Playette

by T. L Smith

  “Yes. Yes, I do.” She nods. “He lied to me, all my life.”

  “He loved my mother, and I can understand why.”

  She looks up at me with those lost eyes. “My feelings for you are scrambled, Jasper. I don’t know what I feel, but more importantly, after all these years, is how to feel.”

  I nod. I get it. Doesn’t mean I don’t understand what I feel. It took me a while, but I know exactly how I feel about Isadora. “Let’s go to bed, I need some rest.”

  “I was leaving.” She pulls back from me, her hands cross over her chest as she rubs them.

  “Where do you intend to go?”

  She shrugs. “Away from this shitty town… just somewhere else.”

  “Maybe tomorrow we can talk about where you want to go. Tonight, though, let’s rest.”

  Isadora nods and places her hand back in mine as we walk through the mansion and out to my house. As soon as we are inside, she looks around as I walk to the bed and start removing my shirt, which has blood all over it.

  “You’re still bleeding.” She reaches for the first aid kit and pulls out a new bandage and some other cleaning gear and walks toward me. Her hands are gentle as she touches me and cleans my wound, placing the new bandage on carefully. I lean in and place my lips to hers when she pulls her hands away. “Do you think we should?” she asks, her hands moving to the top of my jeans. “We shouldn’t,” she answers her own question, but doesn’t remove her fingers from the zipper.

  “We so should.” I grab hold of her face and kiss her hard, she opens, allowing me in as my tongue dances with hers. I grunt as she leans on me, and she quickly pulls back, her eyes roaming over me.

  “I’ve hurt you. I can’t hurt you.” She shakes her head and before she steps away, I take hold of Isadora’s hand pulling her to me. Killing her is next to impossible, letting go is next to impossible. What have I gotten myself into?

  “You won’t, now strip. You can ride.”

  Her lips turn up at my words as I start removing my clothes and climbing onto the bed. She watches me with unsure eyes, before I reach out and up, pulling at her shirt which she then takes off, followed by her skirt. Within seconds she’s climbing into the bed with me. Reaching for her, I put her on top of my hips, she slides over easily without any hassles and sits on my legs with my cock standing tall between us, ready and needing her.

  “We shouldn’t,” she says again but she slides forward.

  “You’ve said that already.” I smile, pulling her, her hips push up and when they do, I pull her forward so she’s hovering over my cock. “Drop, Isadora. Now!”

  Her green eyes lock onto mine. “But I might hurt you.”

  “You’re hurting me right now. Now. Drop,” I tell her and it almost stutters out of me. She smiles and reaches between us, positioning my cock at her entrance.

  “We should hate each other. No, we should want to kill each other,” she says, lowering herself ever so painfully slowly. When she’s fully seated, she doesn’t move, just looks down at me. “To kill you would have been my greatest revenge.” She moves her hips slowly back and forth sliding along my cock.

  This is nothing more than painful, blissful, torture.

  It’s perfection.

  It’s everything.

  “To have you, that will be mine,” I say as her hips start to move faster and faster. She doesn’t respond to my words, but I know she’s heard them. How could she not, I didn’t whisper them. And it will, having her will be my ultimate revenge on him, her unscrupulous uncle. But in saying that, it will also be my greatest treasure.

  I’ve not failed her.

  It’s too late for that.

  I fell and no one caught me.

  I realized it when I tied her to my father’s bed, I didn’t want to kill her.

  Killing an enemy is easy, that is, unless it’s her.

  She’s impossible to kill.

  27

  Isadora

  I lay next to him as he softly snores, watching him. I can’t sleep, even though I’m dog tired. I’m too afraid of what tomorrow will bring, and what comes with it.

  “Go to sleep.” His hand comes over mine, softly holding it, and then he drifts back into a soft snore. Closing my eyes, I feel like I’m almost asleep, that is until a loud bang is heard on the door. When I open my eyes Jasper’s already up and walking toward the door. The sun is up. I must have slept and not realized it.

