Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
JAKE
Kenji
Meet me at RR.
Jake sat in his car, parked in the Liens’ driveway, the phone weighing heavily in his hand. Putting the car in reverse, Jake pointed the car in the opposite direction from his house—to Raven Rock.
His plans to swing by the office for his laptop and then tackle emails were ruined. He hadn’t been able to focus on work while keeping a close eye on Gia. Until now, he hadn’t been willing to leave her side.
The winding roads and late fall scenery, usually so calming, failed to soothe him this time.
Whatever Kenji wanted to talk about, it couldn’t be good. And with Alex still in town, more trouble was definitely heading his way.
When will we catch a break?
Haven’t we been through enough?
He passed the Willowbrook Inn, spotting Silas’s truck in the parking lot.
The lights were on inside. It looked like the inn was coming together nicely for its grand reopening this winter.
Jake made a mental note to check in with Diem and see if there was anything he could help with, like sponsoring the ribbon-cutting.
The parking lot loomed ahead, right around the bend. A pit formed in his stomach. There were no other vehicles he could see, but that didn’t mean he was alone. As he exited the vehicle, the hair on the back of his neck prickled with awareness.
He was definitely not alone.
Friend or foe?
Whoever it was didn’t want to be seen yet.
The answer finally came when he hiked up the trail leading to Raven Rock. As he was about to step out into the clearing, the sound of leaves rustling behind him stopped him in his tracks. Jake whirled around and saw an unexpected face smiling manically at him.
“Hiro.”
“What’s up, Jake?”
He looked around, expecting Kenji to step out from behind Hiro. “Uh… where’s Kenji?”
“I’m right here,” a voice sounded from behind him.
They surrounded him. Kenji’s stern face and tense posture made Jake uneasy.
“What’s going on?”
“You’re in the middle of a shitstorm, Jake.” Gone was the joking tone he was used to. “That producer who attacked your girl… Gia? He’s involved with some bad people. He’s not even at the top of the food chain.” Kenji tucked his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels.
“When you called, it got me curious. Why would my boy be involved with a movie producer? Curiosity killed the cat, you know what I’m saying?
” He tapped his temples with a tattooed finger.
“So I pulled at some strings, called in a few favors, and the whole thing is unraveling.” Kenji let out a low whistle.
Jake’s stomach sank. “My advice? Take the girl and run. If news gets out or she talks, they’ll try to bury her. ”
“Bury her?”
“What my brother’s trying to say is they will come for her, and it won’t be pretty,” Hiro chimed in helpfully.
A heavy silence settled between them. He wasn’t even sure he was still breathing as thoughts whirled through his mind.
“You love her?” Kenji’s voice pulled Jake back from his spiral.
Jake swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Yes.”
Kenji’s sharp gaze scanned his face, sensing the truth in his words. A muscle ticked in Kenji’s jaw before he looked away, as if he were admiring the view.
“It just so happens I have some… business to take care of out west. Some associates I need to meet.” His gaze collided with Jake’s. “You let me take care of this, ya hear me? This is way above the pay grade of a small-town lawyer.”
Jake likely should have felt offended, but he felt reassured. “Take care of this, how?”
Kenji shrugged. “The less you know, the better. One other thing…”
Jake gulped. What else could there be? “What is it?”
“I couldn’t stop the ants from coming here. You have about twenty-four hours until they’re on your doorstep. Might want to be prepared for it.”
He frowned, confused. “The ants?”
“He means the paparazzi. They look like ants swarming for their next meal,” Hiro said.
Jake turned his head to look at Hiro. The scar above his left eye was less noticeable than when he’d seen him a few years ago. “How do they know where to go?”
Kenji stepped closer until they were only a few feet apart. “Seems like the nepo baby called his daddy, and news broke out of another major scandal they could cash in on.”
“Goddammit,” Jake hissed. He’d known there would be consequences for punching Alex in the face, even if the bastard deserved worse.
He hated knowing Gia would be under the microscope, every part of her life being dissected for entertainment when she was the true victim here.
It would only make life harder for her when she was finally home, where she belonged.
Meanwhile, he imagined they would portray Alex as some sort of innocent bystander.
A wide smile spread across Kenji’s face, a stark contrast to the bleak mood. “I heard you broke his nose.”
Jake grimaced, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Yeah, I might have.”
“Well, did he deserve it?”
His hand fell to his side, all traces of remorse gone. “He drugged Gia.”
Tension charged the air as Kenji stilled. “Then he’s lucky it was only his nose you broke.”
“Brother, we need to get going,” Hiro interrupted.
Kenji moved to walk past Jake. “Sorry, Jake, we’ve got a plane to catch.”
Jake nodded but stopped him, hand heavy on his shoulder. He locked eyes with Kenji, his words measured and clear. “Thank you for everything.”
For everything he had done, and for what he was about to do.
“Something tells me I’ll see you again.” Kenji clapped him on the back before breaking the hold and joining his brother.
Their footsteps were nearly silent as they walked back down the trail, leaving Jake behind with his thoughts.
Up here, looking down at the world, everything seemed so small.
The air was brisk, and he could imagine he was touching the low-lying clouds if he reached high enough above him.
The peacefulness of his surroundings did not stop the twisting in his stomach.
Kenji was right. It was better for him to remain in the dark, even if he wanted to be involved. A revenge mission could cost him and Gia their livelihood. He was too close to getting everything he’d worked so hard for to lose it on being irrational.
The walk back to his car and the drive home were a montage of emotions. There were several issues he faced, and he needed help brainstorming solutions.
He knew the perfect person to help.
Marley.