He looked up at me, bright blue eyes pleading. “Here, take this,” he said, handing me a stack of cash like it was nothing. “This is for your hospitality and all the trouble I’ve brought to your door.”
Looking at the money, I shook my head. I couldn’t accept his money. “I can’t accept all this.”
“Yes, you can, and you will. It’s just money, Quinn. Five thousand if I’m not mistaken. Accept it as payment for my room and board for a few more nights until I can get hold of Nigel. Please?”
I bit my lip, staring at the money and then at him.
Throwing him out would be unkind. My grandmother wouldn’t allow it. If I was lucky, the detectives believed my story and wouldn’t be looking at me too closely, but…
“Okay, I’ll accept it on the condition that you take whatever from this money that isn’t used by the time you make contact with your caretaker.”
He stared at me with the same look Janiyah and Jamal gave me a few mornings ago when I warned them against playing in the basement. Finally, he said, “deal.”
He placed the money in my hands and I took hold of it.
“Why did you leave your mansion and all the conveniences you have there in the first place?”
“It’s a long story, Quinn. My friend Eddie came up with this—”
I let out a frustrated sigh as my phone began ringing. I pulled it out and sighed again as I realized that it was the restaurant’s manager.
“This is probably important,” I muttered, standing up to leave.
Jasper
Toying with the detective’s card, I glared at it while flipping it around over and over again. If I had any decency—if I really cared about Quinn — I’d contact them.
I do care, though. More than I should. I’m causing problems in her life that she definitely doesn’t need.
Frustrated, I balled up the card and threw it across the room before taking the disposable phone off the charger. It now had thirty percent battery, more than enough for a brief phone call. Thank God my memory worked fine, and I could still remember the most important contact numbers.
Quickly typing in a number, I waited as it rang.
“Edward Jeffries.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I said, “It’s me.”
A shocked gasp came over the line. “Jasper? Holy hell, I’ve been worried sick! Where are you?”
“I’m fine, Eddie.”
“Jasper, what’s going on?! I called in the authorities--”
“About that,” I interrupted. “Call them off. Retract your report. As I said, I’m fine, so there’s no need--”
“Fine? You disappeared three nights ago, Jasper! We’ve all been going out of our minds with worry, and all you can say is you’re fine?”
I gripped the phone tightly. I understood Eddie’s anger, but I still wasn’t going to fold. “Look, I know you’re mad, and I’m sorry, but you didn’t leave me any choice.”
“What are you talking about?” Eddie sputtered. “No, it can wait. You need to come home right now! For God’s sake, Jasper, you don't even have your medication. I found it on your bedroom floor. You know you’re risking more nerve damage, right? Tell me where you are. I’ll come and get you!”
Biting back a groan, I responded, “You’re not listening to me. I’m not coming back, Eddie! Not yet.”
The line was silent for a few seconds, then Eddie’s voice returned, calmer now. “Jasper, you’re not thinking clearly. And what about Crystal? She—”
“She’s the main reason I left in the first place.” I let out a bitter chuckle. “Listen, Eddie, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and I know that I agreed to give you guardianship over me—” something I had only agreed to after I had a medical episode a year ago where I couldn’t speak for days. I decided then that I’d allow Eddie to have guardianship over myself and my finances, but it was starting to feel like he was getting carried away. “—but I didn’t give you permission to controleveryaspect of my life. Now, Iwillcome back home, but not a moment before the date of the wedding. I don’t want to marry Crystal.”
“Jasper, you have to!”
