by L A Cotton
Tribulation and Truths
Prologue
“I’ve missed you.” I nipped at Jackson’s jaw, as he pulled me tighter to him.
“Not as much as I’ve missed you. I’m sorry about the weekend. He told me it’d only take a few hours.”
I froze at the mention of him. Marcus Donohue. A whole summer had passed, and I still wasn’t used to him being the third wheel in our relationship. I doubted I would ever get used to it.
Jackson nudged my cheek. “Ana, come on. Don’t be like that. Remember the end goal. This is for us.”
That was the other problem.
Since telling Jackson about the evidence pointing to the possibility that Marcus killed his dad, he had changed. He’d become obsessed with bringing Marcus down. And the best way to do that—he kept telling me—was from the inside.
But weeks had passed and all I’d witnessed was Jackson get pulled further and further into their world.
The Donohue’s world.
A world I wanted nothing to do with.
A world that threatened to tear us apart.
Chapter One
Ana
“Dios Mio,” Elena hissed through her teeth, eyes wide as she scoped out the house. “This place is freaking unreal. Fallen House is something, but this, this is where it's at.”
I followed my excited friend as she moved further into the house. It was small. Much smaller than Fallen House, smaller even than the guys' house, but she was right. There was something about it.
“I thought this was faculty housing or something.”
Or something. Jackson still hadn't revealed exactly how he'd scored us the two-bedroom house nestled on the edge of campus, and I didn't ask. It was pretty obvious.
“And you're living here... you and Jackson? Together? Alone? In this damn mini-mansion?”
My eyes drifted to the huge glass window overlooking Lowe Stadium. The Douglas firs stood tall, moving gently in the breeze. I could understand the shock in her voice; it did seem a little crazy. Not to mention against school regulation.
Shrugging, I said, “Jackson didn't want to live at Fallen House. He'll keep a room there, but he said that too much has happened. Besides, he didn't want me in the dorms on my own.”
Elena stepped into my line of sight and frowned. “Chica, I said we could have asked for rooms next door to each other. It's just, well, you know, we drove Paul and the guys crazy last year. Tyson figured we needed our own space, and he didn't want to leave the house. Getting my own dorm room made sense.”
“It’s fine.” I stared out of the window ignoring Elena. I didn't disagree with her; getting her own room did make sense. She rarely slept in her bed last year, and she and Tyson were pretty much joined at the hip. But it was just another change. First Braiden then Marcus and this whole thing with Jackson. And now the house; Jackson and me living together... officially. It was a lot to digest.
Before I knew what was happening, Elena had me wrapped into a hug, squeezing the life out of me. “I'll miss you too, but this is a good thing. You and Jackson need space, you know, with everything.”
She didn't say the words. We never really talked about the huge elephant in the room. But Elena knew enough—she knew that Jackson was now running things for Marcus. Everyone did.
“Yeah, I guess,” I mumbled, not convincing either of us with my words.
The front door rattled, and we broke off our hug as footsteps boomed through the hallway.
“Baby, a little help?” Tyson came padding into the room carrying two boxes stacked high.
Jackson and Dennis appeared seconds later carrying more boxes. Dennis made a beeline for the table, but Jackson strolled across the room. My eyes followed him, the way they did whenever he was near. Dressed in his number thirteen jersey and low-slung jeans, my heart pounded softly in my chest. He'd kept his hair longer since I preferred it that way and it dropped over his eyes as he stacked the boxes in the corner of the room. When he straightened, his eyes found mine and darkened. “I missed you,” he mouthed, his lips hooking up in a smile.
I couldn't help but smile back, even with the distance between us lately. It was just impossible not to look into his green eyes and feel like we could survive anything. My home was in those eyes.
And that was what worried me.
Jackson wasted no time stalking toward me. He enveloped me in his arms, covering my lips with his. My body relaxed into him, all the stress and tension melting away until there was nothing left but us.
