Control: Power Series #3

by Victoria Woods

  “Oh, right. The new liquor distributors?” She bobbed her head up and down as if remembering her husband mentioning it to her.

  “Yeah. Shyam stayed back to tie up some loose ends. You know him. Workaholic.”

  She chuckled. “I’m no better,” she said, waving her hands around her new empire. She was a better leader of this company than either Shyam or I had ever been.

  “You’re the only one who’s free as a bird now,” she joked.

  “Hey. I resent that. My shift doesn’t start until after midnight.” That was when the underworld woke up and the bad men slinked in the guise of night, making the world that she and Claire lived in go round. The villains controlled everything. No. Scratch that. I controlled everything.

  “About that…did you tell Claire what you do for a living yet?” She glared at me expectantly with her delicate eyebrow raised, as if I should somehow have been intimidated by her. The idea of me fearing Amelia made me laugh inside. She was fierce but not nearly as frightening as I could be when pushed to my limit.

  “What? No way in hell am I telling her that.” How could I? Hi, Claire. Just wanted to tell you that I’m a drug kingpin. Now, bend over so I can get to that ass. Sure, that approach worked on some women, but Claire was classier than that. And she didn’t scare easily, so she’d probably knee me in the balls and pepper spray me if I told her the truth.

  Disbelief on her face, she continued, “So, you’re just planning to keep her in the dark?”

  “Yup,” I replied, offering no explanation.

  “Jai.” Her voice turned serious. I recognized that tone. Here we go again with the intervention. “How will you ever have a fulfilling life if you continue with the business? We love you and want you to be safe. Your niece and nephew need you around for a long time.”

  “Don’t use them to guilt me,” I warned. She knew Meena and Dylan were my weakness and that I’d do anything for them, so it wasn’t fair of her to throw them into this.

  “I’m not using them. But what happens when Uncle Jai doesn’t come home one day because he pissed off the wrong person? How would I explain that to them?” She fought back tears as she continued to stare me straight in the eye.

  My throat tightened with guilt thinking of my niece and nephew crying for me. I swallowed to clear the feeling away, but it didn’t help one bit.

  “And now you’re bringing Claire into this. You can’t have an honest relationship if you keep this from her. You should at least tell her if you’re not going to quit dealing.”

  “It’s not a relationship.” It was more like an addiction.

  “You’ve been stuck on the same girl for over a week. Don’t bullshit me.” She pointed at me, looking more and more like my mother as the days passed—if Mom had sported red hair and freckles of course.

  “What happened to innocent Amelia? You’ve really developed a foul mouth since being with my brother.” I crossed my arms over my chest and angled my body away from her. “Such a bad influence.”

  “You’re the bad influence,” she teased.

  “In that case, are you sure you want me to settle down with Claire? Wouldn’t I just be a bad influence on her too?” Claire was so young, yet her soul was so much older. It was one of the things that intrigued me the most about her. She was nothing like the twenty-one-year-olds that came to our parties. She understood pain and struggle and didn’t take small things for granted. She held her head high despite not having much money and no family. She was a queen, and God, didn’t I want to be her subject?

  Though I was intensely attracted to her, it was still not enough to start something long-term. Like most encounters with women, this too would run its course and I would soon move on. She had called me out on my game, leaving me stunned. I liked that she was difficult because it was even more satisfying getting her to bend to my wishes. I enjoyed the challenge of breaking her shell, and that was the probably the reason she had held my interest for this long.

  “You’re being a dick,” Amelia scolded, with fire in her usually serene eyes. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. Open yourself up. The walls that you’ve built are just going to hurt you and leave you to die alone.”

  “I won’t be alone. I’ll have you guys.” I flashed my most charming smile. I knew how to captivate someone, even her, in two seconds flat.

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head at me, irritated that my magic was softening her.

  “Come on. I’ll give you a ride,” I said, standing up and checking my watch for the time. “Let’s meet up with your husband for dinner somewhere?”

  “Sure.” She grinned. “Let me text him and tell the nanny to put the kids down for bed.” She typed out her messages on her phone, before grabbing her purse and the flowers.

  I followed her out of the office, hitting the lights on the way out.

  Chapter XIII

  Claire

  Class had been particularly grueling today. My seven-to-nine-year-old group was more exhausting than usual. The girls had an attitude every time I asked for their focus. When they regained enough composure to listen to my instruction, their form was completely off. It must have been a full moon or something because these wildlings were untamable.

  I was elated to soak in a shower, though it would be lukewarm at best, and slide into bed early, finally putting an end to this exhausting day. The TV was on, but I barely paid attention to whatever rom com was playing for the hundredth time on the stolen cable box that came with apartment. Instead, I stared at my phone waiting for him to call.

  Jai had texted me this morning to check in while I was rushing to get to my first lesson of the day. I couldn’t give him the amount of regard I wanted to, but he hadn’t seemed to be put off by my curtness.