  “The uncle is here. The asshole is armed and requesting Isadora.”

  “Why is he still breathing?” Jasper asks harshly while pulling on a shirt.

  Carter looks to me then to Jasper.

  “He has her friend, the one with the kid.”

  “Oh fuck, no.” I jump from the bed not even caring that I’m naked as I reach for the nearest shirt, putting it on without realizing it’s Jasper’s. Pulling on my skirt, I push past them and run to the mansion where I see Ace standing, holding a gun, pointing it out the door.

  “Pink, it’s best you don’t walk out,” he says as I step closer to him.

  When I finally get to see, I notice Sharon with a bloody nose, her head hanging low as my uncle holds onto her tightly around the back of her neck with a gun pressed against her rib cage.

  I gasp loudly.

  Sharon looks up at me, her eyes going wide when she sees me.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say. She doesn’t reply and it’s probably best she doesn’t.

  “You’re wearing his shirt. What the fuck is wrong with you?” He spits on the ground. I can clearly see the anger clouding his eyes now.

  How did I not see this before?

  Was I so blind to it all?

  “Let her go.” I step forward, but a hand wraps around my waist, pulling me back.

  Jasper breathes next to my ear in a whisper, “Don’t you dare go any closer to him. Do you understand?” I nod my head at his words.

  “Look at you, letting him touch you. Killing everything your mother and father worked for just by being with him.”

  “You did that, you asshole,” I scream. “You wanted their business, it was a bakery. You can’t cook. What is wrong with you?” My hands are clenched at my side now.

  Poor Sharon cries as Max digs his fingers harder into her neck.

  “You ungrateful little bitch. That business was huge. It made a shit ton of money, it was the biggest in this city,” he breathes, then looks to Sharon, then back to me, “I paid for you to be the best. You’re amazing at what you do, and yet you still fell into this asshole’s trap.”

  “Yeah, I did. Yours. And then I woke up.”

  My uncle gets mad, pressing the gun to Sharon’s temple now, digging in hard while he stares at me.

  “I can still make you hate your life. I’ve already taken what I needed. I have no qualms with taking everything you care about.” He clicks the safety, and Sharon’s eyes look up, she’s pleading with me and there’s tears running down her beautiful cheeks.

  “She’s here,” I say out of desperation. It’s not my place to say this, but it’s the only card I can think of to play to get Sharon away from him right now.

  Jasper freezes next to me.

  “She’s here,” I say again.

  “Who’s here?”

  “Leila.”

  “You’re lying.” He presses harder and I can see he’s pulling back on the trigger.

  “I’m not. Jasper never killed her. He locked her up instead. She’s here.”

  My uncle’s eyes fall to Jasper for confirmation. I can see the confusion and utter desperation written in his eyes. “You kept her alive?” he asks in disbelief.

  “Yes,” Jasper says through gritted teeth, his fists clenched to his side. I don’t care about his anger right now, knowing this information could save Sharon’s life.

  “You’re fucking lying,” he screeches.

  I turn around reaching for the key I know is on Jasper’s body, and dangle it in the air.

  “Do you want to see her?”


  “You’ll kill me the minute I let this one go.”

  “Take me then. Let her go, and I’ll step into her place.”

  Jasper reaches for me, but I’m already heading off.

  “Let her go, uncle.” Uncle Max reaches for me, at the same time he lets Sharon go, and looks at me as he grips my arm so tightly I know it will bruise.

  “You should have stayed in your own lane.” My uncle then turns the gun to the side of my head and shoots once. Spinning around I watch as Sharon drops to the ground, her eyes open, as the bullet pierces her brain.

  Point blank through the skull.

  He just killed her.

  And it was all my fault.

  His hand pulls me along to get me moving. “Walk, Issy. Walk, now.” The gun that’s just killed Sharon is now digging into my back. “It’s all your fault, you know. Her being dead. Your fault,” he keeps on rambling as we walk. Jasper steps back, but keeps an eye on my uncle, being careful to not touch him. “Walk faster, Issy, your men are hungry for my blood.” He chuckles.

