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“Remember that person I lost?” I asked. “My cousin?”
“Yeah.”
“I got her into drugs. I cleaned up… she never did. And I blame myself. That’s why I don’t want to talk about it.”
Total bullshit, but I deserved an Oscar for my delivery.
Although… since I still blame myself for not being there for Ali, and for not being able to save her… the feelings behind the words were pretty much the same.
Jack looked at me for a long while, then nodded somberly. “Okay.” He turned to Kade. “What do you think?”
“There’s more than enough witnesses,” the Viking said neutrally. “The cops don’t need one more.”
“Yeah,” Jack said absently, and went back to drinking his coffee.
What struck me through all of this was how absurd the conversation was. There was no need for witnesses period, since nobody was going to get convicted of any crime. The gunman was most probably dead, and whoever killed him was beyond the law’s reach.
Despite all my anger at the hitman, that last thought sent a shiver down my spine.
“Alright, here’s how we’re going to play it. Kade, you get back down to the Seven Veils and give your account to the cops. After all, you called in the 911, they’re going to be looking for you.”
“What do I say when they ask where I went?”
“You went to go chase down the asshole, just like the rest of us. After you’re finished with the cops, which will probably take the rest of the night, go find out how Benjy is. Do we know that yet?”
“No.”
“Let me know as soon as you do. I’ll fill you in on the rest tomorrow morning. Right now I gotta drop Fiona off at her motel and do some heavy thinking.”
Kade nodded and stood. “You got it.”
“Thanks, brother.”
They hugged, slapping each other’s backs, and then Kade walked out.
Jack and I were alone.
18
“Idon’t want to go back to my motel tonight,” I blurted out.
He smiled. “I can’t understand why,” he teased me gently.
“Is it… is it okay if I stay here?”
“Of course it is.”
He walked around the kitchen island towards me. But rather than a passionate kiss, he just enveloped me in his arms and cradled my head to his chest.
I have never felt so safe and cared for in my entire life.
I’m a tough chick. Or at least, I like to fancy myself that way. I’d done a lot of gritty P.I. work. I’d basically always looked out for myself. And a year ago, I’d lost the person closest to me in the world, in the worst way imaginable.
But tonight had rattled my cage. I’d come face-to-face with my own mortality. I’d seen a man gunned down in cold blood.
All the adrenaline I’d been surviving on stopped, and I suddenly crashed.
I didn’t want to do it… I hated myself for being weak… but I began to cry into Jack’s chest.
