Jackson looked through his scope. He didn’t recognized the woman, but with her pink hood pulled over her head and large sunglasses hiding most of her face, it would have been impossible for anyone to recognize her. However, her build was not Jessica’s and that’s all that mattered. He pulled the trigger and she went down.
“Un-fucking-believable.” Through his scope he watched three cars pass by, one slowed in front of the house but then kept going. No wonder Four picked this neighborhood. A woman shot in the head, sprawled across the front porch steps, drew no more attention than a flattened squirrel in the street.
A few moments later, an arm reached out the door and grabbed her leg. Someone, fractionally smarter than the corpse, took cover while dragging the body back inside, confirmation there were at least two involved.
Once again, it was time to wait.
*
“She blew up your house?”
Knox laughed.
Luke didn’t. He said nothing and looked at no one. Jillian wanted to say something to ease his mind, but she knew the worst was yet to come. That third envelope was hers. It had to be. There was little doubt that whatever was in it would destroy Luke forever. AJ would destroy Luke forever.
“Yes. It didn’t make the news. Edgar made sure of it. But it was all we needed to put her away … at least for a while.”
“Where were you?”
He chuckled. “In the house. My office was in the basement. Irene didn’t realize my office was also the bomb shelter. I fucking crapped my pants, but other than knocking over a gun cabinet and a few things on my desk, I walked away unscathed. You should have seen the look on her face when I showed up at G.A.I.L. The first words out of her mouth were, ‘What are you doing here?’ Code for ‘how the hell are you still alive?’ Had we lived in town she would have leveled three blocks. It was pretty amazing she didn’t trigger San Andreas.”
“Okay, kids. Change of plans.” Irene marched down the stairs, her composure back intact. “Brother dearest doesn’t want to join the party. So let’s just get on with things. I’ll deal with him later.”
Jackson was close. Jillian knew it.
Irene picked up the remaining envelope while cutter guy cleaned Jillian’s blood from the tip of his knife. “What’s in the envelope, Dr. Jones?” She waved it in front of Luke. “And bear in mind, I don’t like asking more than once.”
“Pictures,” Luke said.
“Yes, of course, but of whom?”
“Jessica.”
Irene tsked a few times. “Now, I think someone with your background would realize how dangerous it is for you to think of her as Jessica. I think you will need to think of her as Jillian.” She brushed away a few strands of hair from Luke’s forehead. “You feel guilty about Charlie. Don’t you?”
He glanced up, meeting Jillian’s eyes.
“Well there really is no need. I can assure you, Dr. Jones. You’ve been a boy scout compared to your whore of an ex-fiancée.” With the toe of her boot she slid one of the photos on the floor closer to Luke.
It made him furious with Knox, but he was about to see something that would make him furious with Jillian. She felt it in her gut.
“Who is this?” she asked Luke.
He stared at the photo of AJ in uniform, hand to his temple saluting someone. Jillian hadn’t seen it before, but just the image of him took her breath away. Luke shifted his gaze to her.
“Aric … I assume.”
Jillian nodded like a silent introduction between her ex-lover and her dead lover.
“How messed-up is it that she gravitated toward someone in uniform after her experience with Edwin Harvey? Just … on a scale of one to ten?”
Irene lost her name. She was straight up Psycho Bitch again.
Luke sighed. “Five.”
Jillian narrowed her eyes a fraction. It stung that he thought it was messed-up at all. It hurt that he didn’t trust her judgment.
“I would have said ten, but … whatever.” She pulled out another picture.
Knox smirked, maybe at Irene or maybe at the absurdity of the whole situation.
“Oh … this is one of my personal favorites.”
It was Jillian getting the mail in her red boots, panties, and thread-bare tank top.
“Do you find her sexy?”
“Yes.”
“Do you approve of her traipsing around outside looking like a whore?”
“She’s not a—”
“Uh-uh … it’s a simple yes or no question.”
“No.” He didn’t blink.
The man staring at her was Dr. Jones. She knew that look and his ability to ignore her over-the-top antics. However, his disapproval still pissed her off.
“God doesn’t either,” Irene mumbled, tossing the photo onto Luke’s lap.
“Here they are on a motorcycle.” She held up that photo of AJ driving, Jillian holding on tightly to his back. “Did you ever take Jessica for a motorcycle ride?”
“No.”
“That’s a shame. You really should have taken more interest in her hobbies. Then maybe she wouldn’t have left you. Aw … here’s another good one.” She held up a photo of AJ and Jillian next to his Jeep. Her arms and legs wrapped around his body as they kissed.