“He has already!” Brianna chirps out as she looks over the flowers and Jace takes his leave. I relax into my pillows, my body losing its tension. “If I was in the hospital I would love a man like him bringing me flowers too!” Brianna gushes as she looks at the colorful hues in the bunch. “If only we could date clients, I would totally be in that man’s bed.”
I pale at the thought and feel my thoughts close up. I close my eyes. I can barely think of sex right now without my body screaming in protest, let alone imagine Brianna in bed with the man I love.
“Joely?” Brianna’s voice hardens with concern for what she’s said to me.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “I’m really not up for those conversations.” I flash my gaze onto her, worried about how she will be with me. “After last night that is.” I gulp back my jealousy and just become quiet.
“Oh no!” she gasps in absolute horror. “I should’ve thought. I’m so stupid when I want to be and I don’t know what to say or do to make you feel better.”
I can see how scared she is to be here. Hell, I’d be clueless if my best friend was in my spot. “Look, just be you,” I pause before finishing, “But without the dirtiness for the moment. As much as I love it, and your sense of humor, my body can’t keep up or deal with it right now.”
“You want me to be serious?” she asks me, changing her entire demeanor on me and I nod. “I fell in love with a client.” The admittance is fresh out of her lips followed by a loud groan. She then starts to cry, burning through so many emotions, I swear it’s like looking at a recording of myself confessing to loving Jace. “I didn’t mean for it to happen and we haven’t been seeing each other like every day outside of work, but we’ve gone for a few dates.” She then focuses on me, the fear and trepidation of her own situation takes over. “Joely, help me. What do I do?”
“You fell for a client?” I ask her, my voice barely audible. She nods as tears fall down her face and I feel this overwhelming yearn to tell her about Jace, but I bite down on my urge. Just because Brianna has confessed doesn’t mean I am ready to follow her lead. I love Brianna, but there are some things that cannot be trusted.
“Hook, line and sinker,” she cries lowly. “I didn’t mean to, but how can we not fall for men like we get? He was perfect and tended to me while I did my job. He cared for me, Joely, can you believe that?”
“You can’t breathe a word outside of this room about it.” I have no other friendly advice but the one I’ve been living – total privacy. “You won’t be in The Viper Rooms forever, but you can’t jeopardize your standing. You saw what happened to me for one moment of hesitation. I hate to know what will happen if anyone gets wind of this.”
“You aren’t going to tell?” she asks me and I see her entire face tighten with confusion.
“No,” I breathe out. “Why would I?” I’m playing both devil’s advocate and hypocrite right now, but I’m making my alliance with Brianna strengthen. If she’s being truthful, she’s going to need me by her side.
“Because then you’d be the head girl. The one and only that is.” I shoot her look of stern annoyance at that comment. Who does she think I am? I see my behavior hit her hard and she lets her shoulders slump. “Okay, okay, that was a below the belt comment. You’re really not going to snitch?”
“Never,” I tell her truthfully. Even if she had told me this outside of the hospital, I would have been the same. She’s my closest friend and we’re all living the same imprisonment. “We’ll get through this,” I admit and take her hand, “Together.” She gives me a small smile and the silence beckons upon us.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Brianna breaks into my silent surveying. “But I do know that I will be watching you like a hawk.”
“That won’t be necessary, Brianna dear.”
Both Brianna and I look to the door and we see Clara flanked by Shad’s and a new guard. We both look at one another and I pray she didn’t hear anything that we said to one another. I would hate for anything to happen to Brianna.
“Joely will be going away to get better,” Clara begins to say and comes into the room further and sets her Louis Vuitton bag upon the table at the end of my bed. “I’ve spoken to your doctor and he said you got lucky.”
“I don’t feel it,” I grumble as I push myself up. I regret it, but I can’t just lie still, it isn’t in my nature to do so. “Did he give a potential release date?”
