I unlock my phone and send her a text.Can we talk?
I’m not sure how I feel about Jordan right now. Clearly, she’s chosen a side—that shouldn’t be surprising. But last night, it was obvious she didn’t want to fight. There might be room to still get through to her, although I imagine with her family history, it’s not going to be easy.
My phone pings with a return message.Meet me by the pool,she writes.
Simple. Cold. But ultimately, the result I wanted.
I get up to change. I think about calling Noa to let her know what I’ve found so far, but considering how she feels about Jordan and theentire Collective, I don’t think she’ll see the same opportunity that I do. For now, I’m going to get an insider look at the Collective. See what secrets I can dig up on their side of the fence.
I head downstairs and find a quiet spot next to the bar. There are two sun loungers, mostly in the shade with a small table between them. I decide not to order until Jordan arrives. I check my phone a few times, but on the third look, I glance up to find Jordan standing above me wearing dark, oversized sunglasses.
“Hey,” I say, startled. I stand up to give her a quick side-hug, but she’s stiff in my arms. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you walk up,” I add.
“It’s okay,” she says. “Wanted to get a peek at who you were texting.” She smiles like it’s a joke, but I’m not sure it is. Luckily, I was checking out last night’s sports highlights. I decide then to keep my phone close to me, just in case.
Jordan sits down on the same sun chair as me, and nods to my arm. “Told you hanging out with the Chasers would get you into trouble,” she says.
“What? No,” I say, holding up my arm. “I cut it on the engine of my boat. Real bloodbath. But enough about me.” I pat the other sun lounger, but she doesn’t even glance that way.
Jordan lifts her sunglasses to rest on the top of her head. Her expression is cynical. “Why did you text me, Jamie?”
“Why are you mad at me?” I ask in return, a bit defensive. “Keep in mind, I’m the one who got punched in the face by your friend. He started that shit, not me.”
“You could have walked away on the beach,” she offers.
“He could have not been an asshole.”
Jordan exhales heavily and closes her eyes. She shifts over to the other seat, seemingly exhausted by me. “You’re making things worse around here,” she murmurs.
“Seemed pretty terrible without me,” I point out. “Now, what’s going on with you? And don’t just blame the Chasers.”
“You’re right,” Jordan says. “But I know better than to tell anybody my business, even you. Besides, right now, we have bigger problems.”
“Like what?” I ask, sitting up straighter.
She pauses for a long moment before lowering her voice. “They found Matteo’s cousin Felix,” she says. “They think he was murdered.”
My heart thumps wildly in my chest. That’s who was lying in the marsh. More than that… I know him.
Knew him.
I wince, a bit grief-stricken but not wanting to give away too much. “Where…” I clear my throat. “Where did they find him?”
“Apparently, he washed up on the beach,” she says, shaking her head, her eyes watering.
I’m stunned by the lie, struck silent. That’s… that’s not true. The body was on Rum Runner, so how the hell did it wash up in Cape Hope?
Jordan sniffles, and quickly swipes under her eyes before tears can spill over. “Felix Mancini was my friend,” she says. “He was a good guy; he always was. He shouldn’t be dead at twenty years old. He shouldn’t have been thrown away.”
She breaks down, and I quickly move to gather her into a hug, letting her cry against my shoulder as my mind reels. I’m completely speechless, and even if I weren’t, I wouldn’t know how to comfort her right now. It is truly too tragic for words.
When Jordan starts to calm, I back up, giving her a towel to wipe under her nose.
“Thank you,” she says. We’re silent for a bit, and even though I can’t really stand the guy, I think about Matteo. “How, um… how is Matteo?” I ask. “Does he know?”
“Of course,” she says. “He found out last night. He told us after…”She glances at me, but quickly averts her gaze. “After the fight at Bonfire Beach. His family is grieving right now.”
“I’m sure,” I agree. I furrow my brow.
