《Jack In The Box》 Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1: Prologue All Rights Reserved 2021 ?KittyKash Riley Therees a time in your life when you remember your past regrets, the decisions that led you into the bad situation and you wish you lived long enough to remember this moment as yet another bad memory. I hoped and prayed that I lived through this. My breathing intensified as I ducked down below the office desk to stay hidden. My heart beats increased when I heard the footstepsing closer. "Its okay, Riley. I won''t hurt you." I heard him say, "It''s a promise. Cross my heart and hope to die." I stayed put without making a sound. I couldn''t trust him, not after what I''d witnessed a few minutes ago. "You cane out now. I said I won''t hurt you. You have my word." Secondster when I didn''t do what he''d asked, he continued, "Don''t you trust me, baby?" I covered my mouth with my hand and watched from the surveince footage on the screens mounted on the wall as he prowled around the room far from my hidden space. He couldn''t see me. During the little time that I''d known him, I knew that he was smarter and more intelligent than what he usually let on. "You wanna y hide and seek? That''s fine with me. You know, when I was little...I always managed to find the other kids; grown-ups even." He chuckled softly, the same masculine voice with a boyish charm This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. that I''d fallen in love with, but now the same voice ran a chill down my body. Something crashed loudly. He''d damaged the emergency lights, pulling the room in pitch-ck darkness. He was getting closer to where I was hiding. It was a good thing I could still see him through the screens above from the little moonlight that was streaming from the window. As if he''d heard my mind he reached for a broomstick and smashed camera one, followed by camera two and three. "That should solve the problem, I guess. Now, you wouldn''t be able to know even if I''m right behind you." The screens went static and then turned ck. From the corner of my eye, I watched his shoes walk past me. I held my breath and a shiver ran down my body as I wondered what would happen if I were caught. Seconds ticked by, and then I heard the door open and close. I waited for a minute longer, listening to any other sound in the room but all I could concentrate on was my pounding head and my racing heart. Cautiously, I crawled from beneath the desk to check around myself and thankfully he was no-where in sight. I let out a sigh of relief and climbed to my feet, taking a few steps towards the door. Once I was out of the room, I would make a run down the hallway and get help from someone, I decided. I stepped out to find the lights switched off. I''d seen a number of sher horror movies and had always someday. My life was no better than a horror movie. The lights flickered as I tiptoed, the sounds of my canvas shoes echoed through the empty hallway. I heard soft footsteps behind me so I picked up the pace and turned around the corner when a pair of strong arms seized me. The familiar scent of his soap entered my nostrils. He whispered, "Gotcha! ytime''s over, Riley." Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Riley I looked at myself in the mirror the next morning and realized that I looked haggard and exhausted. I didn¡¯t remember thest time I had any proper sleep. Jackson Wolfe had been on my mind. I¡¯d yed out my first meeting with him and there were a few scenarios that I imagined it would y like and all that came to my mind was Agent Starling and Hannibal Lector and it didn¡¯t help because then I kept rolling from side to side all night until my rm went off at five-thirty a.m. I stared at the bags under my eyes and decided to dab some concealer, apply somepact powder, and a nude shade of lipstick. Nurse Maddy who was also my good friend in the faculty said that darker shades always suited me but wearing heavy makeup wasn¡¯t even allowed in the hospital. I heard the shower turn on in Ken¡¯s room which was my cue to prepare breakfast for him. I cooked fried eggs on toast since that topped his list of most favorite breakfast of all time. My brother was a low maintenance guy, if you told him you were too busy and made frozen pizzas for dinner every single day, he wouldn¡¯tin. Leaving early today. See you at dinner. I left a small note for him beside the breakfast te, pulled on my canvas shoes, grabbed my bag and made my way outside in the chilly weather. Once I reached the hospital, it was quite easy to find Dr. Bet¡¯s office. I knocked once and stepped inside the office to find a young doctor leaning against the desk with his back to me, ruffling through a file. I cleared my throat. ¡°Dr. Paul Bet?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He turned his full attention to me. ¡°You must be...¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nurse Riley Frazer. Just transferred to the C wing. I¡¯m guessing Dr. Aaron told you about me?¡± He smiled knowingly. ¡°Yes, of course, Nurse Riley. Please have a seat.¡± ¡°You can call me Riley.¡± He passed me ady-killer smile. Dr. Bet was tall, probably six foot three, lean with wavy raven ck hair, caramel brown eyes that reminded me of honey. His face was sculpted and had a sharp jawline that could cut through ss. He had the kind of face that would have the people passing on the street to stop and look back twice. If Aaron had warned that the new ¡®trainee¡¯ looked like he was fresh out of fashion tv, I would have at least tried a little harder at my makeup skills. Screw you, Aaron Shaw. I bet the nurses on the floor wished this doctor took advantage of them. I knew some who would. ¡°Earth to Riley?¡± I¡¯d totally spaced out. ¡°I¡¯m...I¡¯m sorry...Doctor. You were saying?¡± Dr. Bet chuckled and pushed a few papers towards me. ¡°Read it carefully. You don¡¯t want to sign something you¡¯re not ready for.¡± Iughed. Was that supposed to be a joke? I scanned through the papers. It had the patient¡¯s name on it with all the other information and my name printed down below for a signature. It read that the patient was going to be under my care from here on and he was going to be my responsibility. I signed it without hesitation. I¡¯d done this a lot of times. A mentally insane wasn¡¯t going to make me run for the hills. Plus if Paul Bet, trainee sh- Aaron¡¯s errand boy was going to work in the same wing, then why the hell not? It wasn¡¯t every day that I saw good looking doctors around here. Aaron did qualify as good looking, but Paul was on another level altogether. Paul checked his silver Rolex, tapping a fountain pen on the mahogany desk between us. ¡°I should warn you. Jackson is nothing like the other patients around here who may be mentally ill but are still easy to handle. I¡¯m suggesting you think wisely before signing anything concerning him.¡± I smiled. He was concerned for me. ¡°Dr. Paul, I really appreciate your warning but I gave Aaron my word, and I have previous experience of working in a mental institution so I know it will be fine.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to help me with the fast introductions?¡± ¡°Well, I would love to...¡± His sentence was cut off by the phone ringing on his desk. He sighed, ¡°This thing never stops ringing.¡± Putting the receiver to his ear, he said, ¡°Dr. Bet speaking, may I know who this is? Oh no, is that right?¡± He passed me a worried look. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency? Okay then. Yes, okay...well, guess I don¡¯t have a choice, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± He hung up the call, and turned to me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riley. I guess introductions with the patient would have to wait. They need me in the E.R department since they are running short on staff.¡± He reached for his desk and retrieved a pair of keys. ¡°Tell you what. It¡¯s not exactly safe to be going to his room alone so either you wait a few hours until I¡¯m free or we can do this tomorrow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ll be fine Paul...Oh, I¡¯m sorry...¡± Iughed. ¡°I mean Dr. Bet.¡± ¡°Paul is fine.¡± He grinned and handed me the keys. He continued to stare at my hair. ¡°Is that a bit of violet color I see in your hair?¡± ¡°Yes, actually. Darkvender highlights but when Ie for work I just have to tie it up in a bun so it¡¯s hardly noticeable.¡± I was even surprised he¡¯d noticed my hair color, not most people look that closely. ¡°It¡¯s a nice color, suits you. Almost like purple cotton candy that I used to have at the fair when I was little.¡± He said, smiling at the distant memory. ¡°Cotton candy is a goodparison. Someonepared me to prune the other day.¡± Heughed. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Stupid, right?¡± Iughed with him, totally working those charms and like I¡¯d been possessed by a daring spirit I asked. ¡°Are you free for coffee tomorrow?¡± And then I quickly looked at his ring finger and found no band there, but what if he had a girlfriend? He arched a brow and passed me a grin. ¡°Your treat?¡± It¡¯s the twenty-first century; of course, women can ask men out. Like I don¡¯t even know who made up that stupid rule that only men could make their first move. Get outta here. It¡¯s not like we were going to hold hands or kiss in the backseat which I¡¯d rify I¡¯d totally love, but Paul seemed nice. And it¡¯s his genuine sweetness and gentleman nature that I just had to get to know him better. And it didn¡¯t hurt that he was good for the eyes. We could totally be lunch buddies. That¡¯s all I was hoping for at the moment. I wrote my number down on a sticky pad. He checked his watch. ¡°Well, unfortunately, I¡¯ll have to cut our conversation short because duty calls and all that jazz.¡± Iughed. ¡°Right.¡± He pushed the number into his trouser pockets and slid his arms through the coat, making his way towards the office door. He stood back for me to pass through. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need someone to apany you to his room?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll be fine, Paul. Thanks.¡± I said, staring at the key of doom. Room number 606. He probably caught the fact that I was a bit nervous. His expressions turned serious, ¡°He¡¯s not on his best behavior today so I gave him some meds. He¡¯s mostly asleep by now. If he wakes up and causes trouble again, just give him a shot of anesthesia. It will keep him subdued.¡± ¡°If you need anything else, you can call Nurse La. She¡¯s the supervisor around here. Any questions?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Thanks for briefing me, Paul.¡± ¡°No problem and I¡¯ll see you around.¡± He said and swaggered down the hallway. It didn¡¯t take me much time to find Room 606. It was right at the end of the hallway. A man in a patient¡¯s uniform was peeking through the little transparent see-through part of the door. He was grinning at me, showing all his teeth. He was saying something that I couldn¡¯t hear. Then again, he could be reciting a nursery rhyme for all I knew. My heart was beating out of my rib-cage as I slid the key into the slot. I took a deep breath before I turned it. I was surprised that the room was more spacious than the other rooms that I¡¯d seen before. The windows had bars and a man was sleeping soundlessly on the bed, he was wearing the sky-blue patient¡¯s uniform. His hands were tied to the bed railing with a robe. His face was shut with a mouth restraint. From the looks of it, I should¡¯ve been running for the hills but I was ovee by a wave of sympathy and guilt. I saw a lot worse in my line of work, but every time I came across something like this, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. Jackson was tall, with dirty blond hair bordering to red and freckles scattered all over his cheeks and nose. He had a babyish face. If he was aic book character, he¡¯d definitely be Archie. The desk across from the bed was t on the floor, along with papers and stationery which appeared to be scattered everywhere. A ck diary was face down. I decided not to wake him up and instead cleaned up the room, putting everything back to its original ce. I was tempted to peek into the ck diary but refrained from doing so. I didn¡¯t want to rob him of This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. the little privacy that he had in here. If he wanted to show it to me, he would by his own free will. After cleaning the room, I quietly tiptoed out and shut the door behind me locking it back. I decided to do other work in the meantime. When I nced at the clock an hourter, it was already lunchtime so I decided to take the tray of lunch to his room myself. I didn¡¯t want to start off at the wrong foot. When I entered the room, he was already seated. His face twisted in agony as he tried to wiggle out of the ropes at his wrist, trying to loosen it up. He obviously hadn¡¯t heard me open the door and walk inside. ¡°Jackson?¡± I called out to him as politely as I could. ¡°I brought your lunch.¡± He tried to say something to me desperately but his mouth restraint wasn¡¯t allowing him. Poor thing. He could be hungry too. I despised Dr. Paul for a minute even though I knew feeling sympathy and guilty for any patient wasn¡¯t part of the job description. ¡°I will remove your mouth restraint and also loosen the ropes if you will y nice,¡± I said. ¡°Do you promise me to be nice?¡± He nodded earnestly; his clear blue eyes watched me carefully as I unbuckled his mouth restraint. As soon as the mask was off he shrieked. ¡°Get me out of these fucking ropes!¡± ¡°Now, Jackson. You promised me to y nice.¡± I reminded him. He gritted his teeth, ¡°I¡¯m not Jackson! Please take off these damn ropes and I¡¯ll exin everything.¡± ¡°Ha. Do you think I¡¯d fall for that? Try again, sweetie.¡± Jackson closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths and continued. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Paul Bet, the new psychiatrist in charge of Jackson Wolfe¡¯s case. When I came to do a routine check up on him this morning, to fucking talk to that psycho...he...he knocked me out, dressed me up in his clothes and tied me up to this bed. Seriously, Miss Frazer, how could you be so stupid?!¡± I pursed my lips. He didn¡¯t just call me stupid? ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I met Dr. Bet this morning. Do you take me for a fool?¡± ¡°Call Dr. Shaw right now and have him speak to me.¡± He said furiously, his face going full red. I put the mouth restraint back on his face and buckled it, tightly. Without another word, I shut the door behind me and locked it. I could hear him screaming at the top of his lungs. Then I went straight to the reception. The receptionist, Mary clicked off something on herputer, passing me her bored look. ¡°Can I help you with something Riley?¡± ¡°The patient in room 606. Can you describe him?¡± Mary giggled. ¡°You mean Loony Jackson? Honestly, if he wasn¡¯t so crazy, I¡¯d think he was a movie star. He¡¯s gorgeous. All the nurses would bang him but they don¡¯t want to end up in a freezer either.¡± ¡°Does Jackson have blondish-red hair and freckles over his face?¡± Mary stared at me like I¡¯d grown horns. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Of course not, I mean not unless he was Paul Bet¡¯s twin.¡± Sheughed. All the blood left my face. I was probably as white as a sheet. At that moment, I knew I¡¯d screwed up. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Aaron rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I wish I could say that it''s not a big deal, Riley but I can''t This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. because this could go out of our hands at any point of time. Jackson is out there somewhere doing god knows what, all because he tricked you into thinking he was Paul Bet." "I know. He was just too convincing, Aaron. If you were in my ce you''d probably mistake him for a doctor as well. Trust me." I pleaded, this time the tears trickled down my face without me even realizing it. This was a big deal. A psychopathic patient was out in the open because of my mistake. I could lose my job, or worse, someone could get hurt. "Paul wants you out of this wing." He said handing me a box of Kleenex. "Just what I needed!" I said sarcastically. Marvin, the ward boy came rushing into the room without even knowing. The short, timid guy seemed agitated. "What is it, Marvin?" Aaron asked. "You''re not going to like this, doctor." He said and without waiting he added. "We got the news that a white Nissan was stashed in the woods a few miles away from the hospital. Someone broke into an apartment nearby and the man was found unconscious on the floor with..." "Bite marks?" Aaronpleted for him. Marvin swallowed. He was terrified of even talking about it. "A chunk of flesh seems to be missing from the shoulder area." Aaron sighed, "It''s Jackson." "Oh my god!" I whispered before my head began spinning and I heard someone shout for help. When I opened my eyes, I realized I was still in Aaron''s room. I was lying down on his patient checkup bed. I sat up straight and from the thin curtains, I could see Aaron and Paul speaking to each other. It sounded coherent because my brain was still taking time to process what had happened until now. It was Paul. The real Paul, one with the freckles and the face of Archie, talking to Aaron. It could also be categorized as an argument. He caught me staring at him and threw me a look, one that was full of disdain and I didn''t me the guy. If I''d been tied up to the bed by a lunatic and if the nurse refused to recognize me, I''d be mad too. "How are you feeling?" Good ol'' Aaron asked me. Still so nice and sweet despite how I had screwed up. "Can I get you a ss of water?" I nodded. "How long was I out?" "About an hour." He responded, reaching for the mini-refrigerator and handing me a small bottle of water. "Is that man...is he dead?" I asked, failing to keep the fear out of my voice. He snatched the bottle out of my hands and unscrewed the lid which is when I realized my hands were shaking. "He''s been rushed to the hospital," Aaron said. "Good news is that they were able to catch hold of Jackson." I heaved a sigh of relief. "So that means they are bringing him back here?" "Yes. Already on their way." Aaron smiled. "Don''t worry. Mistakes can happen, mostly where a loony like Jackson is concerned. Also, Paul tells me that when you thought he was Jackson, and when you entered the room, you removed his mouth restraint. Is that right?" "I did, but that was only because I came to give him lunch. You don''t expect a patient to eat with that thing on, do you?" That was directed