Jarrett shrugged. “You think you’re the only person he ever crossed?”
“No,” I admitted. “Not by a fucking longshot.”
“Exactly.”
I paused, stalling. Thinking…
“And what about this?” I asked, nodding toward his scar. “You said something about having to pay for—”
“I blame Louden for this more than you,” said Jarrett, tracing the ridges of bumpy pink skin with one finger. “He was the one who fucked everything up. Shit, we were getting away clean. If not for him trying to cut you out… well…”
“And you weren’t in on it?”
“No, no,” he lied through his teeth. Jarret’s hands went up defensively, his eyebrows too. God, he was such a terrible, terrible liar. “I had no idea that was his plan. Honest to God. I found out at the same time you did.”
“You mean when the gun went off,” I sneered.
“Yeah. That.”
Our eyes locked, and for a moment I almost felt sorry for him. Louden was using him much the same way he’d used me, only Jarrett was too stupid to realize the extent of it. But when it really came down it, we both had the same kinds of scars. We’d both been fucked over.
“Maybe we can work something out,” I lied through my teeth. “Give me an hour. I’ll go get what’s left, and come right back here to—”
“What’s left?”
Shit, I cursed myself silently. Bad choice of words.
Jarrett’s eyebrows came together angrily. “What do you mean what’s left?”
“Well I had to sell some of it,” I said defensively. “Look around. This stuff costs money. I had to start over.”
“How much did you—”
“Not much,” I jumped in quickly. “Less than my share, believe me.”
I was pretty sure I was lying on that one, but there was nothing to be done about it. Right now, all I needed was one thing: to get away.
“Stay here,” I promised, “and I’ll come back for you.”
Jarrett was stupid, but not that stupid. “Bullshit,” he scoffed.
“No, really. I—”
“If you’re serious about this, you’re gonna have to show me.”
I paused, not realizing what he meant. Not at first, anyway. But then…
“You really want to run off with me?” said Jarrett. “Cut Louden out for once, and leave him behind?”
I nodded slowly, even as he moved closer. His hand went up again. This time his palm touched my face.
“I’ve always wanted you Julia,” he murmured. “You know that? All this time, through all of Louden’s bullshit…” He reversed the motion, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. “I’ve always admired you.”
He was close enough that I could see every nook and cranny of his pockmarked scar. Smell the fetidness of his stale breath. Jarrett moved even closer, and it took every ounce of my resolve not to shrink away. But I had to get out. I had to untangle myself before he—
CRASH!
Forty-Nine