Page 51 of Texas Hold Em'
“How so?” She twisted back toward me, straining against her seatbelt. “I’m the one who went to Bates. I’m the one who made this happen. If not for me, you guys would have had time to sort something out. It would have gone differently. If you die, I’m going to have that on my conscience for the rest of my life.”
“I’m making my own choice. Just because it was your idea doesn’t mean it’s your responsibility.”
She rolled her eyes and slumped in the seat. “You don’t get it.”
Neither of us spoke for the rest of the drive. When we pulled up to the warehouse the sun was at the highest point in the sky. It was a warm day, but nothing like the heat we’d had over the course of the summer. Carrie shielded her eyes from the sun as she got out of the car and went to the back door of the warehouse, where she waited for me.
I let us in.
We moved down the humid hallway all the way to my door at the end. She waited with her arms crossed and leaned against the wall while I unlocked the door. I pushed it open and she ducked under my arm.
“I’m going to try to sleep again,” she said.
“We need to talk about this.”
“I don’t want to.”
I caught her wrist. “Well, I do.”
She wrenched free from me. “What do you want to talk about, Jameson? Huh? There’s nothing you can say to me that will make this feel any less like a cage. I feel like I have nowhere to go! All my choiceshave been stripped from me and I’m being forced down a road with no exits that keeps getting narrower and narrower, and at the end of the road, I’ll be crushed between two retaining walls and I won’t be able to breathe and… and…” She trailed off her as eyes grew glassy and pressed a hand to her chest. “I can’t do this. Oh my God, Ican’tdo this!”
I caught her in my arms as she crumpled.
She sobbed and clung to my shirt while I held her and I tried to think of the right thing to say.
“You know,” I said softly, resting my chin on top of her head, “nothing is ever guaranteed in this life. The boys and I joined the club knowing full well we’d be giving up the straight and narrow life. We take risks every day. Some of them aren’t even worth it. We pull stupid stunts on our bikes or start a fight in a bar with a stranger. The thrill? It’s in our blood. Some things are worth risking it for, Carrie. And this? I want to do this. Ineedto. For William.”
“He’s dead,” she sobbed. “He’s dead, and if he were here, he’d tell you that you were being an idiot, too.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, he probably would. And then he’d probably try to convince me to trade places with him because that was the kind of guy he was.”
Carrie sniffled. “Well then, that would make him stupid, too.”
I laughed. “Yeah, well, we all have our moments I guess.”
“It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny.”
She pulled back and looked up at me with her arms wrapped around my waist. “I don’t want you to die, Jameson. That’s all.”
I held her face in my hands. She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek into my palm. “Baby,” I whispered, “if I don’t do this, I might die anyway. Bates has made it very clear that he wants us all six feet under. Regardless of what we do next, he’s coming for me. He’s coming for all of us. This plan gives me some control, and I’m not going to waste it. Brody and I will make a plan. We’ll make it work.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “You’re playing with fire.”
“Brody knows what he’s talking about. Six minutes is plenty of time.”
“Six minutes is too much time! Are you kidding me? You can’t afford to be fucking dead for six minutes! And somehow in that time span, we’re supposed to convince Bates that you’re dead?”
“Well yeah, he’s going to want proof.”
“Well yeah,” she said, mocking me by dropping her voice lower. She shoved my hands away from her face and took a step back. “And just how are we supposed to prove to Bates that you’re dead? He’s not an idiot. He’s going to need more confirmation than just a picture. He’s going to want to get up close and personal. With yourcorpse,” she hissed. “How can we let him get close enough to believe you’re really dead while also making sure Brody can start your heart, all within six minutes of stopping it? If you really think this could work, then you’re smoking more than just nicotine.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
She rolled her eyes. “Figure it out, my ass. I can’t believe you’re even entertaining this idea. Has it occurred to you what might happen to me if you died? Jackson hates me enough as it is. If you die because of me, what do you think he’ll do?”
“Nothing,” I said. “He’d probably escort your ass out of Reno himself and pray like hell he never saw you again.”