Someone cleared their throat and Jackson smiled against my lips before pulling away.
“There's a truckload of stuff that needs unpacking.” Dennis smirked at Jackson, and they seemed to share an unspoken message. Another thing I was becoming used to.
Jackson had promised me the summer. One summer before shit got crazy and he was at Marcus' beck and call. He told me that he had demanded time with me before our junior year commenced. Turned out time with me really meant time split between Dennis and me and the rest of the guys: Travis, Shaun, and Kyler. In the end, I gave in to Aunt Betsy's persistent calls and returned to Fort Pierce for a couple of weeks, leaving Jackson to his business. He didn't like it, but I didn't particularly like spending my days waiting for him to come by. And ever since returning, the queasy feeling in my stomach had taken up permanent residency.
Elena linked her hand through mine and pulled me toward the dark leather couch. “We can supervise from here.”
Tyson shot her a look and rolled his eyes before heading out front for more boxes.
“Everything okay?” Elena squeezed my hand in hers, and I gave a slight nod.
It had to be okay.
It just had to.
“Come here.” Jackson's arms looped around me from behind and he dropped his chin on my shoulder as we stood observing the guys’ hard work. The huge queen-size bed sat proudly in the middle of the bedroom. Our bedroom. I still wasn't used to that, and I suspected I wouldn't be used to it anytime soon.
“Too much?” There was a cautious edge to his voice, as if he could sense how over the top and unnecessary I thought the new bed was. And the brand new flat screen and the huge gray sectional downstairs.
“It's all just a little overwhelming. I've never done this before.”
“Ana, we practically lived out of your dorm room last year.” He turned me in his arms, two green oceans searching my face. “I thought you wanted this? I knew there was no way in hell you'd want to move into the house or Marcus-”
I choked on his words. “What? He wanted us to live there? With him?”
Jackson's eyes creased, the way they did whenever we spoke about him. “He wanted us close, I guess. He's not stupid, Ana; he suspects there's more to my sudden change of heart before the summer. This is Marcus Donohue we are talking about.”
I pressed myself to Jackson to avoid having to look at him any longer. He could read me too well; see the doubt in my eyes.
“I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into,” I murmured into his shirt, taking comfort in his smell.
Jackson held me at arm's length; his face twisted with anguish. “Ana. Please, don't keep doing this. I've made my decision. I can't, I won't let him get away with it. All these years spent living a lie. I can't, I won't...”
Unable to watch the person I loved more than anything fall apart in front of me, I pulled him to me and held him tight. Jackson took comfort in my embrace, holding on as if I was the air he breathed.
I felt the change in him. The air around us shifted, and Jackson's lips found the sensitive skin on my neck. I moaned softly. Strong arms gripped my thighs and lifted me up against him. Cradling me. Jackson carried me to the bed and laid us down, his body covering mine.
“You, Ana. It's just you and me. Always.”
I heard the words but was lost in the feel of Jackson's weight bearing down on me, and the feel of his lips trailing kisses across my skin.
“Make me feel, Ana.”
; My eyes widened and found his. He was using his own words against me. It wasn't fair, but it worked. Of course, it worked. Jackson was my reason for living.
My everything.
And I was his.
Although, I found it hard to believe that someone like him would need someone like me, he did. I'd witnessed that when he'd chosen me over his family last year. If I could dampen his pain for just a second, then I would. Even if it meant shelving this argument for another day.
Palming his cheek with my hand, I brushed my thumb over his lips before pressing my mouth to his.
“Always,” I whispered.
Things on campus were different. Sure, students went about their daily routines on the face of it, unaffected by Braiden's absence, but I saw the little things. The way people ate in the cafeteria without keeping one eye on the door. Easy prey walked with their heads held a little higher. And whenever Jackson was in the room, all eyes watched him. Awe, confusion, jealousy—I saw it all in the stares of our classmates. People didn't know whether to be thankful for Jackson's new place at the top...or scared of the unknown.
