JACKSON

by Davis, Siobhan

  Hunt and Shandra make coffee while I grab a beer from the refrigerator. I definitely need alcohol for this conversation.

  When everyone has a drink, and we are all seated around the table, I wait for the interrogation to begin.

  Anderson looks at Abby, nodding, and I can’t help the cocky smirk that crosses my mouth or the words that leave my lips. “You are so pussywhipped.”

  “Abby’s the boss,” he calmly replies, not rising to the bait.

  My grin disappears at the expression on Abby’s face. Fuck. She’s like a piranha, sharpening her teeth, preparing to rip through my flesh, and I’m ready to shit my pants.

  “What is going on with you and Nessa?”

  I flinch at her use of that name, because only Kayleigh and I call Vanessa that, but I’m guessing that’s the point. “Nothing is going on. We’re done. She was a hole to fuck when I was bored.” I shrug, smirking like the words didn’t feel like poison spewing from my mouth.

  “You’re disgusting.” Shandra shakes her head, her look full of loathing.

  “Agreed,” Abby says, and the look of disappointment on her face guts me. Abby is more than just Anderson’s wife. We have a connection. A special friendship. What she thinks of me matters, which is why this entire situation is a complete clusterfuck, because I can’t stick to my plan with Nessa and maintain Abby’s respect.

  “We’ll be here all night if you’re going to act like an idiot,” she adds, letting me know she’s not buying the bullshit I’m peddling. “Tell the fucking truth, or I’ll let Kai have at you. I won’t hold him back.”

  Anderson is a legend in the underground fighting scene in New York, and I’ve watched him destroy guys with lethal precision, barely breaking a sweat. That was just for sport. None of them had done anything to deserve a beating, so Abby’s threat is no idle threat, and I know Anderson is pissed enough he’d do it.

  No one hurts Abby without paying the price. Dude is tits over ass crazy about her, and he’d kill for her without even blinking an eye.

  I sigh, rubbing my sore jaw, wondering if I should do this. I catch Sawyer’s eye, and he nods. Guess I’m doing it.

  Air whooshes out of my mouth as I prepare to spill my guts. “I’ll tell you about Nessa, but I need to go further back to properly explain it.”

  “We’re listening.” Abby leans forward, propping her elbows on the table, granting me her full attention.

  “Christian Montgomery is the one who kidnapped, tortured, and raped Dani.” Fuck, it’s harder to say that than I thought.

  Shocked silence greets my statement, and I force myself to continue. “Your father knew,” I tell Anderson. The vein in his neck throbs as he clenches his fists on top of the table. “He told me last year when we visited your place to make plans.”

  “That’s why you were like a zombie before we moved to Rydeville,” Anderson surmises.

  I bob my head. “It threw me for a loop for a number of reasons.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” He looks at Hunt. “Or have you known all along?”

  Hunt shakes his head. “I only found out after everything that went down at Parkhurst.”

  “I’ll get to that,” I say, clamping my hand on my thigh to stop my leg from shaking.

  “Atticus told me to keep it a secret. Promised we would go after Christian as soon as we had dealt with Michael Hearst. He kept drumming the bigger picture into me, so I agreed to set my personal agenda aside to help you take him down and avenge your mom.”

  “He had no right to ask that of you,” Anderson says. “Your need for revenge was no less than mine.”

  “That doesn’t matter now.”

  “It fucking does!” Anderson shouts, thumping his fist on the table, rattling the wood. His eyes are blazing with hatred for the father he now despises. “We had countless opportunities to take Montgomery down, and now, the bastard is on the run. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault, and it wasn’t just your father. Mine didn’t want me to do anything either.”

  “Wait?” Drew angles his head, staring at me. “Are you saying your dad knows it was Christian too?”

  “He knows, and he doesn’t fucking care.” I dig my nails into my thigh as anger scorches a path through my body.

  “That’s not exactly true,” Hunt interjects.

  “That’s why you’re barely talking to him,” Anderson surmises.

  “That and the fact he’s the reason Dani was taken in the first place.”

