“It was bad, Laiken. I was so angry. At everything. Dad’s absence was hitting us hard and Mom…”
“Your mom?” Laiken echoes. “What happened with Maggie?”
“She had just been diagnosed with ALS.”
“Parker…” Laiken’s voice cracks. “You never told me.”
“I never told anyone. She didn’t want anyone to know. She still doesn’t, actually.” I take another deep breath. “I didn’t realize I had hurt him that bad. That he was unconscious.”
Her hand curls around my bicep, showing me support even when she hates me. Because that’s who she is.She glows.
“The next day, I found out he was pressing assault charges against me.” I drag my eyes back to hers. “And that’s when I met Jet Jackson.”
Chapter twenty-three
Laiken
“Your agent?”
Pain shines in Parker’s eyes as he turns his face from mine.
“Yeah.” He shakes his head. “I was so fucked up, Laiken. Dad officially deserted us. Mom was sick. She was on the verge of losing the house.”
My heart cracks. I had no idea.
“You were the only good thing I had. You and riding.” He turns to me with glassy eyes. “When I found out he was pressing charges, and I was facing jail time, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do.”
I squeeze his arm, hopefully giving him a silent dose of encouragement.
“Then Jet Jackson contacted me. I had heard his name milling around and knew he was an agent everyone wanted to land. He said he knew I had a delicate situation and he wanted to help.”
My stomach sinks.
“He said he could make the assault charges go away. All I had to do was sign with him. I had been winning. I was just at the break of my career and he knew it.”
My mind races back in time, sifting through the memories. The postcards that trickled down to nothing. The way he started to shut down.
“How was I supposed to help my mom if I was behind bars? How was I supposed to keep my promises to you?”
His voice grows hoarse and tears build behind my eyes.
“So I did what any twenty-year-old kid would do. I made a choice. One I regret every single day. He paid off Rhodes to keep quiet so I was able to keep doing what I loved while making sure Mom got the care she needed. Had a roof over her head.” He tenses before he says his next words. “But there was a catch. A catch I wasn’t aware of. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.”
That sinking feeling creeps in again. “What do you mean?”
He puffs out a humorless laugh. “After we signed the contract, he had me sign an NDA. Which I was willing to do to keep out of jail. But I guess I missed the fine print in his contract.” He practically breaks a tooth with how hard he clenches his jaw.
Then it hits me like a wave of pure dread.
“Tori,” I whisper.
Tears pool in his eyes. “Being publicly attached to his daughter was nonnegotiable. Apparently, she had gotten herself into some trouble and Jet Jackson is all about appearances. Whatever she had been involved in had been interfering with business. Sponsorships were leery about working with him. Another thingJet holds above all else. Money. He knew I was trapped and she didn’t have a choice either. So he manipulated the fuck out of us.”
“So what? You had to date her?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intended.
But talking about her grates on my nerves. Truth be told, I’m jealous. So jealous it’s painful.
“That was his initial request. But I shot it down. Threw a big fit and told him I was in love with you. That there was no way I would do it.” He gently tugs away from me and pushes to his feet. “He boastfully reminded me I already signed a contract and an NDA. If I told you anything about what was written in either, I was breaking the law and he would make sure I was punished accordingly.”
