“I will be. Cody’s sleeping, he probably won’t wake up but if he does, he’ll be due for a bottle.”
She nods and I give her a small smile before turning and finding my keys and checking on Cody. When I reach my car, I type Mary’s address into my phone. I know it, because I have sent a few pictures of Cody in the past, trying to do the right thing. I’ve never been to visit her before, and for good reason. I don’t trust Mary and I’ve been certain she is up to something from day one.
It takes me about twenty minutes to make it to her house, and when I arrive, I stare out the window at the large, grand white home she lives in. It’s bigger than I thought, though I’m not surprised considering just how much she likes to walk around acting like money falls from her backside.
Taking a deep breath, I get out of the car.
I walk up the front pathway and past some beautiful gardens. The house has a beautiful large porch out the front and it’s quite spectacular. I reach the large, brown door and raise my hand to knock when I hear voices inside. Lowering my hand slowly, my heart jumps into my throat. I know those voices. I know them all too well. It’s Mick and Sharleen.
I knew it.
I always fucking knew it.
Taking a deep breath to gather myself, I step to the side very slowly and peer through a small window beside the door. It’s blurred, so I can’t see much, but I can hear better. The shadows of three people can be made out through the glass, and my heart breaks into a tiny thousand pieces knowing this would destroy Jagger. It would truly crush him.
He trusts her.
Even when I told him I didn’t, he always did.
“He won’t get hurt,” Mick says, his voice gruff and low.
“I don’t know, Mick. What if he refuses to leave?” Mary asks in the same precise, perfect tone she always uses.
I hate her.
I hate her so much it burns into my very soul.
“He won’t. He has a fight. He’ll get off the island and when he does, we’ll end it.”
End it?
End what?
What are they talking about?
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Mary asks. “That island is your life’s work, our life’s work.”
“They’re going to find a way to do something that’ll destroy everything. I need to start again somewhere else. It’s better to end it and them, considering they want to go ahead with their little fuckin’ plan. They can go down with it.”
No.
No.
“How can you be sure you’ve got enough explosives?”
“I’ve planted them all over the island,” Mick answers, as if he’s simply talking to an old friend over coffee. “When I press that button, it blows.”
“And you’re sure they’ll all be there?”
“I’m sure, those stupid fuckers are already on their way. I have eyes everywhere,” Mick chuckles, “and they thought they could pull the wool over my eyes.”
No.
This is bad.
This is really bad.
Mick is going to take the guys out while they’re on the island. He’s two steps ahead of them. They’re all going to die, and Mary is helping him do it. Rage, unlike anything I’ve ever felt grips my chest, and my hands begin to tremble as I frantically try to figure out a way to warn them.
“Jagger could get hurt. It’s risky,” Sharleen mutters, finally speaking.
As if she cares about Jagger – she only wants to make him believe she does. Sharleen only truly cares about one person, and that’s herself and her needs.
“It’s a risk I’ll take. If he doesn’t get off tonight, I’m blowing it anyway. I can find another fighter, but I can’t keep this going if I get busted.”
“You said you wouldn’t hurt him!” Mary snaps.
Did she honestly trust Mick? Did she really think he would take care of her precious nephew?
“Mary, this isn’t your concern. I’ll do what I have to do, and you’ll do best not to interfere.”
“What about Willow?” Mary mutters, almost defeated. “She still knows everything. She’s not going to just lay down when she finds out they’re all dead. She’ll be a problem.”
“Willow thinks Jagger fucked Sharleen. She believed that stupid photo was real. She won’t go back to him, even if he gets off the island before it blows. She’s hurt. We made sure that she never wants to see Jagger again.”
Oh.
My.
God.
Jagger wasn’t lying.
All along this was their plan.
How could I have believed that photo was real? How could I have truly thought that Jagger would do that to me?
Pain and guilt slam into my chest, and I feel like gripping my hair and screaming at how stupid I am.
“She could get over that hurt,” Sharleen points out. “It might take a while, but she has his son. She will get over it and when she does, she’ll want answers.”