Something so wrong shouldn’t feel so right.
Without another word or a wasted second, I slip under the covers with him and we write our names in the dirt as we hollow out our graves together. Our fate is unknown and unspoken, but if what we have is wrong, then I don’t ever care to be right.
I’ll spend the rest of my days being wrong as long as I’m doing it with him.
♦♦♦
“Why do you stay with him?” Axel asks quietly as he lazily drags his fingertips across my shoulder blades. “What does Jasper have over you?”
I knew that these questions would eventually surface and of course it’s after he has me in his bed. “My father’s legacy and his entire empire,” I admit as I rip off the band-aid.
“But you’re entitled to that, not him.”
“Jasper would disagree.” I frown against his bare chest. “He helped my father develop the original prototype—the one that was designed for my mother. He claims that my father stole it from him and he’s taking back what belongs to him.”
Axel sighs. “So, it’s about money then.”
“For him, it is, but not for me. For me, it’s about preserving my father’s name, his memory, his legacy.”
“If that is all legally yours then why are you with him?” I don’t have to see his face to hear the subtle shift in his voice as he becomes conflicted.
“After my father died, I was vulnerable, and Jasper was there for me. He took advantage of me during a very dark time in my life. I thought I was doing the right thing and that it would have been what my father wanted.” My voice grows small and quiet as the truth falls freely from my lips. I never wanted to admit it out loud to anyone, but now that I’ve started, I can’t stop it. “That was until I discovered who Jasper Lafar really is and what he’s capable of. By the time I realized that, it was too late. He was already moved in here, with a ring on my finger and his hands deep in my pockets.”
“And still after all this time, you won’t run from him or the empire that your father has built. You could leave that all behind and just vanish into thin air.”
He doesn’t know.
Pushing away from him, I sit up and cover my exposed body with the sheet.
“I killed my father.” The word vomit continues, and the words are sour and foreign on my tongue. “I owe it to him to preserve everything that he was and still is.”
Propping himself up on his elbows, Axel’s eyes search the side of my face. “How?”
“He was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. When the doctors found it, it was too far gone, and it was an aggressive cancer. He came home on hospice and lasted not much longer than a month. At the end, when things took a turn for the worse, he asked me one last favor. And I did it,” I confess, slightly shaking my head. “I killed him.”
“He asked you to kill him?” Axel asks as he sits up beside me.
Frowning, I avoid his gaze and softly nod. “He was taking morphine for pain and I gave him a fatal dose. He asked me to do it and I argued with him and straight out refused. Fast forward three days and he was circling the drain. He was out of it, but he was suffering, and I couldn’t stand to watch. It was what he wanted, so I carried out his last dying wish.”
“Jaslyn. You didn’t kill him, and you didn’t take his life,” Axel says softly as his fingertips brush the side of my face and he tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “You made sure that he was comfortable when it was his time. You allowed him to die with his dignity still intact.”
My shoulders fall in defeat and I swallow hard over the lump forming in my throat. “I’ve accepted my fate with Jasper as an eternal punishment for what I did. And then you came along and changed everything.”
“So, we get rid of Jasper then.” Axel’s hand grips my chin and he turns my head to face him. A storm brews in his ocean blue eyes as he stares straight through me. “He needs to go.”
Tilting my head to the side, my brow furrows in conflict. “How? He would be a semi high profile hit. Do you know someone who would take that on?”
“I like when you talk criminal to me.” Axel smirks and his eyes soften.
I can’t fight back the smile as my lips curl upward. “Shut up.” I laugh quietly and roll my eyes dramatically. “You know what I mean.”
Axel’s smile vanishes as a serious look consumes his face. “We don’t need a hitman, Jaslyn. It’s not something for you to worry about. If you’re on board, Rush and I have it covered.”
They would have it covered?
I’m not sure what he means and even though questions linger in my mind, I’m not sure that I care. If it means that Jasper is gone, I don’t need to know how it is done.
