Salvation and Secrets (25 page)

"You think I give a flying fuck about that bitch? It was never about her, it was about you. About you thinking you're better than me, better than us. Better than the family who raised you. Who gave you everything. She was just the snake. The snake that wormed her way into our family and turned you once and for all."

There wasn't time for this. Braiden and I had stuff to settle, but now wasn't the time. Not while Ana was out there somewhere.

"Then it can only be Calder and his fucked-up games." My voice was quiet, thick with frustration.

"Not my problem."

My rage exploded. I rammed Braiden against the wall, my forearm pinning him by the neck. But as quickly as it happened, strong arms wrapped around me and yanked me back.

"Easy, easy, big guy." Dennis' voice cut through my red haze and I slumped, defeated in his steel grip.

"You're done. YOU'RE DONE, PIERCE," Braiden boomed as Dennis hurled me up the stairs.

Kyler, Travis, and Shaun all just watched, mouths agape while Braiden hurled the bottle at the wall and starting kicking the shit out of the chair. They could deal with him after this; there was no going back.

There was no slither of hope for smoothing things out between us.

Things were unsalvageable.

~

After managing to get me outside to cool off, Dennis marched me to Tyson's house. The door flew open and Elena ran over to us tears still streaming down her face.

"So, will he help? Does he know where Ana is?"

Dennis held out his hand, giving me my space. My world was imploding and I couldn't think straight, let alone answer the flurry of questions Elena was hurtling at me.

"Babe, give him space and let him get through the door, yeah?" Tyson lifted his head as Dennis pushed me past him.

Everyone searched my eyes for answers. Something. But the red haze was still swarming my mind.

"Is he okay?" a meek female voice asked.

Dennis grunted something over my shoulder before pulling out a chair and forcing me down on it. "Sit. Someone get him a drink."

I heard someone rummage in the refrigerator, the pop of the cap, and the thud of a bottle landing in front of me. I felt their eyes watching me, their unsure stares waiting for me to say something.

But I had nothing. All I could see was Ana's face. I'd dragged her into this, I’d put her in harm's way...twice, and Braiden was right. It was never about her, it was about me.

It was all my fault.

"Jackson, don't you thin—"

"Let him be for a minute. He's had a rough night," Dennis snapped back at Elena.

"Rough night? My best friend is missing, probably with those crazy fucks from that godforsaken town and you're telling me to let him be? Nah-ah. Move out of my way, mister, or I'll move you myself."

I twisted to watch Elena stalk forward placing herself directly in front of Dennis, who stood arms folded over his chest. The guy was huge and scary, but feisty Elena wasn't backing down, and Tyson moved to intervene in their standoff, but Elena's words clicked.

Ana
.

What the fuck was I doing?

The chair crashed against the table as I jumped up, startling everyone.

"I need my car. Or someone's car." Nine faces looked at me like I'd grown a second head. "Now."

Paul padded his pocket and yanked out my keys. "Your bag, I thought you might be needing these." He threw them across the table to me and I caught them.

"My car’s in McGinley's parking lot. I'll call as soon as I find Ana."

"Wait? That's you plan? Just storm off and go with all guns blazing? Shouldn't we call the police or something?"

My eyes narrowed at Elena. She knew calling the police wasn't an option. You didn't involve the police on Donohue business. And I was still a Donohue. Until I could end this once and for all.

"I'm coming." Dennis stepped up beside me and I nodded my appreciation.

"We have your back, too," Tyson said, and my eyes flicked to Jamie and Paul, who looked ready to piss themselves.

"No, you guys stay put. I appreciate it, but this is my mess. I need you here for Ana. Please."

Dennis and I headed out in silence, making the short sprint to McGinley in a couple of minutes.

"You know where she is?" he asked, climbing into the passenger side.

"I have a pretty good idea. You ready for this? I appreciate it, man, but you can back out."

He belted up and barked, "No fucking chance."

I hit the gas and sped up the hidden road out of the back of the campus. The forest whirled by in a blur, my eyes focused only on the road in front.

We drove in silence and the seconds ticked by painfully slow. My mind drifted to Ana more than once—where was she, what were they doing to her, but every time I let myself go there, my hands gripped the wheel to the point of cutting off blood supply and Dennis had to tell me to calm down.

