Page 87 of Behind These Four Walls

Bennett rolled the window down. “What the hell, man?”

Brooke’s voice was tight. “Why’d you have us meet out here?”

Jackson took a step back, and Bennett saw a large black bag on the ground, which Jackson grabbed as he said, “Out. We don’t have much time.”

Bennett bristled, resisting the urge to slam the door into Jackson’s gut, but complied. Jackson was already moving, vanishing into the trees. Brooke winced as her heels sank into the uneven ground. She whimpered about her $1,000 heels as she clung to Bennett, stumbling every few steps, each yank fueling his rage as they struggled to keep up. First Isla, now this motherfucker.

They reached a clearing tangled with overgrown bushes. Jackson stood there, staring at the ground beyond him as if it held some terrible secret.

“Jackson,” Brooke started, her voice uneasy. “We don’t have time for this. The guests. Victor. We need to do something about Isla and that recording she clearly manufactured.”

Bennett swallowed hard. He wished the recording had been manufactured. He wished that night had never happened. It was the one time he’d ever regretted anything he’d done, because despite all the things his father would forgive him for, hurting Edie was a dealbreaker.

Jackson ignored her, turning abruptly, holding one of the shovels out to Bennett.

“The first thing he’ll do is have the whole property searched,” he began, his eyes boring into Bennett’s. He looked terrifying in the dark. “We can’t have them finding anything.”

Bennett looked down at the shovel like it was a foreign object. “Find what?”

Jackson’s stare was cold. “There’s no case without a body. And as far as anyone knows, she could be alive. Though we both now know that’s not true.”

Brooke inhaled sharply, taking a step and then stopping, unsure of what she wanted to do. “Body? Jackson, what are you saying? What happened at the old Abbott farm? Who’s alive?”

Bennett’s pulse pounded. “Edie was alive. She left on her own. We all heard it on that tape.”

Jackson’s expression didn’t change. “Didn’t your mother say it was manufactured?” When Bennett didn’t answer, he continued. “Didyou really think Edie’s been out there roaming the globe all this time, sipping cocktails on some tropical beach, shunning her daddy? She was impaled on glass that damaged vital organs. You really think she just walked away from that?”

Bennett’s eyes went wide. “How would you know that she ...” he blustered, realization hitting him.

Jackson nodded knowingly. “That’s right. Follow me over there.” He pointed again to that section of clearing ahead. “To dig her up.”

“Dig—dig her up?” Bennett shuddered, seeing Jackson in a new light. He’d always known Jackson fixed messes, but this ... this was insane.

“Me, insane?” Jackson asked. Bennett hadn’t realized he’d spoken his thoughts aloud. He didn’t like the look in Jackson’s eyes. “Interesting.”

Brooke grabbed Jackson’s arm, trying to reason with him. She was the only voice of reason in these godforsaken woods. “Jackson, stop this. Let’s go back. Let’s talk somewhere out of these woods. Victor is probably wondering where we’ve gone.”

Jackson pried her fingers from him. “This is your mess too. You made him this way. False bravado and weak inside.”

Bennett willed his hands to stop shaking. “You’re insane.”

“No,” Jackson murmured, his voice low and dangerous. “What I am is tired. Tired of cleaning up after you two when you let your emotions get the better of you and you mess up. It’s about time this family started acting like the unit we are.”

Brooke gasped. She gave Bennett a panicked look and Jackson a pleading one. “Jackson, don’t—”

“Don’t what? Tell him?” Jackson turned to Bennett, eyes gleaming with something almost like amusement and contempt. “Why do you think you’ve been fighting so hard to get Victor to make you his successor, and once he’s made you that we’ll get rid of him? Because you are mine.”

Bennett felt like the ground beneath him had disappeared and he was falling into an abyss. “What are you saying?”

Brooke went silent. She took a step back, her hands trembling. She looked around as if something or someone could help her, but there was nothing. Bennett went from one to the other and saw the answer on his mother’s face.

“No.” Bennett shook his head. “No way. Mom, tell me he’s lying. Tell me he’s crazy.” But she couldn’t bring herself to do it, and her silence validated every feeling he’d had growing up. This must have been why he’d always been jealous of Edie and felt like he could never live up to Myles. Because deep down he’d known he was different. Everything he’d thought he knew about himself was a lie.

Jackson said, “Now he’s getting it. From the moment you convinced me to go along with letting another man marry my woman and raise my child as his own, the thought of eventually taking all Victor has has been what’s kept me around, taking your and his shit. Don’t act so surprised. It’s beneath you.”

She stammered, incredulously, “I didn’t. You want to kill Victor? And, and Edie ... Edie is there?” Brooke was barely able to get her words out, the truth unfathomable.

“Bingo.” Jackson was smug.