Jaspierre's Last Chance (Jaspierre Trilogy Book 3) Page 5

  She walked down the stairs gracefully, clicking her heels at every step. Tears welled up in her eyes; she wanted to pet Tessa and Ikali. How would she be able to sleep in this house without them in her bed? The thought was absolutely torturous. She struggled to restrain her emotions, when she saw Arnold on a ladder, dusting the chandelier. "Hi."

  "One – two – three – four. I'm almost done." He clicked his fingers with his numbers and went back to dusting.

  "What did you and Dru fight about?" she said. "I'm going to torture him in the morning. It'd be great to have some insight."

  Arnold turned and climbed down the ladder. "You know the bushes out front? You hadn't been gone very long yet. Maybe six months? And he wanted to cut them down. I wanted to keep them because it was making me crazy. They were so perfect. Perfectly symmetrical, perfectly trimmed." There was a hesitation as his fingers clicked hard and fast at the thought of the perfect symmetry. "But he said they represented your authority. I said I didn't care, I just wanted it to look symmetrical. So he cut them down. I – I just didn't handle it well. I told him I was going to come visit you. And that's when I woke up down in the prison."

  "Wait, so you've been down there three and a half years?"

  "Yes." He looked agitated, then silently counted with his lips clicking his fingers. "I liked Dru before that moment. But he couldn't even consider leaving them just to make it easier for me to function? Just so that I could concentrate? It was outrageous. He hated you more than he liked me, I guess."

  "That is absolutely astounding," she said, her mind whirring. How long had Dru been planning to destroy her? And why? Why did he hate her so much? And then the doorbell rang.

  Chapter

  Eleven

  Jaspierre and Edward got into his car, and he started down the long country road. It was a nice fall day. The leaves were falling and changing from green to yellow to orange to dust.

  "So, happy to get out of the house?" he asked.

  "Yeah." She stared out the window. She was obviously thinking about something.

  "Thinking about Lucille?"

  "Actually, I was thinking about Tessa and Ikali. I really miss them. I thought they were going to be at the house, but they are gone." She turned and looked at him somberly.

  "Ikali and Tessa. They..." He wrinkled his nose as he tried to concentrate. "...were cougars?"

  "Servals. They are much smarter than cougars. Long skinny legs and a long neck. They have both stripes and spots, and can jump six feet or more. They are really amazing. I don't know how I'm going to learn to sleep without them in my bed."

  "But you haven't slept with them in your bed for years. Why do you think it will be hard to sleep?" he said, completely confused.

  "But now I'm home. So it's different," she said with a tinge of annoyance. "What did you bring for a picnic?"

  "Well, I think we are gonna have a lot of fun. I really do," he said. "Isn't it nice to be outside?" The car rolled into a gravel parking lot. The gravel made a crunching sound under the tires. The cool air nipped at both of their noses when they got outside. He handed her a bottle of water and slipped on a backpack. "Let's go."

  "We're going on a hike?"

  "Sure. Why not?" he said, suddenly lunging forward and trying to catch a leaf before it hit the ground.

  "I've never been on a hike in my entire life." She frowned. Her black stilettos were a terrible decision.

  "Well then, we better get to it." Edward nervously grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. They walked in silence for a bit, hands still linked together. She kept looking down at it, as if her hand was completely foreign. He felt warm, but he didn't exactly make her heart pound. Wasn't that what she was supposed to feel right now?

  "How much longer do you think this is going to be?" she said. She hadn't missed a step yet. But her feet were going to start hurting soon if she wasn't careful. Her stilettos kept poking into the ground, and she carefully balanced her weight on the tips of her toes.

  "Oh, I think just a bit further." They rounded a bend and came upon a little waterfall. It made a loud slushing noise. Jaspierre grinned and stuck her fingers in the water. It was cold as ice. A light shiver danced up her spine. She should've brought a sweater or something. The thin green dress was no protection from the chill. She had gotten ready for a date, not a hike.

  He saw her shiver and almost wrapped his arms tight around her. But he hesitated and became too nervous. So instead, he spread the blanket on the ground. "Come have a seat."

