Mess Us Up – Jaxson Kidman Page 0,39

to see you again, Jolie. Of course I have to pretend I didn’t see you.”

I roll my eyes at him.

Him and Les leave the room.

Mac grabs my hand and walks me out of the room.

He shuts the door behind him.

He points to an SUV. “That one has an entertainment system in it.” He dangles a key in front of my face. “Obviously don’t start it in here.”

“Obviously,” I say.

“Just run it off the battery. You can watch anything you want. I’ll be in touch in a little while.”

He kisses me and walks to one of the big pickup trucks.

He gets behind the wheel and drives through the open garage door.

The door then automatically shuts.

That final boom of the door hitting the ground makes me feel lonely.

I look around the warehouse.

I walk to the SUV and climb into the backseat.

It’s actually not a bad setup at all.

The seats are leather and really comfortable.

The entertainment system works just like Mac said.

I’m able to watch anything I want.

Instead, I just put on some music.

I curl up on the seat in the giant hoodie I’m in and I try not to think about anything.

Which is impossible to do.

I can’t stop thinking about the truths Mac wants to find.

And I can’t stop thinking about Mama Dae.

I honestly don’t know if she’s a good person or not, but either way, she’s sick, suffering, and it’s only going to get worse.

My heart aches for her.

I shut my eyes and try to just listen to the music.

I start to feel really comfortable.

And tired.

So I keep my eyes shut.

When I open them again, I reach for my phone.

The time on the screen can’t be right.

I fell asleep for an hour?

I pop up on the backseat of the SUV.

I’m not one to take naps.

But I was just so comfortable…

Then again, what does it matter?

It’s not like I need to be anywhere.

I haven’t heard from Mac yet either.

I shut the music off and open the SUV door and climb out.

I have to find something else…

My eyes see the door is open.

The door to the room with the table.

I check my phone again.

Is Mac here?

I don’t see the truck he took.

He left his car parked out front though so maybe the truck is there too.

I walk toward the open door and peek inside.

“Hello?” I whisper.

There’s nobody in the room.

I walk to the table and look around.

The other door is cracked just a little.

There’s a room off this room.

Like the warehouse is some kind of maze or something.

I walk to that door and put my hand to it and open it.

There’s a safe on the floor.

And it’s open.

Someone is on one knee in front of the safe.

Someone in a hoodie with the hood up.

Someone with a stack of money in their right hand, slowly tucking it into the front pouch of a black bag.

“Mac?” I ask.

Someone jumps up and pulls out a gun and points it at me.

“Jolie?”

Ado lowers the gun and his eyes are wide with surprise.

“Jolie… what the hell are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

Ado looks at the bag.

He moves fast.

He drops to one knee again and hurries to shut the safe. He tosses his gun into the bag and zips it all up and stands up.

“Just dropping stuff off,” he says.

But you took money…

“I thought you were kidnapped,” he says. “Am I see things? Did I hit my head?”

“Uh… no… I mean… you didn’t hit your head. I don’t think. I’m just waiting here…”

“How did you get here?” Ado asks. “Who took you? This is crazy?”

Ado moves toward me.

I move back.

“What’s wrong, Jolie?” he asks. “What’s going on here?”

“You… you tell me, Ado,” I say. “Are you supposed to be here?”

“Are you?”

“I’m supposed to be here. Mac brought me here.”

“Mac did?” Ado asks. “Wait a second… was this all…” Ado freezes and laughs. “No fucking way. He did this on purpose?”

I swallow hard.

I don’t know what to do or say.

How do I save this?

My eyes look at the bag over Ado’s shoulder.

I point to the bag. “What’s in the bag?”

“None of your business, Jolie,” Ado says. “I think we both just stumbled across something we shouldn’t have.”

I nod. “Yeah. I think so too.”

“So what do we do here?” Ado asks.

I keep stepping back.

I’m inching my way out of the room and into the open garage area.

In case I have to run.

My hand is locked on my phone though.

I take a deep breath. “You didn’t know about me?”

“No,” Ado says. “Nobody did.”

But I just talked to Taz