“Everyone's watching again.” Elena whistled through gritted teeth.
For a girl who enjoyed the limelight, she was having a hard time adjusting to how our little group had been thrust onto center stage, all because of Jackson's promotion.
Dennis flashed Jackson one of their secret looks, and Jackson shook his head ever so slightly. But I saw it. Dennis didn't agree with them eating with us, and Jackson was overruling him.
We didn't sit in the busy cafeteria. Instead, we spent our lunch break huddled on one of the few benches outside.
“People are just itching to know if the Fallen are throwing the first party of the semester down at Dead Man's,” Nate said, breaking some of the tension from Elena's earlier statement.
“Shh, Nate.” Lydia nudged her boyfriend and flashed me an apologetic smile.
Jackson dropped the remainder of his sub on the tray and turned to Nate. “I guess so. Spread the word. This Saturday. I'll tell the house.”
His eyes flashed to Dennis again, who drew his lips into a thin line. I'd spent a lot of time around Jackson and Dennis, usually watching them have hushed conversations or silently communicating with a look. I quickly learned that Dennis was Jackson's conscience. He knew Jackson was falling deeper and deeper, and I only hoped Dennis would be there to anchor him when I couldn’t.
“Hell yeah, anything you need, man, give me a shout.”
All our heads turned to Jamie, who shrugged at our surprise. “What? I just figured we're all friends now. I have connections, if you know what I'm saying.” He wiggled his brows at Jackson, who tipped his head and pursed a smile. But I could feel the change in him. Referring to any kind of business in public was not okay with Jackson.
“We need to head out,” Dennis said to Jackson as he pushed off the table and stood.
Jackson turned to me and pressed his lips to my cheek. “See you back at the house. I won't be late. Promise.”
All I could do was nod as Jackson said goodbye and walked away.
“Parry, you okay in there?” Paul whispered over my shoulder, my eyes tracking Jackson as he walked in the direction of Fallen House.
I turned to Paul and shrugged.
Honestly, I don't know.
Afternoon classes passed by in a blur. My mind couldn't stop imagining what Jackson was doing. It was always the same when he was away handling business—the same business that had hurt us both more than once.
It was only the second week of the semester, and he had already missed the odd class. No one asked questions. It was as if once word of Braiden’s imprisonment spread, Jackson’s new place in the Donohue family was just accepted. Sure, people still talked about what happened, about how Marcus Donohue allowed his only son to be charged with aggravated battery. Only three of us knew the truth. Marcus, Jackson, and me. Not even Briony knew the truth about Braiden being locked up in Oregon State. Marcus made sure of it. And to the outsider, the prosecution had a case so airtight that not even the formidable Donohue family lawyer, Derek Petrelli, could get him off.
I walked back to the house lost in my thoughts. Campus was a hive of activity; everyone was enjoying the warm afternoon. Even the Douglas firs seemed to stand a little taller, wanting to be that little bit closer to the sun. But even the rare warmth wasn’t enough to penetrate my mood. There was only one thing that would put me at ease—Jackson home, safe and unharmed.
Lowe Stadium came into view and our house stood proudly against a leafy backdrop. Elena wasn't wrong; the house had character. Nestled in the corner away from the other campus buildings with only a small road leading further into the forest, the house was hardly noticeable. If I was completely honest, the house freaked me out. It could have been the setting for a slasher movie. But Jackson was adamant that it was the right move for us. And I wanted to trust his judgment. I just didn't plan to spend much time alone there.
My feet slammed to a halt as someone stepped into my line of sight. I rolled my eyes at the person before me, really not wanting to get into it with her.
“What do you want, Briony?” I struggled to disguise the annoyance in my voice.
Briony’s nostrils flared and her whole face creased with anger. “So it's true?” she hissed, glancing back at the house off in the distance. “He really moved you into the old Wieman house. Un-fucking-believable.”
