Page 33 of The Last Shadow

“Right now? You Jay. I have a lot of thoughts in my head right now and I don’t like them. Not one fucking bit.” I stare at him until his resolve cracks.

“Damien talked, didn’t he?”

“It should’ve been you,” I answer instead of confirming or denying anything.

“I didn’t think he’d ever tell you. Shit Frankie, it’s not about keeping secrets. It’s about keeping you safe.”

I shake my head. “You know, I’m really starting to hate that fucking word, Jay. It’s not your job to keep me safe unless we’re out in the field. I expect you to have my back but not lie to me.”

“It’s not a real lie, just a lie of omission.” He tosses his pen across the desk, watching as it rolls off the desk and falls to the floor. “I’ve known Wolfe for a while. He’s one of the biggest names in the city.”

“So, this entire fucking time you’ve known that he was at Hope House? Known that his life was in danger, and you never said a fucking word?”My heart is stuck in my throat thinking about all the ways Jay has fucked this investigation. “You created months of useless work for us and why? We could have saved Zeke!”

He’s shaking his head like I’m just being some emotional woman, and it pisses me off. “Whoever this killer is, he was always gonna go after Zeke.” His words are so casual, so fucking nonchalant that it drives me crazy.

“Do you know who it is Jay?” I hold my breath in anticipation of his answer.Please don’t let him know who the killer is. Don’t let our entire relationship which expands half of my life, be a lie.If there’s any real justice in this universe, that won’t be the case.

“Do I know who’s out here dropping bodies around my city?” He laughs angrily. “How the fuck can you ask me that, Frankie?”

“What am I supposed to think, Jay? All this time you pretended like you only knew Damien from the press. You discouraged me from dating him, hell you acted like you hated him when you knew him, perhaps better than I do!” I shake my head. “Is thereanother reason you didn’t want me to date him?” My heart is galloping like a racehorse. “Well?”

“Yeah, because he’s rich and those guys think the laws don’t apply to them.”

For the first time in my life, I know Jay is lying to me. “What does Damien have to do with this?”

“Nothing, I swear. I mean, I don’t know other than he also lived at Hope House.” His eyes are begging me to believe him, but my conscience is telling me not to believe anyone as easily as I did five minutes ago. “I didn’t keep anything from you that would impact the case.”

“Except you did because you know who was staying at Hope House and you probably have a good ideawhythose men are dead.”

“There are about fifty different reasons those men could be dead considering all the shit those kids got up to, but nothing specific comes to mind Frankie. I swear.”

I want to believe him. He’s been at my side since my entire world came crashing down. Twice. But right now, all I see is a liar and that’s the last thing I want or need to deal with. “I need some space.” I stand and shake my head. “I need to get out of here.”

“Come on Frankie, let’s talk about this.”

“No Jay, there’s nothing to talk about. You know I hate lying and you’ve been lying to me for months.” Possibly years.

“I did it to protect you. You’re pissed at me and rightly so, but I hope you save up some of that anger for your husband who also lied to you.”

It’s a truth that’s been kicking around in the back of my mind for a few hours that I’ve been reluctant to address. Damien lied to me too and I’m not ready to face that just yet.

I leave the precinct and walk around the city to clear my mind. When that doesn’t work, I take a drive up PCH and hope the shoreline does for me what nothing else has been able to.

Give me clarity.

Give me guidance.

Ignoring calls for six hours isn’t the adult way to handle things but right now I have to look out for myself since no one else does.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Damien

Where the fuck is she?I pace the length of the penthouse, wondering where Francesca could be. Jay called me hours ago and said she flew out of the precinct in a rage when he told her about our connection.

I verbally tore him a new asshole before he reassured me, he didn’t tell her everything. It’s small comfort considering I don’t know where the hell she is or what’s going through her mind, but I need to know.

I don’t live my life leaving unknowns lingering. I need every loose end tied up and burned so they never unravel again. Right now, Jay is a big fucking loose end, but getting rid of him would create more problems than it solves. “Fucking Jay.” Why did he have to open his fucking mouth?

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