15. Chapter 15 #2
Then, a stroke of frantic inspiration hit me. If he thought I was completely unavailable to him and into women—the game would lose its appeal. The cat would stop playing with the mouse if the mouse didn't fit the profile.
“Well, actually, I’ve been seeing someone,” I lied, stumbling over the words as I tried to build a fantasy on the fly. “A woman. We’ve... gone out a few times.”
The playful hum of the cell flatlined. It was palpable—a sudden, freezing pressure that made the hairs on my neck stand up. The Jester’s voice stripped away all of its warmth, dropping into a terrifyingly steady, deadpan whisper.
“What’s her name?”
My brain scrambled for the most ordinary, uninspired name it could find. “Daisy.”
“Daisy.” He dragged the name out, his tone dropping into a dull, lethal monotone that made me instantly regret opening my mouth.
“Yeah. She loves cats.”
I inwardly winced. Really? That was the first thing I could think of?
“Daisy, Daisy. And where did you meet this... Daisy?”
My grip tightened on the mop handle. “A coffee shop down on 4th.”
“A coffee shop. How delightfully mundane, What does she do? Let me guess—something safe. An accountant? A mid-level manager who wears beige on the weekends?”
“She’s a teacher,” I shot back, trying to inject a note of defensive pride into my voice to make it believable. “She teaches history.”
“A history teacher. Fascinating.” The Jester's voice bled with a thick, heavy sarcasm that made the hair on my arms stand up. “And what does she look like? Does she have a nice, respectable haircut? Does she open doors for you, doll? Does she make you laugh?”
“She’s kind,” I insisted, my mind racing to stitch the pieces of this fictional woman together before she could tear them apart. “She has brown hair, gentle eyes. She, uh, brought me flowers on our second date.”
“Flowers. What kind?”
“Lilies."
“And where did Darcy take you on your third date?”
“We went to an Italian place downtown,” I replied automatically, my brain entirely focused on inventing the restaurant’s menu until the realization of what I’d just said slammed into my chest like a physical blow.
The cell fell into a dead, absolute silence.
Then, the Jester barked out a laugh. It was a loud, unhinged, booming sound that echoed off the stone walls, entirely stripping away the tension of the last few minutes. He threw his head back, his shoulders shaking as the laughter rippled through him, wild and genuinely delighted.
Just as suddenly as it had started, the laughter cut off.
The mirth vanished from his face, leaving his features terrifyingly blank, his dark eyes pinning me to the floor.
“Oh, sweetheart. You are an awful liar. Did you really think that would work on me?”
A thick, heavy lump lodged itself in my throat as I struggled to swallow. My mind was completely reeled, jumbled into a tangled mess of panic; he had sifted through my thoughts like loose sand, taking my clumsy fabrication and weaponizing it against me.
I had walked right into his trap.
Heaving a ragged sigh, I finally let the mop rest against the wall. I didn't want to hide behind the labor anymore. Slowly, I turned to face him head-on. Every instinct I had screamed at me to avert my eyes from his piercing, scarred gaze.
But I held it.
“Look, I’m a nobody, okay? I don’t have a dime to my name, I have zero political influence—you’ll gain absolutely nothing from messing with me. I’m just another body it’s already stomped on and taken advantage of. Please. Just… leave me alone.”
The Jester didn’t move, but the atmosphere in the cell shifted, thickening until it felt heavy enough to bruise. He leaned forward as far as the iron shackles allowed. The mocking smirk was gone, replaced by an expression so intensely focused—it made my breath hitch.
“You think so poorly of yourself,” he murmured, his tone suddenly devoid of its theatrical malice, replaced by a terrifying sincerity. “You are not a nobody, Elara. Not to me. The day I break out of here, the very first thing I’m going to do is find you.”
My stomach churned. He dragged his tongue slowly across his lower lip, his eyes glittering with unholy promise.
“And when I do, I’m going to kiss you so thoroughly, so deeply, that it will make your knees buckle and your toes curl in the most delicious way.
You’re mine now, doll.” Satisfied, he straightened up and stated, “You might as well get used to the idea.
And don't worry, I look forward to finding all the delicious ways to make those toes of yours curl and -"
I had never moved so fast in my entire life.
Panic lent a frantic, clumsy speed to my limbs; I yanked the mop cart backward, soapy water sloshing violently over the rim and pooling onto the floor.
I didn’t even finish cleaning half the cell before I was throwing myself at the heavy steel door, throwing my fists against the reinforced metal.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The seconds it took for the guards to disengage the automated locks stretched into agonizing, suffocating eons. I didn't breathe—couldn't breathe—until the massive vault doors of his corridor finally ground shut behind me, sealing him away.
I practically burst into the staff washroom, lunging for the sink.
I slapped the faucet on, scooping up handfuls of freezing water and slamming them against my burning skin.
When I finally forced myself to look into the cracked mirror, the reflection staring back horrified me.
My cheeks were a bright, frantic crimson.
My eyes were wide, dilated, and wild. My chest heaved as I gasped for air.
I looked utterly terrified. But beneath the terror, deeper down where I didn't want to look...
No.
My mind recoiled. This was madness. It was sick. I shouldn't be feeling this.
But denying it didn't stop the heavy, throbbing heat pooling low between my legs. It didn't stop the sharp, electric friction that flared between my thighs when I shifted my weight against the porcelain sink.
I was turned on.
I cupped more ice-cold water, drenching my neck, my throat, the fabric of my uniform shirt.
I desperately needed a sanity check. Anyone would have reacted this way, right?
To be pinned by a gaze like that—dripping with raw, feral hunger, absolute devotion, and a lethal kind of want.
Anyone would feel a shudder through their system.
Especially because he was... gods, he was devastating.
Anyone would melt under a spotlight that intense.
Right?