Jaded ||| Johanna Mason

twenty-one

Jade might as well have had smoke coming out of her ears she was so angry. Justice had violated Jade in one of the worst possible ways and there he was trying to do it again. Johanna, if nothing else, had earned her freedom from him.

There was no fake kindness lacing Jade's features. She didn't have to pretend anymore.

"Hey! Asshole! Back off!" Jade yelled as soon as she was close enough, forcing Justice to look at her instead of Johanna. She got right in between them, placing Johanna behind herself. "Don't fucking touch her."

Justice's smile faltered for only a moment. He looked at Jade, at the pure loathing on her face, and saw the girl from the arena. But he seemed to remember that the last time they'd met, Jade was unable to stand up to him.

"Jade! Oh, how lovely to see you again. I do hope you remember our time together. After all, president Snow insists." Justice spoke in a voice that was not his own. He thought he had power. "Besides, all I want is to show Miss. Mason a good time."

Jade scoffed. She'd heard those words a hundred times. President Snow insists. He had no power over her anymore.

But Jade smiled. She stared Justice in his brown eyes. "Yeah. You wanna know what else President Snow insists on?" Justice raised his eyebrows.

"My fucking fist."

Without thinking, Jade punched him. Right in his stupid fucking face.

Her fist sailed through the air faster than Justice could react. Like a bullet made of flesh and bone. But when it collided with his face, he was sure she'd thrown a piece of concrete at him.

Jade was a quarry worker. She was strong.

She could feel his nose break on contact. And the noise of pain he made, the high-pitched squeal, made Jade smile with sickening satisfaction.

The pain in her knuckles was nothing compared to the high she was riding. Jade had finally gotten revenge on the man who drugged her.

When Jade looked down at him, her eyes calling him vermin, she could see the blood coming from his badly broken nose and the tears in his eyes.

He was stuttering and stumbling. "Y-you can't...! President Snow assured... how dare you!" The man who came from a trust fund had never been told no before.

Jade shook her head and bent down toward Justice. She resisted the urge to smile when he tried to back away. He was terrified of her.

Good.

Regardless of his attempts to get away and the people gasping and whispering all around her, Jade bent down toward the terrified man and picked him up by his collar.

"You, nor Snow, have any power over me. I want you to remember that." Jade spat, pulling Justice closer to her face. "And if you ever even so much as look at me, her, or another victor again, I will find you. You'll wish all I give you is a broken nose."

Justice was too petrified to speak. He liked being in control, feeling powerful. This wasn't what he wanted. But Jade was unsatisfied.

She shook him. "Am I clear?!"

"Y-yes! Y-yes! Please, I'm sorry!" Justice cried, his voice muffled by the broken nose. Finally satisfied with his answer, Jade dropped him roughly to the ground.