John was a big imposing man with a face that seemed like he was having a permanent case of constipation. He had ash blonde hair and eyes green as an apple. John was about to open the driver’s side door of the car when I stepped towards him. His gaze met with mine, and recognition registered in his face. I watched him swallow hard. I could smell a person’s fear from a mile away, and this one was beyond terrified.
“What did you tell her?” I asked him.
“I told her the truth about you,” John replied.
I wound the cable cord in my hand that was hidden behind my back. “What truth?” I could feel my jaw harden. I was trying very hard to keep my anger at bay.
“That you’re putting up a façade so the girl can fall for your charms.”
I chuckled, showing off my impressive set of white teeth. The lines of worry deepened on John’s forehead. “I told Lucas to stay the hell away from my business,” I said. “He never learns, does he?”
“If you try to do something to that girl, Jasper, Lucas will inform the police. I hope you are clear on the fact that he isn’t your friend anymore,” John reminded me.
“Of course,” I agreed.
Lucas screwed up our friendship the day he helped Kiara take off from his mansion. I grinned as I was hit by an old memory. John appeared to be more than a little intimidated or knew about me enough to understand how this situation could escalate. If he was smart, he would leave. If he was as blond as the mass of hair on his head, then he would stay and argue.
“Some things never change, I guess,” I continued, still smiling. “Things like people’s ability to poke their nose where it doesn’t belong. I like Lucas. Don’t get me wrong. He used to be a lot more fun to hang around with until he started to preach about how I’m supposed to live my life, take my decisions, stuff like that. He thinks he’s a saint, kin to Dalai Lama, but we both know he’s far from it.”
John was confused. He wasn’t sure what that meant. “What do you mean?”
“It means I want him to start remembering about the favors he owes me. Maybe his memory is a bit rustic…” I said. “So…I’ll remind him this once.”
As if John had a bit of a premonition, he took a step back and then another, making his way towards his car when I threw a blow at John’s face. Even though John was a strong man with muscles, it was a piece of cake for me to tackle him to the side of the car. The feeling of having my fists join his jaw was ecstatic. Surprise registered on John’s face which turned to fury and then terror. I glanced at the surveillance cameras just to make sure we weren’t in the line of sight, pulled on my leather gloves, and wound the cable cord around John’s neck, giving it a swift little squeeze. I felt John’s body thrash and wiggle under me.
The temptation was wild.
Ecstatic.
A little more hold on the squeeze would dim the light in his green apple eyes. How fun would it be to watch as the flicker of life faded to death?
I loosened the cord around his neck. “I change my mind. I think this is enough for a warning.”
John collapsed to the floor, holding and rubbing both of his hands to his neck.
“So here’s the story for the police, dear John. Are you with me?”
John coughed and nodded. The parking lot was surprisingly empty. I knew there was a popular local band playing tonight in the club. it was no wonder that no one was around to witness what went down.
“When the police ask you what happened, you are going to tell them that you came to the club and was mugged in the parking lot. The person was wearing a mask so you couldn’t see his face.” I reached for John’s denim pocket and pulled out his wallet. “The thief took your wallet and…” I took the keys. “…your car keys.”
John coughed some more.
“Is that story very clear or do you need me to repeat it for you?”
John shook his head.
“The man was going to kill you, but Mr. Lockhart somehow happened to stumble upon the situation and the thief took off. Repeat it for me, John.”
John repeated it. One wrong word and John would have been awarded with another punch.
“Good,” I said, quite pleased with myself.
I could smell bullshit from a mile away just as I could sense the clear insincerity in his eyes. I knew that as soon as I was out of sight, John would call the police and tell them everything. The wheels were already turning in his head as he planned how he was going to get out of this situation unscathed. His eyes widened when I reached for his wallet and pulled out a small picture from beneath the debit and credit cards.
I smiled, inspecting the picture. “Daughter? Cute as a button.”
