life, Jonas was glad for a lesson from his father. He didn’t want Jeremy knowing how tender his back and sides were. He didn’t want him knowing that he had only one kidney now and couldn’t risk having it injured.
“Wisdom teeth,” he said. “I had them removed.”
“I know you have painkillers here,” Jeremy said. “I need them.”
“Okay. They’re back here.”
Jeremy followed him into the bedroom. The bottle of Vicodin he’d been given following his surgery sat on the dresser. “Here. Take it. I don’t need it.”
Jeremy shook the bottle, holding it up to the light to see through the orange plastic. “Eight fucking pills? Are you kidding me?”
“That’s all I have.”
Jeremy stepped closer, raising the gun to Jonas’s face again. “I know you have more! Where are the rest? The ones that big guy gives out?”
“In the bathroom,” Jonas said. He led Jeremy in and pointed with a shaking hand to the shower. “Behind that wall.”
“Stop fucking with me!”
“There’s a safe,” Jonas said. “But I don’t know the combination.”
At that moment, the phone in Jonas’s pocket rang—the dedicated ringtone that told him it was Charlie calling.
“Let it ring!” Jeremy said.
“If I don’t answer, he’ll come rushing home.” He realized as soon as he said it that he shouldn’t have. Letting Charlie worry might be the best option. But he desperately wanted to hear Charlie’s voice. Maybe he could somehow convey that he was in danger.
Jeremy flicked his gun at Jonas. “Answer it.” He shoved the gun closer. “Put it on speaker. And don’t tell him I’m here. He took MacKenna from me. I don’t give a damn about taking you away from him.”
Jonas’s hand shook as he answered the call. “Hello?”
“Hey, hon. Just checking in. You doing okay?”
Jonas wanted to say no, but the gun in his face persuaded him otherwise. “Sure. Yeah, I’m doing fine.”
“Okay. We only have another load to go, I think. I should be home in an hour or two.”
Jonas gulped. An hour or two was way too long to wait.
“Do you need anything?”
“Yes.” Jonas saw a way clear. He hoped Charlie would understand. “Oranges.”
“Oranges? You want me to pick some up on my way home?”
“Yes.” His mouth was so dry, it was hard to speak. “Oranges, Charlie.”
“No problem.” But Jonas could tell he didn’t understand.
“Anything else?” Charlie asked.
Jeremy waved the gun in a “get on with it” gesture.
“Is Gray there?” Jonas asked.
“Yeah.” Charlie’s voice was wary now. “Why?”
“Tell him I said sayonara, okay?”
“Uhh…okay. Is there a reason you want me to tell Gray goodbye?”
Jeremy narrowed his eyes, stepping closer, trying to figure out if Jonas was messing with him.
“Not goodbye,” Jonas said, his voice shaking. “That doesn’t mean the same thing at all. I need you tell him sayonara.”
“But—”
“Promise me, Charlie. Promise me you’ll tell him right now, okay? I need you to tell him sayonara for me.”
“Jonas, what are you talking about? Are you going somewhere?”
Jeremy stepped closer. The muzzle of the gun hit Jonas’s forehead.
“Charlie?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Jeremy backhanded Jonas across the face, knocking him to the ground. His phone spun away, out of the bathroom, under the bed.
Jonas saw only blackness.
Chapter 24
Charlie hung up the phone, blinking in confusion. “That was weird.”
He was at Warren’s house, which was mostly empty. Only a few boxes remained, waiting to be taken to the new address in Lakewood. Charlie stood with his friends, all seven of them crammed into the kitchen, having finished off two pizzas for lunch. River and Gray had each just opened a second beer.
“What was weird?” Warren asked.
“I don’t know. The whole conversation.” If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Jonas had been drunk, or had taken a bunch of the Vicodin the doctor had given him. The way Jonas had said I love you, and then hung up before Charlie could answer him, was downright strange.
“What was that about Gray?” Taylor asked. “You’re supposed to tell him goodbye?”
“I don’t know,” Charlie said, still staring at his phone. “He said to tell Gray sayonara, but I have no idea why.”
“Wait.” Gray pushed away from the kitchen counter to step closer. “He said what?”
“I don’t know why he wanted me to tell you goodbye, but he said—”
Gray grabbed Charlie’s arm hard enough to make Charlie yelp. “Did he say goodbye?” His eyes had that crazy intensity Charlie had grown used to. “Is that the word he used? Or did he say sayonara?”
Charlie blinked at him, wondering why it mattered. “He said ‘goodbye’ didn’t have the same meaning. He said it had to