by Tigris Eden
I did not sign up to play cops and mobsters. Jackson is explaining the Peretti case; they are a family who has ties to the mob here in New York. Peretti is a General in the Canicatti family back in Italy, who is currently shipping drugs through the Columbians, who are also selling to the Camorra clans. In turn, Peretti is selling secrets—government secrets—to those that want to harm the U.S.. I don’t pretend to understand. It’s all really too complicated to figure out who wants to kill whom and for what. Bottom line, Jackson and Treat are involved via the NSA, due to the human trafficking angle. Women are being sold under the guise of being kidnapped. But the women go willingly and are trading secrets. Majority of them are in the dark. But it’s happening. The women are promised a better life, but in order to do that, they have to carry information back to their buyers.
"How do they not know?" I ask Jackson.
"They are given a tattoo that they're told identifies them to the buyer. It’s a password of sorts that the buyer then uses to log into a highly secure network to get the package. Oliver and I figured out that much."
"That's some crafty shit. Who's selling national secrets?”
"If I knew, we could put this case to rest. But it’s someone in our ranks, and it reeks of politics. Peretti and his men are small-time. But the trades and the drugs are not our concern, it’s the information they're exchanging that puts our country at risk."
"How does Inara factor into this?''
Inara was the crazy bitch that Jackson and Treat had a three-way with. She was the same trick he hooked up with again briefly when we were separated. It was all some Jerry Springer, Maury Povich turned Mafia’s most wanted drama. I could seriously write a book about this shit and easily hit the bestseller list.
"She was the granddaughter of Vince Camorra, her mother Lisette married Petretti who’d moved up in the ranks. Making Inara privy to a lot of information. She was one of the girls sold."
Her grandfather actually sold his own flesh and blood?
"Why would he do that?"
“She volunteered. Hoping to get out from under his thumb. He sold her to a low-level, Middle Eastern soldier for the Taliban. Because of her, a local base that was an unknown terrorist cell was raided. No one was left alive."
"Shit."
"Shit is right.”
"You're like James Bond, only without the gadgets." Jackson grins at me with a glint of humor in his eyes.
“Baby, I'm not 007 by any means. That is more Catcher and his brothers Dorian and Ryland."
“You should have told me at least your part, Jackson. Our family is in danger, and I know you are trying to protect us, but we'd all have been better protected if we were in the know. Buildings blowing up is not safe, Jackson.”
“The building did not blow up. Just our room.”
I let out a hysterical laugh, because really, just our room blowing up is enough to have a panic attack.
“And that’s so much better,” I say. I know I’m justified in my actions. Who the hell wants this in real life? Televisions, movies, books, yes. Real life explosions? Hell no.
“Baby, you need to shower. Try and sleep. I have some calls to make.”
I look at Jackson like he’s crazy because if he thinks for one moment I’m going to sleep…he needs his head checked.
“Did you drink your afternoon dose of crazy? I am not going to be able to sleep. If you plan on making calls, maybe you should get a new phone. Like a burner one.”
Jackson grins at me before laughing outright.
“What the heck is so funny?”
“You, baby.”
“Why?”
“My phone is secure.”
“How do you know?”
He holds up his phone, only it’s not his cell, or not the one I’m used to seeing anyway.
“I always carry a backup, and so do Treat and Gaines. We’ve been using our replacements since the bomb.”
Oh. Well, wasn’t he just all spy-like.
“All right, I’m gonna shower, then I’m gonna make us some food. Hopefully, I’ll get some sleep. But no promises. If not, I want you to help make sleep possible.”
Jackson’s face breaks into a devilish grin.
“I had every intention of helping you sleep. Now go shower, baby.”
Until Her: Chapter 17
There wasn’t much on the news about the fire at the hotel, but Jackson wasn’t expecting it to make primetime. They hadn’t even mentioned Tracey's body. All was kept quiet. The media said it was due to faulty wiring. Faulty wiring, my ass. They'd driven back to Louisiana. Twenty-three hours of just him and Anna. He loved her, a lot. But he was not driving long distances again with her unless they were able to stop. At least, that way, he could fuck her into exhaustion to keep her from talking. The woman talked the entire time.
