“Yes, but I took pleasure in killing this man.”
“Love, tell me something. Had this man hurt others and was he going to hurt more people if he was still alive?”
When she nodded he took her face in his hands and brushed his lips across hers. “Then you did exactly what should have been done. Taking pleasure in killing someone isn’t always a bad thing. I will take great pleasure in slowly killing Morrison.”
“I love you, James.”
“Oh, baby, I love you too,” he responded and wrapped his arms around her. “Let’s get some rest then I will show you just how much I love you.”
Chapter Fifteen
“David?” Tiffany asked softly as she entered the office off from the sun porch.
“Yes?” He responded.
“Got a few?”
“Of course,” he replied and sat his book down.
“I, umm, want to apologize for earlier,” she told him softly.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he replied.
“Yes, I do. I behaved like a child. I should have never hit you like I did.”
“Did you still love him?” He asked, not sure he wanted the answer, but knowing he needed to know.
“No, well not like that anyway. I loved him like a brother.”
“Then your reaction is understandable.”
“Damnit, David, just let me apologize.”
“Fine,” he responded and looked at her.
“I’m sorry for my reaction earlier,” she told him.
“Apology, albeit unnecessary, is accepted.”
“Thank you,” she replied and turned to walk out of the room.
“Wait a second,” he stopped her and she turned to look at him. “I’m sorry too. I should have let you see for yourself that he was gone, but I honestly didn’t feel you needed to see him like that.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“Tiffany, I cannot be the only one feeling this spark between us,” he announced out of the blue, stopping her in her tracks.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she responded and turned to leave again.
“Like hell you don’t,” he replied and rose to his feet. Taking the two steps that separated them, he grabbed her hand, pulling her to him. “We will just find out the hard way.”
He lowered his head and pressed a hard kiss on her lips. When she responded immediately, he grinned a little and trailed his tongue across her lips.
When she moaned, he slipped his tongue in and tasted her. She tasted like the soda she’d been drinking earlier mixed with something that could only be her natural flavor. It was enticing and intoxicating.
Not wanting to start something he knew they couldn’t finish at the moment, he reluctantly pulled away and looked into her glazed eyes. “Still don’t know what I’m talking about?”
“Fuck off, David,” she spat out. “If you ever fucking kiss me again, I will drop you to your knees.”
“You can make all the threats you want, but the heat in your eyes tells me you want me just as fucking much as I want you. Denying it will only cause unnecessary tension.”
“Go to hell,” she told him with a coolness she didn’t feel and walked out of the room.
“I’ll see you there, sweetheart,” he called out just loud enough for her to hear him just before the door slammed behind her.
Fuming, Tiffany walked back onto the sun porch and flopped down into one of the loungers.
“What’s wrong?” Lis asked when Tiffany grumbled under her breath.
“David is a conceited asshole,” she responded and Lis chuckled.
“Of course he is. He’s a Jackson after all.”
Tiffany chuckled and sighed. “He kissed me.”
“Okay, and?”
“And I really liked it,” she confessed and sighed again.
Lis chuckled and shook her head. “And that’s a bad thing?”
“Fuck yeah,” Tiffany answered.
“Why?” Lis asked in confusion.
“Because I don’t have the time nor the inclination for a relationship at the moment.”
“Tiffany, you do remember that I was engaged to another man just a couple days before I was with Dakota, right?”
“Yes, but that is totally different. You and Dakota are meant to be together and everyone knows that. David and I would have nothing more than a roll in the hay.”
“If that’s all you’d have then why not go for it?” Lis asked and grinned.
“Fuck,” Tiffany said under her breath. “I’m fucking screwed.”
Lis laughed again and shook her head. “Falling for a Jackson isn’t a bad thing, Tiffany. They’re very stubborn men though.”
“Tenacious,” Dakota said from the doorway. “Jackson men are tenacious, not stubborn.”
“Same damn thing,” Lis told him and rose to her feet. “How long have you been eavesdropping?”
“Long enough to know that Tiffany has the same feelings for David that he has for her,” he replied as he walked over to Lis and pulled her to her feet. “Hi, baby.”
“Hi,” Lis replied and grinned.
“Are you okay?” He asked and ran his hand down her hair.
“I’m fine,” she replied and smiled.
“Okay you two,” Tiffany said and rolled her eyes. “Care to tell me exactly what feelings David has for me?”
“Tiffany, I have only ever seen him look at one person the way he looks at you and he married her when we were eighteen.”
“Married?” Lis asked, looking at him in confusion.
“Yes, David was married until four years ago,” he answered and shook his head when Lis started to say something else. “That’s for him to talk about.”
“Okay,” Lis replied and sat back down.
“Don’t be upset with me,” Dakota said when he noticed the expression on her face.
“I’m not,” Lis told him, but he could tell she was.
“Elisabeth, it’s not my story to tell. As much as I love you, this is something David needs to tell everyone about.”
“I understand,” Lis told him and he sighed.
