Breaking Bedlam (Beautiful Bedlam Book 2) (6 page)

“I do remember you.” Sienna gasped remembering the tall handsome dark-skinned man always standing in the background and always slipping them hidden treats from the kitchen.

“How do you do, miss?” he smiled and bowed his head ever so slightly. This is so odd. ‘
I wonder if Kate felt like this when she visited Buckingham Palace for the first time?
’ she thought distractedly. Sienna suddenly felt overwhelmed and out of her depth.

“Er…well thank you.” She gulped.

“This man practically raised me. I owe a lot to him.” Logan smiled at him fondly.

“
He
raised you?
I
was the one who chased you around and changed your diapers! And let me tell you something you spewed out
all
the colors of the rainbow. You darn near gave me a heart attack!” a strong southern accent rang out from a large blond woman who appeared to be in her early fifties.

“Sienna, this is Molly she was my nanny. But we couldn’t get rid of her that easy somehow she learnt to pick the locks or something so now she’s the head of maintenance and staff in the mansion.” Logan explained, his tone jesting and warm. When she came closer Sienna could see that she had big blue eyes, big lips, big blond hair. Everything about Molly was large; she had a huge personality, a huge heart and big beaming smile.

“Well, aren’t you the prettiest doll I’ve ever seen?” she twanged as she took in Sienna glossy silken dark locks, bright green eyes and long slender legs that didn’t seem to ever end. “You’re as thin as a rake though. Don’t you eat girl?” she joked.

“Oh trust me, she eats.” Logan replied wide-eyed. He had seen her go through a box of pizza like ravaged raccoon rummaging through a dumpster.

“Shut up!” she laughed and lightly hit him on the arm.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Sienna said and tucked her hair behind her ear suddenly feeling nervous under their scrutiny.

“Its nice to meet you too sugar. Logan’s never had a girl over before for dinner. I didn’t even know you two were so serious?” she asked with a hand on her hip and a worried look on her face.

She could see from his lovesick expression that he was already completely besotted with this girl. The way his eyes fell on her as she spoke, the way his fingers lingered near hers itching to touch her and she knew for sure Logan was in love with her was the way he craved her attention when her glance turned away from him. Molly had raised this boy. She had seen him at his afterschool parties with girls laughing and joking and basically being a teenager. She had even seen the rough side of Logan, the side where barely anyone sees. She had seen him in his violent fits of rage; she had comforted him when he had caught his father sleeping with one of the maids. She had scolded him as he ‘self-medicated’ in his
sickness. She had seen him at his worst, but what worried her more was the way he looked at this girl. Like any mother, Molly felt a sharp stabbing sense of fear. She remembered how sweet first love was and how bitter and sour it could make a person after experiencing first heartbreak. After all the pain that Logan had gone through in his short life she hoped this Sienna would treat him well.

“What’s this? Everybody’s getting together and somebody forgot to invite me?” yet another voice called out from across the landing. This voice however was male and distinctively familiar.

“Jake!” Logan called out and gripped his older brother in a firm bear hug almost lifting him off the floor.

“Shit, you’re getting big bro. Makes me want to renew my gym membership.” Jake laughed as he stared at his baby brother’s bulging biceps. Jake wasn’t exactly a twig, he fell just short of six feet and had inherited his mom’s golden hair and baby blue eyes. The brothers in fact looked very little alike except for when they smiled. They both shared dazzling dimpled smiles and pearl white teeth.

“What are you doing here?” Logan asked confused. Jake was studying law at grad school and had an apartment in New York. He only ever visited during the holidays so visits like this were short and rare.

“What? I can’t come home and check in on my baby bro? I’m only here for a couple of days and besides somebody’s got to keep you grounded what with all the babes flocking to you in Hawaii. Yeah I heard all about that from-“ he instantly stopped talking as he saw the wide eyed slightly panicked expressions on everyone’s faces.

“Sienna! I didn’t even see you standing there! Look at you. If I had known you would turn in to such a stunner I’d have stuck around in Haven Falls a lot longer.” He joked and hugged her. “Easy there Casanova.” She joked back.
What babes in Hawaii?
Jake was actually really shy in comparison to Logan and only ever flirted with women he knew were off-limits. Sienna was like a kid sister to him.

“When mom told me you had a girl over for dinner I knew it would be Sienna. I called this years ago!” he announced happily.

“Alright let me give you the grand tour of the gardens.” Logan said and put his hand gently on the small of her back trying to get her away from his blabbermouth brother and try to salvage his relationship with her as fast as he could.

“So…Hawaii?” she asked as they walked down the long dwindling white staircase. “Trust me, it sounds a lot worse than it actually is.” He replied smoothly leaving it at that and turned his face to look at her. Logan had an excellent poker face. It was nearly impossible at times to tell whether he was lying or not. He had somehow perfected the art of dismissing all of his emotions from his face and looking beautifully innocent at the same time. Sienna didn’t know why she was surprised. Of course girls would flirt with him especially on a beach when he most probably had his shirt off. She looked at his chiseled cheekbones and jaw, his tall frame and broad shoulders and sighed softly. This came with the territory of dating someone who was so ridiculously attractive.

