Page 68 of Jesse

He pulls back, slides his sunglasses down over his eyes, and says, “Let’s do this.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - JESSE

I don’t know why I’m not nervous about meeting the Dumas clan, I’m just not. I have this weird feeling. This strange new belief that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

I get it. I get it. Last night this crazy bitch bought me in an auction, drugged me, kidnapped me, tied me up, released me, and then roped me into this entire day of mysterious jet travel and Barbie and Ken mini-rolls.

But I’m having a blast.

Serious fucking blast.

Just being here again. On Key West. The beach, the ocean, the sand and maybe… just maybe we find a sailboat and… nah. I won’t even go there yet. It’s not even necessary.

I have Emma. And I’m gonna meet her fam.

I’m fully prepared to throw with her brothers. That’s what brothers do, right? I’m pretty sure it is. Hell, if Zach was a girl instead, I’d be throwing with every goddamned asshole who tried to date him. Her. Whatever. My point is, I’m ready to prove I’m down with those Dumas brothers. That’s all I’m saying.

Did I ever come back here? No. I didn’t. Never came back. And sure, part of that was because after my uncle died I had Zach around and I was partying almost every day. The missing trust fund. Johnny and Dad whispering secrets all the time, Joey… well, I have no clue what Joey was doing but I’m pretty sure he was fucking girls.

“This is a bad idea,” Emma says when the limo rolls to a stop in front of her parents’ dive shop.

I’m about to tell her to chill, I got this. But a woman comes rushing out of the dive shop waving her arms and yelling something I don’t catch until I open the door and start getting out of the car.

“Emma!” the woman says. “Where did you go?”

Emma gets out behind me, looking cute as fuck in her little Daisy Dukes and pigtails. “What are you talking about, Mom?”

“You pulled up and then left! I thought you were kidnapped!”

“Mom, I was in my own car. You can’t get kidnapped in your own car. I wasn’t kidnapped.”

I laugh. “Actually, you can get kidnapped in your own car, Emma.”

She shoots me a look that says, Don’t, then says, “We had to make a stop before we got out. That’s all.”

But… Emma’s mother isn’t looking at her anymore. She’s looking at me. “Who is this?” she asks, eyebrows waggling at me in what is clear older-woman innuendo.

I wiggle back because that’s what you do. “I’m Jesse Boston. Emma’s boyfriend.” And I do not have one ounce of guilt when I say it.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Emma says quickly. “Just a friend. We’re on a day trip.”

“Day trip?” her mother asks. “No. You’re staying the weekend now, missy.”

“Mom, I wish I could but—”

“We’d love to stay the weekend,” I say, then take Emma’s hand. “But we don't have a room and—what?” I’m looking at Emma and she’s making one of those slicing motions across her throat with her other hand. Like she’s totally gonna kill me.

“Room?” Mrs. Dumas says. “We have a whole street full of cottages just a few blocks over. You can stay there.”

“Oh,” I say. And I get it. Emma was telling me to shut up with that gesture. Not that she’s gonna cut my throat.

Though she might do that next. Because Mrs. Dumas is pulling me inside, yelling, “Jack! She came back! Don’t call the police!” Emma trails behind me, helpless. And for a second I think… maybe I should’ve been worried?

Nah. Then I laugh.

“This isn’t funny,” Emma hisses.

“It was your idea,” I mutter back.