Part 16 (2/2)
”I'm not trying to mess with your head.”
”Yeah. You're not trying; you're straight-up succeeding.” He put his hands behind his head.
”I'm sorry.” She hopped into the bed next to him.
”You don't get 'no,' do you?”
”Do you?” She scooted over and looked down at him.
Jack frowned and then smirked.
Replacement quietly asked, ”Is that why you got suspended? You didn't listen to a 'no'?”
Actually, you didn't listen.
Jack nodded.
”What's going on? What happened?” She sat up crossed-legged as she looked at him.
”I don't know where to start.”
”Well, what happened to your face?” Replacement's hand went out.
”I told you. I got in a fight. I got my a.s.s kicked.”
”You?” She leaned back and her smile quickly faded. ”Really? Was it a few guys?”
Jack shook his head. ”One.”
Replacement pressed her lips together. ”He must have been huge. Like real big. It's okay. You said anyone could get in a lucky shot.”
Jack shook his head. ”It wasn't luck. She got the drop on me from the start and-”
”She?” Replacement shook her head as if she had water in her ears.
”She,” Jack repeated.
”A girl?”
He sat up. ”Yeah. Is that so out of the realm of possibility to you?”
”I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.”
Jack glared.
She dipped her chin down. ”Was she like an Amazon or something?”
Jack rolled his eyes. ”Yeah. I got in a fight with Wonder Woman, and if she didn't have that la.s.so I'd have kicked her a.s.s.”
”I'm just...” She closed her mouth and waved her hands. ”Why did you get into a fight with her to begin with?”
”I went to Marisa's.” Replacement frowned but he ignored it. ”She had broken into Marisa's apartment and-”
”She broke in? Is Marisa okay? Is that why we haven't heard from her?”
”Hold up. A couple of nights ago, Thaddeus reported-”
”Who?”
”Thaddeus. He's this homeless guy who hangs out behind the tattoo parlor. He reported two guys had grabbed Marisa and had taken her in a car.”
”Taken her? Kidnapped her?” She scooted off the bed, and her hands went to the side of her head. ”What the h.e.l.l, Jack? You could have told me.”
Jack's hands went out. ”The guy reported it, but Collins didn't believe him.”
”Collins is an a.s.s.”
”He's by the book, but he looked into-”
”He looked into Mich.e.l.le, too.” Replacement's eyes blazed, and her words hung in the air. ”Don't defend him.”
Jack swung his legs over the side of the bed.
She doesn't even know about Marisa's past but she's ready to go after her.
Replacement's fists clenched and opened repeatedly. ”They won't even look? You're searching for her, though, right?”
Jack nodded and stood up.
”The clothes. That's why you had the weird hair. You did go undercover...” Her voice trailed off as she looked down.
”Yeah. But I couldn't tell you.”
She looked up. Jack wished she looked mad, but she didn't. She was hurt.
Way to go, Jack.
”I...I had my reasons, and most of them sound stupid now. I'm sorry. Marisa has a past, and I can't...”
Her eyes narrowed.
”If you told me your darkest secret, would you want me to tell someone?” Jack asked.
Replacement stood there, fidgeting. ”Fine. Let's get started.” She turned and marched into the living room.
Jack followed her. ”What?”
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