by Laura Day
“Exactly,” Alan nodded. “He’s going to try and take you home, am I right?”
Maple took a deep breath, and Jax tightened his grip on her. “Yes,” she nodded. “I think he will try.”
Alan looked at her pointedly. “You need to let him,” he said calmly.
Maple seemed to pale a little more, but her voice was strong when she replied. “Ok.”
“Once you’re alone with him, you need to get him talking,” Alan said. “If he starts spilling his secrets... then we’ll have him.”
“I’ll be wearing a wire?” Maple checked.
“Yes,” Alan nodded.
“And we’ll be right with you the whole way through,” Jax jumped in to assure her.
“That’s right,” Alan nodded. “We’ll be tailing the two of you the whole time. And we’ll be able to hear your conversation with him. So you don’t have to worry.”
Jax could tell that Alan’s assurances didn’t seem to be easing Maple’s stress very much. “Maple—”
“It’s ok,” she interrupted him, as though she knew what he was about to say. “I want to do this.”
“You seem really—”
“I’m not,” she cut Jax off again, her voice getting a little stronger. “I’m just... mentally preparing myself.”
“Don’t worry Maple,” Alan said with confidence. “We’ve got your back.”
Maple gave him a tight smile and a small nod. “When are you planning on setting this operation in motion?” she asked, as though she knew she couldn’t avoid the question any longer.
“Tomorrow,” Alan replied.
“That soon?” Maple’s voice seemed to get higher by an octave.
“Can we push it back a few days?” Jax asked, trying to get Maple a little more prep time.
“No,” Maple said before Alan could answer. “I don’t need more time. Tomorrow is good, the sooner the better.” To Jax however, it just sounded as though she were trying to convince herself. It amazed him how brave women could be sometimes. Many of them wore their emotions on their sleeves, but there was an innate strength in them that men lacked.
“I agree,” Alan nodded. “The sooner the better. I’ll get Tori; she’ll fit you with your wire to make sure everything’s secure before the operation.”
Alan rose and left them in the small, enclosed cubicle. Maple exhaled deeply and Jax turned to face her. “I can do this,” Maple said before Jax could say anything. “I can do this.”
Jax put his hands on her shoulders until her eyes rose up to meet his own. “You can do this,” Jax confirmed. “I trust you completely.”
Maple smiled. “I’ll remember that.”
“Is there anything you feel... uneasy about?” Jax asked tentatively, trying to get her to open up to him without being direct. He wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk or simply stay quiet so that she could prepare herself.
Maple’s eyes were unfocused. “I’m just wondering... if I can convince him,” she said. “What if he sees through me?”
Jax had been worried about the exact same thing, but he was also hoping that Conor’s ego would help distort his logical reasoning. “Play to his ego,” Jax instructed her. “Compliment him without being obvious about it.”
“But why would I do that?” Maple asked. “After everything he’s done to me... and you... why would I change suddenly?”
“Make it my fault then,” Jax said quickly, the idea popping into his mind.
“What?”
“You caught me with another girl,” Jax said thrilled with his idea. “And you’re trying to get back at me.”
Maple looked at him in shock, and then she nodded slowly as she absorbed the plan. “That... makes sense.”
Jax nodded. “Go with that, you’ll be able to convince him.”
Maple sighed again and nodded. “I just want this to be over,” she said softly. “I just want... my life back.”
“We’ll get it back, Maple,” Jax said, as he leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead. “We’ll get there together.”
“Together?” Maple asked looking up at him.
Jax smiled. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something for a long time now... I just... didn’t quite know how to phrase it.”
Maple’s eyebrows came together quizzically.
“We’ve been... spending a lot of time together,” Jax started.
“We have.” Maple nodded.
“But we haven’t really... put a name to our relationship yet,” Jax went on. “And I guess what I’m trying to say is... I would like to. I want to commit to you, Maple. I want to be with you. I want you to be my girlfriend.”
Maple blinked at him for a moment before her face split into a breathtaking smile that made her eyes come alive with sparkle. “You mean it?” she asked.
“Wholeheartedly.” Jax nodded. He looked at where they were sitting. “This was probably not the best place to—”
“The place doesn’t matter,” Maple interrupted him, as she placed her hands on either side of his face. “Your words do.”
“Is that a yes?” Jax wanted to know.
Maple laughed. She pulled his face towards hers and kissed him hard on the lips. When she pulled away, her smile was still bright and full of renewed hope. “It most definitely is.”
“Yes!” Jax said, pumping his fist in the air as though he had just won a match. Maple laughed and pulled him in for another kiss.
They were interrupted by the arrival of Alan and Tori, and Maple drew apart immediately as a blush rose on her cheeks. Jax smiled internally to himself as he leaned back in his seat without letting go of Maple’s hand. If Tori and Evan had seen anything, they made no indication; they simply got straight down to business.
The wire turned out to be a tiny little nugget that was to be fastened onto the front of Maple’s clothes. Teri was a woman in her mid-forties with short, dirty blonde hair and dark eyes. She talked Maple and Jax through the finer details of the operation.
