9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

L ayla pulled the folder towards her and then looked back at the man. She didn't even know his name, but he'd offered her this baffling deal.

Brit was terrified. Her little sister was trying to act strong but she could see it. Their lives had changed for the worse tonight. Costas would still try to find them and use them. Going on the run was their only option.

But she had no money, and as small as it was, Brit's college fund was sacred. She couldn't dip into it if she had another option. And even if she did, it wouldn't take them far.

"Please sit down, Layla," the man said.

He was right. He was her only hope to save her sister. But would she give a child away to save another?

She sighed as she pulled a chair across from him and looked down at the folder again as she sat. The knife she had commandeered earlier was comforting in her pocket, but she sensed it wouldn't do much good here, or he wouldn't have let her keep it.

"How do you really know my name?" she asked.

Something told her this was more than him glancing at her name badge when she cleaned his room.

"I looked into you before I made the offer."

She tensed and met his gaze. What exactly had he looked into? Did he know about her father? Did he know all those sordid details she hoped to one day escape from? Was that the reason he had picked her? Because she was just a nobody from the wrong side of the tracks with no future?

The balcony was well-lit, so she could see that his reaction to her hadn't changed. He still looked cold and intimidating.

"Why me?" she asked.

Surely he had other options? The moment she had refused the first time, she'd assumed he'd gone to ask someone else. Why was he so persistent when he clearly didn't like her?

"Does it matter? I need your help, and you need mine."

"But having a baby is too big a commitment to make with a stranger. I don't even know your name."

Something she said must have surprised him because his brow lifted as he sat forward in his chair and held her gaze. He searched her eyes as if trying to judge if she was telling the truth. Was she supposed to know him? If he was a movie star like she had first guessed, he was out of luck - she had no time to keep up with such things.

"Jackson. Jackson King," he answered.

Didn't ring a bell.

"Okay, Jackson, Jackson King," she said with an eye roll. "Can you afford all this? How am I supposed to trust that I won't end up holding the baby?"

Her heart broke just thinking about this. It was crazy. How could she ever live a full life knowing someone she gave birth to was somewhere out there, wondering who their mum was? She had nothing against the women who were strong enough to be surrogates. They made many couples' lives complete by giving them this gift.

But her mother had ruined her whole life by abandoning her. That wasn't something she wished on another human being.

"Write down your bank account details."

"Why? I haven't agreed to anything yet."

Jackson didn't respond, he just pushed a pen towards her. He looked calm, but she could sense something in him, almost as if something was bubbling just under the surface of his cold exterior.

She sighed and did as she was told. When she pushed the folder back to him, Jackson pulled out his phone and quickly typed something in. Moments later, she heard her phone ping in her pocket. When she pulled it out, she saw a notification from her bank about a transfer that made her eyes bulge.

"A show of good faith," Jackson said, pulling her gaze from her phone. "I'll make equal monthly instalments until the end of our agreement when I'll deposit a lump sum. Though I'll be taking care of your sister, too, that money is there for you to use should anything unforeseen happen."

Was he that desperate for a child with his lover? Had they been trying for a long time to end up going this route? But he looked so young, somewhere in his mid-twenties. Why was he rushing into having a child when many men waited until they were older? Having a child was a huge responsibility. She loved her sister, but taking care of her was an experience she wasn't ready to repeat anytime soon.

Maybe he'd grown up alone and wanted a family of his own. Perhaps he lived in a place that still had prejudices against gay people. Her heart softened a little towards him, knowing he must have gone through some shit to get to this point. But they were talking about her giving up a child...

"Please read my offer, Layla," Jackson said, his voice low.

Though he was still cold and aloof, she sensed some desperation in his tone. She looked back at the folder for a moment before she flipped it open.

The first thing she saw was a cheque; this time, she almost had a heart attack. It was in her name and was for an amount she had never imagined she would ever earn in her life.

"The day my child is born, that will be all yours. But I will take care of all your needs until then. And I'll give your sister a bank card to use here while you settle in your new home."

Her eyes snapped from the cheque to Jackson.

"What? What new home?"

"Your sister must stay in this suite and finish her senior year. Her security will be on the same floor, and she will be driven anywhere she wants. You don't have to worry about her."

"Why do I have to leave her here?"

"As I said, I have my reasons. That's my offer. Take it or leave it," he answered.

And he didn't look like he cared that he was putting her in an impossible position. Leave Brit here with Costas looking for her? Trust strangers to keep her safe? Since their mother had left, she had never trusted anyone else to look after her sister.

"Or you can just take your chances out there. I assume you can't go home now, and the money I've transferred won't get you far. What will you do? Become homeless and take her out of school?"

"I can't just leave my sister. She needs me."

"You know that the best thing for her is to graduate and go to college. She'll have better options in the future. You can do that for her. I'm only asking for nine months of your life, and at the end of it all, your bank account will be healthy enough for you to buy a house or two somewhere away from here and a fresh start."

She looked down at the cheque again. Brit needed a lot of things for college. Clothes, books, and money to feed herself. She was actually considering this. Was she so easily bought?

Did this make her a terrible person? Choosing her sister over a baby she would carry?

"You can come and see her anytime you want. You won't be a prisoner, Layla. But I need you close to me so I can protect you."

His choice of words struck her as odd. Protect her from what?

"Read the rest of it."

She looked away from his probing gaze to look at the typed document under the cheque. It was everything he had promised, plus more. A lot more.

With the money he was promising, she wouldn't just take care of Brit. She could help her father, even though he didn't deserve it. And she could go back to school. She could finally graduate and get a degree. She could live the life she had always dreamed of.

But could she trust him? He could easily cancel the cheque before she cashed it, but for now, he was the only person keeping them from a life on the streets.

"Do we have a deal?"

She swallowed hard as she looked back up at him. She had no choice; that much was clear.

Blinking back her tears, she nodded at the handsome man. She would carry his baby to keep her sister safe.

"Good. We leave in an hour. Say your goodbyes to your sister," Jackson said as he stood up.

"So soon?"

She picked the folder up and followed him inside.

"One hour," Jackson repeated, walking past Britney without acknowledging her and heading out the door.

"What's going on?" Brit asked.

She put a smile on her face and walked to sit back next to her sister. What was she supposed to tell her? That she'd sold her soul for the chance to have a better life? Jackson should have given her more time.

"Well, Jackson has agreed to help us," she started. "You'll stay in this room, all expenses paid, and keep going to school while I... I'm going back to work for him."

Britney's mouth dropped open.

"Work? What kind of work?" she asked with alarm.

"No, no, not like that man who hurt Dad. Jackson is gay," she assured her sister. "I'll be cleaning for him and saving up."

The lie fell so easily out of her mouth.

"We'll be okay, Brit," she continued. "As long as you stay away from Dad, and make sure you have someone with you everywhere you go, you'll be okay until I... finish my work contract. I'll see you as often as I can."

She pulled Brit into her arms and blinked back her tears again. They would be fine. They wouldn't be separated forever. As long as Brit was safe, she could deal with anything else.

Even that annoying attraction to the obviously gay Jackson King.