by Jasmin Quinn
“Don’t fucking touch me, Mira.” He spat some blood past her onto the floor. “Your boyfriend made his fucking point.”
Sophia had already hustled into the room with a first-aid bag. To Mira, she said, “Go sit in your chair and leave the poor man alone. Mr. Creed’s left. I’ll get Mr. Rosedale fixed up and help him out to his car.”
“No,” Shonan said, a hostile twist to the word. “Jack would like me to finish the work day.”
Mira swallowed as she sat back on her heels. Sophia gazed at her in irritation and waved her hand towards the desk. Mira stood up with a lump in her throat, stepped backward, keeping her eyes on Shonan as she returned to her office chair. She watched as the Sophia administered to his injuries. The old woman was deft, cleaning his cuts and scrapes, butterflying a deep one just over his eyebrow, wrapping his ribs just in case.
Guilt flooded her. Jack brutalized this man because they’d talked. Why had she told Shonan that she didn’t belong to Jack? Whether Jack heard or not, what did she think would happen? That Shonan would ride in on his white horse and rescue her from the evil villain, then take her away to his fortress and keep her safe? No one could save her from Jack Creed. He ruled Vegas, there was not a soul in the state who would go to the mat for her if it came to challenging Jack. And she didn’t want Shonan anyway so why would she play such a stupid, reckless game with his life? She liked the lawyer, and sure, he was a convenient alternative to her current life of hell, but in the long run, Shonan was not Jack. Deep down, Mira knew this. Deep down below her denial.
Sophia scurried off mumbling about being right back with some tea, taking the bloodied cloths and first aid supplies with her. Silence lingered in the room as Mira stared at Shonan who returned her gaze from across the room, from behind his own desk.
“Shonan, I’m sorry,” she said softly.
A frown split Shonan’s face, then he coughed, holding his ribs, trying to be stoic, “It’s clear Jack Creed is under the impression you belong to him. My advice to you, Mira, is to accept it and do everything in your power to keep him happy.”
Thirty-One
The following morning, Jack missed breakfast with Mira. In fact, she didn’t see him at all. She did exactly as she was told though. Got up and ate breakfast, started work after 8am and took her breaks each time Sophia showed up with a tray of food and coffee. Shonan asked to stay at home the day after his beating, not taking time off, but working there. For the rest of the week, if Mira didn’t mind. She said ‘of course’ and they talked on the phone as needed, but that was minimal because the incident with Jack had changed the nature of their relationship, caused an awkwardness, created a barrier.
Mira knew nothing would have ever happened with Shonan. There was not another man in the world that held her attention like Jack. Even if she hated him, even if she vowed never to let him touch her again, her body, her fucking heart still wanted him and only him. Shonan was a distraction, a way to make herself feel attractive, a way to make herself believe she still had some control over her life. But it had gone horribly wrong, and she understand now that she was truly on her own.
After four days of Jack’s absence, of Mira working alone, of Sophia sweeping in and out at regular intervals, Mira threw down her pen and rubbed her neck. All the food and lack of exercise was going to catch up with her. So strange that she was in this huge house, a sprawling mansion in the middle of the desert, and she’d never explored it; she’d never even been outside other than to stand on the walk beside the driveway. Jack’s apartment was luxurious, the offices were state of the art, but where was the kitchen, the gym, the pool?
The pool. It was a good idea. Mira hadn’t been outside in days. She hadn’t been taking advantage of these breaks. She was too used to working all the time and her response to these forced breaks was to wait until they were over and get back to work. What if she didn’t do that? What if she did something constructive with her time, like sit in the sun and take a swim. It would be good for her, a little sunshine would banish her blues and put some colour back into her cheeks and she’d be energized by a swim.
Her thoughts propelled her to her bedroom and she sifted through the dresser looking for swim wear. She found it in a bottom drawer next to some shorts she wouldn’t be caught dead in. There were three swim suits, all two pieces. All from a country with an obvious material shortage.
