Page 62 of The Devil's Detail
“Carter is Bonney,” I state, deadpan.
“Yes, we know,” replies Xander, looking at me weird, in an ‘are you not listening’ way.
“No, Carter is Bonney,” I state again, with more emphasis on Bonney.
Evie looks at Kell and Xander and back at me, worry ringing her eyes. “Yes,” she says, coming closer to me to check out my face. Which is devoid of any emotions. “We heard. What’s the matter, Jackson? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I have. Jameson Bonney,” I say with a bit of aggression. Why are they not understanding me?
She gasps. “No way. Has he turned up again? Tell him to get lost. You’re on with Carter, aren’t you? Tell him, Jackson. You’re not interested.”
I almost laugh. Kell is smirking and shaking his head.
“Carter is Bonney.” Kell tries now, gesturing with his hand in fast rolling motion. “Bonney as in Bonney.” We can’t emphasise it anymore. It’s farcical
I’m fed up with the word play. “Like tied me up with a blindfold Bonney. That Bonney. Carter is that Bonney.”
The room is deathly quiet.
“Valentina!” Evie shouts for her nanny. “Can you come and take the boys, please.”
“I’ll take them out,” Ash offers as he corrals Sorley from me. Valentina comes and takes Rio. Everyone’s eyes are ping-ponging around each other.
“Like, tied you up and fucked your brains out, Bonney?” Xander has gone basic now the kids are out of the way.
“Exactly that Bonney,” I confirm. My mouth is turned in on itself. I’m not sure who I’m more disgusted with, him or me.
“Carter, tied you up and kept you blindfolded the whole night. Spoke in a British accent, all night long. Surely you recognised him, Jackson?” Xander qualifies again.
“Clearly not. His groans and growls are not in an American accent, you know. He was fucking British. All night long. Never faltered.”
“You clearly never fucked him hard enough, sugar,” pipes up Kell, in a fake southern drawl.
I hover between storming out, and laughing. This is ridiculous.
“Did he come clean?” Evie asks. She’s edging closer and takes hold of my hand. She clearly can see I’m hanging on by a thread. “Sit down, and tell me.” She’s moved to therapy mode. It’d be funny if it wasn’t.
I shake my head. “No, he didn't. It was a mess. I thought people were in the house to sign up with Bonney.” I wobble my head so she knows which Bonney. “So I had hold of Henry Blake.”
“By the throat,” Kell gets in unhelpfully. “Jackson was jealous. Thought Blake was moving in on Bonney.” He flashes his eyes on his version of Bonney.
“I wasn’t fucking jealous. It was when I found out CarterwasBonney.” Another head wobble. “That was when I lost it. I thought Carter was setting up my replacement. I lost it…a bit.”
Xan and Kell choke out a laugh at that.
“Fuck, I bet Carter was scared out of his wits. I’ve seen you go haywire, Jackson, but I bet Carter hasn’t,” Xan adds.
“He did look a bit scared. But probably because I’d found out who Bonney was. I was talkingthatBonney. Freddie and co were talkingagentJameson Bonney. I clearly know that now.”
Evie starts to smile, so do Xan and Kell.
“What a farce. Are you going to sort it out with Carter?” Evie asks. Smiling comfortingly.
“Nope, not interested. He wasn’t going to tell me.”
Kell makes an exasperated noise in the back of his throat. “We’ve been over that. He couldn’t not. Not with all this news about to break. I don’t think he was trying to hide it. Why would he?” Kell is trying to rationalise.
“You two hid loads of things. Ridiculous things,” I deflect onto them. And I can see my sister revving up for a speech.
