KICK IT | JENLISA

76

Lisa

When her lips parted and a challenge burned in her eyes, my voice shifted to a firmer, "Not the first time my team's sorted out a misunderstanding. But I promise I'm going to take all possible actions."

While my words pointed at retribution against greedy assholes bleeding money out of my charities, they hid a double meaning. Jennie was on my team, but I wanted her to feel safe, protected from the inevitable media shitstorm behind strangers' screens, fucking sound bite vultures who would scour her trash, and...

Oh, fuck. I've officially hit Labrador mode.

Nancy teased my inner protective switch like that. Who wouldn't stand up for their friends though? My parents lived four hours away, so my team was my found family. Jennie's pink, swollen, and damp cheeks made my thumbs twitch to wipe them.

I might be past Labrador mode with this one.

Fuck knows I don't hug Bambam, Nancy, Mina or even Jackson during a meltdown. Okay, but granted Jackson never had a meltdown...

My heart mutinied escaping my chest as I thumbed her damp cheek. "I trust you... but I need the truth, Jennie."

"We all do." Jackson said. "Both of you. Downstairs. Now."

I frowned at his interruption, but he opened Jennie's door and waved us out. In the living room sat a tall, thin guy with slicked, black hair and a trimmed beard. He wiped his hands on his jeans.

Jennie's nose crinkled and her head tipped. "Mark?"

"Yeah..." His eyes shifted between us. "Uhh, good to see you again. Heard your shoulder's back..."

"It's good." Once his sweaty palm met my extended hand, my memory placed him. YG Accounting fan... when I flicked my business card at Jennie.

Jackson's expression was stone serious. His mouth pressed into a white line and not a hair in his eyebrows lifted. Before the question of why Mark was here finished forming in my brain, he said, "I called him here."

Our heads turned, of which only Jennie and I had wide eyes and open mouths. She broke our silence first, "You knew."

I crossed my arms over my chest at her accusation at Jackson. He only stared down Mark. Skinny as a string bean, he looked harmless, wiping the back of his hand over the bullets sweating out his forehead.

"I suspected." Jackson answered in a stance mirroring mine. "Mark has quite the confession here."

"Yeah..." Mark's thin lips parted with a flick of his tongue. Dark brown eyes darted between me, Jennie, and Jackson. "I reported the charity issues to the press. Please don't..."

"Why the fuck shouldn't I!?" I squeezed my fists and stepped closer to this traitor. Hopefully, he enjoyed his arms and legs attached to his torso because the urge to remove them rushed me closer.

"Hang on." Jackson's hands palmed my chest, laughable given our height difference. "We can use this, Lisa. If Mark's willing to help..."

Mark's head dipped down, his eyes darkening. As I wondered how easily his insides were rearranged, he nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." Jackson nodded to the sofa and pulled out his phone. "Now talk."