Page 54 of Jake's Angel

“Yes, you do, and I can prove it. Ghost?” He calls over his shoulder and the older, bald gentleman who was on Hawk’s computer slides his chair out and walks over to us to show me the laptop. There on the screen is my birth certificate with both their names on it. When he switches the screen, there’s an image of my mother’s death certificate, listing her name as Margarette Rose Jenkins, and her spouse as Gabriel Jenkins.

“I know this is a lot to take in. We’ve given you so much to think about already, but you need to know the truth about your mother and me. Everything going on right now, we believe it has everything to do with your mother’s accident and the events that happened sixteen years ago with this club. We haven’t put all the dots together yet, but we’re hoping you’ll be able to help us with it.”

I find myself feeling betrayed and angry as I look around the room and wonder how many of them are in on this little secret.

Is Sadie?Could she have known? After all, she’s the one who brought me here in the first place. Told me these men would help protect me.

I can’t hold back. “Did you know?” Sadie’s tear-filled eyes bore into mine, but I don’t waver. “All this time, we’ve been friends. Sadie, did you know about any of this when you agreed to bring me here to live with you?” If she knew, if she lied to me … then I will have no one left to trust in this world.

She looks horrified. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked, but it’s a valid question and I need the truth. Sadie shakes her head as she softly sobs. “I swear, I knew nothing about this. I would’ve told you. You know I would.”

“She had no idea.” Gabe answers. I don’t even turn to acknowledge him anymore. “As far as anyone knew, you died the day after Maggie. Only a few people know who you really are and where you were.”

“Who else knew?” My voice is trembling. I’m losing the last shred of control I have over the hurricane of emotions building up inside of me.

“Mack, myself, three other officers at the time, and, of course, Russ. All of which are in this room now except for your grandfather.”

The whole room spins.

Gramps knew. Of course, he knew. The man said Gramps adopted me because he asked him to. Everyone’s been lying to me this whole fucking time.

Something inside me snaps. The last shred of calm I had left leaves me as the depths of their betrayal take root within me.

“Let me see if I’m understanding all of this correctly.” Willing my body to relax long enough for me to get to the truth, then I can fall apart, once I’ve gotten myself far away from here and these people. The door to my right is beckoning me to run through it and never look back.

“You’re my father.” I point an accusing finger at Gabe’s face. “You’ve known about me for the last eighteen years and yousuddenly came to your sensesanddecided you need to be part of my life?Now?” Throwing my arms up, scoffing as if I’ve been struck by the same epiphany he has. “Some asshole named Cusenza has some type of dealings with my grandfather, who also knew about this clusterfuck of a lie I’ve been living in.” A small, frustrated laugh leaves my lips. “And since Gramps told this person to fuck off, Cusenza, whoever he is, has threatened my life to force Gramps’s hand.” I pace a few steps, waving my arm through the air as if I’m pulling each explanation ofthis whole fucked-up fairytale from thin air and weaving it into reality myself.

“Then when youfind out my life is in danger, you decide it’s the perfect moment for you to grow a fucking pair and become father of the year.” I pivot, my body facing Gabe, who looks like I’ve just physically slapped him across the face. “Did I get that right—Dad?”

Mack comes to stand next to me, resting his hand on my shoulder, his voice quietly beseeching me not to overreact. I don’t give a shit what he wants. When I fail to respond to his command, his voice becomes assertive.

“Avery,” a warning hangs in the air between us, but I won’t be moved by their shit anymore. I’ve lived my entire life being warned, disciplined, made to concede. Not anymore.

“Get. Your. Damn. Hands. Off. Of. Me.” Jake is suddenly on his feet, fists poised at his side, ready to strike. Maybe he thinks Mack had something to do with the bruises he saw. I wonder if Mack knew Chuck was Eleanor’s ‘yes man.’

Maybe Jake feels the same betrayal and rage I do over this situation. It doesn’t matter why he feels the need to come to my defense. What matters is the way his reaction causes Mack to take a step back, giving me the space I need.

Whirling around to face Mack, poking my finger into his chest with every word as I grate them out. “You knew.” It’s not a question. There’s no denying all the bullshit he’s been hiding from me for all these years. “All this time,you knew.Everything she put me through. Thetownput me through. You could’ve stopped it if you’d just told the truth!”

A thought crosses my mind, and the room starts to spin in slow-motion.

“Who else knew about this?” I need to know.She knew. Did she? If my grandmother knew the truth, why would she let everyone believe all those lies about my mother? Aboutme? All those times she hurt me. How she’s always hated me. Was it because she knew I had a father, and he dumped the responsibility of raising me on her? She couldn’t have known about this part of my mother’s life, could she?

It’s then I remember some of the last words she spoke to me the night I ran away. “Yourmother made the mistake of not doing as she was told and look where her decisions landed her.” My fingers are cupped over my mouth as I glance around the room for answers, all while holding back the sob that’s trying to escape out of me.

Thoughts of her insults continue to bombard me.

Your mother was nothing but an ungrateful whore.

Was my mother like those women out there wearing little to no clothes?

Even your own father was ashamed of you. So much so, he abandoned you both before you were even born.

Was my mother a whore he slept with and accidentally got pregnant?

You’re nothing but a constant reminder of the poor decisions your mother made. Even the man she laid with didn’t want either of you.

Did he marry her for her money, then decide we were too much trouble after all, so he threw her out on her ass instead?

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