Mira chose the best of the worst, a small white bikini that at the very least covered her ass. The top did a decent job of keeping her nipples from spilling out and she thanked god for blessing her with medium-sized breasts. She pulled a netted cover-up over her ensemble and looked around the room for a hat, but there wasn’t one. It didn’t matter, she only had a half-hour. She’d spend it swimming and getting a little sun. She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and set out in search of the pool.
She found it quickly. All she had to do was step out the French doors by the breakfast nook, onto the deck and around the corner of the house and there it was, huge, pristine, perfect. Waiting for her. As she walked toward it, Sophia was suddenly at her side. “I brought the coffee for your break. It’s in your office, Ms. Richardson.
“I’m going to take a swim for my break instead. Is that okay, Sophia?” She was becoming annoyed with Sophia. It was like the woman was her jailer.
Sophia nodded. “I’ll let Mr. Creed know.” Then she was gone. Fuck, Mira thought. Little stool pigeon. It wasn’t like she was climbing the goddamned water tower. She dismissed her irritation before it ruined her mood. She’d be done her swim long before Jack could make it back from wherever he was. She drew her coverup off and dove into the warm water. It was heaven and she sank onto her back and let herself float, let the sun touch her body, before rolling on her belly and swimming. She tried to do 20 minutes of laps, but she was out of shape. Even before her unexpected change of employment, she’d been working too hard, neglecting herself. But she couldn’t make herself stop for some reason.
As she crawled along the surface of the water, fully aware that a cat could outpace her, she knew that Jack had been that reason. He’d seduced her again and then strung her out. Over those six months, the more time that passed, the more her heart ached, and the harder it was to get out of bed. To survive, she had to stop thinking about him and the only way she knew how to do that was to work, all the time, night and day, stopping only when she was so exhausted she could fall asleep without thinking.
Her arms felt like someone had attached bricks to them, so she paddled to the edge and climbed out of the pool, fleetingly toweling herself off. A luxuriously padded deck chair beckoned to her and she laid herself out letting the sun stroke her for 15 minutes, 10 on the front, 5 on the back. Then she pulled the cover-up on and returned to her office. She was alone, no Jack, no Shonan and relief swept her. The shackles were off, however briefly. She turned on some jazz and swayed to the music as she worked.
Sophia trundled right in at noon with a crisp salad of avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers and grilled salmon crowned with a lime vinaigrette. Soft freshly baked slices of rye bread and cool raspberry infused water rounded out the meal. “Did you tell the master I was swimming?” Mira asked, unable to resist the shot.
Sophia nodded, her fingers playing nervously with the apron she was wearing. “I have to, Ms. Richardson. Mr. Creed has told me to report to him on your activities. He is the boss and we’ve both seen what happens when the boss isn’t happy.”
Mira frowned. Sophia was right about that. She finished her lunch, then went back to work until 2:30. Break time again, and she was still in her swimming suit, in her coverup, in bare feet, her dry hair curling around her head in an unruly crown. The jazz was still playing softly and Mira was feeling fine. Another swim, a bit more jazz, a bit more work. Maybe a mojito by the pool at the end of the day.
Sophia came in with the tea tray and Mira shook her head. “I’m swimming again, Sophia. Perhaps some iced tea instead.” She headed towards the door. “When you call Jack, let him know th
at I’m planning on swimming at the end of the day too. And drinking mojitos.” She paused and looked back at Sophia, “You know how to make them, right?”
“I’ll figure it out.” Sophia sounded doubtful.
Mira dived into the pool, but only managed 6½ laps before she had to give up. She drifted on her back for a few minutes, her face to the sun, her eyes closed. Bliss. She stayed on her back as she floated herself over to the side of the pool then flipped around. Jack was standing there, casting a shadow over her, staring at her thoughtfully. “Jack,” was all she could say. She couldn’t see his expression as she craned her neck up. The sun was directly in her eyes. He crouched down on his haunches and offered a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up out of the pool, then picked the towel up off the lounger and wrapped it around her.
