by Lexxi Chase
They were at an impasse for a few moments, enough time for Amanda to gather her swirling thoughts and try to think of something rational, appeasing to say. But as Jake stared at her so intently, rationality and restraint became difficult. Within seconds her thoughts whirled out of control.
She indulged in the sheer wonder of his presence. That he actually responded to her pleas and Wade’s insults and taunting. That he actually came to assert his power and superiority and make claim to what was his for the taking, whether he wanted it or not. Then, as a cold chill stormed through her, practically turning her blood to ice and freezing her spine, she realized fearfully, Jake’s real revenge hasn’t even started. My time’s yet to come.
His turbulent green eyes were blazing, his full luscious lips were set in a sneer. Yearning beyond measure to hug him, hold him and tangle her hands in his soft hair, she whispered instead, softly.
“Please Jake, please can we all just sit and finish our meal?”
Jake smiled sweetly, charmingly, and slowly took his seat. Wade followed reluctantly, narrowly avoiding another battle. An uneasy quiet once again enveloped the table. Everyone was surprised to hear Rachel speak.
“Those things in the air are drones, right?” she asked, foolishly trying to start lighter conversation. “They from the paparazzi? We all gonna be on TV?”
Amanda sighed heavily, quieting her with an icy stare.
“Like ya didn’t come here for excitement and attention,” Jake laughed. “You’re shit outa luck Rachel. As usual all the focus is on your sister, and of course me beatin’ the piss outa Wade.”
Wade huffed loudly, stopped eating for a moment and then resumed. He wasn’t up for another battle. He knew that would come later. For now he settled on the fact that at least he’d stuck up for Amanda. That at least she knew she always had a place to run. Humiliatingly silenced, Rachel glumly continued her meal but soon looked up at Katelyn.
“Who’s Misty?” she mouthed to her silently but received only a quick shrug of her shoulders in response.
“What’s up with Hercules?” Amanda asked, initiating more benign conversation. “Tyler just got a new black panther,” she told her guests.
“Don’t know if I shoulda bought him. Got a real mean streak,” Tyler said. Then staring at Jake pointedly, continued, “But you know how I like to break ‘em of that.”
“Don’t we all,” Wade said.
“Guys...” Amanda groaned.
“Seriously?” Jake laughed.
And with both Wade and Tyler glaring at him, he casually continued eating. Lots of time for retribution, he thought. But then told himself it sure wouldn’t hurt to give them another little jab. He leaned alluringly into Amanda beside him, gently brushing against her shoulder, before crooning seductively in her face.
“How ‘bout a blowjob? Outa the question at the moment, I suppose?”
***
“Feed ‘em at six tomorrow morning, Markie,” Tyler instructed. “We gotta start loadin’ by eight and be outa here by nine.”
“Sure thing,” Marcus said.
He was shocked the show was opening as scheduled. With Amanda home from the hospital just a few hours and nowhere near fully recuperated and in top form, he thought for sure opening date would be postponed. Instead, Amanda merely told him she was skipping today’s final rehearsal and her show would debut as planned.
No sense in fueling the paparazzi, she rationalized, and perfect sense to avoid messy contract re-negotiations with the Luxor. Not to mention the hassle and expense of issuing ticket rainchecks for appearances already sold out three months in advance. Besides, she’d explained to Tyler, she wanted to renew her Luxor contract for an additional two months following her four month gig. That would take her up to the start of production of her new full length documentary, Beyond Beast Mistress: Purrfection in Catopia. Some of the footage was slated to come from her Luxor shows.
“We’re takin’ Morocco,” Amanda said.
She’d just come into the tiger house with Jake. Tyler spun to face her.
“Why?” he asked. “You’re not thinkin’ ‘a puttin’ him back in the show? He’s had no rehearsals. Doesn’t know the new routines.”
“Relax,” she laughed. “I just want him with me. I miss him too much when I’m away.”
“Jesus, Amanda. Where d’ya want us to put him? We haven’t set up...”
“He’s fine in with Kontikki. He gets along with her the best.”
“Whatever,” Tyler grumbled and walked outside to check on the cleaning of cages within the transport trucks.
