Jackson: Broken Hill Boys (Novella 2) Read online

  © 2020 Sheridan Anne.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Cover Design By: Sheridan Anne

  Photograph By: ArtOfPhotos

  Proofread By: Heather Fox

  Editing & Formatting By: Sheridan Anne

  Introduction

  Elle

  He’s the guy with the world against him and I’m the girl they all love to hate.

  Our reputations suck for two very different reasons and where he’s working to do something about it, I’m working to keep my head down and not draw attention to myself.

  Falling for Jackson would be a mistake.

  Falling for him would put me right back in the public eye, somewhere I swore I’d never be again.

  But what can I say? I’m a sucker for trouble.

  Jackson

  I wasn’t expecting to find a girl like Elle. She surprised me and without a doubt, she’s my end game.

  Long blonde hair and the softest, big, blue eyes; she’s what dreams are made of, but on the inside, there’s so much more. She’s hiding something – something she’s ashamed of.

  I need to know her more than I need to breathe, and one thing is for sure, I won’t stop until she’s mine.

  She thinks I’m trouble, and she’d be right, but maybe trouble is exactly what she needs.

  WARNING: The Broken Hill Boys Series is a Young Adult / New Adult Romance filled with LOL moments, teenage angst, and of course, all the swoon-worthy moments I know you’re all dying for.

  The Broken Hill Boys Series is made up of five Novellas, each approximately 30K words and written in Dual POV between the two main characters.

  This series is recommended for mature readers due to cursing and sexual content. If this offends you, then steer clear of this bad boy romance!

  For everyone else, dive in and have fun!

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Where to Next?

  Author Biography

  Other Series by Sheridan Anne

  Chapter 1

  Jackson

  The girl drops the handkerchief and I hit the gas, desperate not to let Nate Fucking Ryder make a fool of me once again.

  I’ve got this.

  Dust spits up behind my tires and my car jolts forward, sending me flying backward into my seat as the music drowns out the sound of the chanting crowd who have come to see if their king will finally be defeated.

  And that king? Yeah…it’s not me.

  Nate sits in his Camaro beside me, both of us increasing to speeds well beyond acceptable for a dirt track, but the fucker is talented. He knows exactly what he’s doing on this track. We’ve each raced it at least a hundred times and know it like the back of our hands, but tonight, this is different.

  We’re not racing to win despite what everyone might think. No, this is much bigger than that. Nate and I have been at war for two long fucking years and tonight, this is finally a chance to find our winner. Hell, this shit isn’t even about racing. Winner takes the fucking throne and the war can finally be over. I don’t know how I’ve let this bullshit go on so long, but here we are trying to settle this once and for all.

  I put everything out of my mind and focus on the track before me. Nothing else, just me, the road, and beating Nate Ryder.

  The first corner approaches and it’s a question of who will go first. The corner is only big enough for one and something tells me Nate will go to the ends of the earth to get around it before I do. Which generally, I’m down for the challenge, but forcing my way around that bend will surely result in needing a new paint job and unlike Nate, I don’t have the spare cash to throw at my car, not like these rich kids from Broken Hill do.

  Going against my better judgment, I back off and let Nate take the corner first. I don’t look across at him and I don’t doubt there’s a wicked grin on his face. I just gave him the upper hand and winning it back is not going to be easy, especially against a guy like him. Nate might be a douche, but he knows how to race.

  Nate sails around the corner in front of me with the back end of his Camaro spinning out and spitting up rocks and dirt at my windshield, making it nearly impossible to see the track before me. I keep going though. Nothing will dare stop me from winning the lead back.

  I fly around the corner behind him, keeping right on his six, only able to see where I’m going from Nate’s taillights. My back tires spin out just as Nate’s had and I do what I can to maintain control of my car. I can’t say I’ve ever done this track so fast before, and I’m not going to lie, it’s certainly a rush, especially with the eyes of every senior and junior from both Haven Falls and Broken Hill in the crowd.

  Nate exits the corner, pressing down on the gas and I take off after him. We have a slight straight coming up, though it’s not enough to get around him, but if I push my car hard enough, I could certainly catch him.

  I turn my music up, keeping myself in the zone. Nothing will stop me. I will beat Nate Ryder. I won’t dare back down.

  I repeat my mantra over and over again, keeping myself focused. I can’t lose. I won’t lose. It’s simply not an option. Besides, I was the one who challenged him to this race. How would I look if I come out second best? In fact, I’m a firm believer that there is no second best. There’s either winning or losing and losing isn’t in my nature.

  I keep right up on Nate’s ass, so fast that the dust spitting up from Nate’s car travels right under mine and comes out behind me making a huge cloud that follows us around the track. I spy the next corner approaching and I tighten my hold on my steering wheel. My knuckles turn white.

  I need to be careful here. Nate’s a good fucking driver, but driving behind someone at speeds like this isn’t for the faint-hearted. One small touch of his brake could have me slamming right into the back of him. This isn’t just about racing. This is about precision and that unknown has me holding back as we hit the second corner of the track.

