When I was done I lifted her out of the tub and walked her through into my room.I remembered something that I'd thought of while I was watching her in that hospital bed, being thankful that I had the chance to see her again when I'd begun to think she might be gone from me forever."I'm taping our lovemaking sessions from now on." She looked at me curiously."Why?""Because when you were gone, I thought I would go mad for the sight of you. I'm never going to be without the sight or the sound or the taste of you ever again.""Jace...""No Sian, you don't understand, the fear, the fucking not knowing, never again." I thought I'd got this all out of my system but apparently not.I set up the camera as she watched before going back to the bed and her. "I love you, you have nothing to fear from this. I won't tape us each time we're together like this, but I need this."She nodded her assent and I nibbled on her ears and neck as I sought to distract her.It didn't take long to have
How could everything be going so wrong? I stormed around my room destroying everything in my path as I felt the first stirrings of fear.After my conversation with Jace I wasn't sure if he suspected or not, but how could I chance it?He'd sounded pretty amiable there at the end, so maybe I've bought myself some time, but how long? No, it wasn't in me to sit and wait for a noose to be tied around my neck.I knew I shouldn't have trusted that idiot with this. Grabbing my phone I called him. "Meet me down at the pier, fifteen minutes."I didn't wait for an answer just left the house and headed out in my car. I didn't want him coming here just in case someone was watching the house."And just who the hell would be watching the house Mandy? Don't go getting paranoid already, that's the surest way to fuck things up even more than they already were."If that idiot Kelly hadn't called me when she did I would never have known. I wonder how much the Saunders had paid to keep it so hush-hus
I hurried back to my car biting my perfectly manicured nails and fighting the urge to pee.I raced back to the house and slammed through the door at a run. Should I start packing? The thought broke me out in a cold sweat.I went to my secret stash and counted. Not enough; shit. I had a few fishes on the line, but only one was at the point or close to the point where I could reel him in.What if I miscalculated? I stood to lose a lot of dough if I moved too soon. But if I stayed and that idiot talked, then I would be spending a very long time behind bars. Orange is not my new anything but fucking orange and it does not go with my complexion.I made the call after doing my breathing exercise. This wasn't how I usually did things. Usually I had a more sophisticated scheme in place. But time was of the essence and I hadn't a minute to waste.I caught sight of myself in the mirror as I waited for the other line to pick up, and gave myself the luxury of taking a longer look.Damn it wa
Oh hell, what is she doing here? I'm not sure if I should hang around to find out, or get the hell out of here. My gut burned with the implications, but one wrong move now could prove disastrous if I were wrong.How had my life come to this? How had I fucked things up so royally? My feet felt leaden as I moved through the quiet stillness of the night. I heard a rustling sound coming from my left somewhere and hurried my steps.Hindsight is a son of a bitch; too little too late. I thought I could control the situation though, I mean she was just a kid after all. I'm a grown man, a man who suffered a great loss and went through a rough patch true, but I've always been sensible.I've never given in to the wiles of Hollywood, not until now anyway. The debauchery that was kept well hidden: the bed hopping and orgies that would make Caligula's look like a garden-variety tea party. I'd kept myself well above it all. But then something happened, something that I had no control over. I ne
"What the fuck was that?""That was a gunshot.""What the fuck?" I turned around to see my dad behind me."We need to get out of here son, because whatever that was can't be good.""What're you doing here?""I followed you of course. You didn't really think you were fooling me all those times you snuck out of the house did you? What kind of dad would I be if that were true?"He smirked as he herded me out of the shadows. "You have eyes on me still?""What do you think?""Dad…""Before you say anything, it's nothing intrusive son. I know you're a grown up now, so I do things accordingly. But I have to keep you safe, not only for your sake or mine, but for your mother's as well. Have you any idea what it would do to her if something was to happen to you?"I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but knowing him there was no point in arguing, so I shelved it for now. There were always ways around everything.We walked back to where he'd parked behind my car in the bushes. I looked
"I can't believe you lost yours without me." Belle pouted at me and looked affronted."Uh, I didn't know we were doing that." Leave it to her to get my mind off of what troubles me."You know what I mean, I thought we would do it like at the same time, but it looks like you're way ahead of me." She was fighting to hide her stupid grin like she's been doing for the past hour or so.I'd told her about my little escapade with Shane the day before because hey, she's my best friend and we're supposed to share. And also because, after the fact, I'm just a tad bit scared about what's going to happen to the rest of my life.A little melodramatic no doubt, but that's how my mind works. I think I consumed self-doubt in my mother's milk. After we'd done the deed and gone to the hospital to see Sian, he'd taken me home, or followed me home was more accurate.It had only taken that long for the glow to fade and worry to set in. It felt as though I'd achieved the ultimate goal and now there w