towards Paul who had his hands folded across from his chest, looking bored. Paul took a step closer; he was almost in my face and said, "He asked you a question, you are supposed to answer with a yes or a no. Nurse." "What''s with his attitude, Aaron?" I asked. "Cool down, you guys. Cut that attitude, Paul. And Riley, from here on, whatever Jackson tells you, don''t mess with the mouth restraint unless necessary. Sometimes, well, most of the time he''s out of control and so we need to keep him strapped and his mouth restraint stays on. It''s not always, but if it''s on his face it''s for a reason. Jackson''s an animal disguised as a human being. He can be very maniptive; he is also smart and can use your weakness against you. Very dangerous indeed, but also a great subject for research." "Well, you guys are forgetting that if I hadn''t removed it, Paul would still be in crying on that bed like a damn pussy. So technically, you, Paul should be thanking me." "Thanking you?!" Paul shrieked. "My---" Aaron raised his hand. "Meanwhile, Riley, you can take a half-day off for now. I know you''ve been stressed out since morning, so get some sleep." Aaron said good-naturedly. Paul groaned. "Seriously, Dr. Shaw!" He didn''t wait for an answer as he stormed out of the room and mmed the door on his way out. Well, looks like I''m gonna have a new best friend in the wing. Note the sarcasm. "I''m fine, Aaron." Aaron seemed concerned. "I don''t want to seem rude, but the other staff here don''t think you can handle Jackson after what happened today. They want you to be assigned to another patient." I knew that the ''other staff'' specifically meant Paul Bet. He couldn''t even stand to look at my face and if I was being honest with myself, my confidence was slipping by the minute. What if Paul is saying the truth? What if I couldn''t handle Jackson? Then again, I wasn''t the type who would back out from a challenge. And that''s what Jackson was for me. A challenge. "Do you think you will be able to handle Jackson on your own? We will have twenty-four-hour security outside his room but I really don''t want to seem like I''m imposing this on you." "You''re not and I know I can handle him. I''m sure." "We didn''t have a choice. You''re the only experienced nurse that we have around here, and we couldn''t let Roxanne continue with being his nurse, I mean, not after what he..." Then he went silent. "I''m sorry. You were saying, Aaron? What did he do to Nurse Roxanne?" Aaron shrugged and a pauseter he said, "She was just paranoid. Jackson can be very intimidating and scary; she said she didn''t want to continue being his nurse. That''s all." I nodded, knowing full well that it wasn''t the truth entirely. Aaron was surely hiding something. *** Despite Aaron insisting that I took the day off, I refused. I was just too guilty about the whole thing for me to take some quality rest. I knew I would be restless even though Jackson was supposedly caught. My stomach groaned indicating that I was starving so I was headed down towards the hospital cafeteria to buy myself lunch when I noticed three muscr men and Marvin dragging someone forcefully with them. "Out of the way...everyone. Out of the way." They yelled as they made their way through the hallway. I backed against the wall. It was as if I knew who they were dragging along with them. I waited in the hallway, and there he was. The man who had pretended to be Dr. Paul Bet, the same deranged man who''d charmed his way out of the asylum like it was a piece of cake. His dark eyes watched me, and even with the mask holding his mouth shut, I swore I watched him grin like he was mocking me. The men began unlocking his room at the end of the hallway. I heard hoots and whistles from the other locked up patients as if Jackson was some kind of a hero like he''d just won a trophy in a championship. Before entering his room, he turned to face me and continued to stare until Marvin had to push him inside the room. My hands were balled into fists. I was furious, not just because of him but because I wondered how I could be this na?ve. I wanted to confront him. Dinner in the hospital was served early. That night, even with Aaron warning me against doing it, I decided to take the meal to Jackson''s room. This time I was more cautious than before. The security stood guard by his room who informed me that Jackson was resting. I walked inside and made sure the door wasn''t locked just in case I needed to make a run. Jackson was seated by the window in a wooden chair, leather straps around his wrists which were linked together. He probably heard me walk inside because he turned to face me, and he was grinning. It was weird to see him like that, in a patient''s blue uniform when just yesterday he''d deceived me by pretending to be the doctor. The handsome young doctor that may have charmed me into inviting him over a coffee. If that wasn''t cringe-worthy. Jackson didn''t have the hideous mouth restraint on, he grinned at me like he was meeting an old friend after a long time. "Nurse Riley." he drawled. "To what do I owe this honor?" * * * Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Nurse Riley.¡± Jackson mocked me. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t say the same thing about you.¡± I retorted. Thest time that I¡¯d seen him in the office, he¡¯d been wearing the doctor¡¯s white coat, but now he was wearing the patient¡¯s blue uniform. The few top buttons of his t-shirt were open, the sleeves folded shy of his biceps and that made all the tattoos visible that ran down the length of his arm. I was at such a distance that I couldn¡¯t tell what the tattoos were about and that made me curious. Jackson chuckled, a low rumble, the type that was best suited in an office cubical rather than a mental asylum. Looking at him, no one would think he was crazy but that was the truth. He was bat-shit psycho. What¡¯s even scarier was that, he seemed like the kind of guy who could easily blend with the normal people if they didn¡¯t know about the demons that befriended him. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. We still have that coffee date you were talking about.¡± He passed me that lopsided grin, obviously teasing me. ¡°Shall I pick you up at seven?¡± I folded my arms across my chest and stared hard at him. I was not in a mood for jokes anymore, not after what he had pulledst time. ¡°I thought yesterday was a good enough reason for you to quit working as my nurse. What made you stay?¡± I ced the tray of food on the table beside his chair and quickly backed away, maintaining safe distance. He continued. ¡°Do I scare you, Riley?¡± ¡°You wish.¡± I said. The way he called out my name gave me chills. Heughed, like the lunatic that he was. ¡°Then why are you standing so far. Come a little closer.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m good. I don¡¯t think I need my skin chewed out.¡± I said. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± He asked, his brow arched. ¡°There are fan clubs all over the inte dedicated to me. The women who are part of that fan-club want me to dissect them.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to be impressed?¡± I asked. He smiled again. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s not everyday that you meet a guy who can be sexy as well as handle the sight of guts and a severed head without throwing up.¡± ¡°I would say the men who are disgusted by the sight of it are actually normal, while you are quite the contrary.¡± I said. Jacksonughed again. ¡°Psychopaths are actually pretty normal.¡± He said grinning and then added, ¡°Sometimes.¡± ¡°A psychopath can be a loyal husband and a lover, a good father and everything that you dream about. Just don¡¯t peek into their basement.¡± ¡°Guess you forgot to add that they are also pathological liars andck empathy.¡± I watched his jaw tighten and his dark chocte brown eyes staring at me. I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking from his expressions but I sure as hell knew I¡¯d said the right thing to tick him off. And why exactly was I finding pleasure by stepping on his foot? Just when I thought things had taken the wrong turn, his expressions mellowed. I decided to tease him further. ¡°So which type of a psychopath are you? Hannibal Lectar or Patrick Bateman?¡± ¡°Neither.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯m more like Dexter Morgan.¡± ¡°Dexter Morgan didn¡¯t chew people out.¡± I retorted.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°I forgot to add the part that I can be a bit more harmful.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°If you weren¡¯t so crazy, I¡¯d say you were interesting.¡± His eyes continued to stare at me, like he could peek into my soul and read all my thoughts. And then he asked me the question that I¡¯d least expected. ¡°Do you have a boyfriend, Nurse Riley?¡± ¡°I do.¡± I lied, quite surprised by my ability to lie so easily. ¡°Who is the pathological liar now?¡± He asked. Aaron was right. Jackson was smart, intelligent and someone I shouldn¡¯t even be having conversations with. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, it¡¯s not any of your business.¡± Jackson grinned. ¡°I¡¯m starving. What have you got there?¡± he asked, pretending to peek into the tray. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not human meat if that¡¯s what you were expecting.¡± I said. If he was fuming inside, and dying to kill me, he didn¡¯t show. Well, he deserved a bit of taunting after how much trouble he¡¯d caused for me. Jackson just smiled at me like I¡¯d justplimented him. ¡°You must be a psychic!¡± he eximed. I was disappointed the insult didn¡¯t have an effect on him. I took the lid off the food tray and ced it in front of him. It was the usual. Mashed potatoes and gravy with some sd. I instantly felt bad for him. The hospital needed to make variations with the food and I needed to put a word in regarding it to the hospital cook Mrs. Dorian. I arranged things on his table neatly and also made his bed while being aware of being under the hawk eye. After that, I decided it was time for something that I most dreaded. I approached him and for some unknown reason, my heart began pumping through my chest. I¡¯d never felt this nervous while taking care of a patient before and yet, I realized that I was shaking. Maybe it was because of what happened with Dr. Paul that I feared would repeat with me. Jackson¡¯s eyes were on me, watching my every move as I unbuckled the restraints on his wrists. As if I had a premonition of the what was to ur, I backed away but not fast enough because Jackson was right behind me. I opened the door to make a run outside but he closed it shut while I was still trapped between his arms. I turned to face him and realized just then how tall he actually was. I could smell the detergent mixed with something else like musk. I was shaking and Jackson was liking it, his smile told it all. If I¡¯d never experienced fear, well, I did now. My resolve to stay strong seemed to have slipped into oblivion. ¡°What are you gonna do to me?¡± I asked. He moved closer, his body pressed to me and his face inches away from mine. Softy, he whispered. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the question I¡¯m asking myself. What do I do with you Nurse Riley?¡± ¡°No, Jackson...Please!¡± The wolfish grin was back. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Jackson was so close that I could feel his minty breath fan over me. I tried to act like I wasn¡¯t scared at all but it wasn¡¯t working. I felt raw fear w into my skin like never before and I guess he sensed it because he was grinning at me like a lunatic. It seemed like he could read my mind and my body. He raised his arm towards me and I cowered in reflex. I felt his fingers move slowly down my arm in a teasing way. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± I asked him. ¡°You¡¯re scared of me, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°No. I¡¯m not scared of you.¡± Jacksonughed. ¡°You don¡¯t sound so confident.¡± ¡°If you try anything, Jackson. Just anything at all, I¡¯ll scream.¡± He moved closer, leaving absolutely no space between us. Our bodies were pressed against each other with the exit right behind me but I couldn¡¯t move, not when a six-foot four giant was towering over me (His physical details were all in the patient¡¯s file.) I felt tiny inparison of him. He was looking straight in my eyes and I continued to stare back. He needed to know that he couldn¡¯t scare me like that even though I doubted if I¡¯d walk out of this room in one piece, note the pun. Jackson cupped my face, his fingers digging into my jaw. ¡°If you scream, Nurse Riley, my teeth will dig into your skin faster than any doctor can make it in here. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± He wasn¡¯t smiling anymore, and by the looks of it, not bluffing either. ¡°You won¡¯t do that. The security guy is right outside.¡± I told him, it was more like I was assuring myself. He pushed a loose lock of hair behind my hair. A chill ran down my body. ¡°Here¡¯s something, Cotton Candy, my room is sound proof because they don¡¯t enjoy when I scream my head off in the middle of the night which means no one will be able to hear you too.¡± I swallowed. I knew Jackson wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°What do you want?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I like that question. What do I want? Seems like no one here cares about me enough to ask that. You¡¯re a first though.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re gonna ask me to let you out of here then it¡¯s not gonna happen.¡± I said. ¡°Oh, of course not, Nurse Riley. I wouldn¡¯t dare ask you that, not when there are surveince cameras in the hallways that are in dire need of technicians and a bunch of dim security guards who are incapable of handling one crazy.¡± He sniggered. ¡°Trust me, if I wanted out, I would be out.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°Dr. Aaron Shaw, he allows nurses to take their patients out for one day if the nurse is able to report about the patient¡¯s good behavior. One full day out of this goddamn ce, and you, Cotton Candy, will help me earn it.¡± ¡°And how exactly do you think stranding me and threatening to hurt me is good behavior?¡± He¡¯d backed away from me, allowing me some space which meant he trusted me enough to not leave the room. ¡°Well, there wouldn¡¯t be any threatening if you co-operate.¡± He said, settling down on the leather couch and crossing his legs. ¡°You practically bit a person and injured him. He¡¯s still in shock and hasn¡¯t spoken a word. How do you expect me to co-operate and get you a free day outside after that? And why should I trust you?¡± ¡°Will you co-operate with me or not?¡± He asked. ¡°Eat your dinner.¡± I said and ced a few colorful pills on his table with a ss of water. ¡°And after you¡¯re done, you need to have these.¡± ¡°Nurse Riley, will you co-operate with me? Or not?¡± He repeated. ¡°I will not. I simply cannot.¡± I said firmly. Suddenly Jackson¡¯s cheerfulness faded, like he was enveloped by a dark cloud. Without another word, he took those pills and crushed them. I thought that was a very unusual way of having them when he could have swallowed them whole without crushing. Next, he was right in front of me in one single stride as he seized me by the jaw fiercely, squeezing my cheeks into a fish-face. ¡°Usually, I¡¯m not nice enough to ask twice, but I made an exception this time.¡± It was too sudden, I didn¡¯t even have any time to react. When I opened my mouth to scream, he forced the powder of the medication into my mouth and as I tried to spit it, he mmed my mouth shut leaving me no choice but to swallow it. My eyes were watering when he let go. He chuckled. ¡°Cotton-Candy, you weren¡¯t supposed to have my medication. What if Dr. Paul finds out?¡± I coughed and tried to breathe. I¡¯d just consumed Jackson¡¯s medication. Jackson¡¯s psychotic medication! ¡°You sick bastard!¡± I screamed at him. ¡°Oh you better watch your mouth, Cotton-Candy.¡± Heughed like a maniac and settled down in his revolving chair by the study table. There was a creepy smile on his face as he swirled on it. I dashed out of the room, and locked it. The security guard looked me up and down. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± I wasn¡¯t. I rushed to thedies restroom in under one minute. I¡¯d pushed my fingers into my throat and threw up all the medication that Jackson had forced me to consume. In normal situation, I would have Aaron and then I¡¯d be the nurse who couldn¡¯t handle Jackson which would be a good reason to assign me to another patient leaving Jackson to terrorize someone else. But guess what, Jack? I don¡¯t back down without a fight. I thought hard. I couldn¡¯t possibly give him what he wanted, but of course I could pretend to follow his rules, he can¡¯t read my mind. I would do what he wanted me to and in-exchange keep my sanity intact. I had to make some ground rules. Jackson needed to know that he wasn¡¯t the boss here anymore. Just because the staff was scared shitless, it didn¡¯t mean he could run the show. I felt sick again and I threw up into themode. My head began spinning from the medication that I¡¯d consumed and I knew I¡¯d be falling asleep soon. I found an empty hospital room and lied down on the bed, my eyes became droopy and eventually, I feel asleep. ¡°Nurse Riley...¡± Someone was calling out to me in my dream. ¡°Nurse Riley, wake up!¡± The voice seemed so distant. ¡°RILEY!¡± I coughed, my eyes were still drowsy but I still managed to open them and saw a male figure hovering above my bed. I sat up straight at once and nced around. Dr. Paul was staring at me, frowning. ¡°Nurse Riley, do you realize this is a hospital where you are supposed to work rather than take short naps on a patient¡¯s bed? Would you like me to report you to La?¡± ¡°My head hurts. It¡¯s pounding.¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s a very convenient excuse for cking off, I guess. Faking a headache.¡± Paul went on. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been slipping into Dr. Shaw¡¯s drinks, but I for one, won¡¯t be fooled by your goody-two shoes act.¡± My hands were balled into fists. ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± Paul didn¡¯t wait to answer as he sauntered out of the room. After I calmed down a bit, I decided to head home. My shift was already over so technically, there wouldn¡¯t be anything that Paul could do to put my job in jeopardy. Screw yourself, Paul. The clouds had turned a dark shade of gray, the thunder rumbled and drops of rain pitter-pattered on the ground. Thankfully, I¡¯d brought my umbre along. I felt uneasy, like I was being watched so I nced up to find Jackson leaning against his window, his fingers coiled around the window bars, a smile stered over his face. He waved me goodbye but I decided to ignore him and walked straight ahead. I could hardly keep my eyes open so I decided to take a cab home. I could leave my car in the staff parking lot for today and drive back tomorrow after my shift and until then a cab would do. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. I hailed a taxi and climbed into it. I was so out of my mind that I hadn¡¯t even changed out of my nurse uniform. Before I could climb into the cab, a piece of neatly folded paper fell onto the ground from my pocket. I picked it up and settled inside the car. I told the driver my address and opened the slip. In beautiful loopy cursive the note read. I¡¯m Sorry! Let¡¯s be friends Cotton- Candy :) Yours, J Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The next morning when I woke up, I had a severe headache. Even though I¡¯d managed to throw up all the medicines that I¡¯d consumedst night, I realized some remnants of it must have remained inside my body. I nced out of my bedroom window and noticed it was still drizzling. The clock read nine a.m so I had about an hour before my shift started. I was working a twelve hours shift today because Aaron had literally pleaded me the other day since they were short staffed. Majority of the nurses preferred to steer clear off Jackson and I couldn¡¯t even me them. Due to my unusual shift timings, I was never home and so Ken and I rarely got any time to spend with each other as a family. Scribbled notes, texts and phone calls were the onlymunication that went on for a few days now and I med it on my transfer to the Mental Health Wing. I pulled myself out of the bed reluctantly, making a beeline for the bathroom. Twenty minutester, I was dressed in my Nurse uniform, seated at the little dining table, gobbling down bread and Nute (my go-to breakfast when I was feeling toozy to cook). I filled the thermos with steaming coffee, picked my car keys and made my way downstairs. ¡°Good Morning, Mrs. Rossi.¡± I greeted Mrs. Rossi, the Italiandy living downstairs. She nced at her left wrist; I wanted to remind her there was no wrist-watch on it. ¡°It¡¯s lunch time.¡± ¡°Good Afternoon, then.¡± I said. I usually ignored her smartments. She was usually grumpily but invited me over for tea during her good days, also baked some delicious Banana bread. The woman had over a dozen cats in her house whozed around on every possible t surface. The cats were super fat and cute but hated my guts for some reason. When I approached the parking, I remembered I¡¯d left my car in the hospital parking lot. Next thing, I was standing by the road with an open umbre, trying to hail a cab. I didn¡¯t feel like visiting Jackson¡¯s room that day. I knew it was my job, but he was also unlike other patients that I¡¯d dealt with. Jackson was a high functioning psychopath; he was also maniptive and intelligent. He seemed like a normal person one minute, and you never know when the wheels in his head were turning and he was plotting something life threatening against you. That part of him scared me. It was a given that I couldn¡¯t even read his mind. The entire day I avoided going to his room and instead decided to tend to other patients. I¡¯d told another nurse to serve Jackson¡¯s breakfast and lunch, warning her about his maniptive and flirtatious tactics. I¡¯d loaned her ear-plugs. Afternoon arrived and I was seated in the hospital cafeteria with my friend and co-worker Madeline aka Maddy. She was talking about a fight she had with a fellow nurse, furtherining about how she was going to break up with her boyfriend because he wasn¡¯t giving her enough time. I continued to nod my head throughout the conversation, pushing around the sd in my te. ¡°You¡¯re not paying attention to what I¡¯m saying!¡± Maddy pointed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How are things going with Jackson? You don¡¯t seem quite that happy with the promotion.¡± ¡°Not really. You know Maddy, I¡¯ve been good at handling people like Jackson in the past, but somehow I feel like it¡¯s not working this time. He¡¯s just too difficult to figure out.¡± Maddy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you even said yes to Aaron¡¯s offer after all the rumors surrounding him." ¡°What kind of rumors?¡± She moved closer and whispered. Maddy had the zing gossip eyes on, ¡°People say that he wasn¡¯t always crazy, it was like a switch went off and he killed his own mother. Can you imagine? And then he went on a killing rampage and murdered people in the most brutal way possible. They found severed body parts and do you know the guts and intestines...¡± ¡°Maddy, I think I¡¯ll live without the gory details.¡± I told her although I¡¯d already lost my appetite. ¡°But...but you didn¡¯t even listen to the best part.¡± She protested. I¡¯d seen worse things working in the hospital as a nurse and yet what Maddy said sent a chill down my spine. ¡°When I work with patients here, I try not to study about their backgrounds because if I do that then it may change my behavior towards them. A mental patient is a mental patient; nothing more than that and that¡¯s exactly how I see Jackson. Isn¡¯t that what they taught us during nursing school?¡± I said. ¡°Whoa, you gotta chill Riley, but seriously though, you need to go home tonight and Google that good- looking bastard and you¡¯ll be surprised what you find. There are even stories about him on Creepypasta and fan-fiction. This guy is a motherfu*...¡± she started saying when I coughed loudly to tell her to keep her voice down. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s a legend.¡± ¡°Okay okay, I get it.¡± I said shoveling down the remaining sd into my mouth. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand your obsession with killers.¡± Maddy rolled her eyes. ¡°They are just too interesting, I guess. Not saying that I really like all the horrible things they¡¯ve done to other people but I like to do research.¡± She gave me the ¡®Am-I-really-that-weird¡¯ Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. look. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m crazy, do you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not the only one here.¡± **** That evening I told Aaron about Jackson asking me if he could get a day off from the asylum if he was to showcase good behavior, and before Aaron could answer that question, I knew what Aaron would say and surely he said a big fat ¡®NO¡¯. He asked me how I could even propose the idea of Jackson being out in the open for twenty-four hours. I totally had the walk of shame out of Aaron¡¯s office on that one, like a parent walking out of the teacher¡¯s office holding a very bad academic report. I was passing by the patient¡¯s recreational area when I heard yelling, I stopped to peek in to find Jackson seated facing the t screen that was mounted against the wall and two patients yelling and screaming at him. His eyes were dead on the television screen, a deadpan expression on his face and he had the mouth piece on, with his hands shackled together. The TV was showing a rerun of the Friends series that no one seemed to be paying attention to. I hid behind the door to see what was going on. David, also known as Mad-Dave was screaming in Jackson¡¯s face. Mad-Dave was another trouble maker around here; he was a pest to say the least. He always tried to sexually harass the nurses and his mouth was fouler than a rotten egg. He was saying something about Jackson¡¯s sister who I wasn¡¯t sure if she even existed. He said a word so vile that I wished I was deaf before listening. Dave¡¯s partner in crime, Owen wasughing to whatever Dave was saying while Cody, the Man-Child was seated on the floor right in front of the screen, watching television, but I wasn¡¯t so sure if he understood any of it. He was rocking back and forth, sucking his thumb andpletely ignoring the fight going on behind him. Mister Panda, (Cody¡¯s stuffed toy) was right beside him watching TV as well. Dave was still throwing nasty words at Jackson and nothing seemed to be getting a reaction out of him and that¡¯s what made him scarier. Jackson¡¯s eyes were still glued to the screen, but I knew they were getting darker by the minute. The minute Mad-Dave said, ¡°Your momma called on the hospitalndline yesterday. Oh wait, she can¡¯t cuz she¡¯s dead. All chopped up like meat.¡± That¡¯s when all hell broke loose. There was a roar ofughter, and Jackson¡¯s eyes turned into menacing slits as he literally kicked his chair and pounded his shackled hand into Mad-Dave¡¯s face so hard that his mouth started bleeding. I was too dazed to even react to what was unfolding right in front of my eyes. His hands circled around Dave¡¯s neck as he started strangling him with the same shackles. ¡°Let go! Let go!¡± Dave was elbowing him but it wasn¡¯t working. Jackson was so strong and muscr that Dave¡¯s power was nothing inpared of it. Jackson let go for a moment and I thought he¡¯d calmed down when he shook his arm so hard that the shackles came apart. Literally broke in two, the metal digging into his skin but Jackson wasn¡¯t the one to care about pain. He easily tore off the mask holding his mouth shut and that¡¯s when I snapped out of it. ¡°Jackson, stop!¡± I yelled at him but it was like a switch had gone off. He was violent beyond words. He pushed Dave down on the floor and continued to pound his face until there was blood on his fists. If this went on, I had no doubt that Mad-Dave would be dead. I needed to stop Jackson. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°Jackson, that¡¯s enough!¡± I shrieked, but it was toote. Mad-Dave¡¯s face was bloody and his eyes were rolled back, a tooth fallen to the floor. Cody, the Man-child didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by this. He just casually threw us a look as if we¡¯d just disturbed Mister Panda and his television time together. I seized Jackson¡¯s arm and tried to pull him away but his eyes spelled murder. It was like he was possessed. Jackson was too muscled and strong; he didn¡¯t even budge when I pulled him. I needed to thread slowly out of this situation, one wrong move and I¡¯d probably end up looking like Dave. ¡°Jackson.¡± I called out him. ¡°You need to calm down. Dave is a bully; he¡¯s just messing with you.¡± Jackson turned his furious eyes at me. ¡°Nobody fucking talks about my mother like that!¡± He yelled at Dave. It was funny how one nasty word about his mother had driven him into a fit of rage when he was the one who¡¯d killed her in cold blood. Maybe Jackson had some serious Mommy issues. ¡°I will kill him!¡± He said through gritted teeth. Just then Marvin, the ward boy was passing by who saw the mess. ¡°Call Dr. Shaw urgently!¡± I told him and turned to face Jackson. ¡°If you tried to harm him anymore than you already have, they will put you in a strait-jacket and force you into the istion room. Do you want that?¡± Other patients were terrified to even think about being put into strait-jacket and the istion room, but in Jackson¡¯s case, he didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want a twenty-four hours out of the institution, do you think you¡¯ll get it with this behavior?¡± That seemed to have done it because his breathing that had been erratic a moment ago began to calm down. I ced a hand on his shoulder, and couldn¡¯t help but notice how the hard muscles flexed beneath my fingers. A minuteter, Dave was ced on a stretcher. He opened one eye and passed me a grin, his teeth stained with blood that ran down his chin. The stretcher rolled away as Dave faked a moan. Then, it just clicked into ce. It was all Dave¡¯s n just to get Jackson into trouble. He knew about Jackson¡¯s violent nature and his bad temper and he¡¯d taken advantage of it. How crazy was Mad-Dave on the scale of one to ten? I¡¯d say a hundred. Some nurses and two security guards arrived, followed by Aaron who seemed furious. The nurses restrained Jackson like a prisoner and put the mask back on his face. Jackson just stared impassively, his features not betraying any emotion. And just like I¡¯d guessed, he was ced in a strait-jacket that even stopped him from moving. ¡°Aaron, it¡¯s not his fault.¡± I said. ¡°David instigated the fight. He said some really vile things about Jackson.¡± I exined. ¡°I saw it myself!¡± ¡°Does that exin his violent behavior? Attacking people, breaking their jaw, biting off flesh.¡± Aaron asked, clearly irritated. I felt bad for Aaron. He already had enough work pressure from Dr. Liu as it is and it didn¡¯t help that Jackson was always causing trouble. ¡°I know what he did was wrong, but we can¡¯t always keep him shackled like an animal. Oh wait; wild animals are still treated better.¡± I said as I watched the security guards and two male Nurses dragging him off. ¡°Riley, are you aware of what Jackson is even capable of?¡± He asked. ¡°He is nothing like the previous patients that you have dealt with.¡± ¡°I understand, Aaron, it¡¯s just that...¡± ¡°I know that he is causing you trouble too, Riley, Paul told me you were feeling drowsy the other day. You need to understand that you never demand or force Jackson to take his medications. Next time, just leave it on his dinner tray. Well, it¡¯s actually my fault I didn¡¯t warn you before.¡± He said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯d like to try my own way at handing Jackson if that¡¯s okay. If we try to remove his restraints, maybe he won¡¯t be as difficult as he is being now. I want to try a few things, taking a friendlier approach.¡± He gave me the ¡®Are you fucking insane¡¯ look. ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Riley and I won¡¯t suggest you to do it.¡± That said he sauntered out of the room and walked down the hallway in a hurry. **** The security guards and the head nurse La did not allow me into the istion room that was now keeping Jackson locked up. Istion rooms were mostly where they kept rebellious patients for a few days. On the fourth day, I went back to La and literally begged her to let me visit him. After much convincing and arge slice of homemade chocte caketer, she handed me the keys. Nurse La had a sweet tooth, if she worked in a bank, I had no doubt she would let the robbery happen if the robber were to ce a box of donuts on her table. No guns necessary here. I carried one slice with me in a box and walked to the room where Jackson was locked away. It was like the room was devoid of any life; the walls were painted a dull off-white with scribbles all over it. If you looked closely, you would notice the disturbing imagery. There was no window and only a bed adjacent to the wall. Jackson was lying on the bed, facing the other side minus the mask. When he heard the door open, he said. ¡°If you brought food, take it back.¡± ¡°I just brought you cake.¡± I said and ced the box beside the bed. He turned to face me, his brown eyes inspecting me curiously. ¡°Stop trying to act nice!¡± He said, clearly irritated. ¡°It¡¯s making me sick.¡± ¡°There are some rules here in this asylum that you are supposed to follow. I know that Dave is wrong but attacking him like that is even worse.¡± I said. ¡°Do you think this attitude of yours is going to get you anywhere? The way you¡¯ve been treating the previous nurses, scaring them away, forcing them to consume your medication. I never told Dr. Aaron about that day because I didn¡¯t want you to get into trouble again and yet here you are in a strait-jacket.¡± I just stood there, watching him like an idiot basking in the awkward silence. He finally said. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to defend me back there, Nurse Riley. I think I can fight my own battles besides, I don¡¯t see a reason why you¡¯re trying to act like a damn psychoanalyst. I think that¡¯s a job best suited for Paul- fucking-Be so do us both a favor and get the hell outta here.¡± I saw the real him. He was different today, the same bitter and angry version of him that the nurses were always talking about. It wasn¡¯t something new for me; I¡¯d experienced far worse things. ¡°If you treat me with respect, I¡¯ll do the same. I¡¯m not here because I love to, this is my job. And if you think you can get away by talking like that to me and maintaining this behavior then you¡¯re wrong.¡± His dark eyes shed towards me, the same dangerous look that had Nurses resigning left and right. As if he¡¯d plugged his ears with ear muffs, he said. ¡°When I¡¯m out of this room and this jacket, you better believe I¡¯m gonna kill that sonofa bitch.¡± That was a clear indication towards Mad-Dave. I ced the box of chocte cake on the little table. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be here to serve you dinner, so you can ask the Nurse in charge during that time to give this to you.¡± That said, I walked out of the room and locked it behind me. I had chills all of my body when he¡¯d said that, but I didn¡¯t want to give him the satisfaction that he scared me. **** I had two days off after that day, something that I¡¯d begged Aaron for because I¡¯d been too stressed out. I spent those days watching Netflix and hanging out in a bookstore where they served coffee. I admit it, I was a loner and the only friend I had was Maddy who was stuck at the hospital. For two full days I tried to keep my mind off Jackson. I¡¯d been tempted to search him online but always chickened out. I truly wanted to do my job the right way by not being judgmental but it was getting difficult to control the urge by every passing day. I knew he was crazy. I knew he was toxic. I knew he had killed people. But there was still something about him that made me so damn curious. That night I watched some documentaries and did some research about Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy. By the end of it, I started to feel a bit ill due to the horrific details entailing the murders. I tried to tell myself it was all for research purposes, to see if Jackson had any simr symptoms. I clicked those sites off and cleared by search history, I didn¡¯t need Ken to stumble upon them and think I This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. was going crazy as well and possibly on a murder spree. That night at exactly eleven p.m, my phone began buzzing. I reached for it and saw the number of the hospital shing. The first question I had in my mind was: Why are they calling me at such an hour? What could be the emergency? I wanted to ignore it, thinking that it was probably Nurse La calling me for something, but curiosity killed the cat and I answered the call. ¡°Hello.