Within the Shadows by J.D MCG (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

on the kitchen island. He placed his keys on the side and leaned opposite her.

'You know I meant it when I said you can stay here for as long as possible,' said Jacob.

'I know,' she smiled. 'Thank you, but I need to do this.'

She kissed him on the cheek before strolling off to her bedroom. Jacob began to feel upset. Why does she want to leave? Knowing he had an early start at the solicitor’s office in the morning, he decided to head to bed.

His bed felt cold and empty since he'd been sleeping in it alone. The hatred he had for Lily was still inside of him. He tried to replace the feelings he had with hatred and anger, but it was hard. He still loved her.

Then his mind wandered to earlier with him and Ally inside the briefing room. He had felt a connection to Ally since she joined the team. She feels the same way I do. Why did I walk away? he asked himself.

Jacob asked himself questions all night, keeping himself awake again.

Chapter 6

It was 9.15 am. Jacob, Adam and Kate were all sat inside their father’s solicitors office. John had split everything equally between the three of them. One thing that wasn't shared, was a letter to Jacob left by his father.

Jacob was intrigued but at the same time, worried about what he was going to find in that note. Adam and Kate glared at Jacob wanting him to open it. After the Will had been read, the three of them jumped back inside Adam's car.

'Well, are you going to open it?' Adam questioned him.

'I will when the time is right,' he replied, not taking his eyes off the envelope.

'But why did dad leave just you a letter?'

'I don't know,' replied Jacob. 'I'm worried about what's in this envelope.'

'Just open it then!' Adam shouted, wanting to know what it said.

'I don't know why you're so desperate for me to open this damn letter. It means nothing. Dad is gone and he's not coming back.'

'I know, but are you not a little curious about what he's written?' Adam asked.

'A little,' he replied. 'But I'm not ready.'

'Okay, brother. I'll stop pestering you.'

'Thank you.' He turned his head to face out the window.

Ten minutes passed before Adam pulled up outside Jacob's apartment. He jumped out without saying a word, his focus stayed upon the letter he possessed in his hands. Kate thanked her brother for the ride, before following Jacob back to the apartment. Why's he written me a letter? Why is it just for me? He kept asking himself.

Both Jacob and Kate entered the apartment to see Belle lifting a spoonful of cereal to her mouth before she stopped and realised she had an audience.

'How'd it go?' she asked.

'Jacob got a letter,' Kate answered before Jacob could, and opened the fridge to see what there was for her to eat.

'Everything went equally between the three of us,' he finally answered.

'So what's this letter?' Belle continued asking questions.

'I don't know. I haven't opened it.'

'What do you mean, you haven't opened it? Are you not a little bit curious as to why your father left only you a letter?'

Kate peeked her head around the fridge, 'He said he would when the time was right.'

'What harm is going to come from opening a letter from your father?' Belle put it simply.

'I think you're right,' he replied.

Jacob entered his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and sat on his bed. He took a few deep breaths before ripping into the envelope to retrieve the paper inside. Nerves flooded his body, creating a sick feeling inside his stomach. Jacob desperately wanted to know what his father had to say, but at the same time, he didn't want to know.

He pushed the paper back inside the envelope and removed his hand from inside. Now is not the time, he thought as he lifted himself off his bed. Jacob placed the envelope inside his bedside drawer.

As he left the bedroom, Kate and Belle stood watching him from the kitchen.

'Well?' Kate asked.

Belle's eyes were fixated on him, wanting to know, as well as Kate, what was written in the letter.

'I didn't read it,' he confessed.

'What?' Kate asked with a confused look on her face.

'I didn't read it,' he repeated. 'I couldn't bring myself to read it.'

'Then give it here, I'll read it to you.'

'No. I'll read it when I'm ready,' he started to raise his voice.

'Okay, calm down.'

'I just don't get why you and Adam are being so pushy about this bloody letter,' he shouted, losing himself.

Belle's eyes diverted downwards at her cereal, feeling awkward, while Kate glared at Jacob with an angry face. He grabbed his keys and his coat and left the apartment. Who do they think they are? Pressuring me like that. Work was the only thing that would be able to distract him from the letter.

Jacob arrived at the CID and perched at his desk. The rest of the team tapped away on their keyboards. Jacob pulled his drawer open on his desk, revealing to his eyes a bottle of whiskey he'd been keeping there since his father’s death. The office was far too busy for him to take a swig, despite his craving for it.

Shutting the drawer, he focused on his computer monitor, not realising another large envelope had been placed on the side of his desk. Minutes passed before he noticed it to his left. His heart sank, knowing the contents of the envelope would be more photos from one of their crime scenes, knowing that somebody had been watching them the entire time.

Once again, Jacob had his hands inside another envelope, ready to remove the contents. It was what he'd