Greg thought for a moment. “That’s it? He sends someone else, we’re cool?”
“We’re cool,” I said. I pressed my forearm a bit harder into Paul’s throat. “We cool?”
He gave a terse nod. I released and knew it was coming. He took a step and spun, his arm already cocked to throw a punch. I stepped into him and slammed the heel of my hand into his jaw. He toppled backward over the table and landed at Greg’s feet, blood spilling from his mouth.
“Don’t let him get up,” I said to Greg. “Or I’ll make sure he can’t get up next time.”
“No worries, man,” Greg said, glancing at his friend. “I won’t let him up.”
I looked at Bella. “Let’s go.”
TWENTY-SIX
“What the hell was that?”
“What?”
Bella smacked her hand on the steering wheel as we drove out of the neighborhood. “You can’t just do that shit with David, alright? He is gonna be furious. You have no idea what he’s capable of.”
“Relax,” I said.
“Relax? Are you serious?” She hit the wheel again. “He’s gonna come after me now. Guarantee you they’re calling him right now.”
“No, they aren’t.”
“How the hell do you know?”
“They just want their weed,” I said. “Right now, Paul is trying to piece his face back together. It’ll be awhile before they decide what to do. They’re too scared.”
She shook her head, exasperated. “You think you know, but you don’t.”
“You wanna know what I know?” I said.
“Yeah,” she said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm and anger. “Tell me what you know.”
I stared out the window at the aquamarine water. “I know that I’ve been shot at. I know that I’ve had the shit kicked out of me far worse than what David did. I know that I’ve seen people killed right in front of my eyes. I know that I’ve been in rooms with dealers who do about a hundred times the business David does. I know that I’ve been in jail. And I know what it’s like to kill someone.”
The car slowed and I could feel her eyes on me, even as I continued to stare at the water in the distance. She pulled over to the curb, but I was still going.
“So I know a helluva lot more than you do,” I said. “I know a small-time operation that wants to be big-time when I see it. I know arrogant pricks who are too stupid to expand their business when I see them. I know dumb ass college kids who need to sell weed in order to pay the rent and buy beer when I see them.” I swiveled my head toward her. “And I know you asked for my help.”
She held my gaze for a moment, then dipped her eyes.
“If you want my help, don’t question me,” I said. “This world you’re in, that seems so scary? It isn’t shit to me. This is a fucking amusement park compared to what I know. It’s not exactly something you put on a resume, but this is my wheelhouse. I am in my fucked up element.” I paused. “So I know what I’m doing.
Cars buzzed by as we sat there in silence. I hadn’t given her details, but I felt like I’d pulled back the curtain. I felt vulnerable and exposed, but also relieved. I was tired of not being me and regardless of how veiled the information was, a small part of me felt good about revealing myself.
“I’m sorry,” Bella finally said.
“It’s okay,” I said. “But you have to trust me if you want my help.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she said.
I turned from the water. Her eyes had softened, sympathy etched into the lines in her face, all directed at me.
“I meant that whatever happened to you,” she said, touching my arm. “Whatever hurt you. Whoever hurt you. I’m sorry.”
I nodded and turned back to the water. “I’m fine.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
We picked up Jackson at the restaurant and both he and Bella came to the beach with me. I knew she was nervous about going home and I didn’t want to leave her alone, just in case I was wrong about the frat boys going to David. I didn’t think that I was, but I didn’t want to leave it to chance. I couldn’t discount the fact that I’d been out of the game for a few months and my instincts probably weren’t as sharp as they needed to be to make sure she was protected.
They found a spot a few yards from the shed and settled in as I unpacked chairs and umbrellas. An hour later, I was rented out for the day, the tourists making up for lost time with the poor weather the day before. The sun was brilliant against the blue sky, not a single cloud on the horizon. I locked the shed back up and sat down on the towel next to Bella.
“He’s making a city,” she said. She lounged on her towel, propped on her elbows, her eyes on Jackson.
Jackson was covered in sand, scurrying around at light speed, using buckets and spoons to create his imaginary land.
“Think he’s gonna be an architect,” I said.
She smiled and nodded. “Maybe so.”
We sat there in silence, watching him create, letting the sun beat down on us. I knew she was waiting for me to explain and the longer she sat silent, the harder it became to keep it from her. Or maybe I just needed an excuse to let it all out.
“Her name was Liz,” I said. “And she’s dead.”
The words didn’t sound right coming out of my mouth and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d spoken her name.
Bella turned to me, hugged her knees to her chest and didn’t say anything.
“And it was my fault,” I said. The water blurred in front of me.
I don’t know how long I talked for or if all of it made sense. Words came out of my mouth in a rush, snagging on my tongue, stinging my lips. I lost sight of the water and Jackson and the sand.
All I could see was Liz.
At some point, the words stopped coming and I stopped talking. Things came back into focus and Bella was closer to me, her hand on my arm, tears running down her cheeks. Down mine, too.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “So sorry, Noah.”
I nodded. “Me, too.”
“I don’t know what else to say.”
“There isn’t anything to say,” I said. “I just wanted you to know. I didn’t want you wondering.”
But I knew the truth was that she’d still be wondering. There were still blanks that needed filling in, even if she didn’t ask. Even if the story made sense, she’d still have questions about me.
And I knew that my time in Fort Walton was now running out.
“The guy the other night,” she said. “Is he somehow involved?”
I glanced at her, surprised. “Not involved, but he knows me. How you’d know?”
“You were spooked,” she said. “It was pretty obvious.”
“He surprised me.”
“Good guy?”
“No.”
“So you’re worried.”