¡± I said. ¡°Nurse Riley speaking, who¡¯s this?¡± There was no answer on the other end. ¡°Hello? This is Nurse Riley. Can I help you?¡± I repeated. All I heard was silence, but I could tell the phone was on hold or someone was just listening. That was weird. Maybe it was Maddy ying a prank call. I hung up. A secondter, the phone rang once again. ¡°Hey, who is calling from the hospital phone? Maddy, if this is you, it¡¯s not funny.¡± I said. Silence. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± I said. ¡°I loved the chocte cake.¡± The voice said and the before I could say anything, the phone went dead. My heart did a few quick somersaults. I recognized that voice. That voice. The silky, smooth voice of Jackson Wolfe. I ced my hand on my heart and it was still beating through my chest. How had he found my number? And then it hit me like a brick. I¡¯d written my number on a post it card and given it to him that morning when I mistook him as Dr. Be. How stupid of me? More importantly, I was surprised he¡¯d kept it. I envisioned Jackson keeping it hidden under his pile of drawings or the ck notebook that he kept on his desk. I imagined his smooth fingers running over it and him memorizing my number. ¡°What¡¯s with that stupid smile on your face?¡± Ken asked me when he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a milk carton. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a wrong number.¡± I said. He guzzled down the milk. I hated when my brother drank directly from the cartoon like that, but he just wouldn¡¯t listen no matter how many times I told him. ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t seem like nothing to me. If you have a new boyfriend, you gotta spill.¡± He said, pulling a box of Oreo biscuits. ¡°Shut up, Ken.¡± I returned to my room and lied down on my bed, starring at my phone. It was his weird way of either saying thanks or apologizing for his behavior. I wondered if he was slowly changing. That night I dreamed of Jackson being a good man. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 The next morning when I drove to work, I saw some police cars and a wide yellow tape wound around the area. Media vans and TV reporters swarmed the premise. What the hell happened here? The sun wasing down too harshly; I retrieved my sunsses and wore them, that way no one would find out who I was staring at. I nced up towards the troublemaker window, Jackson was staring right at me, he smiled and waved. I didn¡¯t bother waving back. He was back in his old room. I approached towards the entrance slowly. Paul appeared to be stressed and talking to a police officer who was scribbling something on a memo, his co-worker sipping on atte. I entered the hospital building to find all the nurses being questioned. A group of people had already crowded the elevator area so I decided to take the stairs. I climbed up, two at a time when Marvin almost crashed into me on the third level. He grabbed both my shoulders as if stopping me from walking further. His face looked like he¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°You might want to turn back and leave.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. Marvin let go of me as I walked further. There were photographers outside a room, their cameras shing with an intensity. I saw Aaron speaking to the officers. His forehead creased into a worried line. I felt bad for him, it seemed like Aaron hardly got any rest and that was one reason why he never dated normally like other men. Just then his eyes narrowed down on me and a line of relief crossed his face. I walked further towards them and I ced my hand on Aaron¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He didn¡¯t answer, just continued to stare at the people around us. It was unlike Aaron to be this disturbed about something. ¡°That room? What¡¯s in there? Why are the police here?¡± I asked him. ¡°Riley, don¡¯t!¡± He called out to me but it was toote. I stepped aside, walking towards the room and I knew that the scene before my eyes would haunt me from this day forward. It was a body hoisted up against the ceiling by a rope. The body¡¯s hands remained at his sides, hanging in the air. The eyes gouged outpletely, making it look like two ck holes. Even with the eyes gone, I could still recognize that face. Mad-Dave. There was no blood on the floor nor the carpet. Not one drop and that¡¯s what made it hard for the forensics to collect evidence. I remembered Dave, the frown that he always walked around with. It was gone. The room started spinning before my eyes. The forensic team was doing their job, taking samples, writing notes and casually chattering like they weren¡¯t standing next to a horrific scene. Guess this was like any other normal job to them. My eyes thennded on the wall behind him that was smeared in blood. When I looked closely, I realized that it wasn¡¯t just blood smeared randomly. There were letters that spelled out something. Let¡¯s y A Game :) ¡°Ma¡¯am, I would like you to step aside. This is a crime scene.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee.¡± Aaron handed me a steaming cup with a chocte donut. I didn¡¯t bother telling him that I¡¯d lost my appetite after what I¡¯d seen in the room earlier. Aaron could cut a stomach open and still be eating a KFC bucket in under ten minutes. That¡¯s how most doctors worked here. ¡°How did this happen?¡± I asked him, taking a sip of the coffee. ¡°I¡¯d seen Dave just yesterday in the recreational room with Owen.¡± Aaron¡¯s expressions were grim once again; his eyes looked tired and had light bags underneath them. We were seated right outside the hospital cafeteria in stic chairs far from the mental ward. A gurney with a covered body wheeled through, while a middle ageddy followed crying hysterically. The covered body seemed small; perhaps it was thedy¡¯s child who died due to ident or sickness. Tragedies were somon here at the hospital that no one batted an eye. People died each second of every minute of every day, but when I watched random bodies being taken to the hospital morgue downstairs, I often wondered how they died or how their life used to be before the ident happened. ¡°Nurse Tara went to serve David breakfast this morning and she realized the door was unlocked like someone had broken into his room.¡± Aaron¡¯s low voice pulled me out of my thoughts. ¡°We lock the doors of each patient every night and the head nurse checks it, always. So I¡¯m not sure how this could have happened.¡± ¡°How could anyone do something like that?¡± Images of Dave¡¯s hanging body shed through my mind. ¡°Unless, it¡¯s someone from the hospital. He is ying with us.¡± Aaron said, his voice lowered in a whisper. ¡°He?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re saying it like you know who did it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It¡¯s Jackson.¡± He whispered. ¡°It¡¯s written all over the crime scene.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I whispered back. ¡°How can you be so sure? As far as I know, Jackson was in his room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the simr pattern of the murder scene. A body hanging from the ceiling, eyes gouged out and a message scribbled on the wall, almost challenging the officers and the detectives to try and find him. That¡¯s his style.¡± ¡°But why would Jackson...?¡± ¡°Jackson has made a dozen of enemies here, and David just happened to be the first on his list. Jackson is not easily pissed off, but if anyone gets on his bad side, he never forgets.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Jackson could go to such an extent.¡± I said. ¡°Are you trying to defend him, Riley?¡± He took a huge bite of the donut, ring at me usingly. ¡°I¡¯m not defending him.¡± I exined. ¡°I just think that we shouldn¡¯t just use him of something without having valid proof.¡± ¡°It was my bloody mistake to let the state keep him in this hospital. We could have deported him off to a remote ind.¡± He began browsing through his iPhone. ¡°Then again, there¡¯s no guarantee that he won¡¯t break out of it too. He¡¯s like this problem child that no one wants to keep.¡± ¡°I still think we are jumping to conclusions.¡± I said. Before Aaron could say anything further, ady in a posh suit approached us. She was a middle aged type that said ¡®don¡¯t-mess-with-me¡¯ ¡°Dr. Aaron Shaw, correct?¡± She raised her hand towards him in a handshake which Aaron shook. ¡°That¡¯s me, and this is Riley Frazier. She¡¯s one of our best staff.¡± Aaron said with pride. It always made me happy when Aaron introduced me as one of his best staff. She shook hands with me, ¡°I¡¯m Detective Alicia Ramirez. You can call me Alicia.¡± She passed us a smile, one that was both warm and businesslike. ¡°Miss Frazier, I hear that you have been assigned to Jackson Wolfe since a few weeks, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that correct.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been his assigned Nurse for a while.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The detective and Aaron exchanged looks and I wasn¡¯t sure what that was about. To me she said. ¡°I¡¯d like to question you about a few things if that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Sure, Detective.¡± Detective Alicia trotted away, her high heels clicking as she walked. Aaron ced a hand on my shoulders. ¡°Tell them the truth, Riley. Don¡¯t hide a single detail. If you remember anything, just talk to them.¡± I smiled and reluctantly followed the path the detective had left down the hallway. I wanted Aaron to the opposite side. I couldn¡¯t bother Aaron again, I had to handle this on my own. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Detective Alicia led me to a room that was now set up with a bunch of equipment and there were a lot of people in the room being questioned, others were going through files and papers, typing on their MacBooks. A young officer looked up from hisptop towards me and back at the screen. ¡°Please have a seat, Miss. Frazier.¡± Detective Alicia pointed at the chair as she settled in the chair across from it. She had a memo pad and a pen in herp. ¡°How are you doing today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, Detective. Thanks for asking.¡± ¡°I have some questions so let¡¯s get it over with.¡± She said. ¡°How was David¡¯s behavior usually?¡± ¡°He liked to pick fights with the other patients. Harassed most of the staff. Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t think anyone here would miss him in the slightest.¡± There, I said the truth. Just because Dave was dead, didn¡¯t mean we had to pity him. He got what he deserved. Detective Alicia nodded, scribbling something in her notepad. ¡°When he had a fight with Jackson Wolfe, you were a witness. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I responded. ¡°I saw how Dave mocked Jackson about his mother and that put him in a rage.¡± I was momentarily disturbed by her scrawling so I stopped talking which is when she nced up from her writing pad. ¡°Go on please.¡± ¡°Jackson pummeled Dave to the floor and he was bleeding.¡± I said. ¡°And then?¡± She pressed. ¡°He was taken to the istion room where he was kept for about four or five days while Dave was getting treated for the injuries.¡± I informed her. ¡°I honestly think it wasn¡¯t Jackson¡¯s fault at that time. Dave liked to pick on Jackson every chance he got.¡± ¡°So you think killing Dave was a genius option?¡± She asked and I was caught off guard with that question. ¡°Of course not.¡± I said. ¡°But is it really Jackson who is responsible for this?¡± ¡°We are not sure, but the investigation is going on. As soon as we have information, we will take him into custody.¡± She pushed a man file towards me. ¡°These are some of the murders that happened a year back and supposedly, Jackson is responsible for them although there¡¯s no evidence. If it really is Jackson whomitted those murders, he is clever enough not to leave any traces.¡± I scanned the top of the file, flipped it open and I instantly wished I hadn¡¯t. On the first page was a picture of a woman. Her arms weren¡¯t in the right angle, but when I looked closely, her right hand was attached to the left arm and her left hand was attached to the right, sewed together. Her eyes sunken back into hollows. The eyeballs ced neatly in her outstretched palm. The body looked like a Barbie doll that was badly yed with. Another picture showed a man crucified against the wall, his eyes as usual were the same; empty and hollow. Alicia flipped more pages and pointed at another picture where the same woman was lying face down with bite marks over her back. I shuddered. ¡°Isn¡¯t this confidential?¡± Alicia waved her hand in dismissal. ¡°This stuff is all over the news and the inte. It¡¯s not confidential information anymore.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Since Jackson is under your care, I want you to check his behavior and inform us if he says something out of the ordinary. Any valuable information that may help us because we are pretty sure he is the one.¡± The problem was Jackson was never normal. Jackson was seated in a hospital room. A Blood pressure cuff was wrapped around his arm to record his pulse, along with rubber tubes ces over his chest abdomen to check his breathing rate and finally, two metal tes attached to his fingers to check if was sweating due to nervousness. The wires were connected to theptop which was attached to another rectangle box shaped device. I instantly knew it was a polygraph test. It was a device that instantly proved if the used person was lying or telling the truth by checking their heart rate or pulse but Jackson seemed rxed, like he wasn¡¯t just going to answer a lie detecting test, but ready to watch a movie on his couch. I wondered how a person used of such atrocious crimes could act soid back. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t an act at all. Maybe Jackson wasn¡¯t really scared. His dark eyes flicked towards me and stayed there, his hair was brushed perfectly. A smug expression stered over his face, a condescending look like he was the master of this game and we were his pawns. The overconfidence radiating through him as usual. My mind preupied by thoughts of Jackson murdering all those innocent people. Everyone was present in the room, including Aaron and Paul who were closely assessing Jackson like he was a rare species from another. Paul, specifically was scowling at him and it proved how much he hated Jackson¡¯s guts. The session of the Polygraph test began, and a Polygraph examiner began asking him questions. ¡°Is your name Jackson Wolfe?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jackson responded and machine made a sound indicating that he was lying. ¡°It is Michael Jackson.¡± Paul barked. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to say yes.¡± ¡°Then, don¡¯t ask me stupid questions.¡± Jackson said. ¡°Are you Twenty-seven years old?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Have you been diagnosed with Psychopathy due to the incidentst year?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He responded without a trace of nervousness in his voice. ¡°Did you have a fight with David the night before he died?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you kill David?¡± He looked straight at Paul. ¡°No.¡± The machine beeped and there was a green line waves on theptop screen. That meant he wasn¡¯t lying. Everyone in the room was confused including me. If Jackson did not kill Dave, then who did? ¡°Did you kill David?¡± Paul repeated. ¡°No.¡± Green signal. ¡°Mr. Jackson Wolfe, did you ughter Mad-Dave?¡± ¡°I said NO!¡± Red signal. Jackson gave outugh. ¡°That¡¯s fucking stupid if you think you can ask me the same question thrice just to get a negative reaction. I did not kill that stupid fuck.¡± ¡°Did you kill Laura Wolfe too, Jackson?¡± What does my mother have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Did you kill your mother, yes or no?¡± Paul demanded the answer. ¡°No.¡± Jackson said and the signal was red again. His jaw twisted and his eyes turned dark. He gritted his teeth, ¡°I did not kill my mother.¡± ¡°But the polygraph results say otherwise.¡± Aaron pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the results say.¡± The examiner exchanged nces from Aaron to Jackson. ¡°May I continue the test, Dr. Aaron?¡± ¡°Yes, you may.¡± ¡°Jackson, look at these pictures.¡± The examiner pushed the same pictures towards Jackson that Detective Alicia had shown me. ¡°Do you remember something?¡± For the first time, I saw Jackson swallow hard. The examiner noticed this but his expressions remained impassive. ¡°Do you recognize these pictures, Jackson?¡± ¡°No.¡± Red. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Red. ¡°How about this one?¡± The examiner asked, pushing a different picture towards him, one that I hadn¡¯t seen before. It was a picture of an open suitcase. The contents weren¡¯t for someone with a faint heart. A heart ced nicely in the center of the suitcase, along with neatly piled guts and other body parts and the most prominent one being the severed dark head ced right beside the heart. The suitcase soaked with blood. Seconds ticked by and before anyone could see iting, Jackson lunged out of his chair and attacked Paul, ¡°I will kill you, you sonofabitch!¡± His teeth barring out as he grabbed for Paul¡¯s arm. Before Jackson could do many more damage, Aaron and the others grabbed Jackson and ced a mask on his mouth as I grabbed for the injection ¡°Riley! Now!¡± Aaron instructed me. Jackson trashed and screamed, his eyes met mine for just a split second before I injected the tranquiller into his vein. I had no idea how I¡¯d done it, I¡¯d never dealt with a more troublemaking patient than Jackson. Instantly, his eyes rolled back and his body went limp. ¡°Whose body was that in the suitcase?¡± I asked Aaron. ¡°Jackson¡¯s mother.¡± Today¡¯s dinner consisted of grilled chicken and boiled vegies. I ced the tray over Jackson¡¯s bedside table. He seemed to be fast asleep; I checked my watch and the time read nine p.m. He¡¯d slept very early today and that was really odd. Theforter went over his head, facing the wall. ¡°Jackson, your dinner is here.¡± I announced. All I could hear was the soft whoosh of the wind. ¡°Haven¡¯t you got enough sleep today?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s your favorite; Grilled chicken.