by T. L Smith
“You killed her though, right? You told me that,” she questions me.
But my eyes become heavy, and I pass out.
25
Isadora
“So, you’re like a slut?” Ace says as I walk into the mansion after Jasper had fallen asleep a few hours ago.
I turn to face him. “What?”
“You like to fuck, right?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” I ask, confused and maybe a little taken aback.
“Doesn’t that make you a slut?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake, I wave him off and flip him the finger. Opening the fridge, Carter walks up and takes a seat next to Ace. Looking down, I see their hands and the small tattoo that I’ve come to loathe over the years, the one I was trained to kill for.
“How was it… killing them?” Ace questions then shovels food into his face. “I mean, I would like to know. I know Mack was an asshole.” He turns, looks to Carter. “Sorry, bro.” Then, he faces me again.
“Where’s the eggs?” I ask, not answering.
“Maybe you and he will have fucked-up babies together,” Ace continues. “Your uncle is fucked, you know. Wanting to kill his own family so he can take their business, and have money to hold on to the girl. The girl who didn’t even fucking want him.” He chuckles to himself. “Men go crazy for special pussy.”
“Will you… Shut. The. Fuck. Up,” I say, turning around.
“I bet you were a real momma and daddy’s girl, too.”
“Remember that knife in your hand? Want another one?” I ask him looking down at his bandaged hand. “Because right now, I would have no hesitation in jamming that knife right into the same hole.”
“Please, you caught me off guard. I wouldn’t allow you to do that again.”
“Who do you care for most in this world, Ace? Is it yourself?”
“Why? Do you want to kill them, too?”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
“Well, that would be Jasper. So go at it. Kill him, and see how far you get.”
“Why?” I ask him.
“Why, what?”
“Why is he the one?”
Ace places his cup on the table and turns to Carter before he looks back to me.
“Jasper’s earned our respect. Not just because he’s our leader, but because of who he is and what he has been through. You will not find another man as ruthless and as cunning as Jasper in your life. It’s him you want at your side in life. It’s him you want at your side when you’re on your death bed. We were raised to treat our boss with respect, and his word is law. As some have a god, we have Jasper. He is our religion and we will abide by his scripture,” Ace says proudly.
“What if you fall in love?”
“Love is second in our world, our world is first. It was the same for our parents, and their parents before them.”
“So, like someone who’s been brainwashed their whole life, it’s like that?” I ask them raising an eyebrow.
Ace leans forward while Carter smirks. “Like you, you mean? By that crazy uncle of yours? Jasper doesn’t kill without reason. I can tell you there is always a reason. It’s why in the last forty years we’re the richest and most successful men in the business.”
“What about the sacrifices you have to take and make to get there?”
They both shrug.
“If boss deems it necessary, it’s done. No questions. No lies.”
“You really do love him.”
They both nod.
I look to Carter. “More than your own brother?”
He nods. “More so, if you had killed him instead,” he shakes his head. “You wouldn’t be standing here now, would you?”
“He was a bad man,” I say, remembering him.
“That’s why Jasper kept him here, so he couldn’t cause trouble.”
I look down, feeling terrible for all the things I’ve done. I shouldn’t have done them. But the evidence was there. Or so I thought. The evidence was me. I saw it happen, I just didn’t know the circumstances behind it. I wish I had because things would be different right now. My emotions wouldn’t be all over the place trying to process the lies and separate them from the truth. It’s hard when someone you love your whole life tells you one thing and you find out another. I know who I believe—Jasper—but if I could choose it would be my uncle. If the circumstances were different that is. But they aren’t, and he is a liar and he manipulated me to get what he wanted—his revenge. I was just a pawn in his story. Granted, I would like to kill the person responsible for taking my parents from me, but someone already did that.
Jasper, killed his own father, pity he didn’t do it sooner. Perhaps before that afternoon when he walked into my parents’ shop and shot them dead without a care in the world.
I start making some breakfast for Jasper, ignoring the boys as they whisper to themselves. Just before I go to leave, Carter stops me.
“You should leave, you know. Make it easier.” I ignore his words of warning and keep walking.
When I step out to Jasper’s house he’s awake and sitting up in his bed watching me as I walk in the door. “I need to get up.”
I put the tray down and go to help him, but he waves me off and stands by himself. “My legs aren’t injured,” he spits, walking over to the table.
I step away from him.
Jasper sits at the table, looks down to the food, then back to me. “You should go.”
“But…” I have nothing to say.
“Go, Isadora. Now.”
Turning around, I grab my jacket, pulling it on. I walk to the door, stop and wait, hoping he doesn’t want me to go, but he doesn’t look my way again.
I leave and he doesn’t stop me.
My place is clean, Gabe’s blood is nowhere to be found. How that’s even possible I don’t know. The place is exactly as I left it, even down to the clothes I wore before I left sitting on my bed. I walk over to grab the burner phone I have stored in the drawer for when I have to speak to my uncle, and find it has several missed calls registering on the screen.
Calling him, he answers on the first ring. “I knew you’d come to your senses,” he says. “Issy?”