  Images from the night before sent goosebumps spreading like wildfire over my skin. The command he wielded on my body was unlike anything I had ever felt before. Coming under him, fully dressed, was an entirely new experience to me. Before him, I had only been able to reach orgasm if I was on top, controlling the pace. Relinquishing that control to someone who so expertly compelled my body to submit thrilled me and scared me at the same time. If he hadn’t laid into me about the safety of my neighborhood, I probably would have invited him up to ride him sans vêtements. Without clothes.

  The blankness of my phone screen in no way reflected the chaos of thoughts in my head. Maybe he was blowing me off. Had I read too much into our connection? He had seemed genuinely interested in me this morning, so I never questioned his promise to call. But the longer my phone remained silent, the more doubt clawed its way into my consciousness.

  Eerily enough, my phone lit up suddenly. Though, the caller wasn’t who I had hoped it would be.

  “Hi, Amelia.” It was odd for her to be calling me so late at night. Our friendship was growing, but I wouldn’t have said we were close enough for her to be calling me after dinnertime. “How are you?”

  “Claire. Jai’s been in an accident.”

  My heart lurched in my chest. “What?!”

  “The car who tailgated us. Our car flipped over. There was a crash. Glass everywhere.” Her voice was shaky, and her sentences barely made any sense to me with how fast she was spitting them out.

  The pounding of my heart in my ears did nothing to help my comprehension either. “Wait. Slow down. I don’t understand.”

  “God, I’m sorry.” She took a huge breath on the other end, then exhaled into the phone, causing the line to momentarily fill with static. When she resumed, she enunciated her words carefully, like she was afraid her voice would start up in a panic again. “I was with him in his car when we noticed another car getting too close. Before we could react, we veered off the road and our car flipped over. Jai unfastened his belt and threw his body over mine to shield me from the glass from the shattered windows.”

  Mon dieu. Oh God. “Are you
hurt? Is Shyam with you?”

  I heard her breath waiver, like she was about to panic again. “Yes, he’s at the hospital with me. I’m okay. Shaken up, but okay.”

  Relief washed over me temporarily, until I thought of Jai. “Where is Jai?”

  Her voice broke again, the tears that fell causing her voice to shake. “He’s been unconscious ever since they pulled him out of the car. We’re in the waiting room now waiting to hear from the doctor.”

  “Which hospital?” I bit back my own tears that threatened to fall.

  “Manhattan. Mount Sinai.”

  Merde. The anxiety of being so far away rattled my insides. “I’m at home. It’ll take me at least a half hour to get there.”

  “I figured you were home by now, so Shyam had Jai’s driver to come get you. He remembers where you live.”

  “Wasn’t his driver with you guys when all of this happened?” I asked.

  “No, Jai was driving.” I could sense something that sounded like regret emanate from her voice.

  “Shit.” This was worse than I’d thought. Visions of Jai unconscious with glass protruding from his skin and blood drenching his clothes suffocated me just like when I found Maman dead in a pool of her own blood. I had already lost her, and I couldn’t lose Jai like this too.

  Voices could be heard in the background. They sounded deep, like they belonged to men—one of them probably belonged to Shyam. “The car should be there in about fifteen minutes,” she said.

  “Thank you,” I replied gratefully. “Text me as soon as you get any updates, please.”

  “I will. I know he’ll want you to be here when he wakes up.”

  I pressed my hand to my chest, willing the ache to stop. “I want to be there too.”

  I hung up with her before jumping hastily off the bed. I was in a sleep shirt and a pair of panties, so I grabbed the nearest sweatpants I could find and shoved my legs through them. I threw on a chunky sweater over my shirt to hide the fact that I was going braless. Grabbing my bag and keys, I ran out the door to wait for the car.

  Forty-five minutes later, I finally reached the hospital. Amelia was free of any apparent scratches or bruises but was in a state of emotional wreck. She was still traumatized as she fiddled with her fingers and shook her legs to release her anxiety through movement. Shyam sat next to her, his face tense with strain as he firmly gripped her arm, probably to ease his own panic at almost losing his wife.

  Another man sat on the other side of Amelia. He was big and very muscular, like he was in the military. Though, his face wasn’t as intimidating as his body was. In fact, he seemed to be the calmest person of the three as he sipped on a small paper cup of coffee.

  I took a seat in the corner of the waiting room to give them their space as we waited for any news. Although no one spoke, I didn’t want to intrude on the emotions that surrounded Jai’s loved ones.

  After what felt like an eternity, the doctor suddenly walked through the double doors dressed in navy-blue scrubs and a matching cap. He was rather young for having completed all the years of schooling that were required for surgeons. I imagined he was in his late twenties or early thirties. Skin dark and smooth peppered with stubble on his chin only added to his attractiveness. His stature was one of confidence, making me feel relieved that he had tended to Jai.

  “Mr. Sethi? I’m Dr. Williams.” I heard a distinct accent when he addressed us, but I couldn’t quite place it. Somewhere from the Caribbean?

  Shyam stood up with the rest of us following his lead. “How is he?” he asked impatiently.

  Dr. Williams met Shyam at eye-level since he was just as tall. “Other than a couple of scratches that will heal on their own and bruised ribs, he’ll be fine.”