  She sat down, not too close and not too far from him. He opened the pack and pulled out hot cocoa and a long sub sandwich. They sat together quietly, and her mind kept wandering back to her servals. Should she get more servals? She wasn't sure she had time for little infant servals quite now; they were extremely demanding. And if she didn't raise them herself, they'd end up too wild. It wouldn't be worth it to have them at all. Perhaps after Chance was dead. Edward kept looking over at her, smiling awkwardly between bites.

  How should she start with Dru? Maybe cut his toes off. Seemed like that had been a little overdone, but maybe it hadn't? Hard to tell. The sandwich was all right; a little heavy on the mayo. Edward scooted closer to her. A yellow leaf suddenly fell between them, landing on the plate containing the sandwich. She reached forward to grab it, and her fingertips ran into his as he reached at the same moment. Their eyes connected, and he swallowed nervously. She was frozen in time, all of her problems suddenly slipping away. Her heart pounded and her cheeks grew rosy. He leaned close, and she stared at him, seemingly noticing for the first time how much he wanted her.

  He pressed his forehead against her, and just before their lips touched, the hot cocoa dumped onto his lap. He leapt back unexpectedly. She blushed and couldn't look him in the eye. He didn't try to kiss her again, instead cleaning up the mess and laughing awkwardly. They hiked back to his car, and for the first time, he suddenly realized she was in high heels. "Oh! I can't believe you're wearing those shoes. I, I should have realized. I am so sorry."

  "I had fun." She leaned her back against the car while he put his backpack in the trunk. He closed it, and suddenly, they were standing close again. She reached her fingertips out and adjusted his collar. Any second now she was going to kiss him, pull him tight, and let her lips do the talking. But he was still soaked from cocoa, and he nervously pulled away, opening her door. She got in and they rode back quietly. He was grinning the entire time. She couldn't figure out why it was so hard to kiss him.

  Eventually, his fingertips found hers. And they both, like smiling idiots, said nothing until they got to her house. "Well?" he said. He seemed to be trying to think of something further to say.

  "Good night, I guess." She got out of the car and closed the door. Her heels starting to click up the marble steps. She didn't know how dates normally ended; she hadn't been on a proper date in a very, very long time. He leapt out of the car and raced up the steps, grabbing her hand. His other hand slid behind her back, pressing her waist to his. He was breathless, and she suddenly was breathless too.

  He leaned in close and pressed his lips to her ear. "I have to kiss you good night." And then he did. His lips caught hers with magic intensity and everything she knew stopped and started all over again. Her whole body trembled with delight, ecstasy running through her. As soon as he released her, her knees dropped out from under her, and he had to catch her. She was so red and flustered that she couldn't figure out anything to say. So she rushed inside, closing the door and leaning against it. Her heart was pounding and her breath was short. She had certainly never been kissed like that before.

  Chapter

  Twelve

  The man from the barn was roasting. The smell permeated the house, despite the wide-open dampers. Jaspierre couldn't wait until all she could smell was wood ash. His skin was charred, and his meat was probably about cooked through. He needed at least a few more days before he would turn to ash. The other bones hadn't gotten the least bit brittle. This fire w
as certainly not hot enough. She threw on a ton more wood, pumping the bellows so the fire would get hotter and hotter. Then she clicked the broken serval's ear, and the entire fireplace, fire and all, slid. She'd have to shut the door quickly, or the fire would suffocate. She traipsed down the stairs and shut the door behind her.

  Edward had kissed her. She closed her eyes for a moment and let her body deliciously remember how her knees grew weak. How the entire world stopped and held its breath until they parted. How he kissed her very soul! And then, with that done, she wrenched it from her mind and got to work. Things to do, people to kill, Dru to torture.

  The people in the maze, the circus freaks, were generally being polite to each other. They sat in small groups, quietly talking. She didn't bother listening in, what could they possibly say that would be interesting? The Asian man was still unconscious, and the red-haired girl was sleeping on a cot. Dru was pouting.

  She slipped on a headset, pressing several buttons, until he could hear her and she could hear him. "Dru?" She grinned and pressed the button, spraying him down. She pressed another and the spray stopped, "Dru. I want to know what happened to Tessa and Ikali."