“I can’t believe you,” I say, tears falling from my eyes. “You did it all for her, all of it. You killed my parents for her.”
He’s silent, and that’s all the answer I need.
“What? Cat got your tongue?”
“You don’t understand. Don’t let him brainwash you, Issy.”
“That was your job, right?” I laugh, shaking my head and swiping at the tears. “You did that all by yourself.”
“No. No, I didn’t.”
“So, you’re saying you didn’t have her arrange to kill my family and myself, so you could take the business?”
He goes silent.
Again.
And I know the next words that will come from his mouth are a lie. “No, I didn’t.”
I collapse on my bed, close my eyes, and hang up the phone. I need to get out of here. I need to leave.
After packing my things I slide into my car and drive to Sharon’s. I owe her for helping me out when she didn’t have to.
Knocking on her door, not long passes and she opens it. Appearing startled to see me, she quickly glances past me to make sure no one else is there before she opens it, fully letting me inside.
“I’m not here to stay.”
“I would hope not.” She crosses her hands over her chest. “I don’t need that in my life, Issy. Those men, I don’t want them anywhere near Bella or me.”
I hold up my hands. “I get it. I absolutely do.” Reaching in my pocket, I pull out some cash and hand it to her. She looks at it, but doesn’t take it. “For you, as a thank you.”
“No. I don’t want your money.”
“I owe you for letting me stay, and for putting you in danger.”
She shakes her head. “No, you don’t. Keep your money. Bella and I are doing fine by ourselves. Thank
you.”
“Can I ask? Where are your parents?”
She laughs. “Around.”
Well, okay, didn’t expect that answer.
“Look, Issy, I hope you sort out whatever it is you’re running from. But I’m going to have to ask you to leave in case they come looking for you. I don’t want that near my house ever again.”
I nod. “I just wanted to thank you. You didn’t have to do what you did. And I was hoping this money will help you and Bella.” I offer her the money again and she shakes her head.
“I don’t want it, Issy, and honestly, I’m glad I was able to help.”
There’s a loud knock on the door and she walks out to open it. “Issy,” she calls, and when I walk to the door Ace is standing there.
“Time for you to come home, pink.”
“I’ve only been gone a few hours,” I complain.
He shrugs. “Boss’ orders.”
“Issy,” Sharon says, turning to me. “You have to go, and don’t come back. Please.” I nod, walking past and leaving the cash on the counter by the door as I go.
The minute I’m out the front, Sharon shuts the door, and Ace chuckles. “She ain’t fond of us, now is she?”
“No, you scare her. She has a little girl.”
He nods. “I know.”
I climb into his car and see Carter’s already in the one I took from their house, starting it up, and pulling out onto the road.
“That changed him, you know? What happened to your parents… it changed him.”
“I didn’t know.”
“He spoke of you as a child and how scared you were, and how evil his father was.”
“You were there when he killed him?”
He shrugs. “Yes, I wasn’t in the room. But I was in that mansion. He came down with a look on his face like he realized what he’d just done was about to change everything. And it did. The men whom were before us had no qualms about raping and murdering when they wanted. They simply didn’t care about anything. Jasper can kill, don’t get me wrong. But he does it for the business’ sake, and to keep people in line. It’s why he’s succeeded for so long. Why he’s stayed at the top with no one threatening to take him down or remove him from power. All of his men respect and honor him both as a person and a boss.”
We stay quiet for the rest of the drive. When we arrive at the mansion, I walk in the door and over to the ten men who are here, who are mostly standing with only a few sitting. I look back to Ace, but he doesn’t give me any explanation, he simply nods his head to the door leading to the kitchen where we were this morning.
I spot Jasper first. All the men are now standing as I step inside. Two men are speaking closer to Jasper and are whispering in his ear as he looks up at me. He looks fresh, clean, as if he wasn’t just shot.
He stands, his hands dropping to his sides as he looks me over. I’ve changed, because I didn’t think I’d be coming back here again.
“Isadora,” he says my name and I melt just a little. “Follow me.” He starts walking, and I take tentative steps following until we reach a door. He pulls out a key, opens it, and steps down the stairs. I look down, confused, and wonder what’s going on. “Isadora.” I’m hesitant, but I take the first step, following him. Each step creeks under my feet until a bright light comes on, and Jasper’s standing at the bottom of the steps with his hand outstretched waiting for me.
Stepping into him, he takes my hand in his and squeezes tightly.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, confused by this situation I now find myself in.
“I think I love you, Isadora. Tell me… how does that make you feel?”
I’m shocked by his words. “Quite simply… scared,” I tell him the truth. Everything I wanted and worked toward no longer exists. I no longer know what I want in this life.
He nods. “Good. Now you can feel what I’ve been feeling. I don’t like it. I don’t even know you. Only what you show me, and that’s been limited. But now I want you to know me, Isadora.” He steps away, his hand staying in mine as he pulls me, and I follow until we reach a solid door. His eyes stare back at me before he reaches for another key, placing it into the lock and turning it with a heavy click. When he turns the key, all I can hear is a loud noise and I go to take a step back, but Jasper keeps a firm hold on my hand.
