Chapter 15

While blindly searching for my cell on my passenger seat with my hand, I prayed that I could remember Jason's number off the top of my head. Finally finding it, I slid it open and dialed the number slowly, while going through number combinations in my head. I took a chance and pressed dial when I thought I had it and took a sharp breath when it started ringing.

"Yo." The familiar voice came from the other end, and I hadn't realized I had stopped breathing until I tried to speak and couldn't. There was a pause before, "hello? I know somebody's there, I can hear the radio."

I glared at my radio before quickly turning it down. "Jason?"

Another long pause before laughter erupted from the line. I gripped my steering wheel until my knuckles went white.

"Babe. I knew I'd hear from you."

I rolled my eyes, "where are you? We need to talk?"

"Of course we do," he huffed and I could hear some shuffling of papers from his side. "Drop by my place, and we'll talk." I didn't have to see him to know he had a shit-eating grin on his face.

I hung up without another word and drove on auto-pilot to his place. As I pulled up in the driveway, I saw him standing on the porch with his arms crossed and as I had thought, a huge smile on his face. His car was the only one I could see and a huge relief washed over me knowing that I wouldn't have a thousand pairs of eyes glued on me.

I hopped out and locked my car, hesitating before I started heading towards him.

"Long time no see," he said cockily as he opened the front door for me.

I gave him a filthy look as I walked past him; he had recently showered and I could still smell his body wash – it was my favorite and I couldn't help but close my eyes as the smell washed over me. He shut the door behind us and pressed up close to me as he passed me, his hand lingered on the small of my back before he lead me through the house into the kitchen.

I sat on one of the stools and watched at he pulled two Corona's from the fridge and opened them. He placed one on the counter in front of me and took a big sip from his as he leaned his hip against the edge of the granite, staying close to me. Taking the bottle, I gulped a mouthful of liquid and mentally thanked it for being cold as it went down.

Jason stared at me for a long moment then finally smiled – a warm smile, not cocky or arrogant, but a genuine smile. His brown eyes lit up and it was then that the memories of us together filled my head and the reason I had left him had escaped me.

I forced my mind to push everything out and let out a long, tired sigh. "What was all that bullshit about earlier?"

He raised an eyebrow and swallowed some more beer, "it wasn't bullshit. You guys are in some serious shit."

The serious look on his face scared me slightly and I had to look away and focus on something else.

"Cassie, this news has gotten around really quickly. There are people out there that would do anything for that kinda cash – and the coke," he blew out a sigh and shook his head and I knew exactly the extent of what he meant, "and then you got some deep underground shit – people claiming that they're the ones that put it there and wanting it back."

"And what's it matter to you?" I looked up at him angrily.

He put his bottle down and ran both hands over his scalp. "I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"Hmph. That's hard to believe – especially after everything you put me through. Now tell me, why do you wanna help us so bad? What's in it for you?"

He closed his eyes and dropped his head. "I want you back."