Claimed: The Dark Christmases Trilogy

by Z. L. Arkadie

  “Are you referring to Zach?” I asked.

  “Yes. Turns out he’s a doctor in training. If they’d only waited, I could have arranged a meeting with their mother in a safer environment.”

  “Then Bryn knows Amelia wasn’t her mother?”

  “My guess is that after speaking with Katie, she figured it out. She’s smart, like you.”

  I sniffed, simpering. “You’re going to make my head expand and float away to the moon.”

  He chuckled while tapping out an email to a guy named Curtis Rumsfeld. “As long as I can come with you.”

  I just smiled as I watched Jasper’s thumbs hit letters. There was a reason he was letting me see what he was writing—he was telling this guy that he wasn’t interested in politics and to find another candidate to groom. After hitting Send, he winked at me.

  “Then it’s settled,” I said. “No more of this POTUS nonsense.”

  He turned his head curiously. “You mean you wouldn’t have voted for me?”

  I snickered. “Not when I first met you, that’s for sure.”

  Jasper tilted his head back, laughing heartily. I had never heard that sort of laughter from him, and because of that, I relished the sound.

  “I would definitely want your vote, babe.” He held up a finger. “Even if I’d only gotten one, I would’ve wanted it to be yours.”

  I was smiling from ear to ear. Jasper definitely knew how to charm me. “Well, now that I know you better, I wouldn’t give it to anyone else but you.”

  Jasper squeezed me tighter. “Then that would’ve made me a winner.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You sure know how to lay it on thick. But don’t stop. It turns me on.”

  He chuckled. I could tell he wanted to say something complimentary. Then his gaze turned serious. “But I couldn’t live under the scrutiny of being president. Not only that, but I’m not a politician. Never have been and never will be. And I know what they’re made of. I’ve had to pay off a lot of them so that I can get shit done.”

  I grunted thoughtfully and pondered what he’d said.

  “She’s thinking,” Jasper said.

  I grinned as I scratched the back of my head. “I don’t think many people are like you. I mean, shit, Jasper—you can remember a sentence in a paragraph after studying a page for less than a minute.”

  “It was two minutes. And doing that shit is stressful.”

  I nodded emphatically. “I can imagine it is, my love. Your father made sure you acquired that ability under duress, but you do have it. And I’m sure you have opinions on foreign affairs, economics, and national security.”

  He scoffed. “Don’t we all. But I’m not interested in fixing any of it. What the hell, babe—you want me to be a fucking president?”

  I laughed. “No way,” I said, shaking my head adamantly. “I just know you’d be a hell of a president if you decided to be one. I’m rather partial to the idea of you and Vincent Adams taking over the media world.”

  Jasper struck again. His mouth was on mine, and we were kissing deeply. Holy shit—I loved it when he did that.

  “I love that you want me to take over shit.” His eyes smoldered. “You know how much I love it?” He guided my hand to his engorged crotch. I squeezed his package. Shit, he’s as hard as steel.

  My heart skipped a beat. By the way we looked at each other, it was clear we were going to fuck each other silly the next time we were in bed together. I still hadn’t taken my hand off his rigidness. Without even realizing it, I was stroking his shaft through his pants.

  Jasper sucked air between his clenched teeth as he wrapped his large hand around my tiny wrist. He shook his head at me, watching me with his eyes glazed over. “I know you don’t care who sees us, and neither do I, but we’re almost at our destination, and I need to fucking focus.”

  “I understand,” I whispered as our mouths slowly moved toward each other.

  Then Jasper pulled back, rubbing his chin. “You’re addictive.”

  I chuckled as I smashed my finger against my chest. “Me?” I pressed my finger against his chest. It felt so solid, even through his sweater. “You are.”

  He captured my hand and did his customary kiss to the back of it and then the palm. I beamed at him, wondering if he would do that even when we’re old and gray and still in love. Suddenly, my father’s face came to mind. I closed my eyes gravely. When he got out of jail, he would surely get in the way.

  “What was that expression about?” Jasper asked.

