AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Damn. I didn’t realize. I figured you had the details before you drove down.” Compassion welled inside my chest. “I’m sorry. I know there’s a lot of unanswered questions, but we have to be strong for Jagger. He knows that you both lied to him when you told him I died in the fire.”
Samantha straightened. “It was to protect you both.” Her eyes widened. “Not to mention that you are brother and sister and can’t have a romantic relationship. What would people say if they found out? Your father’s company could have suffered. It was in everyone’s best interest, Ariana.”
“Step,” I said firmly, popping my p. “No blood relation.”
“I love you both with all my heart, but . . . you and Jagger grew up together. It’s wrong.” Her mouth pursed, and I suspected her asshole had too.
Taken off guard by Samantha’s confession, I wondered if Dad felt the same. “Dad? Get it out. Say whatever you need to say.”
“I hadn’t known about you and Jagger for a long time. Jagger was missing for years, so I assumed it was over between you two. He thought you died, then three days later, he was gone.”
My jaw clenched, recalling the horrible things Jagger had told me he was forced to do. “The same time Crimson let me go.”
“It was devastating for us, too, Ariana.” Dad shifted in the orange plastic chair and folded his arms in front of his chest. “I figured the academy and a name change would keep you safe. It did. If Crimson was looking for you, she never found you again.”
My hands fisted. “You let me think that Jagger had died in the fire,” I snapped, my tone laced with hatred as I ground out each word. “He thought he had lost me, too. It must have been convenient to stand behind that lie since our relationship was an abomination.”
“I never said that,” Dad said, raising his voice. “My job was to keep you safe and I failed. When you were taken, it devastated me. You’re my only daughter, and all I could think was that somehow, I’d put you in danger. I racked my brain to see how I’d let you slip through my fingers. Once I searched through your social media and laptop . . . that’s when I found the emails between you and Jagger. How you snuck into his room when we were asleep.” His cheeks burned red.
“Those private messages were pretty steamy, Dad. Serves you right for snooping.”
Dad stood at his full height, looming over me. At forty-nine, he was in excellent shape. His black polo stretched across his broad shoulders, and his biceps bulged as he rubbed his palms together. When Dad was stressed, he rubbed his hands together as if the friction soothed his nerves. “If you ever have kids of your own, whether it’s with Jagger or another man, you’ll understand how difficult it is to make the right decision. Samantha and I talked it over, and we agreed that keeping you apart was for your own safety.”
“It wasn’t a coincidence that Crimson released you and Jagger was taken,” Samantha said. “We searched for him for two years. Not one day passed that we didn’t scour heaven and earth. We even hired Westbrook Security and worked with Pierce and Sutton Westbrook. Each time there was a lead, Jagger would disappear again.”
“Then your brother, Gunner, found him,” I added.
“Yes, thank God. After Gunner said that Jag was with him safe and sound, I puked. The years had been hell, and with the good news, my body rid itself of the fear, I guess.” She paused, and I wondered if she was reliving that phone call with her brother. “I was so naïve thinking that Jagger would welcome me with open arms.” Her bitter laugh filled the room. “We spoke once, then he said that he would reach out when he was ready. A week went by, then another. I called him and left a voicemail every day for a month, but he never reached out to me. I thought Gunner had brought my son home, but he wasn’t the same boy who had been taken. His eyes were haunted, tortured. Since the night of the fire, I lost my boy. You lost your boyfriend, but I lost so much more.”
I snorted, and Dad shot me a disapproving glance. Pressing my lips together, I swallowed my harsh response.
Samantha’s expression pleaded with me. “You don’t have to forgive us, Ari. We made some hard choices. Theo and I still have no idea who took Jagger or why. The only reason we learned about Crimson was because she told you her name. I’m still shocked she let you go.”
“Me too, but Jagger wasn’t. I was a way to get to him. That’s all I know.” I rolled my head and popped my neck, then I blew out a breath. “The fact is that you lied to us. Maybe you had a say in our relationship when we were kids, but we’re grown now. You can’t keep us away from each other. A part of me understands that you were trying to keep me safe, Dad. The other part . . . I’m not sure I can ever forgive either of you for the lies you told Jagger and me. For four years, I thought I murdered him in the fire. Do you have any idea how heavy that grief is?”
“The fire wasn’t your fault, Ari.” Dad’s tone was gentle.
“It doesn’t matter. You and Samantha let me think that I could go to prison if anyone found out the truth. That’s some twisted shit. Jagger agrees. What he chooses to do concerning his relationships with the both of you, I have no idea. I’ll support him either way. For me, we’re going to be there for Jagger and help him recover. I’ll be respectful, but once he’s better, I’m done with both of you. What you did was selfish and coldhearted. Neither of you are the people I thought you were.”
Without another word, I spun on my heel, flung the door open, and marched my ass back to my boyfriend’s room. Fuck Theo and Samantha. I sucked in a deep breath, managing the tumultuous whirlwind of anger before I joined Jagger again. Plastering a smile on my face, I walked in. His soft snore reached my ears, and I sighed with relief. That would be the only time I planned to leave him, and it had scared the shit out of me. If someone took a shot at him in broad daylight, they were smart enough to sneak in and visit him at the hospital.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I sat beside his bed and watched him sleep. I wasn’t sure if God existed, but I silently prayed to keep Jag alive and safe. But even I knew that hope was a dangerous drug.
ChapterThirty-Three
Ariana
“How’s that?” I fluffed Jagger’s pillows behind him, then rolled over the tray on wheels. “The girls made you lasagna.” I smiled at him. “After you eat, take your meds.” I grabbed the blanket from the end of my bed and covered him. “At least the bathroom is nearby.”
Jagger’s stomach growled. “This looks amazing. Tell them thanks.”
“As long as you’re not dizzy, we can go downstairs. You’re not stuck up here. I just don’t want you to tumble like a deflated basketball.” I cringed. “That wouldn’t be good.”
“No shit. I’d probably rip open the stitches.” He picked up his fork and cut a healthy bite of lasagna that he popped into his mouth, moaning. “So much better than hospital food.”
“Hey! Didn’t the doctor say no sex until he was healed?” Everlee called up the stairs and into my bedroom.
“He said no such thing. My shoulder is healing, there’s nothing wrong with my dick!” Jag yelled.
