Page 103 of Jesse

But after seeing the clippings down there on his windows, most of me doesn’t.

When I enter the penthouse I stop short and take in the small room, then look at Johnny and say, “What is this?”

He downs what’s left of his drink, then places the glass gently down on a desk. Then reaches for a suit coat hanging reverently—almost ceremonially—on a freestanding valet stand.

When he slips the dark jacket on a chill runs down my spine.

There are white epaulettes on the shoulders. And matching white buttons. I watch him button those and adjust his sparkling cuff links as he adjusts his sleeves. Staring at me the entire time.

I say, “What are you? A fucking general? What the fuck is up with that coat?” Because for a moment… I don’t recognize him. He has morphed into something I don’t understand. “What’s going on?” I ask.

He looks at me and when I meet his gaze straight on, I suddenly see my eyes staring back at me. We are more alike than I remember. Same build. Same muscles. Same hard jaw. Same blue eyes. Same dark-blonde hair.

He opens his mouth to say something. Maybe an explanation. Or maybe just another excuse.

But then we both turn and look at the stairs.

Because someone is coming up after us.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE - EMMA

I run up the stairs because I know Zach is coming after me. Sure enough, when I reach the landing of the next floor up, I hear the door below bang open. “Emma!” he yells. “Don’t!”

But I keep running. And when I get to the next floor I stop and punch in the emergency exit code.

0000.

It’s dangerous to lock a fire door, isn’t it? But less so when the code is easy to remember.

I throw the door open just as another one, far down the hallway, bangs closed.

I pause, aware that Zach is coming up behind me, hear nothing, and then walk quickly forward.

Zach bursts through the fire door just as I reach the end of the hallway and enter the living room.

“What the fuck?” I mutter. Stack and stacks of newspaper and too many guns to count lined up against the wall.

“Emma!” he yells. “Stop!”

I’m stopped. I’m shocked. I’m… “What the fuck?” I say, walking towards the windows. “What the fuck is this?”

“Emma, please,” Zach pleads. “Just let them handle this their own way.”

“What is this?” I ask, walking up to the window and pointing at the first article.

“I don’t know,” Zach says. “I swear to God. I’ve never been up here until a few minutes ago when I came with Joey. I can’t even begin to understand what’s been happening.”

“‘Baby Boston caught again,’” I say, reading the closest headline. “‘Jesse Boston busted for drugs.’ ‘Jesse Boston leaves yachting association in disgrace.’ ‘Jesse Boston—'” I whirl around to face Zach. “What is this?”

He shakes his head, then says, “It’s exactly what it looks like.”

“Well, it looks like… it looks to me like…”

Zach is already nodding.

“They did this to him? They fed those stories about Jesse to the tabloids?” It hits me then. I know who gave Hot Tonight Show the security footage. “Johnny did this?”

Zach throws up his hands. “You know as much as I do.”