by Harper Cole
Her breathing was fast. Too fast. I pulled back and saw that she was crying.
“Hush now, it’s okay, my queen,” I said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m here.”
She sniffed and I nuzzled at her.
“Come on, now,” I said. “Sit up. Let me get you something to eat.”
“No, let me…”
“Stop.” I pulled her up and reached across to where her tee shirt was discarded on the floor. “Slip this on and stay where you are.”
“But I should…”
“What, make me food? What kind of feminist do you think you are? You’re my submissive but not my bloody slave.”
That made her laugh. “Say that again.”
I stood up and folded my arms, though it was hard to look mean when you were naked and post-coital. I tried anyway. “What kind of feminist do you think you are?”
“No, the other. Bloody. You sound so British.”
“I am so British. So I’m going to make you a proper cup of tea. And I have some biscuits. Sorry. Cookies. I’d make you a sandwich if we weren’t in a hotel.”
“Would you?”
“I would do anything for you,” I said, bending to kiss the top of her head.
Including kill?
Chapter Eight - Jas
We goofed around the rest of the day. I made him go take a shower; he stunk of sweat and sex. It was funny how it was so sexy when we were turned on¸ and so disgusting when I was back in my right mind once more.
Then he dragged me into the shower and fucked me again, up against the tiled wall.
We mock-argued for about fifteen minutes about whether to dine out again or order up room service. In the end we ate in the hotel restaurant, which wasn’t bad, and then lay around on the wide bed, surfing through a hundred television channels.
It felt … normal. And normal had been a long time coming. I liked it.
The day after, though, Andrew sat me down after breakfast and said he had to go out and confront Leonard.
“You can’t,” I said. “After everything.”
“You wanted to talk to your mother, didn’t you? Maybe I can talk to him.”
“What are you going to do?”
He took hold of my hands and breathed deeply and deliberately for a few moments. His eyes were quite dark as he finally said, “I am going to threaten him.”
I had not expected that. Well, sure, I had expected him to do that but I was surprised that he actually told me so plainly.
So what else could I say but “Be careful.”
* * * *
Andrew left and though I could have moped around and fretted, I had work to do. I’d taken a few days leave of absence, citing sudden personal issues, but I knew my company was deeply disappointed. I flipped my laptop open, sitting out on the balcony with a long cool drink, and replied to my many emails with contrition and apology. I had never taken time off like this before, and perhaps that made it worse; they weren’t used to me doing something like this.
And I was responsible for setting up the company’s UK operations, so I had a job to do there - not here.
Every now and then, my mind wandered. I was pleased I had made up with Carlee. But frustrated that my mom sided with Angie, and that “Lennie” was apparently dating my mom. It sickened me, and my inability to get through to her twisted me up in knots.
Carlee would be working today. She’d agreed to come visit my mom with me, but I didn’t know when that would be.
Maybe I ought to try again myself, on my own. Though I had a suspicion that it would do no good.
Maybe I had to trust to Andrew and whatever he was going to do.
I worked the whole day. There was stuff I could get done, remotely, and I had to prove I was still capable of handling my job.
Around mid-afternoon, I got a text message from Andrew telling me he was going to be out until around five. And that we’d dine out that night. I didn’t ask what he was doing, because I didn’t really want to know.
Of course, I did want to know. But I wanted him to tell me without me having to ask.
Then I shook my head at myself. What was it about love affairs that turned people back into stupid teenagers again? I plunged back into work.
About half past four, my cell phone rang and I scooped it up. The number was unknown but I answered anyway; it might be work-related.
“Good afternoon, Jasmine.”
The voice chilled me. I recognized Leonard at once. I stood up, and straightened my spine as if I were about to give a presentation to a room full of executives. “Good afternoon.”
“Ah. I can tell from the frosty tone in your voice that you know to whom you are speaking.”
I didn’t want to dignify him with calling him “Mr” anything so I simply said, “I do. What do you want?” I wanted to shout abuse, threaten him, warn him off … but I didn’t want to get into an argument and lose control. I told myself to play it cool. Act as if I didn’t care.
“I want you to leave my son.”
“That is not going to happen. I want you to leave my mom alone.”
“Alas, that too is not going to happen. Unless you prevent it.”
“How?”
I had fallen into his trap, and he laughed. “All the power is in your hands, my dear. Now look. I am simply calling to invite you to an informal family meal tonight.”
“Whose family?”
“Why, yours! Your mother is cooking something splendid, and she assures me that there will be plenty to spare.”
“Does she know?”
“That you’re coming? No. I rather think it will be a delightful surprise.”
“I am not coming.”
“Oh, but I think you are. You will be coming alone. Otherwise, I shall destroy your family, one by one, without remorse.”
“Oh yeah? And what the fuck do you think you are going to do?”
“Your sister is struggling with money, is she not? What with little Bobbi being so ill and needing all that medical treatment. And wasn’t it a shame they couldn’t get insurance?”
