The Hawke Family
Chapter one
Anger seethed through every part of his body. He stared at Uncle Jack. He’d said he had news, news that Jasper needed to hear. But his opening remark had been “It’s about your mother.”
Jaiden prided himself on his self control. Jasper wasn’t anything like his twin in that regard. When he felt something he let it show. Now, with fights clenched and teeth tight together, he growled “You have no place to talk about her, murderer.”
“But, Jasper”
“No, I don’t want to talk to you about my mother. Ever! I believe you killed her, If I can ever prove it, you’ll go to jail. If you wanted a conversation about this you should’ve called Jaiden”
“Jaiden wouldn’t answer. Just sent me to voicemail.”
“Well, now I’m going to send you to the door.” Jasper grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to the door.
“I’m leaving,” Jack pulled away. “But you need this info.”
“No!” Jasper yelled. “I need nothing from you!”
“But, Jasper, your-” he said as he exited the palatial mansion.
Jasper gave him a hard look and slammed the door
Sierra overheard the conversation from her position at the top of the stairs. She did it deliberately. Once U0nc0le Jack mentioned her mom she had halted her progress to the kitchen.
Slowly she navigated the stairs. Her condition didn’t allow her to climb stairs easily anymore, but she still insisted on her childhood room on the second floor.
She reached her brother and put a hand on his arm. She could feel his tension. He whirled on her, anger darting from his eyes.
“Did you listen?”
“Of course. It was about mother.”
“Nothing he says about mama has any bearing on right now. Unless he tells me where he buried her body.
Sierra pulled back. She hated seeing her brother like this. They all believed Uncle Jack had killed Jenna Hawke, but Jasper was the most antagonistic about it. She guessed it was becaose he had been so close to mother.
“What if it was?” She threw at him, a little anger building at his attitude. “You would never know because you wont listen to him.”
Jasper took a deep breath, ‘remember,’he told himself ‘She’s your baby sister and you love her.’ “Sis, if he was going to do that, he would just start with it. See he does this every few months lately. He knows I wont listen. Next time, I’m going to do like Jaiden does and send him to voicemail.”
“Why doesn’t he ever try to contact me? Or Jordon or Analise?”
“Jordon told him that he would kill him if he ever contact him again. Analise does Jaiden’s thing and sends him to voicemail. Father forbade him from ever talking to you about Mama.”
“That’s unfair. I should have the choice.”
“No, Uncle Jack is an evil man and you don’t need to be around him.”
“But I’m 25! It’s my life to choose.”
“Dad said no! So did Brynn.”
That made Sierra pause. Brynn was mama to her. She hadx been a part of her life since she was a year old. Just days after losing her mother. A short year later Alexander Hawke, patriarch of the Hawke clan, married Brynn. Against the objections of his two oldest children.
But Sierra loved and respecreted Brynn and wouldn’t go against her.
“Fine, for now. But this isn’t over.”
Jasper smiled, knowing he had won the argument “Yes, Sierra dear. Why are you down here anyway?”
“I needed to walk. Now I need rest. Help me back upstairs.”
Alex Hawke stood at the portrait window gazing at Stalbury Lake. The 15 room home he lived in was on top of Andren Hill. Brentbury wasn’t a large city, but it wasn’t a small town either. From his vantage point, he could see it all.
He often stood here and thought of her, wondering if he was being fair to his wife. Well either wife. He had loved Jenna so much. She had been his world. They did everything together. Had been sweethearts since 7th grade. She supported him in business and he supported her at home.
And her disappearance with their unborn baby had almost killed him. But hound him there. He’d had five children to pull it together for. The youngest a year old, the oldest nine. He’d hired Brynn to be their nanny.
Brynn walked in and found him there. She knew his thoughts were on Jenna. She didn’t mind sharing him with his dead wife most of the time, but lately he seemed almost obsessed with thoughts of her. “Penny for your thoughts” she said as she slid an arm around him.
He smiled down at her. She really was a beautiful woman, he thought. He hated being disloyal, even in his thoughts. Lately, he couldn’t help himself. “Jack say he has news about Jenna.”
She stiffened, “Are you going to talk to him?”
“No. Last time he had news it was to tell me he killed Jenna. I have nothing to say to him about her.”
“Jasper wouldn’t listen?”
He gave her a look. She knew it well. It was his ‘Did you think that through’ look.”Of course he didn’t. What about Jaiden?”
“No Jaiden is refusing to talk to him.”
