Page 27 of Cruel Love
“Wanna bet?”I replied, raising my brow.
Truthfully, I had thought about letting Willow out of her room, at leastso she could join me for our evening meal together. But I didn’t want to risk being around her more than I needed to be.I also liked knowing where she was at all times in case the urge to fuck her arose. If she was roaming around the house or gardens, I didn’t want to waste my time trying to find her.
Besides, I’d permitted Edith to bring Willow new journals so she could occupy herself with writing stories.Stories I had no intention of reading.
Or so I told myself.
Jackson chuckled, shaking his head.“Shereallyis a lucky girl.”
“Can we get on with business? Your incessant talk about my wife isbeginning to piss me off,”I growled, my temper fraying.
“Keep your panties on. I’ve got the information you wanted,”hereplied, pulling out an envelope and handing it to me.“I’ve located your vase, it’s on the other side of the city with an antiques dealer who has a little habit of dealing in stolen goods.”
I tore open the envelope and scanned the contents. The picture andthe profile Jackson had put together of the dealer told me everything I needed to know. He wouldn’t cause me any issues in returning my vase to me.
“Uncle Jaaaaaames!”a shrill voice echoed through the housebefore I could tell JacksonthatI would pay the dealer a visit later on.
“Fuck, I forgot Billie was home from school,”I said, dropping theenvelope and its contents into my drawer and standing from my desk.“Not a word about Willow.”
A devilish smile spread on Jackson’s mouth as Billie, my ten-year-old niece, burst into my office, bolting across the room to launch herselfinto my arms as she squealed happily. I burrowed my face in her hair, inhaling a deep breath and letting her scent wash over me.
Billie was the only person who could bring calm in my chaos.
“You got taller,”I said, releasing her from my embrace so her feetfound the floor.
“Don’t I know it,”Kiera, my sister, said, coming into my office.“Therate she’s growing out of her clothes is going to leave me bankrupt.”
Her eyes dropped to Jackson, her happy smile fading, only to bereplaced with a scowl. Something which Jackson noted.
“Good to see you too, Kiki,”he chortled, standing, and buttoning uphis jacket.
“Don’t call methat,”Kiera snapped, glaring at him.
Jackson’s grin grew bigger. Fucker enjoyed winding my sister up.“I’ll catch you later, James.”
Kiera’s scowl remained on her face until the office door closedbehind Jackson. There was no love lost between the two, when they were kids, they were friends, but something changed, and the two of them could barely stay in the same room as each other.
“How are you doing, squirt?”I said, my hands still clutching Billie’ssmall arms as if she would disappear.“Have you been good at school?”
“Yep! I got selected for the hockey team,”she beamed.
“You did? Congratulations, squirt. I’m proud of you.”
And I was. Damn proud of the kid. Two years ago, we didn’t thinkshe’d see her next birthday, let alone be well enough to play sports.
She was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of five. Despitetreatment, the illness nearly took her life, a life Kiera had fought so hard to give in the first place, no thanks to our father.
The kid had more fight in her than anyone guessed though, andshe weathered the worst of the treatment. Eighteen months ago, she was accepted into a clinical trial thanks to a member of Legion who happened to be a world-class oncologist specializing in treating kids.
Since she’d started the treatment, Billie had gone from strength tostrength, and we were waiting for her next set of test results in a few weeks which we hoped would show she was finally in remission.
“Thanks, Uncle James. If we make it to the finals, I’ll get to go toCanada. Will you come and watch?”
I rubbed the top of her head, my black soul melting like it always didaround Billie.“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, kiddo.”
“Mom’s going to buy me a-”She paused, her gaze flicking to myhand.“Uncle James! Are you wearing a wedding ring?”
Fuck.