“Please,” John pleaded.
I chuckled. “I don’t hurt children. Did you really think I would stoop so low?” I shuffled through the rest of the wallet contents. “Let’s see…Ah, it is here.”
I pulled out another picture. “Thought there had to be a wife tucked away somewhere, or is she a girlfriend?”
At that moment John had his hands joined together. “Please, I’ll do anything you ask me. Don’t hurt them.”
“She’s pretty. Well, not as pretty as my Kiara, but she’s nice.” I got hold of his jaw and forced him to make eye contact. I continued, “You try to act smart with the police, and I’d make your life a living hell. I don’t bluff. I can do whatever the fuck I want when it comes down to maintaining my reputation and protecting what’s mine.” I squeezed his cheeks with my fingers so his lips were puckered. “You better tuck that little tail between your legs and tell Lucas not to mess with me again.”
“I will do as you say. This never happened. I didn’t see anything.” John repeated like a robot that hit reboot. “Please don’t hurt my family.”
John was terrified. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was quaking. People usually had that effect if they saw the real me.
I nodded, satisfied. “You have my word. You do as I say and no one gets hurt.”
I slid behind the wheel of John’s car, taking his wallet with me. John lay down on the ground, his eyes looking sunken. According to the plan, he’d yell for help from the first person walking out of the club and narrate the story we’d decided on.
“Oh, and John,”
He looked at me. I said, “Tell Lucas I said hi.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I had done this a dozen times before. Not stealing a car, but manipulating people into following my rules. And with time, I’d gotten better. Whatever I wanted in life, I got it, and if I didn’t, I made sure to steal it using any means necessary. I drove through town, thinking how stupid it was of Lucas to send someone to warn Kiara, and it had to be someone as dumb as that fucktard John who was probably whining in the parking lot like a pussy, thinking I was going to kill his wife. I would if dear John didn’t take my warnings seriously.
I’d come so far to convince Kiara, and I wasn’t going to let some idiot ruin it. If anything, John was going to make things right, and for that, I needed to hatch a plan. I ditched John’s Jaguar in a secluded area and walked to the nearest train station. During my train ride, I emptied John’s wallet which consisted of his debit and credit cards. I threw them in a dumpster on the next station and pocketed the cash. Not because I wanted to steal money, but because if John decided to file a complaint against me, I had to make sure it looked like a case of parking lot nabbing.
If there was an investigation, the police would think the thug robbed John in the parking lot, took the money, and left town. I was walking out of the train station when I saw a homeless guy on the side of the street. He was dressed in old clothes and a beanie hat. A cardboard sign was placed aside that read “Struggling. Need help.”
I pulled out the money I’d taken from John’s wallet, and it was roughly two-hundred dollars. With a smile on my face, I handed it to the homeless man. “Here you go.”
The man took the money, thanked me, and then counted the amount. Relief and suspicion crossed his face as he asked
me, “Are ya really sure, sir?”
“Positive. The money is yours,” I said.
Suddenly, he took both my hands in his and squeezed. “I can’t thank ya enough. God bless ya, kind sir.”
I just smiled back at him. Once he was out of sight; I pulled out a hand sanitizer, doused it on my palms, and rubbed them together. I texted my chauffeur, Morgan, and sent him my location so he could drive here and take me back. Morgan was one of my best employees. He was a trustworthy man and mostly got every job done, no questions asked.
Thirty-minutes later, my Aston Martin pulled up at the given location. On my way back home, I decided to order dinner. Normally, I hated junk food, but sometimes I craved for it. so we stopped at Burger Palace for a quick bite.
I walked into the restaurant and was welcomed by a girl with Bugs Bunny teeth which were in dire need of a set of braces. Her thin dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and there was barely any makeup on her face while her eyebrows didn’t seem to have known a beautician in its lifetime.