As if sensing he was the topic of conversation, Morocco leapt off the perch where he’d been lounging within his indoor den. Amanda strolled to the front of his cage.
“You gonna come with me, big boy?” she asked excitedly and, chuffing low and enthusiastically under his breath, he answered, rubbing his sleek six foot body affectionately along his cage’s steel bars.
Grabbing the keys Marcus left hanging, Amanda opened Morocco’s door and stepped inside. Moving closer, Jake watched her intently, always fascinated by her confidence and courage around her big cats and his own remaining trepidation. As relaxed and comfortable as he’d grown around her animals, he retained a sense of caution, apprehension and vigilance.
“Really think it’s a good idea to take him?” he asked. “Isn’t he just gonna get bored?”
“He spends eighteen hours a day sleeping anyway,” she laughed, glancing at Jake for a mere second before tenderly cupping Morocco’s massive head in her hands and leaning down to kiss him on the nose.
“You’re everything to me,” she whispered. “I can’t live without you,” she sighed and threw her arms lovingly around his muscular neck.
Jake watched in awe and realization. At least she means it when she tells him she loves him, he thought. Much more than I can say for her declarations to me. He scowled and hung his head. He wasn’t used to feeling like an outsider. Anywhere. Anytime. At least not since his rise to fame and fortune. He brooded inwardly, thinking it’s Amanda, not me, who’s literally got the world at her fingertips and the tiger by the tail.
As aware and accepting as he was of her unconditional symbiotic relationship and bond with her big cats, there was no way he could ever, not for even a millisecond, understand her remaining ties and connections to Conroy and absolutely anyone there. Her own parents had practically disowned her, kicking her to the curb until her surprising, meteoric rise to fame. Her so-called girlfriends envied and not so secretly despised her and her own jealous, attention-mongering backstabbing sister hated her the most. And then there was Wade.
The ignorant lowlife cocksucker had treated her like shit in high school, dumping her for some hillbilly whore that was no doubt easier to control and play. Yet, here he was with them all at her mansion, cocky and self-satisfied, still fresh in the fog of his insurgent, opportunistic fuckfest, brazen and superior, still riding its wave even though his night with Amanda after Mustang Cherry’s happened more than five years ago. Even so, Jake’s stomach churned as he relived the shock of it once more.
Laughing and joking right now in the kitchen with Rachel and Katelyn, Wade was a persistent, parasitic slap in his face. An eviscerating kick to his groin. But not for long, Jake told himself. That confrontation, he vowed, is far from over. As he watched Amanda kissing and cuddling Morocco, seeds of a brand new, malicious idea formed. I’ll nail her, he thought, where it absolutely hurts her the most.
“Why don’t you come in here Jake?” she asked him.
Yeah right, he thought, and shook his head. Momentarily frozen by Jake’s look of resentment and piercing, unsettling stare, she turned back to Morocco and playfully ruffled his rounded ears and gazed wondrously into his faithful, trusting eyes. In the haven of her most loyal and loving man, she didn’t even notice Jake leave the room.
***
Tyler rolled over restlessly, uncomfortable despite the plush surroundings of Amanda’s smallest guest bedroo
m. Although he’d long ago grown used to being displaced from her bed, he was more than pissed at also being ousted from his usual accommodations in her mansion. Wade had retreated into those and Jake, of course, had strolled confidently into Amanda’s room. Nothing like crashing to the bottom of the totem pole, he thought morosely, angrily grabbing another pillow to rest under his head.
It’s a goddamn miracle we made it through dinner, he snickered. Not that he and Wade hadn’t done everything in their power to piss off and irritate Jake. Wade can’t fight worth a shit, he mused, but as much as he hated his presence, he loved the fact that Jake, in all his conceit and glory, hated it even more.
I’m not the one Amanda cheated on, Tyler reminded himself sourly. At least, he corrected himself, she didn’t cheat on me with Wade. Although it was her hookup with Jake that ended his own relationship with Amanda, that hadn’t been cheating, according to her. We were only casually dating, she’d insisted nonchalantly. No ties, no promises, no real commitment, she’d said. Not on her part anyway, Tyler stewed. And reminded himself once more that Wade’s visit shouldn’t be anywhere near as devastating to him as it was for Jake. And if he wasn’t stopped, Jake no doubt, would take great pleasure in making her pay.