Twenty-five minutes later, we rolled up outside the Grill ‘n’ Dine. It was almost eleven, and the closed sign hung in the window, but Calder was here. His car was parked in the small lot to the side.

“What now?” Dennis’ voice pierced the silence.

I cut the engine and raked a hand through my hair. A plan would have been good, but I had nothing. If Ana was in there—which I was pretty sure she was—I was going in. No questions asked. No plan. No Braiden.

“I’m going in. You can stay here, I won—”

Dennis grunted his disapproval before climbing out the car and stalking around to the sidewalk. I joined him and we crossed the road to the diner, snaking around the sidewalk to the side door we had used to enter the building before. As we drew closer, muffled voices filtered through an open window and I held my hand up to Dennis, mouthing ‘wait’ to him. My heart pounded in my chest as I pressed my ear to the window to hear better.

“... I thought she would give us the upper hand. Draw them out. Make things eas—”

I froze at the mention of Ana. All the blood rushing to my muscles and causing my whole body to tense.

“Do you have any fucking idea what you’ve done?” I recognized Calder’s voice, but I couldn’t make out the other voice, although I had my suspicions.

“Shit, fuck, I thought this was the right thing. You said to watch her and him. And she was alone at the game, and I thought it was an opportunity we couldn’t—”

Something smashed and Calder roared, “Smith, you’re a fucking liability. I said watch them, not fucking kidnap one of them. And her of all fucking people. I should fucking put a bullet in your head.”

“Cole, easy man, it could work to our advantage,” a different voice said.

“No one asked you, Merrick. Keep the fuck out of this.”

Merrick. The name sounded familiar. He was the guy who had been with Calder when they hijacked the money and coke.

Something else smashed and Merrick cursed. I couldn’t see anything through the blinds, just silhouettes. I was done watching anyway, they had Ana somewhere in the building and I was getting her back. Even if it meant doing something I might regret.

“I’m going in,” I whispered to Dennis, who was standing flush against the wall, trying to remain invisible in the shadows. He nodded and grabbed the door handle. It opened without resistance and we slipped inside.

No one noticed us arrive, Calder, Merrick, and a guy with blond shaggy hair stood in the far corner of the room, just outside of Calder’s personal office. Landon Smith looked just the same. Thin, wiry, and as freaky as fuck. But he also looked terrified as Calder continued to yell at him, the ugly jagged pink scar stretching from cheek to jaw glistening. I hadn’t seen him since that night, but Braiden was right. He had given Calder a permanent reminder not to mess with the Donohue’s.

“So what the fuck are we going to do with her? They’ll know she’s missing, and they’re probably on their way over here right now.”

Landon’s face paled even more and he shifted uncomfortably, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. I scanned the room trying to locate Ana, but there was no sign of her.

Dennis looked at me for a signal of our next move, but the sound of car tires screeching startled everyone and before we had chance to move the door flew open and Braiden stormed into the room and straight past us, his sights set firmly on Calder.

“You really fucked up this time, Calder.” Braiden’s voice was eerily calm as he stalked to the three guys watching his every move.

Landon and Merrick stepped away from Calder leaving him all out on his own. But Calder didn’t falter, he didn’t budge a muscle. I saw the flash of fear in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by the crazy glint he had that night. Right before he plunged the knife into me.

This isn’t going to end well.

I motioned to Dennis, indicating that we should step up behind Braiden, and he nodded in agreement. No one turned to acknowledge us, but Braiden knew we were there. Of course he did, it was the reason he was here now.

“What a shit hole this is.” Roman strolled into the room like he owned the place and I flashed Dennis a look. Things just got a whole lot more dangerous. Now there wasn’t only one crazy fuck in the room, there were two.

“Rome,” Braiden warned. If anyone could keep Roman in check, it was Braiden, but he’d been itching to get payback on Reibeckitt—even more so than Braiden and that scared the shit out of me.

We all stood locked in some kind of stalemate. Braiden and Calder’s eyes burned at each other. Fire and ice. Roman bounced on the spot like he was ready for the fight, and the rest of us—myself, Dennis, Merrick, and Landon—just watched, waiting for a spark to ignite. For all hell to break loose.

“You think you can just barge in here, into my town, my diner.”

Something crashed from the other side of Calder’s office door. It was Ana. I just knew it.

