Page 55 of Jeremy
“Melissa?Are you okay?” Leah asks.
“Shit,she looks pale,” Zoe says, shoving a glass of water my direction.
“I’msorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up while you already have so much on yourmind,” Leah says.
Findingmy voice, I take a deep breath and try to regain control. “It’s okay. I’m allright. I just haven’t had alcohol in a while. Guess I’m a lightweight now.” Iforce a smile and sip on the water.
Zoeshoves the platter toward me. “Eat something and you’ll feel better.”
Theychange the subject, and we spend the next hour laughing and chatting about ourfavorite music and TV shows. They tell me all about Sadie, Justus’s wife, and Ayda,Dare’s wife. “They have a little boy too. Calvin will have someone to play withwhen they get older,” Zoe says with a smile.
It’sso hard to grin back and agree. Once Jeremy finds out who I am and who Calvinbelongs to, all this will crumble into nothing.
Thedread in my stomach kills my appetite, and I only manage to nibble on thefinger food, so Zoe insists we stop to grab some pizza for later. “You’ve gotto eat and keep your strength up for Calvin,” she insists, and I can’t arguewith that.
Wetell our cab driver to stop at the nearest pizza place, and he pulls into thelot of a tiny pizzeria. “Uh, I’m not a fan of e-coli,” Zoe says.
“Ieat here all the time,” the cab driver assures her. “It’s a hole in the wall,but they have the best pizza in town.” He grins at Zoe. “And it’s clean.”
“Comeon Zo, live a little,” Leah laughs, climbing out of the car.
It’snot as small on the inside as it looks on the outside. The main dining room hasthe service counter at one end, and there’s an adjacent dining room through anarched doorway. We place our order, and Zoe and Leah head to the restroom. Foronce, I’m not the one who has to pee. It’s nice not to have that side effect ofpregnancy anymore.
Iwander around looking at the random memorabilia posted on the walls, until afamiliar voice stops me in my tracks. “I feel the same way. Any attention wecan draw is worth it,” Jeremy says, rounding the corner.
It’son the tip of my tongue to call his name, but the sound dies in my throat, andI have to blink to convince myself I’m really seeing the man who walks besidehim.
Anthony.Dillon’s brother, who “claimed me” after Dillon died in the mall shooting. Theman who haunts my nightmares. The man I can never run far or fast enough from.What the hell is Jeremy doing with him?
Jeremysees me and just barely manages to reign in his surprise and shutter his face.“Excuse me, Ma’am,” he says, and slides between me and a table, since I’mfrozen in place, blocking the way.
Anthonydoesn’t notice anything but me, and his lip curls up. “Hi there, Lissa. You’relooking well.”
Fearrages through me, and I take a step back. “Stay away from me.”
“Noneed to be rude.” His smile is greasy and malicious. “Kelly says hi. She’s beena greatcomfortto me in your absence.”
Jeremyis staring at me, wide eyed, trying to judge the situation. Anthony continuespast me with a vicious whisper. “No one leaves, Lissa.”
Withthat, he walks out the door. Jeremy glances back with a worried expressionbefore following him.
Thepieces fall into place. Jeremy’s work, the work I’m not privy to. He’s tryingto bring down the men who killed the girl he loved. That’s why he went fromhating me to helping me. He knows. I don’t know how, but he knows who I am.Probably some hacker bullshit I’d never understand. It doesn’t matter.
He’snot here for me. He’s here for them. In the end, I’ll be right where I expectedto be in the beginning. Raising my son alone.
God,Zoe and Leah must know too. Are they here just to keep me out of the way whileIn Safe Hands brings down True Life? And what exactly are they planning to do?He told me they’ve killed in the past. Are they planning to wipe them all out?
Mysister is still there.
Idon’t know what to do or who to trust.
Zoeand Leah return. We pay for our pizza, and head home. They leave me when Iconvince them that I just want to go to bed, and head next door to be withtheir guys. I know Jeremy is coming tonight, and I have no idea what to do.
IfI push all the personal stuff between Jeremy and me aside, and I’m right in myconclusions, then we probably share a desire to shut down True Life. If that’shis plan, I have no intention of interfering, as long as he isn’t going to hurtthe members.
Partof me is sure I was just being used, since this is just too big to be acoincidence, but now that I’m lying on the couch in the quiet dark, where I canorganize my thoughts, that doesn’t make much sense. He’s never asked meanything about my past, never pressed for any kind of information.
Ohgod. What if I’m way off and he’s working for True Life? What if all the InSafe Hands stuff is bullshit and he’s just monitoring me and the baby forAnthony. Anthony is Calvin’s uncle, after all. I’m sure he’d love to get hishands on him.
