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And then his eyes swung over to Charlotte.
50
Charlotte
I watched helplessly as Jayce grabbed the backpack of money and tossed it toward Sid. I could barely believe what I was watching. He was giving himself up. Admitting that he stole the money and returning it to the ruthless maniac who’d been after him all this time.
It was all my fault. By confronting Jayce last night, I’d goaded him into turning in the money. He thought he had nothing to live for. He believed he had to make this grand gesture to prove that he wasn’t the man I thought he was.
And he was going to die for it.
My dad watched the scene quietly, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. Except it wasn’t just nervous shuffling. He was slowly moving toward the station wagon. To the open driver-side door, where his service weapon waited in a holster underneath the dashboard.
“Dad!” I hissed. “Don’t do anything drastic.”
My dad kept his eyes on the Copperheads while inching closer to his car. “Honey, you don’t understand,” he whispered under his breath. “I have a plan.”
“A plan? You’re one man against anarmyof them.”
“Honey, be quiet.” He was almost within reach of the car, now.
And then the most chilling sound split the air: Sid laughing. It was high-pitched and maniacal, a laugh of madness rather than humor.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” he said, looking past Jayce at me. “We’re here for your girlfriend.”
I froze.No.
Jayce glanced over his shoulder, then made himself laugh. “Who, that bitch? Do what you want with her. Especially if it tires you out before it’s my turn.”
The words stung with howsincerethey sounded, but I knew it was Jayce doing his best to dissuade Sid. Trying to save my life.
Momma balled her hands into fists. “What did you just call my daughter, you tattooed bikerpunk?”
Sid’s smile never wavered. “A funny thing happened today, Jayce. We got a phone call about an hour ago. A very interesting phone call. It was from a man working on a shipping freighter halfway to China. He was having himself a smoke down in the cargo area, and then he heard someone banging on one of the containers.”
Oh no, I thought.
“We thought Carl abandoned the Copperheads,” Sid went on. “Surprising on account of how loyal he was, but these things happen. Turns out the truth is a lot more sinister.”
Jayce tensed, then put his hands on his hips. That motion brought his hand very close to the pistol sticking out the back of his jeans. “I remember Carl. The tweaker who’d tell any lie to get another fix.”
Before Jayce finished his weak defense, Sid was already laughing some more. “Something tells me that’s not the case here.” He tilted his head. “You know, I didn’t think we’d find a way to get to you. You had nothin’ to lose, and it’s tough to squeeze leverage from a man like that. But according to Carl, youdostill have some life left in you.”
Sid gestured. Three of his men came walking forward, shotguns held menacingly.
Supposedly, you saw your life flash before your eyes in moments like these. I saw the opposite: I saw the future. How everything would play out here on the main street of the little Georgia town of Eastland. It flashed across my eyes in flawless clarity.
Jayce would reach for that pistol, and half a dozen shotguns would cut him down before he raised it. My father would then jump for his gun, and since he was farther from sight he might actually get one or two shots off from the cover of the station wagon. That would only upset the Copperheads though, and once he was dead they would take revenge on Momma. They would probably kill her first, just to make me watch. Then it would be my turn. Somewhere in there Flop or Mindy might try to fight back, but it would be a pitiful effort against an army of Copperheads.
In the end, all of us would be dead. Sid and most of his men would walk away. Maybe even with the judge and sheriff, too.
And all of this would happen because I couldn’t stay away from Jayce, even though he warned me.
“No,” I whispered while my dad reached for the interior of the car. “Please…”
“Charlotte!” Sid called, waving me forward. “Come on up here and join the party, girl. We want todancewith you.”
Jayce’s hand moved behind him, fingers wrapping around the gun.