“Go,” Braiden ordered me, and I rushed to the door yanking it open. Ana was trying to kick her foot restraints free, bucking around like a caged animal, blood seeping from a gash along her hairline.

Her head whipped up and her eyes widened with surprise, filling with relief when I dropped to my knees to untie her. Yanking the gag free from her mouth, I brought my lips down on hers and wrapped her into my arms.

“Jackson. Jax,” she whimpered into my shirt.

I never wanted to pound the shit out of something more than I did at that moment. The sheer pain in her voice was almost too much to bear. I could see Ana had put up a fight; her ropes were frayed; purple bruises marking her skin where she had fought against them, and the room looked like it had been trashed, but the fear in her eyes undid me.

“I’m here, Ana. I’m here.”

Quickly untying the restraints, I scooped her up and helped her to her feet. Dennis appeared in the doorway scowling at the sight of the ropes.

We rejoined the others; Braiden didn’t look our way still locked onto Calder. I tucked Ana behind me. She was safe, but from the tension crackling in the room, we had bigger problems.

Braiden cracked his neck and a curse escaped my lips. I should have known the minute he walked into the room that he wasn’t here for the rescue party. He was here for retribution.

Dennis caught my alarm and tried to reach Braiden, but he was too late as Braiden launched himself at Calder, throwing his fist straight into Calder’s unsuspecting face. The crunch sounded brutal, but Calder didn’t go down. Instead, he righted himself and slammed into Braiden and the two started trading blows. Ana screamed and I didn’t know what the fuck to do. Roman ran for Landon, tackling him and the two rolled to the floor. Dennis shot me a concerned glance before mouthing ‘go’ at me.

I shook my head; I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t walk away from Braiden and let him make a mistake. One he might forever regret. But Ana tugged on my hand and my heart slammed into my chest. She was my choice.

Braiden had made his.

I had made mine.

‘Go,' Dennis mouthed again. ‘I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.’

Without giving it any more thought, I turned to Ana, scooped her up, and rushed out of there. As we reached the door, I glanced back just as Braiden slammed his fist into Calder’s face again. Dennis was in the thick of it now, trying to wrestle Braiden off him.

I swallowed down the urge to call out to Braiden, to try to calm his rage. With Ana still in my arms, I walked out of there leaving my old life behind.

Chapter 27

~ANA~

Five weeks after the incident, rumors continued to circulate on campus about Braiden's arrest. Most people agreed it would only be a matter of time until he showed up, bragging about how Daddy and his hotshot family lawyer got him off. But a small few thought he got what was coming. I didn't know whether it made them brave, or incredibly stupid, making their feelings on the matter known. Braiden might have been out of the picture, but Briony was still on campus, and the guys—Kyler, Travis, and Shaun—were trying to stamp down their authority whenever they could.

Since that night at Reibeckitt, Dennis had walked, too. And although he didn't hang out with us as such, he came by more. He didn't say a lot, especially around me, but he didn't make me feel uncomfortable either. Jackson said he owed him big time. I got no more explanation than that, but that was fine with me; I didn't want to keep reliving it. It was bad enough I had another scar to remind me.

It was impossible to escape talk of that night. If I walked into a hallway, voices hushed and all heads turned my way. It was like Fort Pierce all over again. But, surprisingly, none of the whispers or stares bothered me. Because it was the first time, in a long time, that I actually felt like I could breathe.

Braiden was out of the picture. Cole Calder was still in critical condition, and Maconey had moved into Reibeckitt, taking over Declan Calder's business. The Calder's were no longer a threat to Chastity Falls.

To us.

That just left Marcus Donohue.

Jackson said he was handling it and that Marcus was no longer an issue. And from Briony's complete disinterest in me, I believed him. For the most part. But the little voice in my head kept reminding me of what I had discovered.

A secret that, if unveiled, I knew could change everything.

"Are you ready?" Jackson's voice brought me back to the room, and I blinked taking in my appearance in the mirror, butterflies fluttering like crazy low in my stomach.

I hope he likes it.

With a nervous smile, I inched out of the bathroom door. Jackson was busy on his phone, propped up against the headboard of my bed, his legs stretched out in front of him. I leaned against the doorjamb and just watched him. He looked so handsome in his dark wash jeans and black dress shirt with open collar and rolled up sleeves. Noticing me, he looked up and his emerald eyes swept over me and down my body. When they found their way back to my eyes, they were wide with surprise…and something else. The emerald sparkle was gone, replaced with something darker. Like the sea in a storm. My mouth dried as he pushed off the bed and stalked toward me, never once taking his eyes off me.

