JACKSON Page 3

  I search his eyes and his gorgeous face, and I detect no hint of a lie. His offer is sincere, and only an idiot would turn him down. “Okay, thanks.” I cast one last glance at Jackson, and his eyes are fixated on my bare legs. I’m the tallest of all the waitresses here, and the pink-and-white-plaid dress uniform is shorter on me than most of the women, so I’m flashing a fair amount of skin.

  Without overthinking it, I grab a napkin off the table and dab the corner of Jackson’s mouth. “You had a little drool.”

  Sawyer’s deep laughter follows me from the booth, and I’m fighting a grin as I head back to work.

  _______________

  I didn’t see the guys leave because it was a crazy busy shift, and I was late finishing up, which means I’m late arriving at Kayleigh’s class.

  Every Thursday at five, I sneak into the auditorium on Fifty-ninth Street where she takes weekly ballet classes. Mom lets me have an hour after ballet ends to take her out. I don’t know what lies she’s told her bastard husband, but I don’t care because this time is precious, and I’ll take it for as long as I can get it. I only wish I had time to spend with Hunter too, but it’s far too risky because he’s close with his dad and he’s not as street smart as his twin sister. Without me or Mom having to explain it, Kayleigh understands her father can never know she still sees me or these visits will stop.

  I slink into a seat in the back row of the auditorium, watching my little sister command the stage like a pro.

  She skips out of the changing area after the session has finished, throwing herself into my arms, and I hold her tight, closing my eyes as I drink in her comforting warmth.

  “Can we get ice cream?” she asks, her blue eyes sparkling with expectation.

  “Sure can.” I grab her hand, swinging our arms together as we walk out of the auditorium. “But practice first.”

  She nods, humming to herself as we walk toward the south midtown entrance to Central Park. Kayleigh chatters away as we head to our usual place, and I hold her hand tighter, smiling as she regales me with tales of her week. She’s like a little ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark world, and I cherish our time together. So far, I detect nothing to indicate he’s preying on her. She’s her usual bright, bubbly self, and I offer up a silent prayer it continues to stay that way.

  We drop our bags behind the large elm tree and begin our lesson. I’ve been taking Krav Maga classes since I was fifteen, and that was the last time that bastard put his hands on me. I hate that I need to instruct my ten-year-old sister in basic self-defense techniques, but I was only slightly older than her when Aaron starting crawling into my bed at night.

  I don’t know if the fact she is his flesh and blood will make a difference. To me, once a predator, always a predator, and I won’t take any chances. Mom stood by and let her husband sexually assault and rape me for years, so I can’t rely on her to keep Kayleigh safe. The only person who can do that is Kayleigh, so I’m trying to find a way to help her without going into all the reasons why.

  When we’re done, I take her to the ice cream stand, and then, we sit on the bench close to the exit, eating our ice cream and sipping from bottles of water, chatting as we wait for Mom to collect her.

  “Romy says Mitchell thinks I’m pretty,” she admits, peeking at me through her lashes. A faint blush stains her cheeks. Romy is her best friend at school, but this is the first time I’m hearing about Mitchell.

  “That’s sweet, and he’s right. You’re such a pretty little princess.” I smile at her, sweeping a stray strand of hair out of her face before it lands in her ice cream. “And what about him? Is he cute?”

  She shrugs, but by the way her cheeks flare up, I’m guessing she thinks so. “Romy said he wants to be my boyfriend.”

  I almost choke on my water. “I think you’re a little young to be thinking about boyfriends.” I kiss the top of her head. “There will be plenty of time for that when you’re older.” I just want to bundle my sister up and keep her away from guys until she’s old enough.

  “Boys are kinda gross anyway,” she adds, dipping her tongue into her ice cream, licking the very last remnants of her cone.

  “Truth, girl.” I kiss the top of her head again. “And when they don’t feel gross is when you know you’re ready to date.” I’m not sure I’m the best person to be advising her, but I’m all she’s got. My phone pings with a text, and I sigh, rubbing the sudden sharp pain that pierces my chest cavity. I stand, holding out my hand. “Time to go, little princess.”