¡± He didn¡¯t move a limb. A chill ran down my body. Crazy ideas crossed my mind for a nano second. Did someone kill Jackson too? I walked cautiously towards his bed, one slow step at a time. Then, I grabbed theforter and pulled it off the bed. There were cushions properly arranged to look like a body. A drawing of a sleeping emoji was taped against one cushion where his head was supposed to lie down. I was close to having a panic attack when I realized he must be using the bathroom. I checked the window to find the bars in its ce. I walked to the bathroom and turned the knob to find it locked from the inside. I knocked a few times. ¡°Jackson, are you inside?¡± There was no answer. ¡°Jackson?¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Panic turned to hysteria. ¡°Open the door!¡± Did he escape again? I tried to force it open with all my strength, but it wasn¡¯t enough. I walked outside the room and called for the security guards. I was just about to speed-dial Aaron when I spotted Paul across from the hallway talking to another nurse. ¡°Dr. Paul.¡± I called out to him. Paul¡¯s usually vibrant blue eyes look tired. I knew he was working around the clock for roughly twenty- eight hours due to the short staff. As much as I hated Paul for his arrogance, I really appreciated how hard working he was. He probably saw the worried look on my face because he made a beeline towards me. The faint whiff of coffee and cigarette assaulted my nostrils. The first thing he asked me was. ¡°What did you do now?¡± ¡°I went to Jackson¡¯s room and his bed was empty. I mean, not empty but there were pillows arranged on it to look like he was sleeping and then when I tried to open his bathroom room. It didn¡¯t open. I¡¯m pretty sure something is...¡± I bbered without missing a beat. ¡°Wait. Slow down. You¡¯re not making any sense.¡± He said. ¡°There¡¯s no time.¡± I said as I grasped his arm and dragged him towards Jackson¡¯s room. The security guards were trying to break the lock when I exined Paul the situation. Paul¡¯s forehead formed a creased line of worry. ¡°I¡¯m sure he escaped somehow.¡± Paul said to me, and to the men he instructed, ¡°Break the door open.¡± It took a minute for the boys; the door loosened and burst open. I had all the worst scenarios in my mind when the door finally opened but what I didn¡¯t expect was to see Jackson lying on the white bathroom tile. The tiles weren¡¯t white anymore; they were matted in a shade of crimson red color. I heard the sound of my screams. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Jackson had tried tomit suicide, but thankfully we¡¯d reached on time to save his life. Hey in the hospital bed breathing through an oxygen mask, an IV connected to him. As his nurse, I felt responsible for what happened to him. If I hadn¡¯t let him out of my sight, maybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened at all. I watched Jackson as he slept peacefully, despite how chaotic his life had be. His chest moved in a constant slow rise and fall. Any normal person would easily peg him as Hollywood worthy. He should have been at one of the movie sets; sitting in his private room, reading the lines he was supposed to recite and sipping on fresh juice that the errand boy brought him, instead, he was. Bat-shit insane and convicted of murders. Besides that, he was so damn unpredictable and that¡¯s what made him even more mysterious. I doodled in my diary; Mysterious, Unpredictable and Drop-dead gorgeous. Instinctively, I brushed the dark locks of hair away from his face. It was almost past lunch time when Jackson opened his eyes. His breathing was normal so the venttor was removed. He stared straight ahead; any signs of amusement were non-existent. I checked his vitals and told him about the extra medication doses that he was supposed to start from the next day. He just nodded once, his face masking nonchnce. He was then transferred from the ER to a normal hospital room on a stretcher where he was going to be under observation. This room in Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. particr had a t screen mounted against the wall. The silence in the room was getting awkward so I decided to break it. ¡°Would you like to rest some more? I think it¡¯s best if you slept through the night. You will feel better by tomorrow.¡± I suggested. Jackson regarded me with his dark stare. ¡°All I¡¯ve been doing for the past six months is fucking rest. What I really wanna do is get outta this goddamn institution.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything to that, instead I asked him. ¡°Did you really kill Dave?¡± ¡°Nurse Riley, not you too!¡± He said. ¡°Someone¡¯s obviously framing me.¡± ¡°But all the evidence is against you, Jackson.¡± I said. ¡°The murder. It is simr to your previous ones.¡± ¡°I. Did. Not. Kill. Mad- Dave.¡± He said with a raised voice. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone I¡¯d like to kill, it would be Paul-Fucking- Be.¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± I said. ¡°Lower down your voice.¡± ¡°If I told you something Riley, would you believe me?¡± He asked, his voice mellowed just a tad bit. He¡¯d called me straight as Riley instead of mocking me with his usual ¡®Nurse Riley¡¯ which spoke volumes that whatever that he had in store, wasn¡¯t joking business. ¡°What is it?¡± He sat up straight, and looked me in the eye. ¡°The murders before. I...I didn¡¯t kill any of them.¡± I think it took a long while for his words to sink in and the shock to actually register on my face. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°And I can¡¯t me you, no one did until now but you can¡¯t change the truth.¡± He said with so much sincerity that even the Pope would believe him but I knew better than to trust Jackson. He was known to y his cards well, toss down all the barriers and leave a person unguarded enough to make them think he was being serious until the joke was on them. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the truth. I believe what I see.¡± I said. ¡°I saw the murders and the Polygraph also proved that you were lying.¡± He smiled ruefully, like a switch had gone off. ¡°A Polygraph is known to be only about Seventy percent urate while the examiner would disagree. Those morons had nothing better to do, but I thought you were smarter, Riley.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to mock me.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been framed.¡± He confessed I sighed. ¡°And what do you want from me?¡± ¡°A favor.¡± He said simply. I raised my eyebrows as he began reciting the favor he wanted from me. When he was done, I took a step back instantly. To say I was furious would be an understatement. ¡°I will not do it and that¡¯s final!¡± I said. ¡°You won¡¯t?¡± ¡°Do you think I am as insane as you? I could lose my job!¡± I was trying to keep my voice down. ¡°Keh Frazer. Sweet and helpful. Future veterinary surgeon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you darey a finger on my brother or I¡¯ll..¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to, Riley. I swear to you. You¡¯re good to me aspared to all the other nurses I¡¯ve managed to chase away, and that¡¯s why I like you. If the circumstances were different, who knows we¡¯d have something different than a mere Nurse and Patient rtionship.¡± He said, and I had no doubt he meant every word he¡¯d said. ¡°I seriously do not want to hurt you or someone you love. All I ask is for your co-operation.¡± I had no other choice. I closed my eyes and opened them; taking a deep breath. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡± A week passed and I¡¯d been growing even more anxious. What if I couldn¡¯t do as Jackson told me? Will I be dead? Or worse, would he really hurt Ken? So far I¡¯d done everything for him that he¡¯d asked of me. Sometimes I spaced out and got an earful from the head nurse because it was hard to concentrate on my work. I sneaked into the operation theatre, pulled on sometex gloves and pushed one scalpel knife into my pocket. All I had to do was get out of this ce without being noticed. I didn¡¯t wait to speak to anyone and walked straight towards the elevator. When I reached the fourth floor, I stepped out. Dr. Paul was in the hallway as usual. I suspected if he rarely sat in his office and preferred to be hanging around in the hallways just to keep an eye on anyone. I also suspected he was ying spy for Dr. Aaron Shaw. Whenever I passed him, Paul usually gave me the cold shoulder which I really appreciated since I was avoiding drama. asionally I caught him staring at me, just the way he was staring at me right now, but I knew that had to be out of pure hatred for me. I could feel his green eyes bore into my back as I walked further. ¡°Nurse Riley!¡± He called out to me. I stopped short, hoping like hell he didn¡¯t suspect anything. I passed him my most fake smile. ¡°What can I do for you, Doctor?¡± His gaze was dubious. ¡°You seem to be in a hurry. What¡¯s the emergency?¡± ¡°This is a hospital.¡± Iughed. ¡°There¡¯s always an emergency.¡± ¡°But seems like you¡¯re up to something.¡± He said simply. ¡°You need coffee. You¡¯re hallucinating.¡± I said in a rush as I turned on my heel when he caught my hand. I threw him a look and nced down at his hand holding mine. Suddenly, he let go. He cleared his throat. ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯re free to grab lunch today.¡± I stared at him incredulously, ¡°What?!¡± I had a dozen questions racing through my mind. Had I walked into another dimension? Was it another one of Paul¡¯s strategy to get some information from me? What the hell did he want? He sighed. ¡°Nevermind.¡± I swear I saw disappointment register his face. Maybe he was running low on friends because of his trash attitude? I suddenly overcame with pity for my colleague. ¡°I¡¯m kind of busy today, but I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow.¡± He raised his hand to stop me. ¡°Save it. I don¡¯t want you to take this the wrong way and think I¡¯m asking you out because I like you or something which is out of question.¡± My mouth was arge ¡®O¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe this man! ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! I never said anything about your liking me. You obviously seem to have problems reading situations Dr. Paul.¡± He sounded as crazy as Jackson, maybe even worse. At least Jackson wasn¡¯t acting borderline like him. Maybe Paul Be needed to lie down in one of the hospital beds too. ¡°Oh I know what¡¯s keeping you busy these days.¡± He said coyly. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± I asked irritated. ¡°You enjoy entertaining that psycho Jackson Wolfe.¡± He pointed out. ¡°I know what¡¯s been going on between the two of you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I agreed. My fists balled into tight fists. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Think what you want to.¡± Suddenly he leaned in, and I had never been intimidated by his height because I never noticed anything about him other than the line of hate that kept stretching between us. His minty breath fanned over my face. ¡°Be careful with that one. You don¡¯t wanna be chopped up like Mama Wolfe.¡± That said he passed me. Tears spiked my eyes and I felt emotionally drained. I walked casually into Jackson¡¯s room. He was propped up in his hospital bed, watching a movie. When he saw me, he switched off the tv and turned his full attention towards me. ¡°Did you find it?¡± I shut the door behind me and slipped the scalpel near his cushion. The corners of his mouth twitched up in a smile. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± ¡°I did what you asked of me, but you¡¯ll have to promise me, you won¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± I said. ¡°You have my word.¡± Jackson said. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± That¡¯s the first thing I asked him after I¡¯d handed him the scalpel. He was assessing it curiously, like he hadn¡¯t seen a de in his life before. ¡°Jackson, I asked you something.¡± ¡°Rx, Nurse Riley. I ain¡¯t gonna touch a single hair off your pretty little head, well, unless you want me too,¡± he grinned, quickly hiding the scalpel underneath the hospital bed. ¡°Now, there¡¯s one other thing I need from you.¡± He wrote down a number for me and gave me instructions on what I was supposed to do. ¡°Are you nuts?¡± I almost shrieked at him. It was hard to keep my voice down. ¡°If someone finds out about it, it¡¯s going to be a criminal offense. I could go to jail for this.¡± ¡°I assure you that if you follow my instructions, nothing will happen to you but if you want to refuse, that¡¯s fine because one way or the other I will find my way out of here and when that¡¯s done, baby brother will be home waiting for you.¡± He said. And then added, ¡°In the freezer.¡± He barked out augh. This wasn¡¯t funny anymore. I bit my lip hard. ¡°Dr. Paul suspects there¡¯s something going on between us.¡± ¡°Well that cocky bastard ain¡¯t got nothing else to do. He¡¯s just teasing you, I bet.¡± Jackson said. ¡°He¡¯s the type of a guy who pretends to know everything, but doesn¡¯t.¡± Frustrated, I asked ¡°Why me?! Why are you doing this to me?¡± Jackson¡¯s expressions turned serious, ¡°I warned you enough times to give up on me, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job! I never asked for this!¡± I said. ¡°Well neither did I, but we are stuck with each other, Cotton-Candy.¡± He said. ¡°The smarter ones took off, but Dr. Aaron thought you could make a difference because you¡¯re kind and forgiving, but then again, this isn¡¯t some fucking clich¨¦ novel where the Nurse slowly treats and cures the patient with their love.¡± When I didn¡¯t say anything, he muttered. ¡°You should have left when you had a chance like everyone else.¡± Instead of answering to that, I said, ¡°at five-thirty I¡¯ll be ready with whatever you need but you have to keep your word and no one gets hurt.¡± He made a cross on his heart with his finger. ¡°See you in the evening, Nurse Riley.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I ced all the things that Jackson asked me to in a bag and ced it under the bushes where it wasn¡¯t visible to anyone. I had to be very very sneaky, considering the fact that Paul Be had a close eye on me. After that I went along with the rest of the n. That evening, Jackson was on a wheelchair, faking a migraine and how after almost slicing his wrists he still had weakness in his body. It was mandatory to take patients out in a wheelchair, mental or not and this was a good opportunity for whatever he had nned. When we reached the ground floor, he eyed the corridor, waiting for a doctor to appear. Because Jackson was in luck, Dr. Deena was doing her usual rounds. Sweet, understanding, nerdy Dr. Deena who was a little too scared of Jackson for obvious reasons. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Dr. Deena Love, it¡¯s so nice to see you after a long time.¡± Jackson said. Dr. Deena smiled politely looking for an answer that did not piss off the lunatic. ¡°Likewise.¡± Jacksonughed. ¡°Never thought anyone would say that back to me.¡± ¡°Doc, I¡¯m still waiting for your answer for our coffee date.¡± He called after her with a wink as she passed us. ¡°Well, Dr. Love isn¡¯t insane, so you should find someone of your caliber.¡± I retorted. ¡°Someone like you?¡± He asked. I snorted, wheeling the chair towards the hospital courtyard. At the hospital entrance, Jackson leaped to his feet and pulled out the scalpel from his pocket. It was too fast for anyone to react. He took me in a death grip, his arm coiling around my neck, the surgical de just shy of my jawline, almost digging into my skin. ¡°If anyone so much as tries to call the police, Nurse Riley dies a slow painful death.¡± I was in hysteria, I screamed. ¡°Jackson don¡¯t!¡± He pointed the surgical knife at the audience, ¡°Take your cellphones out and put it down on the ground where I can see it.¡± Someone yelled ¡®Don¡¯t hurt her¡¯. Horror was quite evident on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°Slow and easy.¡± He took a few steps back and I had to follow his steps. ¡°No one calls anyone.¡± When we reached the hospital gates, he asked the security to hand him the gun and open the gates. The guard knew better than to talk Jackson out of it unless he really wanted to see my throat sliced clean because either way there was no stopping him. The hospital gates opened and Jackson dragged me outside which is when Royal blue Jaguar pulled up at the curb and the door swung open. I stared at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t escape the asylum so I could y Candy Crush.¡± He said. I was surprised that even in situation as these he was still having his humor intact. ¡°Where are you going, Jackson?¡± ¡°Home.¡± He said. Something passed between us as we stared at each other, like he knew it was a good-bye. ¡°Thank you for all your help, Cotton-Candy.¡± He said and climbed into the car. ¡°No! No, wait! Jackson!¡± I jogged behind the car but it disappeared onto the road with a loud screech. I was panting when I sat down at the side of the road. The sun was already going down. I covered my face with my hands, thinking what I had done. By helping Jackson roam free, I¡¯d put the lives of innocent people in jeopardy. But I had been so helpless, if I hadn¡¯t done what he had asked me to, he would have hurt my brother. I walked back towards the hospital, not knowing how I was going to exin any of this to Aaron. I knew Paul would be breathing down my throat by the end of this day. He wouldn¡¯t let me live peacefully. Tears began flooding and blurring my vision. As soon as I stepped inside the gates, my friend Nurse Madeline, poprly known as Massi wrapped me in a tight hug. ¡°Oh my god. Riley, what happened?¡± I stared at her. ¡°He escaped, Maddy.¡± I cried. ¡°Because of me, because I let him out and now...¡± I sobbed some more. ¡°He¡¯s going to kill more people.¡± Maddy shook her head, patting my arm, ¡°it¡¯s not your fault. He threatened you.¡± It was part of his n. I¡¯d helped him do that. That day passed with people enquiring me how I was coping. It didn¡¯te as a shock to everyone that I was a victim to Jackson¡¯s never ending ways to mentally torture people, when I¡¯d signed up as his nurse I had no idea it was so hard to deal with him. My phone buzzed in my pocket, I reached for it. A text from Aaron. Riley,e see me in my office. I sighed. I was already dreading what was about to follow. How was I going to face Aaron? What would I say to him when heforts me saying that it was alright; that I was just another one of Jackson¡¯s victims. I couldn¡¯t lie to his face when all he had done was support me. I walked into Aaron¡¯s office expecting him to hug me, or give me some words of reassurance. But his expressions were grim, he frowned at me and told me to have a seat. It was quite unusual for Aaron to appear this way. I assumed it was because of Jackson¡¯s escape, followed by more of his concerns regarding other patients. He was pissed, so pissed that I had hardly seen him like this. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of exining to do, Riley.¡± He said, without making eye-contact. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. For a few seconds he didn¡¯t utter a single word, just clicking away on hisptop and then he turned the screen of theptop towards me. ¡°Care to exin what¡¯s going on here?¡± I watched in horror as he yed the clip. It was me, wearing atex glove, stealing a scalpel from an operational theatre and hiding it in my pocket. Then another clip of me wheeling Jackson towards the entrance of the hospital and then him suddenly catching me as a bait for escape. Aaron yed the clip of me stealing the scalpel again and again. Again and again until I said. ¡°Stop it, Aaron!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say to you, Riley. I¡¯m not even disappointed. I¡¯m just surprised.¡± He said, his expressions were hurt. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Aaron.¡± I apologized. I couldn¡¯t even take the look on his face. I didn¡¯t want Aaron to look at me like that. Like I was some kind of a criminal. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for you to cook up an excuse, because it better be fucking good.¡± He said, turning his full attention towards me. ¡°Jackson threatened me. He said he would hurt Ken if I didn¡¯t do what he asked me to. I was helpless.¡± I exined. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think it was a good idea toe and talk to me first?¡± He asked. ¡°I could have helped you, instead you decided to help a criminally insane go through with his n of fleeing this ce which to you seemed like a best option.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice!¡± I said. He mmed his hand on the table in frustration, making me flinch. ¡°Of course you did. This is exactly what he is good at, Riley. Manipting people into thinking he¡¯s innocent and then forcing them to do a criminal act.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m a criminal now?¡± ¡°You stole a surgical knife from an operational theater, the same knife that Jackson used to hold you hostage while he escaped, so yeah.. technically, you helped him go through with his diabolical n.¡± He said, ¡°On second thought, he didn¡¯t even hurt you. It seems too convenient to me.¡± ¡°What are you implying?!¡± My voice went a notch up. ¡°That he and I nned this together?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make of this footage. It seemed like you were toofortable doing this for him. What¡¯s gonna be next? Jackson forcing you to kill someone for him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Aaron. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. He told me he was being framed.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± Aaron gave out augh, his hard stare unwavering. ¡°Slitting his wrists was also Jackson¡¯s n to get out of the Mental ward, because things are really easier down here. Patients are not always locked. He¡¯s the kind of a psychopath who could slit his own throat to get out of a situation and still be fucking alright.¡± I remained silent, my mind going over everything. Jackson tricked us into thinking he was trying tomit suicide, and Aaron knew. I was too naive. I closed my eyes and let the reality sink in. ¡°Dr. Liu is back from Mysia. If this footage gets in his hands, you wouldn¡¯t be able to work as a nurse anywhere in this country, let alone this hospital.¡± He said. ¡°They won¡¯t trust your allegations of being threatened by Jackson, it would seem like you were his ally.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Aaron shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. There have been cases of Jackson getting people especially women to do exactly what he wants and you yed right into his palm.¡± He regarded me with what I assumed was suspicion. ¡°Tell me, Riley. You haven¡¯t developed any feelings for him, have you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± His gaze softened. ¡°I¡¯ve always been supportive of you. I never ever wanted anyone to treat me like I¡¯m in a higher position, but it seems like people have taken that for granted.¡± I knew when he said ¡°people¡± he specifically meant me. I didn¡¯t know words could hurt this much, and I never realized I would see the day when Aaron would be the one to say it to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± Aaron continued. He handed me a paper. My hands shook as I took the letter from him. Suspension Letter Dear Ms Riley Frazier, This is to inform you that you are hereby suspended temporarily from your job without pay for 21 working days. This disciplinary action has been taken based on the following policy breach. 1. Stealing a surgical knife from the operational theatre without having written consent from the authority in charge. Should you have any concerns, kindly contact the undersigned. Sincerely, Dr. Aaron Shaw Head Of The Department Woodville Psychiatric Hospital. ¡°But Aaron, I swear, helping him escape wasn¡¯t my intention. He forced me to do it...I...¡± Aaron put his hand up to stop me. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± He refuses to make eye- contact. ¡°Don¡¯t manipte me with your emotions, Riley. I have to be strict right now. We are friends but I don¡¯t want anyone to think I¡¯m letting you off the hook because of that. I want you to understand. This has to be fair.¡± I nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°This will stay between us so don¡¯t worry. If questions arise regarding your suspension, I¡¯ll tell them you took a break from work.¡± I nodded and turned to leave when he called out to me again. ¡°Hey.¡± Aaron sighed. ¡°If you need the money to pay for the rent or anything at all, you can ask me.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I said and walked out with the suspension letter in my hand. I rounded the corner and made a run for the bathroom. I closed myself inside a cubical and broke into a loud sob. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 I couldn¡¯t stop the sobs that raked through my chest. Why did it have to happen with me? The worst feeling was how Aaron had looked at me with so much disgust. He was my superior, but more than that, he¡¯d been my friend. The only man I¡¯d looked up to and it killed me how he¡¯d literally dismissed me out of his office. The usatory look he¡¯d passed me. He trusted me, but there was a definitely a shadow of a doubt where he wondered if I could possibly betray his trust. I pulled out the paper tissues and blew my nose into it furiously, still crying. If I saw Jackson in front of me right now, I¡¯d kill him with my bare hands. I heard a sound a few cubicles down from mine. When I¡¯d entered the bathroom, I hadn¡¯t paid attention enough to notice if anyone was using the other toilets because I thought it was obvious no one would. I¡¯d purposely walked into thedies restroom that belonged to the old wing which was situated close to the new wing but separated from the rest by a passageway and a stairway going down. There was a whole wing that was currently abandoned from hospital use and mostly only used by staff sometimes. No one came here. So when I heard another sound, I thought my mind was just messing with me. If there really was someone in there apart from me, then they¡¯d heard me crying. And if they¡¯d heard me crying, I would have to make up an excuse as to why I was crying. Cautiously, I opened the door and noticed there was no one in the bathroom. I went and stood by the sink. I opened the faucet and sshed some water over my face. When I was done, I walked out of the restrooms. The long passageway was spread out before me. Dark, and deserted. When I¡¯d walked through it before isting myself in the cubical, I hadn¡¯t thought much of it because I was hurt and my mind preupied. Now that my head was in a clear state, the walk through the passage creeped me out. The lights above dimmed, and I knew that didn¡¯t mean anything but I started to imagine all the sher movie scenes. I walked two steps and made a run for it. When I turned a corner, I stumbled and fell on the ground. It was Nurse Roxanne. Her body sprawled on the floor in a twisted angle, her eyes were vacant, staring upward. She wasn¡¯t alive. She was dead. I pulled myself up and ran down the hallway and out of the abandoned wing. I was scared and shaking by the time I reached Aaron¡¯s office. I didn¡¯t even knock the door as I barged into the room. Aaron nced up from his papers. ¡°You¡¯ve been losing your wits, guess you¡¯re losing some manners as well.¡± I ignored thement. ¡°Aaron, the...the abandoned wing.¡± I stuttered. My entire body was shaking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you acting like you saw a ghost?¡± ¡°Nurse Roxanne. Roxy, I saw her sprawled on the floor. She was dead.¡± I said. Aaron jumped out of his chair. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I saw her!¡± I said. Aaron followed me outside and into the old wing. I led him to the ce where I¡¯d seen the body and gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. The hallway was empty. There was no body there. No trace of anything, not even a drop of blood. ¡°Aaron, I wasn¡¯t lying. I saw the body there. She was dead.¡± Aaron sighed. ¡°That¡¯s enough Riley.¡± He ced his hand on my shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re just stressed with everything going on and you¡¯re seeing things.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°You said there was a body here, I don¡¯t see anything. How am I supposed to believe you?¡± But I¡¯d seen the body. How did it manage to vanish so fast? Had I really started to hallucinate? I didn¡¯t argue with Aaron any further and drove back home. Ken wasn¡¯t in view so I assumed he was out with his friends. That night I called Maddy and told her how I¡¯d been handed the suspension letter. She was shocked and said Aaron was being too harsh and that it wasn¡¯t my fault. I felt nice talking to her by the end of the call. She said some of the nurses were going out for drinks this weekend to a club with a theme party. The theme being ¡±The Dark Side¡±. Everyone was supposed to dress as monsters, viins or ghouls. Maddy asked me to join but I declined the offer, a few dayster, I said fuck it and decided to go. I threw open my closet and pulled out a purple dress. It was satin and sexy; totally club worthy. Plus it was my Halloween dress fromst year. I applied some makeup and I knew I¡¯d done a good job looking like a witch. A sexy witch. I pulled on a pair of heels that I hadn¡¯t worn in a long time and doused myself in perfume, I was ready to party. I needed time to clear my head with all the crazy things happening, especially with Jackson. This seemed like a good excuse. The club wasn¡¯t as crowded as I thought it would be. Granted, we had turned up a bit earlier than necessary. People mostly didn¡¯t turn up until mid-night. I met up with the girls near the bar, Maddy was dressed as Harley Quinn and another one of the nurse Jenna was dressed as a vampire. The others had bailed on us. I was kind of d they had because I wasn¡¯t really familiar with the other nurses. ¡°Men are watching you like you¡¯re a golden trophy at the end of the marathon.¡± Maddymented, taking a bite of her fries. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you gotid.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks.¡± ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, Riley. Think of your Vajajay. It needs some action.¡± Maddy said.¡°I¡¯m your best friend, I just want to help you.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take your own advice and getid then?¡± Maddyughed. ¡°I just didst night. Remember Conner?¡± Conner was my brother Ken¡¯s best friend. ¡°Yeah. What about him? Did you hit it off with him?¡± Maddy made a face. ¡°Will you judge me?¡± ¡°Depends on what you¡¯re gonna tell me.¡± ¡°Well, Conner called mest night and told me he needed someone to babysit for his little sister so I agreed because he wanted to be there at a party. You already know, Conner is not my type and it was pretty apparent from our first date so we decided to be friends.¡± She exined. There had to be a catch. I threw her a questioning look. She continued. ¡°I put Cammy to sleep and then Richard came home from work. I stared at her for a full minute, just us staring at each other. Richard was Conner¡¯s father. ¡°You slut! You did not just?¡± ¡°I know. I know.¡± Maddy said, not at all ashamed or apologetic. ¡°I mean, I used to hang out a lot with Conner at his house before when you first introduced me to him and that¡¯s when I met Richard. He was in the navy and has a hot body, and is really experienced in areas I wish boys our age were. And Conner¡¯s mother is dead so does it matter?¡± I sighed. Maddy and her shenanigans. ¡°I¡¯m not judging you Maddy, but he is Conner¡¯s father and he¡¯s twenty years older than us. Plus if Conner finds out that you¡¯re sleeping with his father, he¡¯s going to blow a gasket.¡± Maddy sipped her drink. ¡°I¡¯ll handle him.¡± She looked dreamy. If she was a cartoon character, I could see hearts for her eyes. ¡°Richard is seriously so mature and nice. He¡¯s really not the pervy kind of older men that we usually see.¡± She stared into distance and I realized her eyes had zed over. I ced my hand over hers. ¡°Oh, Maddy.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I wish my life wasn¡¯t soplicated, Riley.¡± She ordered for a tequ and downed the drink. Maddy didn¡¯t have any daddy issues, but I knew that she never enjoyed dating men our age. She was more interested in the more settled, older and handsome ones, just like Conner¡¯s dad. ¡°If you both like each other, and if he makes you happy, it¡¯s okay.¡± I smiled at her. Suddenly, she was back to being yful again. ¡°At least I like settled older men, but what about you? I know your fetish Miss Frazer.¡± ¡°My fetish? And whats that if I may ask?¡± She gave me her teasing look. ¡°Your fetish for bad guys, like you know serial killers and bad guys in general.¡± ¡°Shut up, Maddy.¡± I said, my cheeks turning warm. I began fiddling with the wad of tissues on the bar. ¡°Oh,e on. I know you have a thing for them. You¡¯re practically obsessed, girl.¡± I ignored herment, because even though I didn¡¯t want to admit it, deep down I had a thrill for all the bad people. Of course it didn¡¯t justify for the atrocious crimes theymitted but my obsessions had gone overboard until I¡¯d started to feel ashamed of myself, the way I was ashamed that I was thinking of Jackson more than I should have, especially since he¡¯d left the asylum. It almost made me sad I wouldn¡¯t see him again. I was going toe up another retort when Maddy had spaced out until I realized she hadn¡¯t spaced out but staring into a distance. At someone. ¡°That guy¡¯s staring at us. Oh no, he¡¯s looking at you.¡± I followed her gaze to find a tall man with green hair looking at me. His face was painted like Joker and I could tell he was pretty good looking under all that scary makeup. He wore a purple suit identical to the character and the joker smile painted. His appearance gave me goosebumps. I wanted to stop staring, but I couldn¡¯t and then the guy began approaching our seats. Maddy cleared her throat and hopped down from the seat. ¡°I...need to use the bathroom.¡± she said. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± She gave me a thumbs up before rushing into the crowd leaving me alone with this stranger. ¡°You¡¯ve got a nice friend there.¡± the Jokermented. ¡°Yeah, she can be nice when she wants to be.¡± I said. ¡°Can I order you a drink?¡± He¡¯s got to be blind if he couldn¡¯t see the full ss of drink right in front of me. And it was a third refill so there was no way I was putting more alcohol in my system and my head wasn¡¯t feeling woozy yet that meant I wasn¡¯t drunk enough. ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t really ept drinks from strangers. You can order mozzare sticks though. I heard they have the best mozzare sticks in town.¡± Letting a stranger order mozzare sticks for me, what the hell was wrong with me today? He grinned and ordered for one. And why did I have a feeling like I¡¯d seen him somewhere? ¡°Do I know you?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We haven¡¯t met.¡± He said simply. ¡°You look hot as a witch.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I said. ¡°Wanna dance?¡± I downed the third ss and smiled. ¡°Sureeee, why not.¡± And then the Joker had pulled me onto the dance floor. And I hadn¡¯t even asked him his name. He slid his hand around my waist and pulled me closer and I didn¡¯t protest, it was just a dance after all. I could feel his breath fanning over my ear. And then his hand slid down to my ass. I pulled back, ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± I shouldn¡¯t have just gulped down that drink because now I was feeling drunk out of my mind. He justughed. ¡°My hand just slipped.¡± He reached out for me again and I pped his hand away. ¡°Oh,e on baby.¡± ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I said. But he grabbed my wrist and I was going to scream over the music when I saw a shadow walk behind him. The man ced his hand on the Joker¡¯s shoulder and squeezed it. ¡°My girlfriend causing you some trouble?¡± The joker just stared at the tall, dark haired man in a bomber jacked. The two men were of the same height, the darker haired one was a few inches taller than the Joker. He wore a ck leather jacket over a ck t-shirt and ripped blue jean. His face was painted in a skull. He grinned at the Joker. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°She¡¯s a handful when she¡¯s drunk, sorry if she put her hands on you by mistake.¡± The joker swallowed and shook his head. The skull face¡¯s grinning face contorted into a grotesque re. He caught the Joker¡¯s cheeks in a death grip, the long sculpted fingers were also painted in skeletal bones. ¡°You try to mess with something that¡¯s mine and I¡¯ll mince you into tiny little meat cubes and ship it to the nearest supermarket. Get it?¡± He nodded, and then the Skull face twisted his fingers and the joker yelped but of course no one could hear him over the loud st of music. The man scrambled away, I was pretty sure he would make a run for his car. That voice and that threat. I knew someone who mastered the art of threatening people. The skull face closed in on me and cupped my face in his and brought his face close to mine. ¡°Oh, Cotton-Candy, how much I missed you. Did you miss me too?