"Happiness is not a destination it is a method of life, and no one said it would be easy."

Jackie Junior was arrogant, handsome, conceited, rich, and a drug lord. A man who had been left for dead in the corner of a London street over drugs and money. Years later he had regained his health but his heart was left scarred. Now he wants to restore some meaning into his life by having a child, but for that he needs a woman.

Brenna Taylor loves her father over all his flaws, and when he asks her to marry Jackie to save his life she accepts not knowing what she is getting herself into. As soon as she steps off the plane she finds that Jackie is a demon, a handsome demon. Can she live her life in a golden prison married to a man she does not love?

Title: Inside a Dream by: Jamison Boaz

I built the image of our heart,

And used my tears instead of clay.

I wrote the words to make you mine,

But the blood spelled love on burning paper

And I’m caught in the fire.

I’m sorry but I can’t be forgiven

For everything that I’m saying.

If I must wait for you that’s what I’ll do.

Inside a dream my suffering.

I found the promise in the dirt,

A sign of love that didn’t last.

I smiled to myself as I thought,

To cast aside our precious things

What fools these lovers been.

I’m sorry but I can’t be forgiven

For everything that I’m saying.

If I must wait for you that’s what I’ll do.

Inside a dream my suffering.

Ooh Ooh Ooh…

I feel like I’ve been complicated

Ooh Ooh Ooh…

I feel like I’ve been betrayed

Ooh Ooh Ooh…

I feel like I’ve been complicated

Ooh Ooh Ooh…

I feel like I’ve been betrayed

I’m sorry but I can’t be forgiven

For everything that I’m saying.

If I must wait for you that’s what I’ll do.

Inside a dream my suffering.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty-six

Chapter Thirty-seven

Chapter Thirty-eight

Chapter Thirty-nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-one

Chapter Forty-two

Chapter Forty-three

Chapter Forty-four

Chapter Forty-five

Chapter Forty-six

Chapter Forty-seven

Chapter Forty-eight

Chapter Forty-nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-one

Chapter Fifty-two

Chapter Fifty-three

Chapter Fifty-four

Jackie handed his glass to one of his servants and asked for it to be refilled. He then placed a lighten cigar in his mouth and threw his head back into the chair he was sitting in. Only three more hours and he would be a married man. Such a silly thought that one was, but it thrilled him to think that the exquisite creature, whose photograph her father proudly paraded around London, would soon be his wife.

It was a sad reality that Jackie was the only Junior left on the face of the Earth. His whole family had been wiped out after that awful day almost three years ago. Jackie was presumed dead and it did not take long for all his enemies to pry on what they knew to be left of the Juniors. In a cruel twist of fate, Jackie was the only one to survive. Hidden behind the walls of the rehabilitation institution, he gained back his health but became all too familiar with pain; both physical and mental. The demons that haunted his mind were always present. Even after finding his family's murderers and making them pay for their deeds Jackie found no peace. Nothing was good enough, nothing was calming.

Only one thing was certain, Jackie needed to procreate, and no one but Brenna Taylor could be the mother of his children. Her beauty and air of innocence transpired through the photograph he met her through. At first Jackie had laughed when her father offered her as pay for his debt, but then he looked at her picture and realized it was not such a bad idea. Jackie had more than a hard time trusting people, especially women, and he did not have time to court a young lady, so he decided to accept. He asked her father all about her and was reassured that he had made a right decision. She was precisely what Jackie needed in a wife, someone who would never ask questions and obey his every command with striking perfection. It was a bonus that she was also very beautiful. Jackie smiled thinking for the first time that their nights together would not be wasted either.

"I need to speak to your boss right this instant!" Jackie's thoughts were interrupted by the loud voice of a woman.

"He is in there, am I right?!" the voice asked.

"I'm sorry but you cannot go in there!" a guard instructed her

Jackie sat up straight as the woman pushed the doors open and demanded that the guards stay away from her. Angry and confused the woman looked around the room before posing her eyes on Jackie.

"I presume you must be Mr. Junior."

Jackie inspected the figure before him with no attempts to hide his wicked thoughts. The woman was good looking and curvy, her long red hair reminded him of fire. Jackie wondered if there was time enough for a quick adventure before his wedding.

"That depends who is asking." Jackie answered taking the cigar out of his mouth.

"I am. And I want to tell you what I think about your dumb requests." she said madly waving a paper in front of him.

Taken by surprise Jackie stood up, the woman was forced to look up at him. Her light brown eyes showed determination and strength. The last thing Jackie needed was a crazy woman trying to ruin an already bad day. Today was his wedding day for the love of cheeses!

"Who the hell are you, and why do you think you can come in here and scream at me?" he asked her angrily.

"Who am I? Oh you are a bigger hypocrite than I thought!"

Jackie had no time to continue to play games with this fiery creature. He asked his men to show the lady out and when one of the guards grabbed her by the arm the paper in her hand fell to the floor. Jackie picked it up and was shocked when he read its inscriptions.

"Wait!" he called to them. The guard released her and she turned to face him. Her white skin was now red with fury.

"Who are you?" Jackie asked perplexed.

"My name is Brenna Taylor, and against my will I am to be your wife today."

Her words were spit out with pure hatred. Jackie waited for her to correct herself. Surely there must be a mistake, he thought, this cannot be. He walked over to the woman and forcefully grasped her arm leading her through a door and into a private room.

He let go of her and paced back and forth for a few seconds before speaking. The woman rubbed her arm in pain but her eyes still defied him.

"If you tell me who sent you I might take pity on you and return you home intact."

"Why, because now you know you cannot control me, that I am not the trophy wife you wanted?" she asked.

"No. Because you are not Brenna Taylor." he told her before slamming the door shut and leaving her locked up.

Scottish? Jackie Junior was Scottish? Brenna came to London with the idea that she would marry an old British man, in her wildest thoughts she expected to find a middle aged Italian, but never a handsome Scottish drug lord. Who the heck has ever heard of a Scottish Godfather? It was undeniable that his accent was charming, and that his looks were heart stopping, but that did not help the fact that he was a pig. A repulsive excuse for a man, Brenna thought.

He was thick enough to deny knowing who she was. He even called her an impostor. Brenna did not know what kind of game he was playing but she refused to go along with it. As soon as he came back into the room she would let him know that she had had a change of heart. She would return home and let her father deal with his own problems. There was no way she was going to marry a brute such as Jackie Junior.

--------------

Jackie ordered all his men out of the room and immediately picked up his phone to dial Luke Taylor's number. After three rings a maid picked up and was alarmed at the harsh command Jackie shouted at her.

"Put Taylor on the line."

"Mr. Taylor?" the maid asked scared.

"Of course Mr. Taylor!" Jackie barked at her.

In less than a minute a male voice answered.

"Yes, this is Taylor speaking."

"Was this your idea of a joke? Did you not think I was serious when I said I would kill you?"

Taylor was puzzled by the questions.

"Jackie. What are you talking about? Did Brenna not show up? Did she do something to upset you?" the old man asked into the receiver.

Jackie gripped the phone tighter and breathed in loudly as he searched for a civilized way to inform his acquaintance that his days were numbered.

"I don't know who you think you are dealing with Taylor." Jackie said. "Your daughter never arrived, instead you sent a demonic redhead. Our deal was that I marry Brenna and your debts would be forgotten, otherwise you would be a dead man. It seems you have decided against your life by sending an impostor to fill your daughter's place. But let me give you a bit of advice, not that you will be needing it after I kill you, but I must tell you either way. Next time you plan on tricking a Junior at least take the time to find someone that looks like your daughter. A redhead for a blond gives it away don't you think?"

Jackie's anger took Luke Taylor by surprise. Jackie's words did little to answer his questions. A blond?

"You must be mistaken Jackie. Why would I find a blond to replace Brenna?" Taylor directly asked.

"Don't play stupid with me Taylor! You know perfectly well what I am talking about. Your daughter is blond; the woman that came here claiming to be Brenna is a redhead."

Suddenly Taylor realized the mistake they both had made. Being the coward that he was, Luke made one false step after another during the last two months. First he fell in debt up to his neck, then he borrowed from Jackie and lost everything else. In an attack of panic for his life, Luke offered Jackie the last valuable he possessed, his daughter Brenna. Jackie was reluctant and in an attempt to convince him Luke showed him a recent family photograph in which Brenna appeared along with her two younger sisters. Jackie had studied the picture carefully, he also asked many questions and Luke was desperate to save his life so he answered what he thought Jackie wanted to hear. Going back into his memory Luke Taylor relived those few moments.

"What is her name?" Jackie asked, looking into the photo in his hand.

"Br..Brenna." Taylor answered nervously.

"How old is she?"

"She will be 27 in two weeks."

"She looks younger." Jackie said softly.

"She is very pleasant." Taylor added trying to seal the deal.

"Is she obedient?"

"Hmm...Yes.” and uncomforted Taylor responded.

"How is her character?" Jackie wanted to know.

"Brenna is caring and understandable. She will adapt to any situation and you will only get the best of her."

"You make her sound like the perfect woman."

"She will be perfect for you." Taylor assured Jackie.

"We will see." Jackie finally said "You are one lucky man to have such a beautiful daughter to save your neck."

It couldn't have, Taylor thought to himself. But it had, Jackie had mistakenly thought that Brenna was his youngest daughter Crystal. Crystal was the only blond in his family, just as Brenna was the only redhead, everyone else, including his other daughter Rachel, had brown hair.

Jackie confused the two and Luke was idiot enough to not pick up on it. But Crystal was only 18! How can Jackie have thought that she would marry him? Besides, Taylor was referring to Brenna the whole time. It had been Jackie's mistake; he had looked at the wrong woman in the photograph. Surely Taylor was doomed; Brenna would never allow Crystal to marry Jackie. Crystal was like a daughter to her older sisters, and neither Brenna nor Rachel would allow her to marry at such a young age.

Luke Taylor was returned to the present by Jackie's loud voice.

"The woman will sustain no harm. She will be returned to America in the first plane available. You and I have a matter to discuss and I expect you here as soon as possible."

"Wait a second Jackie." Taylor interrupted "The woman, the redhead, she is Brenna."

Brenna was tired of pacing the circumference of the room in which she was locked up so she sat on a chair by a large window and looked down to the street. Just then the door of the room opened and in came Mr. Jackie Junior. After one quick glance his way Brenna returned to watching the cars and people outside the window. The view was not very good because they were in the seventh floor, but anything was better than looking at Jackie.

"So you are Miss Brenna Taylor." Jackie's rude voice stated.

Brenna did not turn around and this irritated Jackie. He was at her side in an instant and spoke directly into her face.

"Your father takes me for an idiot, and that is something I do not appreciate."

"You don't have to spit at me you know." Brenna said nastily.

Jackie ignored her comment and ordered her to go to her room and get dressed. They would be leaving for the ceremony in 30 minutes.

"I knew you would be an ass but I didn't think it was ever possible to go to such extremes as you have." Brenna screamed.

"Well you are not as advertised either." Jackie screamed back at her. "To tell you the truth, you are not the girl I wanted to marry. Your kind does not appeal to me, and you are not much to look at. So unless you want me to marry your sister, go get dressed."

Brenna's was stunned by his words. Her sister? What on earth?

"What are you talking about?" she asked Jackie

"It was Crystal that I wanted to marry, but it appears that you is all I will get. Somehow you will have to do. Now go get dressed." he ordered again.

Silently Brenna walked out of the room and walked to her own. She had never been so insulted in her whole life; she wanted to cry from the humiliation that man put her through. If only she could return home and forget there was a man named Jackie Junior roaming the planet. If only this was a dream. But it was all too real and nasty to be a dream, even to disgusting to be a bad dream. She couldn't let Jackie kill her father, or ruin her sister's life, there was no way out. By the end of the day she was to be Mrs. Jackie Junior. Brenna feared that it was then that the true nightmare would start.

Until death do us part? It had to be a joke, a very sick joke. Forever seemed like a very long time to wait for her freedom. Brenna secretly wished Jackie would suddenly drop dead during the reception, but her wish was not granted. The man appeared to be in perfect health and enjoying himself with her distress.

There were very few guests, only about 50 people, but they all noticed the bride's uneasiness and her lack of affection toward the groom. Jackie on his part ignored Brenna throughout the evening and limited himself to drinking and engorging in the admiration of the females in the room. Every woman stood patiently awaiting his gaze; they all smiled shyly at him and wished he would dance with them. Brenna felt nauseous at their outrageous flirt game, it was his wedding reception did the man not have an ounce of respect for her.

Brenna recalled the quick kiss he placed on her lips as the priest asked him to kiss the bride. There was no feeling on either part, no magic. She reluctantly had to accept that her life from now on would be that way.

After 4 hours of witnessing the Miss Jackie Junior Slut Pageant, Brenna had had enough. She left the reception and headed for her room.

"I may be you wife, but I will not sit around and be publicly ridiculed." Brenna said as she removed her head piece and threw it on the floor.

"I hate you Jackie Junior, I truly hate you!” she said kicking her shoes to the side.

A deafening bang on her door startled her and she stood very quiet as the bangs continued.

"Brenna open the door!" An intoxicated Jackie shouted from the outside.

"Go away you moron, you are drunk!" she yelled back. Slowly she moved closer to the door and waited to see if he would leave.

A kick to the door made Brenna shriek softly and jump back.

"Open the door I said!" Jackie demanded

There was no response.

"Open or I will!" he insisted.

"No!" came Brenna's defiant answer.

For a moment there was no response from Jackie and Brenna was sure he was gone. He was dimwitted enough to make a scene outside her hotel door; Bob only knew what else he was capable of.

Unexpectedly, the door that joined her room with Jackie's burst open and Jackie appeared before Brenna. She had forgotten to lock it!

"Why did you leave?" Jackie asked as he walked to her, he didn't appear as drunk as he had sounded through the door.

"I refused to witness your slut contest for another second." she answered.

"My what?" he asked confused, then smiled when he understood her comment.” Jealous already?"

"Don't be absurd." she corrected him.” It is just my reputation that I feel I must protect, yours on the other hand is already ruined by your lack of self-respect."

Jackie's smile was wiped out of his face

"What do you want, don't you have guests to attend to?" Brenna asked him dryly

"They are all gone now."

"Surely you don't expect me to play the perfect wife and succumb to a night of loveless physical action?" she directly asked her husband.

Her question made Jackie laugh loudly, and surprisingly that hurt Brenna's feelings.

"No darling, I've told you before," he said, lightly touching her chin "you are not appealing to me."

He took a step back and looked her up and down before saying.

"For now you don't have to worry about that part of the marriage. My desires will be satisfied elsewhere until I find a liking to you. If that doesn't happen, then at least you can answer my phone calls and sort out the mail. Good night, my wife."

And with that he left, leaving Brenna to wonder why he had married her.

Jackie lay awake in his bed looking up at the ceiling and wondering why for the first time in many years he had said no to a woman. It wasn't true that he did not want to sleep with Brenna. Bob, that was the first thing that came to his mind when he first saw her! He imagined running his fingers through the fire in her hair, kissing her white flesh, her pouty lips.

But that woman had the temper of a wild horse. She reminded him of American horses, the untamed Mustang. Smiling Jackie pictured Brenna as a mare. Soon his thoughts returned to reality. It was 3:30 am on his wedding night and he was alone in his bed. Pathetic, Jackie thought, utterly pathetic.

Why the only reason he wanted to marry in the first place was to have kin. Indeed that task would require getting it on with Brenna someday. But since she firmly stated that she wasn't up to the task Jackie would not let her know that he was disappointed. Instead he acted as if he hadn't desired her company.

"And that's how its going to stay" Jackie told himself "until you come to me on your own Brenna Taylor."

No matter how long he had to wait, Jackie vowed to make Brenna long for him with a desperation that would one day break her pride and make her surrender to his will. Time was not an issue for them; they had all their lives ahead of them.

"Until death do us part." he repeated softly before drifting off to sleep.

------------------

Brenna didn't sleep much, the time change and the unpleasant events of the previous evening kept her up until about 3:30 am. It was now 8:15 am and Brenna was wide awake but her body ached all over. She decided to take a long hot bath to see if the heat of the water relieved her of her pain.

