The Cunning

99

The house was freezing. Condensation frosted the window in Madison's room. She sat in front of the mirror, trying not to shiver. Her weight loss allowed the chill to seep through to her bones.

It had been a few days since her ordeal with Adam, the bruises had faded to murky patches of green and yellow. Jase had left her alone, mostly. He was stressed, and when he was stressed he got temperamental. He kept his distance for everyone else's sake. Not that Madison would be good company. She was falling apart at the seams, Adam had snuffed out her fight and the idea of curling up and wasting away had never seemed so appealing.

She narrowed her eyes.

"What's your next move, Mitch?" she asked aloud. He wasn't too smart, but he was patient. He'd had time to gather resources and she was totally unprepared. He was getting the better of Jase, it was apparent to anyone taking a good look, and it all led back to his soft spot for her.

After all the trauma from the house and now, it wasn't even the obstacle she had to overcome. If she did get out, so long as Mitch was on the streets, she wasn't safe, and so long as she had ties to Jase, nor was he. Madison took a deep breath, blinking back the tears wetting her lashes and willing herself to pull it together.

"You good?"

She jumped. Jase stood in the doorway, lighting a cigarette. She swallowed, wiping at her eyes and offering a half-hearted nod.

"I'm just tired of all the running and pretending. I've done it my whole life, and I'm tired," her voice cracked. Jase took a drag on his cigarette, looking at the window. He knew what it was like, having to look over his shoulder constantly. The stress and paranoia could be overwhelming, hence the high drug usage. It took the edge off, sometimes.

He sat on the edge of his side of the bed.

"What do you think he's planning?"

Madison scoffed. If she had the slightest inkling, she wouldn't be so distraught.

"I wish I knew."

Jase closed his eyes. He was hoping she had more to give him, but it seemed they were both lost for ideas. It was the first time for as long as he could recall that he didn't even have the beginnings of a plan.

"One way or another, we'll deal with this. I won't let anything happen to you." She looked at the back of his head in the mirror. His words hadn't delivered the reassurance he'd intended.

Not letting anything happen to her was what had started this whole mess in the first place.

Janine crept into Madison's room on Jase's orders to keep her company. They were throwing a party in an attempt to carry on as normal, which didn't sit well with Madison. Tensions were too high.

"How you doing?" Janine asked, perching on the corner of the bed. Sam had told her what Adam had done but even with the swelling gone, the traces of his temper stood stark against how Madison had looked last time they had interacted.

"Every day's a blessing," Madison mumbled.

"Jase is going to look out for you." Janine reached out, brushing Madison's arm.

"Yep, I think everyone is aware of that," Madison huffed with a bit too much of an edge. She took Jase's cigarettes from the bedside drawer, passing one to Janine.

"Surely that's a good thing?" she replied. Madison didn't comment. Not straight away. She took a few puffs on the cigarette first.

"If it weren't for him looking after me, this whole thing wouldn't be a problem."

Janine's brows furrowed.

"Would you rather he was a dick?" Madison stared at Janine for a moment, not bothering to answer her question, asking her own instead.

"Do they think it's a good idea? Having a party with everything that's going on?"

"The boys don't act in fear. It's a sign of weakness. If you look weak, you look easy," Janine replied. Sometimes, Madison decided, Janine could say something so bland and obvious and yet trigger a very important thought process. The cogs started, rusty and slow but turning none the less. Madison hummed her reply, busy in her brain.

They finished their cigarettes in silence. Madison covered the bruises to the best of her ability with concealer. Janine's words on loop like a broken record.

She was making Jase look weak. Mitch was using her as a weapon against her dad, and he was trying to do the same thing with Jase. That's why he'd sent the picture. That's why Adam had tortured her; to get a reaction out of Jase. Mitch wanted to see how far he would go to protect her and Jase had walked straight into the trap.

And he would continue to bite the bait unless she did something.