  Of course, he was always noticing. I didn’t want to mention Harper until it was absolutely necessary.

  “It’s nothing, babe,” I said. “I’m just tired.”

  Jasper eyed me suspiciously. “Should you be starting your period soon?”

  Finally, he’d said something in front of his security guys that embarrassed the hell out of me. My face warmed as I looked down at the back of the front seat. “It’s coming.” I hope… or maybe not. That was a pretty stupid thought. Jasper and I had been captured by the euphoria of new love. Having a child now would not be smart. We had to start using protection, and all the time.

  “But I should consider some form of birth control,” I said.

  When I turned to him, he was watching me in that puzzled way of his.

  “Are you even sure Bryn is still at the motel?” I asked in an effort to change the conversation.

  “She arrived forty-three minutes ago.”

  The quizzical look on his face hadn’t changed. I squirmed in my seat. “Then you have eyes on them?”

  “Sort of. I can’t get too close to Bryn. She’ll get spooked and do something impulsive.”

  One of the security agents handed Jasper a headset. “Sir, we’ve arrived.”

  Jasper ripped his attention off me to take what was being given to him. I sighed with relief when the car pulled into the parking lot of what appeared to be the standard sort of motel for exhausted motorists. I had stayed in many of them over the years. While on the road, chasing down stories, all I needed for lodging was a bed that could have been lumpy, hard, or too soft—I wasn’t particular—and a clean toilet and shower. I never cared if the neighbors were fucking so loudly that it felt as though I was in the room with them. A noisy television didn’t bother me, either. When I was on the road, the dirtier, dingier, and smuttier the hotel was, the closer I felt to discovering the truth about what I was investigating.

  The hotel we were at wasn’t the worst of its kind, but it wasn’t the best, either. The building was clean but plain. Our driver parked far from the edifice even though the parking lot wasn’t that full. I noticed a satellite truck, which was an odd thing to see on a day and in a place like that. Perhaps a news crew from a different city was in town and hunkering down for the rest of the day. The driver turned off the engine.

  Jasper unwrapped his arm from around me. “Stay here.”

  I quickly seized him by the arm as he turned away to hop out of the vehicle. “Jasper?”

  He faced me.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Stay here. It’s safer for you. I’m trying to keep you safe,” he said tetchily.

  “You use that word a lot—safe.”

  The men up front opened their doors, and cold air flowed in from outside.

  I shook my head, frowning so hard that my face ached. “But I don’t need you to keep me safe. I put myself in more dangerous situations than that involving a runaway heiress.”

  Jasper sighed impatiently. “Holly, this is not up for debate.”

  I shook my head like a rattle. Is he for fucking real? “I agree,” I hissed then opened my door and hopped out into the parking lot.

  I slammed my door closed. There was no way he was stopping me. It might have been warmer in the vehicle and perhaps securer, but I was agitated by the fact that he was treating me like a weakling.

  It didn’t take long for Jasper to show up on my side. He looked furious, but I was furious too. Our stare down was an extravaganz
a of sheer will, and it wasn’t our first. I had easily won our initial battle, which occurred on the day I spent at the Christmas mansion, but I wasn’t sure I would triumph this time around.

  Jasper tugged open my door. “Get in.” He pointed to the inside of the cab.

  His security guard looked at me in a way that dared me to defy his boss. I was feeling awfully emotional, but I had to remind myself that I was actually a pro at convincing people to do exactly what I wanted. Jasper, even though his frown could be menacing, was easy to handle. So I dug into my bag of tricks for a new, more effective strategy.

  “Jasper, I need you to respect my ability. I also believe if Bryn sees me, she won’t come down so hard on you.” I leaned back to gauge his reaction.

  His eyebrows pulled together. I took that as a good sign.

  “I don’t want you to get hurt, babe. I love you. I need to keep you out of harm’s way.”