She gives me a slick smile. “He doesn’t know yet. There was a lot of abdominal damage they have to monitor.” She then comes around the side of my bed and sits on the edge, as far away from me as possible. “Now, we were discussing what will happen to you upon your release. I’m willing to send you to a spa to recuperate if you like, or you can just go back to your apartment. We also thought about you going away for a little while.”
“What about work?” I dare to ask. I won’t mention Jace coming by.
“Well, we’ve contacted all your clients and you’re on paid leave until you’re better.” She smiles slickly at me and I know she’s just waiting to spew caring bullshit on me. “But the thing is, I can’t have you near the club, well any of the clubs to be fair, until you are healed. I can’t have potential and current clients seeing one of my girls battered and bruised. Imagine the uproar of that!” She cackles as she says that and I smile uncomfortably and my self-esteem plummets. I had felt the damage, but clearly nothing would prepare me for the real thing. “Men won’t touch you with a ten foot pole and I don’t expect them too. They want perfection and, right now, Joely, you aren’t looking your best.”
“That’s hardly her fault!” Brianna jumps in to argue my side of this. “If you hadn’t tried to change the wa-”
“Ah!” Clara shuts Brianna up with a flick her hand and a monosyllable word. “Now, how am I to know that my clients have an abusive side? He knew that the contract prohibits him from laying a finger on my girls like that, but if he wants to do that then how I can possibly stop him behind a locked door?”
“Leave it, Bree,” I murmur and knew there would be no justice for me in this. “We didn’t know he would do this to me.”
“Exactly.” Clara looks pleased with my submission to her claims.
“Sorry to interrupt, I just need to check up on Miss. Gilbert’s progress.” I now see my doctor standing in the doorway, looking tiny in comparison to Clara’s personal gargoyles. I’m hoping this means this conversation will end and I’ll have some peace, but you can never tell what Clara really wants until she gets it.
“No, that’s more than okay doctor. We were actually just leaving,” Clara speaks clearly, acting as the caring woman. “Joely, dear, rest up and I’ll visit before you leave to see what your plans will be.”
How do I tell her clearly that I’ll be locked up in Jace’s penthouse until I’m no longer looking like a monster?
I don’t. I just smile and allow her to leave taking her guards and Brianna with her. What she doesn’t know simply doesn’t hurt her – or me.
Chapter Seventeen
“Is this safe?” Eli asks as he stands by the open door to his car. He looks so full of dreaded apprehension that I want to wrap my arms around him and shake it out of him. Except I’m afraid to think who would come off worse from doing that – him or me.
He and Jace took my bags from Eli’s car and then put into the trunk of Jace’s, ready to for me to escape for a few weeks. Jace has organized it to look like he is going away on business, but will be making a few trips to The Viper Rooms to make it seem like he isn’t just after my affection. I have no idea where Jace is taking me, but apparently, we’re going to disappear for the next few days.
“Do you really think I’m going to let anything happen to her?” Jace asks as he walks up behind Eli. Both of them have spent three nights in my hospital room and in my apartment getting ready for me to escape.
“Clara thinks I’m going back to Florida to just enjoy some time there alone.”
“With th
e occasional visit from me that is,” Eli adds the all-important comment and I laugh. “Okay, I’ll keep you updated on the viper’s moves.”
Settled by the thought, I twist around slowly in my seat and begin to force my tender body from the car. Eli steps in immediately and helps me out of his SUV’s passenger seat. He breaks the fall a little, but every shudder and jump my body feels, I feel like I’m going to collapse under the weight of the pain. He stoically holds me until Jace takes over and then he merely rushes past me to get the door.
I really want him to find a girl perfect for him. He’s one of the good guys. I knew it the moment I met him. He deserves absolute happiness. I know had I not met Jace, I probably would have given into the flirtation and affection. But I believe fate intervened and my heart has never beaten more fiercely than since the first touch Jace gave me.