***
“Ignorant whorin’ cunt,” Jake sneered, nearly flinging his cell against the wall across from Amanda’s bed.
He was sitting cross-legged atop the ivory satin sheets in his black Armani boxers, texting with Tank but he couldn’t get Amanda off his mind. Water sloshed haphazardly within the ensuite bathroom where she’d retreated. Like a nice long steamy bubble bath would scrub her clean of sins and infidelity. Like it would wash away all lingering traces of her treachery and betrayal.
Damn, he thought, what the fuck am I still doing here? Tank’s next text arrived asking when he was leaving. Their next gig, in Seattle, was only four days away. Tank was worried Jake wouldn’t make it, that his battle and viscous games with Amanda in L.A. would derail the entire tour. And what Tank wasn’t saying, but Jake knew he was thinking, was that he feared another “final incident.” Maybe one where Jake didn’t come out as unscathed. One where Amanda, and everyone else unlucky enough to be tangled in the fallout, wasn’t lucky enough to survive.
Want me to book a charter? Tank asked him, desperate to arrange Jake getting on just about any plane.
About to answer when he heard movement, Jake looked up to see Amanda enter the room. Swathed modestly in a plush deep blue towel, her shimmering long blonde hair pinned up and away from her face, she looked vibrant and alluringly innocent. Glowing and heated from her warm bath, Jake acknowledged reluctantly she looked more than good enough to fuck and maybe even fuck again.
Tank’s text went unanswered as Jake gazed at her intently as she sauntered across the room. Why does this scheming bitch still have this effect on me, he agonized, and swallowed hard to keep his raw emotions in check.
“All cleaned up for Wade?” he asked, finally getting himself under control.
Amanda bristled and turned to face him. He’d never, ever, not even in a zillion years, get over the fact she’d cheated on him. Slept with her high school sweetheart in a haze of excruciating agony, bitter humiliation and boundless pain.
Never mind what sent her careening to Texas in a frenzy. Never mind that wasn’t the first time she’d caught him cheating. And sure as fuck never mind he’d never promised to be loyal in the first place, always making a big deal about how he’d always play the crowded field.
But, she sighed and did her best to look at him decisively, he did have to deal with the fact that her indiscretion was sleeping in the adjacent bedroom and traveling with her intrusive sister to Vegas for almost a week as she debuted her new show.
“No,” she said evenly. “I don’t make the same mistake more than once.”
“Yeah?” Jake laughed bitterly. “Your mistake’s here, sleepin’ in the next room.”
“Alone,” she emphasized.
“For now,” he sneered. “After all, I’m still here.”
She unpinned her hair, letting it fall gracefully down her shoulders, cascading sensuously to just above her waist. As she looked at him intently, she welcomed his returned gaze, and the unmistakable if not surprising lecherous glint in his eye. As angry and disgusted as he was with her, he couldn’t help his own instincts. Couldn’t help his base, visceral reaction to her standing before him almost naked. Still his for the taking if he even remotely wanted it. But he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. At least not right away. Not now.
“Ya must be pretty fuckin’ satisfied with yourself, huh?” he snickered. “All ‘a this’ll make exciting reading in your next book.”
She sighed.
“No damn sequel, I keep tellin’ you. And...” she hesitated, pausing to gather her thoughts and catch her breath, “I don’t know how many more times I have to say it. Wade was a colossal mistake. No way near anything serious and it’s completely over now.”
“Is it?” he asked dryly. “Then why’s the motherfucker here? Just another way for ya to stab me in the heart?”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I never, ever wanted to hurt you. A stupid showdown’s the last thing I really wanted. I just wanted to get you jealous. I just wanted you to finally fuckin’ care.”
He laughed bitterly.
“That’s just what Misty said.”
“Misty...” she hissed.
The mere mention of that tramp’s name was a burning, cutting stab to her chest.
“At least I didn’t send you the fuckin’ video!” she screamed.