  “I hate this part.” Sadness clouds her eyes.

  “Me too.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “But it won’t be forever.” I dump our trash and turn to her with a sad smile.

  “I love you, Nessa.” She flings her arms around me.

  My heart blossoms to life behind my chest. “I love you too, Kayleigh.” I hug her close. “So, so much.”

  My cell pings a second time, and I grind my teeth to my molars as I reluctantly extricate myself from my sister and walk her out of the park.

  Mom’s car is idling by the curb. I kiss and hug Kayleigh once more before opening the door to the back seat, watching her climb in. “Enjoy the beach,” I say, because they are heading to The Hamptons this weekend, and I won’t see her for a few weeks. The thought makes my heart ache, but I keep a smile plastered on my face, purely for Kayleigh’s benefit.

  Mom lowers the passenger side window, and I poke my head in. “How are you?” she asks, hiding her eyes behind large sunglasses.

  “I’m okay.” She’s wearing a long-sleeved patterned blouse in the height of summer. “How are you?”

  “Fine.” She removes an envelope from the glove box, stretching across the console to hand it to me. “It’s not much, but I have to be careful.”

  “I know, Mom.”

  I fucking hate this.

  I hate how weak she is.

  How she let herself get trapped like this.

  How she let that monster control every aspect of her life.

  How she abandoned her kids and checked out on life instead of fighting.

  But another part of me understands because I spent years trying to numb myself to everything too.

  The difference is she was an adult with responsibilities.

  Still, she’s trying now, in the only way she knows how.

  “Thanks, Mom.” I glance at the back seat. “Keep him away from her,” I whisper so Kayleigh doesn’t hear.

  She nods. “Stay safe, honey.”

  I step back from the curb, watching with a heavy heart as Mom eases back out into traffic.

  “Cute kid,” a deep, masculine voice says at my ear, and I jump in fright.

  “Are you trying to give me a coronary!” I shriek, eyeing Jackson in disbelief. “Are you following me?” Grabbing the strap of my bag, I take a step away from him.

  “No need to freak the hell out, Nessa. It’s not like I’m some fucking serial killer.” He grabs his white wifebeater from the back pocket of his running shorts, using it to wipe a light sheen of sweat from his brow. “Someone got me all hot and bothered earlier, and I needed a run.” His eyes twinkle with mischief.

  My eyes roam over his sculpted chest and down over his carved abs. I lick my lips at the sight of the defined V-indents at his hips and the trail of dark-blond hair sneaking under the waistband of his shorts. “I don’t remember you looking like that,” I blurt, instantly cursing myself for having zero game. Jackson was always toned with lean muscle, but this is a new look for him.

  One I like.

  A lot.

  He presses warm lips to my ear, making my knees tremble and my legs turn to Jell-O. “Liking what you see, babe?”

  “You know you look good,” I admit, refusing to look into his eyes. “You were never shy about that.”

  “I know who I am, and I own it.” He brushes some strands of hair off his brow. “Although, I wasn’t in control back then.”

  I startle at his admission, meeting his gaze dead on.
/>   “You’re not the only one who has changed,” he adds, his voice gentling.

  I’m momentarily speechless.

  “You got plans?” he asks, and I shake my head. “Have dinner with me?”

  “What?”

  Have I wandered into some alternate realm? What the hell is going on here?

  His answering smile almost knocks me off my feet. “Let me take you to dinner.”

  “Why?” The word has left my lips before I can stop it. I’m acting like a total idiot, and it’s embarrassing.

  “Because I want to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman, and I owe you an apology for all those times I was a dick to you.”

  “You don’t have to buy me dinner to apologize. Apology accepted.”

  He chuckles. “Are you always like this when someone asks you out on a date?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” I whisper, averting my eyes. “No one has ever asked me out before.” My cheeks flare at that admission.

  It’s pathetic.

  I’m nineteen.

  I’ve been sexually active for years.

