Chapter 1

Fallon confronted her father, "I know you will probably be opposed to what we're about to say, but I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions. I have not been dependent on you for anything in a good number of years. I have decided that I am not going to marry Cole. I never loved him and never wanted to be with him that was always you and Sheldon's idea. I'm not even sure Cole ever really wanted a relationship with me."

"I see. Tell me were you capable of making your own decisions when you got involved with Steffen?"

Jesse had intended to hang back and allow Fallon to speak to her father first, but after that remark he had to comment. "Mr. Tremaine, that is hardly fair, she was just a kid then."

"Oh, and you think she is all grown up now. Jesse, you need to know her a little bit better before you make that assumption. She still has a habit of doing things without thinking it completely through."

"We didn't come here to argue with you Mr. Tremaine. We didn't have to come at all we could have just gone someplace and gotten married, but I wanted Fallon to have something better than that. We are trying to do the right thing here."

"So, Fallon, you have chosen to spend you life with Jesse here? You believe you are madly in love with him, is that it."

"That's right father, I have never really loved anyone until Jesse came along. You can throw Steffen in my face all you want, I know that was a mistake but Jesse is not."

"Of course, she knows all about you. Am I right Jesse?"

Jesse moved closer to Randall Tremaine and said as quietly as possible in the hope that Fallon would not hear. "I will tell her. Please let me do it my way so she understands. I was hoping that you would not be completely opposed to this."

"Jesse, you know how much I admire your work, you are probably the smartest person I have ever encountered. I would not be in the position I'm in today if not for the things you have done for me. That said, you really don't think I believe you are good enough to marry my daughter that I would have you for a son-in-law? Even if I thought you were anywhere near her equal having you for a son-in-law would ruin me. Can you imagine the fallout if it were known that Senator Randall Tremaine's daughter was married to a mercenary, a criminal?"

"Please tell me what you two are talking about. Mercenary, criminal, what does that even mean? Jesse, are you involved in something illegal? Did you know my father in the past before you came here to write your book?"

"Fallon, baby, we can discuss this later."

"I don't think I ever want to discuss it. Please, can we go now, I knew it was going to be a mistake trying to reason with my father. His only interest is in furthering his political goals, and he believes my marrying Cole will help him in that quest.

"My dear Fallon, there was never any book. It was all a lie to get close to you, to watch you and determine your relationship with Leland. Jesse, tell her now. Tell her everything or I will."

At that point Jesse knew how this would play out, that he was not going to win, and he was going to lose her. He probably always knew but just didn't want to face it. Once she was aware of what he was, what he had done she would hate him forever, but he had to be as honest as possible. "Yes, I've worked for your father in the past, numerous times. Actually I have been doing assignments for your father since I was 18 years old. I came to Seattle this time on an assignment for Cole. You have to understand, I did not know you when I first came into your home and Cole introduced me as his writer friend. Cole, with the recommendation of your father, hired me. It was not the kind of job that my organization usually does and I was opposed to it from the very beginning, but we accepted it because your father was such a good client. I got involved because your father always insists that I handle all of his assignments.

Cole was suspicious of your relationship with Leland, and he hired us to check out what was really going on between the two of you. I knew almost as soon as I met Leland that there was no chance that you were anything other than friends. I submitted my report to Cole immediately hoping he would drop the whole thing and I could get back to the compound and return to my usual duties. I was already beginning to have feelings for you and at the time that was the last thing I wanted or needed. Cole would not let it go. Even the close friendship you shared with Leland made him jealous"

Fallon was starting to panic. What was he telling her? She loved Jesse so much, almost from that first day, please let all of this be a dream, I can't lose him. "Father, make him stop; I don't want to hear any of this. Why are you making him tell me these things? Stop him now or I will leave this house and never come back."

"Don't be so dramatic. You will hear what he has to say and when you do you will understand why you can't possible marry him. You will actually thank me for stopping something that could be so destructive for all of us."

"It's ok Fallon, I should have been honest with you sooner, and maybe we could have avoided all of this. After I made my report to Cole, he wanted us to find a way to get rid of Leland. You were right when you believed his leaving was because of me, you were only wrong about the reason. Cole insisted it happen after he left for South America so you would not suspect him of any involvement. So I had to stay, and the longer I was here the more I fell under your spell until loving you had become an obsession for me. You were all I cared about. I was willing to give up everything I had ever known to be with you. I had never loved before, didn't even believe there was such an emotion until I met you. To that end, Fallon, you have to understand I can't lose you; I could not live without you at this point. I can change I can be anything you want me to be, just don't hate me; don't shut me out of your life. "

Fallon was having a difficult time absorbing it all. She understood that Jesse had lied to her, hell from what he was saying she couldn't even believe that he even cared about her. Jesse had done something awful to Leland. As much as she loved him she could not accept this. "You lied? How can I believe that you ever loved me, if you were even capable of love? What have you done to Lee? Oh my god is he still even alive? Oh please tell me you didn't hurt him."

"Leland is fine, I was very specific that my men do nothing to harm him or hurt him in any way. I even had them set him up with a job and some money to run on until he was in a position to take care of himself. I know how much he means to you. He was not even aware of my involvement."

She was screaming at him now, "You sent him away from me! He was my dearest friend, I shared everything with him. He loved you, how could you have done such a thing to him? You lied to me! My father says you are a criminal, what kind of criminal, a thief, a drug dealer, a killer? I'm sorry Jesse, as much as I loved you I can't be with you after this. I would never be able to trust you or believe anything you ever told me again. I can't even believe that you ever loved me."

Jesse caught the past tense when she said loved and it almost killed him. How could he manage without her? He had never known much happiness in his life, being raised at the compound was not conducive to happiness. Cara had stolen any kind of childhood he could have ever hoped to have. Fallon was the only good and decent thing in his life.

"Fallon, please give it some time, let's talk about this alone, and give me a better chance to explain. Of course I love you. You are the only thing I have ever loved or ever will. Please let's not do this to each other."

She was starting to get hysterical. She wanted this to all go away. She wanted to lie down and sleep so she could not feel the pain this was causing her. "You're a liar, you're a crook, and you took Leland away from me. There is no way that you are even capable of love your heart is cold and dead, you probably don't even have a heart. What you have done to me is much worse then what I suffered with Steffen it has hurt me so much more. Get out I don't want to look at you anymore. I'm going to Lilli's for the night. I won't stay in this house another minute. Father, if you had only said yes when we asked I would never have known all of this it would have been so much better at least I would be happy now instead I'll never be happy again. I never want to see either one of you again. Jesse, I want you out of my house before I get home tomorrow." With that she turned and ran out of the room.

"Well, Jesse, you heard her. It would be better if you left now."

Defeated he replied, "yes, the damage is done there is nothing more I can say. Be advised Mr. Tremaine Grayfox will never do business with you again. I will see to that.