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“Jackson, give your sister some space and let her tell me why she is here.” My dad rounds his desk, walking toward us.
“No.” Jackson points his finger at our dad, his anger returning. Looking back at me, he says, “I want answers, Bri.”
I ignore my brother for a moment to address my dad.
“I wanted to see if you had time to run me back to my side of town.”
“Where is your car?” Jackson demands. I get that he gave me my car as a gift, but his anger mixed with a demanding tone is getting on my last nerve.
“It’s at a field office not far from my condo. The fellow officer I rode with had an emergency, so I said I’d find a way back.”
I don’t bother with telling either of them about Eric or his task force or even the DEA. Too many questions would spark.
“What kind of jackass leaves a woman stranded in LA?” Jackson huffs while shaking his head.
“I wasn’t stranded. I was a couple of blocks over. Jeez, Jackson, you do remember I’m an adult and a cop, right?”
“And you should be neither.”
I roll my eyes at my brother’s unreasonable attitude. At some point, he’s going to have to accept I’m grown. If he’s still like this with me, I can only imagine what he’ll be like when his three kids reach adulthood.
“Brianna is more than capable of taking care of herself, Jackson,” Dad states, crossing his arms over his chest while staring my brother down.
“Don’t talk to me right now, Dad. I can’t even fathom what you’ve done.”
“Get off Dad’s ass,” I bark, getting sick of Jackson’s tone and the way he’s treating our father.
“I don’t think so. He lied to me, and he kept something from me he had no right to.”
“Like hell I don’t. She’s my daughter.” Dad’s hands drop to his hip and I swear I see steam coming from his ears that have turned a bright shade of red.
“Oh!” Jackson throws up his hands. “Now you want to play the fucking parent.”
My father’s eyes light with fire after Jackson’s words fly out of his mouth, shocking me too. Even if my brother has somewhat of a point, that was uncalled for and he knows it.
“Jackson!” I shout. “Stop this. Dad did what I asked him to. He honored my wishes. If you’re pissed off, then be pissed off at me. Not him!”
“I can’t be pissed at you, Bri. Don’t you understand that by now?” Jackson pinches the bridge of his nose as his eyes go up toward the ceiling.
“Son,” my father starts. “I get you’re mad, but if you’d done the same and asked me to keep something between us, then I’d have done the same. And so would you.”
My brother’s jaw locks. He knows our dad is right, but he isn’t going to admit it. They are both alike in that way—stubborn.
Jackson blows out a breath of air, letting his head fall until his eyes meet mine.
“I’ll take you wherever you need to go. I have a rental.”
“I’m showing a house at two. I can take her,” Dad informs us.
“Jackson,” I say, making sure I have his attention. “I am sorry I hurt you and Alana by not telling you, but I’d still make the same choice if the circumstances were the same. A lot happened, and I don’t have the time to hash this out. I’m working a case, and it requires my full attention.”
“There’s no way your department would allow you on that case, Bri. What are you doing?”
I eye my father, telling him to shut up with my eyes. If given a crumb, Jackson is like a bloodhound; he won’t leave without answers.
I wonder what all his wife told him?
If she had told him about Drago and Gabriel, why isn’t he trying to pull that information out of me? I know my brother. If he knew, he would have had a conniption fit. He’s mad, but he’s only upset that I didn’t tell him about being shot or the miscarriage. If he knows I lost a baby, then questions about the father are bound to be asked.
