The Jealousy Game novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: Break It

Lena's POV

Brett's mother stood in the gravel with the ring in her palm and did not hand it to me.

"I'm not going to ask whether you knew," she said.

"I didn't."

"No. I don't think you did." Her mouth tightened. "I'm going to ask my son where the stone went. I would like to do it without an audience, so I would be grateful if neither of you called him."

"Okay."

"And Lena." She closed her fingers over the ring. "There were no pills on your counter, were there?"

"No."

She nodded once, got back into her SUV, and drove away slowly up the marina road.

I stood in the doorway and watched the taillights go.

My hands were shaking, and I put them in my coat.

"Glass," Casper said behind me. "He sold the diamond."

"Rule one. Can you prove it?"

"No."

"Then don't say it."

"Okay."

I turned around.

He was standing by the hull in his gray sweatshirt, with his left hand wrapped and his right hand hanging open at his side.

The first light came through the high windows and lay in long pale bars across the sawdust floor.

He looked like he was bracing for me to leave.

I texted my morning girl to open the shop and said I'd be in at noon.

Then I put the phone face down on the workbench.

"You almost touched me an hour ago," I said.

"I know."

"You stopped."

"You said rule two."

"I did."

I walked across the floor toward him.

He did not move.

When I was close enough to feel the heat coming off his chest, I tipped my head back and looked at him.

"Rule two, Engstrom," I said.

He shut his eyes.

"I know," he said, low. "I know, Lena. I'm not going to..."

"Break it."

His eyes opened.

"Say it plainly," he said, and his voice was rough. "Because I've waited a long time and I won't guess."

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