Chapter 27
ELENA
I lay in bed, tangled in sheets that still smelled faintly of Jackson.
Two months ago, I was drowning in secrets and suspicion.
Now, I had my own place in Ironstone. My name on the lease.
My life… mine. I glanced at my watch—the sleek silver one Jackson had given me, reminding me about the time I'd been stranded at that bus shelter with a dead phone and he'd given me a lift.
When things between us had really taken a shift, and he'd realized he was falling for me. Him saying that had made me smile.
"So you'll never lose track of time again, and know that our time together is one I find precious," he'd said with that half-smile that still made my stomach flip. He'd also promised I'd never find myself taking transit again, not with him around. So far, he'd kept that promise.
The ceiling above me was still unfamiliar, but it didn't feel foreign anymore. The Donatis had made sure I was taken care of. A part of me still flinched at how easily I'd accepted their help. But another part, the tired, aching part, was just grateful.
Ivy had a job now where she waitressed at one of their clubs. It was safer than the places she used to haunt. She hated the uniform but liked the tips. Said it kept her close enough to the fire to feel useful, but not close enough to burn.
I sighed, closing my eyes as I pondered my new life.
How much it had changed. I had family now, siblings, ones who wanted to be there.
They visited my mom a few times a week, and sometimes I'd hang out with Meredith after work.
I'd even gone over to Grayson's house with Ivy, the four of us women spending time with little Marcello while Jackson, Grayson, and Leo all shared drinks and talked shop.
Leo was one person I was still uneasy around, but he didn't fault me for it. I was Meredith's family, therefore he was treating me as such, with respect and niceness that caught me off-guard still.
The bathroom door creaked open, making my eyes snap open. Steam curled out like a sigh, and I rolled over to get a good look. Jackson stepped into the room, towel slung low on his hips, water glistening on his chest.
Holy Hell.
My breath caught—ridiculous, considering how many times I'd seen him like this. But he still did that to me.
"You should get ready," he stated, smirking knowingly. "We've got breakfast plans."
I didn't move. Just watched him, the way his muscles shifted as he dried his hair, the way his eyes flicked to me and softened.
The black ink of his tattoos contrasted sharply against his skin, wrapping around his forearms and biceps in intricate patterns.
My eyes traced the burn scars that peeked over his shoulder, a reminder of everything he'd survived.
"Come back to bed," I murmured as heat flushed through me. "Just for a minute."
He chuckled but didn't hesitate. That was the thing about Jackson.
When he wanted something, he didn't waste time pretending otherwise anymore.
He dropped the towel, crossed the room, and climbed back into bed in seconds.
He caged me in his arms, his body hovering over mine as he gave me that wicked smile that made my legs weak.
The one that promised a whole lot of sin.
"Did I take your breath away again, princess?" he teased, and I ran my hands up his chest, biting my lip as the muscles flexed beneath my fingers.
"Always."
His mouth found mine, slow and claiming. My fingers moved to curl into his damp hair, pulling him closer. The world narrowed to skin and breath and the way he whispered my name like a promise.
"Elena."
His hands pinned mine above my head, his body covering mine completely as he moved with deliberate, maddening slowness.
"Do you want me?" He dragged his thick length between my folds, refusing to plunge into me even as I bucked my hips.
"Always, Jackson," I breathed. I'd learned quickly that being submissive was what got him the most riled up. Of being honest. It just unleashed a primal side of him that I found too damn intoxicating.
"That's right, Elena," he nudged his dick into my folds, smirking down at me. "You're mine."
I gasped as he buried himself in me with a grunt, filling me up fully.
"Look at you, always so fucking wet for me," he groaned as he lowered his head to my ear, his ragged pants only making me wild. "How does my cock feel, princess?"
"Perfect." I arched into him, needing to feel him even more as I dragged my fingers over his back, feeling the ridges of his burn scars.
"That's right." His speed increased as he drove even deeper into me, the bed creaking beneath us.
"You're mine," he growled against my throat, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. "Always."
I arched against him, breathless and wanting. "Always," I agreed, gasping as he moved deeper.
"Now come for me, Elena," he commanded.
