Page 117 of Love is Angry

I scarf down the rest of my pasta and ask for water. He obliges with a full glass while he gets himself a bag of crackers and a beer, clearly still hungry and looking to fill his stomach with basically anything. Truth be told, Rhue and I did well with beer and crackers on our hazing night. My heart aches. I need him. I wish I could see his face right now, but my nerves are strained. I’m in survival mode.

“Madison, the Mob is in Julian’s pockets,” Jake says. “The Mob…ugh, I could take ’em all out in two weeks. They’re the least of our problems. No, Madison, Julian’s in deep with a couple of weapons manufacturers and military contractors. The kind of people you don’t ever wanna owe a single penny to. They rely on him to get to the White House without anybody knowing they’re connected. For Julian to do that, he needs to run for office, gradually, fair and.”

The more he talks, the more complex the bigger picture becomes. I wish I could say the more confused I become, as well, but that would be false. No, as Jake tells me about Julian’s ambitions, I understand exactly what’s going on and why I’m such a liability, especially if daddy dearest wants someone as his wingman.

“He wants Rhue to take over the real estate and other nonpolitical businesses once he’s in office,” I say. “And he doesn’t trust Laura to handle such a massive portfolio.”

“That is correct.”

“And he knows that paying me off won’t stop me.”

“That is also correct. You see, Madison, I respect you. I really do. And Rhue, he’s one hell of a man. You’re both tainted by Julian. You see the world through his eyes. You might be able to make the sacrifice if I let you live, right?”

I stare at him for a few seconds. “What sacrifice?”

“Stop seeing Rhue.”

Of course, I could speak my mind and say no, or hell, no. But my only objective in this moment is to get out of here alive, so I will tell this man whatever he needs to hear and in a way that makes it believable. “I’ll be miserable, but yes. Honestly, Jake, I do value my life more than a relationship.”

“I accept that argument. You see, Laura is pure and sweet. She doesn’t need any of this shit. So, if I get you to just break up with Rhue and, I don’t know, maybe even help you disappear, then Julian will be happy with you out of the way, and I’ll be happy with Laura out of his reach. While you’ll be alive and starting fresh somewhere else.”

“That means giving up on Cornell,” I say. “You want me to forfeit my entire life.”

“Well, it’s either that or death,” Jake replies. “Or was that not clear enough?”

His phone pings, and he texts someone back.

“I can’t just say I’ll dump Rhue for you to believe me?”

“No, Madison. You have to make me buy the whole thing. Right now, Rhue is working with your daddy’s girlfriend to find you. I gotta give the kid credit. He’s got balls to go against his father like this.”

Jake takes the empty plates away and comes back with another beer and a second glass of water for me. I’m thirsty, probably slightly dehydrated. I need to get myself into the bathroom while my hands are still tied in front. The last time Jake let me pee, it was humiliatingly awkward. Time is not on my side, because I know this guy is ready to kill me at a moment’s notice, should push come to shove.

I have two options here. One, I make him “buy the whole thing.” Two, I offer him a better option altogether.

“You mean Rhue is working with Noelle?” I ask.

“Mhm. You know, I was there.”

“Where?”

“The night Roxanne died,” he says, and the regret in his voice feels like a spear jabbed directly into my heart. “I had to…I had to clean it up, make it look—”

“Like a suicide.”

He shrugs. “I had to.”

“Jake. What do you think Laura will say when she learns the truth?”

“When? What do you meanwhen? Is this what you plan to do with your freedom, Madison? Rat me out to Laura?”

He’s getting angry, and I need to pull away from this topic before it blows up in my face. It was a stupid move. I should’ve been more careful, dammit. It’s the high pressure that’s getting to me.

“No, no. I mean…she’s going to find out eventually. Nothing stays hidden forever.”

“Depends on how good you are at hiding stuff,” Jake replies with a cold grin. It’s the sneer of a murderer who’s been around the block a few times. Yes, he’s tired of killing, but he’ll still do it if he has to, and he won’t even blink. “Madison, your noble nature is inspiring. It really is. It’s also tainted by the real world, which is why I feel like I can actually talk to you. I feel like you understand me. Really understand me.”

Oddly enough, I kind of do. What does that say about me?

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