Chapter 21
Kiera
Tears streamed down my face, but for once, they were tears of happiness, and nothing would take them away from me.
“Is this for real, Mom?” Billie asked, her voice breaking as tears pooled in her eyes.
I stroked her cheek. “Yeah, honey. The doctor showed me the results. You’re officially in remission. You’ll still have to be checked twice a year, but the doctor is hopeful. You did it, baby. You beat cancer.”
She fell into my arms, sobbing her heart out as I clutched her to me. We were locked away in a private office at her school. I’d driven straight to see her after getting the results at the hospital appointment a couple of hours earlier.
I stroked her hair, the two of us holding onto each other as if we were scared the Grim Reaper would appear to tear us apart.
But even if he did appear, I wouldn’t let him take Billie from me.
No one would.
After reluctantly leaving Billie, promising her we’d throw a party to celebrate when her current school term was over, I returned home as dusk fell. I’d tried ringing James a number of times on the way home to tell him the news, but each time, his phone went to voicemail.
Begrudgingly, I phoned Alec to tell him, not in the slightest bit surprised that he was nonchalant at the news.
There was one more person I wanted to tell, but I held off. The last time Jackson and I were together, I was certain something had changed between us. He didn’t look at me like I was his enemy. He’d looked at me as if I were the only thing he needed in his life.
And then he ran out on me.
So, it was fair to say I was confused about the situation, and I didn’t think reaching out to him would help.
The second I walked through my front door, I went from room to room, collecting every single bottle of alcohol in the house before pouring them down the sink, and not giving a fuck if Alec would be mad.
I was quitting drinking. My daughter was healthy, and I was going to make damn sure she had her mother around for as long as possible. For the first time in years, I didn’t want a drink. I didn’t want to drown out the mess of my life.
All I wanted was to enjoy the moment of brightness that had been cast over me, and damn it, I was going to celebrate.
Forgoing dinner, I whizzed around the house cleaning it until it was sparkling. Alec would be home from his business trip tomorrow, and I wasn’t going to give him any reason to hurl his vile abuse at me.
As I cleaned, I turned the speakers on the sound system to full volume, dancing my way around the house to classic 80’s music, and singing at the top of my lungs. By the time I finished cleaning, my body vibrated with energy, and I was in no mood to stop dancing.
Changing into my pyjama top and shorts, I pushed the coffee table out of the way in the living room, and grabbed the remote to the sound system, using it as a microphone as I pranced around.
An enormous grin had set on my lips, not only from the news of Billie’s test results, but from feeling like a complete idiot for the pop concert I was putting on. It was a miracle the neighbors hadn’t called the cops to report a noise disturbance.
I ground my hips, running a hand down the side of my body, and feeling lighter than I had in a long time. Spinning, my singing turned into a scream, and I froze on the spot at finding the figure leaning against the doorframe, his inquisitive eyes raking over every inch of my body.
Jabbing the button to mute the music, I stared at Jackson, my eyes wide as my heart raced like a galloping horse, fright holding any words prisoner.
Jackson raised a brow as he straightened. “Are you drunk?”
“Are you going to tell me how you keep getting inside my house?” I replied, finding my voice.
He smirked, pulling a key out of his pocket and dangling it in front of him. “You’re not exactly safety conscious in this house, Kiki. You have no idea how easy it was to get a copy of the back door key.”
“I’ll make sure to change the lock tomorrow,” I huffed, rolling my eyes. “And to answer your question, no, I’m not drunk. I’m just…happy.”
“Happy?”
My lips curled into a beaming smile. “Happy. I’ve had the best news ever.”
His gaze narrowed on me. “I figured you’d be relieved, but I just didn’t expect this.” He waved a hand at me, indicating my improvised dance floor. “How did you find out?”
I snorted. “How did I find out my daughter is in remission? I went to the doctor, duh. And of course I’m happy. I told you, it’s the best news.”
In three long strides, Jackson was standing in front of me. My head tipped back so I could look up at him. “Billie is in remission?”
My smile widened to the point my cheeks ached. “Yep.” My grin faltered. “Wait. You weren’t talking about her test results, were you?”
He released a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping. “Kiera…your dad’s dead.”
