Page 80 of The Other Side of Green

Phillipe let out a bitter laugh. “He won’t agree to the terms.”

“But it’s been four years and he’s in jail? What rights does he have?”

He didn’t answer. Red flag alert.

“Phillipe?”

He lowered down closer to my ear. “You would have aimed better that night if it was you.”

I blinked and stared at him.

Just then the door banged open and Rogers strode in. “You can go.” He picked up the papers from the desk and shuffled them.

“Sorry, what?”

“I said you can go. Or did you have something you wanted to add?”

With his back to Rogers, Phillipe rolled his eyes at me.

“I can just go?”

“I’m not buying you lunch, Jack. Now scram before I decide to use you as a corroborating witness.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice, well okay he did, but the third wouldn’t be required. I stood, legs stiff and followed the pretty officer out of the room.

What did he mean corroborating witness?

A flash of dirty-blond hair caught my eye. I met Luca’s gaze. He gave me a swift nod of the head before turning back to being processed by the duty officer.

He’d handed himself in?

Shit.

He’d handed himself in?

But what about Lyra? What about everything?

What had happened to ‘I’ll kill you myself if you ever come back’?

Almost blindly, I stumbled my way out into the dark night air, drawing it into my lungs. I’d protected him in there, for Lyra’s sake.

Now what had he done?

The cab dropped me back off and I let myself in, half expecting Mom to have gone to bed. Half hoping maybe. She barreled into my arms. “Jack!” She hugged me tight before cuffing me around the back of the head. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t.” I gave a rueful smile and rubbed at my chin. I needed a shower and a shave. Funny how dirty being down the precinct could make you feel. Ugh. Phillipe had to go there every day, poor fucker.

“Well, I know that.”

“Mom, I’m really tired.”

“And you think I’m not? I’ve been going out of my mind. Where the hell did you get that jersey, ‘cause I sure as hell know it wasn’t in the house when I moved. And fancy leaving it on the kitchen counter like that.” She waved at the kitchen. She had a fair point. It was a dick move. “Jack Cross, I don’t know what the hell is going on with you, but I swear to the God almighty you’d better start filling in the gaps for me.”

I forced myself to meet her eye. “You know I can’t do that, and you know why.”

“Because of Phillipe?” She snorted. “He’s had your back all the time. For four years.”

“What are you talking about?” I flicked the jug on, suddenly parched, and considering there wasn’t anything stronger in the house, I would make do with a coffee.