests, raising his hands innocently.
“That’s kind of the problem, see.” Jack pulls him closer with one hand, his aversion to the contact evident in every tensed muscle as he scowls at Chad. “You did nothing, just went along with it. You’re an accomplice. So unless you want a long stay in one of those orange jumpsuits Willow just mentioned, or you’re eager for a body-bag ride out of here with Brandon, you’d better do what I say. Got it?” The energy pulsing from Jack is palpable at this point.
Chad swallows and waits a beat before he finally mumbles his agreement through clenched teeth.
Jack releases a sulking Chad and stalks over to me, his hand coasting down my uninjured arm and gripping my hand like the contact is the antidote to the discomfort he just felt after that confrontation.
“You okay?” he questions.
“Peachy,” I squeak out.
“You should eat something, take some meds again.” He lifts a hand to tuck my wayward hair behind my ear.
“I’m good. But I could do with some food.”
He lifts a brow, interrogating me with his stare.
“And the meds,” I add with an eye roll.
Jack turns to crouch beside his backpack, and I finally let out the silent wince I’ve kept crumpled in my chest. My body feels like I’ve been used as a piñata, but the only thing threatening to spill over is a mental breakdown. Even though I’m struggling, keeping the extent of that quiet is my only method of holding Jack’s freakout at bay. Because every time he thinks he’s let me down, those walls around him only get stronger. And I desperately want to dismantle every brick.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“So, you two are a thing now?” Chad points with the beef stick he’s eating, moping like a grumpy child. “All that nonsense about the rash and thatI need to hike alonebit,”he continues in a mocking tone. “Was it all just your sick way of messing with me?”
I stand, taking my time to flatten out the protein bar wrapper in my hand, only letting out one tiny groan as a sharp pain shoots up my arm. “Contrary to what you believe,” I stalk closer, testing the stickiness of the foil with one finger, “not everything’s about you. Your attention wasn’t welcome, and you couldn’t take the hint.” I smile, sticking the wrapper to his forehead with a whack.
Jack snorts a laugh over his chewing as he eats one of his sickeningly healthy protein bars. He appears relaxed, leaning against a rock with his ankles crossed, but I know every muscle in his body is on alert, ready to spring if Chad so much as waves a finger in my direction.
I pat Chad’s cheek with a tight smile and shuffle back to the spot beside Jack.
“Whatever,” Chad grumbles, scrunching up the wrapperand tossing it back at me, except it only makes it half a foot away, floating to the ground with a lazy descent. He stomps away, and Jack calls after him. “Where are you going?”
“To take a leak. That okay, Rambo?”
“Don’t go far, Wickman,” Jack warns.
“You’re worriedabout him?” I ask, retrieving the wrapper from the ground.
