Jackson (The Love Family Series Book 8) Read Online Free

Jackson kissed the side of her head. The scent of strawberries drifted to his nose. Only Scarlett could smell like fresh, sweet fruit after an accident. This was a test. It had to be. There was no other explanation for his predicament. He ran his hand over her hair. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll make it okay.”
    “She’s dead.” Scarlett’s words were garbled, but Jackson understood incoherent female cry-talk thanks to the teen years with Alexis. 
    “We’ll figure it out.” Jackson rubbed his hand down her arm, only stopping when he remembered the cuts from the windshield. “Are you hurting?”
    Scarlett leaned out of the embrace. Her red nose shined and her cheeks were tear-stained. She swiped at her tears. “I’ve got a crushing headache, and my body feels like it got run over by a truck.”
    “A taxi,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “Are you ready to tell me what happened, or would you rather rest first?”
    Scarlett sniffled and wiped her nose. She was a mess. Her wet hair stuck to her head, and her clothes were torn and ripped. He stilled his hands from checking her entire body. She needed protecting from everyone, including herself.
    Jackson walked into the bathroom and got a damp rag for her face. He knelt down in front of her and ran the rag over her cheeks and forehead before handing it to her.
    “Thanks.” She sniffled.
    Scarlett took the rag from him, wiped her face, and proceeded to tell him exactly what had happened.
    Jackson leaned back on his legs, speechless and clenching his teeth while listening to every sordid detail about how the notorious mob boss had ruined her story and lied about why he’d summoned her to meet, her connection to the Loves. His throat tightened as he processed her words. The mess that had almost killed Scarlett wasn’t hers. It was his and his family’s, all thanks to one of his old friends. How had that happened?
    “She gave you a key?”
    Scarlett nodded. “She said everything I needed to expose the truth was hidden in a locker.”
    Jackson shook his head. “Give me the key. You aren’t writing this story.”
    “What?” Her brows dipped. “Of course, I am. I have to.”
    “No.” Jackson rose to stand over her. “No, you’re not. We don’t even know who killed Rosie. What do you think they’re going to do to you when they find you?”
    Scarlett rose, standing toe-to-toe with Jackson. Her baby blue eyes narrowed, and her bottom lip stuck out. Adorable and sexy. At least the tears were gone. He could work with pissed off a hell of a lot better than scared.
    After everything she’d been through, she still wouldn’t convince him of any reason good enough to let her do the damn story. He’d seen this look before, on his stubborn sister. He steeled himself, ready to fight. 
    “If I don’t write this story, those men will never stop chasing me. She died trying to tell me what she knew. She died saving my life. I owe her.”
    “You don’t owe Rosie or Salvatore a damn thing, least of all your life, Scarlett. Be reasonable.”
    Her cheeks flushed as she stared at him with pain in her eyes.
    “Scar, you’ve been hit by a taxi for crying out loud. You’re in no condition to figure this out. Let me. I’ll take you back to the Island where you’ll be safe, and I’ll figure it out for you. I can deal with dangerous people.”
    “Salvatore and Rosie died trying to tell me this story. I have to do this.”
    “He’s a mob boss, and she’d lost her ever-lovin’ mind getting involved with only God knows what. The people who killed her won’t think twice about killing you.”
    Scarlett stepped around Jackson and headed toward the bathroom, after digging through the personal items in the hospital bag. She pulled out the orange locker key and clasped it between her fingers.
    “She could have left me to die, and I would have. I do owe her, and I’m going to figure this out, with or without your help. If you don’t want to stay, Jackson, just