Chapter 39 #2
“Me too. I just wish this version happened a lot sooner.” He gently places a kiss on my lips before we are pulled into conversation with our friends.
After asking Logan endless questions about garden gnomes, I convinced a very sleepy Ben to cuddle into the spare bed and watch a movie on my tablet.
Claire, who’s always prepared, had packed his favourite Spiderman pyjamas in her magic bag and by the time I left the room, he could barely keep his eyes open.
He is such a sweet little boy, I’m grateful that I get to enjoy these quiet moments with him.
I’ve just reached the bottom of the stairs when I hear a firm knock at the front door.
“I’ll get it,” I call over the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen.
I can’t imagine who could be here unless Sam changed his mind and brought his new friend.
That would be amazing, I would love to meet them.
Opening the door, I am shocked to see Logan’s doppelg?nger on the other side. Jackson. The brothers could be twins but everything about the younger man is darker and not just in appearance.
He’s dressed in black from head to toe: leather jacket open over a tight-fitting T-shirt, ripped jeans, and Doc Martens.
Behind him, I can see a street bike parked on the side of the road.
Where Logan’s hair is lighter brown and a little grown out, Jackson’s is dark and cropped close to his head.
Logan’s eyes are warm, chocolate brown, and his brothers are dark and hard as stone.
His tattoos extend up his neck and down the back of his hands to his fingers.
“Oh, Jackson. Hi, it’s nice to see you.” Standing in the open door, my voice sounds a little too cheerful for how uncomfortable I feel. Should I invite him in? What’s the protocol for inviting your boyfriend’s estranged, convicted felon brother into his home?
“Is it?” Narrowing his eyes at me, he looks me up and down with his legs spread and arms crossed. “Where’s my brother?” he demands.
Awkwardly, I gesture behind me. “Umm he’s inside. We just finished up dinner, I can go get him.”
“My invitation must have gotten lost.” He snarks, shaking his head.
Okay, what the fuck is his deal? I didn’t expect he would be thrilled to see me, but his rudeness is a little much.
“Who’s here, baby?” Logan comes up behind me, looping his strong arm around my waist, peering over my shoulder. “Jackson, what are you doing here?” He straightens. His body immediately becomes tense as he pulls me back, putting some distance between his brother and me.
“Are you not going to invite me in? That’s kind of bad-mannered, don’t you think?” he taunts humorlessly.
Ignoring his question, Logan presses firmly, “What are you doing here?”
Jutting his chin forward, he asks, “What? Am I not allowed to visit my big brother on the holiday?”
“We haven’t seen each other in years – holiday or otherwise.”
“Well, you knew where to find me, it’s not like I could go anywhere.” He glares back without blinking.
“And whose fault is that? You could have text or called me if you wanted to talk, you didn’t need to just show up.” Logan’s voice is cold and harder than I have ever heard it before.
“And miss this reunion? I don’t think so.” He snorts, eyes narrowed.
“Hannah, please go back inside. I’ll talk to him and be right in.” He turns me to look at him, and I can see the pleading in his eyes, as he gives me a small shove to go inside.
Pausing just inside the threshold, I watch as Logan walks further out onto the veranda towards his brother. I don’t know what I should do, give them privacy or go get one of the guys. My body doesn’t want to move; I feel frozen to the spot.
“I’ll ask you one more time. What. Do. You. Want. Jackson?” he slowly enunciates each word through gritted teeth.
“Well, brother you see I found myself without a place to go.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Logan interrupts coldly.
“Mom has kept this place as a rental for years and imagine my surprise when I asked her if I could crash for a while, and she told me she had just sold it to her favourite son.”
“Not my problem.” He crosses his arms, shaking his head.
“Isn’t it?” Jackson’s hands squeeze into fists at his side.
Chewing on my bottom lip anxiously, I watch the two brothers verbally spar, their voices becoming angrier and louder with every word.
Looking up and down the quiet street, I see several porch lights have been turned on.
Lovely, I’m sure more than one neighbour is currently peeking from behind close curtains.
“What are you playing at? You’re seriously mad that I bought the house, because you wanted it for yourself? Did you think you could just come back here like nothing had happened?” Logan asks incredulously.
“Why not? You did.” He shrugs with indifference, clearly enjoying getting a rise out of his brother.
Stepping forward, he shouts, “I have a reason to be here, Jackson.”
“That’s right, you thought you could come back to Emerley, get the job, the house, and the girl.”