I groaned inwardly. I had been avoiding the crazy bitch as much as possible. Marcus had forced the three of us to clear the air, but I knew better. Briony would never accept my relationship with Jackson. I saw the contempt in her eyes every time she looked in my direction.
Stepping to the side in an attempt to move around her, I kept my eyes ahead, unwilling to let her draw me in. But she caught my arm and yanked me closer.
“I know there's more going on than Dad is letting on. Braiden should have been cleared of those charges. Our family owns this town and everyone in it. Including the DA.”
I stood rigid, refusing to let her get the better of me, even if my heart was pounding frantically in my chest.
“I'll be watching you. You ruined this family, my family, and you won't get away with it.” Briony shrugged me out of her grip, and I righted myself, turning to watch her storm away.
My whole body trembled. A year ago, it would have been fear coursing through me, but now, it was blind hatred. I hated that girl with every fiber of my being. She was poison. Everything about her was toxic, and if I let her, she would tear Jackson and me apart in the blink of an eye. But I wasn’t the same girl I was then. I was changed. Her family had changed me.
And hate was a powerful motivator.
Chapter Two
Jackson
“Awesome party, Pierce.”
“Fallen, Fallen.”
“Looking good, man.”
The voices all fused together as I cut through the bodies huddled in the reception room to the kitchen.
Hands clapped me on the shoulder, and girls pawed at my jersey. I was the motherfucking star of CFA.
And I hated it.
“What up, Pierce.” Steve straightened as I approached the basement door. “We thought you’d forgotten about us since you moved your girl into Wieman house.”
Noticing my less than stellar mood, he stepped aside to let me through and I tipped my head, too amped to reply. Once the door closed behind me, the music of the main party was drowned out and replaced with something more chilled. Dennis stepped off the wall as I reached the bottom step. Shaun and Kyler were all up in two girls, and I cleared my throat, throwing them a look to get rid of them.
“Party’s over,” Kyler grumbled slapping the blonde on the ass and pushing her in the direction of the stairs. She squealed, grabbing her friend's hand and pulling her toward the door. They passed me, giggling, as I headed for the table.
“Did you have to scare away the pussy?” Shaun dropped into one of the chairs and tipped his Stetson.
“Yeah, just because you’re getting it on tap, don’t mean you have to ruin all of our fun. Ten more minutes and she would have been on her knees sucking my dick.” Kyler high fived Shaun but didn’t meet my glare.
Now who’s the pussy?
I took my seat at the head of the table, waiting for Dennis and Travis to join us. Within seconds, I had four expectant faces all trained on me waiting for my instructions. I still wasn’t used to it. How easily they followed. Even after witnessing it with Braiden over the last two years, having them follow me was something that didn’t sit right. I didn’t want it, or ask for it, but it was necessary.
A means to an end.
“We’ve got a problem.”
Dennis shifted beside me, breaking some of the tension weighing down on us.
“This comes from Marcus, Unc- Uncle Marcus.” The words almost choked me. “There have been reports that the latest batch of hmm…product has had some negative side effects. Some kids in Reibeckitt were taken to the hospital. It’s no secret that I hate that shit and I want to keep my hands clean, but if CFA students end up dropping because of something we are pushing then it could cause serious problems. We need to avoid that.”
Travis scrubbed a hand over his jaw and blew out a long breath. “Okay, but we already sold a load of that shit. It’s party season, man; everyone wants to let loose and get high. There’s no way we can track who’s taking what.”
Fuck. I clenched my fist into a tight ball underneath the table. “I know, I know, but can we start a rumor that the white is laced? Fear might put some people off taking it.”
It wouldn’t. People knew the risks, but they didn’t care. The high was more important.
“If people decide to snort that shit, then it’s on them.” Kyler stood up, pushing his chair back in the process. “What are we supposed to do? He wants it sold, and we sell it. It isn’t like-”