My brows shot up, almost disappearing into my hairline. I gaped at Jackson, his words repeating in my head but not making any sense. “Dead?”
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, he grimaced. “Yeah. There was a home invasion.”
“A home invasion?” I clarified. I didn’t know why, but something in my gut told me Jackson was lying. The head of a secret society didn’t die in a home invasion. “How did he really die, Jackson?”
Jackson swallowed, confirming my suspicion. “James killed him.”
My mouth dropped open. Although I wasn’t sure if it was in shock at learning my brother had murdered our father or that Jackson had told me, undoubtedly breaking Legion rules.
I slumped onto the couch, my mind whirling as it tried to process the turn of events. My father was dead. The man who had caused me a lifetime of hardship, had refused to acknowledge his granddaughter, and had been nothing but a cruel, heartless man to my family, was dead.
I was free.
Billie was free.
Every day from the minute Billie was born, I’d lived in fear that my father would take her from me. And now he couldn’t.
A laugh bubbled out of me. And then another one. Before I knew it, tears were once more cascading down my cheeks, hysterical laughter gripping me as Jackson watched on, staring at me like I’d gone insane.
Perhaps it was an insane reaction; laughing at finding out your father was murdered, and by your brother. But it didn’t feel insane to me. I hated my father with a passion; he didn’t deserve to live in this world, and I was glad he was no longer part of it.
Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any better.
In a heartbeat, the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders. I jumped up from the couch, earning a raised brow from Jackson as I aimed the remote I was still clutching at the sound system, pressing play for the music to start again.
The upbeat song filled the room and vibrated through my body. Swaying my hips, I held the remote up to my mouth, singing words through tears of happiness. Jackson’s eyes darkened as he watched, and feeling brave, I spun around, wiggling my ass.
Turning back, I licked my lips before throwing the remote down so I could use both hands to caress my body.
A snarl twisted on his face, his eyes burning bright.
Sliding my gaze to his cock, I smirked at what I saw.
He might have looked like he wanted to rip my head off, but the bulge growing in his pants suggested otherwise.
My pussy clenched at the sight, remembering how incredible it felt to have him inside of me.
Grazing my hands over my breasts, my nipples puckered against the material, and Jackson’s gaze dropped to them.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and although I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, I suddenly felt drunk under Jackson’s stare.
Fuck, I wanted him. So. Fucking. Badly.
Sucking in a shaky breath, I closed the gap, pressing my pebbled nipples against him. His body tensed, but he didn’t step away. Keeping my eyes trained on him, I raised a hand, placing it on his shirt before gliding it over his solid chest and abs.
His jaw clenched as if a silent battle was being fought in his head.
One I wanted him to lose if it meant giving in to me.
I reached his belt buckle, and once I undid it, along with the buttons on his jeans, I lowered to my knees.
Still not looking away, I freed his cock from its confines, my mouth watering.
How could a cock look so damn delicious?
Wrapping my hand around his shaft, I leaned forward and lapped up a bead of pre-cum glistening on his tip. At the feel of my tongue on him, Jackson hissed, and one of his hands came up to land on my hand.
With a surge of confidence powering through me, I opened my mouth and took him to the back of my throat, stopping before I could gag. I found a rhythm, sucking his length like a lollipop as his fingers laced through my hair, gripping the strands tightly.
I popped off him, peeking up at him through my lashes, my core clenching at the need shining in his eyes.
A salacious grin curled my lips as I trailed my tongue around the head of his cock, before sliding it down his shaft.
At the same time, I cupped his balls, massaging them as I moved back to his tip so I could take him into my mouth again.
Jackson growled, the sound hitting me straight in my pussy, which was growing slicker by the second. Pulling him free from my mouth, I was about to suck him again when he yanked my hair painfully, tugging me to my feet.
His hand wrapped around my throat as he held me close enough to him for his breath to skate over my lips when he spoke. “You just can’t help yourself, can you, Kiki?”
I shook my head, my voice a broken whisper. “Not when it comes to you.”
His breath hitched, his grip tightening around my throat. “You want me to fuck you?”
Inhaling a shaky breath, my eyes darted between his. “I want you.”
And there it was. The truth I’d been denying myself for so long. I wanted Jackson. I wanted to be more than just his plaything that he discarded once he got bored. I wanted to be his everything. Like before.