From Darkness (Hearts & Arrows Book 3)(51)

Renata said goodbye with a wink and the parting advice, “Don’t let love pass you by, Red.”

Josie nodded with a thanks and a smile, heading for Jerry J’s with her mind still on Jon. She pulled up to the curb outside the bond building, got out of her car, and walked under the red awning featuring a cartoon illustration of Jerry J’s face.

His smile was decidedly untrustworthy.

She made her way in and leaned on the counter, popping the little bell with a ding.

Elaine came out from the back room with a smile on her round face. “Hey, Josie. How’d it go?” Her eyes twinkled from the other side of the counter.

“Funny thing, Jon was there.”

“What the hell?” Elaine’s cheeks flushed, and she blinked. “Again?”

Josie nodded. The stress and annoyance of being continually put in Jon’s space gnawed at her, and she was done being quiet. “He said Sarah sent him. This is twice now, Elaine. What the hell is going on around here?”

“Son of a bitch. Hang on.” She sat down and banged at her keyboard. “It says your name right here. I put you in myself. See?” She turned the monitor so Josie could see her name in the spreadsheet.

Elaine yelled over her shoulder. “Sarah!”

Sarah stuck her head out of the office in the back. “What?”

“Did you send Jon Landreaux after Renata?”

Sarah walked out with her brows drawn. “Well, yeah. The spot was empty.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“Look here.” Elaine turned the monitor back again, and Sarah looked over her shoulder. Elaine sniffed. “What is that perfume you’ve got on today? It smells like roses or something. It’s been giving me a headache all morning.”

“Huh? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sarah shook her head and put a hand on her hip, pointing the other at the computer screen. “I swear to God, that spot was empty, Elaine. Like I would ever delete a name in the spreadsheet.”

Elaine gave Sarah a look and turned back to Josie. “I’m so sorry. Let me go ahead and cut your check. Did he leave you to it?”

“No, he almost got shot.”

Sarah’s mouth made an O.

Josie snorted a laugh. “Don’t look so concerned. It was actually pretty amusing.”

Sarah relaxed and smiled. “Well, at least it was entertaining. Renata is always packing, but she can’t shoot for shit.”

“Lucky for Jon. That big-ass gun would have blown a hole in him the size of a grapefruit.” Josie watched Elaine write the check. “Just give me half. Make sure Jon gets the other half, okay?”

“You got it, Josie. I’ll cut you a little extra for the trouble. I don’t know how that happened, but I swear it’ll be the last time.”

Elaine pushed the check across the surface, and Josie folded it up and slipped it into her back pocket.

“Thanks.”

She pushed the door open with her back and stepped out into a patch of sunlight, feeling it warm on her face, a promise of spring. The fog seemed to be lifting.

Everywhere, except in her heart.



Jon sat on the floor in the middle of his room that afternoon, surrounded by blown-up photos of Josie’s crime wall. He’d come home after Renata with Josie on his mind and heart and soul.

That moment when he’d leaned into her car, she’d looked up at him, and he could have sworn for a split second she was waiting for a kiss. But the second he’d seen the light in her ignite, she’d snuffed it, and just like that, the moment had been over. He wished he’d just done it. Just slipped his hand into the crook of her neck and kissed those lips he’d been dreaming about for so long.

He wondered what she would have done. Would she have pushed him away or pulled him closer?

Because she could say she hated him until the end of time, but he knew it was a lie.

He laid another photo down, assembling the replica sheet by sheet—the first step to getting it on his own wall so he could look at it all together. Jon picked one up and inspected it, making out the title of an article and the majority of the text, though a portion of it was hidden under another sheet.

It was then that he realized just how much ground he had to make up. And even then, he still didn’t have all the cards.

His door flew open, and Lola ran in. “Daddy-daddy-daddy-daddy!”

He held out his hands to stop her. “No-no-no-no-no! Wait!”

It was too late.

She ran across all the sheets, scattering them before slamming into his chest. And he couldn’t be mad in the slightest, not when she wrapped her little arms around his neck.

“I’m goin’ ni-night.”

He hugged her just as Tori made it to the threshold, looking apologetic.

“Looks like you’re goin’ crazy,” he said.

“I’m not crazy, Daddy. I’m Lola.”

“My mistake.” He kissed her hair. “I love you, baby.”

“Love you.”

“I’m so sorry,” Tori said. “She totally got away from me.”

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, twisting it into a small ponytail. “It’s all right. Just trying to get them laid out before I put them on the wall.”