Mallory

by Michelle Love

  ‘Is he in trouble with the law?’

  The investigator assured him he wasn’t.

  Clermont gave a frustrated hiss. ‘Damn, I was hoping you were gonna tell me he fucked up. Finally got what was coming to him. Well, I can’t tell you anything that’ll hold up in a court of law, just that he’s a piece of work. ‘

  ‘I can tell you what I saw, what I think. Knew it from the second I met him, something wrong in that kid’s eyes. They were dead, blank. First and only time a kid scared the shit out of me. Kept an eye on him as he got older, seems to me, someone like that, they’re gonna escalate from petty crime. Of course, his family’s money made that all go away. Something big happened too, only it was all hushed up and grunts like me never got to know what. Something to do with the step-sister. He was obsessed with her. Pretty disgusting – she was only twelve, I believe. Julien liked to play with knives, loved the sight of blood. I believe he was kept away from home as much as possible. I kept my eye on him. There were complaints from some of the female students – girls who looked just like the sister. Like I said – obsessed.’

  Max felt another wave of nausea flood through him. He hadn’t told Theo anything yet and he thought again about Josh’s words of caution. The last thing he wanted was to put Jess in more danger – if that was what she was in.

  Josh headed back then and started to talk to him but Max barely listened. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was coming, something very bad indeed…

  ***

  Theo hooked a leg around Jess’s hips and pulled her back down onto the bed. She protested, giggling, but as soon as he started to kiss her stomach, she gave up.

  ‘I have to go soon,’ she said gently, stroking her fingers through his dark curls. Theo, his lips against her belly, shook her head and she laughed. ‘That tickles.’

  He lifted his head and grinned. ‘Why is this dinner so important?’

  Jess sighed and sat up. ‘It’s to do with the estate. If it were just me that was affected by the changes in the estate, I’d tell Jules to go to hell but…’

  ‘But?’

  She rubbed her face roughly. ‘When I was younger – and so freaking naive that I believed Jules – he set up several trusts for projects I cared about. Called it an eighteenth birthday present. He’s managed to make it so that if he withdraws that funding – like from my art department – the project will suffer, even have to close.’

  Theo was appalled. ‘Jess…that’s blackmail.’

  She nodded. ‘I know. But what can I do? Tell him to screw it, I don’t want his money anymore so screw everyone else? Not an option.’

  She climbed off the bed and started to dress. ‘It’s not as if he’s…’ and she swallowed hard before looking away from him ‘using it to do anything…untoward to me. He just wants me to be a part of his family.’

  ‘Paying you to be his sister?’ Theo’s voice was harsh and she winced.

  ‘If you want to put it like that. Makes him sound pathetic when you say it like that.’ She considered and a small smile played around her mouth. ‘Actually, he is pathetic.’ She turned and leaning over, kiss Theo on the mouth. ‘And he’s not your problem.’

  Theo caught her face between his hands. ‘Let me come with you.’

  Jess shook her head. ‘It’s an hour, or two, and it’s not even as if it’s at the house. It’s a restaurant with people, he can’t…’ She broke off, realising she’d said too much. She grabbed her clothes as Theo stood, tugging his jeans on.

  ‘He can’t what, Jessica?’ Theo’s voice was hard.

  She could look at him. ‘I have to get dressed.’

  ‘Jess…’

  ‘No. No, Theo. I have to get dressed.’ She turned and walked out of the room, leaving Theo to stare after her.

  ***

  Jess walked into the restaurant at precisely eight-twenty-nine to find Malcolm, Jules’s bodyguard and driver waiting for her. He said nothing but handed her a cell-phone.

  ‘Jessica, change of plan. William has come to the house instead. Malcolm will bring you here.’

  Son-of-a-bitch. Jess handed Malcolm the phone, and he guided her out to the car. She couldn’t believe she’d been conned by Jules again. Asshole asshole asshole. She couldn’t protest, not without making a scene and she wouldn’t put it past Malcolm to drag her by the hair to the waiting limo. He’d always scared her, his smug expression, the way he looked he looked at her make her feel sick. He was perfect for Jules, she thought, grimly, settling in the back seat, as far away from the driver as possible.

