Page 118 of Love is Angry

It doesn’t fucking matter.

“I guess I should say thank you?”

“It’s the truth. As I see it, anyway. It’s why I reached out to you first. Julian wanted me to just grab you and, well…” He uses his thumb to mimic slitting his throat. “But you’re an Anthropology major. It means you’ve got a good understanding of humans, doesn’t it?”

“In a sense, yes.”

“I figured you’d have a good understanding of me, too.”

I lean forward and look him right in the eyes. Here goes nothing. “I actually have a crystal clear understanding of you, Jake. And I think I might be able to reach you, after all.”

“Oh?” He seems intrigued.

“You have feelings for Laura.”

“Don’t go there again, or I’ll—”

“Just hear me out,” I say. “I mean no disrespect, nor do I wish to make you feel uncomfortable. But you want me to be honest, don’t you?”

He thinks about it for a second, then nods once.

“You have feelings for Laura,” I continue, “and you know it’s a little inappropriate considering her age. The difference between you two isn’t astronomical, but until she’s eighteen, you have to be careful. Right?”

“Right.”

“I can see why you’re into her. She’s incredibly clever and highly educated. She’s smart as a whip, actually, and would probably get to the White House before Julian.”

It makes him chuckle. “Yeah. I can see her there.”

“Where would you be in that scenario, Jake? Married to her? The First Gentleman of the United States of America?” I ask, but he shakes his head, darkness taking over his features.

“Never. I’m the rotten fruit, Madison. I can never be with Laura like that. But I can make sure she has everything she needs. That she’s safe.”

“Will she ever be safe with Julian in her life, though?” I reply.

He gives me a scowl.

“Come on, surely, you’ve thought about it, Jake. You said it yourself. Julian doesn’t want Laura handling his businesses. What makes you think he’ll want her as a political rival? Let’s be honest here, the only reason neither Laura nor Rhue are dead and buried right now is because of their blood ties to Julian. He had no qualms killing Roxanne, did he?”

“No.”

“Because she… oh, god, because she’d already done her duty. She gave him two children. Helped build his reputation. She’d become an inconvenience. Jake, she confronted Julian about what he did to me, didn’t she?”

“Yes. And Sibel.”

“Julian raped Sibel, too?”

“He’s done this to at least a dozen women that I know of. Three, I’ve had to dispose of myself. The others, he paid off. Well, except you, I guess.”

“Because I got as far away from him as I could. Because I wanted nothing to do with him. No one knew what he did to me except Roxanne, and he killed her for it.”

Jake nods again. “Yes. I’m sorry, Madison. He does whatever it takes.”

“Will you do whatever it takes for Laura? Or is your loyalty blindly tethered to her father?”

For a moment, I imagine he’ll jump from the sofa and over the coffee table and snap my neck like a chicken. But he doesn’t. He just stares at me for what feels like forever. Outside, the evening begins to set, marking another hour gone, another hour that brings me closer to my death. I can’t have it end here.

“I will burn this entire planet down for Laura,” Jake finally says.