“I’m sorry, Lis,” he told her and walked out of the room.
“Shit,” she said and stood up. “I’ll be back in a little while. I need to talk to him.”
“Okay,” Tiffany replied and settled back into her lounger. “I’ll be right here.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Rachel,” James said softly as he caressed her back. “I love you.”
“I love you too, James,” she replied and rolled to her side to face him.
“You are so beautiful,” he caressed her face and she sighed.
“James, when I was at Morrison’s all I could think about was you and how much I loved you. Now that we’re in the same room all I can think about is how much I love you and want nothing more than to be with you always.”
“When I was in the hospital, before I knew anything that was going on, all I could think about was getting to you. I remembered getting shot and I remembered the explosion, but I couldn’t remember what happened to you and that was unacceptable. When I woke up you were the first one I asked about, but no one knew for sure what had happened to you or where you were. Lis and Dakota thought it was best to keep everyone except Chris in the dark about us being alive in order to keep you safe because they thought you were with Morrison.”
“Lis told me,” she confirmed. “She snuck into the manor and told me everything.”
“She did that after Tiffany confirmed you were there. I wouldn’t settle until someone told you the truth. I had to know that you knew I was alive.”
“I never really thought you were dead, honestly. I didn’t think Lis was dead either, for that matter. I knew if you were dead I’d somehow feel it. I’d somehow know.”
“Babe, we have known each other for years. You know me better than anyone and I truly believe that you would have known had I been dead,” he told her and pulled her
into his arms. “Holding you, loving you, just being near you, are the only things that feel right in my life. I would truly be lost without you.”
“I feel the same way,” she acknowledged. “Loving you is what kept me from giving up hope.”
“Rachel,” he started then stopped and looked over her shoulder to the door when someone knocked.
“You two coming out for food?” Chris yelled through the door.
“Yeah, give us a few,” James yelled back.
“Okay. Lis is making spaghetti and meatballs.”
“Yummy,” Rachel commented quietly and James chuckled.
“We do need to eat, but I don’t want to leave this bed.”
“It’ll be here after we eat, baby,” Rachel reasoned and he smiled.
“Damn, I love you.”
“I love you, too. Let’s go eat so we can get back here faster.”
“Great idea,” he agreed and kissed the tip of her nose. “Maybe I’ll have you for desert.”
“Yes, please,” she replied as she got out of bed. “Now where are my clothes?”
“Here,” he responded and tossed her one of his t-shirts.
“I still need pants,” she reminded him and giggled.
He rolled his eyes and walked over to the suitcase he had on the floor, pulling out a pair of sweat pants and tossing them to her. “These will be huge, but they’re clean.”
“Thanks,” she told him and smiled.
After they were both dressed, they walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen hand in hand.
“About time you two surfaced,” Lis teased when they walked in.
“Bite me, Lis,” Rachel replied and stuck her tongue out.
“That’s James’ job now,” Lis came back and Rachel blushed, causing everyone in the room to laugh.
“And I take my job very seriously,” James informed them all. “Now, I do believe we were told there would be spaghetti and meatballs.”
“They’re almost ready,” Lis informed them and grinned. “If someone could find a minute to pop the bread in the oven dinner would be ready a little quicker.”
Rachel released James’ hand and walked over to help Lis finish dinner. Once the bread was in the oven, Dakota pulled dishes from the cupboard and Rachel set the table.
Ten minutes later, Lis placed a huge bowl of spaghetti and meatballs on the table and Rachel sat the basket of bread beside it.
Once they were all seated, David looked around at everyone and sighed. “I need to tell everyone something.” Dakota looked at him in surprise and David nodded. “When I was seventeen my girlfriend found out she was pregnant. We married the week before I shipped out for Naval boot camp. When I got home she told me we were having a little girl and I was over the moon happy. Over the next ten years everything I did was for them. Four years ago, while I was overseas, our home was broken into. My wife and daughter came home as the men robbing us were searching for my safe. Both were killed. They were my life, my heart, and I was devastated.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment before Lis spoke, “David, you didn’t have to tell us that.”
“Yes, I did,” he replied and looked at Tiffany. “If I ever want to move on with my life the people I can about needed to know.”
“Thank you for telling us,” Lis told him and looked at Dakota.
“David, can we talk in private for a moment, please?” Tiffany asked and he nodded. “Excuse us for a moment,” she added to everyone and rose from the table.
Once they were out of the room, Lis looked at Dakota with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you feel like you needed to talk to him about telling us.”
“I didn’t talk to him. I never mentioned our earlier conversation to him at all. I think he told everyone because of his feelings for Tiffany.”
“I already knew,” Chris told them and they all looked up at him. “He told me this morning when we were waiting to leave the warehouse.”
“That had to have been hard for him,” Dakota said and frowned. “He hasn’t talked about them, even with us, in three years.”
“Maybe he felt it was time,” Rachel responded and looked at Lis. “Have you told them about Edmund?”