I always thought women needed to properly keep themselves groomed. It’s the least they could do. Kiara used to be shabby when I’d first met her, but after spending a few weeks at the mansion, she learned how to keep herself presentable. The girl behind the counter, whoever she was, if she didn’t get any work on her face done, her eyebrows were going to ruin her life or any chances of getting laid.
“Good Evening, sir. What can I get you?”
I plastered my sweetest, most charming smile. “I’d like two cheeseburgers, a large fries, coke, and a double chocolate chip milkshake,” I ordered. “Please.”
She punched in my order and told me the amount which I paid.
A few minutes later, she delivered the order. “Here you go,” she said with a smile. Her teeth needed a dentist too.
I cringed, and decided to tip her while politely pushing a business card towards her. The girl appeared confused at first. I saw the name on the tag. “Felicity, sweetness, do you want to die a virgin?”
Felicity flushed; probably embarrassed by the fact that I knew she was a virgin. Well, it didn’t take a scientist to figure out that much.
“No,” she said.
“Call this number. She will get you in shape, and I’m sure in a month’s time, this wouldn’t be the case.”
I walked out of the restaurant with a very angry Felicity boring smoke holes into my back. I was glad I hadn’t given her the card before getting my order ready. I didn’t want the girl to spit at it. I liked women who knew how to take care of themselves, and it ticked me off to see women like Felicity who never put an effort, and had the audacity to whine about men not looking their way.
I slid into the car, passed one package of food to Morgan, and took a huge bite of my burger. Sometimes I needed a break from all that healthy gourmet bullshit.
“Take me home, Morgan.”
If only every day of my life was as interesting as today.
***
On Saturday, I invited Kiara over for a dinner date. She’d been a bit reluctant at first, but surprisingly, she agreed. It’s not like she could help what she felt for me. I’d seen how her eyes would never hold my gaze, and instead, stray towards my hands and the rest of my body. I could sense when a woman desired me.
I was parked outside Kiara’s apartment building. She wore a knee length, off-shoulder olive green dress. Her creamy shoulders were exposed, and it infuriated me. I believed that a woman should only expose herself for a man she was supposed to be with, and not attract the attention of a dozen. However, I needed to stay calm and concentrate on my goal. Lessons could be taught later.
“Good evening, Jasper,” Kiara said as she slid into the passenger seat of the car. She quickly straightened out her dress.
Good girl.
I smiled, and despite my brewing anger, I kissed her cheek. “Good evening, sweetheart. I’m glad you decided to give me a chance. I swear you won’t regret this.”
Kiara blushed and gave me the smile that had drawn me towards her. Sometimes, I didn’t understand what was so special about her. If I needed a warm body in my bed, I knew that could be acquired easily. It didn’t have to be Kiara. Women threw themselves at me all the time, but there was something different about her.
It was our history together the way I’d saved her from the bad guys, how I’d sheltered her for a couple of weeks. That couldn’t be undone with just a few mistakes. Everyone had flaws, and Kiara knew that everyone was flawed one way or the other, and she decided to look away from it. She was willing to give me a chance because she loved me for what I’d given her. I’d been alongside her when no one else had.
Kiara looked at me like I was God.
And that really satisfied me.
It blazed a passion within me knowing how she felt in my presence. I had the urge to possess her completely.
I drove to a nice quaint restaurant by the lake that was famous for delicious Lebanese food. I was never the type to try local restaurants, although this particular one was recommended by Kiara, and I wanted her to know that I kept track of her likes and dislikes.
The place was packed when we arrived, the faint aroma of Lebanese grilled chicken and Falafel permeated the air. I hated crowded places. It was not easy to read people’s expressions, but over the years, I’d learned the art of slipping on masks and say what was expected of me.
The waitress argued that it was a ‘Reservations’ only, and Kiara appeared to be upset by the fact that we wouldn’t have dinner here, so I quickly slipped some cash towards the waitress without having Kiara notice, and that did the trick. The best table was ours, and who said money couldn’t buy happiness? Kiara seemed happy.