“Yeah, I did think that. It’s my turn, Jackson. Mine!” He smacks his chest a couple of times. “I get to find my happiness. You need to leave now.” Taking another step, he edges him further off the deck.
“Why, does me being here take the shine off your perfect life, with your perfect girl? Being perfect is important to you, isn’t it?
Tell me, does she know?” He sneers, lifting his head in my direction, acknowledging my presence for the first time since Logan came to the door.
“Did you tell her or are you still keeping everyone’s secrets? ”
“Shut the fuck up. Have you not done enough?” Logan’s nostrils flare as he yells at his brother.
He smirks knowingly. “What’s wrong? You worried she won’t stick around once she knows the truth?”
“Logan, what’s he talking about? Tell me, what?” I whisper, stepping back onto the veranda. I don’t understand what’s going on, but it’s clear that Logan hasn’t told me everything about his brother.
Jackson laughs humorlessly as he shakes his head. “Unbelievable, you still haven’t told her. How long have you been back? Weeks? Months? You’re a fucking coward.”
Keeping his back to me so he can keep an eye on Jackson, he says, “I’ll tell you everything once he’s gone, I promise. Please, baby, just go back inside. Go to Riot.”
The breeze catches my hair and blows it in my face as I shake my head. “No, I want to stay.”
We all look towards the sound of tires rumbling on the pavement coming to a halt in the driveway. Headlights illuminate the yard as a door slams and Mason walks around the front of his police issued SUV towards us.
“Gentlemen,” Mason greets them. “I got a call that there may be a problem here. What’s going on?” Mason is not in uniform, still dressed in what he wore on his date with Mom no doubt. His voice is calm and controlled, two things I can guarantee nobody else is feeling.
Jogging down the steps to the ground, Jackson throws his hands in the air and shouts, “Are you fucking kidding me right now? I can’t even return to my childhood home without some cunt from this town calling the cops.”
“Jackson, people have been looking for you. You missed a check-in with your probation officer. How about you come with me, and I can help you get in touch. Clear up any misunderstanding.” He nods his head back in the direction of his vehicle.
“Like fuck I’m going anywhere with you, asshole,” he growls through clenched teeth.
“Please go with him, Jackson,” I plead holding onto Logan’s arm so he can’t advance any further. “Do you want me to call your mom for you?”
Swinging his head towards me, he barks, “You still don’t get it, do you, you fucking, dumb bitch? Our mother has always been a part of the problem.”
Before he can say anything further, I gasp as Logan pulls out of my grasp and launches himself off the veranda and tackles Jackson off his feet.
Leaves and dirt go flying as they crash on the ground together in a tangle of limbs.
Logan rolls Jackson onto his back, and slams his fist into his face – once, twice, three times.
The sound of bone cracking against flesh is deafening on the once quiet street.
“Don’t you fucking talk to her,” Logan growls angrily, colliding another fist to his face. “You! You’re everyone’s fucking problem.” Blood is dripping from Jackson’s nose and down his face, pooling in a puddle on the ground beneath them.
Jackson bucks and twists his body, laughing manically, as he lands a couple of blows to Logan’s ribs.
“Logan!” I scream running down the steps. “Don’t do this. Stop, please stop!”
Before I can get any closer, large arms wrap around my waist and pulls me away from the violence.
Squirming to free myself I hear Riot’s calm, steady voice in my ear.
“You need to stay back. He will never forgive himself if you get hurt.” Turning, he places me on the ground.
“Go on.” He pushes me gently towards the house where our friends are standing in shock.
Once he knows I’m out of harm’s way, he turns back to the brawl.
“Logan! That’s enough!” he shouts as he walks with long strides across the front yard towards the two men wrestling on the ground.
“Come on, get off him, man!” Carson yells. Both men grab Logan by his arms and drag him away from his brother. He struggles to break free, but they continue to hold him back. The fight lasted less than five minutes, but it felt like an eternity.
Jackson groans as he rolls onto his hands and knees before standing up on unsteady feet. Blood covers his teeth and drips from his bottom lip. Darkness covers his eyes, as his hands drop to his sides and form into clenched fists.
“Is that all you got, asshole?” he goads his brother angrily.
“Let me go!” Logan growls at his friends as he battles to get free from their hold.
“For fuck’s sake stop, we will let you go, but you are going to sit the fuck down and stay there,” Riot barks, leaving zero room for argument.