Page 35 of Jaked


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"He didn't have insurance," Jake said, "because it wasn't his car."

I did a double-take. "Really? Whose was it?"

"Someone higher up the chain."

"What chain?"

"A family chain."

I stared at Jake. "And you know this how?"

Jake shrugged. "I've got friends."

"Yeah, I just bet." My sister claimed that Jake ran with thugs and criminals. Did I believe her? I still didn't know. Maybe Ididn'twant to know how he made his money.

"So then," Jake continued, "you take his little book of passwords and use it for what? To get a rise out of him."

"Yeah, I know. That was the whole point."

Stupid Rango. The guy had trashed my furniture, stolen my clothes, and cost me my perfect little apartment. And the sad thing was, I couldn't prove anything. But I justknewit was him. He's luckyallI did was post some crazy stuff online.

"You embarrassed him," Jake said.

"So?" I said. "He deserved it, just like I said."

His voice was quiet. "It's dangerous to embarrass guys like that. You know that, don't you?"

"Well, I didn't know it at the time." I lifted my chin. "And even if I did, so what?"

He gave me a dubious look. "So what?"

"Oh c'mon," I said. "You know how bullies are. The more they get away with, the worse they get. It's about time someone did something back to him."

"That someone didn't have to beyou," Jake said.

"Oh yeah? Then who?"

He leaned back on the sofa. "Me."

I looked at him a long time. Did he mean it? But I already knew the answer to that. Hedidmean it.

Rango, the ex-boyfriend from hell, was nothing but a bully. And Jake had a special way of dealing with bullies.

I'd seenthatfirsthand a long time ago.