The Cunning (18+)

39

Madison's eyes were swollen and puffy from crying when she woke up at midday. Jase was getting dressed in front of the wardrobe. He looked over his shoulder when he heard her wake.

"There's a showing tonight. Make yourself presentable," he ordered stiffly. She sat up, feeling half the size she was and devoid of energy. Last night, all she had been able to do was cry until she was dry heaving like the night she was taken. The world around her had crumbled again and this time, there was no getting out. She felt defeated.

Her only plan had failed and her protection was gone. There was no sign that her dad had managed to track down her whereabouts, either, which meant she was on her own. Her ribcage constricted as the gravity of her new situation sunk in. All she could muster in response to Jase was a slight nod before he left the room, not bothering to lock the door.

Janine stepped into the hallway a several hours later, the same time as Madison. The noise from downstairs was uncomfortably familiar to the pair of them. Janine crossed her arms.

"You're an idiot for what you tried to do, you know that, right?" she stage-whispered even though no one would hear them over the music. Madison nodded, head down. She'd beaten herself up enough already. "He could have killed you, Madison. Look at Annabelle. He could have killed any of us. He still might."

"I know," Madison replied, her voice weak from the sobbing. Janine sighed, letting her arms drop. Sam had filled her in about Madison trying to one-up Jase. She had known she was up to something but she thought it was nothing more than an intense case of Stockholm Syndrome.

"I warned you at least twice that he couldn't be trusted, and you thought you were smarter than him. This is what he does for a living. How could you be so dumb?"

"I know," Madison repeated, louder this time. They stood in silence for a moment before Janine softened, backing off. There was no point rubbing salt in the wound. Madison was visibly upset that her efforts had led nowhere. And it wasn't as though Janine had laid it on thick that Madison shouldn't be conspiring, she had all but openly encouraged her. But now Jase had cottoned on to something being off, she was terrified he would come to the conclusion that she was in on it. And she wasn't as clean as she wanted to be.

"If I were you, I'd lay low for a while, at least until he calms down." This time, Madison listened.

They joined everyone downstairs. Even in jeans and a long sleeve top, Madison felt naked, knowing if someone tried their luck tonight, Jase wouldn't be stepping in to rescue her.

The usual drinks were set out on the side in the kitchen but Jase was nowhere to be seen.

"Smile, Madison," Adam said, teasing her as he walked past. Word had got round about Jase's rapid one-eighty on her. She forced a smile, knowing better than to defy him. Jase may be pissed at her, but it took much less for Adam's blood to boil.

For the first half of the evening, she resided in the corner of the kitchen, sipping slowly from the fruity drink she didn't particularly want. Now and then, men would stare and talk about her openly. The things they would do to her given half the chance, what they'd pay and so on. Of course, it was common knowledge she was off the market, so these men were only vocalising fantasies. But Madison couldn't shake the awareness that to someone, soon, they might not be just fantasies.

She didn't have it in her to feel revolted, or to mouth off or defend her body, screaming at the top of her lungs that it was hers and hers and they could all fuck off because what was the point? She felt like a shell of the person she had been. The fight had gone, a persistent flame of spunk finally snuffed out. It would be easier to do as Janine had instructed and keep her head down. Don't draw any attention to herself, don't give Jase more reasons to be angry at her.

*

"Is Madison down yet?" Jase asked when Adam walked into the living room, sitting on the coffee table and taking his cocaine out of his back pocket. Jase was sat on the sofa, his mate Callum next to him smoking a joint.

"She's in the kitchen," Adam replied.

"Doing what?"

Adam shrugged, shaking the baggy until all the fine white powder collected at the bottom. "Standing in the corner." Jase had half expected to have to go upstairs and drag her down, but she was cooperating. She was giving up. He relaxed. At least there was one good thing to come out of all this.

It wouldn't be long now.

It was sad; watching the flames die in her eyes. It was probably her most redeeming quality, that kick, that fire. He would be lying if he denied any sort of attraction due to how stubborn she'd been. It was disappointing that he had to put a stop to it.

But work was work. He wouldn't waste too much time thinking about the potential Madison had. He certainly wouldn't let the substances coursing through his veins sway his judgement again.

The moments they had shared in the early hours of the mornings were gone, he'd let her be a distraction, and that was on him. A lesson learned for both of them. They remained in separate rooms the whole night.