Saturdays at the Viper Rooms

by Kirsty-Anne Still

  My gaze is set firmly on the panic button and I want to press it and get help. I haul my protesting body across the room, using the bed as firm support. As soon as I’m within reach of the button I throw my arm out, not caring about the pain it thrusts up my side. The moment my palm hits the circular shape I hope the alarms shriek to life, but, just in case, I hit it again and again. I know one of the guards who watch the rooms for these moments will see the light flashing in an irregular sequence.

  That’s when all becomes silent within the room. I hear the water stop running and I’m frozen into submission as the door flies open. Clive comes out just as I begin to fall to the ground and I meet his gaze. Immediately I see the menacing monster that took advantage of his time with me and I cower. I close my eyes, wishing I were anywhere else but here. When I open them again, he is still stood before me, eyes watching me with solidified intent. He's void of all emotion besides the sparkle of evil that sits behind the blue lenses.

  I don't know how long someone will take to get here, but I hope it’s soon as I am picked up from the floor by a hand wrapping around my throat and I'm thrown into the nearest wall.

  The last thing I remember is what he says as he steps in behind my slumped body, his hands grabbing me once more.

  "I've still got time," he whispers confidently into my ear and I whimper in fear. "I'm going to have fun with you."

  Chapter Sixteen

  When I wake up again I can hear the beep and murmur of a heart monitor and recognize it as my own. My mind quickly computes that I am in a hospital and evidently safe. As my heart slowly continues beating, it echoes beside me not even a second after. I try to forget about everything, but the rush of pain through my body reminds me what happened. I try to breathe through the pain, but it’s impossible. As I strive for a distraction, I force my eyes open only now noticing I’m not alone. My heart begins to pump harder as fear eclipses all other senses. My mind is telling me it’s Clive, but the voice that penetrates right into those dark recesses of my memories and irrationalities is one that sets the record straight.

  "Hey there, love of my life," Jace's soft, sweet tone plays over the sound of the heart monitor.

  I want to revel in him being here, but I can’t. It’s too dangerous, and after what happened, I can’t tolerate another round in the pit – or another round of beatings. I wouldn’t survive. So instead of embracing Jace, I turn away, trying to move away from him on the bed. But he stops me.

  “Hey, Joely, it’s okay,” he fights me and I stop, not wanting to resist him being here. “Eli is standing guard. I’m not leaving until I have to.”

  I take a deep breath, trying to steel myself for the veracity of everything. "What are you doing here?" I ask I really am happy he's here, but we could be caught and that matter concerns me. I have to close my eyes suddenly as my own voice exacerbates my headache.

  "Don't worry about that," he tells me, keeping his voice so low and gentle it barely affects the pounding in my head. He must have known. "Just rest up and know, for a little while yet, Eli and I are watching over you."

  "Okay," I whisper, turning my own voice down a few octaves. "My head hurts." It's a broad statement and a bit of an understatement. The whole of me hurts and I remember the reason why I am. "What happened to him?"

  Jace smiles, and although it was to reassure me that the client behind this had been dealt with, I know it brings to life the realism of our own deceitful situation. "He's floating down the Delaware River right now. Apparently, after you were found, Clara had you brought in, all while she ordered her men to make sure he never breathed again." I see Jace’s pained expression as he reaches for my hand. “I’m sorry this happened, Joely.”

  I immediately see what path Jace has taken while I’ve been unconscious in front of him and it’s not one I want him to take. “It’s not your fault,” I try to ease his mind and find myself tearing up. “You didn’t ask him to do this.”

  “No, but I asked you to do your job!” His voice is sharper this time and I wince as it penetrates my headache. “I’m sorry, so sorry. God, Joely, I’m so sorry. I’m just so angry.” His apology isn’t wasted, but it doesn’t help me right now. I need him, but I don’t need him here blaming himself for something he never could have seen coming.

