Page 59 of I Will Ruin You

This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.

“So you better get my money,” he said.

I recalled the text Jack had sent. He had the cash.

There had to be a way out of this. If I brought him the money, if I had someone with me, someone who could be a witness, someone—

“You hear me?” he said.

“I hear you.”

“Give me your cell number. I’ll be in touch about when and where.”

I gave him the number, heard him enter it into his phone, then the opening of the back door.

“Later, asshole,” he said, slamming it shut.

I was in free fall.

Panic welled up inside me. I didn’t know what to do other than pay this man and hope to God that was the end of it. I’d been a fool to think knowing where he lived would afford me some advantage. He’d turned the tables on me. Caught me in the act.

I drove quickly out of the neighborhood, my tail between my legs. Moments later I wheeled into a McDonald’s parking lot to pull myself together. A glance in the mirror revealed that my right temple was already turning black and blue. My vision was not affected, but my eyelid was slightly swollen.

How was I going to explain that when I got home?

After about five minutes, I pulled back out into traffic and aimed the car for home. Once on our street, I saw Jack’s vehicle in his driveway. I’d be able to get the money from him before I went into the house and faced Bonnie and Rachel. I had my car parked and was heading for Jack’s front door when Bonnie came striding out of the house.

“Hey,” she said. “I’m glad you’re—”

The second she saw my face, she stopped. “Oh my God, what happened to you?” she asked. She reached her hand up, as if she were going to touch the right side of my face, but held back.

“I need to get some ice on it,” I said. “If it’s not too late.”

“What happened?” she asked again.

“Stupidest thing,” I said. I’d been rehearsing this in the car. “I was making a shortcut through the gym, walked right into the path of a basketball. Got whomped good. Kid could really throw.”

Bonnie looked unconvinced. “A ball did that?”

“He’s got an arm on him.”

She examined the bruising more carefully. “Looks more like someone took a swing at you.”

I said, a little too brusquely, “It’s nothing, okay?”

Bonnie took a step back. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

“Nothing. Look, find me an ice pack, I’ll be in in a minute.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Just going to see Jack for a second.”

Bonnie’s face froze. “About that.”

“What?”

“When I texted? When I said I had news?”