“What are you doing out here dressed like that?”
Mira was flustered by the question, “I’m… what do you mean? I was swimming. This is a swim suit.”
“That is random pieces of stamp-sized material held together by string,” he growled.
Mira furrowed her brow. “This was the best of three choices I had, Jack. If you didn’t want me wearing them, why did you choose them for me?”
Jack chuckled derisively. “I don’t shop. I have people who do it. And you will not swim again until one of them buys you a decent swimsuit.”
“What does it matter? There’s no one here. I’m completely alone.”
“Are you kidding me, Mira?” Jack grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her into the house. “My estate is guarded. I have men all over the place. Hector never leaves unless you do. And where the fuck is Shonan?”
Mira snapped her wrist from his grasp. Her temper flared, matching his. “Why are you doing this? I found something that gives me a little peace and you shatter it for me. Because why? Because you don’t trust your men to keep their hands or eyes off me?”
Jack snorted. “No, Mira. I’m more worried that you can’t keep your hands off the help!”
“Jesus, Jack. I don’t know what you imagined happened the other day, but it was all in your head! You’ve kind of ruined me for men. I don’t think I could stand being fucked by anyone.”
Jack sucked in his breath. “Where is Shonan?”
Mira missed the warning in his icy tone. “Shonan is working from home this week, you ass.”
His hand snapped up and around her throat and he forced her backwards through the room until her back thudded against a wall. He squeezed his fingers as he pressed his body up against hers, his other hand flat against the wall beside her head, his face so close his heated breath invaded her mouth. “I don’t have fucking time for this, Mira. And you don’t seem to understand the rules I clearly spelled out for you a few days ago. You’re disrespecting me, you’re swearing, you’re being deliberately provocative.”
Mira flinched under his hard gaze, brought her hands up to his wrists to anchor herself. He was squeezing her throat, holding just tight enough to make a point. “Jack…” she said breathlessly.
“I should put a collar around your neck. Chain you up in the playroom like a dog until you learn a little obedience.”
Mira dropped her eyes from his face. “Please don’t do that to me, Jack.” She tried to keep her voice steady, tried not to betray her hammering heart, but heard the little shake underscoring her words.
He caressed her throat with his fingers, moved his hand to her waist, then dropped his lips down and kissed the hollow of her neck, trailed his lips up her neck to her ear. “Shall we bargain, Mira? What will you give me in exchange for my benevolence?”
Mira trembled. She knew what he was asking and she knew what she’d give him not to be chained up in the playroom. Anything he fucking wanted. She thought maybe it was time to do this, get it over with. They both knew it was just a matter of time before Jack lost his patience and took her. She was about to tell him, when Andre unexpectedly rounded the corner.
“The club’s been bombed, boss.”
Jack dropped his hand from her throat and rounded on Andre. “What?”
“Blew up in front, a car bomb.”
“Where’s Rob?” Jack’s voice shook.
“Okay. He was in the back office when it hit. No one hurt, but fucking blew the windows out and did a good enough amount of damage. Good thing it blew now instead of tonight or we’d have bodies everywhere.”
“Fuck!” Jack slammed his fist into the wall beside Mira’s head causing her to cringe. He looked hard into her eyes before turning back to Andre. “Let’s go,” and he left, Mira and her insolence forgotten.
Thirty-Two
Mira watched the news that night. Every channel covered the bombing. The front of the club was destroyed. She knew that it would be shut down at least until the investigation was through. Then the rebuild, not just of the structure but the business itself, would take time. These days it took very little for people to feel unsafe. The media implied that it was getting dangerous to be associated with the Creeds and she couldn’t dispute that inference.
Jack didn’t return that night. She knew when she sat down for breakfast the next day. Only one set of dishes, one service for her. “Where’s Jack?” she asked Sophia.
“He’s still at the club, Ms. Richardson.”
“He didn’t come home?”