I’m not incapable of walking on my own, but both men have seen how unsteady I am. The way they have rallied around for me is out of this world and I feel awful for abandoning Eli like this. But what else can I do? The thought of going to the club has me iron cast in fear, one so bad it draws a cold sweat and I start to hyperventilate. Once before that place was my home from home, presented to me in a pretty little box, but over the past few months, it’s started to lose its allure. It’s darkly seductive, strewn with demons so evil you’ll never leave the same person.
“Hey,” Jace coos into my ear as I noticeably freeze. “What’s wrong?”
Shaking my head, I drag myself from the tortuous cell I’ve cast myself into and find the set of amazingly blue eyes tortured by my frightful demeanor. “I-I’m fine,” I tell him as convincingly as I can possibly can. “Just got caught up in my own head.”
“Your inner monologue is scary,” Jace jokes as he finally gets me walking again. Before he looked away I saw the icy fear melt from the orbs in his eyes and he reverted back to the calm, collected, fun Jace he was when he stepped out of his Audi no more than ten minutes ago. “It makes you much too quiet for my liking.” He leans in closer to my ear, making sure his comment is out of earshot from Eli. “I only like you this silent on my terms.”
The thought of that courses down my spine. It’s foreign to me, but a long time coming. Since the attack a few days ago, every sexual inclination and innuendo has had me running with alarm. My body isn’t physically attractive and it’s certainly not ready to be touched like that. Every time I drew away from Jace I panicked it was me ruining what we had created, that my disinterest would be the biggest murderer, but his persistence has revived me.
“Stop with the lovey dovey mushy crap,” Eli breaks the moment by playfully pretending to puke. It makes me and Jace both laugh and hurry ourselves. “Now before I let you go, I want a hug.”
“I’m not going forever.” I go to him and he hugs me gently. “And plus, we have plans for you to babysit me when Jace isn’t around to do so.”
“Six days and counting,” he responds and lets go of me. “Now go, because otherwise you’ll get cranky if you’re in a car too long and without pills, and two hours is a long time for you to sit still.”
“Oh, two hours? So where are we going?” I quiz Jace who remains quiet on the matter. I look to Eli who’s sniggering and gasp. “You know?” I cannot believe they’ve concocted this between them.
Jace just gives me that crooked grin of his, but doesn’t elaborate on our secret destination. “You’ll find out in two hours, Lee.”
I finally listen and gingerly get into Jace’s car. It’s not an easy feat and the drop in doesn’t bode well on my body, but once I’m seated and belted in, I find myself finally relaxing properly for the first time in days and my body thanks me. I look out the window as the door slams shut and wave my goodbye to Eli.
“How you feeling?” he asks me as he climbs in. “I brought some pillows just in case you wanted some comfort.” He goes to reach round for them and I place my hand on his arm stopping him.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I murmur as I let my head swing to the side to look to him. “So, are we going to sit here or are we going to drive? Eli might worry.” I laugh a little at the thought of us all sitting in a deserted parking lot in the middle of next to nowhere. I cock an eyebrow as he just watches me.
“We’re going now,” he tells me and leans in for a kiss. His gentle touch still hurts the cut on my lip, but it’s nowhere as bad as it was. As he pulls back, he starts the engine and I take one last look at Eli before we drive out of the parking lot.
***
We’ve been driving for half an hour and we’ve barely spoken. More so because I feel absolutely wiped out, but it’s been nice to have silence without the static noise of my corrupt life. Just being with Jace like this shows I don’t have a care in the world. I’m off the Viper list for a few weeks. I’m nothing to Clara for just a limited time only. I plan to make every second of it count.
“So,” I pop the silence with the monosyllabic sentence starter. I see Jace loosen his concentration on the road and look to me before looking back. “Are we going to Fire Island?” I ask as we drive a route I recognize. I couldn’t forget how to get to that house on the seafront. It’s one of my happiest memories I have with Jace.
