Page 43 of Jig's Last Dance
“I think you should go back,” he says, and I whip my head around.
“Back where?”
“To Iris. Maybe she can tell you more. Did you even ask her anything?”
“No,” I mutter. “I was in shock.”
“Well, we need more fucking details, and they have them,” he says.
I eye him skeptically. “Is that really why you want me to go back?”
I mean, really? Everyone else warned me to stay away.
He leans forward so fast I flinch. His dark eyes burn into mine, and I fight the resulting shiver—my mistake. I let my guard down, and I shouldn’t have. This is a reminder. He’s the real deal, and I need to back the fuck off.
Raising my hands, I stand, and he looks away just as Jig appears behind him, glancing between us with a frown.
“Who won?” Jig asks.
Bastion stands with a scowl. “Alice here is a card shark.”
With that, he walks off, and I stare after him, bemused. Maybe I do need more info, but I’m quite sure he didn’t find me by myself to convince me to do it because he was looking out for his crew.
What’s the deal with him and Iris?
“Is that true, sunshine? You a card shark?”
Glancing up, I muster a smile, but his playful grin isn’t fooling me. “Sure.”
With my winnings in hand, I scoot around the table and try to slide past him, but he grabs my chin and looks into my eyes. I’m not sure what he’s searching for, but his brow creases before he lets me go, and I walk away on shaky limbs. Why didn’t I mention Bastion’s suggestion?
Because I’m a fool, that’s why.
∞∞∞
On Sunday, I’m rounded up for dinner with Sal. He greets me wearing a formal suit and a dark smile. I guess I should be more aware of my attire, but I just don’t care. I’m a teenager, for fuck’s sake.
Sitting down at the table, I move my food around as he eats quietly. Sweat slides down my spine. It’s weird, but the more I’m around him, the more nervous I am.
He hasn’t done anything, but I sense I’m seeing a mask, and with each assessing stare, I wonder when the thin veneer of civility will wear off. The question is, do I trust the man I knew before or the calculating version he’s presenting now?
I know he’s a bad man. I’m not stupid but what I don’t know is whether he’s a danger to me. A fatal flaw in my relationship with the man I used to worship.
“How’s your class?” Sal asks, and I jump before laughing like a hyena.
This is insane. I should have gone home that day and begged Ben to take me back. I was stupid. And now I feel like I’m on an island, surrounded by sharks.
Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from Ben, and I suspect he’s written me off. I don’t know what to do, but I have to do something, and the anticipation keeps me jumpy and on edge.
Clearing my throat, I say, “It’s okay. I can’t wait to be done.”
He smiles, his dark eyes contemplative. “Your father wanted you to go to college.”
Nodding, I stare at my food. “I know, I will. I enrolled at Evergreen.”
He tsks. “He wanted more for you.”
“Then I guess he shouldn’t have died,” I say tightly, and he drops into silence. Wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans, I stare studiously at my plate.