  They drove through the rain-slicked streets and out of the city, towards the place she dreaded. Jess pulled her cell phone from her bag and flicked to Theo’s number – and stopped. No. She wasn’t the little princess in need of a white knight. She would handle this herself. She glanced up to find Malcolm smirking at her in the rear view mirror. She narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled darkly and looked away. Why must everything in her life be filled with dread and menace? Jess sighed and leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the car window.

  Everything except for Theo. He made everything okay. She glanced back down at her phone then, on impulse, sent him a message.

  ‘Mr Storm…later this evening, I have a feeling I may need disciplining.’

  Her phone bleeped straight away. ‘Miss Wood, I concur. Present yourself to my room, stripped and ready to be chastised. Thoroughly.’

  She giggled, a hot rush of desire flooding through her, a pulse beating between her legs. God, he could make her wet just by thinking about him. She closed her eyes and visualised trailing her lips against his strong jaw, pressing them into the hollow behind his earlobe, breathing him in.

  Then the car stopped and reality came screeching back. Jules opened the car door and smiled down at her coldly. ‘Jessica, my darling. Welcome home.’

  Max waited until Josh was asleep before sliding out of bed and into the living room. He grabbed his phone and called Theo.

  ‘Yup?’

  ‘It’s me.’

  Theo laughed softly. ‘I guessed that from the caller i.d., buddy.’

  Max was silent for a beat and Theo cleared his throat. ‘You okay, Max?’

  Max drew in a long breath. ‘I got the preliminary report on Jules Gachet. It’s not good, Theo.’

  It was Theo’s turn to be silent for a moment. ‘Tell me.’

  Max related everything to him, including what Bud Clermont had told him. When he was finished he waited, listening to Theo cuss softly.

  ‘What do you think he’s doing to her?’ Theo’s voice broke.

  Max really – really – didn’t want to answer that, didn’t want to speculate. ‘I don’t know.’

  Theo sighed heavily and told him what Jess had relayed earlier to him.

  ‘Fucking manipulative creep.’

  ‘I pray that’s all he’s…’ But Theo couldn’t finish the sentence and both men knew without a doubt, that it wasn’t the full story.

  ‘What do you want me to do, Theo?’

  Silence. ‘Nothing. Jess would freak if I told her what we’d done. I realised today, our relationship is balanced on a tightrope. Until we both can entirely be honest with each other…god.’ Theo sighed. ‘I’ll just have to protect her as much as I can until she’s ready to confide in me.’

  After Max had hung up, he sat in the cool darkness of his apartment for a while then went back to bed. As he slid into bed next to his sleeping love, he felt a weight pressing down on him. Guilt. His love was here, safe in his arms, absolutely no secrets between them, complete love, complete trust.

  Max prayed that Theo and Jess would one day get there. He prayed they would be free to love without limits, without the threat that hung over them.

  Because Max had no trouble believing that Jules Gachet was, if nothing else, evil.

  Jess reasoned that at least, Jules had only partially lied to her about the evening. William Corcoran, the kindly family lawyer was waiting for them at th
e house, and over dinner, discussed the financial status of their family estate. Jess didn’t listen to most of it, certainly she had no idea that William was discussing her until Jules tapped her shoulder rudely and nodded at William.

  ‘I’m sorry, William, what did you say? She liked the old man very much and smiled at him now.

  He flushed with pleasure. ‘Jessica, you are twenty-five in October and as you know, you are due to receive the balance of your trust fund your father set up.’

  Step-father, she corrected silently but nodded. ‘Yes. I already discussed with you what I want to do with the bulk of it. The projects, the college, the art societies. You still have my outline for how to split the money, correct?’

  William looked embarrassed and glanced at Jules. Jess looked between the two of them, her heart sinking. What now?