This time she made sure to lock both doors leading to her room and she gave in to the pleasure of the hot tub. Brenna had not been in the tub for long when her husband burst into the bathroom. Brenna released a loud scream and curled into fetal position to avoid his eyes.

"Shut up!" Jackie ordered

"How did you get in?!” she asked

"I have a key."

"You have no right to come barging in like this!"

Jackie grabbed a yellow towel from the hanger next to the tub and threw it at Brenna.

"It's not like I have never seen a nude woman before." he said sarcastically.

"You disgust me." she answered.

"The pendulum swings both ways dear."

Brenna had covered her body with the towel and she pushed Jackie aside to get to the room. He followed close behind and sat in a couch a few feet away from the bed. His back was to her.

"We have a meeting at 9 so I figured I should come and make sure you were properly dressed for the occasion. I don't want my associates to think that I just married the first woman that crossed my path. Although that might have been a better idea now that I think about it."

Brenna said nothing back. She sat on the bed and closed her hands into fists. Jackie turned to face her and smiled wickedly.

"So are you going to change or what?"

Brenna felt her blood rising to a boiling point.

"Leave!" she demanded.

"I didn't think you were such a virginal bride." Jackie said between laughs as he left the room.

Once she found herself alone Brenna dropped her face into her hands and sobbed quietly for a split second. She then furiously wiped the tears away and decided she would not give him the benefit of her tears.

"Why did you sign the deed to the house without consulting me first?" Brenna asked Jackie as they drove back to the hotel.

"It didn't concern you." he answered looking straight in front of him.

Brenna tried hard but could not stop her inquisition.

"Is this how it’s always going to be? You making all the decisions, and never bothering to ask me what I think."

"Yes." he coldly answered.

"Didn't you stop to think that I might want to have a say in where I live for the rest of my life?"

The car stopped at a light and at last Jackie turned to face Brenna.

"You didn't expect us to live in the hotel forever, did you?"

"No, but I also didn't want to pay so much for a house."

"Money is not a problem for me; I am not your father."

Hurt by his words Brenna signaled for him to drive once the light had turned to green.

"Besides,” Jackie said starting to drive again "I knew we didn't have to look at another house the moment I saw your face light up when you saw the garden."

Brenna looked at him amazed that he had noticed.

"You like flowers?” Jackie asked her

Brenna smiled shyly before answering.

"Yes."

"All women do." Jackie added ruining the moment.

The rest of the way back was made in silence. When they arrived at the hotel Jackie motioned for Brenna to get off.

"Do something to entertain yourself while I go tend to some other items." he told her before driving away.

Brenna did not wait to watch him drive away. She quickly walked to the hotel's bar and ordered a double shot of the house's strongest drink. The bartender gave her a weird look but prepared her order with no questions asked.

"You better take it easy. That drink can put you out in less than 20 minutes if you are not accustomed to drinking." a good looking man sitting next to her said.

"And what makes you think I am not accustomed to drinking?" she asked angrily.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude I just thought you needed advice on how strong that drink is." the man tried to get up to leave but Brenna stopped him midway.

"No. Excuse me. I didn't mean to be so rude. I'm just having a very bad day." she apologized.

"I forgive you." the man said making Brenna smile. "I'm Tony Meier."

"Brenna Ta... Junior." she said taking the hand the man was offering into her own.

"Nice to meet you." they said in unison bursting into laughter.

"Miss? Your drink." the bartender interrupted the pair.

"She won't be needing that anymore. Charge it to my account." Tony said as he led Brenna to a nearby table to continue their conversation.

There was something about this man that made Brenna feel comfortable, perhaps it was his soft voice, or his gentleman manner. So very different from the beast she had married.

"Are you here on vacation?" Tony asked her.

"No. I came here to get married."

"You are getting married?"

"I got married yesterday night." she answered expressionless.

"Last night?" Tony asked surprised "Where is your husband? You should be enjoying your honeymoon."

Brenna felt like laughing at his suggestion.

"There is nothing sweet about my marriage." she informed Tony.

"You are not in love." he said understanding her comment.

"No."

"Why did you marry him then?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got nowhere to go for a while." he said smiling.

Brenna felt her heart start to flutter; his smile invited her to share her feelings with him. Alone and miles away from home Brenna was happy to find a friend. The sparkle in Tony's eyes made her blush like a teenager, and without noticing she began to speak.

"My father has a gambling problem and he..."

Jackie returned to the hotel very late at night.  He had planned on joining Brenna for dinner but the business had some unexpected trouble and that needed to be taken care of before it got out of hand.  Around 6pm, Jackie tried calling Brenna’s room to let her know he was not going to show up until later but there was no answer. He then called one of his men and asked him to look for her in the hotel but the man returned his call saying he couldn’t find her. Jackie speculated whether or not Brenna would be daring enough to try to leave him.

Silent and cautiously Jackie entered Brenna’s room to check if she was asleep.  She was.  Her rhythmic breathing was loud and Jackie smiled as he thought of how tired she must be to sleep like that.  Surely she would be waking up late the next day.

“Major jetlag.” Jackie said quietly as he approached her bed.

He stood looking down at his wife and felt the urge to bend down and kiss her; she looked so peaceful, so innocently delicious. Nothing like the mad cow she turned into when she was awake.  Perhaps it’s just me, Jackie thought, I bring out the bad in her.

Careful to not make a sound Jackie introduced his hand into one of the inner pockets of his red coat. He took out a small velvety box and placed it on her nightstand.  Still smiling Jackie returned to his own room and slept peacefully for the first time in many nights.

------------------------

Brenna woke up from a good night’s sleep smiling, and she was surprised to find a velvet ring box staring back at her.  Without getting out of the bed she grabbed the small box and opened it, letting out a small gasp.  Inside was the most beautiful wedding ring she had ever seen.  Excited, Brenna went into the shower and hummed as she got ready for the day. Maybe Jackie wasn’t so bad after all, she thought.

She chose to wear jeans and a green turtle neck because it was Sunday and Sundays were always carefree days for her.  After applying mascara and gloss she combed her hair back and pinned it up at the sides.  Then she carefully placed her new ring on her left hand.

Just then, Jackie came into the room without warning and Brenna turned to him smiling.

“You still haven’t learned to knock first?” she said jokingly.

Jackie smiled back and Brenna saw that his eyes were a beautiful sparkling blue-green like the sea. Smiling like that, he looked more handsome than ever.

“I see you’re having a good day.” Jackie said.

“Yes I am.” Brenna agreed happily. “Thank you for the ring.”

Jackie was quickly in front of her and had her hand in his inspecting the ring on her finger.

“It looks good.” He said before releasing her hand.

For a moment Brenna had thought that he would kiss her hand and she was disappointed that he just dropped her hand with no caress whatsoever. 

“You’re dressed already, good, now we can go pick out our new furniture. The house will be ready on Wednesday of we manage to select all the furniture today, then we can move in on Thursday.” Jackie informed her as he opened the door leading to the hotel’s hall.

“You mean, you, will pick out the furniture.” Brenna said as she joined Jackie outside.

“Be nice to me and I might even let you select your bed.” Jackie responded smiling.

Brenna felt a closeness to her husband that was both pleasant and frightening. Was this not the same man that found humiliating her a hobby? Why was he trying to be so nice to her?

Brenna did get to pick her bed after all, along with the rest of the furniture for her new home.  Jackie took her to an exclusive store and told her to order whatever her little greedy heart desired, coming from Jackie that almost sounded like a compliment.

“You can have a decorator help you out if you want to.” Her husband suggested

“I rather do it myself if that’s okay with you.” She said to him.

“It’s your home; you can do with it as you please.”

If only the same was true for you, Brenna thought. 

“I have to leave you alone again today. But I will be back by 5 to join you for supper.”

“I take you will be gone most of our married life.” Brenna sneeringly said.

Jackie could not answer her because precisely at that moment the store’s host came back with the order form ready.

“Please follow me Mr. and Mrs. Junior.” The young man said to the couple.

 They did as asked and Brenna smiled as the host informed her that her newly purchased items would be at her new home the next day. 

“In case there is an error in the order, not that there will be, but just in case I must still inform you that you can call our store at anytime before 5 pm and we will fix any problems you might have. We will even replace any pieces that are not to your liking once they are relocated to your home.” The host politely recited.

The host then turned to talk to the cashier and Jackie found the perfect opportunity to lean close to Brenna and whisper into her ear.

“It’s nice when you have a guarantee to back up an order, isn’t it my dear wife?”

Hurt by his comment Brenna forcefully elbowed his side and Jackie lost his breath for a second.

“Are you alright Mr. Junior?” the host asked the man

“Yes darling, are you okay?” Brenna innocently asked.

“I’m fine.” Jackie answered straightening up.

Triumphant Brenna signed the delivery order and mentally prepared her next attack on her offensive husband.

“Where are you Jackie Junior?” Brenna asked for the thousand time since 5pm had passed, 45 minutes ago.

All the possible explanations that Jackie could have for being late circled around Brenna’s mind making her dizzy.  She kept on checking the entrance waiting for him to come rushing in at any moment. He was about an hour late but that could happen to anyone, right?

Then a familiar face came through the doors and Brenna couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m not following you I swear.” Tony, the charming man from yesterday told her as he approached her.

“Hello Tony.” Brenna said still smiling.

“Hello beautiful.” Tony said back “Alone again? May I?” he asked pointing to the chair next to her.

Brenna took one last glance toward the restaurant’s entrance and not seeing Jackie she accepted Tony’s company.

“Your husband must be a very busy man.”

Brenna rolled her eyes and sighted.

“I mean, to leave you alone all day like this, and on your honeymoon.”

“I’ve told you before, my marriage is a fake.” Brenna said irritated that her husband had stood her up.

“Still, any man should feel lucky to have you as his wife.” Tony said making Brenna blush.

A waiter came up to their table to take their orders. He saluted them, wrote down Tony’s order then spoke again.

“And, for your wife?”

Brenna almost choked on the water she was sipping. Tony let out a light and embarrassed laugh and corrected the waiter.

“I’m sorry Miss.” The young man apologized “What can I bring out for you?”

“No problem.” Brenna said to him “I’ll have the roast chicken with potatoes.”

“Your orders will be out in a few minutes.” The waiter said leaving the table.

Brenna felt a bit uncomfortable after that little incident, and she could tell that Tony was not relaxed either.

“Were you waiting for him?” Tony asked straight out.

The question took Brenna by surprise but she was sincere when she answered.

“Yes.”

After the meal Tony invited Brenna for a walk in the hotel gardens.

“Have you had a chance to visit them?” he asked her

“No.” she answered, her mind wondering why Jackie had forgotten about their date.

“They’re this way.” Tony said grabbing Brenna’s hand and guiding her through a pathway lined with enormous trees. “You are going to love this.”

When the edge of the flower garden was clear Brenna could see why Tony was so excited to show her the place. It was beautiful and it smelled even better.  Many different types of flowers made various geometric designs that led to a kiosk surrounded by roses.

“It is beautiful.” Brenna admitted excited

But her enthusiasm ended as her attention was caught by the intense red of a very familiar coat in the distance.  Standing about 5 feet from the center of the garden was her husband, and he was kissing a stunning brunette!

Jackie stormed into the restaurant two hours too late.  He inquired with the hostess if a woman named Brenna Junior had had supper there around 5 pm.  The hostess said there was no way to be certain since they didn’t keep a guest list.  Disappointed by her answer Jackie went upstairs to look for Brenna.

“Is my wife in her room?” he asked his right hand man Charles when they crossed paths in the hall.

“I think I saw her come up about a half hour ago.” Charles responded.

Jackie nodded thankfully and they went their separate ways. Minutes later Jackie was knocking at Brenna’s door. 

“Who is it?” she asked from the inside.

“It’s me, Jackie, please open the door.”

Little by little the door was opened and Brenna’s head popped out.

“Can I help you?” she meanly asked, her accent more apparent by her angry tone.

“Come on Brenna, we were doing so good this morning.”

“This morning being the key words.” She responded still refusing to let him in “That was until you decided to forget all about me and spent your afternoon kissing another woman.”

Jackie was stunned by her response. He didn’t feel he needed to give her an explanation regarding his personal business but another argument would interfere with his plans for a speedy breeding.

“Wait a minute.” He said pushing her head in with the palm of his hand and entering the room. “First of all I didn’t forget about you. I left you a message in your mobile.”

“You know I don’t know how to use it yet, you gave it to me this morning!”

“I thought you Americans were supposed to be into the latest technological trends.”

“Not this American.” Brenna stated annoyed.

Jackie placed his hands on his hips and continued.

“Second, I don’t like to be spied on, especially not by my wife.”

“I wasn’t spying on you!” Brenna defended herself “I was taking a walk by the gardens and I happen to catch you in the act.”

“For Pete’s sake woman, what act? It was just a kiss on the cheek.” Jackie threw his hands in the air.

“It was a kiss!”

“You’ve got issues, and I don’t have time for this, but thirdly, she is an associate. And she happens to be Italian. Have you ever dealt with Italians before? In case you haven’t let me inform you that they kiss everybody.”

“You expect me to believe that all that bull crap?!” Brenna asked incredulously.

Exasperated Jackie kicked the couch in the room.

“Then don’t believe it!”

“Well I don’t!”

“Fine!” Jackie said

“Fine!” Brenna mocked him

“Stop it!” Jackie threatened.

“You stop it!” Brenna said returning his command

“You are making it very hard for me to forget that you are not the bride I had chosen!”

Brenna threw herself at him and began punching his chest.

“You animal! You…you…”

“What?” Jackie asked laughing at her struggle as he held her by her wrists.

Brenna gave up and stood quiet.  Jackie looked into her eyes and spoke softly.

“I wasn’t kissing her Brenna, I swear.”

Then he bent down and gently kissed her lips.  Brenna would later scorn at herself for her reaction to that kiss.  Her knees felt weak and she closed her eyes as she surrendered to his mouth. When he parted from her lips Brenna’s breathing stopped for a second.

“I see we are making some progress in the affection department.” Jackie disdainfully said

“Not in the least bit!” Brenna said pulling herself away from him

“Are you sure?”

“Very sure.” She answered

“You don’t want me to stay here with you tonight then?” Jackie asked her proudly

Brenna laughed at his question and Jackie flashed her an evil look that made her be quiet instantly.

“It’s not like I was planning on stay you know, I have an appointment for tonight, so don’t wait up for me dear.” Jackie said evenly

Brenna crossed her arms over her chest and returned his evil gaze as he headed for the door.  Just before exiting he turned to her.

“By the way,” he said smiling “kissing Teresa was a lot more exciting.”

The next three days flew fast, Brenna had been very occupied with the decoration of her home and before she knew it Wednesday rolled along.  Tonight was to be her last night at the hotel and Brenna wanted to say good bye to Tony.  She probably would never see him again and he had been so kind to her that she bought him a little something to thank him.  She asked at the reception desk for his room number and she was now at his door.

Brenna lifted her arm to knock but she held it in mid air suddenly feeling tongue-tied.  What would she say to him? Hi Tony, my husband is being a little nicer to me but he is still an arse so I was wondering if I can use you as confidant for one more session? She couldn’t say that! How about… Tony! I’ve been dreaming about you for the past two nights and I think I might have a crush on you, is there any chance you feel the same toward me? Yeah right! Brenna thought dropping her arm ready to leave.

But just as she was about to turn away Tony’s door opened.

“Brenna!” he exclaimed as he saw her.

“Good morning Tony.” Brenna said shyly.

“How are you? I haven’t seen you in what… two days?” he said as delightful as always.

“I know.” Brenna agreed “I’ve been a little busy lately.”

Her words were followed by a few seconds of awkwardness, and then Brenna broke the silence.

“I’m leaving tomorrow, and I wanted to say good bye and give you this as a token of my gratitude.” She said handing him a fruit basket.

Tony smiled widely as he took the basket in his hands and looked down at it.

“Oh jolly, my very own fruit salad!’ he said making her laugh.

 “No, seriously now, thanks.” Tony said

“You’re welcome. I saw you were on your way out, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

“Actually I was about to go down to see if I had the good luck of running into you again, but you’re already here so why don’t you come in and we can order a film on pay-per-view.”

Flattered by his confession Brenna agreed to go into his room.

“What movie are we watching?” she asked him sitting on the couch facing the television set.