“I’m on board,” I declare with a nod. “I want him gone.”
Wrapping his hands around my shoulders, Axel pulls me onto the bed with him. “Say no more,” he murmurs as he rolls me onto my back. “You have nothing to worry about.”
His lips collide with mine as he settles in between my legs and slides inside me with a growl. Axel swallows my moans as he memorizes every inch of my skin with the palms of his hands.
Axel’s words linger in the air and a sense of dread surrounds us. It’s an unfamiliar feeling as this is the first that I’ve truly felt like I have something to lose. I could lose Axel, but I can’t focus on that. Right here, right now is what is important and in this moment, I have him. All of him.
Ignoring the warning signs, I let Axel consume me and give him every single piece of me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Axel
SQUEEZING MY EYES SHUT, I savor the darkness and push away the light. The sun shines brightly through the open curtains and Jaslyn lightly stirs on the bed next to me. Soaking up her warmth, I pull her closer to me, blinking slowly against the harsh light.
Jaslyn sighs as she presses against me and nuzzles her head against my chest. A loud bang sounds from outside, breaking through the silence and has me jumping from the bed. Running to the window, I look outside just as Jasper walks from his car to the front door of their empty house.
What the fuck.
With a confused and disoriented look on her face, Jaslyn slowly sits up and watches me as I rush back over to the bed.
“Jasper’s home.”
Sitting up straighter, Jaslyn’s body falls rigid and her eyes grow wider. “What?”
“He’s back.”
Her brown eyes search mine in a panic as her breathing grows ragged. “His flight home wasn’t for another three days.”
Walking around the room, I quickly gather her clothes and throw them onto the bed beside her. “I don’t know why he’s here already, but he is.”
“Shit,” Jaslyn mutters, jumping out of bed. She quickly grabs her clothes and starts to get dressed. “What do we do?”
“I saw him go into the house, so it won’t be long before he notices that you’re not in there and comes looking for you.”
Jaslyn shakes her head. “He can’t find me here, not with you.”
This is all my fault. I should have kept my distance from her.
Grabbing her hand, I lead her out of the bedroom and to the door. “Go get in the pool.”
Her brow furrows in confusion as she mulls over my demand. “Why would I go get in the pool?” she questions. “I don’t even have a bathing suit on.”
“Would you rather him find you in the pool in your bra and panties or here in my bed?”
Jaslyn’s eyes widen as she picks up on what I’m saying. “You’re right,” she says quietly, nodding. “I can’t believe this is happening right now.”
Reaching out to her, I pull her close and her eyes close as I rest my forehead against hers. “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” I murmur, lightly kissing her head. “He’ll be gone soon enough.”
Pulling away from me, Jaslyn gazes up at me and her hopeful eyes search mine. Pushing up onto her toes, her plump lips are warm as she softly kisses mine. She abruptly pulls back before we get lost in each other, well, past the point o
f no return.
Too late… we’re already there.
Without another word, she steps away from me and the distance between us grows farther as she leaves in a hurry. Her absence hangs heavily in the air and it grows colder as her warmth drifts out the door with her.
Fighting the urge to follow her, I turn away from the door and drag my hands down my face. My head hangs in defeat as I realize that we fucked up. What neither of us knows is just how badly…
♦♦♦
Turning the knob, I crank the water to boiling hot as it streams from the showerhead. It’s barely been ten minutes since she left. Ten agonizing minutes of not knowing what the fuck is going on. Ten minutes of a deafening silence that should be peaceful.
Just as I’m about to step into the steam, a loud pounding sounds outside the door into the pool house. Hastily grabbing a towel from the rack, I wrap it around my waist and let out a frustrated sigh as I walk back to the front door.
Ripping open the door, I find Jasper standing there, leaning against the door frame. “What the fuck?”
“Rise and shine, bitch,” he sneers with a sinister grin on his lips.
Fuck you.