  “Why?” Abby asks in a soothing tone. “What did he do?”

  “Dad and Ethan Hunt had partnered on this high-tech project they were devising to revolutionize Formula 1 racing, but they needed a robotics partner on board.” Abby’s eyes widen in recognition. “Montgomery’s company was the foremost expert on robotics, so they approached him to see if he was interested. Dad said they didn’t know anything about the elite or Christian’s role in it when they first reached out to him. Christian expressed interest in the project, so Hunt’s dad did the usual background checks and unearthed shit they didn’t like. They pulled out, but Christian got wind of what they’d discovered, and he kidnapped Dani as a warning to them to keep their mouths shut.”

  “Oh my God.” Shandra squeezes my hand. “I’m so sorry, Jackson.”

  “Dad’s terrified he’ll come after me or Mom, so he refuses to do anything. He said Christian made it clear they were to forget what they knew and he’d accept Dani’s punishment as payment in full.”

  I understand his fear. I do. Especially where Mom’s concerned. I know what the elite is capable of. But Dad’s loaded, and he has the resources to keep us safe. Plus, Christian is already gunning for my ass, so I say we take the fight to him first. I don’t understand why Dad is still reluctant to go after him, and that’s the crux of our issues.

  “You only found this out last year?” Abby asks.

  “Yeah. After Atticus told me it was Christian, I went to Dad. I couldn’t believe he’d known all along. He refuses to go after him, because he’s scared of retaliation, but I can’t accept that.” I eye everyone around the table. “I spent years blotting it out, and last year was the worst because those revelations killed me.” A lump wedges in my throat, and I swallow hard. “Being around that prick and not being able to do anything nearly destroyed me.”

  “I don’t know how you did that,” Anderson quietly says.

  “I was here for you and then for Abby. That was what was most important.” I glance at both my friends, suddenly very ashamed of my behavior today. “And I shit all over that today. I’m fucking sorry.”

  “How does Nessa fit into all this?” Abby asks again.

  “After everything went down at Parkhurst, I switched my focus to Dani. Your strength encouraged me to get my act together,” I tell her. “As soon as my head was clear, I knew I wanted revenge. No, I needed it.” I stare at the painting over Abby’s head because that’s the only way I’ll be able to admit this. “It hurts so fucking much. Dani suffered and I did nothing to prevent it. She came back broken and like a shell of herself. I couldn’t help her, and she killed herself because she couldn’t get over what had been done to her. It’s that bastard’s fault, and I won’t stop until he pays.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Jackson

  “WHY WERE YOU doing this alone?” Anderson asks.

  I drop my gaze to his. “You and Abby had been through hell, man, and you’d only come out the other side. You needed time to heal and to be together. I didn’t want to drag you into this.” I look at Drew and Shandra. “I didn’t want to drag any of you into this, but I couldn’t do it alone, so I approached Hunt, and he agreed to help.”

  “My father was involved with the project that was the catalyst,” Hunt says. “I feel a responsibility, and Dani was like a big sister to me too. I want that bastard to pay as much as Lauder does, and I agreed we would leave you guys out of it for the time being.”

  “I forgive you,” Abby blur
ts, stretching across the table to take my hand in hers. “For your shitty behavior today.” She squeezes my fingers. “And we appreciate that you gave us time, but you are not shutting us out of this anymore.”

  “Agreed,” Anderson says, sliding his arm around his wife’s back. “Tell us everything else we need to know.”

  “We have a few guys digging through stuff, trying to find a link between Montgomery and Gerald Allen Junior.”

  Shandra frowns. “You think there’s a link between the Florida politician who was jailed for sex trafficking minors and the elite?”

  “Dani was kept on an island, and, to the best of our knowledge, the elite don’t have any islands. The description fit, and we were able to place Allen with some other elite members, but we can’t place Dani there or tie him to Montgomery.”

  “I wonder if Selena Kennedy was there the same time Dani was missing,” Abby muses out loud. “Perhaps, she might recognize a picture of her?”