  “I understand, but you’re talking to someone who has met her sources in back alleys with addicts and dealers and guns pointed at her head.” He appeared extra disturbed after hearing that. Perhaps I had gone too far. “Jasper, I’m going to be more of a help than a hindrance. You said you valued my strength and intellect. Well, now is the time to show it. Plus, my instincts are good and…”

  “Okay, enough,” Jasper said, rubbing his face. He gave me a look of warning, and the same expression landed on his security chief. “Stay close to her, Joe.”

  Joe nodded firmly and walked over to stand by my side.

  “Let’s go,” Jasper said.

  We started walking even though I had more questions. I had already pushed Jasper to his limit. However, it wasn’t like me to remain silent when I needed clarity.

  “I don’t understand why you’re making such a show of strength,” I said. “Didn’t Bryn and Katie come here merely to meet their mother?”

  The air stung my face, and even my body through my coat, so I folded my arms. Jasper looked back in time to see me hug myself to stay warm. I could tell by his expression that he hated how miserable I appeared.

  “We’re just taking precautions.”

  “I don’t think Bryn and Dale are going to come out shooting.”

  “Neither do I.” He made it to the front door and pulled it open for the security agent to pass. When it was my turn to walk in, he curled an arm around my waist. “As I said, I’m only taking precautions.”

  Whenever our faces were this close, it made me want to kiss him, and I was sure he wanted to kiss me too. I inhaled, filling my lungs with air, and let it out as I stepped inside. That felt better. The desire to physically connect with Jasper had subsided.

  I was flanked by two burly men and one tall, fit, athletically carved one. The unusual sight of the four of us immediately caught the attention of the two women behind the desk. They weren’t smiling in the manner that I was sure they’d been trained to greet new guests with. It was as though they knew who we were and why we were there. Their expressions only changed when Jasper strolled toward them in all his glory. I knew exactly how they felt. I was sure I had stared at him with the same wide-eyed, mouth-agape expression the first time I saw him too.

  He continued to be a sight to behold as he asked the girl with the ponytail for Beth McConnell. Her skin turned red, and she was lost for words. Finally, she coughed. “Um, sorry. Are you with the others?”

  “Do the others consist of two young women who are twins?” Jasper asked.

  Her head bobbled as she nodded. Poor thing—she had been bewitched by his beauty.

  “Then yes. Where are they?” There was no softness or charm in his tone.

  “They’re in the break room.”

  “The employees’ break room?” he asked.

  “I’ll take you. Follow me.”

  Jasper returned to the rest of us. “Let’s go.”

  “Oh,” the girl said as if she’d forgotten he wasn’t alone.

  Suddenly, Joe stopped and pressed his hand on his earpiece. “Boss, we have eyes on subject one.”

  The tension between the three men was thick.

  “Go,” Jasper said.

  Joe and the other guy bolted in the opposite direction.

  The front-desk clerk was more confused about what had just happened than I was.

  “Who’s subject one?” I asked Jasper. There was a fifty-fifty chance he would answer.

  “We’re ready to follow,” he said to the clerk.

  The girl looked at me then at him and said, “This way.”

  She came from around the counter. The way she walked reminded me a lot of the girl at the grocery store the previous morning. She was trying to show off for Jasper’s eyes. I didn’t know why, but neither girl’s actions had made me jealous, perhaps because I understood where they were coming from. Jasper was at the top of the food chain. I had never been that brash when seeking a man’s attention, but heck, I gave the girls kudos for trying. All they wanted was a little acknowledgment from the demigod that was Jasper Christmas. But just like the girl from the grocery store, the clerk hadn’t gotten a grain of what she was seeking—not even with her tight, skinny pants and swinging hips.

  She stopped at a closed door and turned to wiggle her eyebrows at Jasper. “They’re in here.”

  He nodded firmly. “Thank you.”

  It must have been instinct that caused her to take two steps back as he walked briskly in her direction. Once again, I disappeared from her universe as her gaze stayed on him.

  Jasper opened the door. “What the fuck is going on?” he barked.

