Dash stared at Jess, not daring to speak. Sal’s ultimatum had shocked him, but it created a warm feeling inside. Balanced against it was his worry for her. Coming with him could be a terrible life for her.
The question was, would Jess change his mind? He seemed to be struggling to respond which could be a good sign. Dash didn’t dare say anything for fear of shoving Jess the wrong way. Long seconds passed. Jess’s eyes kept swinging between Sal and Dash. Finally he shook his head.
“No, Sal. I’m sorry. Really, really sorry. But I just don’t trust him.”
Dash felt crushed. Not by Jess’s words, by what they meant. He’d been standing at a fork in the road. One fork led back to his old life, back to the scheming and fighting to keep his position, back to knowing that the deeds he
