Queen of Hearts Read Online Free Page B

stung.
    “You gonna calm down now?”
    Finally, he reached up and pulled at the hood from his sweater, and the urge to scream was replaced by soul-crushing sobs. Tears flooded my eyes and my body fell limp with shock.
    Vince.
    I couldn’t believe it. It defied reason to have him standing there in front of me in that room. Alive. I blinked several times, even pinched myself trying to gain some perspective. So many emotions flooded through me that I felt like I would drown. Anger, relief, fear... I was more confused than ever. I’d hardly come to terms with his death, and then to find him in my room in that tiny town of all places? Yeah, I was freaking out!
    I nodded, barely moving my head as I stared at him in disbelief.
    His eyes softened, and the concern and warmth I saw struck me in a way I couldn’t explain. I’d missed him more than words could express. It was clear in that moment that I needed him more than ever. He’d always been my rock, and without him, I’d been leaning on a soft wall.
    “I’m gonna let you go, but you have to shut the fuck up. I don’t need some Barney Fife running in here to save the day.”
    His lips quirked into a small smile, and the dam broke. He retracted his hand and I threw myself at him, wrapping myself around him like an octopus on attack and sobbed in his arms.
    There were no words exchanged, no explanations or apologies. Nothing. He knew that I needed everything to sink in, to know it was real, so he let me cry and held me.
    Finally, he released me, pulled back, and softly pushed me away so we were eye to eye.
    “How?”
    It was a simple question, but I knew the answer was much more difficult to explain.
    I watched him get caught, saw his blood soak the floor, and felt his last gasp for breath. Having him stand in front of me was impossible.
    “Hey, hey...” He grabbed me again, squeezing me almost too tight, and kissed the top of my head. “You think I’d let that fucker kill me, kid? Thought you knew me better than that. I wouldn’t leave you, Janie. Someone has to take care of you.”
    I shook my head against his chest and pulled back, grabbing his face and digging the pads of my fingers into his skin.
    “My heart broke. I watched you die!”
    His eyes floated shut briefly as he took a deep breath. “You fucking disappeared, Janie. You up and ran.”
    He was suddenly furious, and I was immediately on the defensive.
    “What was I supposed to do, Vince? Wait around for someone to drag me into a dark alley and strangle me? He killed my dad! His thugs shot you and Flynn right in front of me—tried to kill me! Do you honestly think he’d just let me off the hook? Do you think Flynn would have left me alone? He sent me a note before I left, Vince... he’s alive.”
    He sat back, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah, about that...” He trailed off, and my stomach twisted. I didn’t like the sound of that at all.
    “Vince?”
    He looked up and shook his head. “Look, he’s got that guy Collins on your trail. He’s been following you awhile. Maybe from the beginning. I came because I didn’t want you getting spooked. The guy is harmless—he’s not going to hurt you, but I know you, and I didn’t want it to end up bad.”
    I gulped. My throat was suddenly dry, making it impossible to swallow. “How did he know I was here? How did you find me?”
    He smirked. “I’ve known you a long time, Jayne. When you weren’t in California, I hit up Pamela.”
    I looked down, shaking my head. “Shit.” I should have known she would tell Vince where I was. After all, as far as I knew when I left, he was dead. She probably thought she was doing me a favor, and in a way, she had.
    I was definitely relieved that he was alive, but there were still a lot of unanswered questions.
    “How long have you been following me? That’s fucked up, in case you’re wondering. Sneaking into my room, Vince? That’s just stupid.”
    “A week.”
    “A week?” I yelled. “Why