Page 34 of Bleed for You
“Please tell me this will be over soon. Just give me a thread of hope.”
“It will. I think they have enough now.” A door banging somewhere on the floor had them both stilling. “We shouldn’t have to work like this. We should be able to come in here and do our jobs and not have an asshole like that screaming at us.”
“It’s because he’s shit and he knows it.”
Craig nodded. “Yeah, so we have to deal with his daily temper tantrum.”
Raj opened the door and looked outside. “I think it might be safe.” With a wave, he disappeared, and Craig sat on his chair, sighing heavily. Looking at the clock on the wall, he felt his shoulders slump. Only an hour to go and he was free. If he kept busy, the time would pass more quickly and before he knew it, he would be time to go.
When he next looked up to check the time, he saw it was time to go. He called Jinx again, but again there was no answer. “I’m going to find you.” Craig packed his items away, grabbed his bag, and left his office. He avoided Flint by ignoring him, and within an hour, he was home. Showered and dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, Craig drove to where Jinx worked and saw his work van as it was driving out of the cemetery. Biting his lip, Craig made the decision to follow it. An hour passed as Jinx drove until he turned off the main road. From then on, the drive wasn’t as easy as his poor car hit every pothole, but Craig knewto make sure there was distance between them, so Jinx wasn’t aware he was being tailed.
When he saw a cabin ahead with Jinx’s van parked out front, he slowed to a stop and watched Jinx move around the front, then go in and out a few times before driving away. Craig waited until the van disappeared, then drove to the cabin and parked. Getting out, he stared at the building, seeing its rundown appearance. Walking around the outside, Craig shook his head at the condition of the building. Why did Jinx have a place like this and why had he never told Jinx?
Back at the front of the cabin, Craig walked up the steps and stood. He looked at the door, then spotted the alarm. Furrowing his brow, he shook his head. “Why have an alarm on a place like this?” He reached over to the alarm, hesitated, then put Jinx’s date of birth in. The alarm flashed red, and Craig dropped his hand as the sound of a van reached him. Turning, Craig watched Jinx park and stare at him through the windshield then open the door and get out.
“Craig.”
“What is this place?”
Jinx looked at him as he walked closer. “A place that was left to me.”
“I didn’t know. Are you doing work on it?”
“No.” Jinx stopped in front of him, his eyes narrowed. “You need to go, Craig.”
“Why?” Craig stepped back when Jinx tilted his head, his eyes focused on him. “Jinx? What’s going on?”
“You need to go now. I’ll call you when I’ve finished.”
“Finished what?”
“Craig. You need to leave.”
“What’s going on?” Craig turned and tried to open the door. “Is there a man in there? Are you cheating on me?”
“Never. I only want to be with you, but there are some things you don’t need to know about.”
“Like?” Craig tried the door again. “I need to go inside.”
“You need to go home, and I’ll call you when I’ve finished.”
Spinning around, Craig looked Jinx over, seeing dirt on his clothes. “Where did you go? You’re covered in dirt. What the hell is going on here?”
Jinx grabbed Craig by the shoulders. “You don’t want to know. I’m asking you for the last time to leave.”
Swallowing, Craig pulled free from Jinx’s grip. “Or what,” he murmured. “Will something happen to me? Will you hurt me?”
“Not you.”
Craig caught the implication. “Who?”
“Go—”
“You either tell me or we are done.” Craig jabbed his finger into Jinx’s chest. “I’m tired of being lied to.”
“Don’t do this.” Jinx knocked Craig’s hand away. “You won’t like the truth.”
“Tell me!” Craig shouted. “I’m an adult. I can handle it.” Oh fuck. Jinx was cheating on him. Just when Craig had thought he’d found the right man and wanted to live together, to plan their rest of their lives together, it turned out Jinx hadn’t been faithful.
