They stand and walk past me, and I have no choice but to follow.
The interior of Griggs’s truck isn’t much better than The Fifth Wheel, but no one’s around to hear us, so I guess that’s one point in their favor.
“You’re a fucking rat,” Griggs sneers, but it’s not him or his playground-level insults I’m worried about.
Curt looks murderous as he glares at me. “There’s only one fucking reason I’m not doing twenty years in a federalfucking prison, asshole, and it’s not you. Griggs heard sirens and we managed to toss what we’d taken and get the hell out of there. They got me on intent only because my boy here was loyal. That’s more than I can say for my piece of shit cousin,” he spits the words in my face, but I feel no remorse. What? I’m supposed to be sorry I didn’t help these two commit a crime?
“You fucking owe me, you arrogant bastard. And it’s time to pay up.”
“I don’t owe you shit,” I volley back and the sting of Griggs’s fist glances off my cheek as I duck half a second too late.
“The fuck you don’t,” Curtis answers. “My dad took you in. I took you in. I gave you a place to stay when no one else would. I looked out for you and you betrayed me, you little shit. But you’re gonna make things right.”
Griggs’s is practically foaming at the mouth with excitement. Sick bastard.
“Oh, fuck. Griggs, did we forget to congratulate this ungrateful fuck on making it to the Frozen Four?”
I don’t know what Curtis is up to, but he’s trying to play with me like he’s the cat and I’m the mouse.
“Enjoy it, Jax. Enjoy every second of that tournament, because that’s how you’re going to settle the score between us. You’ll win against Brookhill and I’m betting you’ll face St. Sebastian in the final. You’ll take the L on that one.”
It takes a minute for his words to register. “You think we’re going to lose?”
“I don’t think it. I’m betting on it. The way I see it, you owe me for everything I’ve given you and for the time I was locked up. The easiest way to pay that back is to lose the game. That way, when I bet against you, I’ll make a shit ton of money.”
I shake my head, but my cousin’s next words stop me cold.
“Fuck this up for me and you’ll pay. You think you’regonna run your mouth to the cops or your coach? Think again. I’ll have you jumped so fast you’ll never see it coming. It’ll be a real tragedy. Rising college star gets mugged outside his own apartment building. Your chances of going pro will be gone in a fucking instant, Jax. You think your buddy Van’s knee got messed up? You ain’t seen shit.”
I reach for the door handle, done with his bullshit.
“You just better hope your girlfriend isn’t around when shit goes down,” he says, his voice cold and low.
I will my body to stay calm because I’m about to break out into a cold sweat at the thought of any harm coming to Maggie or our baby.
Based on the look my cousin’s giving me right now, he can sense my fear, and he’s feeding off it.
Fuck.
CHAPTER 41
MAGGIE
I hate liars.
I always have. It probably stems from all the lies my grandmother used to tell me when I’d ask where my mom was. As an adult, I can see her predicament. You can’t really tell a five-year-old that her mom’s having sex with strangers to score drugs.
But instead of telling me that my mom was sick and getting help from a doctor or that she’d gone away but would be back soon, Grandma Margo told these tall tales about how my mom was this great person who was out doing an important job and that’s why she couldn’t take care of me.
Lies.
All lies.
I guess she did it for her sake as much as mine. Maybe she just couldn’t handle the truth that her daughter was an addict who refused help. Maybe she thought if that was the truth then she was to blame? It doesn’t work like that, but my grandmother was never one for logic or psychology.
My aversion to lies started at a young age, but it didn’t stop there. And I know I’m not alone— who likes being lied to? But it bothers me to my very core. I think that’s why Clayand Bella’s betrayal cut so deep. They weren’t honest with me.
Everyone deserves the truth, no matter how shitty it is.
