Impasse

35. Unraveling

There is a roaring sound in Jet's ears. His mind goes numb as disbelief and hurt flood his system, making his stomach churn. An iron band seems to have strapped itself across his ribs and he has to force his lips to form the words.

"COO?" The question comes out as a croak, and Jet clears his throat. "You never mentioned any of this."

"I told you I worked in corporate before Nightshade." Luca sighs heavily. "I just didn't tell you what I did."

"Until now." Jet's voice is tight. A burning sensation flares up inside his chest. "Why is that?"

"Because," Luca hesitates, then pulls out his phone and hands it to Jet. "Because of this."

Jet takes the phone with nerveless fingers. Whatever breath he had left is smashed out of his lungs as he stares at the image on the screen. Luca and Chalam, smiling, standing side by side in front of a building he knows all too well.

"He was my mentor most of my life." Luca mutters. "Old family friend, at least that's what he told me. After I graduated from university, he took me on as COO. Lots of his board members and my parents objected, said I was too young. But Chalam made me believe if I went into business with him, it would be life changing. How's that for a cliché?"

Cliché is not the word Jet would use. Betrayal is better. The sting of Luca's deception is threatening to rip Jet open. Was this how Kai had felt all those years ago? Like he had been hollowed out and left to drown in a sea of white noise?

It wasn't the same thing. It couldn't be. Jet had left Kai because he'd thought he had no other choice. Luca had a choice when he'd approached Jet that night. Jet had given him one. At least, he thought he had. What if Luca's approach had been deliberate, to keep Jet's mind occupied with something other than OmniVentures? Had Jet been right all along, and Luca really was just a distraction—a way to keep him from digging deeper into Chalam and his activities? If that was the case, it had worked better than either of them could have imagined.

"Jet." Luca's push a gentle, widening the aching hole in Jet's chest.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jet can see one of Luca's hands reaching toward him. Luca's phone thunks onto the bench as Jet slides away, widening the gap between them and leaving Luca's hand reaching for empty air. Neither of them touch the phone. Jet can't take his eyes of the image on the screen—Luca, smiling at the person he hates the most.

"That photo was in a dossier sent over from the CIA." Luca's voice is almost inaudible. "I wanted to tell you before anyone else did."

"Chalam...and you." Jet keeps his voice steady with an effort. "Is there anything about you that's real, or was it all just a façade?"

"I never lied." Now Luca's voice is tinged with guilt. "I just—kept certain things from you."

That was an understatement if Jet had ever heard one. "So when you said 'no games, just honesty', was that declaration one sided—I tell you the truth and you only tell me half? Were you ever going to tell me? Or was the plan to keep dodging in the hope that I was too distracted by your charms to figure it out?"

Jet still won't look at Luca's face, but he can see Luca's hands clench against his knees.

"I never meant to distract you." Luca whispers. "Just help you."

Jet is half tempted to get up and walk away, but something in Luca's voice and the way his hands clench makes him hesitate. The other man has already begun to divulge his secrets whether Jet is ready to hear it or not, so the least Jet can do is let him get on with it. If Luca wants to talk, then Jet will let him talk. He'll let Luca talk for no other reason than to get this damn conversation over with. But that doesn't mean Jet will make it easy.