  My men?

  They aren’t my men.

  They just don’t like it when a crazy son of a bitch kills someone on their property. I walk past the kitchen to the back door which leads downstairs, unlocking it with shaky hands and blurred vision, I almost trip as he pushes me hard down the first set of stairs. How can he be this careless? Was he always like this, and I was just too blind to see it? He never hugged me or kissed my cheek when I was younger telling me I did good, it was always a simple nod of the head and off he went. I tried so hard to please him, and turned myself into what he wanted. And now, now I’m faced with a man I was too blind to see.

  Once we’re there we come to the second door which I know Jasper’s mother is behind. Unlocking it, I step back as she comes into view. She’s lying on her single bed with her television turned on as she looks at the wall next to it.

  Max pushes me out the way and steps in, going straight to her, wrapping his arms around her body he leans in to kiss her, which she clearly doesn’t like, as she tries to push him away. “You’re alive,” he breathes looking her over.

  Jasper comes up behind me and pushes me back so he’s now blocking my body, but I can still see.

  “Of course I am, you fool. That son of mine was too chicken shit to kill me. Should have, though. Stupid fool that he is.”

  Max’s eyes go wild. “I’m taking you with me.” He attempts to pull her, but she yanks her arm free.

  “Silly man, I don’t love you. Leave. Now.” She lays back on the bed, ignoring that he’s looking down at her like she’s lost her mind. Well, actually, in some ways I guess she has.

  “I have ways to support you now. We can live happily.”

  “Please, I never wanted to be with you, not then, and definitely not now. I just liked testing your boundaries. Tell me, Max, did you do it? Did you kill the little girl, too? I got Jasper’s father to kill the family for you.” She giggles but it’s quite a chilling sound.

  Max looks back to me and his face takes on a lost look.

  I have no damn sympathy for him. At all.

  “What have you done to her?”

  “She’s sick. She has been for a long time.”

  Max shakes his head, not liking the sound of that, and starts pacing in the room. Jasper keeps me behind him.

  “She was never sick. Leila...” he stops to look at her, “… you aren’t sick.”

  She simply cackles in answer, throwing her head back as she lays on the bed.

  “Max, you know one of those house rats you sometimes get? You know the ones, where you train them to do what you want? That’s you.” Her eyes zoom in on him. “You were like that. I trained you, and made you fall madly in love with me. It’s a shame really that the only person not dumb enough to fall for my shit was my son. I guess because he is mine, after all. He has my blood and my character.” She laughs looking away from Max, but he starts to grind his teeth.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You. You, my dear, were my pet rat. Like many men before you, and after you. The only man I love is the one who keeps me locked away. Funny how that turned out?” Her eyes fall to Jasper. “I made you who you are. You wouldn’t have been as powerful as you are today if it wasn’t for me. I made you. You’re a made man, son. What a marvelous thing that is.” She lays her head on the pillow and looks up at her stars.

  I look at Jasper and notice he’s as confused as I am.

  “You tortured me to make me strong?” He coughs.

  Ace and Carter come up behind me. Ace is covered in blood, and I know exactly whose it is without even asking. It’s Sharon’s.

  “Yes, dear, how else could you have made it this far. Gosh, it’s past the time to start being thankful.”

  “You never loved me?” Max asks quietly, so quietly it’s almost an unbelieving whisper.

  She turns to face him. “What part didn’t you understand about you being my pet rat, you idiot?” She huffs.

  “I love you. I did all this for you. Fuck this, I’m taking you with me.” Uncle Max reaches for her but she pulls her hand away.

  “Don’t touch me you small, insignificant little rat. Who do you think you are?” She scoffs and sits up then looks over at me, her eyes bearing in on me.

  “I’ve seen you before,” she states, then looks at her son. “You love this one?” Jasper doesn’t answer, so she cackles. “I wonder how long until you destroy each other? It’s what love’s great at. Did you know? Love equals destruction.”

