“And Tyler looks like he wants to take your head off,” said Michelle, turning back to Jack. “So why don’t we just let you two go at it. But just the two of you. Any of your buddies try to help you, Slick, I’ll step in, and even though I am a girl, I don’t fight like one.”
Jack eyed Tyler and Tyler stared back at Jack. Jack finally dropped his gaze and said, “Screw this. I’m not getting kicked off the football team for kicking this punk’s ass on school grounds.”
He turned and walked off with his buddies.
Michelle and Tyler stared after them and then Tyler turned to her. “Thanks for doing that,” he mumbled.
“You didn’t really need me. In fact if it were just one-on-one you could have taken him.”
“You really think so?”
“You have fire in the belly, Tyler. That jerk just has a big belly.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I dropped you off. Now I’m here to pick you up.”
“But I’ve got other plans.”
“Like what?”
“Just other plans.”
“We’ve had this discussion, Tyler. We stick together for now.”
“I don’t want to stick together.”
She eyed him intently. “What changed from then to now?” She eyed the phone gripped in his hand, and the truth dawned on her. “When did your dad email you back?”
“Just leave me alone.”
“No can do.”
“I’m outta here.”
He started to walk off but she grabbed his arm. “Let me clue you in to something really fast, Tyler. This morning Sean and I went to check a lead. It was a lead I picked up at your house and it led to a motel that your fake stepmom was using as a drop point.”
“A what?”
“Doesn’t matter. While we were there someone stuck a pack of probably Semtex on the front wall of the unit and detonated it. If not for Sean’s quick thinking I wouldn’t be here and those guys would have kicked your ass. As it was, most of the motor court burned down. Luckily, no one was hurt.”
“A bomb?”
“Yeah, a bomb. So when did your dad contact you?”
“I saw the message right before lunch.”
“And what did it say?”
“Nothing much.” Tyler looked down at the ground as he said this.
“You really suck at lying.”
“I’m not lying!”
“Okay, if it was nothing much why can’t you tell me?”
“Why would Jean have another place to live?”