"So how's Sian doing? I tried calling her last night but she's not answering." This boy makes me jittery; I don't like being jittery, jittery is for pansy ass cheerleaders with shit for brains. Ever since he's been here I've been off my game and I'm thinking it's about time to take the power back. I just needed to figure some stuff out first.He makes me nervous the way he looks at me. He's the first guy who's ever really looked at me and saw me, but more than that, he acts as if he likes what he sees."She's good, she's with Jace, he's got her on lockdown; mom and dad were joking this morning that they can barely get by him. She should be back by Monday though so you girls can get back to whatever it is that you do."Does he have to look at me like that, like I'm under a microscope? Like he can read my every thought?"Why so antsy Red, do I make you nervous?" Of course he touched me then and I lost what little brains I had left. It was only his hand on my cheek, but it felt like
"Mom is that you, where did you go?" I snuck my head out my door as I heard her going by."I should be asking you that young lady, your dad and I were worried sick about you."I'm sure he was. I turned away so that she wouldn't see the look of bitter distaste that crossed my face at the mention of him.He'd made such a mess that I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to forgive him. After tonight though, things should go back to normal. I hope that after this my dad would've learned his lesson.I'll just keep my eyes on him from now on and make sure he didn't do this again. "I'm going to bed now mom." I turned into my room to escape."Wait, you didn't tell me where you went.""Oh, nowhere in particular, I just took a little ride over to Sian's to see how she's doing."I kept my face turned away still so she couldn't read my expression just in case she was feeling focused today."Oh how is she dear, better I hope?""Yes mom thanks, she's doing much better.""You know I suddenly fee
They looked around the room at each other until Logan nodded his head. I guess that was the go ahead because Mancini took point again."What we're about to share with you doesn't leave this room. We've come together along with some other friends that you didn't get to meet this time, to form a kind of group if you will.""Each of us serves a purpose in this group. It's also top secret, which you should understand." He looked at Track and I moved to stand in front of him. "It's okay Jace, he knows.""I'm not working for the government, no disrespect." I looked at the SEALs. The men in the room started to smile. I wasn't sure what the fuck they were, but it wasn't hard to tell that they were something. What with the compound that was more secure that the Pentagon."That's not who we are. What we propose, if we all agree is that you boys become part of our elite group. We'll fill you in on all the pertinent details a little later once you get on board. If not we can stop this lit
I just held her and let her get it out, knowing that she'd be right as rain in no time. "Come on baby, let's get you dried and dressed." I turned off the water and lifted her to take her out of the shower."Jace, do you ever regret marrying me?" I want to answer this shit for the one hundredth time. What is it with women? The guys were all complaining about the same thing, except for Alex who was always smiling these days, the fuck."Sian, just like I told you yesterday and the day before that, even if I live to be a hundred, I won't ever regret the best decision I ever made.""But we're so young." I rolled my eyes and dried her feet that she couldn't hardly see anymore. "Does that mean that you regret it because you're younger than I am?"That one always stumps her but she still asks the same damn question over and over. So I knew what was coming next. "But it's not the same for men.""That's not sexist or anything. I should start worrying as often as you ask me that. Maybe
Not scared like a punk, more like amazed at the shit these fucks can get up to. So when he so casually mentioned something that he should have no knowledge of, I got the sense there was much more left unsaid. I'm sure a man of his caliber wasn't just wasting his time on some kid that he didn't even know."I sense a catch.""No catch, I just think you're wasted on those fucknuts is all. Anytime you're ready give me a ring." He'd rang off after that but there was no mistaking the smile in his voice. I'm pretty sure he knew that I was going to look into him.And that was my reason for being hesitant about taking Jace with me. I'd got a glimpse of where those SEALs live and I have the feeling that shit would only give Jace ideas. He was already making noise about building a place like the one on the island where we all could live. The kid's a damn hippie at heart.***JACE***"Track wants us to go to Georgia to meet his sister. We're going this weekend if you're not too sick
