Chapter 7

Hurt him? Hurt him? What? Damn. Fuck. Hurt him? Shit, no.

How could he think I’d be the one to hurt him? What? I didn’t get it.

Someone pounding on my restaurant’s front door yanked me from my memories. I was on autopilot as I walked up the stairs and flung open the door.

“What?” I recoiled as the light from the sunrise hit my eyes and blinded me. “What do you want?”

Stone pushed me back into the shade of the foyer.

“Jimmy said you didn’t sound so good on the phone.” Stone wrapped his arms around me.

“Stone,” I gulped, tears finally falling. “Stone, it was Jason. It was Pretty Boy. He isn’t dead. I didn’t leave him to die. He made it. He made it.”

Like two gnarly sequoias, Stone and I were planted in the doorway, he holding me, me clutching him. Sobs racked my body, making us both totter and shake. Like before, he was my lifeline, and I hung on with all my strength.

Then I saw a hand rubbing Stone’s back and looked at Jimmy behind him, supporting him.