“No,” Jake leaned back on his elbows. “You just invited it here in person. Nice way to throw your shit in my face.”
He was right and she knew it. She’d gone way, way too far this time. Jake’s raunchy porno had been retaliation. Disgusting as it was, maybe it was payback she deserved. They’d both crossed the line with each other, maybe more than ever before, and she didn’t know how to begin to fix it, how to take even the first step to make things right.
She looked at him searchingly, tiredly, struggling to think of just the right words to say, the perfect healing things to do. The longer she gazed at him, the harder it became to focus and get her tangled thoughts in order. He looked better than ever despite his searing anger, despite floundering in the raw grip of his own pain and agonizing humiliation as his thoughts sped crazily out of control.
“I didn’t invite him here to hurt you,” was all she could think of to say.
“I suppose Zack wasn’t supposed to hurt me either.”
He sat up abruptly but remained on her bed.
“I saw that fucking whore go into your room in Portland.”
“So what?” he laughed. “Ya decide to screw Zack to get back at me? Whatever I’ve done Amanda, I never played in your backyard.”
“Fine,” she relented, “You got me. But I wasn’t really gonna fuck Zack.”
“Ya sure about that?” his eyes pierced her faltering defenses.
And in that pivotal moment they both realized with heart-wrenching certainty she wasn’t, and it was the true beginning of Jake’s incomparable meltdown and his unbridled, merciless, brutal revenge.
Chapter 19
“Jake, you threw me out in Portland half naked, in nothin’ but that stupid robe. I was so hurt and devastated, so...so humiliated,” she stammered, “and then I watched that skanky piece of shit road hole sashay into your room.”
“And we both know what you were gonna do when you got to Zack’s,” he said.
Denying it was pointless. Whether she’d have taken it all the way was irrelevant. The point was she’d went there. Corruption and seduction and revenge on her mind. Wade had been retribution exacted in her territory. Zack was encased within Jake’s world and she’d crossed that invisible boundary and avenged his deeds on his soil, within his domain. She looked at him hopelessly and became enmeshed in his pain. His deep green eyes were haunted, with only a hint of their u
sual smoldering fire, and she struggled to think of something comforting, appeasing to say.
“I fucked up,” she finally murmured softly. “But you didn’t have to throw me out like that. Like...like I’m just one ‘a your disposable groupies. Like we never mattered to each other at all.”
Jake looked at her a long time before answering. So long that her stomach rolled. Jesus, is this some new form of torture, she wondered, as he leaned back slowly on his elbows and thoughtfully, guardedly, leveled his gaze.
“We’re over Amanda, remember? I just took the next pussy in line.”
Her heart shattered into a billion pieces. She looked away as her eyes filled with tears. It was true she’d visited him uninvited. For all intents and purposes, she’d ambushed him against his will. They’d been more than over, really. He never, ever would have so much as called her, content to let her languish in her own misery, bestselling tell-all book and all.
She turned back to face him just as he picked up his phone and began texting. Time for Tank to charter that plane.
“Who you talkin’ to?” she asked pointedly, adjusting her maddeningly unraveling towel.
“Misty,” he lied nonchalantly as he looked up at her and smiled.
Just a little stab to rip open her soul.
“You fuckin’ prick!” she lost it completely, bounding towards him like a raging tigress mounting her kill.
Scrambling to his knees as he saw her coming, he was quick enough to avoid lying prone and helpless, but not fast enough to avoid her first stinging slap. She was screaming like a possessed banshee, tearing blindly at his long silky hair and raking her nails frantically across his face.
“I’m gonna kill you!” she shrieked.
It took him only a few seconds to overpower her. He grasped her wrists tightly and wrestled her roughly onto the bed. She was sobbing uncontrollably, quieting down only when he wound his hands tightly around her throat.
“Yeah Amanda?! Wanna hit me? Ya stupid fuckin’ cunt.”
She wouldn’t stop thrashing despite the death grip he had on her, despite the increasing pressure around her throat. She raised her hands frantically, gripping his wrists. He refused to let go, even as he turned battered and bloody, with her nails slicing sharply into his flesh. He scrambled on top of her, kneeling roughly on her thrashing legs.