Kiara would occasionally glance towards me, and look away like she was analyzing me, trying to read my expressions. The food arrived a few minutes later, and true to Kiara’s word, it smelled wonderful. The rich flavors of the Arabic khubz bread complimented the hummus, and it and melted in my mouth. I felt like I was walking down the bustling streets of Beirut. Kiara was less chatty today, and it seemed like she was constantly on alert mode whenever I tried to say something. She was asking me everything, leaving out one particular topic that interested her most.
The waitress that I’d tipped earlier passed me a flirtatious smile; one that said ‘come fuck me whenever you’re ready’. She bent down on purpose so I could have a full view of her assets. A casual fuck would’ve been nice, but I was being a total gentleman tonight. No amount of tits, no matter how big the size, were going to distract me from my plan tonight.
This was the problem with being too attractive. Women couldn’t keep their eyes off me. Men wanted to be me.
We ordered Kunafa for dessert, a pastry soaked in sugar syrup, layered with cheese, and sprinkled with pistachios. It tasted delicious, but it wasn’t as good as the one I had when I’d traveled to the Middle East.
I’d eventually gotten tired of Kiara trying to be evasive and decided to take matters into my own hands. It was funny how she jumped from one topic to the other. I laughed and her expression changed. “What’s funny?” she asked.
“I like how you’re trying to change the subject every time I mention ‘Us”
“Well, that’s because I know there’s not really any point in discussing it.”
“Then why are you here with me?” I asked, scrapping the last bit of dessert from my plate.
Kiara threw me a questioning look. “Because you invited me over for dinner?”
“Let’s be honest with each other, Kiara. You wouldn’t be here on this dinner date with me if you weren’t expecting something more.”
Her cheeks caught fire. I liked watching her squirm and deny when I was right. “Last time you said that you couldn’t give me what I wanted because we wanted different things from each other, correct?”
She nodded.
I took her hand in mine and interlocked our fingers, palm up. “What if I said that I changed my mind?”
She concentrated
on our adjoined hands. “What do you mean?”
“It means that I love you,” I confessed. “I’ve loved you ever since the day I met you in that alley. I was lonely, Kiara, until you came along and brought so much happiness into my life.”
I went on, “I want you to know that when I helped your mother to clear your father’s debts, it was just because I genuinely wanted to help the situation. I don’t know how to say this, precious…”
“What is it?”
“Your mother, Julie, she told me that I could keep you with me in the mansion if I paid for her a home and a secure life. She said you wouldn’t mind since you liked me anyway.”
Kiara closed her eyes and opened them. Her chocolate brown eyes sparkled with unshed tears. I knew she was brewing with anger towards her mother, but it was for the best.
“I promised Julie that I would take care of you, and it had never been my intention to have anything serious between us until you left me alone and I realized that I’d fallen in love with you. I don’t want to feel miserable again. Whatever your decision is going to be, I’ll accept it. I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me.”
I knew I’d said the right words because her eyes were blazing with adoration, and I knew she was hopelessly in love with me. She started to say something when another voice interrupted her.
“Mr. Lockhart, it’s so good to see you here,” John said, forcing a smile. A well-dressed lady stood beside him.
“John, how are you doing now? What a pleasant surprise!” I decided to play along.
John continued to smile. “I’m doing great, and it’s all thanks to you.”
The acting was something that came to me naturally. “Kiara, let me introduce you to John. He works for Lucas. And John, this is Kiara.”
“We’ve met,” Kiara said, keeping a stone face.
“You have?” I decided to play dumb. “What a small world.”
The lady accompanying John came forward and took my hand in hers. “Thank you so much for saving my husband that day, Mr. Lockhart.” Her eyes were beginning to tear up, “John told me how you stopped the man in the parking lot from assaulting him and chased after him. I can’t thank you enough.”
Psycho Billionaire: A Dark Romance Page 15