He’s got some serious bank
I called him and he answered a second later. “Are you with her right now?”
“Yeah,” Jude replied, obviously already exhausted with everything.
“Pass her the phone.”
“Uh, what? Why?”
“Just do it.”
I heard him sigh and a moment later, her voice came over the speaker. “Hello? Nathan?”
“I’m terrible at this shit, but I wanted to be the first to congratulate you on being able to take your riding lessons without stressing. I know it’s a crap situation, but you dropped some deadweight that was holding you back, and while I’m sorry you’re upset about it, I’m not sorry that you’re free from that asshole.” I sucked in a sharp breath. “Listen, I know we metexactly once, but if you need anything, you can let me know, and you can’t say you need nothing, so please, tell me what I can do.”
She hesitated, her breath hitching. “God, Nathan, I don’t know. I needeverything. I don’t even have my purse, I?—”
“Where’s your purse?”
“Tyler made me leave it in the car.”
That fucker.
“Okay, give me five minutes.”
“Wait, what? Where?—”
I hung up, slipping out of Ava’s house—I’d just wrapped up babysitting duty—and walked casually down the street to where Madison had lived with Tyler. Luck was on my side because the car was in the driveway, not the garage. A quick glance inside revealed Madison’s purse and phone on the floor.
Well, not as convenient as on the seat, but hopefully I’d only get lightly stabbed in this endeavor. I picked up one of the sparkling rocks they had in lieu of a lawn, aimed the pointy end at the window corner and shattered the glass. The car alarm blared, and I shoved the broken glass aside with the rock, threw my top half inside, grabbed her things, and bolted down the street. I was already within sight of Ava’s house when I heard Tyler’s pissed off shout. I didn’t slow down until I had run all the way inside and upstairs.
“Nathan,” Ava called up the stairs. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Just a little petty theft,” I yelled back. “Don’t answer the door for a bit.”
Ava’s exasperated huff was cut off as I closed the door to the guest room I stayed in sometimes.
With the adrenaline wearing off, I could fully experience the sharp aching sensation across my rib cage where I had tossed myself through the car window, and the burn where some of theglass had cut my hands. I lifted my shirt to check the damage, but it didn’t look like I had broken skin anywhere.
After washing my hands thoroughly, I dialed Jude.
“Pass me to Madison,” I said when he answered.
“Nathan?” Her sweet voice was a welcome distraction from the growing pain in my ribs.
“Phone and purse acquired.”
“What—what do you mean?How?”
“It was still in his car. He left it unattended and unprotected. I might’ve been slowed down if it was in the garage, but this was a lot faster than I expected.”
Madison choked. “Youbroke intohis car?”
“Not like he was gonna open it up and give me those things if I knocked on the door and asked.”
She let out a burst of hysterical laughter. “I can’t believe you committed a crime to get my stuff. Is ‘thank you’ the correct thing to say?”
I shrugged, even though she couldn’t see me. “Who knows, but I’ll take it regardless. Where are you so I can get this to you?”
