The Shadows in the Hills: Triple Threat

Chapter Fifteen

As I left the room, I didn't really know what to do with myself. Jackson was lurking outside, and I wondered if he had been eavesdropping on what had been said. The way he behaved like he was somehow hers pissed me off. I resented the hell out of him and it wouldn't be something I would get over quickly. Despite how I felt, I had no choice but to play nice. I wouldn't put Esme through the stress of the pair of us fighting over her.

"She's asking for you."

"Well, she never asked for you."

"Leave it alone. I came because she was in danger."

"So, you're leaving now because she's out of danger?" I paused. I had planned to walk straight out of the door and wait for her to make her decision. Hearing him saying it like that made me want to stick around to piss him off as much as anything. He was behaving like he was her mate and I was the one invading. He had no right. I might have screwed up with Esme, but I had done nothing to Jackson to warrant his behaviour.

"What's the matter, little brother? Worried that she will choose me over you?" I shouldn't have got snarky with him, but I couldn't stop myself.

"She made her choice when she left you."

"She chose to leave me, but she never chose you. Why are you even bothered? Are you suddenly a little less gay after spending months cuddled up to her? Maybe this was your plan all along. Just keep your nose out of our relationship, Jacky. It's safer for you that way." I was done with it all. He wasn't worth losing my temper over. I started to head down the stairs, but Jackson had other ideas. I didn't know he had made a move until the pair of us were tumbling down the stairs end on end. We landed hard at the base of the stairs, with him crashing down on top of me. "You f*****g freak, get off me!"

"Leave her alone, Brodie, I mean it."

"I don't do as you say brother, it's supposed to be the other way around if you remember."

"I'm not part of your little posse anymore, Brodie. Stay away from her. She deserves better than you."

"Big shocker. Get over yourself." I kicked him off with difficulty. It wasn't like him at all. He was normally the peacemaker, not the aggressor. How times had changed. "You've lost your mind. Did it ever occur to you that I was leaving anyway and your outburst was completely irrelevant, not to mention ridiculous?"

"As if. We both know that leaving would be a selfless action and you've never been selfless in your life."

"And you have never been an irrational, aggressive moron, but here we are." I pulled myself to my feet, but he remained on the floor, glaring up at me. I barely recognised him. Seeing him like that saddened me. It was like he had given up on everything he believed in. I held my hand out to him. "Look, I know you care about her. I'm grateful that you've been with her. I might resent that it wasn't me by her side, but I would never want her to be alone. Keep taking care of them for me. I'm leaving Tyler here. Anything you need, just get him to arrange it and before you argue with me about throwing money at you, the babies matter more than your pride. Tyler is under instructions to do whatever you ask of him. He's not going to be running to me for approval or anything. I'm not standing in her way or yours, but I'm here if she wants me. I hope you manage to make her happy."

"What the hell? You're leaving?"

"Why are you surprised? It's what you want, anyway."

"You're just going to walk away from her?"

"For f**k's sake! What do you want from me? I'm getting mixed messages over here. I'm not walking away. She needs space and time to recover. If she needs me, I will be back in a heartbeat. You might not trust me, but I do trust you to take care of her." He finally took my hand, and I pulled him to his feet. He looked shocked, but I was done with his whirlwind of emotions. I headed straight outside, where Marcus was waiting for me. "You ready to go?"

"Not really. I want to speak to her, but I doubt she will take it well."

"Not a chance. She's already been through too much. There's plenty of time for a family reunion."

"You're really going to leave?"

"I'm going to get a room close by, but I won't be coming back unless she asks for me. She's had no control over her own life for her entire life, and that stops now. She's the one calling the shots and, unless you want to be chained up again, you will respect that."

"You're the boss."

"Are you going to fill me in on what the hell changed with you? You hated her, wanted her dead, yet suddenly you're Mr Family man." I still wouldn't trust him, but it would be nice to get an insight into his motivations.

"That day on the edge of the woods. I saw something in her. Something I didn't expect. It wasn't just the power, but the way she thought. The look in her eyes just reminded me of someone."

"Who's that then?" She was an impressive woman. No one knew that better than me. It still didn't seem to be a good enough reason for him to change his outlook on life so quickly.

"She reminded me of myself. When I was first changed, new to my powers. She reminded me of everything I once believed, the things I lost sight of in my desperation for revenge." He seemed so genuine. He was the sort of person you wanted to trust, even when every part of your being told you it was a mistake. His charisma shone from him, but it wouldn't be enough for me to see past his past.