Page 65 of Ache
“Maybe, and maybe one about you.”
“What are you thinking?” I ask Tage, intrigued.
“Nothing solid at the moment, but there is a reason Gunner locked you away. My gut has always told me that. More than it being a freaky obsession.”
“You know what I think? It’s all just more bullshit. Gunner is bored. So he sends us off to stew over a riddle that has no answer. He has no clue what my mom wants. If you wanted to get to the source of the problem, we should have confrontedher.”
“Gunner was the much safer option,” Tage disagrees. “He’s incarcerated. Less chance of bullets flying.”
“A bullet flying in her direction doesn't sound so bad to me.”
“One flying in your direction does.” Tage opens the car door for her. Everly jumps in, sprawling out across the back seat.
“Maybe we should set up a meeting?” I suggest to Tage. “Just me and you. Find out what she’s after.”
“Hell no.” Everly pops her head up. “Tage, can’t you just have her arrested or deported to another country or something?”
“One, I can’t arrest people. I’m not a cop. Two, I can’t deport a US citizen, as much as I would like to. Three, she hasn’t broken any laws.”
“She threatened Alec!”
“I have no solid proof. Only hearsay. She won’t be held.”
“Ugh. Are you sure you’re not a cop? Because you sound just like one.”
“I’m just familiar with the law.”
“I, unfortunately, can confirm everything he just said,” I add.
“This is a nightmare.” Everly drops back down, defeated.
“It’s a bump in the road. We’ll figure it out.”
“Can we stop and buy out a liquor store on the way back to the hotel? I think I’m going to need a liquid dinner.”
“We can stop for a bottle or two.”
“It better be the good stuff. One hundred plus proof.”
“Sure,” Tage pacifies her.
“Tage, Alec?” Everly’s tone is meek.
“Mmmm?” I look back at Ever as Tage drives.
“Promise me I never have to come back to Chicago again.”
Tage and I exchange a look. “No, never,” I promise on behalf of both of us.
“Good.” She closes her eyes and laces her hands over her stomach. She sort of looks like she’s laid out in a coffin. It makes me shiver.
A life without Ever?
Unimaginable.
25
Everly
