Chapter 24 Jade #3
“Your sister is looking for you, Jacob,” Randall says without even looking at him, and I bet it's a lie, but I’m not going to call him on it. Whatever it is he wants to say to me, I’m sure it’s best that Jake isn’t around for it, anyway.
When Jake makes no move to leave, I look over at him, only to find his face is a hard mask once again, just like it usually is in school.
I know without asking that he has no intention of leaving.
Randall notices the shift of my gaze and follows the movement until his eyes also fall on Jake, and I see anger flare in them.
Shit.
“Was I not clear? You're dismissed. I’ll be handling our guest for the rest of the night.” His tone makes it clear he’s not asking, but Jake still makes no move to leave.
He doesn’t even acknowledge that Randall has spoken to him; instead, he keeps his gaze on me, more specifically, where his father's hand rests on my face.
“Go,” I say, my voice low, hardly more than a whisper, but when Jake’s eyes snap to mine, I know he heard me.
When he still doesn’t go, I reach over the bench and shove him toward the door.
He stumbles, but his eyes never leave mine.
I can see how torn he is as he looks between me and his father, but we both know this needs to be done.
Jake pulls his eyes from his father and heads out the door without looking back.
I would’ve sighed in relief had it not been for Randall’s hand still resting on my cheek.
“I always knew you had a brain in that pretty head of yours, Pet,” Randall says, leaning down to press his lips to my ear, much like he did at dinner, and I have to fight against the urge to pull away or throw up.
“I was happy to hear Clair was able to find all of your friends' places to go. I had approached her about letting you come stay with me as soon as the news broke,” he tells me as his hand trails down my face to wrap around my neck.
His movements are slow and calculated. To anyone on the outside, it would probably appear intimate, but I know better.
“You can imagine my displeasure to hear that she had taken you in. Worse still, when I was informed, she let you go and live with those stupid boys,” he spits the last word with so much venom that I feel spit hit my cheek, but I make no move to wipe it away.
“Tell me, did you think you could get away?” he demands, his grip tightening around my neck. He doesn’t apply enough pressure to cut off my words, letting me know he does, in fact, expect an answer.
“No, sir,” I say because I know that's what he wants to hear.
“Is that so? Then why did I find you in the club with my son, only to find out you’ve let yourself become a common gang whore?”
The pressure of his hand increases, but it isn’t unbearable.
“I did not know where I was. I didn’t even know you were the mayor until after the club. How was I supposed to come to you?” I say, only to realize too late that I’ve slipped up, letting my attitude shine through in my words.
His hand tightens enough to cut off my airway, and I push down the panic that rises at the loss of oxygen. I could make him let go, but that would fuck everything up. No, I need him to continue to believe I’m weak.
He won’t kill me. He wants me too much to kill me.
I repeat to myself over and over, and just like always, his hand relaxes just as the black spots start, threatening to pull me under.
Randall pulls his hand away so quickly that the world spins, and I nearly faceplant on the piano keys. Thankfully, I brace my hands in front of me with enough time to stop my fall.
I take tiny, even breaths, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing me heave.
His hand wraps around my arm, pulling me to my feet, and I’m standing facing him again as the world around me continues to sway.
“You will be at that charity gala, Pet,” he says, gripping my face and painfully jerking my head up so that I have no choice but to meet his gaze.
“Jake will be your date. You will put on your best show, and after, you will accompany me to the auction, just like old times,” he tells me, and a wicked grin splits his face as he watches me.
I try damn hard to push my panic aside, but I’m almost positive I fail.
Still, I refuse to give in to him so quickly.
It’s just not who I am.
“And if I don’t?” I ask, my words coming out slightly slurred from the punishing hold he has on my cheeks.
“You will. Let's not forget that I know you, and while I might not want to hurt you, I will if I have to. I don’t even need to lay a finger on you to do it.” He pauses, letting his words sink in.
He’s always been all about the dramatics, and while they rarely bother me, they do right now.
“You did a remarkable job of keeping those girls safe. The whole town is calling you a hero. It would be terrible if something were to happen to them.” He laughs, and the sound makes the hairs rise on the back of my neck.
I can’t stop the panic fast enough this time, and my breath hitches at what he’s implying.
“Don’t you touch them, Randall,” I spit the words as I push against his chest. His hold slips, but he quickly rights it before leaning closer to me. The grip he has on my face is harder than before, causing my teeth to cut into my cheeks painfully until I taste blood.
“It would be a shame if something were to happen to little Charlotte. She seems to be doing well with her new family.” His voice drips with false concern, and at the sound of Charlotte's name on his lips, my heart fucking stops.
For years, I’ve done all I could to keep them safe. I never for a moment considered what could happen to them once they were out. Had I made the wrong choice in letting myself be near them?
Of course I did.
I knew I had enemies. I knew people like Randall would never just let me go.
His hand finally relaxes, moving to once again cup my cheek, his thumb stroking the now tender skin almost affectionately. I swallow down the urge to move away as he pushes my busted cheek into my teeth, making it sting even more than it already was.
“Don’t worry, Pet. Charlotte will remain happy and untouched as long as you remember.” He leans in, pressing his lips to mine in a punishing kiss that makes my stomach turn with disgust.
I had forgotten just how vile this man is.
I had let my freedom cloud my mind and make me think I could handle him.
The universe is a sick place to put me in this situation.
Tonight was the first time I could have moved against him.
I could kill him right now. He more than deserved it, and I would be doing the world a favor, but we needed to get into that auction for a shot to shut down Sin’s ring, and Randall was our only chance at that.
So even as my stomach turns, I press my eyes closed hard enough that they sting and kiss him back.
Randall pulls away after what feels like an eternity, fisting my hair to keep me trapped against him.
“You belong to me,” he whispers the words against my lips like a promise before pressing his lips to mine again.
He breathes me in like I’m the oxygen he needs to breathe as his tongue presses into my mouth.
A single tear rolls down my cheek as I stand trapped.
I let it go. He won’t notice, and it’s all I’ll allow myself to have as I let myself fall numb.
It’s the only way I’ll survive him again.
I knew the universe wasn’t kind, and while I’ll be leaving here with a way into the auction and a chance to shut Sin down, I’ll be leaving a piece of myself behind to do it.
It’s what I have to do for the girls, but sometimes I fear the day might come when there are no pieces left to give.
When Randall finally pulls away, I know without looking that my lips are red and swollen.
He’s always loved marking me, claiming me in any way that he can.
That doesn’t seem to have changed in our time apart.
His lips move down my neck. Bile burns the back of my throat.
I swallow it down, letting that broken piece of me go, before I’m blissfully numb again.
I’ll do whatever I have to in order to keep Charlotte safe, even if it kills me.