Page 73 of The Devil's Heir

Liliana

I sit in the rocker by the window, rocking Keirnan as I stare at the boulder on my left ring finger. Did I really say yes to marrying the devil? I've fallen in love with my bully, and now I'm going to be his wife. How did I get here?

A smile creeps up on my lips as the memory of this morning's lovemaking plays back in my head. When Jarek told me he was leaving yesterday, I was pissed that he wasn't taking me with him. Then he popped the question, and I forgot about him leaving today until he reminded me when I woke up.

Jarek made it all better by doing what he does best, making me scream his name. Poor Keirnan woke up screaming—I felt horrible.

Now that Jarek is halfway to Italy by now, all I can do is hope that he comes back to me safely. If anything happens to him after everything we've been through, not even hellfire will stop me from killing a motherfucker.

Look at that. Even my language is beginning to sound more like Jarek's. I sigh and look down at our son.

"Your father is corrupting your mama." I smile.

"Nah, you're just finally coming into yourself," a voice says from the doorway.

"Oh, my God, Jackson! You startled me!"

"My bad," he apologizes and grins. "I just thought I'd come up here and see if you needed anything. You've been up here since Mr. Falcon left."

"Must you be so formal when talking about him around me? You know I'm not like him," I scoff.

"Aren't you, though?" he teases, and I narrow my gaze at him.

"Don't be a dick…" I joke back.

"Hey, I am what I eat…"

I choke and cough at his response.

"You're too much!" I chuckle.

"I'm joking. Seth does all the sucking—I do all the fucking." Jackson's smile lights up his face as he winks at me.

Leave it to this guy here to always know what to say. Well, unless he's trying to knock some sense into me when I get one of my bad ideas that's going to piss Jarek off.

Once I'm done laughing, I reply, "No. I don't need anything. I'm just up here thinking about things."

"Uh-oh. Am I going to have to bring out Jarek's restraints?" Jackson asks jokingly.

"Ha, ha, ha, I'm not planning on going anywhere," I respond, holding up my left hand.

"Oh, wow. He's already asked you?" my friend asks.

"You knew?"

"Well, I drove him to the jewelry store. He asked for my advice as to when he should ask."

"And what did you tell him?"

"I said to wait until you were riding him. You'd say yes to anything then."

I can see Jackson try and hold in his laugh, but I can't, and a burst of laughter bubbles out. Keirnan jumps in his sleep but doesn't wake up.

"You're horrible, do you know that?"

Jackson laughs.

"Seriously, though. I told him that the sooner he did it, the better. I knew you would say yes."

"You did?"

"Lily. You are head over heels in love with him, whether you want to admit it or not."

I smile. "Yeah, I guess I am," I reply, then sigh. "How the hell did it happen? I mean, you saw how I was when I first came here. How did he do it?"

Jackson shrugs. "Jarek always gets what he wants sooner or later. He wanted you way back in high school; even I knew that. It's just taken him this long to get you."

"He bullied me in high school! How can you say he wanted me?"

"Oh, Lily. You were so blind. Why do you think the girls were mean to you? Because they were jealous of you."

I stare at Jackson in disbelief. What the hell has he been smoking?

"Jarek always had girls hanging all over him, or have you forgotten?" I ask the delusional man in front of me.

Jackson rolls his eyes. "Maybe, but his eyes were always on you . No guy dared to approach you because Jarek warned every one of us away. There were many guys interested in you, Lily. You were one of the prettiest girls in school."

All of this is news to me. I never saw any of it. Looking out the window, I think back to those days when the torment seemed to never end. I think back to the bracelet Jarek got me for my eighteenth birthday. It was the only present I had received in years.

I remember giving him a hug because of it, but he shoved me away and told me never to touch him without his permission. Now, I understand. It's because of the things Carmen made him do.

Jarek told me he had engraved 'Property of Jarek Falcon' on the bracelet to ensure nobody ever touched me.

It wasn't so nobody else would pick on me; he wanted me for himself.

Had I not been so stuck on him bullying me, or so I thought, I would have seen the rest of the message for what it was worth.

I stand and move to my dresser. Opening the top drawer, I reach to the back and feel for the box. Once I find it, I pull it out and set it on the dresser. I open the box and pull out the familiar silver bracelet, turning it over to read the inscription inside. 'To my pauper on her birthday.'

To my pauper, not just pauper.

A tear spills from my eye, and I swipe it away. Clearing my throat, I turn and face Jackson, holding the bracelet out to him.

"Can you put this on me, please?"

Jackson takes the piece of jewelry from me and examines it before wrapping it around my wrist and clasping it .

"Jarek told me about this bracelet," Jackson says softly. "Did you know it was the only time he ever gave anything to anyone? He said he took a chance doing it, and it backfired. The guy never gave anyone a gift ever again."

