Page 33 of Acadia Falls

“Trey thinks he’s going to annoy me to death. If it’s a pain in the ass to fish, maybe I’ll sell. He knows these companies are offering me a lot of money. He wants me to take it and get the hell out of here.”

I scrunched my nose. “But why? It’s not like he’s going to profit from that.”

“He thinks the corporations will come in, and things will change around here. He wants the old-timers like me gone so manganese money could come his way. Not sure where the logic is, but like I said, he’s a dumbass.” Jack scowled some more. “I should’ve drowned him when I had the chance.”

“What he’s doing to your route’s illegal. Why don’t you let your cousin handle it?”

Jack turned his scowl on me. “My cousin’s crooked. Fish and wildlife, my ass. Kyle works for himself. He’s probably taking money from Trey—maybe that’s how he bought his new boat.”

“Oh.” I took a deep breath. “You ever consider turning him in—your cousin?”

“Plenty of times.” Jack’s scowl turned into a grin. “But I’m waiting for the right time, Blondie. When it serves me best. Plus, I like the satisfaction of handling these sorts of things myself. Personal karma, you know? I like to beat people, too.”

“I get it. But the thing is, if you drown Trey, you still lose. You’ll end up in jail. That’ll just hurt your family.” I had another sip of tea. “Trey needs to be turned in to the authorities, not your crooked cousin. Fishing rights are federally legislated—he could end up doing some serious time. But not if you kill him first.”

“Right, because if I kill him first, he’d be dead.” Jack’s grin widened. “How do you know so much about fishing rights, anyway?”

I straightened my shoulders. “I took a Federal Regulations class last year.”

“I bet you got an A, huh?” He sounded like he was teasing me.

“I always get As,” I said primly. “Like I said, I’m competitive.”

“I do not doubt that. What kind of law are you going to practice?”

I blew out a deep breath. “I was hired as a first-year associate at a big firm. I’ll be working in the corporate department. Mergers, acquisitions, IPOs—that sort of thing.”

Jack raised his eyebrows. “Is that fun?”

“No,” I admitted. “But it pays well.”

“Are you going to be able to spend the rest of your life locked in an office helping companies buy each other?” He scratched his head. “Because that doesn’t sound competitive. That sounds boring.”

I sighed. “It’s probably boring. But it’s the most money I can make. And I have a ton of student loans, you know?”

“Can’t you just get Alex to pay them off?” He leaned back in his seat. “The Vejas could probably buy your whole law school.”

“Probably. But I like to take care of myself.” I shrugged. “I’m not looking for a handout. It’s bad enough that I’m staying here for free all summer.”

“Alex is lucky to have you—I’m sure she needed a friend.” Jack smiled. “You’re doing her a favor.”

“Aw, Jack.” I smiled back. “You trying to make me feel better?”

He was about to say something when my phone pinged with a text from Alex.

We met some guys, and they invited us to a clambake in Bar Harbor. Want to take the mailboat over and meet up?

I glanced at Jack.

I have to keep studying. But thanks!

We probably won’t be home till late. Don’t wait up!

I won’t. Have fun!

I put my phone down.

“Got a hot date?” Jack asked.