The Cunning

79

"I think Madison's fucking lost it," Sam said when he got back in Jase's car. They had dragged an unconscious, blood and piss covered Harvey onto the road outside the warehouse Mitch and the others were at earlier. With the damage Sam's bank card had made to his mouth, they could rest assured Harvey wasn't speaking any time soon, even if he wanted to. Mitch's car was still in the corner. Kieran had gone back with Tommy to disable the explosive in case they needed it in the future, they didn't come cheap and they didn't want the police finding it.

Jase was halfway through a cigarette, pulling away from the white lights hanging from the roof of the building. He smiled at Sam.

"You're not wrong. Staying in a room with nothing to do does that to you," he replied dismissively. Madison hadn't gone insane. She was too calculating, every move she made was measured, and her card trick was no exception. Somehow, Madison knew it was a test, and he was having a hard time wrapping his head around how. The same girl that tried to influence Gabby and Tia into behaving for 'their own good' had insisted on giving an eighteen year old a Chelsea Grin; possibly one of the more gruesome ramifications that didn't result in death.

"Did you see how she was watching him?" Sam continued, "It was unsettling, and I've seen some fucked up shit in my time."

The unpredictable nature of Madison, even when Jase thought he knew the direction she would take, never ceased to intrigue him. She was an enigma. The only thing Jase was sure of was that Madison was not playing a character. Not to the extent she once was, at least. Hurting someone, or being a catalyst in someone getting hurt, was not for the faint of heart. Regular people had a conscience and an embarrassing penchant for denial. Regular people wouldn't instantly believe Jase would put a gun to Harvey's head, and regular people wouldn't suggest a permanent deformation in place of death. Regular people were willing to run to the edge, like Harvey had done by getting himself involved in all this business, but they soon wanted to run back. Madison didn't run back, she jumped. And when you jumped, there was no going back to the person you once was.

This told Jase one of two things; either Madison would crack any day now after seeing the grit and gore of what Jase could do, unable to keep her head above water through the guilt that would undoubtedly drown her, eventually. Or, Madison was far more willing to get her hands dirty than he had given her credit for. He didn't know which one should concern him more.

He flicked his cigarette butt out the window as he merged onto the motorway. Sam was still talking.

"I don't know how well she's going to do as a whore, but she'd be fucking good at our job if she was a bloke." Jase looked at him from the corner of his eye but didn't say anything. Madison not having a dick wasn't enough to dismiss her anymore.

When they got back to the house, Jase had a shower, washing away the splashes of Harvey's blood from his neck and forearm. The heating was on now they were halfway through autumn, so he didn't bother putting on another t-shirt, sticking to grey sweatpants and white socks.

He wasn't sure what he expected from Madison when he went into the bedroom. Half of him thought that what she'd done might have had time to sink in and she'd be in bits. He was surprised to find her sitting in front of the mirror, applying lip balm with her middle finger. Standard Thursday evening things. A heavy sense of indifference had settled into her features.

He leaned his lower back up against the desk, folding his arms. Madison could feel his eyes fixed on the side of her face. The hairs on her neck stood to attention under his scrutiny.

"What?" she asked casually. Jase pursed his lips.

"What was that earlier? That wasn't the attitude you walked in this house with," he said. Madison smiled, half laughing as she pushed the gloss wand back into its sticky tube.

"I hardly walked into this house," she mumbled, getting to her feet and stepping closer to the mirror to wipe at the corner of her lips where the balm bled out. She hated how sloppy it looked when the gloss ran over the lip line, like when someone hadn't wiped their mouth after having a drink.

"You know what I mean," Jase replied. He stepped behind her, placing his hands in his pockets, meeting her eyes in the mirror. "Because the night Tia died, you seemed pretty upset with the thought of me killing someone, and now you're sticking cards in people's mouths." Madison resisted the urge to roll her eyes, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"You get bored. I get bored too." Jase tipped his head back, praying for willpower and self-control. Madison fizzled at the sight of his throat. He had a strong neck, adorned with a silver chain. She thought about how easy the skin would break should she get the opportunity to run a big blade along it. One of the shiny ones from the kitchen would be ideal but she was open to improvising.

"What changed?" he asked, his voice breaking her mirage massacre. Madison turned to face him. Her focus lingered on his body, gradually making its way up to his lips, then his eyes. The same way men had looked at her since she was a young girl in her school uniform. The gaze of a predator. She cocked her head slowly.

"I did." She noted his jaw muscles tense, her lips split into a smile as she backed away from him, heading for the bathroom. Jase inhaled through his nose and out through his mouth.

"Lord give me strength," he mumbled. She was messing with his head and other than killing her, he didn't know how to stop it.

He left the room before she came back. He didn't need a distraction right now, not the kind Madison was supplying him with. He needed to be ready and waiting for whatever backlash was coming their way.