“No,” he replies blandly and I’m caught by the tone. He gives me a quick look before applying his attention back to the road. “Don’t look so disappointed.” He reaches out for my hand, relaxing into the long drive down the highway. “We’ve got all the time in the world to escape to Fire Island.” He lifts my hand, kissing the back of it. I feel the softness of his lips against my skin and the electricity bursts through the nerves surrounding it. “We’re going somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else?” I can’t help but feel quizzical. It’s a part of my nature, I’m a curious being when I want to be and he’s not doing anything to squish it. “So where?”
“The Hamptons.” He responds so casually, as if we frequent there, but I’m silenced to the core. I can’t comprehend how okay he is to take me to one of the most upper class places I have ever dreamt of seeing. He looks to me, quickly looking to the road to look back at me, and then back to the road. He winds up laughing at my shell shocked exterior. “I hate it when you do this.” He’s chuckling at me, but I’m still frozen with astonishment. He hits a bump in the road and I shake from my trance. “So, The Hamptons?”
“Are expensive,” I comment back, not sure what else there is to say on the matter. “Why there?”
“Why not there?” he queries back rhetorically. “Lee, you and I are escaping for a few weeks, I wanted us to be away from the familiar and I have a place, or well my family does, up in The Hamptons and with all that’s happened, I thought it would be a nice change.” His face then filters the fear and I feel awful that I haven’t welcomed the news as warmly as he obviously had anticipated. “If you don’t want to go there I can turn around and we can head to Fire Island.”
His willingness to compromise stops my reeling thoughts dead and I start to see why he’s taking me here. It’s not to lavish me in expenses and riches. It’s to get me away to somewhere nice to recuperate and recover. How can I want for anything else? I’ll be there with Jace, and it’ll be more memories for us to have, and I won’t have to run from the shadows my life as a Viper Girl sheds upon us.
“No, no,” I stop him and blink a few times before staring at him with wide eyes. “I’ve never been there that’s all. I’ve heard stories of it, but I’ve never actually been there. Are you sure it’s not costing too much?”
“It’s a family home, Joely. It’s free.” His witty retort makes me giggle – he has a point, one which I can’t deny. “It’s secluded and perfect for a secret rendezvous with my favorite lady.”
“Fire Island is your property,” I counter, “Therefore, it’s free.”
“But we’ve been there,” he admonishes my claim. “I want more memories with you, Joely. It’s time to make the type of stories we’re going to laugh about when we’re old and grey. The ones we don’t t
ell the grandkids.”
My face reddens at the thought and I know I am off limits for a few more weeks, but the way he spoke, the chemistry stirring between us tells me he’s going to make me feel like the only girl in his world, regardless of the obstacles thrown in our way.
“Now we’ve been driving for over two hours and soon we will be entering The Hampton country, are you ready?” The question hits me and I realize I’m not. This is his family’s home. I’ll be given insight into Jace’s life that I haven’t had before. “And we might not be far from Fire Island, but I have gone the scenic route to make you think we were going there.”
“You went the scenic route?”
He grins deliciously, showing how childish this is going to be. “I went the way to Fire Island to make you think that we were going before I finally took the rest of the way to our actual destination.”
I don’t know why, but I just start laughing. He’s played me, and he’s played me well. It does mean the journey has been elongated, but I have to hand it to him, he’s kept me on my toes.
Once again, he takes my hand as we continue to cruise. “So are you okay with where we’re going or do you want to go somewhere you know?”
I shake my head, for a man who would trick me and surprise me all at once, I wouldn’t change a thing. “Let’s go make those memories.”
***
Soon I’m staring at mansions and palaces as they fly by, the beach sets the scene and the waves crash in before being dragged away. With the blue skies and bright sun, even my imagination couldn’t have sold this dream quite as well.
I’m only pulled out of my astonishment as the car pulls into a lane leading us closer to the beach and then begins to slow. From the car, I can’t see much in the span of the windshield and Jace isn’t letting me excitedly jump from the car to inspect closer as he orders me to just stay put. Swinging the door open, he stands before me, perfectly dressed in casual jeans and a navy t-shirt. He gives me a wicked grin as he leans against the car door.
Saturdays at the Viper Rooms Page 18
