He closed his eyes as his heart swelled even more.
Never. Enough. Stars.
*
Knight
“Thank you? Okay then, Dr. Jones. That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Through a haze of smoke, Knox smirked around his cigar, taking another slow draw, a slight squint to his already beady, dark eyes. He looked at his watch. “If all goes well, we’ll have you home by curfew.”
“What about Jessica? She looked miserable … not like a woman living of her own free will.”
Snuffing the end of his cigar in the ashtray, Knox looked at Luke with a hint of pleasure in his eyes. “The guy she’s been fucking is dying. Cancer … a real bitch.
Luke closed his eyes. Numb.
“Now. You’re going to wake up in your own bed tomorrow morning feeling much like you did when you arrived here—groggy and disoriented. That blow to your head earlier is going to give you one hell of a headache. I’d suggest taking something for it as soon as you wake. Once your mind stops spinning and the memories from today start to fall back into place, you’re going to have the urge to tell someone—friends, family, the police. Don’t. Everyone you tell dies. Any questions?”
Luke stared at the table. Someone brought Jessica back to life just to kill her in front of him. Another man. She was with another man—a man who was dying. The pain seeped into his chest like poison.
His body stiffened, rejecting Knox’s condescending hand that landed on his shoulder.
“If it were me, I’d get drunk off my ass, stick my dick in as much pussy as possible, burn everything that bears her memory, and get on with my fucking life.”
Knox opened the door and nodded. Two men stepped in the room. One of them handed Knox a syringe. He pulled the cap off with his teeth then spit it on the floor.
“Are you ready to go home, Dr. Jones?”
“Why fake her death?” Luke continued to stare at the table as Knox held his head to the side with one arm while pressing the tip of the syringe to his neck with his other hand.
“Nobody looks for dead people.”
Stick. Burn. Black.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Knight
Thanksgiving was two days away and for the first time in her life Ryn had no plans. Her parents, not knowing about Jackson’s it’s-not-you-it’s-me breakup, decided to take a cruise assuming Ryn would be with him since Maddie would be with Preston. Ryn dropped the restraining order and if her stubborn daughter would have answered her calls or listened to her messages, she’d have known that. Instead Ryn was on her way to clean AJ’s house per Jillian’s request and then Jillian and Jackson’s place. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Jackson since their breakup the previous week.
“Hi, Ryn.” Jillian answered AJ’s door.
She smiled, stepping inside while looking for AJ.
“He’s sleeping.”
Ryn nodded. “I’m afraid to even ask how he’s doing.”
Jillian sighed. “For the past week he’s basically been sleeping. He has some short-term memory loss and vision issues. When we flew here from Houston I thought his vision was completely gone, but he’s regained a bit a few times since. It’s sporadic and unpredictable. I’m guessing swelling or the tumor. I don’t know.”
Ryn gave her a sad smile. “I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I can do just name it.”
“What you’re doing today is great. The downside to his vision coming back sometimes is he sees how dirty things have gotten around here and apparently my cleaning is not up to his standards.”
With a little chuckle, Ryn smiled. “Well, this I can do for you. Should I just avoid his bedroom?”
“No. The blinds are partially open, but he’s really out of it so I wouldn’t worry about waking him.”
“Is his family coming for Thanksgiving?” Ryn hollered from the hall bathroom.
Jillian leaned against the doorway with her arms folded over her chest. “No.” She scrunched her nose. “They don’t know we’re here. Nobody knows we’re here except Jackson. I’ve even tried to keep my trekking back and forth to a minimum so the neighbors don’t get too nosy. Jackson’s been dropping off food. AJ doesn’t want his family here … he doesn’t even want to be here, but I needed to come back for … certain reasons.”
“Why don’t I make you both Thanksgiving dinner and bring it over? I’m sort of by myself this year and I love to cook so it would be no trouble.”
Jillian lifted a single shoulder. “AJ’s hardly eating anything, and what he does eat I have to force feed him—it’s not pretty. And I don’t eat meat so …”
“But you eat, right?” Ryn couldn’t help but smile at her own ridiculous eagerness.
Jillian laughed. “Yes, I eat.”
“Great. I’ll make a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner, and then you’ll have leftovers for a few days too.”
“You don’t have—”
Ryn shook her head. “I want to. Please?”
Jillian nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
*
After Ryn finished AJ’s house, Jillian told her their front door was unlocked and Jackson may or may not be there. That meant Ryn may or may not have to clean their house for two hours with her heart in her throat.
“Hello?” she called as she peeked in the door.
No answer. She sighed and carried her supplies inside. Even without him there it was difficult to not feel his presence everywhere. With each room, she picked up speed, going from a small part of her hoping he’d show up to an overwhelming need to get out of there before he came home.
Releasing a sigh of victory as she wound up the vacuum hose, she turned toward the hall leading to the garage door.
“Hi.”
Her heart wasted no time leaping into her throat. “Hi … uh was my car in your way? I’m just leaving.” She knew her car wasn’t in his way, but her nervousness took over, grasping for anything to say that was random and impersonal like the weather or parking spots.
He shook his head.
“Great, then I’ll just be going.” Ryn grabbed as many of her supplies as possible to limit her trips back inside.
After loading her first armful of supplies in the back of her vehicle she turned. “Oh …” She stopped inches from ramming into Jackson. “Thanks.”
He handed her the vacuum and last bucket. “How have you been?” he asked after she shut the back door.
She bit the inside of her cheek. “I don’t know how to answer that. So I’ll just say fine and leave because this is a little awkward.” She tried to slip by him.
“Ryn?” He hooked just her pinkie finger with his finger and tugged it. That small touch stopped her heart.
“Please don’t,” she whispered, not wanting him to know the fragile shell of her heart could splinter into tiny pieces from his slightest touch.
“I miss you.”
Ryn bit her tongue instead of screaming. Why did he say that? He missed her, so what?
“That’s not my fault.” She pulled from his grasp and even though it was just his finger, it took incredible strength to let go. Ryn hated herself for giving a man that much power over her again.