  I’ve done things most girls my age haven’t done or are unlikely to ever do.

  Yet, I have never been on a proper date.

  “Then, it’s decided.” He takes my hand, bringing it to his lips. His mouth brushes against my knuckles, and I feel his featherlight kiss all over my body. “I’m taking you out, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Jackson

  VANESSA IS STANDING outside the front of the diner where she works when I pull up in my SUV a few minutes before eight. I park at the curb and hop out as she walks toward me.

  Fuck, she looks beautiful. She’s wearing a long summery pink dress with a white flower pattern, and it clings to her gorgeous curves in all the right places. The material flows from the hips down, and it swishes around her thighs and legs as she approaches. On top, it has thin straps, and it dips a little at the cleavage. Not enough to show me the goods, but enough to show a hint of flesh that already has my cock stirring behind the zipper of my shorts. Her hair is hanging in soft waves down her back, and she’s not wearing much make up.

  If she wasn’t such a nutjob, and I didn’t have ulterior motives, she would be my dream girl.

  “Hey.” Her cheeks flush, and her smile is tentative. She looks nervous, and that surprises me a little. Although, she did tell me this was her first-ever date. That shocked me. I know most guys at The Hamptons just wanted to fuck her, but she had plenty of admirers at West Lorian High.

  We purposely kept our distance from her at school. I only shared one class with her, and I spent a few years ambling my way through life, perpetually stoned, so I missed a lot of shit. But I’m still shocked no one asked her out.

  I lean in, brushing my lips against her cheek. “You are stunning.”

  The stain on her cheeks darkens. “Thank you. You look nice too.” Her cheeks are flaming red now. “I mean, you look hot,” she stutters.

  Man, this is going to be a cakewalk.

  I chuckle, taking her hand. “C’mon. We don’t want to be late.” I help her into the passenger seat of my car before sliding behind the wheel. I ease the car back out into the traffic. “I hope you like cocktails and pizza,” I say, honking my horn at some asshat who cuts out in front of me.

  “Sounds perfect.” She shoots me another shy smile, and I have to admit I’m intrigued. Anytime I’ve been around Vanessa in the past, she’s been either hungover and mute or drunk and cray-cray.

  I’m not sure what to make of this version of her.

  Not that it matters.

  I have one goal here, and one goal only: To make her fall for me.

  I told Hunt it was so I could get close enough to find out where that bastard Montgomery is hiding, but there is a possibility she doesn’t know. If that’s the case, then I have a Plan B—ruin her like he ruined my sister so he can’t use her to further his elite aims.

  Just to be clear, Hunt isn’t aware of Plan B. He’s already unhappy with Plan A, and if he knew how far I was prepared to take this, there’s no way in hell he’d help me.

  I don’t care that she’s innocent in all this. So was Dani, and that didn’t stop Christian Montgomery. It’s time he got a taste of his own medicine.

  _______________

  “Wow. I love this place.” Vanessa’s big blue eyes are out on stalks as she casts her gaze around New York’s hottest new it place.

  I only managed to get last-minute reservations because Dad is one of the investors in Glitter. It’s primarily a cocktail bar, but it offers casual dining options too. After midnight, the basement club opens its doors to partygoers. In the ten months since it opened, it has become a popular spot with rich brats and celebs. “I can’t believe you haven’t been here before,” I say, breaking off a piece of bread and popping it in my mouth.

  “I don’t get out much.” She shrugs, sipping on her sparkling water.

  “How come? You’re eighteen, free of high school and parental bonds, living in central New York, and I know you like to party.”

  “I’m nineteen, actually, and I’m trying to turn over a new leaf.” She sips her water, eyeing me carefully.

  “I never realized you were older than us,” I truthfully admit.

  She bites down on her lower lip, and I try to ignore how sexy she looks chewing on her mouth. “I ended up having to repeat freshman year,” she adds.

  My eyes pop wide. “Wow. That’s almost unheard of. What’d you do? Murder someone or something?” I joke.