  “Perhaps,” I say, drumming my fingers off the table, trying not to remember the interview Selena gave about her time as a sex slave on that island. The thoughts of Dani going through any of that is more than I can bear. “But we think Keven Kennedy might be more useful. The FBI is conducting a huge investigation, and they might know something.”

  “We didn’t reach out to him,” Hunt confirms to Anderson. “Because he’s your contact, not ours. We were afraid he might mention something to you, but if you could do that now, it would help.”

  “Consider it done,” Anderson says. “I’ll call Rick when I’m back home and get him to set that in motion.”

  “What’s your motivation?” Drew asks. “What’s the end goal here?”

  Imbecile. Hasn’t he been paying attention?

  “I want to torture and murder that bastard Montgomery. That good enough for you?” I hiss.

  “How does confirming whether Dani was on that island help?” Shandra asks, jumping in before words get heated.

  “Someone is hiding that bastard, and we’ve checked all his elite contacts, their associates, and sent a couple PIs overseas to locations we’ve uncovered, but they have turned up zilch. Someone else is helping him, and I think it’s Allen or someone in that circle.”

  “Has Xavier been helping you?” Abby asks, turning steely eyes in Hunt’s direction.

  “Xavier is in the dark because we couldn’t trust him not to blab to you,” Hunt admits.

  Abby grins.

  “But we’ll be bringing him into the loop now,” I add, because Xavier is the fucking best at this stuff, and we need his help. I’ll leave it up to Hunt to smooth the waters there.

  “What about Charlie?” Abby asks, and Anderson groans.

  “This needs to be kept close, and Charlie is still on the fringes. I want him kept out of this.” I drill her with a cautionary look.

  Abby will struggle with this because she’s been fighting in Charlie’s corner, wanting him back in the crew. I get it. He took a bullet for her. Proved his loyalty in the end, but he’s still done a lot of shady shit, and I understand why Anderson is wary. I share his concerns. “Until I know Charlie can be trusted, I want him nowhere near this.”

  Abby opens her mouth, about to object, but Anderson shakes his head, and some silent communication filters between them. She closes her mouth, pulls back her hand, and sits back in her chair. “Fine. For now.”

  “We have to be careful,” Hunt says. “Jackson killed Trent, and Christian isn’t letting that slide.”

  Abby goes deathly pale. “Has someone tried to kill you?” She chokes out.

  “No, but that only means he’s biding his time to strike when I least expect it.”

  “You shouldn’t have been managing this yourselves.” Anderson glares at me. “We’re a fucking team. Don’t ever forget that again.”

  Hunt gets up to make a fresh pot of coffee.

  “You still haven’t explained how Nessa fits into this,” Abby says. She’s like a dog with a bone, and she won’t drop it until she knows everything.

  “She’s Christian’s daughter,” I say, and every jaw drops to the floor.

  “Holy shit.” Abby shakes her head in disbelief. “I should’ve guessed from the resemblance. I was wondering why she looked so familiar to me.”

  Hunt refills everyone’s mugs, handing me a cold beer, while I update them on what we discovered, what I had planned, and what went down with Nessa over the summer, including my suspicions over her involvement. Hunt adds his two cents’ worth, explaining how his gut tells him she’s innocent and Christian is manipulating her for some aim. We argue back and forth a bit as the others take it all in.

  “I’m not buying that. No fucking way.” Shandra glances between me and Hunt. “You didn’t see her this morning after you spewed all that horrid shit in the hallway. She was destroyed. There’s no way that’s an act.”

  “I agree,” Abby says. “But it’s more than that. What happened to that girl?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “Didn’t you see it in her eyes? In her whole demeanor and the way she carries herself?”

  “See what?” There’s an edge to my tone because I don’t like the vibes I’m picking up. Either they are on my side or they’re not.

  “Someone broke her, and I’m not talking about you although I’m sure you’ve added damage.” Abby leans her head on Anderson’s shoulder, and his arm tightens around her. “Maybe, it’s because I know what it’s like, but I saw it in her eyes. She’s in a world of pain, Jackson.”