  I let out an exhale so large that it felt like I had been holding that breath in since Amelia’s phone call hours ago.

  The doctor continued, “He was lucky to make it out of that crash alive.”

  “What took you so long to update us?” Shyam demanded gruffly.

  “Shyam.” Amelia shushed him. “Will he need any extra procedures or physical therapy to recover?” she asked in a grateful tone to compensate for her husband’s outburst.

  The doctor’s eyes flashed from Shyam to Amelia. “We wanted to monitor him to be sure that he didn’t suffer any internal injuries. Until I was sure, I didn’t feel comfortable giving you false reassurance. As for treatment, he’ll need to rest for a few weeks. He can use ice packs to bring down the swelling and I’ll send him home with some medication for the pain. He might experience some discomfort when he breathes, so he should refrain from any strenuous activities until the bruising dissipates.”

  “When can he come home?” Amelia asked.

  “If he remains stable through the night, I am comfortable discharging him tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Can we see him?” the man next to Amelia asked. His voice was soothing yet deep, like a gentle giant.

  The doctor shook his head. “He is currently under from the medication I gave him. Now may not be a good time to visit with him, since he needs to rest.”

  “You’re letting us see him,” Shyam ordered. I jumped a little from his forceful tone.

  Turning to face Shyam head on, Dr. Williams looked less than pleased at the order. “Sir, if you don’t like my rules, you can leave my hospital.” I was in disbelief hearing anyone talk to Shyam that way. He was so intimidating, yet not enough for this doctor to fear him. I glanced at Shyam, who looked like a caged animal ready to attack the moment someone opened the gate.

  The doctor continued, “I’m not comfortable with—”

  “Please, Doctor.” Amelia stepped in front of Shyam, handling the situation in her sweetest voice.

  Dr. Williams looked at her, considering her request. “Five minutes and then you leave.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.” Amelia clutched his hand gratefully. Shyam growled, looking like he was about to rip the doctor to shreds. She released the man’s hand and glared at her husband to behave, which seemed to quiet him down for the time being.

  “Follow me.” Dr. Williams walked to the double doors to lead the way. Everyone followed behind him, except me.

  Realizing I was missing from the group, Amelia looked back to me. “Aren’t you coming, Claire?”

  “No, it’s okay,” I said, shaking my head. “His family should be with him.” I wanted so desperately to run down the hall and find him, but I wasn’t anyone of significance to him, at least not compared to his family. I was just a woman he wanted to hook up with. It wasn’t my place to join them at such a private time.

  She took my hand and led me alongside her. “You’re coming. We need you there, too.”

  We walked down the empty hallway until the doctor stopped in front of the room. We filed in silently, letting only the beeping from the machines fill the air with sound. The room was mostly dark, with one side lamp dimly illuminating Jai’s figure on the bed.

  He lay perfectly still with his eyes closed as he slept. The slow rise and fall of his chest had me thanking God for the miracle in front of me.

  Shyam’s exhale was audible as he stood frozen in his spot. The sight of his brother had no doubt pierced his heart. I hardly knew Jai yet, and I knew this Sethi brother even less, but the strength of their bond was evident with how he looked at his injured brother—like the scene before him injured him too.

  Sniffles sounded next to Shyam. Amelia’s small shoulders were shaking as she tried to control her crying. Her husband wrapped her into his arms and brought her to his chest, allowing her to release her emotions in the safety of his embrace.

  The other man in the room with us walked slowly over to Jai. Taking hold of his hand in his, he examined Jai’s face as though to ensure he was really alive. He gave Jai’s hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

  I stood there staring at Jai, in sh
ock at seeing this strong man in a hospital gown and with an IV in his arm. I was expecting him to wake up suddenly and crack a wise remark to piss one of us off and then flash his captivating smile to make us forget his smart mouth.

  “You should all go home and get some rest,” said the man next to Jai. “I can stay with him.”

  “No. I want to be here when he wakes up,” Shyam barked, any sorrow he had shown a moment ago gone. I couldn’t figure out why he was so angry. Maybe it was some sort of irrational reaction to seeing his brother hurt. People reacted differently when faced with death.

  “You heard what the doctor said.” The man placed his hand gently Shyam’s chest to get him to back down. “I’ll stay and message you when he’s up.”

  I stepped closer to the bed. “I’d like to stay. Please.” My voice was small compared those of the men in the room, but it didn’t shake or waiver.

  Everyone stared at me in surprise, making me feel more unsure of my request. Perhaps it was out of place for me to stay here instead of his family, but I knew I wouldn’t sleep well knowing he was here all night. “I mean…if that’s okay. You’re his family, so I don’t want to overstep, but I really would like to stay.”

  Amelia approached me, her eyes red and puffy. Holding my hands in hers, she managed a weak smile. “Of course. You have my number. Please update us if anything happens.”

  “I will.” I squeezed her hand. She pulled me into a quick hug.

  Shyam still seemed too upset to say anything, but he nodded his approval.

  The other man approached me with a soft smile on his face. “I’m not leaving, but I’ll be in the waiting room if you need me.”

  I nodded before he stepped out of the room.