Chapter 40 - Two Could Play That Game...

Jackson, Halia and Jackson's three friends squeezed into Jackson's car together. The greasy-haired friend took the driver's seat since Jackson couldn't drive with his injured arm, while Halia and Jackson sat in the backseat, their shoulders touching. Meanwhile, the crooked teeth friend also sat in the backseat, but he was on a slight angle to avoid pressing up against Jackson's arm.

"I don't think you've been officially introduced to my three friends. They work for me and are my closest men. The one in the driver's seat is Rowan," Jackson introduced.

Rowan glanced in the rearview mirror and waved his hand.

Jackson then pointed to the chubby man in the front passenger seat, "That's Max."

"And this is Kevin," he said as he looked at the man beside him.

"We returned from France with the Boss. He took good care of us during some tough times, so we've sworn loyalty to him," Kevin explained.

Halia smiled at the three men, but her mind was elsewhere.

"Can we talk in private?" she whispered into Jackson's ear.

Jackson nodded his head and said to Rowan, "Drop Halia and I off at Halia's place. I'll call you to pick me up later."

"Oooooo," the three men teased like school kids in a playground.

"It's not what you think. We have something to discuss," he said seriously.

The three men looked at each other and rolled their eyes as they held in their laughter.

"I'm sorry," Jackson apologized awkwardly as he glanced at Halia.

"It's OK," Halia blushed.

Soon, the car pulled up outside Halia's apartment block. It was a decent apartment with security and an elevator, but it was nowhere near as fancy as Jackson's place.

Jackson followed Halia up to her apartment in silence while a thousand scenarios played out in his mind. His plan was to give her a quick explanation, grab his coats and leave. The best outcome was for him to find an excuse to never see her again...or perhaps...there was a way to make her instinctively stay away from him herself. He did not want her to be drawn into his world; he should have kept his distance from the start. Not only was he dangerous for her, she was also a distraction for him. He couldn't afford to have any distractions.

As soon as they stepped foot into Halia's apartment, Halia gestured for him to sit on the sofa. "Would you like some coffee or tea?" she asked.

"Neither, I'm not staying for long," the man answered in a cold tone. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Halia was surprised by the tone of Jackson's voice; it suddenly felt like they were strangers again.

"I want to know what happened last night. How did you get the cuts on your arm if you never left the club? Why were you late? Why was Marcus Chin coincidentally found dead near the club?" Halia fired off all the questions she wanted answers to. She then paused and added, "Why did you cancel your deal to save me at the warehouse? You're an arms dealer, not a charity worker!"

Jackson looked at the woman in surprise. Why did she sound like she was interrogating him? And how did she know so much about him? This didn't feel right.

"I never told you I was an arms dealer," Jackson said in a slightly suspicious tone as he glared at the woman opposite.

Halia held her breath; she had said too much. Luckily, she was quick on her feet. As she awkwardly poured herself some tea, she replied casually, "I heard people talking about it in the club."

Jackson looked at the woman with suspicion. Sure, he was often seen in the club with criminals and gangsters, but the true nature of his business was tightly kept a secret. Did she really hear it from someone in the club?

"Don't go off track, answer my questions," Halia frowned.

Jackson looked at the woman as she walked over and sat next to him, "Some drunk guys were having a fight in the men's toilet and I was accidentally cut just before I saw you. I ended up leaving through an emergency exit at the back of the club. I was late because I was hesitating; I was deciding whether to still meet you. I didn't want you to see me like that. But, in the end, I didn't want to leave you on your own."

Halia listened to the man's story. Was that really what happened?

"If that's true, then why did you refuse to go to the hospital?"

Jackson stared into Halia's curious eyes. She was smarter than the average woman; it was going to be hard to lie to her.

All of a sudden, he thought of an idea. With a smirk, he replied, "Hey, I had a hot nurse who was super concerned about me. I thought I could bring you to my place, impress you a little and get you into bed."

Halia looked at the man with suspicion. He was a bit odd today.

Jackson then hooked his right arm around Halia's waist and drew her towards him. "Have you forgotten about our kiss?" he asked. "If the police didn't arrive that day, we would have had some fun already."

Halia looked into the man's eyes. She was smart. She knew he was lying. Why was he acting this way?

She clearly remembered that she kissed him the day she was spiked and he tried to push her off. She also remembered the way he buttoned her shirt at the warehouse without trying to take advantage of her. Lastly, she remembered how she had 'fallen asleep' on his sofa the previous night and how he tucked her in with a blanket and pillow. He had plenty of chances to take advantage of her, but he didn't.

Was he trying to scare her away for some reason?

Well...sorry, but her mission was to get close to him.

With this thought, Halia did something that Jackson never expected: she leaned in towards him, her nose brushing against his. Halia saw the surprise in his eyes and she smiled. Her lips almost touched his, but he sat frozen in place.

She had caught his bluff.

Why was he sitting still if he just wanted to get her into bed?

If he wanted to put on an act, two could play that game...