Paradise Falls (Paradise Falls #1-5)(25)

Jacob didn’t stop until he reached the drop, a gas station outside of town. He calmly stepped out of the car and walked over to sit in the back of Faisal’s hatchback while two of his men drove the old Dodge away.

“What did you do?” Faisal peered into the rearview mirror.

“The plan has changed,” Jacob said.

“If he accosts her again?”

“I want to be notified right away. I’ll kill him.”

“Sir-“

“You’ll be taken care of. All of you will. I wouldn’t abandon you like that. If someone has to do it, it will be me. I have nothing to lose.”

“Are you certain of that?” Faisal asked.

Jacob folded his arms across his chest. He hated it when Faisal was right about something, but said nothing more until they returned to the house. After he secured his gear and showered once more, he collapsed into the bed and rubbed at his eyes. He still had homework to grade.

He managed to get a few more hours of sleep before Faisal came knocking at the door.

“What is it this time?” Jacob said, snapping awake.





10.





“I’m not hungry,” Jennifer insisted.

Katie ignored her and pulled into the parking lot of Whamburger. Jennifer waited while Katie went inside to order. A few bolted down tables with beach umbrellas sat in front of the walk-up window, with no place to sit inside. They would eat in the Beetle.

Katie dropped a greasy paper bag on Jennifer’s lap.

“A fish sandwich?”

“They don’t really have vegetarian stuff,” Katie said. “Come on, just eat it.”

At least it wasn’t a burger. She was sixteen years old the last time she ate a burger at the Wham. Her mother glared at her the entire time, mouthing fat every time Jennifer dared to eat a French fry.

Katie tucked a napkin into her shirt collar to ward off the grease from her oversized triple with cheese. Jennifer pressed her legs together and felt the reassuring weight of her purse between her ankles. Katie eyed her.

“Just eat it, Jen. It’s not going to bite you.”

“I’m a vegetarian.”

Katie rolled her eyes. “You’re starving yourself. I can see your ribs.”

“No, you can’t.”

“I think you should come with me.”

“Katie, I have work on Monday. How am I supposed to go to work if I’m in Philadelphia?”

“You’re not. Call a substitute. Shit, you should just quit. You could get another job.”

“I don’t want another job. I like the one I have.”

“Do you?” said Katie. She twisted in the seat to face Jennifer. “Do you like it? Jen, I don’t want to see you living like this. Franklin wouldn’t, either.”

“Don’t tell me what he would want.”

“You were only supposed to be living in that house until he finished law school. You were going to move. He told me he was trying to talk you into quitting work after he got a job so you two could have a baby.”

Jennifer choked, grabbed Katie’s extra-large Coke and gulped some down to clear her throat. A rush of syrupy sugar coated her tongue instead of the tang of artificial sweetener. Damn it.

“He told you that?”

Katie nodded.

Jennifer looked out the window. “We talked about kids. He did want to move, but… I don’t need that much room. The duplex is fine.”

“It’s not fine, Jennifer. You didn’t have anything in your fridge but bottles of water and cheese.”

Jennifer winced. The last of the orange juice was gone.

“I just haven’t gotten to the store this week.”

Katie sighed and leaned back in the seat. “Why not?”

“I’m busy. New school year. I have work to do.” She nibbled at the fish sandwich.

Both sisters ate in uncomfortable silence until Katie broke with the refrain she heard from multiple people the past few days. “You have to do something.”

“Like what?” Jennifer said.

“I don’t know. Call the cops. The FBI. Somebody.”

“Who?” Jennifer said. “Elliot can do whatever he wants. The only person who ever stopped him is gone.”

The only person?

Jennifer shivered. Not now.

“This is what we should do. I can have a guest in my room. No one will care. It’ll be a little weird at first, but my loans will pay for an apartment. We can move in together. I know you’ve got enough to get by.”

Jennifer thought about her sister’s offer while chewing fried fish. She did have a sizable nest egg. Her rent was absurdly low, which was how she and Franklin managed to afford a place of their own after they were both essentially disowned. Mrs. Carmody had never upped the rate.

I could do it. Leave with Katie, get an apartment. With my experience and references… oh.

“I’ll never get another job,” she said.

“Why?”

Jennifer shook her head. “I’d need references, Katie. Elliot would pull strings. If he thought I was going to get away from him, who knows what he’d do? He could probably get my teaching license revoked or pressure my coworkers not to give me recommendations.”