A chatty Anna wasn’t bad, but a talkative Anna who was miserable from driving and overreacting to every car—assuming they were following them—would be hell on any man. They did have a tail, but it wasn’t the opposition. It was Catcher and his brothers. The first time he'd stopped for gas, Anna was asleep, and Catcher had met him inside. He didn’t want Anna to meet the other Gainses yet. He'd make the introduction only when necessary. If everything went down properly, she wouldn’t meet the other brothers until the wedding.
"Someone is following us, Jackson. I can feel it." At least her intuition was good.
"Baby, please let me handle this." Jackson reached out to grab her hand. They were almost to their destination.
They were staying in Shreveport at Bear’s family home. Anna was thrilled. Jackson and Treat, not so much. It wasn’t a place they could lay low without attracting attention, but Bear said it was safe.
"Lola's brothers are meeting us at the house,” Anna said conversationally. Anna’s cousins were criminals. He'd personally met all three. They weren’t the scum of the underbelly, but they weren’t upstanding citizens either. Skrilla, Trill, and Pookie. All three boys had been in and out of correction facilities well into their early twenties. Skrilla worked in a tattoo shop, Pookie was a mechanic at Dawson’s Garage, and Trill owned a barbershop.
"Great."
"Bear said it would be safe, I doubt Peretti's men want to come down here and start trouble in this area. That would be all kinds of stupid."
"Anna, Peretti is relentless, and this is not some low-life pretending to be bad news, he is bad news." Jackson pulled up to the home address Bear had given him. The neighborhood was littered with kids playing outside. There was a park they'd passed on the way in and a little farther back. Shops and a strip mall were just around the way from the neighborhood. Made things accessible. Joey was standing outside talking to a woman and her little girl, and Ava was drawing with chalk on the steps that led to Bear’s home. When Jackson stepped out of the truck, the woman turned around and stared.
“Oh dear Lord, more snowflakes."
Snowflakes?
Joey laughed.
"Loretta, this is my brother Jackson and his fiancée, Anna."
Loretta took one look at Anna and smiled so wide she looked almost alien.
"Annabelle Macon! Bear said you tagged you some sugar. Look at you, girl. All grown up and looking just as beautiful as my girl, Bren."
Anna cracked a hesitant smile but greeted Loretta.
''Hi, Miss Loretta."
Ava squealed when she noticed he and Anna were standing close by. She ran up to him, placing her chalk-covered hands on his pants.
"Daddy, Honey Mom. Joey said we’re on vacation.”
"We are, Ladybug."
"Yay!" Ava screamed excitedly before going back to her chalk drawings.
"Who's this beautiful little girl?"
"Oh, this is my grandbaby, Lovely. Bren's daughter," Loretta said with pride. The little girl named Lovely looked up and grinned. She was missing a tooth.
"My name isn’t Lovely, but Granny likes to call me that. It’s Lily.”
“Lovely Lily, it’s a pleasure to m
eet you," Anna said politely.
"You, too." The little girl had really good manners.
"Well, welcome to the neighborhood. There's a block party tomorrow, y’all should come. Anna, Bren will be happy to see you."'
"Yes, Miss Loretta."
Jackson couldn’t say for sure, but he had a feeling Anna didn’t care for Loretta.
"It was nice meeting you, Loretta," Jackson said.
"Mmmhmm." Loretta turned and walked into the house next door.
"That woman gets on my nerves," Anna said.
"I got that, baby. Joey, where's Treat?"
"Boys are all out back."
Joey pulled Anna into a hug before taking them all inside. The house was bigger than it looked. It was also very well lived in, and immediately made him feel comfortable.
Lola, Bear, and Lola’s three brothers were out back with Treat and the three Gaines brothers, Oliver, Finn, and Sawyer.
''Hey, glad y’all finally made it.”
“Where are Pearl and my mom?' Jackson asked, looking around.
