The Cunning (18+)

8

"Where have you been?" Sam asked when Jase came downstairs after having a nap and a shower. His hair was still wet, the curls stretched out into waves. The kitchen filled with the smell of his deodorant.

"To lay down for a few hours," Jase replied, putting two slices of bread in the toaster.

"Where?"

"In my room." He yawned, pulling the chair out opposite Sam. He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply and blowing the smoke up toward the ceiling.

"With Madison?" Sam asked. Jase bobbed his head slowly, looking up at the clock. It was already twelve.

"Madison was in the room," he confirmed.

"What did you say to her last night?"

Jase chose his following words carefully, aware it wasn't a good look that he had done nothing in retaliation to her lashing out at Charlie.

"She's still learning the rules. Charlie knew the rules and broke them. I'm letting this slide. I think the fear of me sending Adam in was enough to get her to reel it in."

He knew Sam wasn't happy with it. Their whole operation ran on fear, and the girls would have nothing to fear if there were no punishments. But he said nothing, always ready to put his faith in Jase.

The toaster popped, Jase finished making the girls' food, taking Madison's last. Three days was the longest any of the girls went with no appetite. On the second, most of them caved to settle their hunger pangs. He expected Madison would be no different.

"You need to eat. You threw up last night," he said. She didn't acknowledge him, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve. "Madison," Jase barked. Her expression remained vacant, but her lips moved.

"Why do you care whether I eat or not?" she asked.

"I don't," he replied flatly, "but starving you isn't beneficial for us."

Madison looked at the toast. Starving wasn't beneficial for her either. A low rumble sounded from her empty gut- an internal plea for some form of nutrients. She didn't want to give in to anything Jase told her to do purely because he told her to do it. She wanted to at least have the illusion of control over something.

"What kind of bread is that?" she asked. Jase scrunched his nose up in confusion.

"White?" he replied.

Madison rolled her eyes. "I can't eat that even if I wanted to. I'm a celiac. I can't have gluten." Jase folded his arms, unsure if she was telling the truth. Madison continued with an exasperated huff, "I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm trying not to die." Jase wasn't buying it. "It would be pathetic if I got abducted, held captive, and forced into prostitution, only to be killed by a piece of bread."

Jase's left brow twitched.

"What can you eat then?" he asked after a brief pause. Madison shuffled around. "Anything without gluten."

Jase was shaking his head. "I'm not giving you special treatment," he said.

Madison resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.

"It's a dietary requirement. Special treatment would be letting me go. Again." She mumbled the last part, not wanting to be too brazen.

Jase lowered his voice. "I would keep that to yourself if I were you. I'd get a smack on the wrist. They'll kill you." He took the plate away, blissfully unaware he had told Madison what she wanted to hear. He shouldn't have let her go, no one knew about it, and there would be consequences for him too if anyone were to find out. The immediate consequences for him might not be too bad, but it was all she needed to start shaking things up.

Her inventory now consisted of leverage and four bobby pins Lily had left in the top drawer of her nightstand. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

*

What do you think Madison is planning?