He slowly looked away again. “Yes…”
“Who was that?”
“My brother.”
She figured such because of the resemblance. As much as she didn’t want to stop this conversation because she’d finally gotten him to open up to her, the shower was getting cold and she was getting uncomfortable. “Why don’t I clean myself up and then we can get out of here and talk about this while we have our dinner.”
“Fine.”
After they dried off, Jason had put on a t-shirt and pajama bottoms and Amour donned a night shirt. All through dinner, he told her all about his childhood and how close he was to his little brother. Jason seemed to be happy early in life, but she could tell by the now dreary tone in his voice that the happiness was about to turn to hell. He laid back on the arm of the couch and draped his arm across his eyes. “When I was about twelve and Oscar was six, my dad lost his job as a corporate attorney.”
“How come?”
“He was disbarred for showing up to court drunk.”
“He was an alcoholic…”
“Yeah but at that point we were able to handle it even though we hated it. Anyway, after that, he couldn’t find work because being a lawyer was pretty much all he knew how to do. Not being able to provide for his family made him severely depressed and caused him to drink even more to the point where it became unbearable. Oscar and I never invited friends over because of him. Every night we would hear him yelling at my mother calling her every bitch and tramp in the book. He constantly accused her of cheating even though he was the one doing it. He gave her gonorrhea twice.”
Amour frowned. “Oh my god!”
“Eventually the screaming turned into beatings. A black eye here, a cut lip there. She would just give us the typical battered woman’s excuse for it by telling us she fell down the stairs or something.”
“She didn’t want to upset you.”
“I know, but it didn’t work. Because Oscar was so little he would usually just accept what she’d told us but I knew better. I was so angry, everyday.”
“I’m sure you were. How long did it go on?”
“Five years. She never pressed charges against him. She just took it. She said stayed for us but I wish she would’ve just taken us and left his sorry ass. Maybe that day would never have happened.”
“What day?”
He breathed in deeply and then let it out. “My dad picked us up from school one day and he’d picked up Oscar first. We didn’t go to the same school. By the time he’d gotten to my school he had drank every ounce of the whiskey he had in that damn flask he always kept on him. He was so drunk that I insisted he let me drive but he just kept yelling at me and telling me to mind my own damn business and stay in a kid’s place. I knew because he was wasted he wasn’t thinking straight so I tried to grab the keys from him but he started to choke me and he told me that if I ever touched anything of his again he would kill me. So I decided to walk home because I refused to put up with that.”
“That’s terrible.”
“I think my father was so used to getting his way around the house that if at any chance he couldn’t, he used violence as a way of rectifying that. But I wasn’t going to let him do it to me, I never did. He took all of his frustrations out on my mother. I was just counting the months until I turned eighteen so I could get the hell out of there.” After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. “I didn’t want to ride in the car with him being that drunk nor did I want Oscar to either. I tried to get him out of the car but my father wouldn’t allow me to. He just kept hitting me and telling me to get the hell away from his car and his son. I got so pissed off I just slammed the car door shut and walked off.” His expression turned blank. “I wish I hadn’t done that.”
“What happened Jason?”
“He drove off so fast that I didn’t have time to stop him even if I wanted to. I figured there was nothing I could do about it so I just start walking. After about ten minutes, I heard a loud crash about five blocks away. I just paused in mid-stride because I knew what had just happened. When I heard it, I instantly felt part of my soul die. I knew Oscar was gone. Part of me was hoping it was my father, but I knew.”
She placed her hand on his. “Oh Jason…”
“He’d hit two parked cars and because he was driving so fast it caused his to flip over several times. All that bastard managed to suffer was minor injuries but my brother didn’t make it. He was crushed in the back seat. All I could do at that point was fall to my knees and cry because I knew my mother would be devastated and I didn’t know how to tell her.”
“That must have been awful for her.”
“It was. She went into a deep depression herself. She just didn’t care about anything anymore. She barely spoke; she just stayed in her room most of the time.”
“Is that why he’s paralyzed?”
“No.”
“Well did he get punished for what he did?”
He scowled. “Not at all, he had friends in high places so he was able to get the best attorneys in town. He just got probation and had to pay for the damage he’d done to the cars of the people he’d hit and that was about it. He didn’t give a shit. Remember I told you my father was used to getting his way.”
“That’s crazy.”
“So for the next couple of years, all he did was walk around the house bitching and complaining about everything in sight, and of course he continued to beat on my mother but she really didn’t care. She’d given up on life at that point. I hated seeing her like that. Day after day, night after night I would hear him using her as his own personal punching bag. I was upstairs in my room one day and as usual I heard them fighting. I would usually just tune it out because I was done trying to defend her against him. I just figured if she was letting him do it, she deserved it. But for some reason that particular day, things just felt weird.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
They’d been fighting for about half hour then all of a sudden I couldn’t hear my mother screaming anymore. I couldn’t hear anyone or anything actually. I got a cold feeling down my spine and it made me rush down the stairs to see what was going on. When I got down there she was laid out on the floor and my father was on top of her beating her in the head with a crow bar.”