He stopped in front of me and reached out a hand, tucking away the soft curls framing my face. "You look…wow, you look beautiful."

Color stained my cheeks, and I suddenly felt naked standing there in the jade green sundress Elena had talked me into buying for my birthday. I eventually caved because it was the color of Jackson’s eyes. I dropped my head, breaking eye contact with him, and dragged my lip between my teeth.

Jackson's hand cupped my chin and lifted my face back to his. "What's wrong?"

"I- this, this isn't me." I motioned to the dress and pumps on my feet.

"So change." His fingers glided along my jawbone until they were buried in my hair, tugging me closer. "I don't care if you're in your jeans, a dress, or a damn paper bag. I love what's in here." His other hand came to rest over my heart. "I love you, Ana. You. Any way I can get you."

Oh, my.

I gulped back the tears threatening to spill out. "Let's go. Everyone will be waiting."

Jackson frowned and laughed, shaking his head. "You figured it out? How? Wait, don't answer that. I should have known that I'd need to be sneakier around you."

He dropped a kiss onto my head and led us to the door. "Happy Birthday, Ana."

~

"So when you let it slip there was a party, I didn't think you meant an actual party. I thought you meant us, the guys, that kind of party." I sucked on my mocktail, smiling at Elena through my straw.

Elena let it slip at the end of March that Jackson was planning something special for my twentieth birthday. I didn't need him to know that it was my less than discreet roommate who gave him away and not my investigative skills.

"Your boy went all out, didn't he?"

We scanned Dante's. The place had been transformed. Clusters of metallic green and white balloons decorated each table, and a banner hung above a buffet table. It was a little over-the-top, but Elena told me that after everything, Jackson just wanted to give me normal. One normal college experience.

"I don't even know half these people."

Allie caught my eye across the room and waved, bouncing up and down on the spot. Even Talia had showed up with Jarrod, much to my surprise. But he and Jackson seemed to hit it off after he came to apologize for his ‘crazy-ass cousin.’ Landon Smith had been locked up as well, and Jarrod promised Jackson he’d no longer be an issue.

"Most of them know
you
, though." Elena chuckled and I threw my napkin at her.

"Allie is sweet. We have poetry together."

"Oh, so she's the one always making googly eyes at Jackson?"

Rolling my eyes, I pulled at the hem of my dress again. It was a little shorter than I felt comfortable with, and I'd spent most of the night tugging it down.

"For the love of—" Elena muttered something in Spanish. "Will you leave it alone? You look beautiful. In fact, you look hot. Want to put it to good use and dance?"

My eyes roamed over to the makeshift dance floor where a small crowd of girls was dancing away including Lydia and Cassie. They waved over at us.

"I'm good, but you should totally go."

Elena hopped down off the barstool and wiped her hands down her wet-look leggings. "Okay, but I will have one dance with the birthday girl before the night is over." She winked and left me sitting at the bar fiddling with the straw in my glass.

“This seat taken?” a deep voice asked, causing my whole body to tingle. A voice I would never tire of hearing.

I turned to Jackson and smiled. It wasn’t strained, or false, or even uncomfortable. It felt refreshing to do such a simple thing and not have to worry about the consequences, or what was around the corner.

“Why is the birthday girl sitting at the bar all on her own? I leave you for ten minutes and this is how I find you?” He leaned in close, winding his hands around my waist, clamping us together. “I shouldn’t have left you.” The mocking tone of his voice turned serious and I frowned at him.

“Jackson, I’m fine. Elena just went to dance.”

He glanced at the dance floor to confirm my words, and then turned his attention back to me. “Did I do the right thing here?”

“The party? It’s great, really. It’s just, hmm, weird, you know. I haven’t done anything like this since—” The words lodged in my throat, but I forced them out. “Since the accident.”

Jackson’s face twisted with anguish and guilt filled me. “That sounds all wrong, I- I just mean…” I drew in a long breath, trying to order the jumble of thoughts muddying my mind. How did I explain this without making it sound like I was ungrateful?

