Chapter Thirteen
Charlie
Every time I stare at this damn teddy bear, I want to scream. I know I squeezed it, but it’s a big bear. What if I didn’t squeeze it hard enough?
Pans clatter in the kitchen, where Jett is supposed to be cooking lunch. He says I can trust him, but I still have this feeling he isn’t telling me something. Like he doesn’t want me to know everything. And if he’s the good guy, what kind of reason could he have for keeping something from me?
I mean, I know he’s hiding something for the fact he never told me why he was with Jimmy or how he knows him. Then again, I didn’t either. Is it better or worse that we don’t share?
I don’t know. Which is exactly why telling him where I think the money might be isn’t in my plans. Especially when I’ve decided I don’t want to know if it’s there or not. Not yet anyway. The only reason I want to know is so I can give it to Jimmy and you’d think that because of this, I’d have cut into it by now, but knowing Jimmy, the moment he has what he wants, I think he’d kill me anyway. I’d be a loose end and he wouldn’t want that. Not knowing where the money is … I think that’s best right now.
But sending Jimmy back to jail, that’s still something that could happen.
“I have an idea,” I say, stepping into the kitchen to find Jett in only a pair of sweat pants. I like it. I like it a lot and maybe this whole not being able to leave the other one’s side has some pros to the situation.
Although, hot body or not, we are still in a mess that we need to find a way out of.
I might not want to tell him where I think the money is, but I do want to run my idea of getting Jimmy out in the open to him. Maybe he can help me.
“By the way you’re looking at me, I hope it’s the same idea I have,” Jett says. The half grin he gives me … well, maybe I can save my plan for later.
No. no. We can’t waste time. I need to think about Sam—who thankfully stayed with Max last night. Not myself.
I scrunch my face into a smile. “Let’s save that topic for later.”
His bottom lips pops out, but then I kiss him until he smiles.
“I was thinking of a way to get rid of Jimmy,” I say cautiously and wait for his answer.
Jett stops moving, but he doesn’t look at me.
“And you have an idea for this?” he asks.
“Yes. He doesn’t want to be seen in public, so if we get him in public, call the police, and tell them where he is, it will be easy.”
The pregnant pause that hangs between us makes me shift my stance. Does he not agree with me?
“I don’t know, Charlie,” he says.
“You don’t think it’s smart?”
“Of course it’s smart, but if it were that easy, wouldn’t it have been done by now?”
“By who? No one has more motive than me to lock him back up.”
“Not true.”
I fold my arms at his answer and wait for him to continue. When he doesn’t, I ask, “And what is your reason?”
“To keep you safe.”
“If that were the case, wouldn’t you have done that before he invited us both to the diner?”
His head tilts slowly as he says, “Yes, but it’s complicated.”
“How?”
He shakes his head and sets down the bread and butter knife.
“I think it’d be easier to just give him the money.”
He can’t be serious.
“We’re back to this, huh?” I toss my hands up before leaving the kitchen.
“Back to what?” Jett follows me. “Back to the whole reason we’re here? Yeah, he wants his money.”
“And you think I should just give it to him.”
He swallows and nods. “Yeah, I do.”
“Well, as you said, if it were that easy, wouldn’t it have been done by now?”
“What do you mean?”
“It means if I had the money I’d give it to him, but I don’t and I don’t know where it is, soooo, we need a different plan.”
“You don’t know where it is?” His eyes go wide. “Like you never did, or you just don’t know now?”
“Jett, you sound almost more interested in knowing where it’s at than Jimmy does. I don’t like it, and I’m about to tell you to leave.”
He shakes his head and smiles. “No, I just … you never knew about it, did you?”
I toss my hands up again. “No. I just said I didn’t.”
He smiles grows and he pulls me into him, kissing me before I can think twice about it. I kiss him back, but it doesn’t change anything.
“Jett,” I say, giving our mouths distance to breathe, “what is going on? What aren’t you telling me?”
He kisses me one more time and then says, “I can’t tell you.”
“Oh my god! If you say that one more time, I will lose my shit.”
“Charlie, I want to tell you everything. God, do I want to. It’s just not that easy. All I can tell you is that your sister’s boyfriend stole from Jimmy, and if what they say is true, he gave the money to your sister, who supposedly gave it to you.”
“Yes, I’ve gathered that much on my own, Jett, thanks.” I roll my eyes.
“We’ll think of something. Your sister clearly had a plan if she wanted to keep you and your nephew safe and—”
“What?” I ask. He just called Sam my nephew. “I never told you that.”
He stiffens. “Told me what?”
I move out of his arms and hold my hand out to keep distance between us. “I never told you that Sam was my nephew.”
“I …”
My breaths start to come quicker and my stomach begins to twist.
“How do you know that?” I ask.
“I …” he stutters again and steps for me.
“How do you know that?” I yell before he can touch me.
“Because I’m a cop, Charlie.”
My mouth clamps shut and I step back, hitting the wall.
Holy shit.