I didn't feel shit when I put pressure on his neck. Everything was happening so fast. Sian was screaming, finally giving into the fear and Track was trying to talk me down."I told you not to touch her you fuck. Did you forget?" I tightened my arm around his neck, adding just the right amount of pressure and barely restrained myself from doing more "I'm going to break your fucking neck.""Jace no, let him go, he's not worth it." I ignored Track and twisted my arm quick, snapping Stanley's neck. "Call the cops.""Fuck Jace! What the fuck did I say?""Call the cops.""No, let me think let me clean this up. Shane, Alex bar the door make sure no one gets by..." I hadn't even heard the others rush in behind me. But turned to see them now with horror in their eyes. "He's not dead Track his neck's just broken. Call the cops." I dropped Stanley on the floor just as the men who were supposed to be watching the school came through the door."What took you guys so long?""He didn
For now, it was fine. For the next nine months I knew she was going to keep me on my toes. We had an appointment with the best Obstetrician of course, who'd been vetted to within an inch of her life before I agreed.I was trying to make it so that she only had to worry about school and giving birth, other than that I was there to pick up the slack. I had the fridge in our suite stocked with all the things she's been asking for lately and hoping for smooth sailing.I was getting used to waking up with her in the morning to hold her hair while she threw up. Then her horny ass would need a fix on the bathroom floor after a quick nap.Other than that, there was no sign that her tiny ass was even pregnant. Of course she's decided that she can get away with shit now, because I can't fix her ass, but I have other ways of keeping her ass in line.That Monday as soon as we'd reached the school yard the whispers started. It wasn't long before we heard the whole story of Mandy being dropp
Mom came down with a tray of something in her hands instead of letting one of the servants do it."Hey mom, how come you're doing this yourself?""I don't know. We didn't go to the shelter this year because we've invited everyone, so I guess I'm feeling a little bit guilty.""Didn't you donate all the food this year? I'm sure they don't mind us missing one year mom, we'll go for Xmas, and make everyone that's here today come with us.""Sounds good son. By the way, I'm going to let you off the hook for telling your dad before you told me.""Shit, mom...""It's okay, he explained. By the way her parents know so you two don't have to keep putting it off any longer.""How?""Veronica is a mother son. We both figured something was going on that day in the hospital.""Well, that's all good and well but Sian has decided she's never telling her dad. She doesn't want him to know she's having sex."Mom thought that shit was hilarious but the rest of my crew, except for Track,
With Mandy behind bars, all I needed was to find Stanley to tie her into the attack on Sian. I need that to put her away for the rest of her life.I'd been leaving clues and making anonymous phone calls to the cops for a while. Once I'd contacted the men she'd been extorting and told them the truth about her age, some of them were more than happy to come forward. The only ones that tried to hold out were the married ones. Some of them I let slide, like Cassie's dad. But the others I put the squeeze on.That's why I'd needed her phone and the stuff that she left behind when she got kicked out of her house. My team had already confiscated it all. That, along with the computer stick Liz had mailed me, were locked away in my safe. Everything except the phone which had been mailed to the cops. I was still protecting Carter, but I had to do it for Cassie's sake.The ones that did have sex with her when she was underage, their names had been handed over to the cops. There were going
I drove down the driveway slowly with the lights off. There was one light on in the house and I wasn't surprised that it was in Sian's room. I got out of the truck and looked around at the dark night.It would be so easy... But I couldn't do anything here, not where my girl's family slept. Instead I walked around back. How did she get in anyway? And how do I get in without alerting her to the fact that I was here. I wasn't left wondering long.The alarm hadn't been set because of the workers going back and forth, which was an oversight. No one expects to be robbed in this neighborhood, but still. I knew it wasn't on since the night I'd come back here for her medicine, but hadn't thought much of it. Missed that one.I walked up the stairs, being as quiet as I could and stepped into Sian's bedroom door. Mandy was sitting on the bed, the new bed that replaced the one that had been burned in the explosion."What are you doing here?" It was obvious what she was doing. The door to Si
I'd been so excited I'd forgotten to score some drugs. I hadn't seen a male anywhere in that stupid place anyway, that might've been willing to help me, so it was most likely a bust. I sat in the car and formulated my next move in my head. How can I get close enough to do what I have to do? There was no way to get onto the Saunders' property without being noticed.Unless...No they've had the same domestic staff for a while, they probably know each one on sight. How can I get there? I don't have anything suitable, anything that would disguise me until I got close enough. Close enough to destroy her, that bitch.I drove around for a while still no closer to a solution. Thanksgiving was in two days. Another thought hit me. It was something I'd learned about Jace and his family even before we dated. When he still used to act like I didn't exist. When I used to read anything I could get my hands on about the ultra-wealthy family. Yes, that would be perfect. I'd forgotten all abou