Page 31 of Into the Dark
He nods too. “Because you and Caleb are the only things in my life that I care about. That I need to keep safe. If anything happened to either of you…” He visibly pales, scrubbing a hand over his mouth. “I’m done. I won’t survive that.”
I reach up and run a hand through his hair, giving him my most reassuring look. “That isn’t going to happen. I promise.”
When he brings his eyes back up to mine he doesn’t look entirely convinced, but he looks a little stronger. “But at the same time I can’t lie to you again. I don’t want to. I’m not going to hide things from you again, Alex.”
“And I don’t want you to. I can handle whatever it is, Jake.” I swallow. “I’m stronger now. I promise. Nothing is going to change how I feel about you—never again. We’re in this together now.” I grip his hand, lifting it to my mouth to kiss his fingers softly.
He stares at me for a long time. “Then you need to know what getting out of this means. For me.” A dark look creeps into his eyes. No—not dark. He looks almost…afraid. Jake is afraid. “What it means for us. Because now that I have you back it affects you too.”
“Okay.” I nod. “Tell me.”
He gives me a long look, takes a deep, tired breath, and begins to talk.
“What?” I can only blink at him in shock. Disbelief. “I don’t… What are you talking about?”
“I made a deal,” he says.
“I heard that part, Jake. It’s the other part I don’t understand.” I feel something wild thumping through my veins. A race between all the things I thought I knew. “You made a deal with the police…with Mark?”
“Yeah.” He watches me intensely.
I’m not sure if it’s a delayed reaction or something else, but finally, something goes off inside my head. Something loud and shrill. “Yes, but Mark? Bloody Mark!” I’m not sure how many times I need to say his name. My ears and throat burn with it.
“Yeah,” he says again.
It’s so loud. My head. Loud and angry and untamable. My mind seems able to focus on one thing only, and my body follows. I’m not thinking, not really, but I’m out of bed and striding toward the door.
“Alex! Where are you going? Wait. What the fuck?” I hear Jake shouting after me.
The hotel room door flies open, and I charge along the corridor to Mark’s room. I know which room is his because he made a point of telling me. I’m on your floor by the way, room 316. If you need to talk, Alex—about anything—you know where I am. The absolute nerve of him. With my hand balled into a fist, I bang furiously on his door until he pulls it open. I have to drag my fist back to my side to stop myself from hitting him with it.
Mark is dressed in the same fluffy bathrobe Jake was in, and it looks as if I’ve just woken him up. “Alex, hey, morning.” He looks surprised to see me. A little sheepish too. He steps into the gap and pulls the door closed behind him. “Listen, I’m sorry about last night. I just—”
“You really are a piece of work, aren’t you?’ I snap, cutting off his apology.
His eyes widen, confused, before his gaze goes over my shoulder. Jake arrives at my side, wordless and wary and still dressed in his bathrobe.
I look back at Mark and give him a look of disdain. “This whole time, you knew. This whole bloody time you were part of this.”
“Alex, calm down. Let’s discuss this.” His voice is calm, almost patronizing, and it riles me up more.
“Calm down? I will not bloody calm down. How dare you say that? Do you even realize how much danger he’s in now? Have you any idea what you’ve done?”
He throws a look at Jake then, which looks like a warning shot. “I’m not sure what he’s told you, Alex, but Jake has made his own decisions. No one forced him into this, least of all me.” He lowers his voice. “But listen to me. This is not the time.” Mark glances behind him as Becca’s head pops up over his shoulder.
Rob’s pretty friend is also dressed in a bathrobe, her hair disheveled and makeup smudged below her eyes. She smiles mischievously at me, her eyes widening when she sees Jake. “Oh my god! The bearded serious guy! You found him!”
When I glance at Jake, he looks confused. I can only manage a tight smile at Becca before I look back at Mark. “We’re going to talk about this. Now. I want you in our room in five minutes.” I give him a warning look of my own before charging back along the corridor.
Back in the suite, I stand at the window and stare out onto the sun-drenched lawns of Illeam Castle. I’m angry but also terrified, my heart beating against my ribs. I take a few deep breaths to try to calm it.
Behind me the door closes. I take a final deep breath before turning around to face him, my arms folded across my chest.
His mouth and eyes are soft as he comes toward me. “I think you scared him to death. He’s probably calling for backup.” He smiles.
“This isn’t funny, Jake.” Still, I soften a little.
He nods. “I know it’s not. But you could do some damage with a temper like that.”