Total pages in book: 183
Estimated words: 178343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 892(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 892(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
“What else?”
“The guy was a lunatic. And he reeked. He said you’re getting ready to kill him or send him somewhere to get killed, so he was doing what he could to get out of there. I tried some reverse psychology, talking shit about you and acting on his side. It worked and he was figuring we were friends and I was gonna help him out.”
She pulls the hair band out of her hair and then reties it while continuing. “He told me he was gonna try to go to Canada. He’s got a great uncle in Lethbridge. Said he’d hide out until he knew he could find a way to take you out and save the girl. Said he’s got some friends who would help him, friends that hate you too and will likely help. Is she your hostage, too?” Jessa smirks.
“The guy has a screw loose. My marriage is completely on the up ‘n up.”
“Yeah, he’s got a screw loose because you tortured him and kept him locked up for however long. What was he like before that?”
“He was a piece of shit, lazy lowlife, and an abuser who put her through a lot of shit and she couldn’t scrape him off. And I helped her scrape him off. She wasn’t down with the way I did that, though. This is on me, not Violet. What he say about having friends who’ll help him?”
Jessa shrugs. “He didn’t elaborate. But that’s a lot of trouble to go to… having Tony go there daily to babysit the guy.”
“There’s more to why I had him there, and I’d usually leave those details out, but I want you to know we’re dealing with a fuckface here that not only hurt Violet, but he also cheated me. He owed me a lot of money and brought a gun to Numbers on opening night. And pulled some other shit, too. I also found out he kept her and I from getting started three years ago by cheating in a bet so that demanded payback.”
Jag winces audibly.
Jessa’s eyebrows pop up high. “He cheated in a bet? With you? Since when do you gamble? And what does that have to do with you getting with that girl?”
“The details don’t matter. Bottom line, the guy is a loser. And cracked in the brain. He said nothing else about friends hating me?”
“That’s all he said about that. So you love your wife?” she asks.
“I do.”
Jag’s phone rings. He slips out of the room to answer.
“Why didn’t you ever fall in love with me? I turned the charm on so hard.” She’s looking at me and for once I think she’s being genuine.
I sigh. “You ever meet someone and just know?”
“Yeah. You.”
I shake my head. This conversation is pointless. I say nothing, because I don’t want to hurt her feelings, maybe she does actually have some. I’m not about to blow smoke, either.
“So, you stole her from him because he stole her first?”
“Believe me, the guy is a tool and he deserves worse than what he’s gotten from me. I didn’t steal her. She was done with him.”
“And then you locked him up? Sounds like something I’d daydream about doing. Sounds like something I’ve been daydreaming about doin’.”
“Whoa. What the fuck? Are you threatening my wife or me?”
“Stop it, Pooky. Just because I daydreamed about locking you up so I can have my way with you whenever I want doesn’t mean I’d actually do it. That’s just… psycho.” She smiles big.
“Well, if I’m a psycho, so be it. But you don’t have all the facts and the guy deserved even worse than he got. I feel no need to justify myself to you. What I need to know is how to get you to forget this information. Permanently.”
“So, you’re still after him?”
“He turned himself in to the cops.”
“He what?”
“Figured he’s safer in jail than out where I can catch him.” I shrug. “He make any deals or plans with you to take me down? What did you say about who you are?”
“I just played it like I was Tony’s girl and outraged that Tony took part in that. Said I knew only a little about you, just that you were my boyfriend’s boss and that it sounds like you’re a real asshole.” She smiles wide.
I roll my eyes.
She continues. “He told me his name and said that if his death makes it into the papers that I should tell the authorities what you did. How you kidnapped him and kept him in your basement and tortured him for months. He told me to leave Tony’s name out of it, said he didn’t kill Tony, just locked him in there even though Tony was abusive to him, too. I agreed.”
“He choked Tony out, gave him a concussion, and tried to force-feed him a dozen painkillers after trippin’ him to fall into a bucket of human waste. That wasn’t a good guy, Jessa. He was locked up for good reason.”