  “You’re imagining things because you want to see the good in her when there really isn’t any,” I retort, unable to hide the bitterness from my tone.

  Kai snarls, his eyes narrowing and fists flexing as he glares at me, sending me a silent warning to back the fuck down. He’s like an overprotective grizzly bear when it comes to Abby. Anyone even looks funny at her, and he’s ready to tear them limb from limb.

  It’s hysterical.

  Except when I’m on the receiving end of it.

  “Don’t try reasoning with him,” Hunt says in a clipped tone. “He’s in love with her, and he has himself all tied up into knots.”

  “For the last fucking time,” I growl, “I am not in love with her! I fucking hate her.” My jaw aches I’m clenching my teeth so hard.

  “Sure, you do.” He smirks, and I want to ram my fist into his face.

  “Watch it,” I snap.

  “You’re fucking terrified of facing your feelings, so you’d rather believe she’s the enemy instead of an innocent victim.”

  I snort out a laugh. “You’re such a fucking hypocrite. Why don’t we talk about your feelings for Xavier or how you’ve been hiding your own shit?”

  Hunt’s face darkens like thunder, and his eyes warn me not to go there.

  “Why don’t we keep this conversation focused on where it needs to be?” Anderson says. “What are we going to do about Vanessa?” He glances between me and Hunt. “I’ve got to admit her being here makes me uneasy.”

  “Babe.” Abby lifts her head, cupping Anderson’s face. “I told you I’m cool with it, and if she’s a pawn like Sawyer believes, then she’s in as much danger as Jackson. We can’t walk away from her.”

  “I planted a couple bugs and cameras in her place last night,” Hunt admits.

  I stare at him in shock. He had walked away. Said he wouldn’t get involved or interfere, yet he does that. Guy’s baffling as fuck.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” he says, pointing at Abby. “It’s to keep her safe. A guy already broke into her apartment in New York a couple weeks ago and attacked her.”

  Abby and Shandra send daggers at me.

  “I take it back,” Abby snaps. “I don’t forgive you. I want to slap you again.”

  “How could you treat her like you did this morning knowing she’s just gone through that?” Shandra asks.

  “I told you my reasons, and I’m not fucking repeating myself. You’re all giving me a fuckin
g headache.” I rub at the tense spot between my brows.

  “If you’re going to continue with this obnoxious plan of yours,” Abby says, drilling her finger in my face, “you and I will have a problem, because I told her she could count on me, and I’m not taking that back.”

  “Babe.” Anderson faces Abby. “I know you have a big heart, and you want to take her under your wing, but you don’t know her, and none of us know whether she is or isn’t involved. Hanging out with her is dangerous no matter which way you look at it. The smart thing is to distance yourself from her.”

  “You want me to slap you too?” She turns her hostile lens on her husband, and I’m glad I’m not on the receiving end of it anymore.

  “We can’t leave her defenseless,” Hunt argues. “Even if she does know about him or they’ve been in contact, she still has no clue who he is or what he’s capable of.”

  “Hang on here a sec.” I swivel in my chair to face him. “You believe me now?”

  Hunt rubs the back of his neck. “I still don’t think she’s working with Montgomery, but she made a weird comment today about her anonymous sponsor.”

  “Ha. Told you.”

  “Don’t look so pleased. I haven’t changed my mind. Van has changed, and if she’s caught up with Montgomery, she still deserves our protection.”

  “I don’t know,” Anderson scrubs a hand over his prickly jaw. “She’s reckless and prone to wild behavior.”

  “Not anymore,” Hunt says.

  Anderson arches a brow, his disbelief clearly written on his face. And I get why he’s wary. Nessa was especially clingy with Anderson, chasing after him like a lovesick puppy, hanging off his every word. Pain slices across my chest as that thought pings in my head, but I force it aside, because I. Don’t. Care. She’s a lying, deceiving cunt, and I hope Anderson gives her hell.

  “Why is it so hard to believe she’s changed?” Hunt asks, eyeballing Anderson. “We’ve all changed too. You should cut her some slack.”

  “I don’t trust her,” Anderson replies, shrugging unapologetically.