“I’ve been meaning to watch this musical everyone talks about. The Phantom of the Opera!” Tony said imitating a theater announcer. “With that actor… what’s his name? J- Something.”

“Jared Bonkers!” Brenna said cheerfully “He is so cute!”

“I sense a little crush toward the guy.” Her friend teased her

Brenna avoided his eyes. If you only knew who I was crushing on, she thought.

The movie was great, Brenna had been meaning to see her while she was still in her hometown but the disturbing news of her arranged engagement took priority from the instant she heard about it.  Then there was no time to go to the theater anymore, she spend the next few months preparing mentally for her unwelcome destiny.  There was nothing she could do about that now, was there? She was already married. The only good thing that had come out of her first days as a married woman was her friendship to Tony.

“Then I decided to come visit and see if I could make up my mind whether or not to move here. I have been working for this company for about two years and it would be the best thing anyways.” Tony told Brenna after the movie was over and they stayed sitting down telling each other their lives stories.

“So you are Canadian by birth, but you were raised in Oxford and now you are relocating here to London?”

“Yeah that pretty much sums it up.” Tony said

“If you are going to live here too then may be we can continue to meet once in a while for coffee.” Brenna bravely offered

“That would be nice.”

“Yes, it would.” She said dreamingly

Tony moved a little closer to her and caressed her cheek lovingly.  Then Brenna did the unexpected, she enclosed Tony’s lips with hers and kissed him.  Soon they were both embracing each other and confessing their attraction. Their kisses were tender and sweet, a passion was igniting itself by their harmony, and they made a promise to see each other again soon, very soon.    

The first day in their enormous new home, Jackie shocked Brenna by leaving very clear that he wanted a child within two years.

“I won’t force you into intercourse, you can let me know when you’re ready for it, but those are my terms.” Jackie informed her

Brenna was speechless.

“Aside from that I don’t really have much use for you so you can go shopping during the day, maybe even tour the city and get accustomed to

London.”

Many vicious retorts floated in Brenna’s head but she now had something to hide from Jackie and she would try to be as pleasant with him so that he did not suspect.

“Boy or girl?” she asked distant

Jackie’s eyes twinkled as he pictured a stubborn little girl with fiery red hair. Although a boy would not be so bad either, they could have more than one. But his child’s sex did not really matter to Jackie.

“Either one.” He responded smiling “Our child will be a Junior, there is no more to that.”

Arrogant jerk, Brenna thought silently.

“And you won’t force me into anything?’

“I said I wouldn’t the night we married.” Jackie reminded her

“You said you had to develop a liking to me.” She confronted him “Does that mean you’ve achieved that already?”

“I had to.” Jackie responded, “There is no other way to conceive a child.”

Offended by his answer Brenna sighted deeply before speaking.

“There is another way. We can always try an in-vitro.” She said making him laugh

“No child of mine will be created by any other means than the natural ones.” He said

Bothered Brenna tried to speak.

“But…”

“Don’t worry.” Jackie said smiling as he walked to her “I promise I’ll go easy on you, and if it’s me you’re worried about let me assure you that I can handle it. There is always the possibility of covering your face with a paper bag.”

Infuriated Brenna ran to her room and left Jackie laughing hysterically at her reaction. Suddenly she did not feel like seeing his face anymore.  She longed to be by Tony’s side, so instead of dwelling on Jackie’s hurtful comments Brenna decided to think about her true love and their agreed meeting for the next day.

---------------

A month into their marriage Jackie and Brenna were farther apart than when they started.  And while Brenna was a bit nicer to Jackie, and they had learned to share their daily adventures during dinner, and during the weekends Jackie stayed home to read a nice book with Brenna or go out to the theater, they still fought like cats and dogs.

Jackie always found the vilest insults to spit at Brenna when she least expected them, and Brenna on her part could not keep her mouth shut after being repeatedly insulted by her maniac husband.

Still, they managed to survive each other and wake up everyday with a cheerful attitude. Jackie actually spent his lonely nights thinking up more verbal abuse he could use on his adorable wife.  He smiled wickedly each time she wrinkled her nose at him as she left after his attacks.  Jackie could not deny that Brenna was entertaining.

“Is my wife home?” Jackie asked Charles as he entered his home one Friday afternoon.

“Not yet.” Charles answered helping his boss and old friend with the bags he was carrying in.

“Pity, I wanted to show her something I bought her. Thanks.” He said happy as he handed some bags to Charles

“You’re always buying her something. And you let her go shopping everyday. Don’t you think you’re overdoing it?”

“Nonsense.” Jackie said laughingly “That’s what money is for, to spend it.”

Jackie spoke sincerely happy that he and Brenna had something in common, their love for great sales. 

“You know that restaurant by the main theater?” Jackie asked

“The French one?”

“Yes that one. You think Brenna would like it?”

Charles smiled at his friend and Jackie smiled back childishly animated. For a moment, Charles thought that he was looking at the ‘old’ Jackie, the one he had met about 4 years ago when he was carefree and always merry.  That Jackie was just as menacing a businessman as always but he was lighthearted and friendly.  Then the worst thing happened to him, he died after a betrayal.

“So you think she’ll like it?” Jackie insisted interrupting his friend’s memories.

“I’m sure she will.”

“Good. As soon as she gets back tell her I want to speak to her.” Jackie said rushing to his room.

By 6pm, Brenna had not been back yet and Jackie began to get a little jumpy.

“What time did she leave?” he asked Charles

“I’m not her babysitter man, I don’t know. But she does spend too much time out every day.  Do you want us to follow her and see where she goes?” Charles asked eager for some action

“No.” Jackie laughed, “She needs a little privacy. Besides, she doesn’t know anyone yet where would she be going?”

“You never know. She could be pulling a bad card on you.” Charles said making Jackie doubt whether or not he should spy on his wife.

“She wouldn’t do that.” he said trying to convince both his friend and himself  

“You barely know her.”

“But she is my wife Charles. And she would not break her promise and put her family at risk.”

“I’m just trying to tell you that you shouldn’t leave her alone so much. That gives her time to wonder around and look for trouble.”

“Brenna is not giving me trouble. I admit she is a little stubborn but she is a decent woman. I trust her.” Jackie put an end to the discussion by going to the kitchen to get a beer.

His wife would not be so foolish as to cheat on him, would she?

Brenna desperately seeked the buttons on Tony’s shirt and began to open them as they kissed. 

“Mmmm…What are you doing little lady?” Tony asked amused as he separated from her lips.

“I’m just getting you a little more comfortable.” She seductively responded

“You know how much I want to go that far, but we just can’t.”

“Why not?” Brenna asked hurt

“Because I want it to be special.” He responded kissing her nose and getting off the bed in his modest London flat.

“It will be special.”

“You know what I mean.”

Brenna straightened her clothes and passed her hands through her hair.

“No, I don’t.” she said a little mad at him

“Yes you do. You know I want to be the only man in your life.” Tony sadly said as he stood by the bed.

“You are the only man in my life. You will always be.” She said smiling

“What kind of future will we have?” Tony’s voice was suddenly stronger “Forever I will have to be pleased with the few hours a day that you can steal from your husband.”

“There is no other way Tony.” Brenna miserably responded as she lowered her head

“There is another way.” Her lover told her as he picked up her face with one hand and removed a strand of red hair from her face with the other.

“Run away with me Brenna.  We can go to Canada and live happily where no one will know we you are another man’s wife. Let’s run away this instant.”

“Tony I can’t.” Brenna said sadder than ever “I can’t leave Jackie, my father would be killed if I do.”

“But you did nothing to deserve this nightmare! How can your father be so selfish!?”

Brenna knew that was true, she wanted with all her heart to be brave enough to do what her love asked of her.  She wanted to wake up next to him everyday and not have to lie anymore to be able to see him.  Guilt followed her back home every weekday as she retuned to Jackie.  She could not look into her husband’s eyes fearing that he would see through her and find the happiness she was hiding.  She went to bed at night exhausted and scared that she might not be able to see Tony again. Then every morning she woke up joyful knowing that she was hours away from kissing him one more time.

Was she condemned to a life of lies and heartbreak? Yes, Brenna sadly realized. But why, why did it have to be that way? Tony was offering her his heart and his life in exchange for one single brave act.  That act would be the only thing that Brenna would be doing for herself since… well, since forever.

“We have to plan this carefully.” She said smiling with a sudden burst of valor.

“No.” Tony said smiling as he kissed her face frantically “Planning will only give you time to regret this decision. We have to leave right now.”

“There is just no way I can leave now!” She said between his kisses

“Tomorrow then, but no later than that.”

“Have you forgotten tomorrow is Saturday? Jackie will be home all day and he does not allow me to go out by myself while he is home.” Disappointed, Brenna began to think their plan would be impossible.

“Then I will go get you.”

“Are you crazy!?” she exclaimed alarmed “The house has guards everywhere, even more when Jackie is home; you wouldn’t be able to get in much less get me out.”

“I’ll find a way.” He courageously said

“Tony I love you, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Touched by her concern Tony took her hands in his and kissed them.

“Then we have to do it tonight.”

“You are scaring me.” She told him sorrowfully

“Everything is going to be fine.” Tony assured her as he took her into his arms and caressed her hair “All you have to do is draw me a map of the house and pin point the locations of the guards, I’ll figure out a way to get in there and get you out safely.”

Brenna was frightened about that plan, but she knew that Tony was a bright man and that he would never do anything to hurt her.

“Tonight, when you get home,” he continued “pack a small bag with a few pieces of clothing. Around 10 o’clock I will throw a rock at your window to let you know all is clear.”

“You want me to climb out the window?”

“Don’t tell me you never did it as a teenager?” he asked her joking

“No.” Brenna bashfully answered

“Then this will be your chance to try it.” He said, “I love you so much Brenna. This is our only opportunity to be together. Please tell me you will do it.”

Tony went away for a second and retuned with a pen and paper in hand.  He handed them to Brenna and smiled.

“Okay.” she said as she startled drawing the map. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

As soon as she got home Brenna ran up to her room and threw her bags on the bed.  She was about to open the closet doors when her husband’s voice stopped her cold.

“Did you have a good time shopping today?” Jackie asked from a corner of the room.

He was standing with a wine glass in his hand and walked slowly out of the shadows.

“Ye..Yes.” Brenna hesitantly answered.

“It’s passed 9; you’ve never taken this long shopping before.” He said a few feet away from her.

“I lost track of the time. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize; I was just worried about you.” Jackie confessed.

“Why would you be worried about me?” Brenna asked trying to sound as defiant as usual.

Jackie narrowed his eyes trying to figure out why she sounded so different, he could almost swear she was nervous.

“I was thinking we could go out to dinner. There’s a place I’ve been meaning to take you for a long time. Why don’t you change and we can get going?”

“Can’t we postpone it until tomorrow? I’ve been out all day and all I want to do is rest.” Brenna said avoiding Jackie’s eyes.

“Good night then.” Jackie said kissing Brenna’s cheek slightly and exiting the room at once.

When she was sure he was gone, Brenna locked her door and rushed to find a bag in her closet.  She had less than an hour to get ready for the escape.  Frantically moving clothes around she found a bag and stuffed only the necessary garments in it.  She then went to her dresser and took out her passport from a drawer. 

-------------

It was now 10:05 and Tony was not there yet.  Brenna bit her lip fearful and tapped her foot on the floor while sitting at the edge of her bed, her get away bag in hand. 

In the distance, a thunderous gunshot was heard and Brenna panicked.  Desperate she ran out her door and down the stairs where she found Jackie and two guards adjusting weapons in their hands. 

“What happened?!” she asked alarmed.

Jackie turned toward her voice and was fast at her side.

“What are you doing up?” he asked seeing that she was not in her nightgown.

“Jackie what is going on?!” Brenna insisted.

“Someone got in.” Jackie answered before going to check a window. “Go to your room and lock your door behind you!” he ordered.

“But Jackie…” she tried to protest.

“Do what I said!” he screamed

“Sir?” one of the guards started

Jackie signaled him to stop and then turned to speak to the other guard.

“Mark, take my wife to her room and make sure she is safe. If anything happens to her you are a dead man.”

“Yes Jackie.” the obedient guard said as he led Brenna up the stairs.

Brenna heard a couple more shots after she was in her room, but the guard outside her door did not allow her to go out.  About an hour later, an unexpected knock at her door startled her.  Scared and shaking she hurried to open. 

Before her stood Jackie looking both relieved and worried at the same time.  Brenna took a step back and he entered, pushing the door closed behind him. 

“Everything is okay now.” Jackie said serenely.

Brenna stood quiet as Jackie made his way across to the bed and sat at the edge.  Only then did she notice that he was holding on to his side. 

“Are you hurt?” she politely asked

Jackie looked down at his side before answering.

“I’ll live, it’s just a scratch.”

“You said someone got in.” Brenna’s voice was shaky “Did you catch him?”

To her relieve Jackie shook his head negatively.

“Brenna I know how scared you were tonight, so I have decided to let you return to your father and spend a few weeks with him until I find out who is after me.  I don’t want anything to happen to you and staying here puts you in danger. Tomorrow…” Jackie stopped in mid sentence.

Painfully he stood up and made his way to the bag that rested on top of the dresser.  Swiftly opening its zipper Jackie began to empty its contents on the floor.  He did not need to jump to conclusions, it was all too disturbingly clear to him.  Brenna had betrayed him.

“It was you?!” he screamed at her.

Terrified Brenna tried to open the door but Jackie was too fast for her and managed to block her way and stop her from opening it with his free hand.  He then grabbed Brenna’s arm and shook her violently toward the bed

“Why did you do this to me? Why?” Jackie screamed throwing her on the bed. “Haven’t I been more than generous with you?”

“You call insulting me being generous to me? You didn’t want a wife, you wanted a slave!”

“And to get back at me you sell me out?! I thought better of you.”

“Sell you out?” Brenna asked, “All I wanted to do was leave. You would have never given me the divorce, especially not if I told you I was in love with another man.”

“In love?! What’s love got to do with anything?” Jackie wanted to know.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was just going to leave and…”

“Not only did you want me dead, you also wanted to leave me! You wouldn’t even be graceful enough to stay for my funeral!”

Jackie was acting psychotic; he constantly ran his hands through his hair and licked his lips before attacking Brenna with words.  Brenna screamed as he closed the distance between them with two steps. 

Jackie firmly seized Brenna by the shoulders and spoke a little calmer.

“What do you want Brenna? Tell me what you want and I will give it to you.”

“I want to be with Tony.” Brenna said between tears.

“Tony? That’s that idiot’s name!” Jackie said as he pushed Brenna to the floor.  His eyes were flaming; his touch was warm by the heat of his enraged blood.

“I love him Jackie, we want to be together. He was willing to risk his life to get me out of here. To get me away from you!”

Jackie’s loud sarcastic laugh echoed hurtfully inside Brenna’s head.

“You don’t understand, do you?” he asked “No, you don’t understand. You don’t know what you have done. You don’t even know who you married.” 

On the floor, Brenna quietly cried as Jackie continued speaking.

“Me! That man was using you to get to me! There is no love between you two, at least not on his part, he had a mission, and he used to you as bait. You hear me?!” he screamed, “He made you fall in love so he could get close enough to kill me. Maybe he even hoped that you would kill me yourself.”

Rejecting his insane story Brenna stood up and fought for her lover.

“That’s not true!”

“Oh yes it is.” He said breathing heavily.

Brenna’s eyes burned into him delivering all the hate she had for him.

“Would you have killed me Brenna?” he asked sadly “Would you?”

“I hate you!” came her intolerable answer.

Jackie dropped his head and a single tear left one of his eyes.  Instinctively he turned away and wiped it.  Brenna did not see him; she was too busy shedding her own tears. 

“I have been very patient with you.” Jackie’s voice was calm but not less threatening than before.  “I haven’t even touched you expecting you to come to me when you were ready. But I have waited too long.” He said as he grabbed Brenna in his arms and began kissing her neck furiously.

She tried to push him away but he was too strong. With his left hand Jackie pulled Brenna’s red hair making her head fall back, he then ripped her shirt with his other hand leaving her exposed to him.

“Let me go!” she screamed. “No! Jackie let me go!”

