Page 44 of The Devil’s Detail (The Greystone Family: Greystone Brothers #2)

Jackson

“Are we still working for him?” Ash asks, loyal to a fault. If I say no, he’ll ditch him.

“I don’t fucking know.” My mind is whirring. All the talk, the conversations coming back at me. How did I get it so wrong? Why did I not pick up on the fact that Carter was talking about a film one minute. But I jumped off a cliff the next.

It’s that fucking voice. That whole experience has sent me into a meltdown. I couldn’t think straight. I was there in that room. Blinded. And he’s still blinding me now. He lied. He lied by omission.

The call rings off. “Regardless of what he is now. What film he’s in. He lied. Fucking straight up lied.” Kell goes to open his mouth, but I’m not done. “By omission. He should have said. He obviously thought I wouldn’t find out.”

Kell laughs at that. “Get a grip Jackson. He’s just announced to the world he’s Jameson fucking Bonney.

You are going to be listening to that posh twat for years to come.

He wasn’t hiding, he was biding his time.

He also must have known that as soon as you got your massive paws on his body again, you’d figure it out.

Even though Ash has tweaked it. He’d know, you’d know.

You don’t get that up close and personal and not fucking know.

” He points at my chest. “And you know it.”

“When did you get so rational?” I growl out at him.

“When I married your sister, and my fucking husband, who will all tell you the same thing.” He pauses and lowers his voice, making it soft.

“He wants you, Jackson. He was probably afraid you’d fuck him off if you found out it was him that night.

Would you have gone on with the night, if you’d known it was Carter? ” I can see his curiosity is piqued.

I shake my head emphatically. “No. I’d have said no. There’s no way at that point I would have said yes. Which is why he tricked me.” I slam my hand on my chest. He lied. Liar.

“What I don’t get is why he was doing that in the first place,” questions Ash. “I mean, he has everyone throwing themselves at him. Men, women. The lot. I just can’t believe he had to go to those lengths to get laid?”

“Another question for you, Jackson. I think you need to meet the man. Find out the real story here. Hope Henry what’s-his-face doesn’t press charges. And then make a decision.”

“No fucking chance. He lied. Whatever the reason, he lied. Fair enough, he probably would have had to tell me at some point. But only due to that fucking film. If he’d have not got that role, he would have said nothing. I bet you.”

“Well, you’ll never know that. Because your boyfriend just set off for intergalactic stardom. Better buckle up, Jackson, it might be a bumpy ride.”

Kell looks like he wants to say more, but we hear the squeal of the boys.

Xander dashes in, chasing after the twins. “Where’s your daddy?” he calls to them as they make a beeline for Kell. They hug him, and then come to me, jumping for me to pick them up as Kell has Rio.

“Carter Maywood is Jameson Bonney, Kell. Can you believe it? We’ve just heard it on the radio.

” Evie comes into the room and does a double take when she sees me, shirtless, holding Sorley, Ash just picking up Lochi, and Kell with the baby.

Her heartmelting expression explains her lack of words for a second.

But she soon finds her feet again. “Jameson Bonney. He is going to be huge. Did you know, Jackson? You won’t let this derail your plans for him, will you?

I mean, I know the spotlight will be even bigger now.

But you’ll manage, won’t you?” I can hear the worry in her voice as her brain moves from one thing to the next.

“Carter is Bonney,” I state, deadpan.

“Yes, we know,” replies Xander, looking at me weird, in an ‘are you not listening’ way.

“No, Carter is Bonney,” I state again, with more emphasis on Bonney.

Evie looks at Kell and Xander and back at me, worry ringing her eyes. “Yes,” she says, coming closer to me to check out my face. Which is devoid of any emotions. “We heard. What’s the matter, Jackson? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I have. Jameson Bonney,” I say with a bit of aggression. Why are they not understanding me?

She gasps. “No way. Has he turned up again? Tell him to get lost. You’re on with Carter, aren’t you? Tell him, Jackson. You’re not interested.”

I almost laugh. Kell is smirking and shaking his head.

“Carter is Bonney.” Kell tries now, gesturing with his hand in fast rolling motion. “Bonney as in Bonney.” We can’t emphasise it anymore. It’s farcical

I’m fed up with the word play. “Like tied me up with a blindfold Bonney. That Bonney. Carter is that Bonney.”

The room is deathly quiet.

“Valentina!” Evie shouts for her nanny. “Can you come and take the boys, please.”

