Jack (The Family Simon 2)

“What the hell? You’re overreacting, Jack. Seriously, think about this.”

He interrupted her. “Trust me, I’ve done nothing but think about it since I woke up alone with nothing but your goddamn note.”

“Jack, I’m sorry about that. I just…at the time it seemed—“

“The easy way out?”

She had no answer for that so he continued. “Your note was pretty specific. Keep this under your hat, I think it said. You come with me or every news outlet will know we were there together.”

Huge eyes looked up at him. “This is a crazy idea,” she said, finally taking a step back. “The only way you’ll get me to Canada is to…to kidnap me.”

“I’m fine with that.”

Her eyes widened even more, her lower lip trembled, and it was a shaky hand that pushed a bunch of hair off her shoulder. “I won’t go. I can’t go. I’ve got…I’m supposed to be writing new material for my next CD and I’ve got more promo scheduled for Maverick’s indie movie.”

“Do whatever the hell you need to do, but you’re coming with me.”

“Why would you want me to go to Canada with you? Especially after what happened in Belize?”

“Afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands off me? Don’t worry about it, Donnie. The last time we fucked was the last time. What happened in Belize was a physical release. A convenient screw. Nothing more. It won’t happen again.”

She winced and smoothed the front of her skirt, chin jutted out as she gazed up at him. She’d recovered some of her fire and looked fierce. “Four and a half convenient screws? Wow. That says something. I’m just not exactly sure what that is.”

“The half doesn’t count, remember?”

She looked so damn angry that he was sure she was going to hit him. Her eyes were on fire—everything about her was vibrant and pulsing with life. And God help him, the fighting made him feel something he hadn’t in a long time. It was that something he should probably pay attention to, but right now, it was the last thing on his mind.

“Jesus Christ you make me crazy,” she said. “Let me get this straight. You want me to go with you to Gravenhurst for two, maybe three weeks.”

“Yeah.”

“Because you think you’ve got super sperm and I might be pregnant.”

“Partly.”

“And if I don’t go, you’ll leak Belize to the press.”

“Right again.”

“Why?”

His anger flared. “Why are you so damned determined to keep Belize a secret?”

“That’s what this is about? Your pride? You’re pissed off, because I don’t want the general public to know that I was with you?”

“No, Donovan,” he replied. “It’s about a hell of a lot more.”

She looked like she wanted to throw something. But underneath all of that he sensed her panic.

“I’m not going. That idea is so wrong on so many levels, I don’t even have the time to list them. If the press finds out—“

“The press will find out if you don’t come to Gravenhurst.” He watched her closely. Saw the fear return. And knew he was onto something. Her fear…that right there was his bargaining chip. And he wasn’t so sure what it said about his character, but he was gonna jump on that.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

There it was, that fear again.

Jack spoke slowly so there was no way Donovan would misunderstand. “I’m doing this because I can. Because contrary to what most of America thinks, I’m not a golden boy. I’m a bastard through and through. It’s what makes me a great businessman and an even better politician. I don’t like to lose, remember?”