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“The car was mangled, already in flames. I saw Jarrett get up and run. He was all covered in blood. And through the smoke I saw Louden, lying there. And I… I had to get him.”
“You helped him?” Roman swore. “Even after he tried to—”
“Yes,” I murmured, falling back into the memory. “I dragged him out somehow, even with just one arm. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done. And then… then when he was safe, and the car was still burning, I… I took—”
“The pouch of jewels,” said Zane.
“Yes. It was just lying there, next to the car. I didn’t think, I just grabbed it.”
“And that’s why they’re chasing you,” said Erik. “That’s why Louden and Jarrett came up here, all this way.”
I nodded miserably. “It’s my fault, really,” I said. “I made everything too public. I could’ve kept laying low, like I had for the past year. Waitressed, maybe. Or gotten some other job.” I shook my head. “But I just had to open a shop again. Had to put myself out there, when I knew they were probably still looking.”
“Yeah, but what were you supposed to do?” Zane offered. “Keep running forever?”
It felt good hearing it from someone else. Realizing that maybe I wasn’t so crazy after all.
“I sold off some of the smaller cut stones,” I went on. “Fenced some of the bigger ones too. It let me manage a new life, the one you see now.”
“Until they found you,” said Erik.
“Yeah. It didn’t help that I was stupid enough to call myself ‘Savannah’, without even thinking that it would tip off Louden.” Silently I cursed myself. “Or maybe I did, and I was just being defiant. I don’t even know anymore. I’m just tired of running from my past. Of hiding it, and keeping things from the people I love.”
They’d all softened during my story, even Roman. Still, they were looking at me now in an all new light.
“I’m sorry I lied about my name,” I said. “But I never lied about anything else. Including how I feel. What you mean to me…”
Silence took over, leaving us to our own thoughts. It remained unbroken for a while, until Zane crossed his arms and shook his head.
“Julia…” he said again, breathing the word out loud. “Julia the jewel thief.”
“Will you cut that shit out?” Erik snapped. “We’re trying to think here. Come up with a plan.”
“We don’t need a plan,” I said. “I know exactly what I’m going to do.”
“You?” Roman scoffed. “You? You’re not doing anything,” he said. “From now on it’s we. We’re doing something — together, all of us. No more secrets.”
His words were admonishing, almost fatherly. But they thrilled me, because they included me. They included all of us. Like we were a family.
“Fine,” I said. “I know what we’re doing then.”
“And what’s that?” asked Erik.
I pointed down, to where the glimmering, shimmering stones sparkled on the kitchen table.
“We’re giving that all to Louden.”
Fifty-Two
SAVANNAH
We spent the day together, all four of us. It started down at my shop, where I filled out the police reports necessary to explain my broken window, minus any mention of Erik, or Jarrett, or myself even being there. I closed the shop, locked it tight, and we sat inside… waiting on Louden to show his face, as promised.
Only he never did.
From there it would be a waiting game, and we all knew it. Louden would be furious at Jarrett for having screwed things up. I didn’t know how long it would take for them to get their shit together, but if I knew Louden they’d be watching everything, including my place. And so that’s where we went.
Day turned to night, which turned into an epic home-cooked meal. We ate until we were stuffed, then curled up on the sofa together. Rented a couple of spooky movies, while the guys took turns watching the windows.
