Page 136 of Jig's Last Dance

Iris: You’re not as boring as I thought

Alice: Yeah, well, you’re not insane as I thought

Iris: Who has the honors?

Alice: You’re a sick bitch. Sal

She doesn’t respond, and I huff out a breath because I need a connection, and for some reason, I’ve decided it’s her.

Alice: Why do you stay with him anyway?

Iris: He has something I can’t afford to lose

Alice: What?

Iris: An innocent

Alice: The boy in the picture?

Alice: Is he yours?

There’s a pause where the dots line up and then disappear and then line up again.

“Fuck, what are you writing? A fucking manifesto?” I grumble.

Iris: No, but he might as well be

∞∞∞

The ride is all too long and short. Sal is standing at the door when we arrive, and the driver drops me with wide eyes before hightailing it out of here. I don’t blame him; Sal looks positively feral.

Slowly, I approach the house with sweaty palms and a pounding pulse.

I guess maybe it was coming down to this all along. The lot of us were arrogant to believe we could walk away. This is the life. Once you’re in, you don’t leave.

At least not without a body bag.

“Alice,” Sal says, his brows over his eyes. “Where? Where is she?”

“I don’t know,” I say grimly.

Frowning, he grabs my arm. “Enough. You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

“Maybe I am, but at least I’m not a cold-hearted bastard,” I hiss.

With an icy chuckle, he ushers me down a hall, and I swallow heavily when we enter the indoor pool area, exhaling when I find Ben standing by the pool.

He’s still alive, at least. I move to rush forward, forgetting Sal until he jerks me back, and I stumble.

Ben eyes me solemnly, and it’s this that makes me wary. I search his form, my stomach clenching when I spy something wrapped around his ankle. A rope? Following the length, I shudder to find a weight attached to the other end.

“Ben . . .”

His lips curl in a small smile, and I sob, turning to Sal. “No, no! You can’t do this!”

“No? I think I can. Where’s the package?” Sal demands, shaking my arm.

“I don’t know,” I cry.

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