Page 50 of Puck Struck
Where did you go? Please tell me you didn’t go to the hotel.
I stare at the screen and finally type a response.
Needed to clear my head.
Three dots appear then disappear.
Can we talk?
Something twists in my chest as I stab my response onto the screen.
Give me some time. I'll call you tomorrow.
Okay.
The single word speaks volumes. He expects me to walk away. To never speak to him again. And why not? Everyone else probably has. At least, that’s the impression I got.
With a heaving sigh, I pull back onto the road, away from the hotel. Away from a confrontation I'm not prepared for. Away from a mess that isn’t mine, but one I want to help clean up.
I call Carter. If anyone can give level-headed advice without needing all the details, it's him.
He answers on the fourth ring, voice thick with sleep. "Shaw? It's fucking late."
"Sorry," I say. "But I need some advice."
A pause. "This better be good."
"Hypothetically, if someone was being blackmailed, what would you do?"
"Jesus, Logan." I hear rustling like he's sitting up in bed. A muffled voice in the background. Probably Jack. "Are you in trouble?"
"Not me. A...friend."
"Right." The skepticism in his voice is clear. "Why is this friend being blackmailed?"
"Past stuff. Shit they can't change."
Carter sighs. "And you're calling me because..?"
"Because I want to help handle it, but I don't know how."
"By handle it, you mean what, exactly? Because if you're thinking about doing something stupid?—"
"I'm not," I cut in, though that's exactly what I was about to do. "Just looking for options."
A long pause. "If this is serious, your friend needs to go to the police. Blackmail's a crime."
"I don’t know if he can. It's complicated."
"It always is." Carter's voice drops. "Look, I don't know what kind of shit your friend is involved with, but charging in without a plan usually makes things worse. Trust me on that."
I grip the steering wheel tighter. "So what do you suggest?"
"Get all the facts first. Understand exactly what you're dealing with. Then make a plan that doesn't involve you ending up in jail or the hospital. Because neither of those is going to help anyone."
It's solid advice. The kind I'd give if the situation were reversed.
"Thanks," I say finally.