  ‘Jessica, Julien has informed me that he wishes to continue funding your projects indefinitely. In fact, the trust board had indicated that this is the only way they will agree to disperse the money. They feel that if you were given such a large amount, that, due to the history of mental illness in your family lineage, that you could be a danger to yourself. Drugs. Alcohol. Jules has informed me of your…episodes.’

  Jess was speechless. More than that, she was sure she was having a nightmare. ‘What…episodes? What the hell, Jules?’

  Her step-brother put his hands on her shoulders. A warning. ‘You know how you can get, Jessica. It’s just better this way.’

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Are you insane? That money is legally mine…’

  ‘If –‘ Jules smiled widely, ‘you remain under the conservatorship of the Trust. Father was very clear. After your mother’s suicide, he made sure that if you were to suffer a breakdown like her, then you would be cared for.’

  He had her. With a few simple lies to the police all those years ago, her ‘hysteria’ was on record and if she tried to run, everything she cared about would be gone. The art department would close, a women’s shelter…

  Jess felt if she would scream. She stood, unsteadily. ‘I need to use the bathroom.’

  In the restroom, she sank to the floor, dragging deep breaths into her lungs. She would never be free of him. He owned her. Jess muffled the sobs that forced themselves out of her throat.

  She had to get out of here. Too late, she realised she had left her cell phone in her bag in the drawing room.

  She clambered to her feet. She would ask William to drop her home but when she got back to the drawing room, Jules was alone. He smiled without warmth, offering her a glass of scotch. She shook her head.

  ‘William had to leave suddenly,’ Jules explained and Jess knew he had asked the older man to go so they could be alone.

  There was a long silence then Jules smirked. ‘So…it just leaves us, Jessica.’ His meaning was revolting clear and Jess lost her temper.

  ‘There is no ‘us’ Jules!’ Anger rippled through her, overwhelming the fear. ‘Why don’t you get that? Stop trying to tell me what to do with my life.’

  She got up but he was beside her immediately, gripping her arms and pulling him to her. ‘Fucking ungrateful little whore.’

  She wrenched her arm from his grip. ‘I’m sick of people trying to tell me what they think I should do with my life, especially you.’

  ‘If I was Theo Storm, it would be a different story. You let him climb all over that beautiful body of yours, fuck you senseless. Do you think I can’t see it on you? Smell him on you?’ Jules’s voice was bitter but underneath that there was something else, something that made her blood pump. A menace. She turned to face him, wary now.

  ‘I love him. He loves me. He knows me, Jules, he wants to know me. He doesn’t just take and take. We’re not even blood, me and you. Who do you think you are?’

  Jules’s eyes narrowed and he stepped towards her. ‘I’m your family, Jessica. Your only family. Don’t you have any loyalty?’

  ‘Loyalty to whom?’ Jess laughed without humour. ‘You? The man who molested me constantly before I was able to get away? When I was a child? The man who continues to threaten and control my life.’

  Jules put his head on the side, a small smile playing around his mouth. ‘Did I threaten you, Jess? Or was it just your imagination? Or your desire?’

  Jess sighed. ‘I’m not playing these games anymore, Jules. I’m tired.’

  ‘I’m the only family you have now, Jessica.’

  Jess ’s chin lifted. ‘It doesn’t give you the right to lay claim to me. Let me just go home, Jules. Please. I have to get back.’

  ‘What if I won’t?’

  Her gaze was cold. ‘Won’t what?’

  ‘Let you go home.’ The terror came screeching back. His smile was humourless, his eyes fixed on hers. Jess’s hands flexed, she took a deep breath, trying to stop the fear from overwhelming her. In its place was a fire, something burning inside of her, something that overpowered everything else. Anger. Suddenly, she wanted to goad him, pick a fight. Adrenalin surge through her, she could taste metal in her mouth. Reckless. She ignored that thought and returned his cold smile.

  ‘What do you imagine will happen if you don’t? What do you have planned, Jules? More knife games? More threats?’ She got into his face, ignoring the fear that spiked in her gut. ‘More rape?’ Her voice was a whisper but she hissed the word at him.

