Chapter 20

• Crystal's POV "Dear God, what happened to your head?" I glared at Julie from over the rim of my cup of coffee. "Good morning to you too," I muttered sarcastically. "Yeah yeah." She waved me off. "Seriously though, what happened to your head? That bump doesn't look pretty." I blew out a sigh and placed the coffee cup on the table next to me. Instead of staying inside the yacht with the human hurricane, I'd come outside and laid out on one of the lounge chairs, hoping for some peace and quiet. Julie was, unfortunately, not going to give it to me. She sat herself in the lounge chair next to me and waited expectantly for me to tell her. Turns out, I didn't have to. Because Jackson suddenly came strolling out onto the deck. He was wearing his usual suit, jacket unbuttoned, no tie, except this time he'd rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. And he'd changed his look yet again . . . to black hair and grey eyes. I was officially going to actually kill him this time. Julie looked in his direction after she noticed my glare had turned elsewhere. She took in the bruised jaw and split lip and just nodded. "I understand now," She said. "At least tell me you won." Jackson smiled and raised his glass of whatever fancy bourbon he deemed worthy enough to drink at eight in the morning. "Alas," He said to her. "she was unsuccessful in her quest." "Are you mocking me?" I questioned. He had the nerve to look surprised. I would have believed it to if it weren't for that wicked glint in his eyes. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." "The hair. The eye color." "You should be flattered," He said with a smile. "I've been told that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." "Only when it comes from anybody but you." That wicked glint appeared in his eyes again, but luckily before he had the chance to say whatever inappropriate comment was no doubt going to come out of his mouth, the door to the deck was pushed open and Agent North came walking out. Jackson's attention turned to him and he raised his glass in lieu of hello to Agent North. "Good morning," He said. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? A drink? A croissant?" "My head is killing me and where the hell is my gun?" Agent North growled instead of answering Jackson. Jackson didn't miss a beat. "A better attitude and some aspirin perhaps?" Agent North crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Jackson. "Where is my gun?" He repeated. Jackson took a sip of his drink. "Your guns-don't think I didn't find the other two you had on you-are enjoying their stay on my yacht far more than you are apparently." "Where?" Jackson shrugged. "The location seems to have escaped me at the moment." "It better come back to you real quick cause you're under arrest." Jackson took another sip of his drink, completely unbothered. "FBI has no jurisdiction outside the US. Also, your handcuffs were confiscated as well." He turned to look at me. "I can think of many uses for those, can't you?" I smiled sweetly at him. "Oh yes, perfect for actually cuffing you to the anchor." Agent North slapped a hand over his face and muttered something along the lines of, you can keep them. Agent North suddenly spun in a circle, taking in the dock and the city around us. "Where the hell are we?" "Italy," Jackson replied. Agent North shot Jackson a deadpan look. "I know that. But where? This is not the part of Italy we started in." Jackson set his drink down on the small table between me and Julie. "Not your concern," He replied. "Now you can feel free to disembark and enjoy the city or call your FBI friends and tell them what's transpired in the last twenty-four hours-it makes no difference to me-I'll be back in a few hours. Until I've returned, Noah is in charge-" Julie laughed. "-and feel free to try and locate your weapons. I'll even allow you to arrest me should you actually find them." "You expect us to sit around and wait for you do God knows what?" Agent North questioned. Jackson shrugged. "You are free to leave whenever you want Agent North, I'm not keeping you here against your will." Agent North crossed his arms over his chest. "Says the man who drugged me and locked her in a room," He said as he gestured to me. He then turned to look at me. "How are you okay with this?" "I'm not," I replied. "I'm being blackmailed. But I already took my anger out on him for locking me in a room last night and this morning I'm surprisingly calm." I picked up my coffee once more. "Give me five more minutes in his presence and that's likely to change." Agent North shook his head and then looked to Julie. "And what did he do to you?" She shook her head. "Nothing." "Nothing?" Agent North repeated skeptically. She shook her head again. "I'm here for Crystal and the adventure and I'm not stupid enough to provoke a conman on his yacht without coming up with a plan first." Agent North narrowed his eyes at her. "Did you just call me stupid?" Jackson was also looking at her, except he was looking at her suspiciously. "Should I be concerned that you are planning something?" Julie smiled innocently at Agent North before ignoring him and turning to Jackson. "I'd be more concerned that I'd take off with your yacht. I've never had the pleasure of steering one of these." Jackson shook his head. "Noah has full control of the yacht," He informed her. He then turned to me and held out