by Josh Lanyon
She gave a high-pitched laugh, although she wasn’t smiling. “Right. Let’s talk. That’s a good one.”
When Jax’s gaze met mine, I gave sharp nod. Jax was pale, but he seemed calm. Maybe resigned was a better word. He didn’t look like he had any expectations of surviving, which made me mad.
“If you shoot Jax, I’ll shoot you. Is that how you want this to end?”
“So long as he dies, I don’t really care,” she hissed.
“Why are you doing this?” Trevor’s voice shook. “You love Jax.”
She sneered. “I don’t love him. I hate him.”
Jax winced, but he didn’t speak.
“Why would you hate Jax?” Trevor looked truly bewildered.
“Why?” she screeched. “Why do I hate Jax?” Her eyes widened. “Because he’s an asshole, Trevor. How do you not see that? He’s used you all these years, and you just keep running back to him like a fucking pathetic puppy.”
Trevor swallowed. “That’s not true.”
“You both came up with Don’t Die, but he took all the credit. And you just let him. You just let him use you and you don’t even care.”
Trevor shook his head. “You’re wrong, Robin. Jax came up with the idea for Don’t Die. We talked about other projects, not that one. You’re getting confused.”
“You’re confused. Not me,” she growled. “You can’t even think straight, you’re so obsessed with Jax. He treats you like shit. He won’t let you have a career of your own.”
Jax scowled. “Bullshit. I’ve given two of Trevor’s scripts to friends of mine.”
She pushed her face closer to his. “Then why is he still picking up your fucking dry-cleaning and running all your errands? Huh? You don’t want him to succeed.”
“You’re wrong, Robin,” Jax said quietly.
“Oh, is that right? Well, if the great Jax Thornburn says I’m wrong, then I must be wrong. Jax knows everything. Everything Jax touches turns to gold because he’s so fucking perfect,” she spat out.
Jax frowned. “Robin—”
“Be quiet!” she snarled. “God, I can’t even stand the sound of your voice!”
“So you killed Dale just to hurt Jax’s career?” I asked quickly, wanting to distract her from Jax. The more she fixated on him, the more likely she was to pull the trigger.
She blinked at me. “I… I didn’t have anything against Dale, but it had to be done. One of the contestants needed to die so that the network would cancel Jax’s show.”
“Benji wasn’t aggressive naturally, though. How did you know he’d attack Dale?”
“I made a point of being on set when Lucinda fed Benji. She had a little routine she never deviated from. Whenever she would feed him, she’d go straight to the cantina for coffee after. I’d just pull his food tray back out of his cage and toss the remaining food in the dumpster behind the hangar. So long as I remembered to slide the empty tray back in the cage, that old bat was clueless.” She sighed. “I felt kind of bad starving the poor thing, but I needed him to be mad and hungry so he’d attack Dale.”
“Then you erased Dale’s code so he couldn’t get to safety?”
She nodded. “Tim showed me how to reprogram the keypad remotely, so it was a piece of cake to erase Dale’s code. I wasn’t anywhere near the set, so I figured no one would suspect me.”
“But it didn’t work.” If I could keep her talking, I might be able to get close enough to grab the gun from her, or at least knock it away from Jax’s head. If I shot her, her gun might go off. With the weapon so close to Jax’s head, that didn’t bode well for his chances of survival. “They didn’t cancel the show.”
“No. It didn’t work. Jax is so very special, his bosses can’t bear to lose him.” Her voice was mocking. “Well, I guess they’ll need to find a new golden boy once I splatter his brains all over the room. Not going to recover from that, are you Jax?”
Jax’s jaw clenched, and he closed his eyes.
“Maybe Trevor will finally get noticed,” she mumbled. “Maybe they’ll even give Trevor Jax’s job.”
“That’s not gonna happen,” Trevor said.
“You don’t know that. Without Jax around to take all the credit, you’ll finally get the attention you deserve, Trev.”
“I wouldn’t want it, not like this. Robin, I’m begging you to put the gun down,” Trevor whispered. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“I don’t care!” she yelled, pressing the gun harder against Jax’s temple.
