Page 20 of Jack

"I will be in touch, Jason."Ignoring the man slicing her with his eyes, she went to him and tookhis hand. "It's going to be fine."

"Thank you," he whispered.Without looking at his dad, he fled, leaving them alone. The silencestretched taut, until she swore she could hear her nerves screaming.

"You're never to see my son again, isthat understood? If he comes to that bar of yours, I expect you tosend him packing immediately, or I am going to use my considerableinfluence and see to it that your liquor license is revoked."

Her chin lifted. Forcing herself not togive in to the fear coursing through her body, she fixed flashingeyes on his face. "Threats?" She mocked. "Is that thebest you can do? Do you think you can use your icy tone and colddemeanor to cower me the way you do your son?" She saw the angerigniting but could not stop herself. "That boy up there iscrying out for love. But I guess you're too busy making piles ofmoney to give him any sort of attention. He's fourteen and yes, hesneaked out to come to my bar, because he's no doubt surrounded bystaff, instead of having his father give him one iota of attention.He wanted someone to talk to other than the household staff that arepaid to pick up after him and I am more than willing to accommodatehim."

This time the silence stretched longer.Golden brown eyes clashed with now stormy gray ones. Before he couldrespond, the sound of the door opening had them turning towards it.

"Oh, there you are darling."Millicent caught just a glimpse of her son and not the woman standingin front of him. Slipping out of her coat, she placed it over herarm, before turning towards him. "I was wondering whosevehicle--" her voice died away when she saw Zuri and recognitionhit her immediately.

"Ms. Bennett." Fear had her eyesdarting from Zuri to her son. "Why are you here?"

"You know this person?"

Zuri could see the woman trying to come upwith some sort of explanation and had to admire her when she decidedto come clean. It was plain to see that this was a household that hada lot of tension hanging around and everyone seemed to be ill atease. And easier to deduce that the reason was the man standing infront of her, his expression one of formidable and indomitable power.

With a weary, resigned sigh, she nodded andconfessed that he had been at the bar before and she had to go andfetch him.

An ominous expression descended on Jack'sface as he stared at his mother. "You lied to me."

"I did, yes," she stretched out apleading hand which was ignored. "Darling, he needs you."

"I will deal with him in a fewminutes." His gaze swung to Zuri. "Leave us."

She bristled at the cold authority andlifted her chin. "You're most welcome. I took the time out fromserving drinks to bring your son home safely." She gave him acontemptuous look before continuing. "That kid needs a parentand it's time you start acting like one."

He started towards her, his stepspurposeful and it took a supreme amount of control to stay where shewas. As if realizing what he had been about to do, he stopped a fewinches away. His gray eyes flickered over her face, and she felt asif she had been incinerated.

"Get out," his voice was low asif he was holding onto his control by sheer will.

"Jack!"

Ignoring the desperate plea from hismother, Jack's eyes remained fixed on Zuri, his expression cold andunyielding. Zuri met his gaze with defiance, her heart pounding buther resolve unwavering. She did not flinch, not even when theintensity of his stare seemed to burn through her.

"Ms. Bennett," Millicent's voicewas a fragile whisper, breaking the tension that hung heavy in theair. "I apologize."

Zuri's lips curled into a slow, mockingsmile. "No need," she replied, her tone dripping withdisdain. "But know this, Mr. Hadley you can threaten, you canintimidate, but you cannot break me. And you cannot ignore the factthat your son needs you."

With that, she turned on her heel andwalked out, her steps light but sure, leaving behind a room filledwith silence and unresolved conflict.

With one last vicious look at his mother,he turned on his heel and walked away, heading straight for his den.

It shocked him to realize that his handswere shaking, and his heart was beating so hard, he could barely hearanything else. No one had ever spoken to him like that. And it wasthe first time he had ever lost control in that manner. He had wantedto strike her. Had felt his hands bunching into fists. He had neverstruck a woman before and had never believed in physical punishment.

Yes, he had gotten into fights when he wasgrowing up but had never laid a hand on a woman. But this –this creature – this woman dared to come into his home and tellhim that he was not doing his part as a parent. How dare she!

He was not accustomed to anyone talking tohim like that and it unnerved him to the point that he just stood inthe middle of the room, unhinged.

It was sheer luck that he had come backearlier. Instead of spending the entire weekend at the club, he haddecided to come on home. Which was a damn good thing.

Striding over to the cabinet, he touchedthe button and grabbed a bottle of aged scotch. Cursing liberally, hehad to take several deep breaths to get himself under control.Splashing the liquor into a squat glass, he was just about to down itwhen he felt her inside the doorway.

"You really don't want to have aconversation with me right now," he warned. His hands were stillshaking and the urge to wrap his fingers around that insolent andunforgivably rude woman's neck was still playing over and over in hishead.

"I want to explain--"

"That you lied to me about where thatboy was?" he turned to face her, eyes ripe with fury. "Thathe has been going to that place and you never said anything to me?"

---