“Why are you refusing?!” he insultingly asked, “This is what you wanted all along! Did he touch you like this? Tell me! Did he do this to you, you little tramp!?”

Brenna’s cries and her resistance touched a deep core in Jackie.  Realizing the mistake he was making he freed her from his arms.

“No.” he said once he had attained his composure. “It will not be this way. You will learn to love me even if it’s the last thing I do!”

“You cannot make people love you.” Brenna’s unhappy voice said “Let me go Jackie, please. You deserve a chance to find a woman that truly loves you.”

Swallowing hard Jackie turned away from his wife as he spoke.

“You don’t love me, I know… But if I can’t have your love no one will.  You will stay here until your last day! And that son of a goat will die for his crime.  No one messes with Jackie Junior’s property!”

“You basket!” Brenna yelled at him “I love him.  Even if you kill him I will love him forever!”

“Good then.” Jackie said heading for the door. “Once I kill him I will bring you his body so you can watch it rot!”

He shut the door after exiting, leaving Brenna crying inside.   He ordered two of his men to continue guarding her door day and night.  A hysterical Brenna dropped to her knees by her door to try to hear what he was saying.

“I want you to find all you can about the man that was here today.” He told one of his men. “I want him dead by the end of tomorrow, do you hear?!”

“Yes Jackie.” The man responded.

“What are you going to do about Mrs. Brenna?” Charles asked Jackie.

“I don’t know yet.” He answered. “But do not let her leave her room!” he repeated “And if she tries… shoot her.”

An hour later in his study, Jackie’s face was red from having sobbed his frustration out.  The large bottle of scotch in front of him was empty and Jackie took the last sip from his glass.  Annoyed to be out of alcohol, and too hurt to go get another bottle, Jackie threw the glass across the room.  The pieces of broken glass made no sound as they fell on the brown carpet.

Brenna Taylor was a devil.  He had given her everything he owned. He had shown her how much he cared for her by staying away from her bed.  Never before had he loved a woman the way he loved her, with such a pure love that he didn’t want to stain it with meaningless sex.  Jackie had thought that by letting her do as she please he would make her understand that he was accepting her as she was.  But he had been wrong.  She had betrayed him.

It didn’t bother him that he had almost been killed by her lover, no, what hurt the most was the thought that she loved another man.

Angry at himself and the woman who occupied his mind, Jackie called out to his right hand man.

“Yes Jackie?” Charles asked standing at the door.

“Go to Rose’s and ask her to send me two girls.” Jackie ordered “Tell her to hand pick them herself, that they are for me.”

Charles smiled at Jackie broadly.

“I’m not going to die over a woman.” Jackie stated very convincingly.

“That’s the Jackie I know!” Charles happily said about to close the door.

“Charles!” Jackie stopped him

“What?”

“No redheads.”

Charles nodded and left.

Alone again Jackie returned his thought to Brenna.  If only he hadn’t fallen for her strong voice and hard head, if only she had been the sweet lovely wife her father promised him.

“Damn you Brenna.” Jackie said softly “Damn you and your haunting red hair.”

If anyone had told Jackie that he would not be able to feel interested in two stunning blondes willing to make his every wish come true regardless of anything Jackie would have laughed.  But the harsh reality was another. 

He didn’t want another woman, he wanted his wife.  To Jackie faithful was just a word associated with business, not with marriage.  It was understandable then that he would be surprised to realize that since the moment he saw Brenna he had been completely fateful to her.  Even more striking was the realization that he wanted to continue that way. 

Not even after Jackie discovered that his wife had a lover, and that together they had planned to kill him, did he feel compelled enough to sleep with another woman, or two for that matter.  What was happening to him?

Disturbed by all these thoughts and with a newly found ache in his chest Jackie went to sleep, alone, like always.

--------------------

Brenna woke up to the faint sound of her name being called by Tony’s sweet voice and she thought she was dreaming when she saw him before her.

Scared, but happy to see him she sat up and hugged him tightly.

“Tony!” she said quietly “Oh Tony, I was so afraid for you.  Jackie found out all about us, he went crazy and locked me up here.”

“I know, that’s why I had to come see you.”

“Are you okay? How did you get in?” she asked looking around the room and seeing that her window was open.

“Yes, I’m fine, but the plan has changed.”

Brenna shook her head and hugged him again.

“No, no, no. There will be no more planning; I can’t put you at risk again.”

“Your husband will never let you go.” Tony told her “We have to get rid of him.”

Brenna was frightened by his words.

“It’s our last hope. Don’t you want to be with me?” Tony asked, and Brenna nodded “Then you have to be brave and do as I say, okay?”

Brenna didn’t answer.

“You have to make him think that you thought things through and that you want to stay here with him. Here,” he said putting a small container in her hand “these pills are very strong, you’ll have to find the right time to slip them in his drink and make him take it.  He won’t stand between us much longer.”

“You want me to kill him?” she asked with her eyes wide open “NO! I can’t!”

Tony gestured for her to lower her voice. He took a quick glance toward her door and seeing that nothing happened he spoke again.

“You have to Brenna, otherwise he will kill us.”

“I just won’t be able to do it.” Brenna said biting her lip.

“You will. Just don’t think about it.  Here, laid down and sleep a little more. You can figure a way to get it done, I know you can.” He said putting her back into bed and covering her with the sheets.

Jackie just couldn’t do it. He could accept losing Brenna that easily.  She had been the only woman that had sparked a feeling of deep connection in him. Perhaps she couldn’t see it, but it was there nevertheless.  Jackie felt it, it was strong, it was powerful, but the most important thing to him was that it was calming.  With Brenna by his side Jackie felt a peace and a sense of wholeness that he couldn’t quite put into words. 

Could this be love? He wondered. Is this how loving feels? He asked himself. 

Whatever it was, he knew he didn’t want to lose it. He couldn’t live without it, he couldn’t survive without her.

Last night he had been blinded by jealousy and hurt, but he was determined to convince Brenna to give him another chance to start over.  Hoping she would still be asleep Jackie went to her room and quietly entered, asking his men to stay put but to not interrupt.

The dull sounds of whispers came to his ears just as he closed the door.  And he frowned as his breathing increased its tempo.

“Get away from my wife!” he told the male figure that stood above Brenna’s sleeping body.

“Jackie!” she screamed sitting up. She wasn’t asleep!

The man next to her turned his face to Jackie.

“You!” Jackie exclaimed as the man launched himself at him and punched him straight in his nose.

Jackie stumbled a couple steps back but sustained his balance.  He quickly returned the punch and avoided another attempt at his nose. 

“Tony!” Brenna said worried that her lover had been hurt.

Enraged Jackie threw himself at him and they continued his punishment. Tony kicked Jackie’s stomach and he fell to the floor in pain.  Then his opponent threw himself over Jackie and punched his face.  Jackie elevated his legs and pushed the man away slightly, recovering some space.  Jackie then returned a punch into the man’s face.

Furiously exchanging punched the two men rolled on the floor.  Finally Tony ended up on top of Jackie, who moaned as the man’s weight pressed against his wounded side.  Merciless Tony began to choke Jackie who impulsively picked up his head as much as he could and smacked it right against Tony’s face.  Disoriented Tony fell to a side and tried to get up but Jackie was already on his feet and taking out a gun from a band on his ankle.  Swiftly he moved toward Tony and pushed the gun into his right temple.

“Garret Jones!” Jackie said “Still haven’t given up on killing me huh?”

“Let him go and I’ll stay with you!” Brenna pleaded desperately as she tried to approach her lover.

“You stay right there!” Jackie screamed at her

Licking his lips diabolically Jackie proceeded with his speech.

“You know, somehow I knew you were involved in this, but I never imagined you would be the lover himself.  See, I must say that Tony Meier suits you a lot better than Garret.”

A little laugh left Jackie’s throat

“You’ve met my lovely wife Brenna?” he asked as the other two in the room remained silent “Darling, I want you to meet an old friend of mine, Mr. Garret Jones.”

Confused Brenna looked at Tony questioning.  Tony remained silent.

“How are the kids Garret?”

Jackie then screamed for his guards to enter the room.  One of them handed Jackie two photographs and took his place pointing at Tony’s head.

“In this photo they seem like such happy lads. You want to see Brenna?” Jackie asked mockingly

“Don’t you dare hurt my family!” Tony finally spoke

Brenna started to cry quietly as she looked from Tony to Jackie and then back.

“Ouch!” Jackie exclaimed smiling “That hurt my feelings pal. Well, I find it hard to understand how exactly it is fair for you to hurt my family, but I cannot play a little with yours. You know I am a man of justice, and you are not abiding by my terms.  Look at the photograph!” he said pushing it into the man’s face

“Look at it closely!” he persisted “My men are just a few yards away from those two kids. It will take just a phone call from me for them to be terminated.  Do you want to attend their funerals next week?”

Tony, Garret, whatever the man’s name was stood silent

“Answer him you coward!” Brenna screamed at her fake lover making Jackie turn to her amazed at her sudden anger.

“No, I don’t!” the man responded

“Great.” Jackie said content “Now tell Brenna the truth.”

Brenna didn’t know what hurt the most, that Tony Meier didn’t exist, or the fact that Jackie had been right all along.

Jackie watched his wife cry as she listened to what Garret had to tell her.  Ex-business partner trying to get rid of the competition to obtain a better market was not the fairy tale ending she had hoped for.  Jackie knew all along that Brenna had been just a way to get to him but he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.  She was so smart, yet so naïve.

And the worst part was that she had been genuinely in love with the illusion of that Tony.  Jackie was hurting more for Brenna than he could have imagined.

When Garret finished Jackie looked at Brenna as she wiped her tears and picked up her chin defiantly. 

“I will kill him if you ask me to.” Jackie told her very serious “Just say the words Brenna and he dies here.”

“No.” she calmly said “Don’t let him off so easily.”

Stunned by her declaration Jackie remained wordless for over a minute.

“Do you care for your children?” Brenna asked Garret coldly

The man nodded in response.

“Then swear to me on their lives that this will be the last we will hear about you.” She told him

Garret searched for Jackie’s eyes and understood that he had to obey Brenna.

“I swear.” The man said beaten

“Let him go then.” Brenna told the guard

“But Jackie, he has seen where you live and…” Charles tried

“You heard my wife!” was Jackie’s response “Let him go.”

As the guards picked up the man Brenna went up to him and slapped him powerfully.

“You better stay away from me and Jackie,” she said while looking into his eyes “because the next time you find yourself in this position, I will let my husband kill you.”

Charles and another guard were given the order to release Garret in a remote location.  All the other guards returned to their usual stations, leaving Jackie and Brenna alone in the room.

“You must be very happy.” She said to her husband

“Why do you say that?”

Brenna let out a sarcastic little laugh that Jackie could tell was forced.

“Ever since I came to London you haven’t but insulted me and…”

“I’m sorry.” Jackie apologized “I never meant for you to be hurt. If I had known what you were getting yourself into, I would have done something about it sooner and avoid putting you through all this.”

“I really doubt that’s what you would have done.” She said nastily

“Why do you have such a bad concept of me?”

“Because that is all I’ve received from you, hate.” She answered as she broke down to tears.

Jackie remained silent as she opened up her heart to him.

“Why Jackie? Why do you hate me so much? What have I done to you for you to treat me this way? Why do you love hurting me?”

Suprisingly, Jackie couldn’t find any words to reply to her, or to make her stop.

“You want everything and everyone to adjust to your desires, and I understand why you always get your way, but I’m not the bride you chose. You said it yourself! If you wanted a catalog bride why didn’t you send me home the first day when you saw I wasn’t one?”

Fighting back the many more tears in her eyes Brenna spoke more serenely.

“It was my fault I guess. But I just wanted a little affection.”

Still too shocked to speak Jackie reacted as any man in love would have.  He took Brenna into his arms and held her against his chest as she sobbed.  Jackie swallowed hard as he felt her heart pounding against his own.  So close to one another, and yet so far apart in feeling.  Her heart cried for a lost love, a destroyed dream.  His beat for the love he never had but thought he could conquer.

If he could just kiss her one more time, maybe then she would feel what he felt, Jackie thought.

Gradually Jackie pulled slightly apart so that he could see her eyes.  Slowly he lowered his head toward her, but she turned away from him.

“Get out.” she asked him completely leaving his arms “Please get out.” she repeated.

In a state of pain that could only compare to death Jackie exited the room.  Never in his life did he feel so weak and desolated. Once outside, Jackie leaned on the door with his head down and listened to his wife cry herself back to sleep. 

“She is not happy with me.” Jackie told Charles as he sat on the chair behind his desk in the study.

Charles shook his head but did not turn to look at him, concentrating entirely on picking up the pieces of glass he had found on the floor.

“Well she is staying isn’t she?” Charles asked not too friendly.

“What can I do to win her love?” Jackie said ignoring his friend’s question.

Suddenly annoyed by the question Charles walked to the trash bin and threw the glasses in there forcefully before speaking.

“Not only are you letting her stay, you also want to win her love?!  Jackie what is wrong with you? She almost got you killed!”

“She didn’t know what she was doing.” Jackie answered almost too calmly.

“Don’t defend her!” Charles said not recognizing the man before him.  Where was his friends Jackie, and who was this idiot in his place?

“I forced her to marry me Charles! Would you be loyal to someone who forces you into something?” the idiot said sounding a little more like Jackie.

“Do whatever you want, she is your wife not mine.”

“You wouldn’t understand. You are not married.”

“And seen how you behave having one I don’t think I ever will.” Charles said still mad at him.

“I don’t recommend it.” Jackie said smiling.

Charles couldn’t stay angry at his friend anymore.  This was the Jackie that had saved his life by hiding him from everyone.  The man he saw dead on a street corner, then fighting for his life on a hospital bed.  Jackie was his friend, his only friend.

“Separate bedrooms?” Charles said smiling back “I hadn’t heard that, much less witness that, since the time of my grandma.”

“It was to make her adjustment easier.” He answered shifting his weight on the chair.

“You made it easy for her alright.” Charles added sitting on the chair across from Jackie’s desk.

Jackie’s look made Charles regret his comment.

“But you should look at you from my place.” Charles tried to explain “You have been acting rather strange lately.  She is not healthy for you.”

Laughing Jackie gave in to the pressure for him to talk about it.

“I am going crazy Charles.  I can’t think anymore.  Can’t concentrate on shit.  All I think about is shagging, and not just anyone, no, just her!”

Charles couldn’t believe it. Jackie couldn’t get a woman in bed?  Now that was a first.

“That explains the disappointed look on those two blondes faces yesterday.” Charles said serenely “But you mean you and her haven’t… you know, didn’t…?”

“No.” Jackie responded sighting “Not once.”

Charles whistled sarcastically then bent down laughing stupidly.

“I am in deep shit aren’t I?”

“You’ve got it bad and I never thought I would see you like this.” Charles answered between laughs “It’s frightening beyond explanation.”

Jackie just looked at his friend, and then smiled with a sudden strike of genius.

“She likes flowers.” Jackie said coming to this conclusion on his own.

“What the?” Charles asked losing track of the conversation

But Jackie was too busy taking out his cell phone and placing an order that he hoped would pleasantly surprise Brenna. 

Hours later Jackie asked one of his men to bring Brenna down for dinner.

“She said no.” said individual when he had returned without her.

“What do you mean she said no?” Jackie asked narrowing his eyes at the man.

“She thanks you for your invitation but that she is not able to join you due to… well she didn’t say why.”

Jackie told the man he could go. 

Brenna had slept for two more hours after Jackie had left.  When she woke up she showered but changed into another nightgown not wanting to leave her room at all.  When one of Jackie’s men had come to ask her to go down for dinner, Brenna politely said no.  She spent the rest of the day thinking what would come next, what she would do now.  And she was surprised that her mind was not occupied with thoughts of Tony, or whatever his name was, but of Jackie instead. 

It was almost midnight now and Brenna felt guilty that she had rejected his dinner invitation. She at least owed him an apology for the injury he received. Decided, she put on her slippers and went to her door.  She would go to his room and apologize.  Brenna was sure he would still be awake, why would someone sleep after what had happened earlier?

Luckily the guards had returned to their normal locations so she was able to exit her room and with no one noticing.

She started to walk across the upper level of the house when she caught a glimpse of the foyer below her.  It was filled with enormous flower arrangements of all colors.  Brenna’s heart began to beat a little faster.  That was why Jackie had asked her to come down to dinner!

