Page 24 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

But I can tell.

I can tell the dominant cry reverberating through the wall right now belongs to Jess as she purges her soul of the poison and guilt.

Does he know it’shisJess making that sound?

His nostrils flare with anger. “When?”

Yeah, he knows.

“Tonight?”

“Where?”

“My garage.”

He turns to me with narrowed eyes. “You wanna get your workplace dirty?”

“You got another suggestion?”

“I have a million. I’ve spent years doing this shit and making sure it’s clean. A bullet through the brain in the middle of the desert is preferable.”

“No.” I shake my head when Laine’s cries join Jess’. “He’s not getting a bullet in the brain. He’s getting so much worse.”

“You’re still on the blowtorch train?” He chuckles. “You’re a sick motherfucker, Alesi.”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while. It’s been my dirty little fantasy for months, and I’m not dragging my shit outta my garage, so…”

He grins. Turning towards me, he lifts a fist the way I did so long ago in a speeding car. “Alrighty. Let’s make it happen.”

“You sure you want in? This isn’t your fight, so I won’t call you out if you step down.”

“There’s nothing on this planet I won’t do for Jess. Nothing. There’s no line, no limit, nothing a motherfucker can say while we snap his fucking fingers off one by one, that’ll convince me not to take care of her.” He points to the room. “I can hear her, Ang. I can hear them both. He hurt what’s mine, and for that, I’ll make him hurt.”

“Fair call.” I bump his fist and commit the first part of this crime.

We’re fucking Graham up.

It’s premeditated, and we have zero fucking remorse.

* * *

An hourafter the therapist walked into the hospital room, Sonia walks out again with eyes that I swear have aged. She lays one hand on my forearm, and the other on Kane’s. She gives a gentle squeeze that says more than any words could convey.

One session down.

A lifetime to go.

But a lifetime of knowing Sonia is better than a lifetime without Laine.

Quietly, I follow Kane into the shadowed room and stop at the sight of the girls hugging on the bed. Laine lies on her back, and Jess lies on her side with her jeaned thigh hitched on Laine’s leg. Her cheek rests on Laine’s chest, and her fingers play with a string bracelet I haven’t seen in forever.

Stepping to the left side of the bed, Kane taps Jess’ thigh. “What’ve you got there, Blondie?”

Three of us answer as one. “Best friend bracelets.”

Laine’s lips turn up in a wobbling grin. “We made these when we were kids. Wore them for the longest time just in case anyone couldn’t tell we were best friends.”

“Because you look nothing alike,” he laughs. He sits in the plastic visitor chair and rests his hand on Jess’ thigh. He can’t not touch her. He can’t stay away.

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