  He moved too quickly then, slamming her back against the wall. She yelped in pain and he covered her mouth with his hand. ‘If you like, Jessica,’ he hissed, his mouth an inch from her face. He tugged up her skirt and desperate, she struggled with him. She managed to drive her knee into his groin and as hr groaned, she darted away. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground, spread-eagling himself over her.

  The knife in his hand seemed to come from nowhere. Jess felt him press the tip against the thin cotton of her dress and for once, she was furious rather than scared. She looked him straight in the eye, a grim smile on her face.

  ‘Do it,’ she said, challenging him, ‘Kill me. Run me through. Stab me to death. I’d rather that a million times over than your revolting prick inside me ever again.’

  The pressure increased and she felt the nick of steel in her skin. Jules was breathing heavily, his eyes crazed, sweat pouring down his contorted face. Time stopped for a long moment then with a roar, Jules cast the knife aside and started to push her dress up past her hips, tugging at her panties. Jess screamed – no, no, no, no – but Jules was unrelenting.

  Then someone else screamed. Jules stopped and Jess, sobbing, pushed him away and clambered over to the shell-shocked, deathly pale Camilla, who stood in the doorway. The older woman enveloped Jess in her arms, staring at Jules as if he was the devil.

  ‘You will never, ever, touch her again or I’ll go to the police, I swear to God, I will.’

  Jules wiped his mouth, smirking. ‘Get out. Take that whore with you and get out.’

  Camilla raised herself up to her full height and stared him down. ‘Your father would be ashamed of you, boy.’

  Jess was astonished to see Jules’s armour crack a little at the housekeeper’s words and the little boy beneath show in his eyes. Camilla had been with the family since before Jules had been born and her words carried weight. Jules turned away from them and Camilla half carried Jess out of the room.

  Theo re-dialled her number again. ‘Pick up Jess. Pick up, please.’ He half expected the same voicemail message he’d gotten the previous seven times but when it was picked up and a strange voice greeted him, his heart seized. The woman sounded older, kind but tired.

  ‘Jess’s fine, she’s okay but…hang on..’ There was a rustling then his heart leapt as Jess spoke.

  ‘Hello my love, I’m fine. Just the…usual crap. I’m getting a cab to yours now.’

  He suddenly felt dumb.

  ‘Theo?’

  ‘I’m here, honey. Just get here as soon as you – scrub that, I’m coming to get you.’

  ‘No, no, please
, Theo, the cab is already here. Honestly – ‘ and she lowered her voice, ‘I’m really fine. Just tired.’

  ‘Come home to me.’

  ‘I am. I’m on my way.’

  Jules kicked his way back into his bedroom, picked up the nearest object, a book, and threw it across the room, opened his mouth and screamed his frustration, a primal sound. The rage burned through him. Fucking, fucking bitch. He walked to the bathroom, stripping, leaving his clothes where they dropped and cranked the shower onto the coolest setting. He stood under the water, letting it prick his skin, his eyes wide and staring. It was coming, the end, he could feel it, it was time.

  Jules reached down and began to masturbate. He leaned his head against the cold tile as he thought about the day. He’d been so close to killing her. When she’d called his bluff, he’d wanted to drive the knife into her again and again, feel the blessed, blessed relief, the sensation of her warm, viscous blood on his hands, the pain, the horror, the life in her eyes fading away, the feel of her last breath on his face. Jules came, shouting and grunting as he imagined Jessica’s life slipping away.

  Jess went into work the next day as if nothing had happened. Lying in Theo’s arms that night – their schedule of S&M put on hold for the night – she’d spent a sleepless night going over everything in her mind. She couldn’t allow Jules to continue to control her life this way. Theo had grilled her and she’d fudged the details, telling him about the ‘inheritance with conditions’ and he’d been suitably outraged.

  ‘I’ll fund your projects. We’ve been thinking about setting up a foundation just for this – you could run it.’

  She’d protested but the offer was so tempting, so full of love she’d promised she would consider it. It was a way out. An easy fix. But something didn’t sit right with her – bailed out by another rich man? It made her uneasy, even if she did trust Theo meant well.