  He tried to answer, but she soaked him again. "Dru. I want to know what happened to Tessa and Ikali."

  "Fuck –" Water soaked him a third time. He had barely even finished the whole word. Was he stupid? Was there something wrong with him? Had he gone mental? He would answer her soon enough. She pressed another button; gas soaked into his room. He was unconscious very quickly. She held her hand against the smooth, long wall, and the door slid open. She went down the metal spiral staircase and looked at the smooth white hallway. It had been quite some time since she had been down here.

  She found her mind wandering to the first time she walked into Lucas's room and tore off her own panties. It had been incredible. But he didn't kiss like Edward. Lucas loved her because he had to. There was no one else. But Edward, he wanted to kiss her for no reason at all. It was absolutely astounding. Edward didn't get anything from kissing her besides... the kiss.

  She slipped her hand onto the cold white wall and held it. The door in front of her slid open. Dru was lying completely unconscious on the floor. She pressed her hand onto the wall in his room, and the little dumbwaiter opened. She clicked the long metal ring around his waist and climbed the ring ladder on the wall. At the very top, she dropped the chain through the loop. At the bottom, she connected it to Dru's waist. The other end of the chain she clicked to the bottom ring on the wall. Not too shabby. She needed to move him closer to get it all the way set up.

  She picked up his unconscious body pushed him tight against the wall between the two rings. Then she grabbed the end of the chain and held it as hard as she could until his back rose into the air. She clicked the chain into the bottom loop again, locking it in place. In the same manner, she fastened a chain to each of his hands and feet, with the chains looping high into the loops up above, and locked on the bottom rings. With this setup, she could allow him freedom to move or dangle him in any position she desired. Most importantly, he couldn't easily swing his fists at her unless she let him.

  She had a vague curiosity if she would want to have sex with him. She hadn't had sex since Lucas, not anyone special before him. Almost five years ago. Dru couldn't do anything if she decided to have sex with him. He couldn't do anything if she decided not to. She looked at him but felt nothing, so she slapped him hard. And he started to wake up. He tried to swing at her with his fist, but he couldn't quite reach her. She grabbed the chain looped around his waist and gave it hard yank, hoisting him up farther. He let out a yelp.

  "Dru. I want to know what happened to Tessa and Ikali." He was now dangling, his feet about at her shoulder level. He tried to kick her, but the chain on his foot was too short.

  "Dru. I want to know what happened to Tessa and Ikali." Maybe she needed to get laid. It'd been a lot of years, and she'd been under a lot of stress. She should just go make out with Edward. Why would she have sex with Dru? She was probably just getting excited because she was remembering Lucas. Gorgeous Lucas and his soft body. God, Lucas was amazing. What kind of luck would she have at getting that again? Her odds were probably pretty lousy. "Dru. I want to know what happened to Tessa and Ikali." She sneered, looking at his angry face.

  "Fuck you."

  "Dru." She yanked the chain as hard as she could, and his ass rose into the air. It looked like the wind was knocked from him. "I want to know what happened to Tessa and Ikali." She let go of the chain, and he fell suddenly. His body whooshed from above her head, back to her eye level, hovering just above the floor. He bounced at the bottom of the chain like a yo-yo.

  He let out a painful moan. He was visibly gasping. He screamed, "Stop it. Stop. How do you expect me to think?"

  "Dru. I want to know what happened to Tessa and Ikali!" She grabbed the chain, yanking it, then releasing, dropping him again. This fall wasn't as far, but it got the message across. If he fucked around, she'd drop him again. "You said that you had them. You promised to take care of them! What the fuck happened to Tessa and Ikali?"

  He hung limply. For a moment, she worried that maybe he was unconscious. What a fucking waste of the day if he couldn't stay alert and stay awake. She could feel her heart pounding harder and harder and, for a moment, she wished she had a blade. She was lusting for him to die. This fucking monster took her money, her job, her servals. But she couldn't allow herself that luxury. If she had a blade, he'd never last long enough to tell her where Tessa and Ikali were. If she had a blade, he wouldn't make it until morning. He wouldn't make it another hour, he wouldn't make it another moment. No, no blades. This was one of the ways she would control herself.