"Really?" The word is barely a whisper when it leaves my lips.

"Yeah. I found it sad, but then you came along, and I understood. You are it for Jarek, Lily. I hope you know that."

"I'm beginning to realize it," I tell him as I stare at the bracelet now adorning my wrist. "Thank you for telling me all this."

"Of course. I figured it was time you knew exactly who you were going to be marrying." Jackson smiles. "I better go make sure Fran isn't lifting those heavy bags of planting soil again."

I chuckle.

"If you don't watch yourself, she'll lift you up, too, just to prove to you that she isn't weak."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," he responds before leaving the room.

I look at my sleeping son and sigh once again.

"I guess your daddy really does love me, huh?" I move towards the mantle on the other side of the room and stare at one of Jarek's few pictures of himself. "I really love your daddy, too."

My phone pings from the nightstand with an incoming message. I reach over and grab it; a grin spreads across my face instantly when I see Jarek's name across the screen.

JAREK: Good morning, pauper. I hope you slept well.

ME: As well as I can without you here.

JAREK: I'll be home as soon as I can. I miss you. Hope you're being a good girl and not giving Jackson any trouble.

ME: I'm always good for others. It's you I like to be bad for…

JAREK: Pauper…

ME: Yes, Sir?

JAREK: Be prepared for when I get home. I love you.

ME: Do I have a choice?

JAREK: No.

ME: I didn't think so. I love you, too. Hurry home.

Ever since I talked with Jackson yesterday, I've been anxious to have Jarek back home. Hearing everything Jackson said has me in a whirlwind of emotions, and I need to tell Jarek how I feel about it. I won't do it over the phone, though.

A cry from the crib reaches my ears. I throw the covers off and climb out of bed. Walking to the crib, I pick Keirnan up to start our day. I must keep myself busy or go crazy waiting for Jarek to come home.

Zita comes over around lunchtime, wanting to have a girls' shopping day.

I'm not feeling up to going anywhere while Jarek isn't home, so I invite her to stay for lunch.

Of course, I call down to the cottage and invite Heidi and Fran up to the main house to join us.

It's so nice having my friends around to help keep my mind off Jarek being gone.

I've just laid Keirnan in the bassinet I brought out to the back patio with us, when Jackson's radio goes off. He's standing just inside the sliding screen door, so we can hear Seth's voice come through.

"Louie is dead! Lock down the house, now!" Seth orders with a trace of panic in his voice.

"Lily, inside now!" Jackson commands as he comes through the door.

"What's going on?" I ask as I scoop my son up from the bassinet.

"I don't know yet, but I need all of you to get into the house now!" Jackson states, leaving no room for argument.

The four of us women hurry into the house, and Jackson slams the door behind us. Jackson initiates the lockdown of the mansion, and I can hear the metal closures slowly coming down to block the windows and doors.

We're just coming down the hall when we see Seth racing toward us. "Get back, get back—"

He stops suddenly before dropping to his knees and falling forward. I scream when I see the blood spreading across his back. When I look up, Carlos Greco stands in the doorway to the foyer with a silencer in his hand.

"Seth!" Jackson calls out but moves to stand in front of me and my friends.

Another sound echoes through the hall, and I see Jackson's body jerk. He stumbles backward before falling to his knees .

"Jackson, no!" I scream.

Keirnan is already crying from the first time I screamed. I turn toward my friends and hand my son to Heidi. I don't need to tell her to keep him safe; I know she will do it.

Dropping to my knees, I check on Jackson.

Blood paints his shirt high on his chest, between his pec and his shoulder.

I'm not sure how dangerous it is, but I still remove my shirt and press it against his wound.

Luckily, I decided to wear a camisole under my shirt, not that I wouldn't have used it anyway.

"Don't die on me, Jackson! You're not allowed to!" I tell him.

"Move away from him, Miss Sumner, or my next bullet will be right between his eyes," Greco orders gruffly.

"Please, let me tend to him! He's in no state to fight you. I won't fight you—just let me try and staunch the bleeding!"

I've kept my eyes on Jackson so I don't see Greco move closer. It isn't until I feel a burn on my temple when something is pressed against it that I realize Greco's intent.

"Get the fuck away from him, puttana . Otherwise, I'm going to put a hole in this pretty little head of yours," Greco growls softly.

His command startles me. I stumble backward and land hard on my backside, then begin to slowly inch away on the floor.

"What do you want, Carlos? Jarek isn't here," I tell him.

"I know this. Why do you think we are?" Greco grins maniacally.

"We?" I ask, confused.

"Padre? Cosa fai qui?" Father? What are you doing here , Zita's question has me turning around.

Another older man now stands in the doorway where Greco had been standing. I look between Zita's troubled expression and the newcomer, who is now smiling at her.

Rossi.