Second Chance SEAL(100)
“I’ve heard some things, man, stuff about the way she was after the accident.”
He shrugged. “Lots of rumors in this town. You know that.”
“Yeah, I do, but I think this one is true. Look, you saw her after the accident, right? What was she like?”
Sam glanced at the door to his house and then spoke softer. “I’m not supposed to talk about this.”
“I need to know. I might be going into business with her.”
Sam shook his head. “That’s a bad idea. She’s not the girl you remember.”
“What happened to her?”
He sighed. “It was gradual. After the accident, she blamed herself for Ray’s death. You can guess how that was.” He glanced at the door again before continuing.
“She got darker as the weeks passed. Couldn’t sleep, stopped coming to class. Her family has always been involved in some shit, but apparently Janey started throwing herself into the business. Scared her parents and her brothers.
“She wasn’t the same girl anymore. On the outside, maybe, but not on the inside. I didn’t recognize her anymore, Travis. Eventually she graduated high school and never looked back. I barely heard from her again until a couple years ago when she came to me looking to buy some land.”
“You’re a developer?”
“Real estate sales, actually, but I had some clients at the time with land around the old mines. She began buying it up, running those ATV tours and getting involved in some scary shit.”
“Why did she change?” Travis asked. “Is she just a completely different person now?”
“Can’t say why she changed. I guess when something like that accident happens to a person, they just can’t go back to normal after that. Janey turned to the dark to find herself again.”
I frowned. That hit home for me. I felt like I understood that idea, turning toward the dark to find yourself. Ever since I realized how deeply in debt my family was, I felt like I was turning toward the darkness. Maybe that was why I came to Knoxville, because I wanted to find and to face that darkness.
But maybe the difference between Janey and me was that I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t stay in that dark place, whereas Janey seemed like she embodied it. A good girl cheerleader turned leader of a local gang. I couldn’t even imagine how that happened.
“Why do you keep looking at the door, Sam?” Travis asked him.
“My wife, Sharon. She’s related to the Caldwells.”
“Shit.” Travis stood up. “Thanks for talking to us.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“Sure am. Hartley?”
I stood up and nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Thanks again, Sam.” Travis walked off the porch and I followed him. Sam just watched us go without saying a word.
We went around front and quickly got into the car. Travis started the engine and pulled away, not bothering to look back.
“Fucking related to the Caldwells,” Travis said as we got farther away. “What are the chances?”
“It’s a small town,” I offered. “Not that unlikely.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he said softly.
“Well, did that visit help with your plan?”
He grunted and shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
“That doesn’t make me feel very confident.”
He laughed. “Don’t worry. This plan or another one, we’ll get through this.”
I nodded and believed him.
“What is this plan anyway?” I asked.
He grinned and pulled his phone out. “Want to hear?”
“Sure,” I said, not sure what he was doing.
He tapped a few things and then held the phone up to his ear.
“Janey?” he asked. “It’s Travis. How’s it going?” Short pause. “Yeah, same. Listen, got any interest in meeting with me later this afternoon?” Another short pause. “How about Maud’s diner? Okay. See you at seven.” He hung up the phone.
I gaped at him, stunned. “Was that just her?”
He nodded. “We’ve got a little date.”
“Are you insane? We just broke into her compound last night.”
“She doesn’t know that. Plus, we’ll be somewhere very public.”
“Why are we meeting with her?”
He stared out at the road, his grin slowly widening. “We’re going to make a deal, Hartley.”
I didn’t know what the hell he meant or what he was thinking, but there was something there in his face and his words. I was going to have to trust him, and we both knew it.
My life was in his hands.
Chapter 14
Travis
Maud’s diner was always packed later in the day, which was exactly why I had chosen it.