Biting my tongue, I hold back the vicious words that swarm in my mind and respond with a cold stare.
Jasper pushes off the door frame and cocks his head to the side as he sizes me up. “You haven’t seen my fiancée, have you?” The suspicion is heavily laced within his words.
“No,” I answer him in a clipped tone. Movement from behind the fence catches my eye and I look past him, catching a glimpse of Jaslyn walking around the pool. “Is that her?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Jasper’s eyes find Jaslyn. “Hmmm.” He narrows his eyes at me. “Looks like it is.”
Spinning on his heel, he turns his back to me and marches up to the pool. Standing in the doorway, I watch their quiet exchange, unable to make out any of their words. Jaslyn moves uncomfortably and her body’s stiff as she rushes over to him. She doesn’t chance a look my way as he leads her back up to the house.
I wait a moment after they disappear inside before going back into the pool house. It’s a struggle to push them out of my mind but they never truly leave. Yearning for some comfortable numbness, I climb back into the hot water of the shower and try to ease my nerves.
It doesn’t work.
The only thing that will work will be Jasper’s demise.
♦♦♦
As if the day couldn’t get any worse, Jasper proved me wrong when he showed up at my front door later in the evening.
I had barely moved from the couch all day, but my mind refused to stop. Jaslyn consumed my every thought as I silently obsessed over what was happening inside that house. A loud pounding sound on the front door breaks up my thoughts and sends me flying off the couch.
Worst case scenarios flood my mind and I pull the door open in a rush, half expecting to see police officers. Much to my dismay, it’s the opposite of Johnny Law. It’s fucking Jasper Lafar.
His eyes scan my bare chest with a touch of disgust before finding mine. “Put on a fucking shirt,” he demands with a hard stare and a sinister smirk. “We’re going out tonight.”
“Nah, man,” I sigh and force a yawn. “I’m not really feeling up to it tonight.”
Jasper’s brow furrows and he purses his lips. “You’re going to turn down free booze, drugs and pussy to do what? Jerk off until you fall asleep?”
“Fuck you,” I snap. Grinding my teeth, I swallow all the shit I want to say and leave it at that.
“My name’s Jasper, not Jaslyn,” he sneers with that arrogant fucking smirk.
What the fuck?
My blood boils and I stare at him in disbelief, clenching my fists as I will myself to not pound the shit out of his ugly fucking face.
Jasper continues to smirk, gauging my reaction, and rolls his eyes. “Get your shit together, pussy, and meet me at my car in ten.”
He fucking knows.
My feet are cemented to the ground as I watch him stride across the yard and slip into his car. If he knows, what does that mean for Jaslyn? If I go with Jasper, that means he’s away from her and that’s the only way she’ll ever be safe…
Sighing, I hang my head, feeling deflated and defeated and head back inside to get dressed. I fucking loathe Jasper and the thought of going anywhere with him is cringeworthy, but the thought of what he’s capable of is far worse. I’ll play my cards right and beat him at his own game, buy us some time.
Everything in life is garnished with a price tag and time is one thing we’re all desperately searching for.
I’ll buy her all the time I can, even if it puts me directly in his crosshairs.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Axel
SILENTLY STARING out the window, I ignore Jasper as he rambles on about himself, practically sucking his own dick. Being stuck riding in a car with Jasper is the last thing I wanted to do tonight, or any night. Going out with Jasper isn’t my idea of a good time, yet here I am.
I’m here for one reason and one reason only… to keep her safe.
Jasper drives us farther into the city and the lights along the street flash past my eyes. He pulls up in front of Mirage, a new club that he frequents and parks by the door. Reluctantly, I climb out of the car as Jasper throws his keys to the valet. It’s the first time I’ve seen him use the valet, since he doesn’t typically trust them, but that only solidifies how unpredictable he is.
“Don’t fuck my car up,” he barks, striding past the man and moving past the bouncers as he slips inside.