“Robin,” Trevor whimpered. “Don’t hurt Jax.”
She curled her lip in disgust. “Are you so stupid you think Jax will come back to you, Trevor? Because he won’t. He’s a player. He uses people and moves on. That’s what he does. How can you not see that?” She scowled toward me. “You know he’s fucking that cop, right?”
Trevor gave me a strained glance. “I figured.”
“And you still think he wants you?” Her laugh was harsh. “Wake up, brother, he’s not into you. Been there done that, right, Jax?”
“Why’d you kill Tim?” I interjected. “Wasn’t he your friend, Robin?”
“Wait. What?” Trevor’s eyes widened. “You killed Tim?”
“She shot him in the head.”
She swallowed, giving her brother an uneasy look. “He knew about me being able to reprogram the keypad, remember?”
“You killed Tim?” Trevor raked a shaky hand through his hair. “I can’t believe you’d hurt Tim. Jesus, Robin.”
“It had to be done.” Her mouth was a grim line. “Things will turn around for you, just you watch, Trevor.”
Trevor took a step toward her, looking angry. “Really? How’s that work, sis? You don’t think maybe having a psychopath for a sister might hurt my career just a little?”
She frowned. “No one will blame you.”
“Of course they will. No one will want anything to do with me. Jesus, Robin, how could you not know that?”
I inched closer still. “Why did you bother killing Tim if you were just going to come here and murder Jax anyway?”
“I didn’t plan on doing this today. But after killing Tim… I…I was rattled and came straight home. I should have gone back to the salon, but I was upset. Tim was different from the others. I’ve never killed anyone I cared about before, and it was harder than I thought it would be. But then I saw you talking to Paul”—she sneered—“I knew it was now or never. Paul never could keep his mouth shut.”
“You must realize it’s over now. There’s no point in killing Jax,” I said softly.
“You’re so wrong about that,” she hissed. “I didn’t go to all this trouble for Jax to walk out of this smelling like roses as usual.”
“Someone will have heard you shoot Harry,” Trevor said. “The police will be here any minute.”
“Yeah, Robin. Put the gun down before anyone else gets hurt.” I tried to sound coaxing.
Robin gave a cold smile. “They won’t get here in time to stop me.”
Jax met my gaze, and he gave a sad smile, as if saying, Thanks for trying. It made me sick to know he thought he was going to die. I was angry and disappointed as I raised my SIG higher. Angry that this stupid bitch was about to try and kill the only guy I’d been interested in for ages, and disappointed that I hadn’t been able to get here sooner. I aimed the gun at her shoulder, hoping the impact would spin her away from Jax. I tightened my finger on the trigger, and just as my gun fired, Jax dropped to the ground.
My round hit Robin, and a spray of blood splattered across the white carpet. She screamed and stumbled sideways, her gun going off with a loud bang. For one heart-stopping moment I was afraid she’d still managed to hit Jax, but he appeared unharmed as he crouched on the ground. Trevor ran to his sister and wrestled the gun from her.
“No. No!” Robin was screaming and sobbing. She clutched her shoulder as blood ran over her fingers.
“Jax, call 911,” I barked, moving to take the gun from Trevor.
Trevor fell to his knees beside his sister, and I moved to Harry. He had a gunshot wound in his back, and his pulse was weak, but he was alive.
Jax sat on the edge of the bed and made the call. He was pale, and the hand that held his cell trembled. I squeezed his shoulder, wanting to comfort him more, but I couldn’t. I still needed to secure the scene and make sure Robin was no longer a threat.
Trevor sat next to his sister, tears running freely down his cheeks as he applied pressure to her wound. I felt bad for him. He’d done his best to talk her out of hurting Jax, but there had been no reasoning with her. It was obvious he loved her. Crazy or not, she was still his sister, and as twisted as her logic had been, she’d done it all for him.
