Page 225 of Red Marked

“Are you coming back today?” The question is full of hope.

“No.” I let my voice wobble. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I want to, so badly, but I can’t leave now.” I make a small sobbing sound, and it isn’t hard. “I only just found them again. Please understand. I can’t leave my family.”

Jett grins and nods a few times.

“Of course I understand,” Flint says. “It’s fine.”

“I’ll see everyone once they get here. I’ll be waiting.”

“Of course. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Apologize to Scarlet for me. She’s going to take my absence hard.”

“You’re right, she will.” He chuckles. It’s a small, forced sound. “She might try to hand me my ass again.”

“She won’t.” I laugh too. It comes out a little shrill, but it’ll pass. “Koa will stop her. It’ll all be fine.”

The silence goes on a beat too long. Two beats.

Jett stands up straight; he’s frowning.

“You tell them all I’ll see them on this side,” I say into the quiet. “I’m looking forward to it. I hope you don’t mind, Flint.”

Jett is making a sharp cutting motion across his throat with one hand. He wants me to end the call.

I meet his eyes and nod.

“Of course I don’t mind.” Flint sounds exactly the same. “I understand. You go and be with your family.”

“Say ‘hi’ for me, babe,” Jett says, winking at me.

I have to work not to outwardly cringe.

“Thanks for understanding. And for everything. Jett says Hi.” I want to choke on the words. I look down so Jett won’t see how much I hate him.

There’s a pause from Flint.

“Okay. Good.” Another pause. “We’ll talk soon. Bye, Star.”

The line goes dead, and I put the phone down.

Will he get what I was trying to tell him?

He has to. He’s Flint. He doesn’t miss things.

And then there’s the other part of me. The part that hopes he doesn’t. That hopes he flies back to the clinic and stays there, because Jett is crazy. He also likes to play dirty, and he’s ruthless.

“You did good, babe.” Jett squeezes my shoulder and kisses the top of my head. “That was perfect.”

He goes back around the island to his mixing bowl and picks up the whisk.

“Now. About breakfast.” He points it at me. “Do you still feel like pancakes?”

“Pancakes sound good,” I say, smiling at him. I pick up my coffee and take a sip. “This is delicious. Where did you say you got the beans?”

I need to find a way out of this. I can’t rely on Flint. I need to look like I want to be here. I need Jett to let his guard down just a little so that I can make a move. I have to make it convincing.

I spent five years in the jungle. I can survive this asshole. I can do what it takes to get the best of him.