“No,” she said solemnly.
“Is Hector here?”
“Yes, he stays with you. That’s his job.”
Mira nodded as she drank her coffee. After Sophia left, Mira ventured down the stairs, onto the main floor and in through a set of double doors. Hector was sitting behind a desk, on the phone, using a mic as he typed while he talked. He looked up in surprise when Mira entered the room. “Just a minute, boss.” He covered the mouthpiece, pointed to the door that she had just come through and said, “Out!”
“I just want to know if Jack’s okay. And Rob.”
“They’re both fine.” He looked at his watch. “Shouldn’t you be working?”
Mira narrowed her eyes at her bodyguard, then turned her back to him and stormed back up the stairs. What the hell was that about? She barely saw the guy and his hostility towards was rolling off him in waves. He was treating her like she was his employee to order around and not the exact opposite. Talking to Jack like he had more rights to do so than she did. Next time she saw Jack, she’d be talking to him too about Hector and his fucking attitude.
Shonan was there when she entered her office. His bruises had faded and he seemed a little more like himself.
“Shonan.” Relief and gratitude welled up in her dousing her anger. “How are you doing?”
Shonan shrugged. “I’m fine, Mira. Lots of time to think.”
“What do you mean?” Mira slid into her office chair and leaned forward on her desk.
“I mean it’s a big fucking coincidence that Jack stepped into the office when he did. I think our friend Sophia is a snoop and a stoolie.”
“I know she is, Shonan. She told me. What choice does she have? What choice do any of us have?”
They kept a professional distance from each other as they worked though they spent most of the morning talking about the bombing of the club. Once they’d dissected it to death, they turned back to work. Sophia came and went and the next few days fell back into a pattern. The promised swimsuit never arrived but Mira decided it was just as well with Shonan back in the office.
Jack was coming home again, but late. Not joining her for dinner and then gone in the morning without a word to her. His absence bothered her. She thought she might be missing him, but she couldn’t figure out why. Other than the day she got Rob out of prison, when he’d hugged her at the nightclub, almost every interaction they had was acrimonious and usually ended with her in tears. She was sitting by the window in her office, musing about it, when Sophia entered with a tray of fresh coffee and scones.
Mira turned to her. “Do you never have a day off, Sophia?”
She shrugged at Mira
. “Mr. Creed prefers that I take my days off when you take days off. I’m here to ensure you get what you need when you’re working.”
“But I never take days off!” Mira declared.
“Then neither do I, Ms. Richardson.”
“Oh, Sophia,” Mira said as realization hit her of how manipulative Jack could be. This was his way of forcing her to take time off. He’d made sure Sophia was there day in and day out for her while she worked. It had taken two weeks for Mira to notice.
She glanced down at the brief she was working on, embarrassed by her obtuseness, and then her eyes settled on Shonan. “Tomorrow will be a day off, for all of us.”
Sophia looked doubtful. “Mr. Creed says that I will be fired if he finds you working while I’m taking a day off.”
Anger seared Mira’s core but she schooled her features. “I promise, Sophia, that tomorrow I will not work. In fact, I might go shopping. I need a new swimming suit.”
Sophia seemed relieved and as Mira looked at Shonan, she saw the tension slide out of his body. He wanted a day off too, she realized. He just didn’t want to admit it to Mira.
That night she broke one of Jack’s rules and waited up for him. She was sitting in an armchair cradling a glass of wine in her hand when he entered the apartment. It was well after midnight and the single pot light over the door concealed her in the shadows.
He jumped when she spoke. “Hi Jack.”
He turned to her and she saw his eyes narrow. “What the fuck are you doing up?”
She took a sip of wine, trying to keep the turmoil in her stomach from her voice. It angered her that his greeting was so hostile after so many days of his absence. “I’m taking a day off tomorrow.” The words sounded too defensive. She sat up a little straighter and added, “I thought you wouldn’t mind if I stayed up late and slept in a bit.”
