Chapter 71
Chapter seventy-one
Jett
My ears hum as the sting of the slap registers, and I take a step backward. It hurts in more ways than I can fathom.
But seeing she’s okay, all I can manage to say is, “Beauty, I’m so glad you’re okay. Please, can we—”
“You’re glad I’m okay!?” she asks furiously, laughing without any trace of humor. “Maverick just died to save me, Jett. We were held at gunpoint. I am far from okay. They were going to kill me.”
My eyes widen in confused disbelief. “What? Maverick, what?” Chest tightening, the words hover around me like an aftershock.
A sob from Izzy cuts through, and she takes a moment to breathe and wipe the tears away from her eyes.
I attempt to pull her into my embrace, but she shoves angrily at my chest and pushes me back, staring me down with a look of pure disgust.
“What. Did. You. Do?” she asks slowly, emphasizing each of her words.
“Can we talk?” I hesitate, looking around at all the police officers eyeing us with interest. Fuck. “Privately? Please, Iz. Let me explain.”
“Oh, the only fucking words out of your mouth better be an explanation,” she snaps, just as sharp as her slap. She turns on her heel and storms off down the nearby alleyway, with me quickly following behind.
Stopping midway down the alley, she spins to face me, and I can’t help but notice the way her hair flies and falls perfectly, framing her face.
She’s safe. It hasn’t even fully registered for me that Maverick died.
My mind is stuck in overdrive, and I just need to get this truth out in the open. It’s all I can focus on.
She’s safe, I remind myself. She’s here, standing before me.
The rage seeping off of her is palpable and all aimed at me like she’s the firing squad and I’m the target.
Taking a deep breath, I speak before she has a chance to tear into me, like I deserve, “This is all my fault.” I choke up, rubbing a hand over my chin. “My actions put you in danger, and I’ll never forgive–”
“Fuck all of that. Maverick is dead, Jettson. DEAD! He died saving me; meanwhile, you somehow caused it. Now, explain, or I’m leaving and not giving you a second more of my time!”
“Do you remember the day Liam died?” I release a sigh, just as she nods, confusion coated all over her beautiful, tear-stained features.
“What the absolute fuck does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything,” I whisper softly, taking a breath.
Her eyebrows pinch together as she tries to understand.
“When I called my buddy Mark from the ranch that day for help, Tony was all too eager to help.” I clear my throat.
“Liam had a debt with him and his crew. What he failed to mention was the part where he would hold that debt over my head.”
Izzy’s face falls as she listens silently, one hand over her mouth and the other wrapped around her stomach, as if she’s going to be sick.
I need to touch her, to feel her. Seeing her covered in blood, shaken up, and heartbroken at the hands of my own choices overwhelms me. Only her touch can make it better.
But I don’t deserve it. Not anymore.
With that solemn thought, I continue, “Tony and his men have been making threats since that day. It started off with wanting the money that Liam owed, which I paid. Then, it became threats to uncover Liam’s body and pin it on me if they didn’t get more money.
Money that I don’t have to give. Once I told them that,” I sigh, “they wanted me to start running drugs through the ranch. I refused.”
Izzy gasps, dropping to her knees before me. “This is over, right, Liam? Maverick lost his life over drugs, money, and Liam!?” she shouts through her tears.
She’s falling apart at my truth, and there’s nothing I can do to change it.
I kneel in front of her, explaining further, “They found out about you, about my feelings for you, and have been making threats toward you to get to me. The barn, your tires, everything... It’s all been them.
When the threats toward you started, I complied as much as I could.
” I lean toward her, arms stretched out, reaching for her just as she pushes out of my reach.
“Why the fuck am I just finding out? Why like this, Jett!?”
“How the hell was I supposed to tell you? Tell anyone, Iz? I did everything I could to keep them at bay. I thought I could handle it on my own.”
“Obviously, you couldn’t! You freaked out that I kept secrets from you. Meanwhile, you hypocritically kept your own. And mind you, yours cost a fucking life!”
“You have to know I’d do anything in my power to keep you safe. Anything. I can’t lose you, Izzy.”
“Can’t lose me? You’ve already lost me, Jett.
You lost me when you chose to keep this from me, from all of us.
You lost me the second Maverick took his last breath.
You. Have. Lost. Me. And to think, my last conversation with Maverick before he—” She chokes on another pained sob.
“Before he died, I chose to be with you. I chose you. I wanted you.”
Izzy shakes her head furiously, wiping away more tears.
Then her eyes flash back to mine, and there’s nothing but pain in them.
“Now... Now, I can’t even stomach the thought of you.
You could have told me. Could have warned me.
You could have warned us all. Instead, you let your pride win and wanted to be the fucking hero who handles it all.
You chose this, and now you’re nothing but a villain.
You can lie in the bed you’ve made. Alone. ”
Her words sting like venom, piercing into me as she pushes past me and walks away.
This time, I don’t follow her.
She’s right. This is all my doing. I deserve whatever consequence comes next. After she disappears, I wait a few minutes, and then I walk out of the alleyway, turning in the opposite direction.
“Jett! Jett, wait!” I hear Ander’s voice call out, but I don’t stop walking.
He catches up to me quickly and continues walking alongside me. “She’s–”
“Just take care of her,” I snap, cutting him off before he has the chance to continue. Ander grabs my arm, halting my strides as our eyes meet, the tension in the air growing. “Promise me you’ll keep her safe.”
Ander nods. “Yeah, we’ll take her home to the island with us.” I nod in return, my expression leaving no room for conversation, and walk away.