Amour’s heart started pounding. “No…”
“He’d already knocked her unconscious but at that time I thought he’d killed her. I was so damn angry and I ran up to him and jumped on his back trying to get him off of her. I didn’t get the chance because he swung his arm and knocked me across the room so hard that I hit my head on the dining room table. I was dizzy as hell but I refused to let him continue to beat her. Like I said, I thought he’d killed her so I figured I had nothing to lose at that point. I ran upstairs and grabbed one of his guns that he kept in his closet, came back down and pointed it straight at him. I threatened him and told him to get off of her or I will use it on him but he wouldn’t listen to me. He just kept hitting her over and over. I had to do something.” He looked Amour in the eyes but had no expression. “So I did…”
Was he saying what she thought he was saying? He couldn’t be. “Y…You shot him didn’t you?”
“Yes. I hated him, and now I hate myself for doing what I did.”
She slowly shook her head. “That wasn’t you fault Jason. You were protecting her.”
He quickly rose to his feet. “I shot my own father Amour! It doesn’t matter what he did! He’s still my father! What if I would’ve shot her instead?”
“But you didn’t!”
He sat back down on the couch but he didn’t face her. “I’m just glad she was unconscious and didn’t see any of that. That would’ve killed her.”
She scooted close to him and cupped his cheeked causing him to look at her. “Jason, you cannot blame yourself for what happened and you cannot go on like this. Your father brought all of this on himself. She’s your mother, what else were you going to do? It was either him or her
and she was the victim so she needed to be saved. You made a decision, I know it wasn’t an easy one but I was one you had to make.”
“That doesn’t make it right Amour. I should’ve known better.”
“You were a kid Jason. A kid that experienced way more that a child should. This is not… your… fault. You have to believe that. I know you feel guilty about what you did to your father and most likely for sitting back and watching what he did to your mother and believe me, I know what it’s like to have father guilt but you said that he’s been writing you and asking to see you right?” He nodded his head but didn’t speak. “Then that must mean that he’s forgiven you for what you did. So I think it’s time you do the same. Then maybe you can get around to forgiving yourself too.”
“I don’t know…”
“I know you think what I’m telling you to do is foolish and I know I sound like a broken record but trust me, it’s the only way to relieve all the pain that’s inside of you.”
He lowered his eyes. “How do you feel about all of this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you still feel safe with me?”
“Of course I do. Why shouldn’t I?”
“It’s true what they said at Jake’s Amour. I have a really bad temper, I can snap at anytime. That’s why I was in therapy and that’s why I got suspended. I got so angry when I was working I broke a man’s nose. As you can clearly see it’s in my blood.”
“You’re nothing like him Jason.”
“You barely know me.”
“I know you enough to trust that you won’t hurt me.”
“I am his son.”
“That doesn’t scare me.”
“Why not? How do you know I won’t hurt you?”
“Because I’m sure that if you wanted to you would have already. And I know the only reason you have all this anger is because you won’t let go of the past. Besides, no one touches someone the way you touched me if they wanted to harm them.”
“Are you always this trusting of people?”
“No, just you and my dad.”
He gently ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “I don’t deserve you Amour.”
She leaned in and kissed him softly on the bridge of his nose. “You deserve what every other good person deserves.”
The soft kisses she planted went from the bridge of his nose down to his lips. When they slowly parted, she eased her tongue inside of his mouth connecting it with his. This time his kisses were gentle and long as if he was savoring the taste of her. His lips left hers and traveled down her neck kissing and tasting every inch of it. The pleasure was sweet. Her eyes closed and she could barely think of anything other than the feeling of his mouth on her sensitive flesh. His slightly calloused palms slowly glided up her inner thighs and under her night shirt leaving goose bumps in their tracks. He slowly parted them and rubbed the pads of two fingers against her clit as he continued to kiss her neck. She immediately became intensely wet and she didn’t need anything else at that point, just him…now.
“I want you inside me.”
She pulled off his pajama bottoms as he lifted her shirt over her head and both items were tossed onto the floor beside them. He lifted her slightly placing her back on the arm of the sofa putting one leg on the back of it and wrapping the other one around his waist. The fullness of his cock when he slid inside of her felt so good, so hard and so deep that she climaxed instantly. She was certain he’d felt her instant reaction to him when he moaned in her ear and began to stroke her harder and faster.
“Amour…I’m going to come…baby I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok…just let go.”
And just like that, he did. She could tell by his moan and the one tiny tear that ran down his cheek that all of his pain was slowly releasing along with his climax. She knew at that very moment, even though it would probably still take a little time, he would be okay.
He collapsed on top of her breathing deeply in her ear. “Don’t leave me Amour.”
She wiped his tear away and held him in her arms. “Never.”