  "Dru, I want to know. What happened to Tessa and Ikali?" Her voice was steady, despite her rage, starting to build and roar inside her belly.

  He raised his head very slowly; he was gasping harder. He had tears in his eyes. "I got rid of them." And he smiled. His teeth were tinted with blood.

  "You fucking animal." She gripped the chain with both hands, swinging her weight against it. He rose in the air as she released and he fell. And again, she threw her weight against the chain, raising him up like a flag at the pole. Then she dropped him as easily as one would drop a bouncy ball down a flight of stairs. "Why would you kill them! Why would you do that! They were innocent." Her heart was pounding and she could only see red. She could hardly even hear his gasping cries. There was a rushing sound in her ears. And her heart hurt.

  She knew, she fucking knew Tessa and Ikali had to be dead. And yet, after hearing Dru confessing that he killed them, it was still a shock. It was absolutely excruciating. Tears flooded down her face. She couldn't take it! She couldn't take another second. She grabbed the chain, screaming with rage, and climbed up, her entire body pulling the chain down. Hand over hand, foot over foot, climbing higher and higher. Dru was screaming at the top of his lungs as he flew into the air higher and higher. Her weight lifted him, and when she finally reached for the rings on the wall releasing the chain, he fell twenty feet down to the end of the chain. He gurgled, his organs smashed inside his guts. He retched blood.

  "They deserved better!" She was clinging to the wall, twenty feet in the air. Slowly, she climbed down. Rage made her body tingle and tremor. "They deserved fucking better, you lying motherfucking asshole."

  Her hands trembled as she grasped the chain again. "No!" he said in a desperate wheezing cry. "Stop. Please. Please stop. I didn't kill them." He coughed a blood spatter on the white crisp floor. He was gasping, and tears and blood were running down his face. "I didn't kill them. I got rid of them." Vomit flowed out his mouth. He cried, gasping for air.

  Her eyes grew wide with surprise. She could get them back! "Where did you send them? What happened to Ikali and Tessa! Where are they?" Her heart was pounding, and she was unbearably excited. He better tell her soon.

  "Let me out. Let me out, then I'll tell you." He sniffled, gasping again. His bod
y was shuddering with pain.

  She smiled, both hands on the chain. "You fucking idiot." And she pulled him up and dropped him again. He screamed, flailing, trying to brace himself. And after he hit the bottom, he passed out. She left him dangling and trudged upstairs, humming merrily.

  * * * * * * * * * * * *

  Chance was nine hours into the drive when he stopped for his first piss. He was still kicking himself for missing her release, but excitement grew as the miles flew past. He stopped at a 7-Eleven. He walked inside after he emptied his kidneys in the dirty bathroom stall. He picked up a couple candy bars, two Gatorades, and a Monster energy drink. While he was standing at the checkout waiting for the gas attendant to finally notice him, he saw a newspaper sitting on the counter.

  The front-page header had her name splashed across it. Jaspierre – heiress, mother, murderer--released. It had a picture of her mug shot on the day her baby was born. On the day Lucille was born. Her wild, almost drugged eyes were intoxicating.

  Chance didn't like to think of her like that. Had she gotten fat wallowing in her cell? Or was she her normal plump self? Maybe she'd made it to 300 pounds. He grinned. He had certainly put on a few pounds himself. He liked to consider himself well rounded, waiting for her. Maybe her body would smash him into the mattress when they fucked. Finally, the sales lady turned around and let out a scream with her eyes. They were wide and bulging. Her fingertips went to her lips, holding back any actual sound. After a moment, she regained her composure and quickly scanned his items.

  Chance grinned; all those tattoos and scars were still so beautiful after all these years. He never even needed to retouch them. Because they were just so effective. People would cringe when they saw him, and they should cringe. He was one terrifying bastard. They should be straight up frightened. At one point a few years ago, he considered counting up how many people he killed. He lost track somewhere around a hundred, and what he found was he didn't actually care.