Page 29 of Crimson Love

I look between our small group and point to Jett. “Wait. He took my car?”

“I didn’t take it,” Jett bites out.

“That’s not what Devon said,” Dean drawls. “And trust me, he’s got it all on video.”

Blake butts in. “Didn’t you just find out your father is, I don’t know, a gazillionaire or something? No offense, but Lennon’s car is sort of a piece.”

“Don’t talk about my car that way,” I say. “She got me through when I needed her. Why do you think I named her Natasha?”

Blake shrugs. “I have no clue.”

“It is odd, but it means something to you, so that’s okay.” Felicity pats my shoulder to make me feel better.

Dean holds out a low hand to quiet everyone. “Let’s get back to the missing car so I can wrap this shit up and close another case in record time.” He turns to Jett. “You said you were struggling with purpose in life, but stealing cars is not the answer.”

Jett frowns. “No offense, Dean, but fuck you. I am not some emotionally stunted man. I have a purpose. That’s the last time I’ll pull up a barstool next to you at the Combover. Quit twisting my words.”

“You’re new to town, Jett,” Felicity says. “Maybe you should come over for dinner on Sunday night too. It will help you feel more connected.”

“Seriously, I’m fine,” Jett reiterates.

“Maybe you’re not fine since you stole my car,” I point out.

“You still haven’t told us where the car is,” Dean goes on, but he does it with a smirk. “If we need to take this downtown and discuss it in an interrogation room, we can.”

Jett shakes his head and starts to talk to himself. “This is what I get. Should’ve minded my own business. I need to get back to work. I’m bored as hell.”

Dean doesn’t stop. “If I remember correctly, your job gives you no purpose.”

Jett swipes off his shades and glares at Dean. “You’re dead to me.”

I have no clue what to think about the police chief, because he’s grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah? Well, you’re almost under arrest, so we’re even.”

Jett drags a hand through his hair and turns to address me like there’s no one else in our general vicinity. “There’s no delicate way to say this—your car’s a piece of shit. And I would know, I’ve driven many pieces of shit in my day. But a car can be a piece of shit and still be a safe ride. Yours will always be the first, but I’m making sure it’s the second.”

“I need my car.” I take a step forward and try to steady my tone as the text that still sits on my cell nags my gut. I powered the thing off right after I threw up. I should be thirty minutes down the road at this point. “It’s safe enough.”

“Where’s it at?” Dean demands.

Jett’s eyes shift to Dean. “The Grease Me Up. I can’t exactly crawl under a car to work on it myself right now. If there’s another garage in town, I blinked and missed it.”

“Oh, Clive!” Felicity exclaims. “Yep, he’s the only official mechanic in town. I’m lucky that Harold is good with his hands.”

I think we all wince at the news about Harold, but it’s Dean who lets out a low whistle. “Clive is fine. Whatever it is, he’ll get the job done. What Clive is not, is fast.”

“Clive helped me on my truck. He gave me lube for free when I was working on my wheel bearings,” Blake adds.

I turn to Jett. “Take me there right now so I can get my car back.”

Jett’s full lips purse. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. When I left, your car was in pieces littered all over the garage.”

“But you can’t do this. I need my car. I can’t afford to have it worked on anyway.” Panic bubbles within me. I’ve gone from a low simmer to a flat-out boil. I turn to Dean. “Do something. Make him give it back.”

Jett waves Dean off. “It’s not a big deal. I’m taking care of it.”

“But I can’t afford —”

“No, Lennon. You don’t get it. When I say I’m taking care of it, I mean all of it. Your car was not safe to drive in the summer, let alone when the snow and ice hit soon.”