“Will this really work?” Maple asked, staring at it with a critical eye.
“It’s a microchip,” Teri replied. “It needs to be as understated as possible so that Conor doesn’t suspect anything.”
“Will there be any interference?” Jax asked.
“If there’s a lot of noise, we could experience static,” Alan answered. “Which means the sooner you get Conor out of the bar the better. We’ll be able to hear the conversation better then.”
“Will Jax be with you?” Maple asked.
Jax squeezed her hand. “I’ll be there the whole time.”
Chapter 8
Maple
They had selected the outfit for her. Maple stood on the pavement, having just gotten out of the car in her black heels, short black mini, and sequined silver skinny. The wire was attached to her bra and wasn’t visible from the outside, but the sequined blouse she wore was meant to distract from any appearance the microchip did happen to make.
Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, and her eyes had been ringed with mascara and eyeliner. She didn’t glance behind at the van that was parked on the opposite side of the street, instead she took a deep breath and started walking towards the bar where she knew Conor would be. Maple had to resist the urge to reach up and touch the microchip to make sure it was still in place. It was the only thing that made her feel somewhat secure.
The club was crawling with people. Maple strained her eyes to try as she looked around, searching for Conor. She had walked around the club twice before she spotted him by the bar looking directly at her as though she were a piece of meat. She suppressed the disgust welling up inside her and walked straight towards him with deliberate slowness.
“Well, well, well,” he said with narrowed eyes and a lusty grin. “What brings you here?”
“I needed to get out,” she replied, making a show of being angry.
“Oh?” Conor asked, cocking his head to the side. “And you didn’t ask Jax along?”
“He and I are done,”
Maple said curtly, channeling her anger at Conor into her words about Jax.
“Are you now?” Conor asked, sounding supremely interested. He leaned in a little closer, and Maple forced herself to remain stationary instead of leaning away from him. “What happened in paradise?”
“He was fucking another girl,” Maple said immediately.
Conor’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Interesting. So you thought you’d come out and...”
“Distract myself,” Maple said, trying hard to sound coquettish and alluring.
“Or maybe you could let me distract you?” Conor asked, licking his lips.
“If you think you’re up for the challenge?” Maple said, hoping she was being flirtatious.
Conor stared at her for a moment. “You seem different somehow...”
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” Maple said, as a little bubble of panic rose inside her.
“Is that it?” Conor asked. “You’re trying to get back at Jax?”
“There’s no one in this world that Jax hates more than you,” Maple said turning to Conor and batting her eyes at him.
“That’s a high compliment,” Conor said, as he placed his hand on Maple’s exposed thigh. She felt her body cringe naturally, as her expression changed slightly, but she managed to pass it off without Conor noticing a difference. His hand slipped up her thigh until it was under her skirt.
“Why don’t we go someplace a little quieter,” Maple said quickly before his hand went any higher.
Conor seemed a little taken back by the offer, but he nodded. “Sure thing. My friend’s having a party, we could go there?”
“Sounds good,” Maple nodded, as she got off the bar stool and started walking through the crowd to get outside.
Maple scanned her immediate surroundings for some sign of the van, but she saw nothing. She didn’t want to make an ardent search for it in case she gave herself away, so she stood there waiting for Conor to catch up to her. She felt him behind her even before he placed his hand on the small of her back.
“Come on, doll,” he said as he pushed her forward. “My car’s just around the corner.
Maple walked with him, hoping against hope that Alan, Jax, and the crew in the van could hear every word of their conversation. She was thankful for the quiet that engulfed her once she was inside Conor’s flashy car. Conor got in quickly and started driving. As they pulled out of his parking space, Conor reached out and clicked on the radio and loud gangster rap filled the car. Maple reached out instinctively and turned it off.
“I prefer the silence,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t fight her on it.
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“Where’s this party?” Maple asked, trying hard to bring the conversation in line with the information she needed to get out of Conor.
“Not far,” he said evasively.
“I hope there’s some good stuff there,” Maple said, trying to keep her face straight and free from nerves.
“What kind of stuff are you talking about?” Conor asked suggestively.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve smoked up,” Maple said, trying to sound casual.
Conor smiled; he was driving fast, and Maple hoped that the crew could keep up. “Well, you’re in luck because the parties I attend always have the finest quality everything.”
“Everything?”
“Let’s just say you’ll have choice,” Conor replied.
“Don’t those parties get a little... out of hand sometimes?” Maple asked, as they turned out of the town’s hub and onto a lonely, little street lined with houses.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
Maple glanced at him, trying to discern if he was packing or not, but she couldn’t be sure. The number of buildings was paling in comparison to the number of trees, and Maple wasn’t sure exactly where they were headed. She wondered if Jax and the rest were just behind them when Conor took a sharp left into the woods, veering the car between trees.
“What are you doing?” Maple asked in alarm, as she started realizing that Conor was up to something.