“What the hell…?”
“You wouldn’t know, of course. Bad sister. She never told you. It would be an awful shame if her husband lost his job. That would be the final straw, wouldn’t it? What if he had an accident? He wouldn’t be able to work again. How would they cope? Grace would help, wouldn’t she? I’ve already given you mother some money. But she would need more. I know some moneylenders. They take on sad cases like this. Their interest rates are somewhat extortionate, of course. They do terrible things if people can’t pay…”
He had it all worked out. The bastard probably had a corkboard with posters and notes and bits of colored string and timelines and every damn thing. The fucker.
“Andrew will stop you,” I said, feeling sick. I hoped my voice didn’t wobble. I was terrified and furious in equal measure.
He laughed as if I had made a witty joke at a cocktail party. “How will he stop me? No. But you can stop me, can’t you, my dear? Come along to your mother’s meal, tonight. Alone. Let me show you what I can do for your dear, dear family. And let me show you how to understand and appreciate true dominance.”
There was so much threat and menace in his voice.
I said, roughly, “What time?”
Chapter Nine - Andrew
I spent the day trawling round my old contacts. I had forgotten how vast a place “America” was; I had been here plenty of times for business meetings and holidays but I was used to England’s tiny patchwork of counties, not this vast, sprawling federation of massive states. So, although I knew people, most were so far away as to make any assistance impossible.
I wanted to get my hands on a weapon. It should have been easy. But laws varied and anyway I was on a UK passport, and it took a large amount of money and a man with gold teeth to sort me out with a handgun, and a holster to hide it under my jacket, wh
ere it lay heavy against my body, warming to match my temperature as if it were already a part of me.
I also needed to find out where the bastard was staying. I went to the most expensive hotels, but could find no trace; he would have been using a false name and I was thwarted.
But the gun against my side made me feel strangely powerful. I would find him. It was only a matter of time. Perhaps I should plan to watch Jas’s mother’s house.
Thinking of Jas made me smile. It was now late afternoon, and I was far on the other side of town after criss-crossing the state all day. I turned the rental car back for the hotel but a shopping mall caught my eye and on impulse, I pulled into the lot and decided I’d go and buy her some more clothes. After all, we were dining out tonight, and she had hardly brought anything over from England.
I picked out a slinky gold dress that would hug her curves and show off her tan, and was very proud of myself for the matching shoes and purse. I had spent far too long browsing though, because when I jumped back in the car, I saw I was now running late.
I linked up my phone through the hands-free as fought my way through the rush hour traffic.
“Hello, beautiful.”
“Andrew!”
“Don’t worry. You okay? I’m just running late.”
“Oh! Oh. Yeah. I’m okay. Uh. That’s okay.”
I thought she sounded garbled and confused, and my suspicions were immediately aroused. “Are you alone?” I asked, wondering if she were being held hostage again. “Just say yes or no.”
“Yes, of course I’m alone!” she said crossly. “I’m in the hotel. Why, where are you…?”
“Driving. Well, no, stuck in stationary traffic right now, actually.”
“How long do you think you’re gonna be?”
“I am not entirely sure where I am,” I said, frowning at the unfamiliar names on the street signs. “I’ve bought you something nice to wear, though. We’ll still go out for a meal. I will probably be a little later, that’s all.”
“Right. Sure…”
The lights changed and we moved off again. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” I pressed. Most of my attention was on the road, but I could tell something was wrong.
“Look. Don’t be mad. I’m, uh, just popping out to see my mom but I’ll be back…”
That was understandable. I knew she’d try to contact her again. “Is Carlee going with you?”
“No, it’s just a family meal.”
“You’re invited?”
“Sort of. Look. I don’t want to be late and fuck it all up again, so…”
“Sure, I see. Okay. A meal?”
“Snacks. Drop in. Barbecue? I’ll see you later.”
She hung up on me. I stroked the steering wheel thoughtfully. So what was it? A meal, a barbecue, what?
It was a trap, that was what it was.
* * * *
I had a convertible, a gun, and a score to settle. I didn’t have a sat nav but I jabbed at my smart phone until it brought up a navigation app and pieced together what I could remember of Jas’s mother’s address. Without the internet, I’d have been screwed. I sent a quick prayer of thanks to Tim Berners-Lee and followed the pink line that would lead me to Jas and her family.
Chapter Ten - Jas
I had to go to my mother’s house. I had to face Leonard and I couldn’t rely on Andrew to rescue me or help me; this was not his fight. He had issues with his father, sure.
But I had to rescue my own family. This was my task.
I dressed carefully and applied my best make-up. I thought about Andrew as I drove steadily through the busy streets. He was my Dom. He was my rock. I was his submissive but that didn’t make me a pushover.
I’d made a pretty good go of explaining it to Carlee, I thought. It had actually helped me to understand myself a little better when I put it into words for someone else. I chose to submit to him, after all. I was strong enough to make that choice.
