50. Chapter 50
Talk about an ace, old man.
His veins shook from all the ways it could’ve—and probably should have—gone wrong. If it wasn’t for the book’s unbelievable appearance at the Austin, Texas, bus station, Lindsey would be on her way to Ohio, not saving his future.
His fortune.
Jase met his brother and Helen at a diner a few blocks from the bus station. It was déjà vu: the diner, Graham and his girlfriend in a booth, Jase wondering why she was there. They were starting a brand-new trip today and Jase had no idea how it would end.
If they would make it at all.
“Did you find her?” Graham asked.
“She’s outside.”
The diner by his apartment played exclusively classic rock. This place, smack in the heart of Texas, was streaming country.
“How’d you manage that?” Graham asked.
Jase decided not to mention the book—it wasn’t the kind of thing Graham appreciated anyway, unless it was convenient for him—and let his brother think she succumbed to Jase’s powers of persuasion.
Persuasion. Shit. It was easier getting her into bed last night than it would’ve been getting her back in the car without his old man’s latest trick.
“It wasn’t easy, no thanks to you.”
Jase emptied a sugar packet into the coffee waiting for him and flagged down a waitress humming along with Waylon Jennings to order Lindsey a cup to go.
“It’s a good thing you did,” Graham said, glancing sideways at Helen. “You get my text?”
“No.” Jase worked his phone out of his pocket and opened Graham’s message. You were right. Get her NOW.
“I called Whitlock. It doesn’t matter if we pick anyone up, the three that started the trip must finish.” Graham paused and nudged Helen under the table. “His words.”
“Good thing one of us wasn’t thinking with his dick,” Jase said, though he’d been naked in Lindsey’s bed when he realized they were in trouble. He nodded across the table. “Helen.”
Striking and stony as ever, Graham’s girlfriend looked away.
“The next stop is in Lubbock, about six hours away,” Graham said. “We’ll have to watch the weather. We’re heading straight into some nasty shit.”
Graham showed Jase the weather map on his phone, most of Texas flashing in the bright reds of a violent storm moving steadily across the state.
”I hate Texas in the summertime. Give me fall, winter, whatever. It’s beautiful. But summer?“ Jase shook his head. “We’ll be lucky to make it to Lubbock at all.”
Helen tensed and glanced over Graham’s head at the door.
“We’ll go as far as we can.” Graham put his arm around her shoulders. Possessive little prick. “I know this isn’t what we talked about. It’s not ideal—”
“Ideal for who?” Jase broke in. “Let’s not forget who’s really being put out here.”
“Fine,” Graham said. “No one is happy about this. We just have to get through the next few days and then we’re millionaires.”
Jase pointed a finger at Helen. “She knows about the money?”
“Of course she knows,” Graham said, squeezing her closer to him.
“What about Linds. Did you ever tell her?”
“Linds?”
It slipped out before Jase realized how familiar it sounded.
“Did you tell her?” he pressed.
“No. Did you?”
“No.”
“Right, then no one says a word,” Graham said. “We can’t risk her taking off if she knows we’ve been lying to her.”
“You’ve been lying to her,“ Jase corrected him.
“We’re all lying to her now.”
Jase rubbed his eyes and tried to shake off his conscience, while the pressure of a headache collected in his temples.
“Okay. This is how this is going to go,” he said. “She doesn’t want to be here, and as far as she’s concerned, she doesn’t have to be. But Dad wanted her here, and we need her. If she walks, so does our inheritance, so you’d better act like it. We do whatever it takes to keep her around.”
“This is so stupid,” Helen said.
“Honey—”
“No, I didn’t just spend all morning rearranging my entire life to be stuck in a car with your ex-girlfriend,” Helen said. “I absolutely won’t be pandering to her. It’s beyond messed up, Graham.”
“Your boyfriend bringing her out here to dump her—that’s what’s messed up,” Jase said.
“Forget this.”
Helen stood as if Graham would let her move an inch, let alone leave the booth.
“Knock it off. Both of you. This is happening. You and me,” Graham told Helen before turning to Jase, “and Lindsey. It’s the way it’s going to be. Let’s just get it done, get our money, and get the hell out of each other’s lives.”
“Hold on.” Jase pointed to the silver ring on Helen’s thumb that was usually on the middle finger of Graham’s left hand. “You guys aren’t, like, engaged or something, are you?”
Helen abruptly sat and put her hand under the table.
“No—well—yeah,” Graham stammered.
“So help me,” Jase muttered. “Keep it to yourselves. And no kissy shit in front of her either. Nobody wants to see that.”
The waitress brought Lindsey’s coffee, and Jase dropped a couple bucks on the table.
“She takes it with cream and sugar,” Graham said, wincing when Helen pinned him with the iciest daggers Jase had ever seen. His brother was a dead man.
He grabbed an assortment of packets from the caddy and stood to leave.
“Hey, Jase?” Graham looked up at him. “Whatever you did to get her back, thank you.”
Jase hesitated then said, “Yeah, well, try not to fuck it up again.”