“I believe you.” She replied smiling at him and silently praying he was telling the truth. They wondered out through the back
gates and walked on fresh snowy fields talking about what seemed like simple things to some people but pivotal things to them. His ‘backyard’ if you could even call it that consisted of acres and acres of land that stretched on for miles covered in heavenly snow looking very much like the perfect winter wonderland or more specifically a Japanese garden in the winter overlooking the lake.

“So…Harvard? Pre-Law? Any thoughts?”

“Ah Sienna please don’t start again.”

“I just don’t get it. Why Harvard? Why do you have to become a lawyer? Your entire family is made up of lawyers. Your dad, your mom, your brother. Heck I’m willing to bet Lawson’s a damn lawyer!”

“He didn’t pass the bar exam.” Logan replied instantly and then smiled at the how ridiculous he and his family must appear to her.

“Okay, forget your parents, forget me, and forget everyone else. If you could do anything you wanted in life, what would you do?” she asked somberly.

“What do you want to do Logan?” she asked softly, her melodious voice was like music to his ears. No one ever asked him that. Instead people told him. His teachers waved Harvard in his face, his father boasted to his employees about his youngest being the best and brightest and following his ancestor’s traditions. It was the Jackson way or no way. And he was tired of it. It was time to break tradition, it was time to break the mold and be his own person.

“I want to act. Like really act. I want to star in movies. I want to be on set. I want to go to premieres and win awards and make lots of money. I want to have thousands of adoring fans. I want people to remember my name after I die and most of all I enjoy acting. Its fun and I want to earn money by doing what I love most in the world. That’s the honest truth.” He answered
frankly as he stared straight ahead at the fading sun. He felt Sienna’s head on his shoulder.

“I know its stupid. It’s just a fantasy. I’m sure everybody dreams of being rich and famous. It’s time to get real and face reality. The reality is that not everybody deserves to get their dream come true.” He sighed shocking himself. He had never been so frank and open with anyone before.

“Everybody deserves a dream come true, especially you. You just don’t know it. I know it sounds corny and clichéd but believe in yourself, I do.” She whispered.

“Talk to your dad.” She shivered and snuggled closer to Logan as a soft
winter breeze blew against them urging them to go inside. But they were far too content in each other’s private company to return to the mansion just yet.

“What about you, Oprah? What do you want to do? And if you say medicine one more time I’m literally going to throw you in to the damn pond, and let me tell you first hand that its
freezing
.” He wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on top of her lovely head, embracing her lovingly.

“I don’t know what I want. At least you have a dream. What kind of a person doesn’t have a dream? There was the time I wanted to be a writer, then a detective, then a lawyer, then a teacher, then an artist, a musician, and it goes on. Its because I’m so lost that I so easily went along with my parents’ wishes for me to become a doctor. The only time I’m swayed by the idea is when I watch Grey’s Anatomy, but real life’s not like that.” She sighed and felt him chuckle above her head. “Are you laughing?” she asked outraged.

“No.” he replied unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.
“You are laughing!” she gasped and hit his arm with all her force. He barely acknowledged the hit and continued to laugh.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I’m just laughing because your problem is that you have too many choices. You’re too good at a lot of things. You’re spoilt for choice. You’re great with numbers, you’re great
writer, and you’re a genius at art, music and science. I’m laughing because I don’t see how this is a problem. Its okay if you haven’t got it all figured out now.”

“I don’t think I’m even going to got to college. Money’s tight at the moment ever since dad died. He didn’t have any life insurance and even if he did I’m pretty sure suicide rules out any form of payment. My mom said she doesn’t want me to go college. She says she needs me at home.” she sighed at the bleak opportunities life gave her without education. Life without college seemed incomplete to her. Sienna was a reader, an explorer, a keen avid learner; college would be the best place for her.

“Don’t worry, everything will be okay. I promise.” He replied sincerely.

“Don’t make promises you can
’t keep.” She whispered to herself. She could hear faint shouting in the distance and turned to see Molly waving her arms in the air calling them in.

“Therapy session is over.” Logan chuckled and walked with his arm wrapped around her shoulder back to the mansion.

“Logan, there’s something else I discovered about… about my family yesterday…about myself.” She stuttered almost unable to utter the following words.

“I found out that Phil wasn’t my biological father.”

5.

If Logan was thrown he didn’t show it. He was calm and composed and didn’t interrupt her as she told him the events that led to her discovery.

“So all you know about your real father is that his name is Raj? Isn’t that an Indian name?” he asked surprised. This was becoming more and more bizarre. When he looked at her beautiful
light olive complexion she looked Colombian just like her mother.

“I don’t know.” She replied confused
ly. Their conversation abruptly ended as they entered the dining room. The room was dimly lit and had a long expensive dark wood dining table complete with candles and flowers and wineglasses and an array of different tiny forks and spoons. Everyone else was already seated.

“Sorry, we’re late. We got distracted.” Logan apologized and sat down. She took the seat next to him and almost jumped as she felt someone tucking her chair in for her as if she were an infant. She sat opposite a bored looking Jake whom looked as if he had just received a lecture. She looked over to the head of the table and figured that he probably had. Mr. Jackson was a tall handsome older version of Logan. He had the same dark eyes, his now crinkled with age at the corners. He had the same chiseled features and the legendary Jackson family smile and charm. He had dark hair flecked with silver. He must have been in his mid to late forties, but like most men he looked better with age. Sienna wondered if Logan would be the same. He donned an expensive tailored charcoal suit and a gold Rolex and exuded money and power.