He didn’t answer her. Instead he kept driving until he found a lonely spot in the middle of nowhere and braked violently, throwing Maple forward in her seat. She only narrowly avoided knocking her head. Conor looked strangely calm, as he turned off the engine of the car and unlocked the passenger door.
“What is this?” Maple asked again, aware that her heart was beating so rapidly it was actually causing her pain.
“Get out of the car,” Conor said, almost politely.
Maple stared at him for a moment. “No,” she said finally.
Conor didn’t seem overly concerned. He reached behind his seat and brought out a silver gun that winked boldly at her. “Get out of the car,” he said slowly.
With the barrel of the gun staring Maple directly in the eye, she had no choice but to unbuckle her seatbelt and stumble out of the car. She had the raging desire to run, but common sense told her that that would be pointless. He had a gun, and Maple had no idea where she was. She uttered a quick and silent prayer, hoping that Jax and Alan were close by and could hear everything that was happening.
Maple stood in front of the car, cast in the glow of its headlights as Conor walked around to face her with the gun still pointed at her face. His face was expressionless, but he had the air of anger about him, and Maple realized immediately how dangerous he was.
“Now,” he said coldly. “Tell me why you’re here?”
Maple put on a show of innocence. “You are the one who brought me here,” she said.
“Cut the shit,” Conor spat. “Tell me why you’re here?”
“I told you already,” Maple said raising her voice. “I wanted to get back at Jax.”
Conor’s eyes narrowed in impatience. “Call me crazy... but I find it hard to believe that a girl like you would seek out your rapist just so you could fuck him again... no matter the circumstances.”
Maple felt shivers run down her spine. “Or maybe I’m just that vindictive?”
Conor laughed without humor. “Some women are,” he said, staring at her with deadly intent. “I don’t think you’re one of those women.”
“Maybe you’ve got me wrong?” Maple suggested, trying desperately to keep her voice from shaking.
“I don’t think so,” Conor shook his head as he inched closer. “I think I know exactly what you’re doing. You’re playing a game here.”
“I’m not,” Maple said, as fear got the best of her. “I swear I’m not.”
“You want to play?” Conor asked taking another step closer. “Then let’s play.”
He dropped his gun and almost immediately he lunged forward and grabbed Maple before she could run. She gasped as his arms dug into his flesh with a vice like grip, making her eyes water. Conor pushed her back onto the dry earth of the forest floor and fell on top of her.
“No,” Maple screamed, as she struggled beneath him. “No!”
“I thought this is what you wanted, bitch?” Conor hissed in her ear. “You wanted me to fuck you didn’t you? Why are you fighting now?”
Maple screamed again as Conor ripped apart her blouse. The moment the material separated from her skin, Maple was aware that the force of Conor’s brutish hands had pulled the microchip apart as well. Her only consolation was that Conor would not know she had been wired. Maple turned her head to the side, searching desperately for some indication that she was about to be rescued, but the woods were dark and quiet. And Maple was alone.
Chapter 9
Jax
Jax watched Maple walk into the club, and he felt the sudden urge to jump out of the van, run after her, and pull her back into the safety of his arms. It felt strange, unnatural almost to allow her to go through with the operation. It was ironic, considering that it had been his idea, but now that he was experiencing it firsthand, it felt wrong. It was like sending Maple into the lion’s den while he sat on the sidelines and watched.
; “Worrying won’t help,” Alan said, interrupting his thoughts.
“That I can’t help,” Jax said, staring at the monitors set up around the van that would relay the sound coming in from the microchip. “There’s a lot of static,” he observed impatiently.
“I warned you there would be,” Teri said next to him. “The sooner she gets him out here the better.”
Jax listened hard, but the sound of music combined with raised voices only served to create a cacophony of sound that didn’t make sense.
“She hasn’t spoken to anyone yet,” Teri said. “We’ll be able to hear better when it’s a close range conversation.”
Jax bit his lip and waited expectantly. Then suddenly, there was a little burst of sound that they could distinguish from the rest. Everyone in the van sat up a little straighter and leaned in. The bubble of sound came up and then died down.
“Is she speaking?” Jax whispered, and Teri brought a finger up to her lips.
“... Ask Jax along...”
“That’s Conor,” Jax said immediately.
“I think he’s asking about you,” Teri nodded.
“...He and I are done...” Maple’s voice was barely audible, but at least it was somewhat clear.
“Can’t you adjust the sound quality?” Alan hissed to Derek, who was in charge of the equipment on board.
“It’s at max capacity,” Derek hissed back.
“...What happened in paradise...?"
“...He was fucking another girl...”
“... So you thought you’d come out and...”
Maple said something at that moment, but the clarity of sound dipped and no one could distinguish Maple from the music surrounding her. Jax leaned in a little closer.
“... Or maybe you could let me distract you...” Conor’s voice came back quiet and low amidst the hub of sound. More static and then Jax heard him speak again. “... You seem different somehow...”
“...No fury like a woman scorned...” Maple’s voice was subdued.
“... Trying to get back at Jax...”
Tori glanced at Alan. “She needs to move this conversation somewhere quieter.”