  Just as he had the first, Nate sails around the corner with ease. His back tires slide around the dirt as he fights to keep control of the corner, but I hardly have a second to admire his skill as my car takes the corner just inches behind him.

  My car sails out, just as Nate’s had but I take the corner too wide and am forced to re-adjust. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I grunt as I work on keeping myself on the track. If I was going any slower, I could take the risk, but at this speed, my back tires are bound to hit the edge of the track which would have me slamming into a concrete barrier and surely spinning out.

  I’m down for a fucking challenge and love a bit of adrenaline, but I’m not suicidal.

  With Nate still exiting the corner, I have no other choice but to step on the gas and cut this corner short. I try to force myself on the inside of Nate’s Camaro, clenching my jaw as I fight for control, but this is not looking good.

  Nate fishtails as he finishes drifting around the corner, but the momentum from my fuck up has me jolting forward and slamming into the back of his car. “Shit,” I roar, trying to pull back, but it’s too fucking late, the damage has been done.

  N
ate’s car spins out of control and I watch in horror as it sails toward the edge of the track. We get hits like that all the time, but not at these speeds.

  My car sails past him but I keep my eyes trained on his ca.

  I’m hoping for the best, but my gut is telling me this isn’t going to end well, especially as the people around him begin running for their fucking lives.

  This spin is too wild. It’s uncontrollable and the only way to stop something like this quickly is by slamming into something else. The damage though…this could be devastating. This could be the difference between life and death, and this is on my fucking shoulders.

  It’s as though it’s all happening in slow motion. One minute he’s spinning, once, twice, three times, the next, his back tire hits a rock and sends his Camaro launching high into the air.

  I slam on my brake as I watch the horrendous sight before me. “No, no, no,” I yell. This is not fucking happening. Please, God, don’t tell me I just fucking killed Nate Ryder.

  The crowd falls into silence and I don’t doubt their hearts are racing just like mine.

  What the fuck have I done?

  My car skids across the dirt, finally coming to a stop meters away as Nate’s car flips for the third time before coming to a stop.

  There’s nothing but silence. The music from my car is still screaming at me, but I hear nothing.

  There’s a beat of disbelief before people begin running and I do what I can to get out of my car as fast as possible. I need to know I haven’t just killed Nate Ryder. I might fucking hate him, but I swear to God, I wanted a clean race. All I wanted was to prove that I was the best, and now I’ve fucking killed him.

  No. What have I done?

  “No, no, no, no,” is chanted through my head as I race toward the devastation, but I don’t get there. Hands pull at my arms as other bodies slam their way past me, forcing me away from Nate’s Camaro.

  I’m pulled back. What’s happening?

  I try to tear my arm free, but it’s impossible. I need to check on Nate. I need to know he’s alright.

  I need to know he’s alive.

  “Hey,” my sister’s voice comes cutting through into my unconscious mind, pulling me from the dream that seems to resurface every few nights. “Wake up, dickhead. You’re dreaming again.”

  Fuck. It’s just a dream, though that doesn’t change the fact that it really happened.

  My eyes peel open into the early morning and I scrunch up my face at the already open blinds that have the sunrise flowing brightly into my room. I wipe my hand over my face, nowhere near ready to wake up. “Ten more minutes,” I tell her.

  Kaylah grabs the pillow off my chest and nails me with it right in the stomach, making the breath escape me. “No. I can’t be late. We have to leave and I mean now, so get your lazy ass out of bed.”

  Now?

  I reach over and grab my phone off the charger before lighting up the screen. Fuck. “8:13? What the fuck, Kaylah. Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” I throw myself out of bed and grab a shirt before tearing it over my head and scrambling around for my jeans and keys.

  “I’m not your mother, asshole. You already have one of those. Besides, you’re eighteen. You’re old enough to set an alarm like everyone else and start taking responsibility for your actions.”

  Well, if that wasn’t a stab then I don’t know what is.

  I roll my eyes at my sister as I barge my way out of my bedroom and hurry into the bathroom to piss and brush my teeth. She’s been hating on me in a big way for over two months now and I don’t know how much longer I can take her attitude, though I’m trying. I kind of deserve this one.

  After taking care of business, I open the bathroom door to find Kaylah waiting impatiently with her arms crossed over her chest and an irritated look on her face. “Hurry up,” she snaps.

  “Jesus Christ, Kaylah. Give me two fucking minutes.”

  “I don’t have two minutes.”

  I ignore her before walking into the kitchen and searching through the cupboards for something to eat when Kaylah grows annoyed and tears off a banana from the bunch and slams it into my chest. She steals my car keys from my pocket and turns on her heel before stalking to the door. “Guess I’ll take myself.”

  My eyes bug out of my head. No way in hell.

  “Over my dead fucking body,” I seethe, racing after her. “I only just got that car.”

