Page 89 of Wraith

Chapter Thirty-Five

June

The words hang in the air between us like shrapnel. For a moment neither of us moves. His face goes through something I can’t quite read in the shadows — surprise, maybe calculation, maybe guilt that’s already hardening into something else. My heart is hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat, in my fingertips, in the soles of my bare feet against the rough parking lot asphalt. I heard everything. Every word of his deal with Moose.

“June.” His voice is careful. Measured. The voice he uses when he’s already decided how this conversation will end. “Just what do you think it is you heard?”

“All of it.” My arms tighten around myself. The t-shirt I’m wearing—his t-shirt—suddenly feels like a betrayal. “The deal. Framing Irons. Making sure I don’t testify. All of it.”

He takes a step toward me. I take a step back.

“Then you understand,” he says, and there’s relief in his voice. Actual relief, like I should be grateful he found a solution. “This is the way out, June. This is how we get the life you want. No trials, no testimony, no target on your back. We make the deal, I handle Irons, and we’re free. We can have that apartment. That dog. All of it.”

“By making another deal with the Sons.” The words come out flat. Dead. “By going back to them. By becoming their VP.”

“It’s strategic. Once I’m in that position, I’ll have real power. Real resources. I can protect you properly. We can…”

“You mean once you can control me properly.”

The words stop him mid-sentence.

“That’s what this is,” I continue, and my voice is shaking now. “That’s what it’s always been. You don’t want me to testify because it’s my choice. My decision. My agency. And you can’t stand that. You can’t stand the idea that I might do something you don’t approve of, something you can’t control.”

“That’s not true.”

“You just told Moose you’d handle me. That you’d make sure I don’t talk. Whatever it takes.” The tears are coming now, hot and angry on my cheeks. “What does that mean, Dylan? How were you planning to handle me?”

He’s quiet for a moment. When he speaks again, his voice has gone softer. More dangerous.

“I was going to convince you. Help you see that this is the right choice. The safe choice.”

“By lying to me? By making deals behind my back? By deciding what’s best for me without even asking what I want?” I’m shaking my head, backing toward the motel room door. “This is exactly what you used to do. This is the Old Dylan. The one who controlled every aspect of my life and called it love.”

“I do love you.”

“Then listen to me!” The words come out as a shout. “Listen when I tell you I want to testify. Listen when I tell you I want to do the right thing. Listen when I tell you that going back to the Sons, framing someone for murder, becoming their VP — that’s not a future I want. That’s a nightmare.”

“You’re not thinking clearly.”

“I’m thinking perfectly clearly. You’re the one who’s not listening.” I reach the door, my hand finding the handle. “We’re done, Dylan. This is over. I’m not doing this with you again. I will not be Old June, waiting for permission to make my own choices.”

His expression shifts. Something cold slides behind his eyes.

“June, don’t do this.”

“I’m breaking up with you. I’m going inside, I’m getting dressed, and I’m leaving. I’m going to find Evan. I’m going to talk to Officer Alvarado. And I’m going to testify against the Sons whether you like it or not.”

I turn the handle.

He moves fast. Faster than I expect. His hand slams against the door above my head, holding it shut, and his other hand wraps around my wrist.

“Let go of me.”

“June, please. Just listen for a second. Just let me explain.“

“No.” I try to pull away, but his grip tightens. “Let go of me, Dylan. Now.”

“I can’t let you do this. I can’t let you destroy your life because you think you’re being brave or responsible or whatever the fuck New June is supposed to be. I love you too much to watch you become a rat.”