  “Stop,” I tell him, my voice barely carries, ruined by Clive’s attempt to strangle the life from me and I close my eyes as they water. I don’t want him to see me so weak and disgraceful, but it’s going to happen. I want to be the Joely who holds her head high, but I’ve lost her. She’s not in grasping distance and I need her more than ever. I take a deep breath, my chest expanding and bringing with it pain, but I need to find some part of me to fight, or I lose it forever. “Just stop, please.” I finish my plea by breaking down into tears as the enormity of everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours hits me full throttle.

  “How can I?” he asks me gravely and a glum expression deepens onto his beautiful face. He looks to me and the sober look in his eyes is chilling and unforgettable. “You’re hurt and after I told you to be a Viper Girl” He runs a hand over his face as he sits back in his chair. “If I hadn’t hav-”

  And I blow. The more I listen to him, I feel myself ready to explode. I can’t listen to this, I can’t tolerate it and I won’t. Jace isn’t this pathetic man he’s been driven too. He doesn’t wallow and pity himself ever, and I won’t let him start now.

  “No!” I scream, and my ribs protest and my heart monitor begins to show the crazed sequence of my heartbeat. “I knew what he was like the moment I met him, Jace! I knew from the way he looked at me at that party and held me that he was bad news, but I stupidly wanted to cover my tracks with my boss to make sure I didn’t endanger your life because it means far more to me than my own now!” I watch him, he looks like I’ve sucker punched him, but I’m only intent on making him see how important he is to me. “I love you so damn much that I walked right into his plan and you dare to sit there and play the blame game. I would rather find myself here a thousand times over than find out she’s had you killed.”

  “But it kills me to see you here,” he cuts my hell bent summation off, his tone is soft again. There aren’t any hidden undertones to it, or ragged edge of anger and culpability. He’s just a man wounded by seeing the woman he loves so fragile and hurt. “Joely, when Eli rang me to tell me you were being rushed to hospital, my heart stopped. I had to somehow get news on you without being caught. And when I was able to come in here to you, I felt like my world was crashing down around me.” His eyes are watering now; his grief over the entire situation has finally come to its peak and is about to spill out. “No one has even made me feel like that and I hope no one but you get me in a chokehold like this.”

  “Jace,” I begin and stretch out my arm to him. He takes it, and his touch is so starkly different to Clive’s, that it restores my belief in trusting someone. I was worried that maybe I would never be able to deal with someone’s touch, but Jace aids my recovery instantly. “Lay with me.” It’s a small request, but it’s one I crave. “I don’t want to think about why I’m here, just that you’re here with me.”

  “Okay,” he whispers his compliance. He stands up to climb onto the bed and allows me to get comfortable beside him. I should be more worried about my recovery – I haven’t asked how bad I am after all! – but I can’t help but feel for Jace. He told me to do my job, I did, and I wind up a beaten mess in a hospital room.

  I close my eyes as he begins to kiss into my hair and I know I am now safe. Before I guessed it, but now I know, without any reasonable doubt, there is no safer place on this earth than in Jace’s arms. I feel myself begin to drift off, hoping that sleep will kill the pains in me, and with Jace’s gentleness and beating heart, I can feel sleep coming to me far easier than before.

  “Sorry.” I open my eyes to see a nurse walking into the room. “You’re due some new meds.” I feel Jace sit up and I grab his hand for him to not move too far. “How
are you feeling? The doctor will be happy you’re awake,” she rambles in a polite tone and I can see how she tries her hardest to keep her eyes off Jace.

  “I’m okay,” I fib and Jace squeezes my hand to tell the truth. “But the pain is getting really bad in my ribs.”

  She bubbles to life, sickeningly too happy to be able to drug me apparently. “Well it’s a good thing I’ve brought your new round of pain killers.” I watch the nurse inject my IV and she gives me a caring smile. “That’ll kick in soon. It’ll make you drowsy.”

  I nod and cannot wait for the pain relief to wrap itself around my veins and drag the pain away. I hear Jace shift a little as he drops down into his seat and when I turn my head, I see him just watching me intently.

  “I’m not going to disappear,” I quip tiredly, my level of reassurance isn’t doing too well right now, but I hope it’s convincing.

  “You nearly did,” he comments solemnly. “It was close. If they had gotten there a few minutes later I dread to think what would have happened.”

