by JM LOWE
She picked it up and threw it on the bed before walking towards the bathroom.
"Look Jacks, this" she looked around the room as she spoke, anything so she didn’t have to look directly at him "This isn’t real, you and me, us ... what is this? We have had a good time, but let's be real about it, you live a different life, in a different world, you’re a freaking gazillionaire or whatever and I'm a ... well, since today I'm a nobody with nothing, I don't have a home, I don’t have any income ha ... I don’t even have a car ... I have nothing to offer you and I'm not gonna sit here and be some fucking charity case."
"Have you heard yourself? Seriously... Is that what you think this is, a charity fuck? You are unbelievable." Jacks watched her as she headed into the bathroom where she got dressed, how could she be so fucking blind.
In the last few days she had turned his whole world upside down, she had gone from a stupid unobtainable crush to running and jumping straight into his heart, and now she was ranting like some crazy woman, words that didn’t make sense to him, of course she belonged in his world, she was his world and he wasn't about to let her walk away ... tell her, the words screamed inside his head, fucking tell her before she walks ... do it ...
Hannah dressed quickly, she needed out of there, she knew he was watching her, damn him, he had been nothing but good to her, and here she was being a complete bitch.
So much had happened in a short space of time, she knew she was never going to be the same again, but one thing was sure, she needed to get as far away from Jackson Hunter as she could.
"What do you think you’re doing?" He asked as she headed for the stairs. "I hate to remind you, but as you so eloquently put it, you have been kidnapped and beaten, don't you think running off again is the last thing you should be thinking about?"
"Ok, come on then, lets lay it out on the table shall we..." Hannah spun around as she spoke, her blood filled with rage "I have nothing to give you, we don’t even know each other, this isn't fucking real, this is some fucking damsel in distress crap and you have come riding up and swooped in to save the day, but now this is over, you're just gonna ride back out and I'm gonna be left standing in front of my pile of ashes, cause in case you missed that little tit bit, that’s all I have, a pile of fucking ashes. I neither want nor expect you to give up your life just because we happened to fuck a few times. We had a good time but now it's back to reality."
Jacks balled his fist and slammed it into the wall, his knuckles throbbed, blood forming where he had broken his skin. "Are you fucking kidding me? Do you actually think before you speak or is it some random shit that just spews out of your mouth, because I have never heard such a load of crap in my fucking life. For someone I thought was smart you sure are fucking stupid"
"I don't need this shit..." Hannah headed for the door but Jacks was behind her before she reached it, she could feel him and he wasn’t even touching her, she ached for him, wanted him to hold her so badly, she needed him, his protection, inside she was a little girl lost screaming for everything to just stop, enough, she couldn't deal with anymore, but she knew the moment she let him envelope her in his strong arms that she would crumble and that was something she couldn't let happen.
As she pulled the front door open, his arm shot past her head and slammed it shut again. She went for the handle a second time but he grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her round, her back pressed against the door.
She winced, Hannah could hear his rapid breathing, he was flushed this time, but for the first time since she met him, he looked lost and it broke her heart.
She loved him, god knows how you could fall in love with someone so hard in such a short time, but she had and she knew she would love this man for the rest of her life, but she had to let him go, let him have the life he was destined to have, something she knew she couldn't be part of.
"What do you want me to say? what is it that you want from me Jacks? I keep repeating myself, I have nothing to give you ...so just let me go." his head hung low, almost touching her, but the small distance that remained between them might as well have been a canyon ... things had gone from mind blowing perfect to an absolute disaster within the space of a few minutes, confirming to herself that she was a complete train wreck and he would be better off without her.
"Han... I ... "
"I’m sorry Jacks..." and in one swift move, the door was open and she was gone.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jacks stood ... what the fuck just happened?
Why didn't he just tell her, why didn't he say that he was in love with her, had been before he even fucking met her, perhaps she would have stayed, listened to him when he told her the plans he had set in motion, but no, he had been a fucking coward and just let her leave and now he had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do.
Hanna made her way up to the main house and didn't look back. The cottage was a short distance across a neatly cut lawn, and as she passed the swimming pool and made her way towards the back doors that lead into the kitchen, she could see Emma and Harry and the rest of the guys sat around the counter top, a bottle of JD being passed around.
Laughter boomed from within the group, as she watched she felt the weight of guilt washing over her, these people were here because of her, had been dragged away from their own lives because of her, Harry had given up everything for her and now they had risked their lives for her, why? What made her so worthy?
Harry turned in the direction of the door as it started to open, he saw her before any of the others, Harry knew his sister better than anyone in the world and could the read the pain on her face behind the bruises before she even spoke.
The rest of the group turned as Harry made his way towards her. Hannah smiled sweetly, before she kissed Harry softly on the cheek then made her way up the stairs to her room.
"She ok?" Jenson asked as Harry made his way back and sat down again.