Now she felt even worse that she had said no. Feeling a little like a child in trouble Brenna tiptoed to her husband’s room and opened the door careful not to make a sound.

She made it to his side without any noise what so ever, and she was surprised that he was sound asleep.  Immediately she knew why as she saw the bottle of sleeping pills on his night stand.  Then she remembered that they had once gone together to the drug store where he picked up a bottle of the same pills.  When she asked him why he needed those she had thought he looked sad as he said: ‘Otherwise my brain won’t turn off the images.’ Brenna had been to too immerse in her own head so she didn’t ask any further.  Now she wondered what exactly Jackie was trying to shut down in his mind.

The dim light of the moon entered through the curtains and standing above him Brenna could not help notice that he had various other scars on his torso and abdomen, most of them from previous wounds.  The most recent one, the gift Brenna had given him, was covered by a large bandage. 

She gulped suddenly feeling the whole weight of the invasion she was making. Impulsively, like she had every right to do it, Brenna bent down and began to kiss every one of the marks on his body. 

Jackie moved a little and opened his eyes slowly, gasping at the sight and feeling.

“Brenna? What are you doing?” he asked sleepy.

“I came to apologize.” She said kissing the last scar valiantly.

“For what?” he asked sitting up slowly.

“For everything.” She answered running her hands down his body suddenly needing to feel him.

“Don’t do that.” Jackie said breathless.

“You don’t like it?” She asked stopping her quest.

“Of course I like it, but if you keep on doing that I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Then don’t.” Brenna invited him.

Jackie was hesitant but his desire was apparent.  He succumbed to her call.  They kissed, they embraced, they traveled a distance unknown to them before and from that a need emerged.  Brenna surrendered, Jackie explored. Their excitement was momentarily halted by a discovery.

“You’re a…?” Jackie said surprised.

“Yes.” Brenna answered quietly.

“I thought…” he started.

“Don’t think Jackie.” Brenna pleaded in his arms. “And please don’t stop.”

And with that they continued, until the room started spinning and Brenna though she saw the heavens through his eyes.

Brenna woke up rested but a little soar and immediately recalled the previous night with a huge smile on her face.  A big piece of paper with a note was taped to the ceiling and Brenna laughed at Jackie’s resourcefulness.

Breakfast in bed? My treat, stay put I’ll be right back.

She stretched her arms above her head and contemplated the idea of staying in bed all day, but without Jackie there to keep her company it didn’t seem like such a great plan.  Maybe when he came back she could ask him if he wanted to do that with her.

Nature called and Brenna stood up and headed for the bathroom but she stopped cold as she passed the window and returned to stare down at the outside.

“What in the world?” She exclaimed intrigued at the sight below her.

Jackie returned to his room to find Brenna still in bed as his note suggested.  He smiled at her and she smiled back.

“You saw the note?” he asked

“It was hard to miss.”

Jackie chuckled slightly.

“What are you hiding back there?” she asked him trying to look at what he kept behind his back.

“Just a little something for you.” Jackie responded handing her a small bouquet of fresh flowers as he sat on the bed with her.  They were roses of different colors and they were tied with a red ribbon that made a weird looking bow at the center.  Clearly the work of a man who had never done a bow before.

“Oh my God!” she said

“And they are not from a catalog, I promise.” Jackie said with a child like pride that was clear in his eyes. “I hand picked every bud myself, I have the scars to prove it to you, see, here.” He finished showing her his hands and the scratches from the thorns.

“I know.” Brenna agreed “I saw you through the window.”

She took his hands in his and kissed them lovingly.

“You are supposed to wear gloves to do that you know.” She told him

“So that’s what those were for?” Jackie joked. Or did he?

Brenna was happy but she couldn’t believe what was happening. She was falling for a man who was heartless just two days ago.  A man whose idea of caring involved killing someone to prove his point. But how can she resist him when her own heart screamed at her for not having seen what a great man he could be. 

Perhaps, she wondered, perhaps he just needs to be loved to learn how to love back.

Brenna came home excited.  She had being out most of the day and on her way back she stopped at the market to pick up some groceries to display her culinary skills for her husband.  She entered the front door and headed for the kitchen but as she passed the study Jackie’s voice called to her.

“Brenna. Come in here.”

Brenna went into the room and placed the grocery bags in the floor. She was shocked to find her husband laughing whole heartily and in the company of his Italian ‘associate’, the beautiful brunette.

“I want you to meet Teresa Gianinotto.” Jackie said introducing the woman “Terry this is my wife Brenna.”

Up-close the brunette was even more striking.

Brenna said something that sounded almost too close to ‘nice to meet you’ as she held the woman’s hand.

“An American?!” Terry amusedly let out “I didn’t know you had a thing for American girls Jackie?”

Brenna wanted to pull that shiny well groomed hair out of Teresa’s head.  Which was probably a wig anyways, but she was too disgusted to speak.

“I don’t.” Jackie answered as he looked at the woman, he then turned to Brenna and corrected himself “I mean, that was until I met Brenna.”

He then went over to his wife and kissed her softly on the lips.

“Great save.” Brenna whispered in to his ear, and then bit it gently making him cough to hide this.

“I have some acquaintances in the U.S. Where state are you from Brianna?” Teresa asked

“Brenna. My name is Brenna, and I’m from Texas.”

“See I knew it, you do have a southern accent.” Teresa added

Enraged, Brenna took a breath before replying.

“So do you, except yours is not as charming.” she spit out at the vicious woman

Jackie choked on his laugh as he spoke to Teresa.

“You deserved it.” He said.

Triumphant Brenna excused herself saying she needed to get dinner ready.

“She cooks too. Another of her tricks?” Teresa continued with the attack even when Brenna wasn’t there anymore.

“No.” Jackie answered smiling “She just didn’t like you so much.”

That stupid, arrogant, disgustingly gorgeous woman was after Jackie. Brenna was sure of it. 

She went to the kitchen and began preparing the meal she so merrily had planed for Jackie before running into that snake of Teresa.  She was now cutting lettuce like a mad woman. Her hands were into the job but her mind was somewhere else.  Distracted Brenna looked down at the lettuce and realized she could no longer make a salad with it.

Still fuming Brenna disposed of the over cut lettuce.  She smashed the knife into the cutting board as Jackie came into the kitchen.

“Let me guess. One more setting for dinner?” she asked him angrily.

“No.” he said serious as he approached her zig zaging his way across. “She is gone.”

“Good, because I don’t like her.” She said.

“I think you made that clear Brenna.”

“Good.”

“You said that already.”  Jackie told her as he looked at the poor lettuce in the trash bin.

She flashed him an evil look and he smiled.

“Why are you jealous?” he said hugging her from behind “She is no competition for you.”

Brenna laughed sarcastically as he let her go.

“Yeah, because she has two beautiful heads instead of one.”

“No.” Jackie responded turning her to face him. “Because she is not you.”

He kissed her lips urgently.

“Are you hungry?” she asked him when they separated.

“Yes but not for food.” A wicked Jackie answered “Let’s go inside where the guards won’t hear your screams as we… play together”

Then he embraced her again but this time a little stronger.

“I don’t scream, you liar!” She said pushing him away playfully

“Yes you do.” He said smiling

“I do not.”

“You do too.” He said taking her into his arms again and burying his face into her neck. “I can prove it.”

“I have to see this.” She joined him. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

The next day was their sixth month anniversary.  Jackie and Brenna spent the day entirely home alone.  For the only time ever Jackie gave his men the day off and devoted his time entirely to make his wife comfortable.

It was almost noon and they were in bed still. 

“What did I do to deserve you?” Jackie asked trying to flatter Brenna.

Her head was resting in his arm.  She moved a little and looked up at him.

“I don’t know. How many people have you killed?” she asked very serious.

After a second of surprised silence on Jackie’s part they both started laughing.

“You are not supposed to ask that to me until we have each other at least one year.” He said.

“Opps, my bad.”

Brenna stood quiet and Jackie sensed she was trying not to say what was on her mind.

“What’s wrong Brenna?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I am worried that you will always do… you know… what you do. And I’ll always be worried that you won’t come back home some day.”

Puzzled, Jackie moved to his side and held his weight on his elbow so he could look at her straight.

“And what is it that I do according to you?’

“You know… That.”

“What Brenna?” he asked again “What do you think I do?”

“Drugs.” She said a bit nervous

This did not make him laugh or even smile. Jackie was a bit shocked but he knew that they had never talked about anything like that before so she didn’t know him now.  In fact, they barely knew each other.  But he would make sure that would change.

“I’m not a drug lord Brenna.” He said very serious.

“But I thought that since you said ‘the business’”

“And what did you want me to call it?” he asked finally smiling

“I’m sorry Jackie, I was mistaken.”

He kissed her forehead and dropped back into the pillows.

“You’ve lived with me all these months thinking I was a drug lord?” he wondered.

“Well… yes”

Looking up at the ceiling Jackie put his arms behind his back and began to explain.

“I am not going to lie to you Brenna. Most of my family’s fortune was made that way, and I did take over when my father retired.  My enemies were also made that way, and I have told you about my last deal.” He said sadly tuning to look at her momentarily.

She nodded in response.

“But from that day on I haven’t done anything illegal.  My father had a cover up business in shipping and when I recovered from my…” he stopped for a second “my accident.  I took it upon myself to build on it and make it grow. That is how I met your father when he came here trying to get a shipping method for his stock.”

Brenna smiled realizing that she had been wrong about many other things.

“That is what I do now.” He repeated “But Garret and others don’t believe that I will stay out of that other business so they want to make sure I can’t come back.  For people like him a dead competitor is the only certainty.” 

“And Teresa?” Brenna asked trying to settle all her doubts.

He smiled.

“Teresa is another story.  She and I did some good deals in our days, and she was still doing them, but when we saw each other again at the hotel she told me she wanted to quit also so I am helping her develop her cover up of Italian pottery.”

“That explains it.” She said getting up to go to the restroom.

“Hey! Where are you going?”

“I need to pee.” She said continuing to walk.

“You know, you could lose a couple pounds lately?” Jackie blurted out making her stop abruptly.

“Jackie Junior, you’ll be lucky if I speak to you again!”

“Does it look like I care?!” he said trying to lighten the mood as he moved his hands up and down framing his face.

Brenna threw a pillow she found on the floor at him but she missed his face and hit his chest instead.

“I’m sorry Brenna it was just a joke.” He said laughing “I’m a walking insult machine as if you haven’t noticed before. I really did not mean any harm by my comment.”

“I think I know that. I’m starting to understand you.” Brenna added before entering the restroom.

Jackie wished the earth would just open up and swallow him right there and then.  He knew you could never call a girl chunky without getting the cold treatment, but Brenna was acting very kind to him.  He really didn’t deserve her.

“But I don’t know how you want me to be pregnant and not gain an ounce.” She said minutes later as she returned to the room.

Her news caught Jackie by surprise.

“You mean you are?” he mumbled a little dizzy.

“Yes, seven weeks, confirmed it yesterday at the clinic.” She said excitedly.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Jackie asked dumbfounded.

“I’m telling you now.” Brenna said smiling at his shocked face. He hadn’t moved at all.

“Yeah but we just… Is it safe to…?”

“Relax Jackie, everything is fine.”

“Sorry.” He said finally smiling “I’ve just never done ‘that’ with a pregnant woman before.”

“You better not, you jerk!” Brenna said sitting right in front of him.

“You know what I mean. I have never been a father before.”

“I can tell.” She said looking at him closely “So are you going to hug me or something, don’t I get a kiss at least.”

“You will get as many kisses as you want.” Jackie said enclosing her in his arms and kissing her all over.

Brenna didn’t understand why Jackie had missed their first ultrasound appointment.  He had sounded so excited when she told him about it that morning.  But when the receptionist called her name at the clinic, he wasn’t there.  And he wasn’t there either when she came out of the appointment with the first picture of their child in hand.

Disappointed Brenna called a taxi and got on it before dialing his cell phone number, a few rings later Jackie answered.

“Yes?” he said in a hurry.

“Why didn’t you show up?” she when right to the point.

“Brenna. I’m on my way there. I was caught up on something and I just send everyone to hell, so I’m like 5 minutes from the clinic.”

“It’s too late Jackie the doctor already saw me. I’m in a taxi right now and on my way back home.” She sounded sad and Jackie felt awful.

“I’m sorry dear. I swear I’ll make it up to you.”

“It’s okay; you had more important things going on.”

Hurt by her words Jackie closed his eyes before answering her.

“Don’t say that Brenna you know that’s not true.”

Brenna recognized that her comment had been too mean.

“You’re right. I’m sorry too.”

Jackie was about to say something when the loud sound of metal crashing and tires screeching surrounded his ears.  He thought he had been in a collision himself but it wasn’t until he could no longer hear her voice that he realized that the sounds came from inside his cell phone.

“Brenna? Hello? Brenna are you there?” he asked into the piece in his hand.

From within the phone he could only hear people scream for help and he felt his heart stop. Then the line when dead and he couldn’t hear anymore.

Frantic Jackie dialed Brenna’s mobile but there was no answer.  Desperate he traveled the surrounding streets to the clinic hoping to run into the taxi she was in. He called their home and Charles said she was not there yet. An hour later he was one second away from madness when his phone rang.

“Brenna?!’ he called into it.

“Is this Mr. Junior.” A male voice asked.

“Yes.” He answered unfocused.

“This is chief policeman Andre Harring and I need for you to come to Saint Fernand hospital as soon as you can. Your wife has been in an accident.”

Jackie felt a knot in his stomach as he heard those words.

“Is she alive?!” he screamed into the phone.

He couldn’t lose her, not now. 

“She is in stable condition Mr. Junior, but we need you to come down as soon as possible.” The policeman repeated.

“I’m on my way.”

Jackie drove the way to the hospital in silence.  Millions of prayers ran through his head but he could not utter a single one.  There was a faith missing from his soul, and without faith his words would be useless.  He had been too quick to praise his good luck; men like him deserve no more than pain.

When he arrived at the hospital he was reassured that Brenna was alive and in good health.  She had a few scratches and a minor concussion but she would only need to spend one night in the hospital for monitoring.  She had been given something to calm her nerves and she was asleep when he entered her room.

Jackie held her hand and sat by her side.  He caressed her hair and kissed her scared knuckles.  Then he dropped his face into his hands still holding hers and he began to cry. Jackie sobbed uncontrollably trying to find the courage that he would need to tell Brenna that she had lost the baby.

The weeks that followed were cold and silent between Brenna and Jackie.  She refused to eat or sleep and she had returned to her old room and spent the days crying.  Jackie felt just as bad but believed he had to keep it together for her.  He tried to comfort her, to make her see that life was not over yet.  But he didn’t know how to say it.

“You can’t be like this forever.” Jackie told Brenna once again.

You keep saying that, she thought, if only you could feel what I feel. But he hadn’t been there with her, with their child.  That innocent creature that didn’t get a chance to see the world, not even once.    She would never get to see his or her smile, first step.  It was all too painful each time she thought about it.  Feeling powerless and irritated with herself and the brutality of life Brenna attacked her husband.

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.  It was all your fault!”

“Brenna how can you say that?” he asked her gulping, containing his tears. He knew there was some truth in that.

“Because I can’t bear to think that it was mine.” She answered crying “If you had been with me, maybe then… Oh Bob, why?!”

“Please Brenna let me…”

“Let you what?! Ruin my life some more?”

Infuriated at her reaction and her need to make him feel guilty Jackie snapped at her.

“What, a sudden attack of virginal pride again?” he nastily asked.

“Don’t do this Jackie.” She said calmer.

“Oh, but you can blame me for the death of our child?!”

At last releasing the tension with their screams at one another, they both continued their cruel argument.

“You can’t possibly know how I feel! You destroy everything around you, you hurt all the people that care for you!” she said.

“For the past six months I’ve done no more than give you all you’ve wanted!”

“But you asked a high price for it!”

“A child!” he screamed into her face maliciously “All I wanted from you was a child! But seeing how you can’t even do that right…”

His words were stopped by Brenna’s hand slapping his cheek making his face shake.  He closed his eyes for a second then opened them again.

“I’m…” he tried saying as he tried to reach for her.