  Kaylah spins around with a glare. “That can be arranged.”

  I ignore her comments and tackle my keys out of her hand as mom scolds us from the living room. “Get the hell out of here. I’m not paying all those damn fees for you two idiots to be late.”

  Kaylah glares at me, more than ready to make the rest of my morning a living hell and I give in, grabbing my shoes from the front door. “Fine, but even the slightest bit of attitude from you and I’ll leave you on the side of the road and you can walk your ass to school.”

  Kaylah grins as though she’s won some sort of competition and strides out the door, knowing perfectly well that she’s done everything in her power to inconvenience me this morning. Don’t get me wrong, this is all a show to get payback for my big fuck up and prove just how pissed off she is.

  Usually, my sister is a fucking angel. I absolutely adore her, but she has a mean streak when she needs to and she knows exactly how to get what she wants, just like she’s doing right now. I miss the Kaylah from two months ago. The one who would make me breakfast in the morning and tell me all her secrets.

  I hurt her in a big way and I deserve her hostility. Had I known the outcome of my actions, I never would have done it, though that seems to be my motto lately. Kaylah is the most important thing in my world. She’s my baby sister and I love her with everything that I have, but I’m scared that this time, I pushed her too far. I fear that I won’t ever have the same, carefree, loving relationship that we once had.

  I need to fix this and I need to do it fast, but I can see that she’s not ready, not even close.

  Realizing I’m out of options, I follow her out the front door and drop down into my Charger, prepared and ready for the next twenty minutes of complete and utter silence while I silently die inside.

  Chapter 2

  Jackson

  The last few months have fucking sucked.

  After the accident with Nate, everything went to shit. How could I have known that was going to happen? If I did, there was no way I would have raced him that night, and what’s worse, the dickhead and his band of followers think I did it on purpose and haven’t given me even the slightest chance to prove my innocence. Though, it’s not like I’ve made it any easier for myself.

  I moved to Broken Hill High a little while before the accident, knowing it was a bad idea. Unfortunately, the football program here outweighs the one at Haven Falls by miles. I may have been the glorified quarterback there with colleges watching me, but I knew in the long run that Broken Hill High was my best option. So far in the grand scheme of things; I was right. But where it comes to the social aspect of being here; I couldn’t have fucked up more.

  Haven Falls Private has been at war with Broken Hill High for years, and me stepping foot onto their turf automatically made me an outcast. I proved myself in the first two weeks and worked my ass off on the football field, earning my position as the quarterback and the new golden boy of Broken Hill, but that didn’t extend to everyone.

  Over the past few months, I haven't been able to stop butting heads with Nate and his crew, making convincing them that I’m not the enemy a big fucking challenge.

  After the accident, they were certain that I’d done it on purpose. It didn’t help that Nate and I were constantly at each other’s throats before that and I’d publicly made a point of hitting on his girl.

  He was fine, by the way, so fine in fact that he made a point of making my life difficult.

  Following the accident came Josh Fucking Henderson. The bastard dropped me in it big time. Being in Nate’s position
comes with enemies and Josh Henderson is at the top of the list. He attacked Tora and got himself kicked off the team and out of the school which in turn opened the position for me to take. His vendetta against Nate and his friends drove him to jump Puck, and once Nate caught up with him, the opportunistic bastard claimed I’d paid him to do it.

  I’ll never forget that night, shit hit the fucking fan and it ended with a boom. The boom being my car of course, but it’s not like I could hold it against him. Nate warned me, an eye for an eye and he came through. He took my car from me just like I’d done to him.

  I tried to clear that one up a few times but in the end, Nate Ryder and his boys are going to believe what they want to believe. They’re the act first and listen later kind of guys and unfortunately for me, I was on the losing end of that one.

  I still don’t know if they ever figured out the truth, but to be honest, I don’t particularly care. Josh got his head kicked in by Nate and the second he was able to walk again, I gave a repeat performance. After all, the fucker cost me my car.

  Had it been anyone else who set fire to my car, I would have gone after them, but it was my actions that caused Nate to lose his beloved Camaro, so I took the loss and ever since then, I’ve been working my ass off to afford my new Charger.

  I pull up in the student parking lot of Broken Hill High and roll my eyes as my sister grabs her things and lets out an irritated huff at having to put up with me this early in the morning. God, I fucking love her, but she’s really been giving me a hard time since I messed up her friendship with her best friend, Henley.

  I did the unthinkable and slept with my sister’s best friend. To be fair though, while I did fuck things up in a big way, Kaylah is the one making it worse by not forgiving either of us. I can’t imagine what Henley is feeling right now, especially considering Kaylah and I transferred to Broken Hill only a few days after it happened. Henley must feel so alienated right now and to make matters worse, Kaylah has refused to speak to either of us. Though, she has no choice when it comes to me. We live in the same house and I’m making it impossible for her to ignore me.