Harry shrugged his shoulder "She said she was tired and just needed to lay down "
"Excuse me gentlemen ..." Emma stood and gave Harrys arm a gentle squeeze as she made her way past, they exchanged a smile and Harry gave a small nod that wouldn’t have been seen if you hadn’t been looking. Sometimes a girl needed her best friend and this was one of those times.
As Emma made her was up the stairs, she turned to see Jacks coming through the same door Hannah had just a few moments earlier, he looked stern and pale, Harry handing him a beer as the man took the stool she had just vacated. He glanced up the stairs and she gave him a brief smile before making her way to Hannah’s room.
Hannah didn’t turn over to see who had walked in the room, she stayed curled up in a ball under the heavy feather duvet, her head sinking into the deep soft pillows as though they were a cocoon protecting her from the outside world.
The tears were falling silently, everything was coming to the surface, the loss of her father, her guilt over Harry, thinking about the people down stairs, the fire, everything, it was all pouring out of her soul and she couldn't hold it back any longer.
She felt the bed dip as Emma crawled in beside her and spooned her from behind, Emma reached for her best friends’ hand, gently kissed the back of her head and just held Hannah as she cried.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU GUYS DO?" The sound of Chris shouting from the living area halted the conversation that had been going around the group.
Jacks, followed by Jenson made his way towards Chris who was stood in front of a large tv, remote in hand as he turned up the volume to higher than was necessary.
The local news channel had 'Breaking News' banner running across the bottom in bright yellow.
"Well I'll be, it’s still burning." Jones now stood at the side of Jacks as they read the headline as it ribboned repeatedly across the screen.
A large building on fire dominated the picture along with several emergency vehicles, blue lights flashing.
A female news reporter was doing a piece to camera, but the building behind her was the thing th
at held their attention.
"Turn it up and shut it a minute, I'm trying to listen" Harry took the remote from Chris and increased the volume further.
"And almost twenty-four hours since the initial explosion, we are hearing reports that at least six people were inside the house. Sources reported a strong smell of gas just moments before a loud explosion. And it is believed to be the gas line that is proving to be difficult as the emergency team's try and extinguish the raging fire. The police have not yet released a statement, but it is believed this is the home of a Mr Carlos Sanchez, it is not known if Mr Sanchez was one of the people thought to have been in the building at the time of the explosion. We will bring you more as we have it."
"Fuck me" Jacks sat, running his hands down his face.
The room had filled quickly when the sound had carried through to the kitchen, the men had all scrambled to their feet and made their way in front of the tv to listen as the reporter read out what details she had been given.
"So, what happens now? Is that it, is it over?" Briggs looked to Jenson, they all looked to Jenson, even Jacks who hadn't taken his eyes off the screen since they had walked in the room looked at Jenson.
"Slow down, we don't know anything yet, well, we do, but we don't, understand. Don’t go ordering the red cups and party popper's just yet." Jenson turned back to the screen and stood, his eyes narrowed as he seemed to be watching what was going on behind the reporter who was giving a repeat bulletin, no new information, but it had only been two minutes, what did they expect?
Jenson pulled his phone from his back pocket, dialled and left the room as he began to talk to whoever had answered the other end.
Briggs looked at Harry who in turn looked at Jacks, each man shrugged their shoulders to indicate that they didn’t know what Jenson had been looking at on the tv apart from the obvious, or who he was talking to.
"Jesus" Connor laughed as he spoke, the others all turning to face him ..."Have you dicks forgotten everything we learned?" He pointed at the screen, their eyes drawn to a small figure just behind the reporter who appeared to be taking on a mobile phone.
"Is that?" Harry took a step closer to the screen
"Yep ... Detective Rebecca Walker ..."
"Well shit ... so that’s who he's talking to." Harry looked in the direction Jenson had gone.
"I think we can assume so yeah, but it’s not gonna be an easy conversation. She left him about six months ago,"
Connor stopped as Jenson walked back into the room.
"He's dead. This we already know, I was the one to snap his fucking neck after all. Carlos and his fucking lap dogs were all in the house, apparently, the maid left the gas on before she went home and boom... Shame. So far, they think there are six dead and a woman badly burned, she isn’t expected to survive, all in all its a fucking mess, or not, depends which side of the line your standing"
"So, they have ID'd him already?" Jacks wanted to go tell Hannah it was finally over, but most importantly, he wanted to tell her that he loved her, shit, yes, he fucking did, had from the moment she climbed onto the bar.
"It's gonna be a dental job to identify who was who, the only confirmation was an older woman, His mother. She's the burns victim. They have taken her to hospital but she isn’t expected to last more than a few hours, burns to sixty percent of her body. I wouldn’t cry to much over her, apparently, she was the one who raised him to believe women were to be used and abused and thrown away." Janson’s phone started to ring, he looked at the screen before nodding and walking out again.
Jacks had been joined by Harry on the sofa as they continued to watch the screen. At some point, coffee had been made and a tray of full mugs had appeared. Appreciative voices aimed at no one in particular over lapped as the each picked up a cup.
Jacks looked at his brothers, they might not have the same blood in their veins, but they were his brothers in every sense of the word and even though life had taken them in different directions, he knew there was no other men he wanted to walk beside but these.