“What’s in there?”
He turns back to look at me. “The other woman I loved.”
What the fuck! My heart starts beating erratically as he pulls me in, and I look to where his eyes are pointed. A woman with dull brown hair sits on a bed, her eyes lost as she looks up to the ceiling which is covered in glowing light stars which have been stuck to the ceiling.
“Who is that?”
When she turns at the sound of my voice, she smiles. It’s a beautiful, but scary smile.
And I know exactly who this is.
His mother.
“You told me you killed her.” I turn to face him with my eyes wide in shock.
“I did. In all the ways that matter to her.” He turns, walking in, stepping next to his mother and leaning down to whisper in her ear. Her eyes find mine and she smiles. “She’s sick. Schizophrenia is the diagnosis.”
“And you keep her locked down here?” I ask, looking around.
It appears like she has everything she needs—toilet, shower—just no interaction with people.
“He does keep me locked up. Isn’t he an evil little spawn. I knew he was evil the minute I laid eyes on him.” His mother touches his face, her nails drawing a line down his cheek. “See this…” her finger touches the scar on his lip, “… he was naughty one day, so he had to be punished.”
“She did that to you?” I ask, shocked.
“I did a lot of things, but this…” she drags her finger along it once more, “… was nothing in comparison.” Then she touches his face once more, then drops her hand to her side.
“Does anyone else know?” I ask.
“Yes, the boys all know. No one else, though.”
“So, they play along with you killing her?”
“They do what I say, when will you learn this?”
I turn to look at his mother, who rolls her eyes at his words. “Just like his father, that one. I loved that man, did you know? Jasper, though, he was a mistake. A big mistake. Needed to get rid of him. Should have gotten rid of him.” She smacks his chest and he winces.
Shit, his wound.
“Are you okay?” I ask, stepping up to him. I look at his shoulder, but he turns so I can’t see.
“Oh, so you care for this spawn.” She maniacally laughs. “You are one silly woman.” She rolls her eyes.
Ignoring her I ask, “Why? Why did you keep her alive?” It makes no sense to me.
“I love her. She’s my mother. I will always love her. I told you.” Jasper gives her some pills and she takes them, then pokes her tongue out at him after she’s done. It’s obviously a routine they have in place.
“I’m sorry,” I say while shaking my head.
“Momma,” he asks, dropping his head to her level. “Tell me about Max.”
26
Jasper
Isadora looks to me. “Will she even remember him?” she asks.
“I don’t know, only one way to find out.”
“Momma, Max.”
Momma scrunches up her nose. “That awful little man… he wanted me to kill his family, so he could be rich and make me happy. What a silly man. Money doesn’t make me happy. Hell no. Power does.” She cackles then looks to Isadora. “You want my boy because of his power, right?”
“No,” Isadora answers without hesitation.
“Max wanted that little girl dead as much as I wanted you dead. It’s funny, right?” She throws her head back and laughs, then lies back on her single bed. I get up knowing she’s done for the day, and reach for Isadora, taking her back up the stairs and away from her. When I turn to lock the door so no one can go down there, Isadora’s standing behind me, her hands by
her side, her green eyes lost in thought.
“I’m sorry.” She covers her mouth as tears start welling in her eyes. “I’m so fucking sorry.” She shakes her head as Carter walks into the room. Her having sympathy for me, is something I have never experienced. No one’s cared that deeply for me before that they’d cry because of my situation. Not with the conviction she does. Carter stays behind her and she doesn’t notice him because her eyes are now covered by her hands as she tries to wipe away the tears, but he nods his head and walks back out. I step up, placing my hand on her shoulder, a pain shoots through my chest but I don’t let it show. I’ve never had to comfort someone before, and I really don’t know how. My mother never needed it, and my father didn’t show any sort of affection.
“Isadora.”
She continues to sob, but a hiccup leaves her as she does. “I… I killed y-your m-men. Your men. Because of h-him,” she stutters out.
“People die, Isadora. It’s our way of life.”
She looks up, her eyes red and swollen. “How c-can you say t-that?” She shakes her head and composes herself. “If I could bring my parents back, I would. It damn near killed me to lose them.”
“And Max knew that, and that’s what he used.” I pull her to me and try not to make a sound when she lays her head on my chest over my wound.
“I’d understand, you know, if you want me dead.”
“I thought about that, even tried to do it,” I say smiling while running my fingers through her soft, sensuous hair. “It seems I can’t do it. And it seems, I won’t let anyone else do it either.”
“We have issues,” she says through a laugh which is forced, before she pulls her head back. “Oh my God, you’re bleeding.” Her hands touch my shirt buttons and she pulls at it trying to open them to see where.
“It’s fine, Isadora.”
She shakes her head. “It’s not. It’s really not. He wanted you dead, and he’s a perfect shot usually.”
Reaching for her hand, I take it in mine. “I plan to kill him. You know that, right?”