“I’ll take them out,” Ash offers as he corrals Sorley from me. Valentina comes and takes Rio. Everyone’s eyes are ping-ponging around each other.

“Like, tied you up and fucked your brains out, Bonney?” Xander has gone basic now the kids are out of the way.

“Exactly that Bonney,” I confirm. My mouth is turned in on itself. I’m not sure who I’m more disgusted with, him or me.

“Carter, tied you up and kept you blindfolded the whole night. Spoke in a British accent, all night long. Surely you recognised him, Jackson?” Xander qualifies again.

“Clearly not. His groans and growls are not in an American accent, you know. He was fucking British. All night long. Never faltered.”

“You clearly never fucked him hard enough, sugar,” pipes up Kell, in a fake southern drawl.

I hover between storming out, and laughing. This is ridiculous.

“Did he come clean?” Evie asks. She’s edging closer and takes hold of my hand. She clearly can see I’m hanging on by a thread. “Sit down, and tell me.” She’s moved to therapy mode. It’d be funny if it wasn’t.

I shake my head. “No, he didn't. It was a mess. I thought people were in the house to sign up with Bonney.” I wobble my head so she knows which Bonney. “So I had hold of Henry Blake.”

“By the throat,” Kell gets in unhelpfully. “Jackson was jealous. Thought Blake was moving in on Bonney.” He flashes his eyes on his version of Bonney.

“I wasn’t fucking jealous. It was when I found out Carter was Bonney.” Another head wobble. “That was when I lost it. I thought Carter was setting up my replacement. I lost it…a bit.”

Xan and Kell choke out a laugh at that.

“Fuck, I bet Carter was scared out of his wits. I’ve seen you go haywire, Jackson, but I bet Carter hasn’t,” Xan adds.

“He did look a bit scared. But probably because I’d found out who Bonney was. I was talking that Bonney. Freddie and co were talking agent Jameson Bonney. I clearly know that now.”

Evie starts to smile, so do Xan and Kell.

“What a farce. Are you going to sort it out with Carter?” Evie asks. Smiling comfortingly.

“Nope, not interested. He wasn’t going to tell me.”

Kell makes an exasperated noise in the back of his throat. “We’ve been over that. He couldn’t not. Not with all this news about to break. I don’t think he was trying to hide it. Why would he?” Kell is trying to rationalise.

“You two hid loads of things. Ridiculous things,” I deflect onto them. And I can see my sister revving up for a speech.

“Yeah, and look what happened to us. Evie ditched us. Don’t do it, Jackson. Honestly. Sort it out. I’ll bet Carter wants to. I’ll bet he was going to tell you when they all left.” Xander is always the calm, rational one. He needs to be in this marriage.

“Well, it got ahead of him. And he should have told me. It happened in March. We are in fucking October. Nearly November. He’s had time. He’s had an opportunity. But he waited until I was in love with him and then blew me away. I don't think I can get over the deceit. It’s a joke.”

“You love him, brother?” Evie asks quietly, her hand in mine, squeezing it gently.

“Out of all that lot, that’s what you heard?” I ask her incredulously.

She nods. “That's all anyone wants to hear.”

Her phone starts to ring, and I see Carter’s name on the header. She declines the call.

“Are we talking to him?”

My heart swells as her phone starts up again. They’ve got my back. Always.

It’s Kasey this time. Again, she declines the call. But her phone keeps ringing on and on. Carter incessantly ringing.

Then Kell’s, then Xan’s. Everyone’s except mine. Obviously seeing how the land lies.

Well he can fuck off.

“I don’t want to talk to him, not today. I’m not sure what to do. In terms of security, I suppose I ought to keep Ash on him. It’s only fair until he can sort out another firm. I’ll think about which security firm to send him to.”

I can see Xander texting. Next thing, my phone rings. Jonno.

“No fucking privacy in this family,” I state and Evie smiles widely. She’s normally on the end of Jonno’s stalking habits. “Jonno, I’ll ring you back. I?—”

“No, put me on speaker. I need to know what’s going on. Oh, Jude’s calling. And James and Bucky. I’ll add them in.”

My head is spinning. I can’t go through it again.

“What the fuck is going on? Did you all know Carter Maywood is Jameson Bonney? Are you having a party?” Jude asks.

Kell starts to laugh.

“I can’t go through it again. You tell them, Evie.”

She baulks, likely at the thought of the details.

“I’ll do it. Is that okay?” Kell asks. I nod. He loves an audience.