  “I’m not leaving without you,” Max states again then he looks back to me and then to Jasper. “What have you done to her?”

  Jasper shrugs. “Not a damn thing.”

  I know Max isn’t going to leave this room alive, no matter what. He no longer has any leverage with them and with me because of what he just did to Sharon. Yeah, that’s about broken my heart into a thousand irreparable pieces.

  “Lies, Leila, get up. You are leaving here.” He reaches for her, but she pulls her arm free from him again and spits at him.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. Think again, rat,” she barks at him, pulling back even further.

  “If you aren’t going to come with me…” He raises his gun to Leila’s head and she starts cackling.

  “Do it, you silly rat. Do it,” she screams.

  “You really never loved me?” he asks, trying to get it to sit correctly in his mind, while he’s still holding the gun to her head.

  Jasper’s in the doorway still trying to block my view. Ace steps up and slides a gun past me to Jasper while Max is not looking.

  “No, I used you. As I did everyone in my life. I was put on this earth to make him.” She looks to Jasper with a soft smile. “You were just some fun I had along the way.”

  Max shoots, the same way he shot Sharon.

  Jasper’s mother falls to the bed with a sickening thud.

  Max looks our way as Jasper shoots.

  Max falls to the floor with a thud so loud, I think it will echo through my ears for years to come.

  Jasper steps into the room and heads straight to his mother. His hand touches her face and he closes her eyes with his fingers. “I’m sorry,” he whispers then leans down to kiss her cheek. My heart breaks for him as he stands up and kicks Max’s dead body on the floor.

  Jasper looks at me then walks straight past me not saying a word as he leaves.

  I desperately want him to turn back around and tell me everything will be all right even though I know it won’t. But he doesn’t, he doesn’t even glance back at me. That hurts more then I care to admit right now.

  “Issy.” I turn to Carter who hands me a set of keys. “It’s time you left.” I look at him, and then to the keys, unsure of what’s going on. Taking the keys, he nods to me before he walks into the room where both the bodies lay. Taking a deep breath, I try to tell myself I can do this. That today hasn’t been as crazy as it now seems. I’ve managed to get Sharon ki
lled and now my uncle as well.

  No. This did not happen.

  Did it?

  Walking up the stairs and into the kitchen area, I look out the back to Jasper’s house. I know he is in there, I can see his silhouette, but it’s probably best I leave.

  A car sits out front, it’s a small red one, and when I click the keys I know it’s the one I’m meant to leave in. I turn back to see if Jasper’s come out to say goodbye.

  He hasn’t.

  And Sharon’s body, which laid right here on this ground, is no longer there either.

  28

  Jasper

  Pacing back and forth my fists clench and unclench.

  I knew a day like this was coming. My mother couldn’t stay in that room for the rest of her life. But I didn’t think I’d be there to witness her demise.

  She’s dead, and I watched it happen.

  Looking down, blood covers my hands. Her blood.

  I loved my mother.

  I also hated her.

  She didn’t understand the meaning of love, and her way of loving me was cruel and not what any child should have to endure. I’ve seen a lot in this world, and I’m a part of the bad and will forever be. That won’t change.

  Children for me, they’re off-limits.

  Always.

  I’ll never put a child through this.

  “Sharon has a child,” Ace says opening the door, he’s also covered in blood. Not her blood. No. It’s Sharon’s blood.

  “Go. Make sure she has what she needs. Set her up for life.” He nods, walking out, pulling his phone to his ear as he leaves.

  That insignificant man ruined my life, not just by killing her, but for Isadora as well. If I could un-kill and torture him some more I fucking would. I would do it in a heartbeat.

  Max loved a woman who didn’t love him back. He was too blind to see it, too stupid to know better. And in the process, he killed those that actually loved him. Who would have done anything for him.

  Washing my hands, I watch as the blood washes down the sink and takes my emotion with it. Mother’s better off, she was sick. I should have done it all those years ago, but she wasn’t as easy to kill as my father was. I know she was vindictive, but I loved her.