“I’ve told Dakota,” Lis replied and Rachel nodded.
“And I’ve told James.”
“Good, now let’s eat before it gets any colder,” Dakota announced and grinned. “Those two can have whatever is left,” he added and laughed when Lis half-heartedly slapped him.
“We’re back,” Tiffany announced as they walked into the room.
“Good, ‘cause I’m starved,” Dakota told them and grinned. “Let’s eat.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Rachel, can we talk?” Lis asked from the door of the sun porch.
“Sure,” Rachel replied and sat up.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get you out of there sooner,” she told her as she sat beside her.
“Lis, you were in an explosion. You had half a damn wall fall on you. You almost fucking died,” Rachel told her and sighed.
“Rachel, I didn’t die. I am okay. I was barely hurt at all. I had a concussion, and was knocked unconscious, but that’s all that happened to me.”
“But I thought you were dead,” she told Lis as tears filled her eyes.
“I know, and I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. I told you as soon as I possibly could.”
“Elisabeth, please don’t apologize. You did what you had to do in order to survive and protect me. I love you and I know that you love me. I’m glad we’re together now, but I do understand the reasons you did what you did.”
“Rachel, are you okay? Did Morrison hurt you in any way?”
“No. He wanted to, but I wouldn’t let him touch me at all.”
“Wanted to touch you sexually?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I refused to do anything until after we were married.”
“Good,” Lis responded and sighed. “While in the hospital both Dakota and I discover we had an STD. Since Dakota was tested recently we know it came from me. The only person I had been with before Dakota was Mike.”
“Oh no,” Rachel started and Lis shook her head.
“It’s not a bad one and is being treated already, but I don’t want anyone else to deal with that.”
“Okay,” Rachel responded and sighed. “He had sex with at least two women while I was there. I don’t know who they were though.”
“It’ll be okay. Everyone will be tracked down soon enough. That’s not all I wanted to talk to you about, though.”
“Okay, tell me.”
“Dakota and I are going to get married in a couple weeks. It’s going to be a small, simple ceremony with just a few family and friends. We’re wanting to have it at his beach house and I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“Of course I will,” Rachel told her and jumped to her feet. “We need to start planning. Two weeks isn’t long at all.”
“Calm down, Rach. I have plenty of time. I’m going to wear a simple dress, and I’ve already picked it out. I just need to order it.”
“I want to see it,” Rachel said and jumped up from her lounger.
“Sure,” Lis replied and rose to her feet. “I have it on the laptop in my bedroom.”
They left the sun porch and headed into the bedroom as Dakota opened the Library door and walked in. “David, can we chat a minute?”
“Sure, Bro,” David answered and closed his laptop.
“Lis and I have decided to get married in two weeks at my beach house. I want you to be my best man.”
“That’s fantastic. I will absolutely be your best man.”
“Awesome. It’s going to be a simple wedding, just family. No tuxes, khakis and dress shirts.”
“Simple is good. I like simple,” David reminded him with a grin.
“What’s going on with you and Tiffany?”
“Absolutely nothing,” David answered and rose to his feet.
“David, I�
�ve seen how you look at her. I’ve seen the look that comes over your face when you talk about her. Only ever seen that look on your face with one other person.”
“It’s nothing, Dakota. She doesn’t have the same feelings for me that I have for her and she made that clear tonight before dinner.”
“Bro, I’ve seen the way she looks at you too. I don’t think she was being honest when she told you that.”
“It doesn’t matter,” David told him and shook his head when Dakota tried to speak again. “I may care about her, but we are never going to be together so drop it please.”
“Okay, I’ll drop it.”
“Thanks,” David responded and picked his laptop back up. “Now, let’s get your girl and get this wedding planned. Two weeks isn’t a lot of time to plan.”
“It’s more than enough when the only thing you want is the person you’re marrying.”
“Very true,” David agreed as he shut down his laptop. “But we still have things to do.”
“Yes, we do.”
“Then let’s go find your girl and her sister so we can get this done.”
“His girl and her sister are right here,” Lis announced from the Library door.
“My girl,” Dakota grinned and walked to her. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck gently before kissing it softly and looking up into her eyes. “Hi, baby.”
“Hi, baby,” Lis answered and stood on her tip toes to brush a soft kiss across his lips.
“Okay, you two. Knock it off,” James said from behind them as he wrapped his arms around Rachel from behind.
“You’re one to talk,” David laughed and James shrugged.
“We have a wedding to plan,” Rachel reminded everyone and they all smiled.
“Yes, we do, but we have a little bit of time yet,” Lis reminded them.
“Lis, two weeks isn’t that long,” Rachel rolled her eyes and looked at Dakota. “You need light blue shirts.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dakota told her and grinned.
“Good boy,” Rachel said with a grin and everyone laughed.
Chapter Eighteen
“James,” Rachel called from the bathroom.
Mafia Princess (The Manning Sisters #2) Page 6
