Amara's POV
For as long as I could remember the idea of marriage had been business. The public would see a union of smiles and the entire parade of glamour one would expect from any wedding. It was for that very reason that I couldn't even fathom the idea of marrying Jackson. It was too…personal.“I…I can't marry you.”He expressed a sigh before taking one of my hands, lifting it to view to showcase my ring between us both. Before I could speak, he collected the heavy stone and left my hand naked.“What are you-”“I know you don't love him and I also know that you're doing this because you had no other option…” He leaned slightly closer so only I could hear him among his brigade of black suede soldiers. “Let me be that other option.”“How would it even work? You're…” His brow cocked in intrigue. The reason our friendship was frowned upon as kids were why a marriage would be disastrous now. The Brady family was resilient and dangerous, all tall tales and warnings to the public as any evidence was carefully hidden. It was families like the Maldoris that ensured it stayed that way. Even if Jackson spent the last fifteen years turning my father's men against him, he had a marksman that needed only an address before getting rid of any minor inconvenience.“I'm what?” His question wasn't asked in hurt but it was definitely not without some feeling.“You knew it was always going to be a transaction.”“Is that what you want? Because if it would make you truly happy to be their puppet, I'll return you right now.” He closed the space even closer between us. “Or you can let me save you so I can save myself because the very idea of letting you go back to him is enough to make me crazy.” When he withdrew, his eyes fell to my lips.“They'll kill you.” He bit his back teeth, forcing his jaw to constrict.“Again you mean?”“What?”“I didn't want to tell you until after the paperwork was signed…But I also don't want you to feel like I tricked you.” He jerked his head towards his men and we were alone again.“Your father had my family killed.” I blanched. Every ounce of blood drained from my body and towards my feet. I never thought much about his family after him because it was too painful. And besides birthday cards from his father, I thought the idea was mutual.“They're…” He slowly nodded.“So then you know that this will end up killing you…”“Watching you have to live your life with them would kill me. So agree to this and we can take them down together.”“So it's revenge then? That's what brought you back? You saw the window of opportunity and just decided to pounce?” I asked bitterly as he dropped his gaze. His hands fell to either side and came to a clench.“I'm sure there are a multitude of women that are the daughters of men my family have wronged. The fact you could ask me that after I…It's cruel…” I stepped forward to leave. A sudden tattooed forearm projected in front of me to keep me from moving beyond him.“There hasn't been a day that's passed that I haven't seen you somehow. I saw them chip away that young girl I used to envy being able to be so bold. You became the shell of a girl I saw them strip away day by day. I don't hate them for killing my parents or any extension of my bloodline. I blame them for killing that part of you.” He took another step, almost pressing me into the wall as he spoke. “So yes, I want revenge. But not for my family. But for what they took from you…from us.”“I-”“We have about five minutes to get that paperwork signed before they realize what I've done. Five minutes before bullets and fists fly. We don't have time to-”“I want to know everything after that paperwork is signed. No skipping over anything to protect me and no evading.” His expression returned to life. It was as if my agreement enlivened him.“You have my vow.” I couldn't fight rolling my eyes at the remark. It must not be the vow a girl expected on her wedding day, but it was one nonetheless.“Fine. Then let's get married.” A smile spread carefully across his face until he seemed to remember our limitation of time.Coming through the door to find a nervous woman on the other side, we took a seat for signatures. Signing what seemed like endless pages, one of the men that accompanied us eventually came to Jackson’s ear. He nodded in understanding before leaning towards the woman who was now sweating between instructing us.“Mallory,” Her eyes shot up to Jackson with concern as a visible swallow came from her petite neck.“I trust you can finish the rest of this for us.” He left a Manila envelope formerly folded in the suit jacket he'd taken from the car. “And then give yourself a deserved early retirement somewhere far away from here…” The dead on her face transitioned into something mirroring relief.“I don't know what to say…”“No need. What you've done for us is thanks enough. Make sure to file it for the time we spoke about.” She nodded quickly. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” He was preparing to reject her offer before his eyes scanned her. An immediate river of jealousy shot through me at how he watched her. If even for a moment I didn't want it to be for anyone else.“Do you happen to have some extra clothes?”Less than five minutes later we were walking through the back exit of the courthouse with a handful of Jackson's men following behind.“What now?”“Tonight is for us…” He explained before nodding towards the men around us, as one handed him a weapon. He checked the chamber, locked and loaded, and interlaced our fingers.“Where are we going?” I asked, stalling the attempt he made of quick steps.“Home.” It was a simple and honest answer that seemed just as right as it was wrong.This was not a possible reality. Maybe I did end up drinking too much at the rehearsal and was currently passed out in the bathroom. Maybe I had been killed during the abduction and this was my version of heaven-even purgatory. Or maybe the young boy who died on that sidewalk fifteen years ago had done just that and the man leading me towards a new danger was what replaced him. He was a contradiction of hope and helplessness, care and brutality- home.Jackson's POVShe was silent from the second we left the courthouse. What I wouldn't give to know the thoughts in her mind.Did she resent me for forcing her into a similar situation her father threatened against her the entirety of her life? Did she find it secretly thrilling at the idea of being together as I did? Did she hate me? Did she want me? Dammit, I didn't think this through when it came to how obsessive I would become to the “what-ifs”. Everything else, though, was thought through to plan a to z.“I'll make sure you have a phone and computer tomorrow, but for right now, we both have to stay under the radar.”“Alone?” She was quick to ask, a twinge of fear in her question contorted my heart.“Your father is going to have everyone and their right-hand men looking for you. It will only be a matter of time until he learns what we did-&rdqu