“Don’t touch me!” she yelled as she backed away crying.

Jackie knew better than to remain in the room.  He turned around and walked away.

That night Jackie stood awake thinking devastated that his hope for a happy life with Brenna had been obliterated by the death of his child.  His child, he thought, the only accomplishment he had felt truly proud of had vanished forever.  He couldn’t even console himself with the thought that others would come.  No matter how many came after, he would never get to know the one that left, his first one. 

Brenna was right. He had some fault in what happened.  He didn’t protect her. Jackie sobbed understanding her words at last.  But no apologies would make his wife forgive him. Jackie needed to return her life to her; he needed to let her go.

Overwhelmed by his feelings and by the conflict between what he wanted to do and what he knew he needed to do Jackie entered Brenna’s room once again.

She was still crying but no more tears fell from her eyes.  Right then, Jackie knew his decision was the precise one.

“I think it would be best if you returned to your father.” he said before leaving her alone again.

The next day Brenna was boarding a plane back to Texas and putting behind her married life, and Jackie’s memory. 

As the plane took off Brenna began to cry for her child, for her herself, and for what would never be.  And even though her mind would never admit it, in heart she cried for Jackie too.

----------------------

Sitting in his study, Jackie sat on his chair.  He wished he was dead.  He wished that he had died that day on the street where his body received four shots while it was wrapped in only a towel and a bath robe.  He wished that the dark blue of the clouded sky that day would have been his last sight.  But then he would never have seen the beautiful brown of a pair of eyes that spoke stronger words than their owner herself.  Jackie rethought that if he had died then he would not have seen the striking red of her hair either. Hearing her voice was another gift he would have missed. 

If he had died Jackie would have never know her.  Only because of her he was happy he had lived.  But he now wanted to die. Without Brenna, Jackie had nothing, he had no one.  It wasn’t like before when he could just chose a bride and think about having kids to fill his emptiness.  Now he knew that he had been right when he said that no one but Brenna Taylor could be the mother of his children.  Jackie had known happiness in her arms and never again would he find that feeling in the arms of another.  There would be no one else.

She was gone. There would no children. There would be no Jackie.

With a calm hand Jackie opened a drawer in his desk and took out a gun.  With no hesitation he placed it inside his mouth and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.  There was a light click but nothing happened.

Jackie inspected the gun and saw that he had not removed the lock.  He was about to retry his luck when Charles came into the room.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” His friend asked alarmed.

“Can’t you fucking see?!” Jackie answered.

“Cheeses Crust Jackie!” Charles said running to him and taking away the gun. “You told her to go.”

“I had to.” Jackie said

“No, you didn’t have to. You wanted to.”

“She doesn’t want to be with me.”

“And you are killing yourself because of that? I had a bigger image of you.” Charles said sickened. “You survive your whole family getting murdered, but you want to die over a dumb woman? What would your father say about this?”

Suddenly ashamed at his foolishness Jackie got up from the chair and walked around the desk to be at Charles side.

“You’re right Charles.” He said coldly

“I know.” Charles responded

“Let’s go out tonight.” Jackie told the man “I think I’m in the mood for some blondes.”

A month after she arrived in Texas Brenna understood that she no longer belonged there.  Her place was next to the man she loved. 

She missed his wonderful voice with that unbelievable accent that melted her heart, his face, his eyes, and his touch.  Nothing she did could take her mind off the wonderful nights they shared.  And although she still cried when she remembered her accident and the awful news that came after, Brenna was now able to process the events that followed and she knew she had acted wrong.

Jackie had tried to soothe her and she only showed him anger and caused him pain.  No number of apologies would ever erase the stupidity of her actions.

The day was charming and everyone ran around the house preparing for her sister Rachel’s weeding.  Brenna couldn’t help but remember her own wedding day and how different it had been. There was no initial excitement in her marriage but in time Brenna learned to love the man that became her husband. 

There was nothing Brenna didn’t love about Jackie.  Not even his dumb remarks and insults.  In reality, Brenna hated everything about Jackie.  But it was those same things she hated that made her love him.  How crazy it was, she thought, to hate someone so much but still love him more.

Miles away from him Brenna felt empty.  If she could hear his voice again and have the courage to tell him she was ready to come home. 

Thinking that tomorrow would be too late Brenna when to the kitchen and picked up the phone.  She dialed Jackie’s private line hoping he had kept the old number.

Only two rings later her husband’s voice answered.

“Hello? Jackie?” she said.

“Yes.” Jackie answered automatically

“I know you said that we would go our separate ways and forget we ever met, but I…”

Just then Brenna heard Teresa’s voice in the distance.

“Brenna.” He said suddenly recognizing her voice “What is it?”

She remained silent. And Jackie thought it would be best to cut the talk short because Teresa was too close to him and she might hear what had to be a private conversation.

“Brenna I am in the middle of a something can we just leave it for later?” he said

In the middle of something, Brenna thought sadly.

“Sure Jackie, it was nothing really. I’ll call back later.” She said hanging up.

It was clear to her; it had all been a dream.  Jackie didn’t love her.  Brenna felt stupid that she had thought that maybe he did.  Why, she asked herself, why did you think that? He had never said it. 

But somehow she had thought he did.

“Well, you were wrong.” Brenna said aloud as she moved away from the phone with tears in her eyes.

Jackie tried to forget that Brenna had called.  He had the sudden urge to call her back as soon as he had hanged up but Teresa stayed for a while longer so he couldn’t. 

Now Jackie and Teresa were being driven to the airport to do some last minute clearance on a shipment for her pottery business.  Jackie avoided Teresa’s conversation to concentrate better on his thoughts about Brenna.

Jackie wondered if Brenna had realized that in London it had been 2am when she was dialing his number.  He hoped that she hadn’t, or at least, he hoped she hadn’t heard Teresa in the background.

But why was he hoping for that, it wasn’t as if he and Brenna were together still.  He was a free man.  And he wasn’t having an affair with Teresa, she was just there finishing some paperwork. But if he were, it would still be none of Brenna’s business.

Why was that devil woman still haunting him! Couldn’t she just make it easier for him to forget her? Why did she have to call and destroy all the progress he had made already?  He was down to thinking about her about one hour a day, and then she calls him.  Now he was back to ground zero, thinking about her all day.

“Sir, someone is following us.” the chauffeur said to Jackie

Waking from his thought of Brenna, Jackie turned his head to look out the back door of the limousine.

“Why would someone be following us?” he asked himself, then turned to look at Teresa

The woman was staring back at him expressionless. 

“What should I do Sir?” the chauffeur asked

“Continue with your route.” Jackie answered “I’m sure they just want to pass us.”

But he hadn’t quite finished his sentence when the occupants of the suspicious car started shooting at them.

“Fuck!” Jackie exclaimed lowering his head.

“They’ve got us surrounded!” The driver shouted making a right turn into a residential street.

The car stopped against a building, Teresa’s door was to the wall. The driver got off the car and ran.  Three dark color cars enclosed the vehicle. A man shouted Teresa’s name and ordered that she surrender.

“I thought you said you were clean Terry!” Jackie screamed at her.

“I did one last deal,” she answered coldly “like you don’t know what this is like.”

“Get off the car!” Jackie ordered her.

She didn’t move so Jackie hugged the woman and together they exited the car through her door.  They sheltered themselves with the car as they walked hunched down to the hood.  Jackie glanced at the four men firing at them.

“Those were not policemen Terry! Who are you involved with?”

“The Granados.” She answered covering her ears. A bullet passed very close to her head and Jackie pushed her down to the floor.

“And what happened!?” He asked enraged

“They didn’t like what I delivered and Paulo wanted something more personal as pay back.”

“Turn here!” Jackie told her pushing her into an alley blocked by the front of their car. 

“Jackie I am not sleeping with that old man. I rather die!” Teresa said arrogantly.

Jackie ran in front of her and found an open back door to the building.  He screamed at her to hurry up as he held the door open for her.  He could see that the men were already making their way over the car. 

“Come on get in here!” he screamed again.

Teresa made it to his side but refused to go without him.  Jackie pushed her inside and told her to run as fast as she could.  Teresa nodded and fled.

Making sure she had a nice lead on the men Jackie then turned around and ran the opposite way trying to distract them from her.

He made a partial victory, two of the men followed him, the others went after Teresa.  Jackie stopped at a turn and held himself against a wall panting.  He tried to run again as he heard footsteps closing in but then a shot was fired. He felt a sharp pain in his back and a heat that tickled down through his spine, then he lost consciousness.

They were by the ocean. Surrounded by sand, water and sky.  Nothing else mattered, nothing but their love.

Brenna was in his arms and Jackie could feel her breath on his neck.  She kissed him there and trailed her way to his lips with small tender kisses.  If there was a heaven Jackie felt sure this was it.

But just like the heaven he was experiencing, a true hell appeared when Brenna got up and ran away from him, not looking back.

“Brenna!” he called to her “Brenna!” he insisted

He had to get up. He had to run after her but his legs wouldn’t move. What was happening? Why couldn’t he move?

Jackie screamed and punched the sandy ground around him. Then he woke up.

------------------

Jackie was in a wheelchair! Brenna must have heard wrong. But he had said he wasn’t doing anything illegal. He had lied to her.

“And this happened two weeks ago?” Brenna asked again as she sat with her father at their kitchen table.  She was in the middle of serving breakfast when her father broke the news.

“Yes.” Her father answered looking down at the paper he had in his hands “Poor Jackie. And he has no one with him.” He added obviously trying to get Brenna to give in.

“Teresa is probably with him.” She said recalling the woman that was obviously Jackie’s lover.

“Teresa Gianinotto you mean?”

“Yes.” She said surprised her father knew who she was talking about “You know her father?”

“No.” he answered, confusing Brenna “But she could not be with him right now.” He added folding the foreign newspaper were he had read about Jackie’s ‘accident’

“Why not?” Brenna asked taking a drink of her milk.

“Because she died in the altercation.”

Brenna was speechless.

“Jackie was let go because it was proved he had nothing to do with it, they were after Teresa.” Her father said before putting a piece of toast in his mouth.

Jackie was hurt and all alone. Perhaps, just perhaps, he might someone to care for him, Brenna thought unexpectedly not hungry anymore. 

Charles was stunned when the guards informed him that Jackie’s wife was being dropped off outside the house by a taxi.

He ran to Jackie’s room and almost tripped on a pillow that had been at one time thrown at the door.  The room was too dark to see anything clear; Jackie had replaced his light curtains with black heavy ones that blocked all the sun light.  Charles turned on the artificial light and went over to Jackie who was in a wheelchair by his bed.

His head resting on his right hand, his arm on the arm rest in the chair. The other arm was on his lap. He hadn’t shaved in days and he had lost weight.  In short description, he looked like crap.

“Brenna is here.” Said Charles

Jackie picked up his head and looked at him excited for a second, then his gestures hardened. 

“She is really here. She is probably coming up right this instant.” Charles insisted

Jackie said nothing.  He reached for the wheels in the chair and moved away from Charles.  Brenna came in the room as he was moving around.

“Hello Jackie.” She said flatly.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Charles said exiting and closing the door.

“How are you feeling?” she asked him as she stood in place near the door.

“How do you think I feel?” he asked her harshly

Brenna sighted but remained serene.

“I heard about Teresa. She lied to you.”

“Is that what you came here to do? To tell me that Teresa lied to me? I had already figured that on my own.” He said nastily

Brenna understood why he was angry.  It must be terrible to go through all that he had been through.  She truly felt sorry for him.

“Jackie I came to apologize.” She said sincere.

Jackie laughed sarcastically and licked his lips before replying in a spiteful voice.

“The last time you apologized to me we ended up having sex. Is this were this is going? Because we can get right down to it and save you the speech.”

“You are still an arrogant ashtray.” She said acknowledging that Jackie could be physically wounded but his mind was as cruel as ever.

“And you continue to be a pain in the arse. What do you want Brenna?” asked looking away from her for the first time.

“I would say sex,” she said revengefully, “but taking your present condition I am afraid that would not be possible.”

Jackie’s hurt look fooled her for a moment.

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean that.”

Then he showed his true colors by laughing again as he spoke.

“Yes, you did. But don’t worry, fortunately for you, that part of me is in perfect condition.”

Suddenly blushing she walked over to the bed and sat down, leveling her eyes with his.  It was a bit dark with only the light bulb in the center of the room but she could still see the blue-green flames, they burned into her as powerful as ever.  She had once looked into them thinking the man she loved saw through them, but she had been wrong, that man didn’t love her.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you.” She said still looking at his eyes.

“I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.”

“You can’t take anything I say for what it means. Can you?”

“I never know what you mean.” He said truly mystified

“Right now, I really am sorry. For everything. The baby, our fight, me leaving you, your accident, everything.”

“You can kiss my feet now. Not that I would feel it but it would still be a way to show your repent.” He cruelly added

“Are you letting this chair turn you into a more vicious man than what you already were?” she asked him

“Can’t see how it would anyone.”

“You’re right. It would only hurt you because everyone will end up leaving you.  If no one can stand you in your normal mood, imagine trying to be with you now.”

Jackie gave her a crooked smile.

“Well no use for beating around the bushes with you. I came to do my duty as your wife and take care of you.” She said seriously

Jackie did not smile this time.  He only clasped his hands together and breathed into them. 

“I will be staying in my old room, and we will try to tolerate each other once again.” She said getting up from the bed.

Jackie didn’t speak, he just looked at her.

“I will be downstairs, if you need anything just shout my name. I’ll leave your door open so I can hear you.” She said almost too comically recited

As she left the room she turned one last time to look at Jackie.

“Oh, and, shower please. You stink.” She said leaving Jackie smiling thankful that she was back.

“He looks bad.” Brenna mumbled to herself as she unpacked her suitcase in her room.

She had expected him to be angry and hurt but when she saw him he looked just defeated.  A man as strong as Jackie brought down by the realization of spending his life tied to a wheelchair.  Jackie didn’t like to depend on others; this could possibly be the worst thing that could have happened to him.

He didn’t call for her all day. Not even to make sure she was still there.  Brenna went to bed, leaving her door open in case he would need her, but never did.  The night came and went and Jackie did not leave his room or call for anyone at all. 

The next morning Brenna was exiting her room when she heard Charles’ voice in the floor below.

“Good morning Rose.” The man said to someone.

“Good morning Charles. Is Jackie upstairs?” a female’s voice answered.

Brenna walked down the stairs to see who was there.  She found herself looking down at a woman in her 40’s.  She was tall, slim and very attractive.  Her hair was a light brown and Brenna could not see her eyes clearly but she knew they were of a light green or blue. She spoke with an accent very similar to Jackie’s. 

Brenna made her way to the first floor and stood by the foot of the steps looking at Charles’ and the woman.

“Mmmhhh… This is Rose.” he said to Brenna.

Seeing that Brenna did say anything Charles responded for her.

“That’s Brenna. The wife.”

The older woman smiled a fake smile and spoke.

“So this is ‘the wife’?”

“And you are?” Brenna asked suddenly feeling insulted.

No matter how nice her looks were the woman could not hide what was so obvious, she was a prostitute.

“She is my girl.” Jackie said from a top the stair case.

He was dressed nicely and he had shaved and showered.  Even as he held the arm rests of the chair he still looked menacing and handsome. 

“You will pay for this.” Brenna told him angry as she turned to look at him.

“Put aside your stupid threats, would you Brenna.” He said not even bothering to look at her. 

His eyes were set on the other woman. 

“Don’t worry honey; I’ll spank him for you.” The intruder told her as she walked passed her up the staircase.

Jackie then let her wheel his chair into his room and they locked the door behind them.

Brenna ran back to her room and slammed the door shut.

They have been in there almost an hour, Brenna thought silently. She wanted to go and try to listen through the door but she would not lower herself so much. That man wasn’t worth it.   

Instead she went to the kitchen and began searching violently for a pint of ice cream.  The freezer was empty and Brenna realized that Jackie hadn’t kept any memory of her.  He always used to have ice cream for her. Now there was nothing but meat in there.

Annoyed and a little sad too she went to the car garage and asked one of the guards if he could drive her to the store.

“I’ll take you.” Charles said overhearing her request.

In the car, Charles was the first to speak.

“Sometimes Jackie doesn’t think before he speaks.”