  “I’m still here,” I reassure him. I know this is a difficult and scary time for Jace and he can’t be by my side at all times, but he needs to realize that we have to work passed this. “Isn’t that what matters?” I ask him and he give me a small nod. It’s not massively convincing, but it’s believable that he is finally starting to pull away from his wallowing pit.

  “Hey Gilbert,” Eli speaks from the door, breaking the moment, and I turn my head to face him. “You gave us all a scare there.”

  I look over and mouth I’m sorry, but frown when I see his hand wrapped in a white bandage. “What happened to your hand?” I ask him and I loathe how weak and pathetic my voice sounds.

  “He got to do the job I wanted,” Jace sneers unhappily, but he doesn’t mean the comment at Eli, I can tell there isn’t an ounce of animosity between the two of them.

  Eli chuckles and looks to his hand, giving me a shrug. “I got the first punch. The moment Benson yelled out that your room was ringing up an alert, Clara thought it was you doing what you did the other night, but when I followed them, no one was ready to find you like that.” Eli looked down and I could tell what they saw at the club was nothing to be desired. “I lost it the moment I saw him laying into you, Joely.”

  “I don’t remember anything after he kicked me in my stomach,” I fret, striving to drag the memory up, but after the first few blows to my abdomen it all hazes into a total blank.

  “You won’t,” Eli comments emotionless. “You never woke up between us finding you and getting you to the hospital. I wish you had seen Clara’s face.” He laughs, but it’s mirthless and I can tell he’s trying to make me feel better. “I think she saw her club falling apart around her. Surely, this has to be the one thing that frees us all.”

  “It won’t,” I regrettably tell him. “The person behind it is dead, there’s no evidence, and I’m pretty sure she weaved a very detailed account of what happened to me to my doctors.” I can see Eli’s face darken on me and I sigh and immediately regret it as the pain smarts across my ribcage, shooting right around into my back. “Shit,” I ground out and wish the morphine would just numb everything. I’ve overdone it between verbally bitch slapping Jace back into the man I fell for and trying to keep myself from feeling feeble and frail.

  “Joely,” Jace frets, standing up, grabbing my hand in his.

  “I’m fine,” I lie as a tear courses down my face, leaving a well-marked trace down my bruised cheek.

  “Don’t lie,” Jace tells me in a reprimanding tone and I squeeze my eyes shut as the pain disperses again. “Open your eyes, gorgeous,” he commands me lightly, his voice delicate on my ears and I obey. “Do you want me to go and get a doctor?” he asks me, the same tone used to deliver the question and I shake my head no. “Don’t play the martyr, Joely. That bastard did a lot of damage.”

  “He’s right,” Eli agrees, pushing me to just accept help.

  “No, I’m okay,” I lie again, I don’t want anything taking either Jace or Eli from me right now. “I’ve been given morphine, it’ll work soon.” It has to. I know this will be a slow recovery, but I’m ready to start it away from this place.

  “I know you hate it here,” Jace starts to say as he sits himself on the edge of the bed. He knows my biggest hates, and he knows how much I despise hosptials them since the car crash. “But you need to be here right now, so accept the help and support while you have it.”

  I grab his hand tightly. “I have it.” I don’t need drugs and doctors to get me through this. I just need to know I’m supported and when I am discharged that I will have someone to look after me and fix me when I stumble. “It’s working,” I tell them. I can feel the edges of pain being taken away, so I know it’s only a matter of time before I sink under the narcotic induced slumber that will kidnap the pain and keep me from suffering.

  “It better be,” he playfully replies and I know he’s calling me out, but he won’t push me. “We are changing our plans.” I look to him, my concern gaining momentum over what exactly he is changing. "I don't care what happens. I am never giving my slots up to keep Delvine off our backs. Twice now I have and you've ended up hurt in some way. I won't be the cause of that when playing it normal is keeping you safe."

  “No,” I argue back and shake my head. I stop, when my head pounds with the movement. “We have to keep her from guessing.” I don’t dare say I think she has already, and now the morphine in my system is wrapping around every blood cell pulsating around me faster than ever, I can feel myself giving up on staying awake.