"Pearl and The Mayor took off on some getaway. Your mother and Vivian are taken care of. We’ve got them covered. They’re still at the house. Catch has his boys on it. Also asked the twins to chill with Indi. They drove up to check in, and then they're headed back to Beauville. Treat’s mom is secure, and I fly out tonight back to New York."
"You good?" Jackson asked Gaines.
"Yeah, man. I'm glad you and Anna are safe."
Jackson looked over to where Anna stood, talking to her family. Ava was in her arms, having surrendered her chalk art, and was doing a brilliant job of wiping the remnants all over Anna’s face.
“Yeah, she handled it well. Better than most, actually. She knew we had a tail. Tell Catch his ass is slipping.”
Oliver laughed.
“I’ll relay the message. Although, I’m sure Catch won’t like to hear he got made by a civilian.”
“Probably not.”
Jackson and Gaines joined the rest of the group, and it wasn’t too long before they got a game of basketball going out front in the driveway. The women were in the kitchen, trying to decide what was for dinner, and, of course, sharing gossip. Lola had to hear all about the crazy woman who’d blown herself up over Jackson. Everyone was on high alert, even though they tried to act as if everything were normal. It was far from normal. As they played ball, a few of the children in the neighborhood decided to join in, and before long, there was a crowd. The adults faced off with the kids.
I'm in the kitchen with Lola and Joey, when Lola says, "The hell? Y’all better get outside. Hoes on patrol, and they be scoutin’ out the local man flesh."
Joey peeks out the window and starts laughing. I do the same and I see Bren dressed to catch her a man. If you could even call what she's wearing clothes. She's standing on her lawn and eating up our men with her eyes. There are two other women with her, but I don’t know who they are.
“Why are you laughing, Joey?" Lola asks.
“Trust me, my man and my brother won’t give them a second look. As for the Gaineses and your brothers, I don’t know."
I agree, but in the back of my already screwed up mind, I'm having a mini breakdown. The old Anna would have gone outside. But I'm the secure Anna, the one who trusts her man. I step back and return to the kitchen conversation.
“Lo, let’s get the chicken on. I'm not worried.”
"You're not?" She's watching me closely.
"Nope. Now can we finish dinner?"
"Sure, honey." Lola looks out the window again, shakes her head, and goes back to making dinner.
I'm exhausted from our trip. It was a long-ass drive, and I can’t shake the feeling that someone was following us. Maybe I’m paranoid. But I push it back. Jackson needs me strong. Focused.
“Ava, can you go and wash your hands? You can help me make biscuits."
"Okay, Momma."
I freeze. Ava has never called me “Momma.” Honey Mom, sure, but Momma… No. Even Joey's frozen. Lola could care less; she's chopping up tomatoes and watching the men through the kitchen window. I look at Joey, tears bright in my eyes.
"Oh, Anna, that’s a beautiful thing she just gave you."
It is, and until this moment, I didn’t realize how momentous it could be until it happened.
Bear opens the screen door and yells, breaking the spell.
"Lola, baby, you think you can grab us some water bottles?"
"Get your own water, Bear. Just because I spread doesn’t make me your maid."
“Lola,” I gasp. "Ava is here.”
Lola shrugs. Bear grunts, and I offer to bring the guys water.
“How many bottles, Bear?”
"Bring the case. We have a crowd."
I go out to the back where I know Bear keeps the water and load up twenty-four bottles into the old, red Flyer wagon. When I was younger, Lola, India, Chantelle, and I spent a lot of summers at this house. Bears family was Lola's neighbors. My Uncle Tiny and Bear’s father are still good friends. If we weren’t here, then Bear was across the street at my uncle’s house. I walk past Ava and enlist her help.
"Let’s take some water to Daddy and the guys.”
"’Kay." Ava runs through the screen door, and I follow closely. I'm not about to take the Flyer down the steps so I walk around.
There is a crowd. Jackson is going in for a layup, but Trill knocks the ball out of his hands. Pookie catches it and jumps in the air and shoots, letting the ball roll off the tips of his fingers.
"Nothing but net, bitches!"
“Man, there are kids out here,” Gaines calls out.
“Their language is worse than mine,” Trill cants.