“He is such an idiot! Sometimes I feel like taking a hundred nicely sharpened pencils and shoving them up his ass!”

Charles laughed out loud as he imagined her idea.

“I’m serious too.” She said fuming but smiling.

“You two really do deserve each other.” Charles said making Brenna stop smiling.

After a few seconds of awkward silence Charles apologized for the rude comment. 

“It’s just that I thought you didn’t care for him.” He confessed later “But I was wrong. You coming back proved me wrong.”

“He needs me. I couldn’t stay away.”

“Jackie is stubborn but deep down he has a good heart.”

“Yeah, very very deep down. So deep down you need to be an archeologist to get to it.”

Charles laughed again then suddenly stopped.

“How did you two meet?” Brenna asked

“I was in trouble. Old business trouble.” Charles told her “if it hadn’t been for Jackie I would be dead now.  He gave me a job and hid me from the people I wronged.  Then he paid my debt and I promised to be at his side in exchange. Been with him since.”

“Were you there, the day of the first ‘accident’?”

“No.” the man answered “Jackie had sent me to deliver other ‘items’. When I got back I found him already half dead and I took him to a hospital outside of the city.”

Brenna was amazed at the strong bond that existed between her husband and his friend. 

“How did this happen?” Brenna asked referring to Jackie’s most recent accident

“I wasn’t there either. Somehow Jackie manages to get in trouble when I am not there.  This time I wasn’t even there to help get him to the doctor, I got a call a day later.”

Charles sad face was evident.  Brenna knew that he would have given his own legs to spare Jackie his pain.

“And there was nothing they could do for him?” she asked

“The doctors told him that there was this specialist in Germany. That German doctor has had many successful surgeries with cases like Jackie’s. Because it’s not permanent, his condition, something just got disconnected, and it’s just his legs nothing else.” Charles said looking straight at her.

“I know Charles. He told me that himself.” Brenna said sadly smiling

“Oh okay.”

“Why didn’t he go see the specialist?” she wondered

“He never said yes or no.” Charles said as he turned into the parking lot of the store “When he got home he asked to be taken to his room and then just stayed there.  Jackie wasn’t that sort of man, he used always face his problems head on. Now he just hides from them.  I guess he learned that from you.” He finished as he unlocked her door with a move of his left hand.

Charles’ words still resonated in Brenna’s ears as she entered her front door and saw Rose sitting in the chair by the foyer.  She stood as soon as she saw Brenna and walked toward her.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Rose informed Brenna in a humble voice.

“Oh really. What, you want to give me all the details of your session with my husband?” Brenna asked as she tried to balance the bags in her hands.

“You don’t need to worry about that, we just talked.”

“And pigs fly home in winter.” Was Brenna’s acidic response.

“It’s the truth.” Rose stated

“Listen, I need to go put this in the fridge before it melts so if you still have something to say to me it better be fast.”

Rose took two of the bags from Brenna’s hands. Surprisingly Brenna did not object.

“I have a lot to say to you.” The older woman told the other “Do you mind if I follow you to the kitchen? Maybe we can share that treat, I love ice cream.”

“Whatever. Be my guest.” Brenna said giving up

They made it to the kitchen and although Brenna was not too happy with Rose’s company, she took out two bowls and two spoons and handed them to the woman who in turn set them on the kitchen table.  Brenna then proceeded to unpack the groceries as Rose spoke.

“I met Jackie the day he was born. I was eleven then. He was a beautiful baby.  My mother was a servant for the Juniors, and in time I became one too.”

“Uh huh.” Brenna said putting away some objects into the refrigerator.

“I wish I didn’t have to but there is no other way to tell you how I became what I am now.  Jackie’s father took advantage of me, and I ran away.” Rose said stunning Brenna for an instant. 

“I’m over it now, things happen for a reason.” Rose quickly added.

How can this woman be okay with something of that importance? Brenna thought as she listened carefully, her eyes were stabbing the woman. Was what she was saying true? And if so, why was she telling her this?

“I came here and after a couple of days I finally understood that I had nothing else than my body, so I used it as my product for sale, I was only 17 years old. The years passed and I opened a parlor, I had higher ranking clients and could pay for it and also recruit other girls.” Brenna was disgusted as she opened an ice cream carton and filled both bowls on the kitchen table “I know it sounds awful and you probably don’t want to know all this but it is the first time I want to tell my story and I would be grateful if you listened all the way.”

“Don’t mind me, do go on.” Brenna said taking a spoonful of chocolate flavor ice cream.

“The day James Junior found me was not as bad as I had dreamed.” Rose continued ignoring the dessert in front of her “He didn’t like me anymore and for that I was thanking all the saints I knew.  But he had a mission for me.  His son was not as much a man as he saw one to be.”

Brenna knew she wasn’t going to like what Rose had to tell her.

“You have to understand that Mr. Junior was an asshole.  He felt Jackie wasn’t acting like a Junior and he thought that introducing him to women might slap some sense into the boy.  Jackie’s mother was also very strong. But not strong in character, no, strong in mind because she put up with everything her husband did and never said anything about it.  She must have been afraid of him.”

“James brought Jackie to me as soon as he turned 14.” Rose said without pausing to breath “He was a little scared at first but…”

“I don’t need any details!” Brenna said loudly as she dropped her spoon on the table “I am sure Jackie wouldn’t appreciate you sharing this information with me either.” She added more serenely.

Rose nodded ashamed then persisted with her tale.

“Jackie wasn’t always the way he is now.  At first he didn’t want to act like his father.  Then he became worst than him.  When his family was murdered I didn’t see him for a couple of years then one day Charles comes to my place and tells me to send him two girls but to make sure they are not red heads.  I didn’t understand that until I saw you today.” 

Brenna frowned.

“They did nothing I assure you.” Rose rapidly declared “He returned them intact two hours later.  He visits me still once in a while, and when you left he invited me to come here whenever I liked. But we are just friends now.”

Brenna cleared her throat pretending not to care.

“I was his first woman Brenna, and I’m quite proud of that.” The blatant woman said “Except I can’t help but wish I could be in your shoes and be his last.”      

Jackie was already in bed when Charles went to say that Rose had just left.  Shocked that she had stayed after their chat, Jackie asked Charles what had kept her.

“She was talking to Brenna.” Charles said leaving Jackie wondering.

She wasn’t the same. Jackie had to admit that she seemed more mature, and while she still had that raw violence that was so natural in her, Brenna was not the wild creature he had married. 

It could very well have been that Jackie was just trying to find a way to make her leave.  Originally he had been surprised, even happy, that she was back, but then he immediately re-evaluated their situation. He didn’t want her to stay. He didn’t want her to waste her life with him like this.

He couldn’t handle this Brenna that came to him only to fulfill her duty as devoted wife.  He wanted the one that made his heart ache with both love and hatred.  Jackie had a glimpse of the old Brenna went Rose had arrived, but as she appeared she suddenly vanished before his eyes. 

Cold, Jackie murmured, Brenna has grown cold.  What a contrast in was in her, the constant inferno in her hair with the arctic of her spirit.

“You need anything before I go to bed?” she said to him standing at his door.

How long had she been there? He hadn’t notice her until she spoke.

“No.” he answered after a moment.

“Okay. I’m going to sleep. You know what to do if you need me.” She said looking at him.

Jackie saw his chance to ask the inevitable.

“I supposed that now that you are back Rose will not be able to return here without you making a scene?”

“You are wrong.” She answered startling him once again “She is welcomed, after all this is your house.”

“I thought you said you were staying?”

“I am.” She responded leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed “But what you do in your bed is none of my business. I no longer feel intimidated by you, if you share your bed with women of such… professions….. then perhaps it is time for me to seek out men of that particular occupation.  You know...see what all the excitement is about.”

A devilish smile swept across her face.

“Don’t you dare even mention that again, do you hear me!?” he screamed pointing at her.

She was startled by his reaction.

“I am getting tired of telling you that you can’t tell me what to do!” she shouted back.

“Well I have long been tired of you! I thought I had gotten rid of you before, why did you come back?!”

“I don’t need this from you Jackie, not right now.” Brenna said turning around and leaving. 

“You go ahead Brenna, just rub it in my face that I can’t go after you” Jackie said to himself.

Four days later Brenna made a breakthrough with Jackie when he decided to come down to dinner.   Of course she tried to ignore the fact that it his approval came only after she told him that she had invited Rose. 

Brenna didn’t dislike Rose, she just felt threatened by her and the history she and Jackie shared.  It didn’t help either that Jackie did not try to hide his enthusiasm when Brenna informed him she had already arrived.

“I’m glad you could join us.” Brenna sincerely told Rose as she entered the dinning room.

The woman smiled distracted as Jackie came into the room, then turned her attention back to Brenna.

“It was so nice of you to invite me.  I didn’t know what you thought of me after… our little girl talk.” Rose said hiding the true concept of their exchange.

“Don’t worry about that.” Brenna said as she gestured for the seat in which Rose was to sit for the evening.

Following an impulse, Brenna then walked fast to Jackie’s side and removed the dining set chair in order for Jackie to accommodate himself in the wheel chair.  Jackie looked up at her with no clear expression and an uncomfortable silence followed.

“What are we having?” Rose asked trying to change the mood.

“Does it really matter? With you here any meal will be a delicacy.” Jackie answered Rose with a smile.

“Please Jackie don’t say things like that to me with your wife present.” She told him blushing.

Brenna picked up her eyebrows and let out a small gasp at their idiocy. It was like reliving her wedding reception all over again. Except this time it was worse, she had invited the competition.

All throughout the dinner Rose tried to make Jackie be quiet about how nice she looked, or how good it was to have her for company.  She tried to include Brenna in their conversation but Jackie kept on bringing up topics about the past where Brenna could not join in. 

Brenna hid her sadness as best as she could but it was apparent to Rose because as she was leaving she pulled her aside and apologized for any discomfort she had caused.

“I don’t know why he did this.” The woman told Brenna “I mean he usually compliments me when he first sees me but tonight it was as if I was the queen herself.  He was probably trying to get you jealous.”

“It’s fine Rose. I’ll be okay.” Brenna assured her.

When Brenna returned to the dinning room Jackie was already gone.  She was heading to his room when she saw that the lights in his study were on.  Determined to give him a little advice she entered without knocking.

He gave her a look that said: ‘What are you doing here?’ But she disregarded it.

“I know you and Rose are old friends, but I don’t think you should be so charismatic with Rose.  You flirt with her constantly and I think she might misinterpret your intentions.” She said as she plopped down on the couch next to a window.

“What do you know about my intentions toward Rose?” he asked her serving himself a shot of a clear liquor.

 “Do tell me if she is the woman of your life so I can pack my bags and send you the divorce papers first thing tomorrow.” She said boldly, she was sure he wouldn’t do that. 

Jackie drank the beverage in his hand and twirled the small glass in his right hand as he spoke.

“I just feel that somehow I need to make up for what…” he stopped unexpectedly; he didn’t want Brenna to know why he felt compelled to please Rose.

“You don’t have to say any more.” Brenna told him

“I wasn’t going to.” He answered coldly

Here we go again, she thought, hiding from what hurts.

You wouldn’t understand, Jackie said in his mind, you would never understand.

Only 43 days since Brenna had returned to Jackie she began to wonder if she had done the right thing.  He didn’t waste any chance to let her know she wasn’t welcomed there.  There were no thanks by his part when she helped him with the daily exercises for circulation, or when she had a chair elevator installed so that he didn’t have to call Charles every time he wanted to go downstairs.

Coming back had been a bad idea and Brenna was getting tired of fighting for the weak territory she had conquered in the last weeks.  Sure it was only a ‘good morning’ here and there but she tried to make it seem like those few courteous words came straight from his heart.  

Before leaving Texas Brenna had decided not to cry anymore and she had kept her word.  Too many tears were already shed in that house; the idea of dropping more was just insane.  But suddenly it seemed like it was too much for her and Jackie wasn’t making it any easier by acting like a bigger pig than before.

“You deserve everything that has happened to you!” She finally blurted that afternoon after Jackie asked her if it was his money she was after.

“Who knows Brenna, you might just be sticking around hoping I kill myself from depression, and then you'll already be here, ready to claim my fortune.” He viciously added

“I hate you.” She told him very evenly.

“I had missed that caress from your lips.”

“You are not a man Jackie Junior, you are just a joke.  I don’t even know how I came to admire you once.  You’ve given up on everything, but the worse thing is you’ve given up on yourself.”

“I could care less what you think!” he said suddenly angry

“Good! Because then it will not matter to you that I think you doing the world a big favor by waiting to rot in this room forever!”

Brenna saw what she believed to be tears in his eyes and she bit her lip upset that she had hurt him badly with her words. 

“You’ve seen me I’m defeated, a broken man. I’m paying for what I did to you. What else is keeping you here?” he said looking at the floor as he sat in his chair.

“I don’t blame you anymore for what happened.” She told him searching for his eyes.

Jackie stayed quiet for a few seconds before he raised his head to meet her eyes and spoke in a broken voice.

“I tried to comfort you Brenna. I tried to be strong for you so that you felt… it does not matter anymore.”

“Jackie…”

“Do you know what I felt seeing you as heartbroken as you were and believing it was my fault? No, you don’t. And you don’t know either how much I wished you would hug me and tell me that everything was going to be alright, that you still loved me.”

“I’m sorry,” Brenna apologized sincere. She had been so selfish, so stupid. “I didn’t come to mock your pain I swear. I thought that we could save our marriage.”

“There is nothing to save Brenna.  I don’t want you here as I perish away.”

“Maybe it doesn’t have to be this way,” she said kneeling at his feet “if only you would go to that specialist, maybe he can help you.”

“No one can help me. Not even you.” He told her looking in her eyes.

Brenna looked back into his but could only see darkness.  The light that was once there was gone.  If he knew he didn’t want to fight this battle no one would be able to fight it for him.  Jackie had accepted what he believed to be his fate and Brenna was just in the way.

“You don’t want me here?” she as asked at last.

“No.” he answered holding her chin “I want you to go back home and live a happy life, away from me.”

Her triumph over her unshed tears vanished as he said those words.  A lake of anguish built up in her eyes and she began to cry.  He held her head in his lap and looked at the wall as she sobbed, but he didn’t join her tears.

Picking up her head Brenna tried to smile as he wiped her cheek with his hands.

“This is the end Jackie?” she asked him trembling

“It never started Brenna.” Jackie answered smiling tranquilly “It was just a dream.”

Slowly getting on her feet she took a deep breath before speaking.

“I will never understand you Jackie, no matter how hard I try.”

“You don’t have to.” He said as good-bye.

She was ready to leave, she had already reached the door, but something stopped her. A sudden need to kiss him again, to hold him before she left for good.  She would never see him again, she was now certain of that.  This time their parting had been different, it had the undeniable feeling of eternity.  But she needed to take one last memory of him.

Brenna returned rushing to him and leaning down she kissed him passionately.  Her desperate fingers unbuttoned his shirt and she scanned his bare chest with her hands.  Without noticing, together they found a way to get him on the bed.  She then reclaimed his lips.

“One last time?” He asked her softly as she kissed his forehead.

“One last time.” She said as she gave herself to him.

Eight months later Brenna’s stood dressed in black at the foot of a freshly dug grave.

It all happened so fast she didn’t have time to process it yet. She was standing there looking down at that impersonal hole in the earth, as the priest spoke and others around her cried.

“He was a man of honor.” Father Johnston said “A man devoted to a life of…”

Brenna wasn’t really listening to anything, her mind was blank. She knew that once the coffin was lowered and the gravestone was laid she would suddenly feel betrayed by Bob. For now everything was too unreal, too involuntary.

For the past 16 months her life had been too erratic to accommodate a lost like the one she was witnessing. Not quite had a sorrow passed when another was peeking its way into her existence. Her father’s death was the ultimate of such grieves.

A single tear fell from Brenna’s eyes as she accepted the truth before her; her father was dead.

A heart attack had been the final ruling for the cause of death. If her father had had heart problems he never said anything to anyone. He had been young still at 65, but there was no programming death. Brenna only wished for his soul to rest in peace.

The coffin was being lowered and Brenna felt her knees weaken, a close family friend held onto her as she panted desperate. Her sisters were embracing each other as they reached for her hand. She went into their arms and cried with them. They were together and mourning once again.