Andy arrived the same time as the regular cops. The paramedics stabilized Harry and Robin before transporting them to Cedars-Sinai Hospital. I wasn’t able to talk to Jax because Andy pulled him aside to take his statement. From what I overheard, apparently Trevor had dropped some papers off at Jax’s hotel room, and they’d both been surprised when Robin showed up. No one, including Harry, had been ready when Robin pulled out her gun. She’d shot Harry from behind and then gone after Jax.
I was busy talking to my lieutenant when Jax left. I watched him go, noticing he was still visibly shaken. He made no attempt to say goodbye, which seemed odd. I wouldn’t say it hurt my feelings exactly, but I did wonder why he’d just left without a word. Maybe now that his stalker had been apprehended, he didn’t really see the point in having a personal connection with the lead detective. Or maybe I thought that because some of Robin’s accusations about Jax using people had crept in.
I went back to the precinct and finished filing my paperwork. Since I’d discharged my weapon, that meant even more forms and interviews. It was after midnight by the time I was able to go home. Once there, I had two glasses of whiskey and a mini frozen pizza. After the whiskey, I felt brave enough to try calling Jax. He’d been rattled, and I thought maybe he could use someone to talk to. Unfortunately, all I got was his voice mail. I left a message and hung up, feeling vaguely depressed. I knew my dissatisfaction came from the lack of communication with Jax.
He didn’t owe me anything. I’d have taken that shot whether it was Jax I was protecting or anyone else. But it had definitely felt more personal because it was him. I was relieved he’d had the brains to duck when I’d fired. Good instincts had probably saved his life.
I washed up and crawled into bed, Jax still on my mind. It bothered me that he hadn’t returned my call. Probably because now that the case was about to wrap up, I wasn’t confident he’d have any interest in hearing from me. Jax wasn’t shy. If he’d wanted to talk to me, he’d have called me back. It was probably best if I took the hint and let the credits roll on whatever it was I’d had with Jax Thornburn.
Chapter Ten
I spent most of the next two days wrapping up loose ends in the case against Robin. She’d given her statement to Andy in the hospital during the night, admitting everything. When I saw Andy next, he seemed disturbed by the level of hatred Robin still expressed toward Jax. She’d shown zero remorse, and there was little doubt in Andy’s mind that if she could, she’d still try and kill Jax.
It turned out Paul wasn’t as innocent as he’d made out. Yes, he had texted me and tried to stop Robin from burning Jax to death, but mostly he’d gone along with whatever Robin told him to do. He did have an interview in San Diego the day of the fire, but he’d gotten back hours earlier than he’d told the police. He’d also driven the car the night Robin shot at Jax and drove him off the road. While Paul clearly wasn’t the brains of the operation, or a homicidal maniac like his wife, he’d definitely been an active participant, and he’d have to pay for that.
Another day had passed without a word from Jax. He’d never returned my call, and I was disappointed at how things had ended. One second the taste of him on my tongue had held such promise, and then everything had exploded into madness. While I told myself I hadn’t expected things to last, I couldn’t deny I’d hoped they’d go on a little longer.
I left work that evening feeling beat. I slid behind the wheel, and when I looked up, I saw Jax walking toward my car. I felt breathless as I watched him approach. His stride was relaxed yet confident. He looked really good in jeans and a pink fitted shirt that hugged his lean torso. I climbed out of the car, and he stopped in front of me. It was so nice to see him, and I had to resist the urge to reach out to touch him.
His smile was hesitant. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” I really hoped he couldn’t see how much he affected me. I had no idea why he was here, and I didn’t want to seem pathetic. “How are you?”
“I’m okay.”
“I heard through the grapevine you rejected the network’s offer to continue the show.” Andy had run into Trevor, who’d told him the news.
He bit his bottom lip. “Yeah. They offered me an obscene amount of money to continue, but I just couldn’t do it.”
“So you’ll be on the breadline soon?”
He smirked. “Nah. I pitched them another reality show, and they took it.”
“I guess you really are the golden boy.”
“They’re using my notoriety to make more money, that’s all.”
“Well, after all you went through, I’m glad you landed on your feet.”
He dropped his gaze, a line between his brows. “I guess.”