  Her eyes lower to the table, and she fidgets with her napkin. I reach across the table, unknotting her fingers. “Hey. I was only teasing. We don’t have to talk about it.”

  “I want to,” she says, raising her eyes and staring at me. “It’s just hard to look back at certain things from my past and not feel depressed.”

  I’m beginning to realize I don’t know a fucking thing about this girl, and she’s definitely piqued my curiosity. “I’m a judgment-free zone,” I say, slurping some of my Coke. “And you certainly didn’t write the book on reckless behavior. I’ve done plenty of crazy shit I’m not proud of.”

  She props her elbows on the table and rests her chin in her hands, staring off into space, like she’s contemplating how much to tell me.

  I wait her out, grabbing another piece of bread from the basket and breaking it up with my fingers.

  “I kinda had a mini breakdown during freshman year. Went off the rails. Barely showed up at school. Normally, they would have expelled me, but my stepfather got involved.” Her jaw tightens, and her eyes flash with undecipherable emotion.

  Interesting.

  There’s some beef between them although she wouldn’t be the first stepkid to have issues with her stepparent.

  “He’s on the school board, right?” I vaguely remember that.

  “Yeah, and he fixed it so I could repeat the year. That’s how I ended up at school with all of you.”

  “Cool.” I don’t pry because it’s obvious she doesn’t want to elaborate. I’m supposed to be romancing her, and forcing her to remember fucked-up shit will not help my cause. “So, where do you usually party?”

  She shrugs. “I’m not much of a party girl anymore.”

  “Wow. You really have turned over a new leaf.”

  “I needed to make changes for my sanity,” she quietly says, sipping from her water again. “And, besides, I don’t have the money for going out.”

  I open my mouth but clamp it shut when I see the waiter returning with our appetizers. We are silent as he places plates in front of us.

  “Thank you.” She smiles up at him, and he grins, his eyes lowering to her tits for a fleeting second.

  I clear my throat, narrowing my eyes at him. “That will be all.”

  “Of course, sir,” he grits out, backing away, shooting one last flirtatious smile at Vanessa.

  “Hunt told me you weren’t living at home anymore. I just assumed
that was by choice,” I say, placing a napkin on my lap.

  “My stepfather threw me out and cut me off. It happened just after Sawyer sent me home from The Hamptons last summer. I had some money saved, but that’s mostly gone, so I’m living on what I earn and tips. I don’t have the luxury of nights out anymore,” she supplies, picking up her silverware. “Except for movie nights with some of the girls from the diner, and I’ve gone to a few house parties.”

  “If you need money—”

  “I’m not taking money off you!” The red stain on her cheeks isn’t embarrassment this time. “I’m doing fine by myself.” Her eyes blaze with determination as she holds her head up. “I have a job, a roof over my head, food in my refrigerator, and a lock on my door to keep the monsters out.”

  What the fuck? Has Christian made his presence known already? Could he be in New York?

  “What kind of monsters?” I inquire before digging into a chicken wing.

  Her tongue darts out, wetting her plump lips, and my eyes greedily follow the motion. “I was speaking metaphorically,” she says, and I know it’s a lie because she won’t look me in the eye.

  “I admire you,” I say, and her eyes pop wide. “What?” I ask.

  “You can’t stand me,” she replies, cutting into her salad. “I still don’t get why you asked me out.”

  Perhaps, she’s more astute than I’ve given her credit for. I stare into her beautiful, big blue eyes. “We’ve both changed, and we’re not dumb teenagers anymore. It’s summer in New York. You’re beautiful. I’m hot.” I shoot her a cocky smile. “And I want to get to know this new Vanessa. She has me intrigued, and that doesn’t happen a lot.” That’s only half a lie. I disarm her with another dazzling smile, and she stares at me in a bit of a daze.

  “This new you scares me.”

  “What’s not to love?” I gesture at myself. “And I haven’t completely changed.” I waggle my brows.

  She rolls her eyes. “The hot comment hadn’t gone unnoticed, thank you.” She grins, popping another forkful of salad into her tempting mouth.