When it was all over Brenna wiped her tears and placed her sunglasses on her eyes.

Patiently, all the people present waited to offer their condolences to the three sisters. Between compassionate embraces and words of encouragement Brenna saw a familiar face inside a car in the distance. The window to the driver’s side of a red sports vehicle was lowered and a man was looking through it.

She shook her head telling herself she was imagining things but the man got off the car speedily and began walking toward the gathered crowd. He stopped in his track and set his eyes on Brenna when she was released from the arms of a sympathetic woman.

Brenna couldn’t believe her eyes, and she began to breathe heavily at the picture before her. Standing there, less than 10 feet away from her was Jackie Junior, and he was staring straight at Brenna’s stomach.

Jackie took off his sunglasses and blinked as he regained his pace. After the hard months of therapy he endured it was a big accomplishment that he was able to walk, but all that time inside a hospital had affected his vision.  He must have been dreaming. 

He had wanted to surprise Brenna with the news of his surgery and recovery but he was the one taken aback by the terrible news of her father’s death two days prior to his arrival.  After asking direction on how to get to the local cemetery Jackie had driven in silence hoping to come up with a decent line to express how sorry he felt for Brenna. 

That is why when he finally found what he thought to be Luke Taylor’s burial ceremony Jackie searched for Brenna before exiting the car.  He still didn’t have the right words to say to her.  Since he couldn’t distinguish her, he simply walked toward the crowd of people.

Then he saw her face as she was embraced by an older woman and he tried to smile apologetically but his face froze as his eyes traveled down her body.  Suddenly his legs wouldn’t move anymore and he stood staring at her mid section for what seemed like forever. 

Jackie reached her promptly and recognized that his eyes were not wrong, she was very pregnant.

“Not here Jackie.” She pleaded before he even said anything.

“I don’t understand.” He said as others approached his wife to pledges their condolences.

Brenna ignored his comment until the people were gone from their hearing range.

“You went to see the specialist.” She said with a smile as she touched her belly with one hand.

Jackie hadn’t heard her; he was too busy looking at her hand.

“Jackie?”

“I’m sorry.” He said agitated “I’m just a little shocked.”

“We need to talk, but not now.”

“I agree, can I come to your ranch tonight?” he asked

“No, not tonight. Rachel and her husband are staying there until tomorrow morning; you can come after they’re gone.  Crystal is going back to school also so we can talk in private tomorrow night.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“There is nothing to tell.” She said suddenly confusing him

“You are having my child and you think there is nothing to tell me?” Jackie asked dumbfounded.

“No Jackie, you are mistaken. This baby isn’t yours.”

She didn’t say anything else; she just turned around and walked away.

Brenna tried one more time to convince her sisters that she would be fine by herself.

“Are you sure Red, because I can stay if you want me to?” Crystal told her

“That’s a good idea. She can always take a course during the summer after the baby is here.  What are you going to do if my niece wants to be born in the middle of the night and there is no one here to help you?” Rachel added

Brenna sighted and shook her head at her two sisters.  They had spent the whole night before and very much the entire morning trying to talk her into either leaving with one of them or letting Crystal miss classes so she could stay with her. It just wasn’t going to happen not only could she take care of herself, she also didn’t want Crystal to be there when Jackie came to see her.

“Claudia and the workers will be here.” Brenna said smiling.

“Claudia only comes twice a week. Don’t be so stubborn Brenna.” Rachel told her as she looked at Crystal for further replies.

“I’m only eight months pregnant, I have a whole month before anything happens so I don’t want Crystal to mess up her college plan just so she can stay here and help me get fatter.”

Crystal laughed at that idea which didn’t sound so bad.

“Oh shut up Crystal, she got you to break already.” Rachel said annoyed.

“It’s just funny.” The 19 year old answered.

“I’m going to be okay, I promise.” Brenna said.

“I’m not happy about this, but if that’s what you want.” Rachel finally agreed

Three hours later Brenna was waving them both good-bye as Rachel’s husband drove their truck out of the ranch.  Just before entering her home gain Brenna looked out into the road and searched for a red sports vehicle, it was no where in sight.

 She prepared herself a meal and dismissed the workers minutes before the sun fell.  Brenna was sitting on the kitchen table, drinking a glass of juice, when the sound of a car coming up the driveway announced Jackie’s possible arrival.

Indeed, he was getting something out of the trunk of his car when she got to the front door.  She looked at him, while she stood blocking the front door, with her mouth open as he walked up the steps and dropped his luggage at his feet. 

“Which way is our room?” he asked her arrogantly

“I thought you said we would talk?” She told him staggered.

“I lied.” He answered. “That is my child and I’m not leaving without it. So until it is born, I will stay here, with you.”

Brenna’s head was spinning.  He wouldn’t dare take her child away from her?! Would he? She really wasn’t sure; with Jackie any unimaginable, brutal and repulsive thing was possible.

“It? You are referring to my baby as it?” she asked fuming “You bigheaded son of a motherless goose!”

“You lied to me.” Was his reply

“I have never lied to you!”

“Yesterday, when you told me the baby isn’t mine!” Jackie screamed

“This child belongs to me. You disposed of my services that day in London, don’t you remember? You told me you wanted me to have a happy life, I can’t be happy with you here!” she shouted at him

“How was I supposed to know you were pregnant?!”

“You weren’t supposed to!”

 “It is my child too!”

“What makes you so sure?!” Brenna asked boldly

“The fact that you didn’t tell me about it.” Jackie began “I know you Brenna, I know you better than you think.  If it weren’t mine you wouldn’t have been able to stop yourself from calling me to let me know I had been wrong about and that you could indeed have a baby.”

She gasped as he finished and frowned before answering.

“You think so low of me?”

“You dug your own grave the day you betrayed me with Garret.”

Then keep me buried in oblivion because this child is not yours!

“You are not going to win Brenna. I will do whatever it takes to take my son with me!

“It’s a girl you jerk!

“It’s a girl?” Jackie asked suddenly smiling happily.

“Yes.” She answered straight-faced.

Jackie studied her look for an instant and let out a deep breath before he spoke again.

“Brenna at least let me spent the night, I already checked out of the motel.” 

She remained silent.

“One for the memory of our love?” Jackie insisted mockingly.

“I should smack you for saying that.” Brenna answered moving away from the door so that he could enter.

“I don’t know if it’s the weather or the fact that you are in your natural surroundings,” Jackie said as he passed by her “but you are starting to sound very much like a cowgirl.”

“Shut up Jackie before I change my mind.” she said to him tense.

About an hour later Brenna offered Jackie a glass of lemonade.  He gladly accepted and together they walked into the kitchen.  As she was getting the drinks he looked out through the window just above the sink. 

“It looks like its going to rain.” He said to her wondering.

“Don’t count on it.” Brenna responded “Sometimes you think you can almost feel the water on you and not a single drop falls.”

Jackie nodded understanding.

“It’s nice out here. Peaceful, quiet.” He said grabbing the glass she was holding out for him.

“Quiet?” Brenna asked laughingly “I guess you have your anti-animal earplugs on.”

He took a drink of the lemonade before answering her.

“Well, apart from those noises, it is very quiet.”

“Are you trying to have a decent conversation with me?”

Brenna waited for a response that did not come.  Jackie continued drinking from his glass and looking out the window.

“I had imagined your home to be very different from this.” He finally said looking at her.

“What, you thought we were millionaires like you?”

“No, that I knew you weren’t. But I thought your home would be full of people.”

“Why would you think that?” she asked surprised.

“Just a guess.” He said as he placed his empty glass on the sink.

Shockingly Brenna witnessed something amazing just after. Jackie opened the water faucet, grabbed the sponge inside the soap cup and washed the glass.  Mr. Jackie Junior was actually in her kitchen washing a glass like a normal person.  Never in the seven months she lived by his side did she see him do anything of the sort.  Such a homely task that felt so personal, yet so mutual. Almost too close to home.

When he was done he turned to her once again and asked for her glass.  She handed it to him quietly.  A minute later he dried his hands with a paper cloth and went to sit at the table.

Almost too disturbed to make any sense of anything Brenna remembered something she had longed to do for some time back but just couldn’t get herself to do it. 

“Here, I wanted to give you this back. I no longer need it and I thought you might want it back.” she said giving him the ring he had given her.

Jackie took the ring but could not utter a word because she immediately spoke again.

“If you follow me, I will show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

Jackie stared closely at the ring in his hand before putting it in his pant’s pocket.  He then got up from his chair and followed Brenna to the guest bedroom.

The next morning Jackie sat in a chair on the back porch of the house.  He didn’t sleep much, the maddening noises of the country kept him up all night. So he had lied when he said the place the quiet, so what? No one told him the roster would wake him up at 4:36am, or that the cows howled…or was that the dog?

Jackie was watching four men trying to get a horse to accept them to ride him.  But the animal would not budge.  Jackie smiled as one of the men unexpectedly fell right on his bottom.  Then he frowned as another got hit in his stomach by the horse’s head.

“Fuck!” Jackie exclaimed unnoticing. 

“Don’t worry about it they won’t ask you help.”

Jackie jumped up as he heard Brenna’s voice behind him.  She was wearing a long white maternity dress with small pink flowers on the chest.  Her hair was up and Jackie had to admit that she looked more beautiful than ever.  But as inflexible as he was that was not the comment that left his throat.

“The only thing I am worried about is whether that baby of yours is a Junior or not.” He said wickedly smiling

“Why do you enjoy making me suffer?” she asked after a short pause.

“You don’t know how capable of inflicting pain you are yourself.”

“I’m pregnant!” she said exasperated “For Pete’s sake what am I going to do? Bore you to death?!”

“If I must tell the truth being pregnant only makes you more…interesting.” Jackie told her grinning.

“Only you could make such a comment sound so vulgar.” Brenna answered walking back inside the house.

Jackie hurried behind her, speaking as he walked. She on the other hand wobbled.

“Seeing how the kid could not be mine you should take it as a compliment.”

Swiftly Brenna turned around with a shocked face.

“You have the audacity to doubt it?!” she asked him angrily.

Jackie raised an eyebrow evilly.  Was she not the first to suggest that the baby wasn’t his?

“You should know better than to think I would sleep with someone else when you were the one who told me to go.” She added calmly.

“I know it is mine, I can see it in your eyes.” Jackie said as he erased the gap between them “I can feel it when I touch you.” He told her, caressing her neck “But I need you to say it.” His lips where an inch away from hers “Say it Brenna, say the baby is mine.” he whispered

“It is your baby.” Brenna said weakly.

Jackie then stepped away from her and smiled victorious.

“See that wasn’t so hard, was it? Now go pack your bags and let’s go home.”

“No.” Brenna said holding his gaze.

“No?” Jackie asked her baffled.

“You will go back to London and I will stay here.” She said rebellious

“I won’t go back to London without you.”

“Well I am not going anywhere for the moment. I need to be in charge of the ranch.”

They were standing in the kitchen, and Jackie leaned on the wall as she held on to the table for balance.

“If I remember correctly your father told me there was someone in charge of his business and all he did was walk around saying ‘hello’ to everybody.” He said catching Brenna in a lie.

Defeated Brenna had to confess.

“Then I’ll just tell you the truth, I don’t want to go back to you.”

“I’m not asking you what you want; I’m telling you what you are going to do.”

Taking her time Brenna reached Jackie and tried to push him aside. He wouldn’t move and just smiled at she grew increasingly angry.

“No one can have a civilized talk with you!” she finally exploded.

“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” he asked innocently

“If things are not shouted you completely ignore them and if I scream you scream back and don’t listen to me!”

Jackie said nothing.

“I can’t live like this. I can’t fight with you forever.”

“You have no other choice. Either you return with me to London, or as soon as my daughter is born I will take her from you.” Jackie firmly stated.

“You can’t do that!”

“Who will stop me?” he defiantly asked.

“I wish I’d never met you!” Brenna shouted punching his chest.

“Too bad for you because you did!” he shouted back allowing her to keep punching him. Then abruptly Brenna stopped her assault and her face went pale.

“I don’t…” she started

“What?” Jackie said holding her by the elbows “You don’t what?”

One of Brenna’s hands went at once to her back and she held the walk with the other trying to gain strength.

“I’m going into labor!” She said scared.

“WHAT?!?!” Jackie screamed suddenly petrified “No Brenna not right now!”

Brenna’s face reddened and her voice sounded deeper than normal.

“Stop trying to control everything I said I’m going into labor!”

“But you can’t, can’t you delay it?” Jackie asked not knowing what to do with himself.  He frantically paced the kitchen as she made strange sounds come out of her body.

“Delay it?! I’m not shipping pottery here, I’m having a baby!”

Somehow Jackie managed to go outside and get the attention of the workers.  One of them got into Jackie’s car and another helped him lead Brenna to the back seat.  Although there was hardly any space Jackie also boarded the back of the vehicle to be by his wife’s side.

As they drove to the nearest hospital Brenna began to sob uncontrollably. She was frightened and she held onto Jackie’s hand as if her life depended on it.

“It’s too soon Jackie, it’s going to happen again…I’m going to lose my baby!” she said between tears.

“No dear you won’t,” Her husband comforted her “I’m here now; everything is going to be alright.”

She didn’t have red hair; in fact she had no hair at all.  But she did have his eyes, searching and unblinking they held a pair just like them.

Jackie held his daughter closer to him and inhaled her aroma.  Nothing, he would come to find out later, would ever compare to the feeling he experienced having his daughter in his arms for the first time. 

Brenna watched as Jackie smiled almost childlike as he looked down at their baby.  Everything, Brenna thought, I would relive everything just to see him like he was at this moment. 

He had been there holding her hand and telling her that she was doing great.  He was the first one to ask if the baby would be alright even when she had been premature, and he let out a sight of relief when the doctor told them that it was quite usual for a baby to be born at 32 weeks. 

Whatever the future held for them they would forever be united by their love for their daughter.  Even when Brenna knew that Jackie did not love her as she loved him, she knew she would return to London just so that her daughter could be with her father.  She even hoped that in time they could learn to be as they were during those few precious months she still relived in her nightly dreams.

“I really hope this works out Jackie; you know we can’t be together for ten minutes without fighting.” Brenna told him as he looked at her, still smiling.

“I know.” He said, and then looked down at child as he continued speaking “But look what we create when we make up.”

Brenna’s heart melted, two tears slid down her cheek as he approached her and placed the baby in her arms.

“Forgive me?” he asked “I would never take her away from you Brenna, but I didn’t know how else to hold on to you. I don’t how to tell you that I love you.”

She cried a little more, scaring Jackie a bit, but then she smiled.

“Just like that.” She said happily “Tell me.”

“I love you.” He said looking into her eyes.

“I’ve loved you since the night you saved me from that stupid man Gary, or whatever his name was.” Brenna told her husband

Jackie laughed.

“But you have to propose to me now.”

“Why?” Jackie asked amused “We are already married.”

“Because a girl waits her whole life for that Mr. Junior, and I didn’t get a proposal from you before.”

At least life won’t be boring, Jackie thought counting his blessings at last. Now he believed in forever.

“Okay, what do I do?” he asked.

“You have to get on one knee.” Brenna responded as she kissed her daughter.

Her husband obeyed her request and held her hand as he dropped on one knee.  Brenna was rapidly reminded that he had just recovered from a bad injury and maybe kneeling wasn’t such a good idea.

“I’m sorry Jackie, you can get up now. I don’t want you to get hurt.” She said to him

“I’m alright, I wouldn’t be doing it if I couldn’t.” he said calming her nerves “Hey, you know from here I can see up your nose.” He said laughing.

“Jackie!” Brenna replied letting go of his hand “This is supposed to be romantic.”

“Sorry.” Jackie apologized clearing his throat “I can see up your nose, darling.”

Brenna mumbled something under her breath.

“I give up, you are hopeless.” She said after a moment

“I’m just playing with you.” Her husband told her as he stood up.

“Well don’t do it anymore, this is serious.”

“I can’t be serious with you; we always end up fighting if we are serious.”

“You’re right…I guess this will have to be it. Give me back my ring.” She ordered

Smiling Jackie took the ring out of his pocket, where he had kept it safe for her, and placed on her finger, where it belonged.