“Ana, talk to me.” His voice soothed me, wrapped itself around me, and gave me the strength to continue.

“When I came to CFA, I was lost, so lost; I didn’t know who I was anymore. And then Elena started chipping away at my exterior and I thought maybe college…life didn’t have to be that bad with her on my side. But you didn’t chip away, you crashed straight through. And I was scared, I felt guilty. So guilty. But I couldn’t switch off my feelings. Even when I turned to see you standing there in your jersey, talking Braiden down from almost killing that guy. Even then, I knew it was too late.

"But the secrets, the hiding, the lies…who lives like that? I wanted to be invisible and knowing you,
being
with you, meant the limelight, not the shadows.” My eyes fluttered downwards, and my voice came out small. “It’s taking some getting used to is all.”

Jackson flinched like my words hurt and I panicked, gripping his shirt.

“No, no, it’s not what it sounds like. You saved me, Jackson. You brought me back to life. And I want to live. I don’t want to be in the shadows anymore. But I don’t know how to be that girl; she disappeared a long time ago.”

“Ana,” his voice whispered. “She’s in there. I see her every day. Every time you open that smart mouth of yours. Time, all you need is time. All
we
need is time. I’m not going anywhere. Never again.”

Time.

Time sounded perfect.

~

“So what exactly does he want to talk to you about?” I kicked my legs out to try to make the feeling come back. Studying for end of term exams was kicking my butt and my legs, apparently, which were numb except for all the pins and needles.

“Not me, us.”

My head whipped up to meet Jackson’s intense eyes. “Us?”

He nodded and smiled a half-smile. I knew that smile—the one that meant that was all I was going to get from him.

“Fine. I can’t wait to go meet with the man who kept you from me. Lead the way.”

“Ana,” Jackson’s voice warned, but I wasn’t done yet.

Slamming my textbooks shut, I leaped off the bed and grabbed my jacket off the hook. “Come on then, let’s get it over with.”

Jackson was in front of me before I could say another word, wrapping me in his arms and lifting me to his eye level. “Ana, stop. I know this is a surprise, but you know things are different. I mean, they feel different since Braiden. Marcus has been...well, he’s been nice. About
everything
. I think he’s going to give his blessing and let me walk away. For good. With no hard feelings. I really think this is it, Ana.”

I wanted to say the words. To unveil the secret that I’d been keeping since before Christmas, but they stuck in my throat threatening to choke me. How could I do that to him when he was looking at me with such hope?

“Please. Do this. For me. For us.”

Unable to talk, I pressed my lips to his and flicked my tongue over his bottom lip. A low groan formed in the back of his throat and his hands came to my waist, skimming down to under my butt. Jackson gripped me, hitching me up and forcing my legs around his waist.

"Please," he murmured into my mouth, kissing me deeply while walking us back to the bed.

Laying me down gently, Jackson covered my body with his and tilted my head back, giving him full access to my neck.

"Please, Ana."

He was playing an unfair game. Sucking and nibbling at the soft skin along under my jawbone sending pangs of desire shooting through me. I moaned.

"Is that a yes?" his deep husky voice asked.

My hands found the bottom of his shirt and dipped underneath, needing to feel the heat of his skin, and I ran them up over the defined planes of his chest, eventually tugging the material over his head.

Jackson pulled back and looked down at me, a suggestive sparkle in his eye.

"We're supposed to meet Marcus at four, but right now I really need you to make me feel."

I couldn't help the smile that formed on my lips as I let him pull my blouse over my head. His fingers brushed the inside of my arm leaving a trail of delicious tingles in their wake. Once my blouse was taken care of, I lifted my body off the bed and Jackson peeled down my jeans and panties, dropping them to the floor. His own had followed before he settled back on top of me, skin on skin, slanting his lips over mine.

He hardened against the curve of my thighs and I squirmed, desperate to relieve the ache forming low in my stomach. Our tongues swirled together as my hands raked up and down the taut muscles in his shoulders. Jackson shuddered underneath my touch. It was always the same, like my touch burned him. But the desperation in his kiss, the way his fingers gripped my hip holding on for life, told me it was a good thing. That he felt it, too. The connection between us. Our need for one another.

"Ana," he breathed against my cheek as he rocked into me, clasping our hands above my head, kissing the corner of my mouth.