  There were lights, cameras, and all the people operating both, along with Bryn and Katie sitting at a table across from a woman dressed in a navy-blue suit. Dale and a guy who I supposed was Zach were standing by, watching. My curious gaze landed on the small woman with deep pockmarks on her face, her eyes red and dead even though she was a living human being. She was so underweight that it seemed that with one blow, her bones would break. She had a hacking cough, and her front teeth were either missing or rotted. I had to stare at her for longer than usual to find the resemblance to her children. But it was Beth McConnell. Her name was embroidered on the right side of her blousy maid’s shirt, which she wore with ill-fitting polyester pants.

  “Speak of the devil,” Bryn said, narrowing her eyes at her brother.

  Jasper bared his teeth. “Whatever you’re doing, stop.”

  Bryn shook her head. “It’s too late, big brother. It’s a done deal. We were live.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jasper widened his stance. With that one adjustment, his presence not only filled the room but ruled it as well.

  “It isn’t a done deal unless I say it is,” he said with the sort of strength and control that made his claim indisputable. Then his death stare fell on the reporter. “Clear out your crew, and none of what she told you is true unless I confirm it.”

  Bryn shot to her feet, nostrils flaring. “Fuck you, Jasper!” she yelled and aimed a finger at Beth. “There’s my real mom.” She pointed to Katie. “That’s the sister I just met yesterday. And our father was a fucking pedophile. Are you’re really determined to hide that?”

  I waited for Jasper to blow a gasket and yell at everyone to clear out or else. But he swallowed. He seemed to be staring off into nowhere for a minute till his gaze fell on me. I felt trapped and confused. I wanted to shuffle over to him, take him in my arms, and ask what was going on. Everyone was watching us, though.

  “Jasper, it’s too late. That was live,” Bryn repeated.

  Again, he swallowed, looking in control but subdued. It felt as if the entire room was trapped in the eye of the storm. The technicians, reporter, boyfriends, and Jasper’s sisters appeared to be waiting for his next move. Finally, I massaged his shoulder. He dropped his gaze to my hand.

  “Jasper, do you need a moment?” I asked.

  He pondered some more and then turned his cold eyes on the reporter. “I want to see the interview.”

  Bryn
had left no stone unturned. She and Katie talked about the moment they’d met and how it was to see each other for the first time. Sabrina Lowland, the reporter for the local station, wouldn’t have been worth her salt if she hadn’t gotten right to the point, which was the reason why this particular story was so important. She gave a brief biography of the late Randolph Christmas, including all his achievements in business and politics.

  “But you’re saying there was a man behind the mask?” Sabrina asked.

  Either Bryn was a great actress or—when her expression turned tortured and she sniffed back tears that never rolled to the surface—she really felt some pain concerning her father. “He was more like a monster.”

  And then Sabrina had conducted an interview that probably could have won her a Peabody Award. Bryn spoke of her relationship with her father, citing an incident when she was a young girl and he’d fondled her. She said he probably would have done it more, but her brother kept her safe.

  At that point in watching the recorded interview, Bryn looked over at Jasper with glassy eyes, but he kept frowning at the screen with his arms crossed. He was very angry, and I was sure Bryn could see it.

  Sabrina asked a leading question regarding Katie’s similar experience with their father, and that was when the most damaging part of the interview occurred. Katie spoke about the house she’d grown up in. Beth, their mother, was right by her side and confirmed that she’d only been fifteen years old when the old man had sex with her. Beth and Katie retold the traumatic details of their lives at that house in Chattanooga with a sort of numbness. Beth said she ran away from an abusive home when she was twelve years old to only end up at another one.

  “But they would get into your head and brainwash you, I guess,” Beth said. Her voice was gruff like someone who smoked too many cigarettes or burned out her vocal chords while smoking hard drugs.

  “When did you leave that place?” Sabrina asked.

  “After my daughter, Katie, escaped. There was no need for me to be there no more,” Beth replied.

  Finally, Katie started crying but without visibly sobbing. Tears just rolled out of her eyes, and she kept wiping them. The camera stayed on her face, and she seemed agitated by that, but she couldn’t stop the waterworks. Zach sat beside her and put his arms around her, and she rested her face on his chest and broke down.