“So you are dying of curiosity and don’t know what to do.”
‘Quiet, woman’ said the look he sent her.
Jaiden prided himself on his self control. Jasper wasn’t anything like his twin in that regard. When he felt something he let it show. Now, with fights clenched and teeth tight together, he growled “You have no place to talk about her, murderer.”
“But, Jasper”
“No, I don’t want to talk to you about my mother. Ever! I believe you killed her, If I can ever prove it, you’ll go to jail. If you wanted a conversation about this you should’ve called Jaiden”
“Jaiden wouldn’t answer. Just sent me to voicemail.”
“Well, now I’m going to send you to the door.” Jasper grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to the door.
“I’m leaving,” Jack pulled away. “But you need this info.”
“No!” Jasper yelled. “I need nothing from you!”
“But, Jasper, your-” he said as he exited the palatial mansion.
Jasper gave him a hard look and slammed the door
Sierra overheard the conversation from her position at the top of the stairs. She did it deliberately. Once U0nc0le Jack mentioned her mom she had halted her progress to the kitchen.
Slowly she navigated the stairs. Her condition didn’t allow her to climb stairs easily anymore, but she still insisted on her childhood room on the second floor.
She reached her brother and put a hand on his arm. She could feel his tension. He whirled on her, anger darting from his eyes.
“Did you listen?”
“Of course. It was about mother.”
“Nothing he says about mama has any bearing on right now. Unless he tells me where he buried her body.
Sierra pulled back. She hated seeing her brother like this. They all believed Uncle Jack had killed Jenna Hawke, but Jasper was the most antagonistic about it. She guessed it was becaose he had been so close to mother.
“What if it was?” She threw at him, a little anger building at his attitude. “You would never know because you wont listen to him.”
Jasper took a deep breath, ‘remember,’he told himself ‘She’s your baby sister and you love her.’ “Sis, if he was going to do that, he would just start with it. See he does this every few months lately. He knows I wont listen. Next time, I’m going to do like Jaiden does and send him to voicemail.”
“Why doesn’t he ever try to contact me? Or Jordon or Analise?”
“Jordon told him that he would kill him if he ever contact him again. Analise does Jaiden’s thing and sends him to voicemail. Father forbade him from ever talking to you about Mama.”
“That’s unfair. I should have the choice.”
“No, Uncle Jack is an evil man and you don’t need to be around him.”
“But I’m 25! It’s my life to choose.”
“Dad said no! So did Brynn.”
That made Sierra pause. Brynn was mama to her. She hadx been a part of her life since she was a year old. Just days after losing her mother. A short year later Alexander Hawke, patriarch of the Hawke clan, married Brynn. Against the objections of his two oldest children.
But Sierra loved and respecreted Brynn and wouldn’t go against her.
“Fine, for now. But this isn’t over.”
Jasper smiled, knowing he had won the argument “Yes, Sierra dear. Why are you down here anyway?”
“I needed to walk. Now I need rest. Help me back upstairs.”
Alex Hawke stood at the portrait window gazing at Stalbury Lake. The 15 room home he lived in was on top of Andren Hill. Brentbury wasn’t a large city, but it wasn’t a small town either. From his vantage point, he could see it all.
He often stood here and thought of her, wondering if he was being fair to his wife. Well either wife. He had loved Jenna so much. She had been his world. They did everything together. Had been sweethearts since 7th grade. She supported him in business and he supported her at home.
And her disappearance with their unborn baby had almost killed him. But hound him there. He’d had five children to pull it together for. The youngest a year old, the oldest nine. He’d hired Brynn to be their nanny.
Brynn walked in and found him there. She knew his thoughts were on Jenna. She didn’t mind sharing him with his dead wife most of the time, but lately he seemed almost obsessed with thoughts of her. “Penny for your thoughts” she said as she slid an arm around him.
He smiled down at her. She really was a beautiful woman, he thought. He hated being disloyal, even in his thoughts. Lately, he couldn’t help himself. “Jack say he has news about Jenna.”
She stiffened, “Are you going to talk to him?”
“No. Last time he had news it was to tell me he killed Jenna. I have nothing to say to him about her.”
“Jasper wouldn’t listen?”
He gave her a look. She knew it well. It was his ‘Did you think that through’ look.”Of course he didn’t. What about Jaiden?”
“No Jaiden is refusing to talk to him.”
“So you are dying of curiosity and don’t know what to do.”
‘Quiet, woman’ said the look he sent her.