Page 61 of Jack

“Are you okay?” I ask softly.

“Jay and I picked up two vehicles from a wreck this morning.”

I slide my arm around him and lean closer to his side. “I’m sorry. Did you know them?”

Willow Creek is a small town. He grew up here and probably knows everybody. It has to be bad going to an accident and finding it’s someone you know.

“The lady driving the car lives in Dades Creek. We know her and her family. She was taken to the hospital, but I don’t know her condition.”

“I’m sorry.” My heart hurts for him.

“After lunch, Dad called. We had to close the shop early.”

“More firecrackers and bricks?” I knew those bikers were trouble when we ran into them at the bakery.

“No.” He’s quiet for a long moment. “Harley got into it with Mom today.”

I raise my head and lean back slightly. “Jack, if you need to be there, we can go.”

He lays his palm against the side of my neck and lifts my chin with his thumb. “No, angel. I wanna sit here, eat this food, and watch the sunset with you.”

“You’re so sweet.”

He slowly shakes his head. “I’m not sweet, angel. I carry darkness everywhere I go. Sometimes, like now, it lays in wait.”

“You’re not a bad man, Jack. You’ve shown me nothing but kindness. I know what a bad man is,” I whisper the last part.

“When the darkness doses out the light, please remember this moment.”

“Just because you think you’re bad and live in darkness doesn’t mean it’s true.”

He places a finger on my lips. “Shh, angel. We’ll talk about it another time. I made you a promise this morning. I fully intend on keeping it.”

Promise? I quickly run through this morning. I don’t remember a promise.

“Jack?”

“There’s no turning back,” he whispers.

He closes the few inches between us and brushes his lips over mine. Our kiss is slow, sweet, and tender. Soon, it turns into need. It’s not the need with desire. This is deeper and more meaningful. It’s the need to feel and belong. My arms circle his neck, pulling him closer. He’s right. There’s no turning back for either of us.

Chapter 27

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Jack

The past week and a half has been chaotic and ridiculous. Oh, and nerve-racking. Can’t leave out the fact that everyone’s about to lose it. Our nerves are beyond shot. There are way too many things happening around here. I can’t sort any of it out.

The Midnight Mavericks are still pulling stupid childish pranks around town. At random times throughout the day and night, firecrackers pop off. Not as many or with bricks like the first one at the garage. It’s just enough to be bothersome and annoying to the entire town. We wouldn't know it was them if Jay, Cloudy, and I hadn’t witnessed Trace and his guys throwing the first one.

The senior citizens in Willow Creek are freaking out. Naturally, half of them believed it was us and called the Sheriff’s Office. Our wonderful sheriff, Nathan Bowers, showed up at the Den yesterday. His beloved law-abiding citizens fear a bikeruprising is coming. It’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.

That’s not all. It gets better. Exactly a week ago, red paint splatters started showing up around town in driveways, parking lots, and on the sidewalks. We haven’t figured out what the paint means, and no one has claimed responsibility.

Nick believes the two are the same group but can’t prove it yet. When both pranks happen, the traffic cameras blink in and out. When they’re thrown from cars, the license plates are missing, so Nick can’t run those. When they’re thrown by people running through town on foot, the person is always dressed fully in black and wearing a ski mask. We don’t have faces to ID.

The only reason Nick isn’t a hundred percent sure it’s the same group is because the cars throwing the firecrackers aren’t the same makes and models as the ones throwing the paint. And from their shapes and height, it’s different people on foot.

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