his hand. "Now, let's get going." I stared at him blankly. "What makes you think I'm going with you?" He leaned in close to me. "A potential phone call I could or could not make to your father about your intentions makes me think you're coming with me." I clenched my teeth together before giving him a sarcastic smile. "Lead the way, Conniving Bastard." He looked way too smug. "As you wish, Manipulative Bitch." *** "We're here," Jackson said as he cut the engine and stepped out of the car. I followed suit and looked up at the large house in front of us. "Nice place," I muttered as I followed him up to the front door. "What exactly are we doing here?" He knocked and then took a step back. "If you'd been in a behaving mood yesterday-" "Do not start with me." "-then you'd have known that Noah located Martin." "Fantastic," I muttered sarcastically. "I can already feel the urge to kill you leaving. Wow, such great news." "Smartass," He said as he turned toward me and reached out. I'm assuming he was going to tap my nose in that annoying way of his, but I slapped his hand instead. So, he smiled at me in amusement. The door to the house opened but I was too busy glaring at Jackson to care. Jackson put on a charming smile. "Nice to you see you again," He said as he held out his hand. The man looked down at his hand with a frown. "Do I know you?" He questioned. Jackson pulled a picture out of his suit pocket and showed it to the man. "I looked like this the last time you saw me." The man let out an answering groan. "God, what do you want? Thirteen is not here." "I'm aware of that," Jackson replied. "Next time you see her, tell her I miss her." "That's not happening," "What happened to you?" Jackson questioned as he pointed to the sling around the man's arm. "Long story." He replied. "Why are you here?" "Long story," Jackson responded and the man glared at him before turning to look at me with a frown. "Don't I know you?" He questioned me. I wasn't feeling all that friendly, and that combined with Jackson's presence as well as the fact that I was now being reminded once again of what I'd had, caused me to glare at the man. "Probably," I snapped and turned back to Jackson who was looking rather pleased with himself. "Crystal Carver," The man finally said but the way he said suggested he knew me, not that he knew of me. I turned back to his with a frown and looked him up and down, only just realizing that he was indeed familiar to me. I narrowed my eyes at him as I racked my brain trying to remember where I'd seen him before. "You don't remember me? He questioned before placing a hand over his heart as if I'd mortally wounded him. "I'm hurt." Realization suddenly dawned on me. "Zack Martin," I said and I couldn't help but smile. "Been a long time." He nodded his agreement. "I like the hair," He said to me. "Suits you better." He jerked his head in Jackson's direction. "What are you doing hanging around with this guy?" I shrugged. "It's not my choice." Jackson looked between the two of us in confusion. "You two know each other?" He questioned. I nodded. "We used to be neighbors until, what was it? Five years ago now?" Zack nodded as he leaned against the doorframe. "Something close to that. You and your family moved away shortly before mine did." I nodded and smiled at him. "How is your family? Your parents? Your mom made the best cookies. At least, she did the few times my mom actually allowed me to go over." Zack ducked his head and looked down at the floor before shaking his head. "She passed away," He told me. "That was the whole reason we moved." "I'm so sorry," I told him. "I had no idea." He shrugged. "Yeah well, it was a long time ago, and it wasn't like you and I ever kept in touch." "Still," I said. "I'm sorry I brought it up." He shrugged again. "You had no way of knowing." He looked between Jackson and I. "So, why exactly are you here?" "Are you going to invite us inside?" Jackson asked. "I'll invite Crystal inside," Zack said. "Not quite sure I want you snooping around." "I have a business proposition for you," Jackson said. "I think you'll find it promising." "How illegal is this business proposition?" "Since when do you care?" "Do you remember what I now do for a living?" "Yes," Jackson responded. "I'm not seeing the problem. I frowned and looked at Zack. "What do you do for a living?" "If he told you," Jackson said he leaned conspiratorially toward me. "he'd have to kill you." Zack let out a sigh. "I'm not going to be breaking the law to help you." "Why not? You have a free pass to do that whenever you want and get away with it." "That's not the point." I held up my hands and stepped between the two of them before they could continue on with their arguing. "We don't need you to do anything illegal-" "Yet." I glared at Jackson for his interruption. "We just need information," I told Zack. "Information on what?" "A man by the name of Kurt Branson," I told him. He frowned at me. "Why are you looking for Kurt?" "You know him?" "I mean yeah," He said. "My dad did business with him a lot and he was hired to be a bodyguard for me a few times when I was younger. But I haven't spoken to him since my father went to prison." "Can you help us find him?" I asked him. He shrugged. "I might be able to find him, but why on earth do you want to?" I glared at Jackson before smiling at Zack. "The sooner we find him, the sooner I ditch the Conniving Bastard."