¡± ¡°Jackson, what are you doing here?¡± I asked. ¡°I have some unfinished business, baby.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Love the witch outfit.¡± Jackson said over the loud music. ¡°Some tricks you got up your sleeves?¡± ¡°What are you doing here, Jackson?¡± I asked, practically screaming over the loud music. Now that I knew it was him beneath all that skeletal makeup, I wondered how I hadn¡¯t recognized him before. ¡°Following you of course.¡± He joked. The way he said it, I suspected if he really did follow me here. How had he known I was here? Or was it perhaps a coincidence? ¡°You need toe back to the asylum, re-admit yourself.¡± I said. ¡°Do you miss me that much?¡± He pulled on his cocky grin. ¡°I love how you¡¯re bossy the second you see me.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t escape to go back to that hellhole again.¡± He got hold of my wrist and started dragging me away from the dance floor. ¡°Where are you trying to take me?¡± I said, resisting his grip on my wrist. He let it go at once. ¡°Just want to talk, nothing else. The music is too loud here, let¡¯s go underground.¡± I folded my arms across my chest. ¡°You¡¯re stupid if you think I¡¯m going anywhere with you.¡± The DJ changed the song to a slower one. Ed Sheeran¡¯s Thinking Out Loud. Jackson grinned. ¡°Looks like the DJ can read my mind.¡± He slid his arm around my waist and pulled me taut against his chest, bringing his mouth close to my ear, he whispered. ¡°Dance with me.¡± My body moved along with his in a slow dance. It was just a dance nothing else. He wouldn¡¯t try anything in public. Right? Unless he was desperate to go to prison again. I didn¡¯t even carry a weapon with me that I could use should the time arise. I felt his nose bury in my hair, my head fitting perfectly in the crook of his neck. He smelled different, not like the hospital soap or the detergent. He smelled musky and male. I moved with the flow of the slow beats, at this point I wondered if all the logic had left my body. I tried to pull away from him, but his grip tightened around my waist. ¡°A little while longer, Riley, please.¡± His voice was husky and pure silk. If the devil was a human, he¡¯d look just like Jackson. I let him waltz me around for a while. ¡°Is Dr. Shaw truly pissed with the prospect of his pet nurse teaming up with the enemy?¡± I gave out augh. ¡°You have no idea.¡± ¡°Well, I can only imagine.¡± He said. I had a ball of rage bubbling inside me ready to surface. I tried to get out of his grasp. ¡°Let me go!¡± I let out a frustrated yelp that only he could hear over the music. To the onlookers we probably looked like a couple having a small argument. That only made Jackson dig his fingers deeper into my waist, possessively. ¡°Ouch!¡± I ced my palms on his chest and tried to push away from him but he wouldn¡¯t budge. He was smiling, that smug smile again, and his eyes were zing with something that I wasn¡¯t aware of. ¡°Fight me, sweetheart. Fight me all you want.¡± ¡°You threatened to kill my brother. I almost lost my job because of you! Aaron won¡¯t even look at me now.¡± I said with gritted teeth. ¡°It¡¯s your entire fault, Jackson!¡± And then the tears began falling without me even realizing. Jackson¡¯s stare turned daunting, and if I wasn¡¯t terrified before, I was now. ¡°Why does it even matter to you if Aaron looks at you or not?¡± He caught my jaw in his fingers. ¡°Do you have some feelings for him, Riley? Why is it always Aaron this, Aaron that!" He loosened his grip on my chin. And I thought I saw hurt sh in his toffee-colored eyes, like I was a cheating girlfriend. ¡°Are you jealous, Jackson?¡± Why was he acting like a jealous boyfriend all of a sudden? Did he ever ask me out in a different dimension and I possibly said yes because I¡¯d lost my mind? ¡°Jealous?¡± Heughed. ¡°I¡¯d be jealous if there was any reason to be. I¡¯ll never be threatened by the likes of Shaw or Be or anyone for that matter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too full of yourself? Besides, why do you think I would have feelings for a killer?¡± ¡°You¡¯re drawn to the bad guys, Cotton-Candy. You may try to find someone like Shaw, always the sweet, helping doctor that the nurses adore, the type of guy who would give flowers. But deep down, you seek the darkness. You don¡¯t need flowers; all you need is a man who¡¯d kill for you. Isn¡¯t that right, Riley?¡± I was rendered speechless. It frightened me how Jackson saw right through my mind. He voiced the thought that I was too ashamed to admit. A few minutester I said, ¡°Aaron is my mentor. He¡¯s like a brother to me and you have a sick mind, Jack!¡± I said trying to turn away from him but Jackson was faster, he brought his lips crashing against mine, it was a slow kiss at first and then it got deeper. His tongue seeking entrance, I parted my mouth just a little and his tongue delved into the contours of my mouth. I moaned as the sparks of pleasure went down to my toes. Without being conscious of my actions, my fingers bunched up in his fine dark hair. He broke the kiss to trail his tongue down my jaw and neck. Sensual and sloppy kisses. My heart stopped beating for a minute and I froze when he reached my cor bone. I pulled away from him and as if he could read my mind, he whispered. ¡°I would never hurt you. Believe me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡± I said and started walking away. He seized my hand. ¡°Come with me.¡± I spun around to face him, confused by what he¡¯d just said. He repeated. ¡°Come with me, Riley.¡± ¡°Where?¡± I asked. ¡°Wherever that I¡¯m going.¡± He pauses and continued a beatter. ¡°Juste with me.¡± He insisted as I stared at him in disbelief. He traced my lower lip with her thumb. ¡°I will protect you, Cotton-Candy. I promise. I won¡¯t let anyoney a finger on you.¡± He touched his forehead to mine. ¡°It would just be us. Together. Forever.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go anywhere with you.¡± I snapped, pulling my hand out of his grasp for the hundredth time tonight. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re crazy Jack, and I¡¯d rather be away from you than with you.¡± ¡°Those are lies and you know it.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯d be damned if I was lying about that.¡± ¡°The kiss didn¡¯t exactly say that. You responded to me. You liked it as much I did.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your games!¡± His eyes were focused somewhere behind me, he said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why I¡¯m here. I wanted to tell you something; to warn you.¡± I raised my hand to stop him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to anything that you have to say. I can¡¯t trust someone who deceived me to get away from there, much less a killer.¡± ¡°Riley, please...just listen to me once. Just once.¡± He pleaded, gaze darted behind me again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to! Just leave me alone, Jackson!¡± I said firmly, trying hard to not be lost in those smoldering eyes. I was going insane. Thankfully, he took that as a sign of my disapproval and didn¡¯t follow me as I threaded through the crowd of people and towards the parking lot. I decided to text Maddy to tell her I was going home so I opened my bag and rummaged through it for my phone and came empty. I¡¯d be careless and absent minded in a very short time, I¡¯d never been this way. I pinned the me on Jack. He was one reason I¡¯d been concentrating less and less on my work, he was the reason for the growing distance between Aaron and me. I didn¡¯t want to admit it but I¡¯d liked the way Jackson¡¯s lips felt against mine. There had been nothing in his kiss that felt even remotely revolting, it was like he was trying to prove me something. Maybe I was just as crazy as he was, or maybe I was worse. I walked back into the club and searched every corner of the bar, even looked under the seat but it wasn¡¯t there. There was a possibility I¡¯d left my phone in my car so I walked back to the parking lot, keeping a close eye behind me. The parking lot was almost empty with only a few people huddled in groups by their respective cars, too intoxicated to even think straight. I spotted my car a few rows down and started walking towards it. I had an eerie feeling of someone following behind me. I stopped and looked back. There was absolutely no one. I turned forward and resumed walking towards the car, my feet picking up speed. I heard the footsteps behind me. Tap. Tap. Tap. I stopped again, this time my eyes were blurring with tears. ¡°Jackson, if it¡¯s you, please stop! It¡¯s not funny anymore.¡± I didn¡¯t want to sound so weak but I knew I¡¯d sounded just that. I hugged myself as if that could be enough as self-defense and ¡°frightened¡± wasn¡¯t even a close word to describe how I was feeling right now. I was terrified. I¡¯d never seen the pictures of Jackson¡¯s victims but I knew the gory details enough to realize I was in danger should Jackson decide to put me on his victim¡¯s list. A chill ran down my body. Maybe this was how Jackson murdered his victims; sweet-talking to them first, before brutally murdering and cutting them into pieces, and then taking home one of their belongings as a trophy. In a few hasty strides, I managed to reach my car and fumbled inside my bag for the keys. My hands shook fiercely as I searched through it, finally finding the key within the depths of the bag. I was so clumsy that I dropped the keys on the floor; cursing to myself I dropped down to my knees and Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. looked for them, spotting it beneath the car parked next to mine. I picked them up and stood up. That¡¯s when a phone started ringing. The familiar ring tone. That was undoubtedly my phone. I nced towards where the device was humming. Jackson was leaning against a car, two rows down with my phone in his hand. The skeletal makeup looked even more alluring as he grinned. His voice echoed when he said. ¡°Perhaps, I have something that you lost, Cotton-Candy.¡± Phone, be damned! I pressed the auto-locking remote of my car and pulled at the handle but the car wouldn¡¯t open. The bastard had did something. I tried to open the drivers side of the door one more time before I took off, running through parking lot. Until an arm snaked around my waist and pulled me into a corner. I was face to face with him. ¡°I asked you toe with me nicely, but you didn¡¯t, so I have to do this the hard way.¡± He said. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me. The police will...the police will find out and...¡± ¡°Shhh...it¡¯s okay. Everything is going to be fine now.¡± Just then I felt something like a needle pierce into my neck and I knew then that I was going to be nothing but another name in the list of his victims. **** ¡°Rise and Shine.¡± I heard the familiar voice, and suddenly a suffocating amount of sunlight poured into the room almost blinding me. I sat straight up and looked around. Where was I? The events ofst night came back to shes. Meeting Jackson. Talking briefly to him. Kissing him. Having the quarrel andstly, getting drugged. That¡¯s right. I¡¯d been drugged before I was brought here. A cabin. I looked around to find him seated a few feet away. d in a tailored ck suit, matched with a red tie, his dark hair ruffled. His long legs crossed in front of him, eyes assessing me. For a minute I didn¡¯t recognize him. His entire demeanor had changed to that of a powerful man. His lips pulled back in a slow sensuous smile. ¡°Wee to my home, Cotton-Candy.¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°Why did you bring me to your house?¡± I pinned him with a hard stare. ¡°As I have already mentioned, I did it to protect you.¡± Jackson dered in a matter of fact way. ¡°By drugging and kidnapping me?¡± I yelled at him, having an urge to throw something at him, a brick or a stone would suffice. His eyes didn¡¯t waver as he maintained eye contact, those hazel brown eyes with a speck of gold. He spoke with such authority that told me any further inquiry was not open for discussion. ¡°I did what I thought was best. I trust you need to use the bathroom.¡± He pointed towards a door on the right. ¡°Help yourself. I went out of my way and bought you some clothes that you can use during your stay here. There¡¯s enough food in the fridge, and the kitchen is all yours.¡± ¡°Oh, how very kind of you Mr. Wolfe.¡± I said sarcastically, appearing touched. ¡°What a nice host you are, to drug me, kidnap me and buy me clothes to make my stayfortable here. How would I ever rey your kindness?¡± Jackson chuckled. ¡°Sleep in my bed, cater to my needs, cook for me like a sweetheart that you are and consider the generosity repaid.¡± He winked and smoothly ducked therge pillow that was aimed at him. ¡°Gotta work on that aim, baby. If it¡¯s a knife instead of a pillow it gotta go right through me not over me.¡± chuckling, he fixed his suit jacket, ran a hand through his already perfect dark hair and started to leave. ¡°I think I¡¯m quite capable enough to take care of myself. I want to go home.¡± Completely ignoring my protests, he continued. ¡°Since I don¡¯t have a personal Butler, we will have to figure out about the cooking. I, for one can survive on peanut butter and jelly for days on end, unless you, my dear, Cotton-Candy, can whip up something and make us both happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not listening to a word I¡¯m saying!¡± I yelled at him. ¡°I want to go home and if you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll find a way. Maddy and Ken are going to start looking for me.¡± Jackson just passed me his cocky grin, one that told me that no amount of threats were going to work against him. He was a man who¡¯d surpassed the asylum security as well as the police. ¡°Already taken care of.¡± ¡°Where in the world is my phone?¡± I realized. Could it be that Jackson sent fake texts through my phone and informed Maddy and Ken something about me? Some excuse that was good enough for the two to not be worried about me. Folding my arms across my chest, I sat back. ¡°Do I at least have the liberty to ask you where you are going?¡± ¡°I have some business to attend to.¡± ¡°Like threatening people to get information out of them?¡± Jacksonughed. ¡°Close but no cigar.¡± Any amusement, he had before disappeared. ¡°I won¡¯t be gone for long, and just so you know, there aren¡¯t any possible exits around here because I know you¡¯re going to start looking for those the minute I step out. It would be in your best interest to stay inside the cabin. If anyonees knocking, don¡¯t open the door. No one is trustworthy.¡± I snorted. ¡°Funny that¡¯sing from someone like you.¡± ¡°If you y nice, Cotton-Candy, I¡¯ll y nice. If you wanna y dirty, well, I can show you just how dirty it can get.¡± He promised. ¡°Be a good girl while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°What will you do to me? Bite me? Cook me for dinner?¡± Jackson still had the smile stered to his face, like he was mocking me. That asshole! ¡°As much as the prospect of eating you is tempting, I wouldn¡¯t do that. I didn¡¯t go to such lengths of getting you here just to have your parts marinated and preserved in a freezer. I took you because I want to keep you safe.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t keep me here against my will!¡± I said firmly, keeping my head held high and maintaining eye contact, just so he would know that I wasn¡¯t feeling intimidated by him. ¡°You can¡¯t stop me.¡± He winked at me, nced at his Rolex and made his way towards the cabin door. ¡°No goodbye kiss, honey?¡± I turned away from him, looking out the window. I heard himugh and the door closed behind him. I was hoping he wouldn¡¯t lock it, but then I heard the key turn. At least I wasn¡¯t gagged and bound against a chair. And as if that made the whole kidnapping any better. From the window, I watched as Jackson climbed into a ck Cadic SUV, and backed out of the driveway. Where was he getting all this money from? The ce was remote, surrounded by a thick mass of trees, gravelnd and spectacr view of the ce to keep a kidnapped victim. I climbed out of bed and walked out of the bedroom to find a spacious sitting area, an electric firece made of stone opposite a t screen mounted against the wall. The furniture was all modern decor. The cabin seemed like it had been lived in and passed down from generations, but it was well equipped. The little open kitchen area had stainless steel appliances with a double door refrigerator. A small ind bar with stools to amodate a small number of people. I didn¡¯t want to admit but the ce was beautiful. Feeling hungry, I walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator half expecting to see severed heads in blood stained jars, gouged our eyes or something simr but I didn¡¯t expect to see it stacked with fresh vegetables, meat and everything else needed for a good meal. He¡¯d gone so far as to arranging different types of cheese in order. Drinks on the right side and fresh fruits below. I instantly felt better seeing the food. I took a bottle of Coke, took off the lid and took a long sip, thinking if he was going to kill me, at least he would keep me fed. I¡¯d nned on starving myself until he eventually let me go but seeing as stubborn Jackson was, he would let me starve while he ate take out food. Plus, the food in the fridge was too tempting for me to even consider the prospect of starving. Even my pride wouldn¡¯t allow me. I fixed myself a sandwich and after I was done, I took a long bath. The bathroom shelves were stocked with Jackson¡¯s stuff. His shampoo, cologne, perfumes, shaving cream, razors and all the other male stuff. I didn¡¯t have a choice than to use his soap. When I opened his bedroom wardrobe, at one side I found his belongings, the other had a few t-shirts and jeans. For me. I choose a casual t-shirt and a jeans. There were also a pair of shorts, but I didn¡¯t trust Jackson enough to wear this around him. He didn¡¯t need to get any wrong ideas. But remembering that kiss, made my heart beat faster and my toes literally curled thinking of the intensity. His hot, possessive mouth on mine, his strong hands feeling me up. I felt tears sting my eyes. I was ashamed to feel this way about him. I shouldn¡¯t. He¡¯d killed people, and I should feel disgusted but I didn¡¯t. I spent a long amount of time wondering what the hell was wrong with me. Why was I attracted to the wrong type of men? Wait! I did not just admit to feeling attracted to him. I let out a frustrated cry as I buried my face into the soft pillows. Afternoon turned to evening, I¡¯d tried everything from trying to open the windows to unlocking the door but all my attempts had ended in vain. I¡¯d searched the entire house to look for a spare key, just it case it was lying around somewhere. Of course Jackson wasn¡¯t that stupid. He¡¯d escaped the WoodVille asylum twice, for god¡¯s sake. Finally, I¡¯d given up and resorted to watching television. Flipping the channels. An hourter I decided to take a nap. When I woke up, it was pitch ck outside. Jackson was still not back. I had a vision of him, torturing a person because that was his most fun activity. I brushed the thoughts out of my mind and decided to concentrate on something else. Cooking. If I cooked for him, gained his trust, would he let me go home eventually? If I yed nice, maybe Jackson would change his mind. Just when I was done preparingsagna, I heard the lock turn. I froze and slowly peeked into the sitting area to find Jackson walking through the main door. He grinned as he raised two full shopping bags in his hands. ¡°Got some more stuff.