“Doesn’t it?”
“Okay, look.” I leaned forward. “I don’t need some cryptic psychobabble from you. The only reason I’m still here is because I’m curious about Knox. That and I fell asleep, and Rule and Jinx left me here.”
“You told Rule to leave,” he corrected.
“Yes. Fine. I did that. But I didn’t tell Jinx to go.”
Creed huffed a laugh. “At what point did Jinx ever give you the impression he wasn’t a package deal with Rule?”
I frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Creed exhaled and relaxed in the chair. “Rule spent six years in prison after nearly beating two kids to death. One of those kids nearly killed Jinx, and Rule intervened to stop it from happening. While he was pummeling that fuck he was jumped by the guy’s friend. Took a steel pipe to the face. Do you know what a steel pipe does when it strikes the jaw with tremendous force?”
Hoping that was rhetorical, I didn’t respond.
“It breaks it. Even with a shattered face, Rule still managed to beat the shit out of them both. When the police showed up, he got a punch or two in there, too.”
Prison? Seriously? Six years?
“And because Jinx couldn’t speak to clarify what happened, Rule was pinned for all of it. The attack on Jinxandthose fuckers. He served his time without complaint. Pled guilty without blinking an eye because he’s the sort of guy who takes responsibility for his actions.”
My throat was suddenly tighter.
“The day Rule was released, Jinx was there. Just waiting for him in the parking lot. Geared up to pay Rule back for saving his life.”
“Pay him back how?”
“However Rule wanted him, too. They’ve been inseparable since then. Rule will tell you he has no one. That’s not true. He has Jinx. He will always have him. Jinx is loyal to a fault, so that’ll never change. They might love you, but they’ve spent two decades together, so if you tell one of them to leave, you’re telling them both.”
I heard the words, but the only part that stuck with me was thelove youpart.
“They don’t love me. He used me. For fucking money.”
Creed snorted. “Rule’s got a safe in his closet.”
“I’ve seen it,” I admitted.
“You know what’s in that safe?”
I shook my head. I figured there were guns or whatever.
“Money,” he stated firmly. “And that’s onlyoneof his hiding places.”
“Why does he keep it in his closet? It should be in a bank.”
His eyebrows rose, and I could tell he thought that was a stupid question. I waited for an answer anyway.
Creed exhaled, and I sensed his frustration with me. “The people who use Rule’s services can’t exactly pay him with a credit card, now can they?”
Since I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, I blurted, “What’s your point?”
“Rule doesn’t need your money. He’s got more than he knows what to do with. In that regard, he really is a simple man.”
“Then why did he say that?”
Creed got to his feet and stared down at me. “My guess is you weren’t really listening. That or you didn’t give him a chance to explain.”
“What’s there to explain? He said he married me because of the trust fund.”