  “Just sleep,” Eli steps in, his hand taking mine on the other side. “Jace and I will have it sorted.”

  ***

  I groan as I wake up and immediately I look around to the left of the room – where Jace last was - to find myself alone. There isn’t anything to tell me Jace is still here and my heart sinks. I want him more than anything in the world.

  “Joely?” I hear from my right side and turn my head to be met with Brianna’s blood shot eyes. “God, girl, I’ve been scared witless all night.”

  “Bree,” I croak, my voice dry and pained. I shift a little to get comfortable, but just erupt all of the pains in me.

  “Don’t move so much, Lee,” she scolds me as she stands up to come to my aid. She plumps the pillow around me and then sits herself heavily on my bed. “I can’t believe he did this.” She states as she pushes a piece of hair out of my face to reveal the harsh bruising.

  I can feel how swollen my face is, how cut and bruised it is as well. I don’t need a mirror; I can sense how ugly he made me as a reaction to his need for power. I still don’t know the extent of my injuries and have no idea how long I’ll be here, but I can tell already The Viper Rooms are out of the question entirely.

  “Clara’s revoked her new client rule for the moment. Everyone’s really shook up over it all,” she alerts me and again I wonder what’s with Clara and her worry for our safety that she’s changing her ways and plans. “We get our old clients back and take on new ones in our own time. Of course, that’s on a probationary period until she decides otherwise, but she’s sticking by it.”

  “Not for long,” I laugh dryly and finally find myself more aware of everything around me. Before I seemed to be in a cloud, a fog of my trauma. I could focus on Jace and Eli, but everything around it was insignificant to me. I didn’t look nor care for it. Now I seem to be thinking clearly and seeing clearly, and everything screams Clara’s doings.

  My room is a yellow color, not too overpowering, almost darkened to a paled mustard hue. It’s calming and relaxing, which is probably what they were after. The bed I’m stuck in is large, much larger than what I remember them to be, and I’m smothered in wires and tubes. I feel swallowed and trapped, but I know they’re all serving a purpose besides aggravating me. I’m mostly aware of the tube propped under my nose, supplying me with oxygen and the IV fixed firmly to the back of my hand.

  “We can hope,” she o
ptimizes and I know she’s trying to make this easier. It’ll be a big step going back to work and my room – whenever that is – but I know I’ll have the support there I need to survive it.

  “Oh,” a new voice pops into the room. “I was told you didn’t have any visitors.”

  “Mr. Mason,” Brianna says as she stands up to welcome Jace into the room. “What are you doing here?” She looks to me and my face is smothered in utter horror at him being here. I know she’ll take this wrong, but I’m terrified this will get him caught. “Joely isn’t up for visitors right now.”

  I roll my eyes behind Brianna and laugh. “Bree, it’s fine.” I watch as she twists on the spot to look at me and I swipe my hand in the air to make her move. When she does I see Jace standing before me in a black pinstripe suit, looking ready for work. “What are you doing here, Mr. Mason?” I ask and look to the bouquet of flowers in his hands – once again he’s brought nothing but my favorites. “And with flowers.”

  He clears his throat, looking uneasy on his feet before us. He’s caught in a moment of terror I can tell and he had to think fast or get caught out. “I received a phone call this morning to tell me your shifts have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. When I asked why, I was told you were in the hospital. I thought I would pay a visit and tell you I hope you get better soon.”

  I feel the heat rush into my cheeks as a blush forms. “Thank you,” I reply meekly and there’s something about this public charade that feels me with a sense of exhilaration. It’s so abundantly clear to me what’s going on, but Brianna is oblivious, and I know I have to keep her in the dark. “It’s a lovely gesture.”

  “That’s okay. You’re my favorite girl.” His eyes light up as he speaks that and I feel like I did that first day we met. The world falls away from around us and it’s just him and me for a millisecond. He then shakes away the heaven on earth and takes back to being my client. “Well, I guess I best get back to work.” He hands Brianna the flowers with a smile and gives me an awkward smile. “I hope you get better soon. Whoever is behind this deserves to pay.”