CHAPTER 32
The red silk spaghetti strapped halter dress and silver strappy stilettos she picked up at one of the many lavish and way over-priced boutiques in Beverly Hills, looked a little odd on her as she stared at herself in the mirror. Odd because she’d never worn anything like this before…well maybe once, but it certainly wasn’t this expensive. But she figured what the hell; it was the mayor’s event so she might as well splurge a little. Once she’d picked up the dress and shoes, she’d decided to make it a day of pampering at a trendy spa and hair salon. The beautician she’d gone to was very chatty and while she was giving Amour something called a Brazilian blow out, she gossiped about everything from her next door neighbors, to every celebrity in town. Boy was she glad to get the hell out of there.
“Amour?” Jason called out as he knocked at the bedroom door.
“Come in!”
When Jason opened the door and stepped inside, his eyes widened as he looked at her. “Wow!” She smiled. He was definitely impressed. “You look gorgeous!”
She looked him over. “Thanks, you look great yourself in your tux.”
“Thanks. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, let’s get out of here.”
The mayor’s mansion was located in the swanky neighborhood of Hancock Park. This was definitely a part of town that she would expect the mayor of Los Angeles to live in. As she and Jason walked up the long white staircase that led to the large entryway to the front of the house, she noticed the two huge palm trees that sat on either side of them. The house was painted a cream color with a classic yet slightly modern design to it. It was one of the most beautiful homes she’d ever seen. Once they’d reached the entryway that consisted of large double doors, they were greeted by a young woman and asked for their invitation to the event. Jason slid a white envelope out the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to the woman.
She slid them out of the envelope and studied them for a few seconds before reaching behind her slightly and knocking on one of the large doors. “Alright Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid, enjoy the party,” she said with a smile.
The two of them thanked her simultaneously before seeing the door swung open and the sound of adult contemporary music and chatter filled their ears. A very large and very muscular man stepped aside to let them in and closed the door behind them.
“Mr. and Mrs.?” Amour said curiously.
“Jax had to tell them we were married.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t question it, I just went with it.”
Not that it wouldn’t be nice to be married to Jason; she just didn’t understand why they had to lie. She paused for a moment and looked around. “This house is quite spectacular.”
“Yeah, it’s nice.”
She could tell Jason was not all that impressed. She was sure he’d been there and done that with places like this. “Where’s Jax?”
“I’m not sure; I’m going to call him right now.”
As she waited for Jason to make the call, she noticed a very large painting of what must’ve been the mayor and his family. They were a good looking bunch and just the kind of people that she would imagine living in a place like this, not that she wouldn’t that is. “Did he pick up?” she asked Jason.
Jason placed his cell back in his pocket. “Yeah, he’s out back by the pool let’s go.”
The backyard of the house was just as impressive as the front of it right down to the landscaping, palm trees and the huge “S” shaped swimming pool surrounded by a spacious and gorgeous hand carved earth toned galaxy stoned patio. “Wow! Maybe I need to get into politics if they live like this.”
“Trust me, you don’t. The world of politics is no place for a decent person to be.”
She laughed softly while Jason grabbed her arm and guided her across the patio once he’d spotted Jax having a conversation with Cheryl. Once Jax had noticed the two o
f them, he smiled and introduced them to his ex.
“Have you seen Harrington?” Jason whispered to Jax.
“Yeah, he’s here with his wife and kid but you won’t be able to chat with him for a while because it’s almost time for the charity auction to begin. He’s gonna make a speech and introduce the mayor and all that crap.”
“Okay, so I guess we might as well hang out and enjoy the party until then.”
Jason grabbed him and Amour a couple of glasses of champagne when the waitress walked by and the four of them mingled, drank more champagne and took a guided tour around the rest of the house to pass the time. Since the event started at five o’clock, the charity auction was held on the huge lawn in the backyard of the mansion. There were small round tables with white tablecloths with place cards sitting in the middle of them and two medium sized wooden stages with a live band on one of the them and a podium and microphone on the other. The four of them took their assigned seats when the announcement was made that the auction was going to start.
After eating a full course meal complete with appetizers, the best chocolate dipped strawberries she’d ever tasted, even more champagne and three long boring hours of watching a bunch of even more boring rich people spend a lot of money on weird items, the auction was finally over and Pierce Harrington stepped to the podium. He was an older man, probably around seventy but he looked surprisingly good for someone his age. He was definitely the man in all the photos, just with a much older face. He was soon accompanied by his wife Beatrice and daughter Caroline and the two of them spoke about some hospital they worked at that Amour had never heard of so she tuned most of their speech out.
Caroline looked like she must have been in her mid to late forties and although she looked great as well, Beatrice was clearly around the senator’s age. Caroline had her father’s facial features but her hair was long and blonde while her father’s was grey. Her mother’s on the other hand was short and silver with streaks of…red? She’s a redhead. Was she the mysterious redhead that Mrs. Pruitt saw that day? She would definitely have a motive to kill her mother. She tapped Jason on the shoulder as the three of them walked off the stage. “Did you notice the hair color of Senator Harrington’s wife?”
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