I think of Paul’s muscles and tattoos and how he looked ready to pound Jason to a pulp and what Greg said about him. I think of how he scared Skylar and me at the gas station. I almost feel sorry for Jason.

“That’s when I should’ve figured out what kind of guy Paul is.”

Skylar gives him her worst deadeye look. “But you stuck with him because you wanted to sell pot to kids like my brother.”

Jason looks down like he’s ashamed. “We needed cash,” he mutters.

Skylar scrambles to her feet. “I’m done talking to you,” she tells Jason. “Come on, Abbi, we’re going home.”

I turn to Jason. “Is it safe? Is he still looking for us? Will he kill us?”

“Maybe he won’t find out you were with Carter and me. I won’t tell him.”

“What about Carter?” I ask. “Will he?”

Jason lowers his head. “I don’t know,” he mutters. “Go home, go on. Get out of here.”

“But what about you?” I ask. “Where are you going?”

Jason looks surprised that I care where he’s going. “I can’t go home. Paul knows where I live. Maybe I could stay with my dad for a while. His girlfriend hates me, but, well—” He shrugs and looks at us as if he thinks we can help him somehow. He’s so pitiful I can hardly stand it.

Skylar tugs on my arm. “Let’s go. Jason can take care of himself.”

As we start to walk away, Jason runs after us. “Wait! Don’t leave me here. If he finds me, he’ll kill me.”

Skylar keeps walking, but I look back. Jason’s limping. Blood runs down his leg and leaves drops in the dirt behind him. I yank Skylar’s arm to stop her. “He’s hurt. He’s bleeding. We can’t just leave him here.”

Skylar pulls away from me. “What do you want to do? Take him home with you?”

By now Jason has caught up with us. He’s breathing too hard to say anything.

“Did Diablo bite you?” Skylar asks.

“I fell on something, I don’t know what. It was sharp and it hurt.” He looks over his shoulder as if he expects to see Paul aiming a gun at us. “We got to get out of here.”

Skylar is obviously mad that Jason is with us, but she doesn’t say anything. What’s there to say? We’re all scared of Paul. We might as well stick together. Mom has always told me there’s safety in numbers. I’m not sure what that means, but still . . .