How he'd found a way to make me nearly unravel with just a command was beyond me.
I felt the familiar tension building, my body tightening around his as our rhythm intensified.
His breathing grew ragged, matching my own desperate gasps.
When the wave finally crashed through us both, his name tore from my throat as he buried his face in my neck, our bodies shuddering in perfect synchrony, neither of us willing to let go as pleasure coursed through us.
I laughed softly against his shoulder once my high started to fade. "At least we didn't break the bed."
His answering chuckle vibrated through his chest. "Yet. Give it time."
I laughed as he pulled out and flopped beside me. That first wild session that had broken my dining table months ago had been the starting point for this wild side of him that I sought out. Sure, the soft, gentle sex was welcome, but sometimes I needed something more.
I moved to lay against his chest, my heart still racing, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my back that made my skin prickle.
"I never thought my life would look like this," I said quietly. "But I'm glad it does."
He kissed the top of my head. "You and me both."
I smiled into his skin, warmth flooding my chest. Not just desire. Not just survival. Something steadier. Something terrifying.
"Alright," he said, voice reluctant but amused. "Get up, trouble. I want to take you out. The others are waiting."
I groaned, but I moved. Because he asked. Because I wanted to. Because, somehow, this dangerous, broken man had become the safest place I knew.
He'd become mine. My everything.
I stepped into the sun-drenched courtyard with Jackson at my side and Ivy leading the way, the scent of rosemary and grilled peaches curling through the air.
The country vineyard selected for lunch was a marvel of old-world charm and modern luxury, the stone patio warmed by the afternoon sun, flowering vines climbing trellises that offered dappled shade over the long table, giving us a view of sprawling vineyards.
Grayson stood to greet us, his smile easy and genuine. The silver threading through his dark hair caught the sunlight as he moved forward. "Elena, Jackson—glad you could make it."
Meredith was already waving from her seat, her green eyes bright with excitement. "Over here!"
My family. The word still felt strange in my mind, a concept I was learning to embrace.
Jackson's hand pressed gently against the small of my back as he pulled out my chair at the long table.
I sank into it, watching as Marcello cooed from the high-seat beside Sofia, his chubby hands reaching for a wooden spoon.
"He's getting so big," I said, smiling at the baby who had made my mother light up every time he joined us for a visit.
Sofia beamed with pride. "Eight months and already trying to climb out of everything. Not too sure who he gets that from. I'm blaming his father.."
Grayson rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. "Says the woman who scaled the side of her house to sneak out at sixteen. I heard the stories."
"That was different," Sofia protested, adjusting Marcello's bib. "That was for freedom, not mischief."
Before I knew it, we were chatting about nothing and everything, silly anecdotes, work stories, the weather, and laughing.
Real, warm laughter that made my chest ache with how unfamiliar yet right it felt.
Meredith leaned into Leo's side, looking up at him with that secret language of long-term couples, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.
"We have something to share, actually," she started once we'd all settled down from greeting one another and catching up. Her fingers twisted nervously in her napkin, but her smile was radiant.
I looked at her expectantly, already sensing what was to come considering her growing grin and the protective way Leo's arm curled around her shoulders.
"We're pregnant again!" Meredith shared, her voice lifting with joy. "It's early, but the doctors are optimistic this time. We've had all our check-ups and it's going smoothly." Her eyes moved around the table, seeking our reactions.
I smiled, genuinely. I knew she'd wanted this, and after the scare with the miscarriage…
this was something they wanted to be hopeful about.
"That's wonderful, Mer." And it was. I meant it.
Even if part of me still ached with the knowledge that I'd missed every other milestone in her life—her first heartbreak, her graduation, her wedding.
I'd been robbed of a sister, and she'd been robbed of me.
"We're being extra cautious," Leo added, his voice smooth as aged whiskey. "But the doctor says everything looks perfect. I'm glad we could share the news with everyone finally." His gaze slid past me, focusing on something—or someone—behind me.
I frowned, noting how everyone on the opposite side of the table was now looking past me with expressions of shared conspiracy. I turned, instinctively, and there she was.
Mom.