Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
I’m not sure if that’s a dig or genuine concern but I ignore his suggestion. “Just tell me why you’re here.”
He pulls himself up from the recliner he’d been seated on and straightens to his full height. Jackson made the already modest sized living room seem even smaller. “Then I’ll stand as well.”
I shrug. “Suit yourself.”
He stares at me for several silent moments and as the quiet lengthens I get a nervous ache in the pit of my stomach. I shift uncomfortably on my feet as I hope he’ll start talking.
“Well?” I prompt. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to look him directly in his face. Maybe it’s the brilliance of his eyes or because I’m not sure what he’s thinking.
“I wish I could have come here under better circumstances but as it stands, I need your help.”
I place my hand on my chest. “My help?” I snort. “What could poor little me possibly help the great Jackson Champion with.”
“Cut the sarcasm. It’s not like you.”
This motherfucker.
“You don’t even know me, Jackson. Not beyond what you and your cronies used to say about me.”
A muscle twitches along the side of his face. Perhaps I’ve hit a nerve.
“I know you better than you think Zora. But I’ll get to the point. I need to know where I can locate your brother.”
I furrow my brows. This conversation has taken a turn down a road I didn’t expect. Langston graduated four ahead of us, before we even started high school. As far as I know, Jackson and Langston would have no reason to cross paths.
“Langston?”
He raises a brow and smirks. “Do you have another brother I don’t know about?”
I wave my hand around the room. “As you can see, he’s not here.” I didn’t feel like volunteering any information further than that. Not like I could anyway. I haven’t seen or heard from that idiot brother of mine in ages.
“Clearly, he isn’t but I need to get in contact with him. I’m sure you have a number I can reach him by.”
“Nope.”
“I see. Perhaps I should ask your father if he’s been in contact with him.”
I stiffen. “My father isn’t available.”
“Then maybe I can wait around until he is.”
I clench my fists at my side trying desperately not to physically attack this bastard. “My father won’t be home for a while and he isn’t in a position to see visitors at the moment. Just tell me what it is you want with Langston and when I see my dad again I’ll ask him if he knows.”
“Where is your father?”
“What is this? Twenty questions? Who is it that you really want to see? Langston or my dad?”
“Langston. Look Zora, I’m not going to beat around the bush. Your brother is in a lot of legal and financial trouble. And he’s disappeared.”
My heart sinks because I know the first person Langston turns to whenever he’s in a bind is my father. It’s why my dad’s health and finances are in the shambles they are. My dad can’t hear of this, not now. Not in his current state. The added stress would probably kill him.”
“What kind of legal trouble?” I ask softly, almost too frightened to hear the answer.
Jackson nods toward the couch. “Maybe you’d like to take that seat now.”
This time I don’t argue. I walk about to the sofa and perch on the edge. I clench my hands together to stop them from shaking. How much more bad news could possibly be piled on me.
First time debt, the foreclosure, my father’s heath issues and now this. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t slept in nearly 24 hours, the stress of worrying about my dad, or that I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten. But it all comes crashing down on me.
And like a damaged dam that was holding back the floods the best it can, all my emotions break through, and I burst into a violent stream of sobs.
In front of the worst person in the world.
11
JACKSON
Ididn’t expect to be welcomed with open arms upon our first meeting. Nor did I expect to see Zora Knight break down in front of my eyes. Admittedly, I didn’t give her an easy time in high school, but I had my reason.
Even then she never seemed to let anyone get to her. I realize my former associates were assholes who cared more about status and making anyone they deemed beneath them miserable. Hell, I was an asshole but I can’t remember a time when Zora Knight didn’t walk with her head high, exuding a defiance that screamed ‘come at me.’
It was one of the many things I’d admired about her although I was in no position to tell her. I never considered myself an emotional person but seeing her so broken did something within me I couldn’t quite explain.