A group of detectives came out of the building, laughing as they passed us. I felt self-conscious as they cast us curious glances, but I forced myself to focus on Jax. “I heard Harry is doing well.”
“Yeah, he is. I’m glad. I don’t think I could handle anyone else dying because of me.”
“None of this was your fault, Jax.”
He scrunched his face. “Feels like it was.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for saving my life. Yet again.”
I shrugged. “Just—”
“Doing your job?” he interrupted, his smile strained.
I considered him for a moment. “Maybe it was a little more personal than that.”
He looked surprised. “Yeah?”
“I kind of hoped we’d have a chance to talk after everything went down, but you took off, and then you didn’t return my call.”
“Yeah. I was feeling a little…raw.”
“Understandable, considering the circumstances.”
He dropped his gaze. “I wanted to call you back, but I was too depressed.” He glanced up, his gray eyes pained. “It’s hard to swallow that a girl I loved like a sister hated my guts so much, she wanted to murder me.”
“Robin is nuts.”
“Sure. But still.” He sighed. “I considered her family.”
“If it makes you feel any better, it’s not that unusual for family members to try and kill each other.”
“No. That doesn’t actually make me feel better.” He glanced around. “Actually, I came here to talk about something else.”
“Okay… What did you want to talk about?”
“Us.”
I clenched my jaw, not wanting to give into the excitement that shot through me. “Is there an us?”
His gaze was intent. “Maybe that sounds too serious. What I’m trying to say is… I’d still like to see you.”
“We’re really different people.”
“Yeah. We are. So what?”
I crossed my arms. “It doesn’t bother you at all that your Hollywood friends probably think you’re nuts for seeing me?”
He grinned. “I told you before my bad ideas usually turn out great.”
“Yeah, you did say that.”
“I’m willing to put up with my friends being jerks if you are.” There was a hint of uncertainty in his gaze.
I couldn’t deny the happiness I felt that he was still interested in me. “You’re probably just trying to get your blue shirt back.”
He laughed. “Nah, it looked better on you anyway.” He surpri
sed me when he moved forward and put his arms around my neck.
His crisp cologne filled my nostrils, bringing back a flood of nice memories. I put my hands on his narrow hips, tugging him closer. It felt so good to touch him again. “I still think you’re trouble.”
“Come on, Decker, don’t be a chickenshit. Let’s see where this takes us.”
“I can’t wine and dine you like you’re probably used to.”
He lifted one shoulder. “I’m more interested in quiet nights skinny dipping in my pool with this cantankerous detective I know.”
“Hmmm. Sounds promising.” I kissed him, turning him so he was pinned against my car. He smiled against my lips, molding to my body perfectly.
I felt happy. Relieved. I didn’t know what it was about Jax that got to me, but I wasn’t ready to stop trying to figure it out. Maybe we were too different. Hell, maybe we were perfect for each other. I wasn’t sure. I only knew I wanted to see what Act II would be like.
THE END
Blind Man’s Buff by L.B. Gregg
A game of Capture the Flag turns deadly inside an abandoned shopping mall when Tommy and Jonah stumble into a homicidal maniac’s hunting grounds.
Enter
We waited, the six of us, at a service entrance behind Parkway Mall as Dougie pried the effing door open with a crowbar.
The process of entering usually took mere seconds—bing, bang, done—but precious minutes had ticked by since he’d started, and anyone else would have read this as an omen.
Not me.
I focused on the positive. We were completely hidden by shadow. The rain had stopped, leaving a checkerboard of shallow puddles across the torn asphalt, and on the far side of the barren parking lot, well out of sight from both the access road and the old highway, not a single vehicle had driven by.
Most importantly, Jonah Theroux, friend, coworker, crush, had arrived for this evening’s adventure wearing actual aftershave.
He never wore aftershave.
I aimed for casual, but between the thrill of his presence, the peppery scent of his cologne, and the prospect of a night game in an abandoned shopping mall, I rocked on my toes, childishly striking that balance of attentive, cheerful, and way, way too eager. Currently living up to my moniker Tommy instead of Tom.