Page 103 of Blue-Eyed Jacks
I’d already flicked the blinker on.It was habit.“Did you spend the entire time with Shock?”I was guessing she hadn’t.
Her smile was audible.“No.He set me up with one of his business associates.I had a good life foryears.”She stressed the last word.
We climbed the slope, and the city dissolved into a mishmash of rural and suburban charm that was either worn or immaculate, depending on which end of the economic spectrum you fell.
“But he died, didn’t he?Murdered?”I checked the mirrors.The traffic was almost non-existent.
She stared at me, the gun unwavering from its fixation on my chest.“How do you know that?”
I debated on whether I should be honest with her.But truly?What did I have to lose?“A month ago, Shock sent me clippings of my father’s murder.He was gunned down outside his law office.Did you get the house?”
“Fat lot of good it did me.I can’t pay the taxes.”With her words, the gun lowered to her lap.“I need you to open his safe for me.I never got the combination.With the paperwork in there, I can sell the place and disappear.”
“He might have changed the combination.”There were two safes.One was the wall safe in his home office where he kept the records he wasn’t afraid of losing.The other one was set in the wall of the closet of my bedroom.If Cara knew there were two, it wasn’t evident.
“I doubt he did.He never wanted to change anything.Renovating the kitchen was a battle.So, we’ll see, won’t we?”
I sighed.Being in my hometown and so close to Shock’s headquarters put me on the edge of a panic attack, but seeing my home?What would happen then?
Would I finally snap?
Worse?Zoe was with me to witness it.
Chapter 29
Skilletsville—Jackson
Nonno only let Wolf and Bear remain with me.Shock had all four of his officers.And Nonno not only had his home chapter’s leadership but also two bodyguards to witness.This was going to get ugly fast.
He took a spot at the head of the table, usurping me of my favorite chair without even knowing it.But no one sat.
Without much preamble, he slapped the surface to get everyone’s attention.“First.Jackson, give your president patch to Wolf.”
I’d expected that.I flicked my knife out and tore the vest off to lay it flat on the table so I wouldn’t stab myself while ripping the little rectangle off.I peeled it away from the final threads holding it and pinched it between my fingers as I put my vest back on.Part of me didn’t want to let go of the title.But Wolf deserved this flimsy albatross more than I did.I handed it to him, warning him with my eyes that he better remember how to be ruthless.Otherwise, his fate was going to be much worse than mine.
Nonno acknowledged the transfer of power with barely a nod.“Next, regional president.It’s long past due.G’s been pestering me to get this shit over with.Shock?”
My nemesis’s grin turned my stomach.Until Nonno said his name, hope beat in my chest that maybe, just maybe, I was giving up my presidency for something bigger.I swallowed my disappointment and braced for the next insult.
“Thank you,” Shock held out his hand to Nonno.
There was a moment of hesitation.I glanced at Nonno’s face.If this were a card game, I’d bet all in that he had a shit hand.One of his tells was that he stared too directly, as if he were weighing the odds against his opponent.A player with all the right cards wouldn’t need to do that.It told me that this was a farce.
Shock grinned widely as he accepted the small rectangular patch to sew above his president’s patch.
I didn’t smile.The knife clutched in my hand wasn’t nearly deadly enough to kill that motherfucker fast enough.But the tightening of my fist didn’t want to listen to common sense.
I forced myself to lower my hand, fold the blade in, and pocket it.
“Are you going to congratulate me?”
I stared at him, mute.I was done pretending.Done lying.That didn’t mean I was stupid enough to speak my mind.So my lips pressed together.I didn’t frown because I fought to keep the corners from turning south.I finally spoke.
“Are we done?”
“No,” Shock said.
Great.I almost rolled my eyes.