“Hey, you guys thirsty or what?” I yell out.
Jackson sees me and jogs my way. He’s sweaty, and his hair is drenched. He still looks yummy.
“Baby,” he rumbles.
“Hey,” I smile up at him, lost in his golden gaze.
“I can hear Ava asking people if they want water. Bear helps, and I stare. There is so much I want to say, but I don’t know how to express it. I want to tell him that Ava called me mom, and I want to warn him about Bren, but before anything comes out of my mouth, Bren shows up.
“Anna Macon? Girl, is that really you?”
Ugh.
Bren.
I look past Jackson’s shoulder and say,” Hey, Bren.”
She takes this as an invitation for her and her posse to invade our space. Jackson winks at me before taking the bottle from my hand as the twins and Oliver walk over. Joey is right. No real man wants any of what Bren and her posse of skanks are trying to toss out.
“Gurl, is that your man?”
I don’t answer right away because Ava is standing next to me and tugs on my shirt.
“Momma, we still making biscuits?”
Jackson’s back is to me, but I know he hears the words. His back stiffens before he turns around and walks up to Ava and picks her up to give her a hug.
“Daddy,” she screams. “You’re getting me dirty.” She’s giggling now, and Jackson sets her down before tagging me around the waist, his eyes filled with nothing but love.
“Made for me. That’s you, darlin’.”
I smile before kissing his lips.
“Yes, sir, that be me.” I laugh before stepping back and turning to Bren and her friends. “Bren, this is my daughter Ava, and her father, Jackson. Jackson, this is Bren. Ms. Loretta’s daughter.”
Jackson turns to Bren.
“Yeah, I know who she is. She told me all about herself while I was playing ball. Baby, we’re about to stop in a few minutes. Dinner almost done?”
“Yeah, come in and wash up.”
“Done deal.” Jackson turns to the guys and yells, “Dinner will be ready, and the women made us a meal, let’s be gentlemen and wash up. Nice to meet you, Bren.” Jackson takes Ava with him, and the guys all head inside, promising to play ball again with the kids.
“Anna, y
ou make your momma’s biscuits?” Skrilla calls out.
“I’ll be putting them in the oven shortly.”
“Oh, hell yeah! I get first choice of Pearl’s biscuits,” Pookie yells.
“No, you don’t, fool. I do.” That was Trill.
I laugh and look over at Bren. “Later.”
“Yeah. Later,” Bren replies.
Skrilla wraps one arm around my shoulder and starts talking about how amazing my momma’s biscuits are.
''Anna, we going to this block party or what?" Jackson said from the other room. But there was no answer.
"Anna!" Treat came jogging down the stairs, a strange look on his face.
"What is it?"
"Xavier is coming.”
"What, now?"
Treat nodded, and Jackson could hear Anna’s soothing voice coaching Joey.
“All right, I’ll get the car, pull it out front. I’ll grab Ava, and then you help Anna with Joey.”
“On that already. Baby bag is by the door,” Treat said, pointing towards the front entrance.
Joey was a pro at delivering it turned out. Xavier Alexander Cavanaugh came out a strong, healthy baby boy. Ten fingers, and ten toes. He was eight pounds nine ounces, and nineteen inches long. He also had a full head of hair, and lungs so strong his wail could be heard out in the hall.
Jackson looked over at Ava, sad he hadn’t been there for her birth. Things would have been different for sure. He would have been married to Vivian. He wouldn’t have his Anna. Life had a way of working out for the best, and he was glad, he was happy he had Ava, but definitely not happy with her biological mother. Everything happened the way it was supposed to happen. He had what he was supposed to have, along with the promise of more to come.
Anna was holding little Xavier, singing softly to him. Treat was talking quietly to Joey, both parents beside themselves with joy. Ava had taken to calling Anna “Momma.” He’d wanted to ask her what made her decide to do it but then thought better of it. Ava must have felt comfortable; otherwise, why else call Anna “Mom?” He wasn’t going to confuse his daughter by questioning her.
Anna walked over to Jackson with a smile on her lips and tears in her eyes.
