Page 96 of Dear John

“Well, you’re just a wealth of information, aren’t you?”

He grinned up at me, holding his hands wide. “Ask me anything. I’m an open book.”

“Is that because you’re drunk or because you would tell me either way?”

He frowned at my words, his lips moving as he repeated them silently. “I would tell you either way. But only you.”

“Why only me?”

“Because…you’re you.”

Well, that made a load of sense. “And what does me being me have to do with anything?”

Instead of answering, he sighed heavily and shifted on the couch until he was resting his head on my thighs. Shocked, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. It didn’t really seem sexual in any way. Just…odd. Like he was looking for comfort or something.

“You smell like vanilla,” he mumbled, turning his head toward my stomach.

“Okay, this is getting a little weird,” I said, attempting to shift him.

His large hand wrapped around my stomach, holding me in place as he snuggled in further. “Stay. Wanna talk to you.”

There was this voice in my head screaming at me to get up and let him sleep it off. But then Riley was whispering in my earThis is your chance. Find out everything you can!

I didn’t want to take advantage of the situation, but he did say he was an open book and he would tell me anything. “IKE, you once said I didn’t want to know what you did.”

“Mhmm.”

“Will you tell me now?”

“Will you hate me?”

“I can’t answer that unless I know.”

A long-suffering huff left his lips and he rolled until he was facing the ceiling. His eyes popped open and settled on my face. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“You warned me weeks ago, remember?”

His lips twitched in amusement. “I’m what they call a leg breaker.”

“A leg breaker,” I repeated.

He nodded. “If you don’t pay your bills, they send me to get the message across.”

“And what is that message?”

“That you only get one more chance.”

My breath hitched in my chest as I imagined him literally breaking someone’s legs for not paying. “And if they fail?”

“Then I’m sent to make sure no one finds the bodies.”

I swallowed hard, unsure what to say. “Oh.”

“They’re all bad people,” he murmured. “Can’t pay their bills, so they turn to loan sharks and mafia. Bad guys. All bad guys.”

“And they hire you.”

He nodded again. “And when I get sick of doing that…I find another job.”

---