Amara's POVThe house itself was definitely beyond what only two people would need. It left me to wonder if we would be housing staff of any kind and how trustworthy they may be. As it seemed I was a captive, I had to find a way to survive from one gilded cage to another. In hindsight, I knew I was cruel to Jackson when all he had done was try and protect me, but I was too angry at him to see anything beyond my rage. Maybe if he would have come back into my life before now things could have been different. Maybe this night wouldn't be forced…maybe it wouldn't be fake. The mudroom opened to a small entryway directly across from a staircase set on a far wall and archways leading to different sections of the house. To the right was the kitchen, silver and cobalt details that looked untouched and pristine. Wrapping around to this had been a dining room with enough room for approximately eight guests and a small candelabra at the center. Beyond this was a study decorated i
Jackson's POVHow is it that even with a scowl, messy hair, and day's old makeup that Amara Brady could pull me to my knees. If her safety weren't a factor I was tempted to drop down on them and beg for her forgiveness for my treatment of her the night before. But as I refrained at least one hundred times from coming to her room that I paced behind the door that separated us, I could find the strength in addressing her now. But for the moment her eyes seemed to feed off of my naked chest-that was a bit harder to ignore. “Why did you bring me here?” She asked as if suddenly some CEO of some kind with fingers folded in wait for an answer. “I was tired.” I was short with my answer, hoping she would be too annoyed to dig into more details. “Tired from throwing away the candles? Maybe the flowers? The book looked kind of heavy…” Dammit. I didn't think she was going to go full raccoon in the night and find any of that. “Must have been from the owners
Amara's POV It was a tortured silence as we made our way to the private airstrip just outside of the city. I wanted to apologize and be apologized to but all I could think about was what happened in that kitchen before we left. More specifically what could have happened if we weren't interrupted. As infuriating as it was to be both a captive and a willing hostage, I was constantly torn between trusting Jackson and wanting to get the upper hand over him. Maybe figure out a way to dethrone my father from his patriarchy and find my freedom in a way that didn't depend on me marrying someone else. But all I could think about were Jackson’s hands holding mine flat. His tense body curved into my own. His breath at the shell of my ear as I turned to face him. As I said, completely infuriating. “Where are we even going?” I asked with frustration more on myself than him. “Away.” “That was helpful, thank you…You know if you wanted to be a-” I beg
Jackson's POV“I'm fine.” I urged as she had already made at least five trips through the entire plane to try and find the first aid kit. While my eyes shifted here and there on the instruments of the plane, she was on her sixth trek before I captured her hand on my own.“Maree…please…You're making me dizzy…”“You're burning up and are still actively bleeding! I'm not stopping until I-” The eureka moment spread across her face was enough to blaze a grin across my own. I basked in her happiness and wanting to be a part of it- wanting to be the cause of it.“Stay here.” I chuckled with the lack of a choice as she sped back into the cabin of the plane and returned with arms full of alcohol.“Uh…”“I wasn't sure if you were a whiskey guy or more of a vodka but…”“I'm not drinking when I still have to help you land this thing in a few hours.”“It's to help the infection.”
Amara's POV I woke up completely disoriented in an unfamiliar bed, a cold damp between my legs, and the scent of Jackson surrounding me at every turn. My cheeks flushed immediately as I understood the reason behind my ruined panties had been from the vivid wet dream. His scent was from the space we shared, I was certain. But how I got into this bed was a theory of his caring arms lifting me against him, despite his wound and his fever. And just like that the tension of my lust and sanity wound tight enough that I might as well have kept my fingers in place throughout the night as they did nothing to end this rigidity. Maybe I'd be lucky and he wouldn't remember the moment in the cockpit and we could go back to that dishonest distance. But I was never a lucky girl…“Sorry-” He uttered when coming out from the cockpit, crashing into my chest and I was returned to the visions of last night's dream. Tangled sheets and heavy breathing were on a repe
Jackson's POVI shouldn't have done it but I needed to take the edge off. I didn't intend to until I saw those damn panties hanging over the shower and I had to hold them to be closer to her. I behaved until then, at least to a desperate man's standards, and convinced myself it was a reward of sorts. But now I could barely look her in the eye with how risky I'd been. What if she heard me? She'd be disgusted no doubt. I needed to keep myself under a damn microscope to not rush against her and frighten her with how my body came alive to her touch. “We’re here.” I explained as we came to the apartment complex we'd be staying at until further notice. It was under an alias and private enough that the only staff was a single maid that came once a week to change out the plants and dust. Now it would be a place we shared. A place that was suddenly too small for how being close to her made every curve of her was a damn homing beacon. “Let me know what room you pick and
Amara’s POVThis was a far cry from the Jackson I knew, without question. There was a time I used to have to order for him when we split a pizza and now he was commanding a room with split reactions-all making him out to be intimidating. The men surrounding the medium sized table in the Spanish-style restaurant all evaded eye contact while those they chose in their arms were batting their lashes at my husband. I couldn't help but wonder if anybody here was forced into a marriage of convenience as well or if thar was simply our story. I didn't have much time to pick up on the details of distance before a specific introduction caught my attention.“Danielle Davenport.” Her talon nails extended as I simply stared. Jackson wrapped his arm around my waist, gently digging his nails into my hip as a way to make me behave. All it did was bring me closer to his side and painfully aware that he was dominant to a cruel advantage.“Jackson's wife.” I