I follow Jasper into Mirage and then to the VIP lounge. Half-naked girls saunter around the small room, sizing us up as we enter. Jasper drops down onto the couch and I stand firm, crossing my arms over my chest and glare at him. Hunching over, he hovers over the table, grabbing a black AMEX card and drags a line of coke away from the mound sitting in front of him.
Rolling up a Benjie, he holds the green paper to his nose and inhales the stark white powder. Lifting his head up, he presses his hand against the side of his nose and sniffs hard. His eyes find mine and he stares me down with his pupils consuming his dark irises.
“Here,” he barks, holding out the rolled-up bill. A petite blonde chick drops down onto the couch next to him and he lazily throws his arm over her shoulders.
Cutting my eyes at him, I shake my head. “I’m good.”
Jasper stares at me for a moment and shrugs as he turns away from me and directs his attention to the blonde. Taking a few steps backward, I stop moving when I’m a few feet away from the door, ready to bounce when the timing is right. Disgust fills me as Jasper roughly pushes the girl onto the couch and attacks her mouth with his. A few drinks later and another girl joins in with them. The three of them take turns playing with each other as they suck on each other’s tongues, only coming up for a deep breath of blow.
“What’s her name?”
Tearing my eyes from the shit show in front of me, I find the chick that the soft voice came from. “Excuse me?” I glare down at the small pink-haired girl who smiles back at me.
“You’re not here.” She gives me a sad smile. “Not mentally, at least. In your head, you’re wherever she is.”
What the fuck is this? Is this Jasper’s mole?
“Who the fuck are you?” There’s a bite behind the harshness in my words, but I don’t give a fuck. And obviously she doesn’t either, with the way she keeps staring at me.
Smiling, she tilts her head to the side and her green eyes search mine. “Someone who knows what that look in your eye means.”
“And what does this so-called look mean?”
A subtle sadness washes over her eyes and they slowly match her smile. “It means that you’re in love with someone and she isn’t here.”
Fuck this shit.
Clenching my fists, I roll my head and stare back at her, feeling the rage rolling off me. “What did you say your name was?”
“I didn�
�t,” she smiles sweetly and shrugs. “Lana.”
“Sweet,” I reply coolly. “Now get the fuck out.”
Her brow furrows and she nervously shifts her weight. “Is it something I said?”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I run my hands over my short hair. “You’re Jasper’s little rat. We’re done here.”
Lana tilts her head back as she laughs. “After he broke my jaw and ripped a chunk of my hair out, I keep my distance from that shit bag.” She cuts her eyes at him. “I would rather bury myself than help him out.”
A hand clamps down on my shoulder and my body tenses under the pressure. In one swift movement, I spin around, pushing Lana behind me and clench my fists. Raising them slightly, I look up and find Jasper watching me with a distasteful expression.
“Grab Pinkie and meet me out front.” Jasper’s pupils are fucking huge and he’s fucking pinging. “Blaire’s got more coke at her apartment and she takes it up the ass like a fucking champ. You want more holes than you can imagine and enough coke to give an elephant a heart attack? Hurry the fuck up.”
Cocking my arm back, I line up to drive my fist into his face when Lana steps around me and stops in front of me. “He’s leaving with me.”
Jasper glances at her and chuckles. “Lana,” he purrs at her before looking back at me. “Pinkie’s a squirter, so make sure you take your wetsuit.”
Jasper winks as he turns away from us and finds his side chicks for the night. He leaves us without another word and Lana sighs before turning back around.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I tell her honestly as she faces me.
“No shit.” She smiles, shaking her head. “You could just thank me for getting you out of that fuck fest.”
Tilting my head slightly, I narrow my eyes at her. “Thanks,” I say hesitantly.
Lana winks. “Give it a few minutes before you take off.” Reaching out, she gently squeezes my forearm. “For what it’s worth, I hope you get the girl.”
Mirage: Veiled Love Duet: Book One Page 11