"Jackson, Christopher." The sound of a familiar female voice broke the silence as a woman in her mid-fifties walked in to the living area, she was removing her coat as she walked and all eyes turned to look at the stunningly beautiful woman who had entered the room.
Elizabeth Hunter was the epitome of style and grace for a woman of her age, she wasn't particularly tall, but her slender figure and youthful completion showed her beauty in a way that would make most women envious.
"Mum ... " Jacks and Harry both stood, Jacks made his way over to his mother where he was pulled into a strong but warm hug, he might be over six feet tall and be built like a mountain, but he was still her boy.
"Harry, so nice to see you again. " Elizabeth Hunter pulled Harry in for a hug that was just as affectionate as the one she had given Jacks. " Jackson, close your mouth dear, what did you expect when I overheard your conversation with your father, I would have been here sooner if I could."
Jacks introduced his mum to Jones, Connor and Briggs before turning back to his mum "What are you doing here? Where's Dad?"
"He’s getting our things out of the car and I told you, I overheard your conversation with your father. Now Hannah, where is she?" Elizabeth Hunter looked around the room.
"She’s upstairs, her friend Emma is with her, last few days have caught up with her ..." Harry spoke, Jacks appearing to lose the ability to function at just the sound of her name.
"Son, you do have it bad" she rubbed Jacks arm as she spoke, the sound of a snigger coming from Harry as he watched his friend squirm. "I could also say the same for you Harry, Emma, is it?" she smiled as she spoke, the colour suddenly draining from Harry face "I thought as much"
"Damn she is good." Connor, Briggs and Jones all stood watching the uncomfortable scene unfold, each smirking as they saw their team mates revert back to been awkward gawky teenagers at the mere thought of a pretty girl.
"Yep" Chris added.
Raymond Hunter walked into the room and was introduced to Harry, Connor, Jones and Briggs before giving his sons the same bear hugs that his wife had, the affection within this family unit was a comfort to see, Harry couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't be here to witness what should be a private family moment, but it was also clear that both Elizabeth and Ray had raised their boys in a loving and open way and immediately made everyone in the room feel at ease.
"Ok ... oh, excuse me" Jenson had ended his call and had re-joined the rest of the group which now included Jacks parents "I’m sorry, I didn’t realise, Jenson Walker." He extended his hand first to Ray who shook it and gave the now mandatory back slap and then to Jacks mum who took the big man by surprise as she pulled him in for the hug, the look on his face made Jacks smirk. Not many people could shock Jenson Walker ...
Ray excused himself and asked that Jenson and Jacks join him as he made his way towards his study.
Jacks closed the door before the three men each took a seat on the ox blood chesterfield suit that was arranged in one corner of the room.
Raymond Hunter was a tall man who although not as well built as his sons, could still command a room when he entered it. He was an affectionate man who was respected by both his peers and the people who worked for him. He sat and pulled out three identical files and placed them on the small glass table in front of Jacks, Jenson and himself.
"May I?" Jenson asked as he looked between both men.
"Please" Ray gestured as he spoke and Jenson picked up the file then started to read, he didn't speak, but did on occasion glance at both Jacks and Ray.
Jacks had a pretty good idea as to what the file contained, the details weren't clear to him yet, he would have to look the file over himself, but following the conversations he'd had with his dad over the past few days, he knew what the basic plans where.
Jacks and Ray waited as Jenson continued to read until he reached the last page "Jesus Mary and Joseph ..."
"So, Mr Walker, Jenson, what do you
think? Is it viable? And more importantly, would you be willing to come on board?" Ray watched, gaging Jenson’s reaction.
He already had an idea what the man's answer was going to be, if it was one thing he was good at it was reading people and as soon as the men had shaken hands, he knew Jackson also had a talent for picking the right people.
"It’s certainly viable sir yes, but it’s certainly not going to be cheap, an operation like that is going to need... "
"Already taken care of, logistics are a mere formality, what we need is a team in place and on board then we can go ahead and get everything set up, Jacks here tells me that you ran a tight team while you were all in the service, a firm but fair task master so to speak, and it's clear from the last couple of days that the respect is still there, so, do we have a deal?" Ray held out his hand and without hesitation, Jenson took it and the two men shook as they stood up. Jacks smiled.
"Before we go on ... that was Rebecca on the phone, the female didn’t make it, died on the way to the hospital so as far as we know, there are no more blood relations left. The two responsible for killing Harrys father are the last of a very weak blood line and won't be bothering anyone any time soon."
Jacks indicated Harry to follow him as he walked on to the patio area. He watched through the glass as his mother unpacked the groceries that she had brought with her. She had never let her wealth or good fortune change her.
She and her husband had worked hard for their success and it might have been her husband’s name that was the public image of the Hunter Hotel group, but Elizabeth Hunter was very much a part of the operations and her opinion was invaluable to her husband, they really where a true partnership in every sense of the word and Jacks couldn't help but admire the relationship his parents had.