And I knew that he respected and admired my strength and my independence, and that knowledge was like armor around my soul.
It was difficult to describe. I just felt ten feet tall when I knew that his regard … his affection … his love for me was all around me.
Soppy? Yeah, kinda.
But true.
Truth… it had to win out, in the end, didn’t it?
* * * *
My mom’s house was all lit up, lights on in every window. Brian and Angie’s truck was outside. There was another car, which I assumed was Leonard’s, and my mom’s little old thing too.
My heart was pounding when I reached the front door. Did I knock? I wasn’t sure what to do. I never had knocked at my own mother’s house before; I was family and I had always walked right in.
So that is what I did this time, too. I took a deep breath and opened the screen door stealthily and crept down the hallway. I could hear voices, now, and laughter. Her house had a long living room with a dining table at one end, and I knew that was where they’d be.
I flung open the door and all the noise ceased.
I was relieved to see that Angie’s kids weren’t here. It freed me, somehow. I made myself stand tall and fixed each person in the eye, in turn. “Mom. Angie. Brian. Leonard.”
“Jasmine… please don’t make trouble,” my mom said, and Brian started to get to his feet, looking as threatening as a pale, sweaty store clerk can, which wasn’t very much.
“She’s here to end all the trouble,” Leonard said. He was sitting next to my mom, leaning in toward her with a proprietorial air that made my skin crawl. He was dressed in a pale shirt, open at the neck, and he looked so groomed and smug I wanted to vomit.
My mom looked confused.
Angie looked upset. I ignored everyone but her, and walked into the room, coming around the table so that I was opposite Angie. “Hey. You never told me that Bobbi was ill. I am so sorry that I didn’t ask. Really sorry.”
“Well, you should have asked.”
“I know.”
She glared at me and said nothing.
I said, “I know you’re waiting for me to make an excuse or something, but there is no excuse. I have been wrapped up in my work. I apologize but that won’t make it better. All I can do is promise to be a better sister in the future.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it again.
My mom butted in. “And what about those lies you’ve been telling about money and theft? What about them?”
“Yes, Angie. What about them?” I tried to keep my voice flat and level. I was still angry about it. I always would be. But I wanted to keep the whole situation calm.
Angie shook her head, her bottom lip almost protruding like a sulky child, but I could see that her eyes were shining. “Mom. You understand. You’d do anything for your kids.”
“What are you saying?”
Angie wasn’t going to confess. I saw that. I knew her so well. As sisters, we were both so stubborn, both so mulish. But she dropped her head and sniffed, and my mom gasped, because that was all she needed as confirmation. My mom met my eyes and I nodded slightly, and she gasped, raising her hand to her mouth in shock.
“Isn’t it lovely that we’re all together again?” Leonard said, smiling. “Come along, Jasmine. Do take a seat. Your mother has gone to so much effort.” He waved a hand at the spread which was worthy of a Thanksgiving celebration. The smell made me ill. I clutched the back of a chair and turned my attention to Leonard.
Angie and Brian were sitting next to one another, opposite where I stood. I was on a free side of the table where no one was sitting. To my left, Leonard sat next to my mother. The right hand side of the table was also clear of chairs, and piled instead with food. The only place for me to sit was where I currently stood.
And I remained standing.
“All together again?” my mom said.
Leonard turned to her, still smiling wolfishly. “I have, indeed, met Jasmine while she was in London. Such a happy co-incidence
but then she does move in exalted circles. I hear that her career is going remarkably well. You must be so very proud.”
“I am.” My mom was frowning, though. Something was making her suspicious.
Leonard’s eye twitched. He coughed, turning into a throat-clearing sound. “Well, anyway. So, Jas, have a seat.” He spoke more abruptly than I was used to and his accent shifted down a few notches.
And he’d never called me Jas before.
I chewed briefly at my bottom lip. “Remind me again what it is that you do,” I said, puzzling it out.
He flicked his gaze between me and my mom. My mom was solid, earthy, working stock. He’d put on an act to snare her, I was sure of it. “I own a business. Nothing very well-known but it does very well. Making plastic trays for the food packaging industry. I get to travel and meet new people. I like it.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.” He nodded at me.
“So these exalted circles that you move in, in London, where you met me… care to explain that to my mother?”
He slitted his eyes and his smile faded. He glared a warning but he could not help his accent slipping back up to its usual sneering upper-class-toff tones. “You must remember that charity event we were both present at, Jasmine, my dear. Raising all that money for sick children.”
“Lennie…” my mom said, putting her hand on his forearm. He couldn’t stop the fleeting wince across his face, and my mom was no slouch. “Something’s not adding up, here.”
“Quiet!” he said in a burst, and everyone recoiled except me. This was the familiar Leonard that I knew; but not the “I just own a business” Lennie that they thought they knew.
If I pushed him, I could goad him into losing his temper, I thought. I just needed to push all the right buttons. I began to smile - not that I had anything to smile about, but I wanted to worry him while I got myself some thinking time.