“Carter was Jackson's rider at the runners and riders night back in March. You know the one, Jonno. The very same night you got your wife pregnant.” He’s grinning like the devil has got cookies and cream.

“But Jax didn’t know, as Carter trussed him up like a Christmas turkey and blindfolded him for the whole night. ” Kell is enjoying himself.

“Lucky bastard,” gets in Xan, and smiles at Evie. Kell snaps his fingers at Xan’s face. Trying to get him to focus.

“Spoke in an English accent, so Jax was unaware it was him. Then dumped him. Then set about a seduction as Carter, whilst knowing all the time, he’d already tasted the goodies.

” He pauses for breath. “As Carter, he asked Jackson to date him. Told him no secrets and that he was falling for him. Jackson is just about to capitulate, and jump his bones, when Jackson walks into a room with the rider Bonney’s voice on stereo.

And what Jackson thinks is another willing victim signing up as his next mount. ”

Kell pulls Xan off the chair and pushes him down onto all fours, straddling him as if he’s riding him. Everyone is grinning, even me.

“Then he finds out rider Bonney was actually Carter, and Jackson here thinks Carter is setting up a younger model, in case Jackson has lost his touch since March.”

Xander and Jonno are pissing themselves at what they think is my idiocy. It’s not helped at this end, because every time Kell says rider, he does the impression of riding a horse. With clearly a whip in his hand, he pretends to be whipping Xander’s arse. To make him go faster.

“Did you try to kill the younger model, Uncle?” James asks. I can hear the laugh in his voice. “I’ll bet that was a sight. Who stopped you? Ash?”

“You know me well, nephew. I would have strangled him. If Ash had not been trying to talk me down after he tried to kill Freddie,” I laugh out.

“We didn’t put it all together until the film announcement.

That Carter is actually both Rider Mr Bonney and actual Agent Jameson Bonney.

And that the entourage were talking about NDAs for the film, not Carter's sexploits.” Kell finishes with a flourish and actually smacks Xander on the arse. “Giddy up, Xan.”

The whole room is chaotic. Everyone is laughing. Xander pretends to trot off and Kell is holding him back. Actually sat on his back. The twins are banging on the lounge door to get in and join in the fun. It’s mayhem.

I go and let the twins back in. In seconds, they’re screaming and shouting, riding on their daddy and papa’s backs.

I cut everyone off other than Jonno. “What a mess. Are you bothered about sorting it, Jackson?” he asks thoughtfully.

“I don’t know what I feel at the minute.” I walk into another room, leaving the happy chaos behind me. “I feel like he played me. He knew all that time and never said.”

“Do you think you would have said yes to him earlier? Or was it only as you got to know him? And not in the biblical sense.” Jonno is asking all the questions today. “If he would have come clean in March, just after it happened, would you have dated him?”

“I don’t know, Jonno. I wasn’t looking for a relationship, and definitely not with a man.

I just don’t fucking know anymore. I need time to decide.

Carter is already hitting up all the phones.

He’ll want to meet and talk it through, no doubt give me his reasons.

But it doesn’t change the facts. He fucking lied by omission.

Worked the angles as best he could, knowing things about me I didn’t know he knew. If that makes sense.”

“It does. Regardless of anything, you do need trust. That being said, I didn’t trust Aoife at first, or for a while.

I thought she was a fucking thief, and a liar.

So maybe you are in a bit of the same boat.

” He pauses. “I’ll ask you the same question that Evie asked me.

Do you care that he’s a liar? Would you take him anyway, because you can’t not? ”

“That woman is a witch. I swear it. I’ll take that into consideration.

But I’m not rushing to make Carter feel fucking better.

He’ll have to wait it out.” I’m determined about that.

“It’s not my job to make sure Carter is feeling good about himself.

He fucking lied, and that is the top and bottom line. ”

“Well, you know best about how you’ll feel. But I do think you’ll have to meet him at some point.” Jonno is working through all the scenarios.

“I don’t. Not if I don’t want to. If he’s around, he’s around. But I don’t have to do anything. I don’t have to talk to him. Ash can sort his security out until I can get a replacement company.”

“Are you going that far?” Jonno is giving me his soft voice. He wants me to think, to be calm. Rational. Reasonable.

“I’ll consider it. But at the minute, it’s a no. I don’t want the contract. If I can minimise all contact, I will.”

He sighs. “You know best. Keep me updated. I love you, brother. Stay sane.”

I hang up, and rejoin the chaos in the living room.