The Deadly Nightshade | { BOOK 1 of The Flower series }

[31] Mother

Being in public and have half the restaurant stare at you definitely made Jade and Wanda uncomfortable. Tony, on the other hand, was either ignoring the attention or was practically loving it. Vanessa didn't seem to really care as she cut a portion of her large waffles into tiny pieces.

Jade nibbled on a strawberry, her gaze locked on her plate that held two pancakes topped with sliced strawberries and whipped cream, three sausage patties, and scrambled eggs. Every few seconds, her eyes shifted to the side, discreetly as she saw customers taking a peek over at their table. Most of the customers were excited that Tony Stark was in the same place as them, while others were concerned that Jade Stark, aka Nightshade, was in the same place.

They had been here for about thirty minutes, and in that time, Vanessa had been informing them about the different things they could do during their stay in Boca Raton.

Wanda glanced over at Jade before she looked over her head, seeing what had the Italian girl somewhat quiet. Wanda reached underneath the white tablecloth, gripping Jade's hand in her own. The touch caught Jade's attention as she looked up at Wanda with a small smile. The brunette returned it, focusing back on her brunch.

"Jade, sweetheart, I want to help you," Vanessa stated, sending her a small smile. "I want you to move past your sinister past and become who you used to be. Is it okay before you ask me questions, I can ask you a few?"

'What are you? A psychologist?' Jade thought to herself. She didn't dare say that out loud. Ivanov taught her better than that. Keep all thoughts to yourself; never speak out your mind.

Wanda quietly chuckled, hearing Jade's loud thoughts by accident. Vanessa shifted her eyes onto the brunette, a teasingly smirk on her face. "What? What's funny?"

Wanda shook her head, plopping a bite of eggs into her mouth. "Nothing."

Vanessa slowly nodded, sensing something must've happened. "Anyways, may I?"

Jade shrugged her shoulders, nodding. "I suppose."

"So, do you ever hear Nightshade in your head anymore?"

Jade dropped her fork onto her plate, a tight smile on her face. "What a great way to start the conversation," she mumbled under her breath. She shook her head in disbelief before looking at Vanessa. "All the time, yes."

"What does she say?"

"She makes plans to murder everyone within a ten-foot radius," Jade replied, swallowing thickly. "Other times, she asks me to kill myself."

"That seems harsh, doesn't it?" Vanessa asked, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Well, Nightshade is a harsh conscience, Vanessa," Tony interjected.

"If Jade just ignores the monster in her mind, maybe she can get past this," Vanessa suggested.

"You don't think I've tried doing that the moment she got implanted in me?" Jade questioned with disbelief. "If it had worked, I wouldn't know as someone with over a dozen assassinations." She gestured at the customers that were trying to be discreet about staring at her. "Or these people wouldn't be staring at me in fear." She shook her head. "You don't understand how hard it is. I'm lucky enough that I can even hold her back from killing someone," she briefly glanced at Wanda, referring to the training session.

"Well, alright," Vanessa breathed out.

"So, Jade, is there anything you want to know about Victoria?" Tony asked, taking a sip of his black coffee. "Vanessa would love to answer any of your questions."

Jade flickered her amber eyes on the Latina woman, nodding. "How close were you with Victoria and me?"

"Oh gosh, Victoria and I had been best friends — no, basically sisters, for thirty-six years. We were roommates in college. I babysat you every time she got holed up at work. You could say that I was the aunt you never had. We were practically family, all three of us."