Page 40 of Secret

"Yes, you were."

"I wouldn't do that." He grinned.

Jack scooched closer. "Yes, you would. It's sweet."

"No, I wouldn't. It's creepy... Freddy Krueger territory."

"No," Jack said. "It's...validating."

"You're full of yourself."

"Nope," Jack said, raising to an elbow. "I'm full of you. I hope the feeling is mutual."

"I think we're moving too fast."

Jack ignored the comment. "I'd take a bullet for you."

"You'd take a bullet for whoever is paying you."

"Ouch. I could say the same for you...Mister Man."

Jack's whiter-than-white attempt at sass-speak cracked Demarco up.

"What if I promise to make you laugh like that often?"

"I'll consider it. What did Kip say?"

"Jonathan Clark confessed to the shooting. He was working for a couple of guys... some shady, low-rent production company—the same folks that took that pic of you in Abir's room, and likely the same folks that hacked intoThe Post'scomputers... although some of it hasn't been corroborated yet. Kip said he's a sniveling mess, spilling his guts to avoid a steeper sentence. Said he didn't mean to hit you, that he was supposed to hit the park benchtwice. But you stepped back unexpectedly... and that the whole thing was a big accident."

"And he was justaccidentallyaiming a gun at me," Demarco said, hotly.

"Near you. Abir was thescriptedtarget."

"Why not use blanks?"

"Wouldn't look real. What they did was dangerous and illegal—either way."

"Why do you think he was asking Mikey about me... at B.J.'s?"

"Kip asked him that," Jack said. "Clark said he was having second thoughts. Wanted to talk to you about possibly working for Chandelier."

Demarco scoffed. "He's too old."

"He's your age, D Thirty-eight."

Demarco eyed Jack. There was no emotion in the statement—no overt signs of judgment or sarcasm—just Jack... just the facts... maybe a little sleepy.

"So now what?" Demarco asked.

"Well, no one is trying to kill you."

Demarco just stared, saying nothing.

"Are you disappointed?"

"No," Demarco said. "I'm relieved."

"Really?" Jack laughed. "Because I'm not buying it. I haven't bought anything you've tried to sell me this morning,Mister—"