Jaden (Jaded #3)

He quieted instantly.

I couldn’t remember the last time I called him that term. My nostrils flared. It’d be the last time, too. I wanted his attention, and I got it. “No, Neil. This isn’t going to end with me going to prison. You’re a fool if you think that. No. This is going to end bloody. I’ll never get to that part because whoever framed me wants to torture me. Hell, they already have been. My car’s brakes were cut. They still don’t know who did that, then Grace’s death. It’s all connected. I’ve already endured one stalker. He killed two of my friends, but this is worse. This person, whoever it is, wants to hurt me. They’re taunting me, making me go on the defensive. No.” I clipped my head to the side. “This person wants me to die, slowly and painfully.”

“How do you know this?”

A hollow sensation filled my chest. It was burying deeper and deeper, making a void as it went. I jerked a shoulder up. “Because it’s what I would’ve done. If I wanted to mess with someone and really mess with their mind, I’d frame them, too.” It was genius, in a way.

Neil scoffed, “Don’t tell me you’re impressed with them?”

“No, no.” But I was, in a sick way. “It just confirms I have to find out who’s doing this to me.” I glanced at Corrigan. He still needed permission to leave. “Do whatever you need to do to make sure Corrigan can get leave and come back safely. Please.”

Neil sighed. He sounded defeated. “Sheldon, I don’t—”

“Let him, Neil.” I was putting my foot down. “This is my life, my future. He’s my best friend. Let him go and do what he needs. It’s the least you can do.”

His jaw clenched. I knew he didn’t want to, but then he looked away, and I also knew we had won. This was a small battle, one of so many to come, but a relieved sensation covered that void in my chest. It wouldn’t last, but it was small and fleeting.

I grinned at Corrigan, who nodded at me.

Our plan was a go.

Corrigan left that afternoon.

CHAPTER SIX

Corrigan was gone all day, and Neil and Beth had retired to bed after supper that night or dinner as Beth called it. She liked to sound more sophisticated than the rest of us. Because I could be sophisticated, too, I took a bunch of her wine outside. Bryce joined me on the patio with two large glasses, and without a word being spoken between the two of us, I filled them both to the top. Leaning back, we clicked our glasses together and sipped, still not talking.

I enjoyed this.

Having him here. Drinking wine with him. Feeling the old comfortable silence between us. It was like this with Corrigan too, but when they were together, even though they both were playing nice, an underlying tension was always there.

“What’s wrong?”

I glanced at him. “Huh?” God, he was beautiful in the moonlight. I’d forgotten how much at times.

“You sighed.”

“I did?”

He nodded, sipping his wine and narrowing his eyes briefly at me. “Are you worried about Corrigan or whoever’s framing you?”

Both. “Corrigan. Duh.” I grinned and lifted one shoulder in a shrug.

He continued to watch me, then the corner of his mouth curved up into a slight grin. “Liar.” He sounded sad.

I started to shrug, but no. I couldn’t even lie to myself. Instead, I reached for the wine glass again and drank the rest of the contents. “I don’t want to talk about the other stuff, not right now.”

He dipped his head forward. “You’re going to have to, you know?”

“I know.” My hand tightened around the stem of the glass. “Let’s get back to the city and go from there.”

“I talked to Denton today.”

“Yeah?”

He took another sip of his wine. “Yeah, whenever Corrigan gets back and does his thing, Denton’s ready to go. We can stay with him.”

“At his house?” My mouth was suddenly dry. The idea of staying at my old neighbor’s house, so close to my old home had my stomach churning. “Bryce,” I stopped. My hand went to the table, and my fingers curled around, holding onto it tightly. Marcus had been in that house. He stabbed Corrigan there; I closed my eyes as I remembered that night. Bryce turned the video off, and I raised my gun. I’d been ready. “Bryce, god.”

“Hey.” He leaned forward. One of his hands rested over mine. “Look at me.”

I did, but it didn’t help. Seeing the mirrored anguish and haunted expression in his eyes had my stomach churning at a faster rate.

He said, his hand tightening over mine, “It’s time we faced it and faced him. I know. Sheldon, I know.” The haunted look doubled, overtaking everything in his gaze. “Trust me. I remember that night too, but it happened and we did it together.”

I shook my head, pulling my hand away. “No, you didn’t. You—”

“You provoked him, but I told you, too. I turned the video off.”