¡± Then he tossed a brown paper bag in my direction which I caught in mid-air. ¡°Somedies stuff in there, too. Figured you might need.¡± When I opened the paper bag to look inside, my cheeks probably turned a bright shade of cherry. The bags contained two boxes of sanitary pads. ¡°Thanks.¡± I mumbled softly. Jackson took off his zer jacket and settled down on the plush leather couch. He grinned. ¡°You blushin¡¯ like a school girl as if I¡¯m not old enough to know about these things. If there¡¯s anything else you need, just write it down and I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°How about Ie with you the next time you go for shopping?¡± ¡°And give you a chance to get away from me? Hell No, Cotton-Candy! Plus, the nearest supermarket is an hour away. Everything else here is barrennd.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s absolutely no civilization here?¡± Jacksonughed. ¡°Smart girl. Asking questions about my neighbors. Well, you¡¯ll find a few houses here and there but they mind their own business. Say, if you did escape from here and knock on their door for help, after narrowly surviving some wild animals in the forest, chances are no ones gonna answer the door.¡± I mmed my lips together, because that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯d asked about civilization. He picked an apple from the basket, and took a crunching bite. ¡°If you try to hitch a ride, you¡¯ll find Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. some truck drivers who¡¯ll let you ride their truck home but not before you ride their cocks first.¡± I winced at his words. He was right. ¡°I think staying with me will be in your best interest.¡± He said and then furthermented. ¡± Hmmm.. something smells nice.¡± He climbed to his feet and stormed into the kitchen. I was right behind him. Before I could stop him, he¡¯d already dipped arge spoon into thesagne, the cheese and the spaghetti sauce dripped onto the counter as he stuffed it into his mouth and groaned. His brown eyes staring at me intensely. ¡°Marry me Riley.¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Iughed, but Jackson¡¯s expressions hadn¡¯t changed. He was still having that intense look in his whiskey colored eyes. ¡°Me? Marry you?¡± His brows arched up. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°What type weed have you been smoking today?¡± Ignoring my question, he dipped the spoon back into thesagna and took another bite. ¡°I do want to marry you, Riley. Just think about it. You wouldn¡¯t have to worry about bills or about keeping a job for that matter.¡± Iughed again. Because it was so funny. ¡°And what about the police, Jackson? I don¡¯t have to worry about that either? Should we live our life looking behind our backs? What would I tell ¡±our" future children? That their father is a psychotic killer?¡± ¡°Here I¡¯m talking about marriage and you¡¯re talking about future children.¡± He sniggered. ¡°You have it all nned out ahead of you.¡± I rubbed my temples in frustration, watching him gobble down half of thesagne. ¡°You have to let me go, Jack. The police are going to start looking for me, and you¡¯re going to be in far more trouble than you think.¡± He stopped eating like a caveman and patter his mouth with a towel, turning his full attention towards me. ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for the past forty-eight hours. Do you think the police and the Asylum authorities are sitting ducks? Obviously, they¡¯ve torn down every other ce they think they can find me.¡± He said, guzzling down an entire bottle of chilled water. ¡°As for you, you can try begging and groveling at my feet. My decision won¡¯t change. You are staying here with me. That¡¯s final.¡± I leaned closer and took his hands in mine. ¡°If you keep me here, it¡¯s going to be a double offense. Instead, we can go to the police together, you can confess your crimes and I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t get jail time. I¡¯ll be your alibi. I won¡¯t even mention the kidnapping. The most you would get is a few years in the mental facility.¡± Jacksonughed, the kind ofugher that was downright mocking like I¡¯d recited the best joke out of the joke book. ¡°Riley, do you even know who I am?¡± I swallowed. ¡°I do know what they have all told me, the fact that I should be careful around you, that you¡¯re not someone to be trusted.¡± He smiled in the same devilish way. ¡°Well, since you don¡¯t know who I really am, I think I¡¯d like to continue being your mystery man.¡± That made me really curious and I kind of wished I¡¯d listened to Maddy and googled him. I¡¯d been too adamant to look at Jackson as anything but a patient assigned to me and now it was biting me in the ass. ¡°I¡¯ll find out one way or the other.¡± I promised him. He sniggered. ¡°I hope you do, but I should also add that whatever you read online is hardly ever the truth.¡± ¡°Give me the television remote control.¡± I raised my hand towards him, palm up. All the humor had left Jackson¡¯s face, he stared at me expressionless. From the corner of my eye, I saw the television remote lying on the couch, I lunged for it. Jackson was toote, the remote was already in my hand. He stood at the side staring intently at me. ¡°Riley, please.¡± Before he could say anything, I switched on the huge television and continued to switch channels until I had the right one on. ¡°...Police have yet to discover who did the murder but they suspect Multi-Millionaire and psychotic killer Jackson Wolfe to be involved with it. Since the suspect, Jackson has escaped the asylum, it has been discovered that he had an aplice...¡± Aplice. I felt the blood rushed to my ears, and I suspected to look as white as a sheet after getting one shock after the other. Jackson was a Multi-Millionaire? I let the thought slide and watched horrified as a blurred image of a nurse shed on the screen. Her body was mutted beyond recognization, her limps were brutally beaten. The reporter continued. ¡°The victim¡¯s body was found in WoodVille¡¯s old hospital wing by a ward boy who stumbled upon the gruesome scene. The police have refused to disclose any more details about the case but it has been spected that Jackson Wolfemitted the murder before his escape.¡± The camera zoomed into the wall of WoodVille asylum¡¯s abandoned wing. The words were smeared in blood. The Clock is ticking :) Jackson snatched the remote out of my hands and switched off the tv. The room continued to bask in a dead silence. My hands were shaking, I threw an usatory re at Jackson. ¡°Did you do it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to look at it because I knew you would misunderstand.¡± ¡°Did you kill Nurse Roxanne?!¡± ¡°You think I did it?¡± Jackson asked me. I was frightened. My mind was in a state of shock. ¡°It¡¯s you. You killed her. She was your assigned nurse before me! And you got her killed!¡± I climbed to my feet, stumbled against the coffee table and backed away from him as far as possible. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, Riley.¡± He said with such conviction that anyone would believe him. ¡°Then who was it?!¡± I asked. ¡°The ghost of Jeffrey Dahmer?¡± My hand flew to my mouth. ¡°Oh my god. For a moment, I believed you when you said you were framed, but Roxy...¡± ¡°I¡¯M BEING FRAMED!¡± He growled and pounded his hand against the ss coffee table so hard that it cracked in two. ¡°Goddamnit Riley! I didn¡¯t do it. I didn¡¯t kill her!¡± ¡°Aaron told me that you manipte people into thinking you¡¯re innocent.¡± I said between crying. ¡°I guess he was right all along. You¡¯re a liar and a maniptor. You killed Roxy because she knew something about you that you feared she would tell everyone and so you killed her. It makes perfect sense.¡± Jackson shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what the killer wants you to think. He¡¯s targeting the people connected to me.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case then there¡¯s nothing for you to fear about. We will leave right now and go straight to the police. You will tell them the truth about how you didn¡¯t kill her or David.¡± I reasoned with him. ¡°Or we could go to Aaron and ask him for help. I know if we talked to Aaron he will help us.¡± Jackson had an unreadable expression on this face. ¡°I wish everything was that simple, Cotton-Candy, but it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re refusing that means you actually did it.¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re guilty of all those crimes!¡± ¡°ENOUGH!¡± He snarled so loud that I flinched backward. The sound of the crackling firece was the only sound in the room, I could hear my own breathing, and I hated how scared I was of him. I wanted to be strong, I wanted to believe that he wouldn¡¯t hurt me but he had a scary look in his eyes. ¡°Aaron is hiding a lot of things that you¡¯re not aware of.¡± He said finally. ¡°He cannot be trusted.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. Aaron is my friend, and I trust him more than I would trust you, Jackson.¡± ¡°How well do you even know him?¡± Jackson asked, his expressions challenging me for an answer. ¡°A couple of years.¡± I said. ¡°Here¡¯s a question for you Riley. Was there anyone apart from me and Aaron who knew about your temporary suspension?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± ¡°How do you think the media got that information?¡± My blood turned to ice. Jackson nodded knowingly like he read my mind. ¡°Aaron gave the information to the police. I guarantee you he even showed them the footage of you stealing that scalpel.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t exin anything!¡± I said. ¡°It does.¡± When I didn¡¯t say anything, he continued. ¡°Think about it. Aaron is betraying your trust. He¡¯s framing Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. you along with me.¡± I¡¯d confined myself in the bedroom at night. I¡¯d been crying to myself, disturbed with the images of Roxy¡¯s brutally murdered body. I wondered how Jackson could even do something like that. My stomach growled and it was a clear indication I hadn¡¯t eaten anything for hours. I didn¡¯t care, it¡¯s not like I even had an appetite for a sumptuous meal. At half past one, there was a knock at the door and in walked Jackson, freshly showered dressed in a thermal t-shirt and pajama pants. His hair was still wet and the scent of his body wash entered my nostrils. I dared to look at his face and then my gaze dropped to his hands. I half expected to see robes and a knife so he could carve me up, but thankfully he was only holding a tray filled with food. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything. I brought you peanut butter and jelly and some fruit. The leftoversagna is still on the counter. If you prefer that, I¡¯ll heat it up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. Take it away.¡± I said, turning back to the window to stare outside. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset, but you need to eat.¡± He urged me. I felt the bed dip and a soft caress of his hand in my hair. ¡°Stop it! Stop doing that.¡± ¡°No matter what I tell you, you¡¯re not going to believe me.¡± I pped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± He wasn¡¯t listening, he inched closer and took my hand in his, caressing the back of my hand with his long fingers. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t hurt you, Riley. You have nothing to be scared about.¡± ¡°Did she beg or scream?¡± I asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Roxy. Did she beg you not to kill her or was she just screaming while you cut her up?¡± Jackson sighed and climbed to his feet. He ced the tray of food on the nightstand. His whiskey- brown eyes betraying no emotion. ¡°If you still want to try escaping, I think you need some energy to run. Eat. Good night, Riley.¡± Tears trickled down my face as I continued to stare out towards the darkened words. I sobbed silently, wishing that Jackson was telling the truth. That he hadn¡¯t killed all those people. Aaron¡¯s words haunted me. ¡°There have been cases of Jackson getting people especially women to do exactly what he wants and you yed right into his palm, Riley.¡± I knew Aaron had been right. Jackson was capable of anything, he could have murdered all those people brutally with no sense of consequence or regret. I ced my hand to my rapidly beating heart. I would be lying if I said I was feeling brave. He hadn¡¯t hurt me yet, but he¡¯d threatened to hurt my brother and he would do the same to me. Maybe Jackson nned to keep me around for a while longer, toy with my emotions. And then eventually... I took the tray of food from the nightstand. The orange, apple and pineapple was cut in thin slices along with PB&J sandwich. I sniffed the sandwich incase he¡¯d decided to drug me. I opened the sandwiches and checked the contents before taking small a bite. I had to find a way out of here. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 When I woke up in the morning, there was another tray of food at the edge of the bed with a badly cooked omelet, hash browns, sliced kiwi and a ss of OJ. Ritualistically, I brushed my teeth first, had a quick shower and pulled on a t-shirt from the wardrobe. I was actually starting to like Jackson¡¯s choice of clothes that he¡¯d bought for me. I reached out for the tray of food before sniffing it. The omelette tasted alright, but a little on the saltier side. Jackson was a bad cook indeed. When I was done eating, I climbed out of bed reluctantly and made my way out of the bedroom to find Jackson sprawled on the couch with a book in his hand. I recalled all the events of the previous night and how I continued to use him even after he¡¯d repeatedly told me he was innocent. I realized thatshing out on him wasn¡¯t going to get me anywhere. If anything, I had to stay calm and find another way. There was one thing that was clear, Jackson wouldn¡¯t hurt. If he wanted too, he would have done that when he first brought me to this cabin. I would be in a chair, bound and tortured. Like his other victims. A voice hissed in my head. I brushed off that thought because my gut told me Jack was telling the truth. He hadn¡¯t killed those people and I hoped like hell that I was right. ¡°Thank you for the breakfast.¡± I said, trying to appear a little cheerful. ¡°d you¡¯re still alive after having it.¡± He grumbled. Normally, Jackson would say something else along with the retort, but today he remained silent, almost detached. ¡°I want to say that I¡¯m sorry for the things I said to you yesterday. I didn¡¯t let you exin.¡± ¡°Damn right you didn¡¯t.¡± He said in a monotone, sitting upright. ¡°I want to know who killed those people as much as you do, Riley. You¡¯ve got to believe me.¡± I sat down on the couch beside him. ¡°You¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t kill them?¡± ¡°Probably said it a million times since yesterday.¡± ¡°Jackson¡ª¡± ¡°Call me Jack.¡± He insisted. I gave a nod. ¡°Jack, how about you pretend to be in my shoes for a minute? Imagine if you were kidnapped by a psychopath and you heard all the news about him on tv, all the atrocious crimes he He grinned. ¡°I¡¯d be thinking goddamn he¡¯s hot and I¡¯d want to bang that psychopath one of these nights.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just feeding your own ego.¡± Jackson chuckled. ¡°You want me, Cotton-Candy, you just don¡¯t want to admit.¡± ¡°Keep telling yourself that until you convince yourself.¡± I said. ¡°Will sure do, ma¡¯am. And I promise you one of these days, you¡¯re going toe in my bed willingly, begging me to put my hands on you and that time, Riley. I¡¯m gonna say ¡®I told you so¡¯¡± ¡°That could possibly happen in your dreams.¡± I heard himugh as I climbed to my feet and was headed towards the kitchen. My face resembled a beetroot, and I didn¡¯t want Jackson to see how the things he said affected me. Mostly the flirting. When he flirted with me, and teased me, it gave me certain butterflies in my stomach, the type I was having right now and that really made me mad. It infuriated me how he was always sarcastic about serious issues, as if the police weren¡¯t even looking for him, like his face wasn¡¯t all over the fucking news. He was acting like we were here on a vacation. That afternoon we barely talked, Jackson was on the couch ying yStation 4, some race car game that was boring the hell outta me. He was having a huge bowl of torti chips and a can of Coke. I¡¯d noticed he always ate all that junk food and still managed to stay fit. I decided to cook something for lunch. ¡°How about grilled chicken sandwiches and egg sd for lunch?¡± ¡°Whatever the wife wants.¡± He called out to me. I shook my head. He was back to being aplete joker and it made me smile. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, could you hand me a coke from the fridge, please?¡± ¡°I believe you possess two pairs of limbs. Last time I checked, I was just your Nurse, not waitress.¡± I said. ¡°Take it yourself.¡± I heard a snigger in the background. I was dicing the vegetables, facing the stove when I felt his body hovering behind mine and then I watched from the corner of my eye as he crossed me and pulled out a can from the fridge. Instead of walking back into the living area, I felt his presence behind me. A shadow. My heart turned to ice as I wondered what would happen. My hands were practically shivering as I sliced the veggies. Was I wrong to assume he wouldn¡¯t hurt me? Was my time up? If he was standing behind to hurt me, I had a knife in my hand ready. ¡°Riley...¡± He said in a soft husky voice. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Would you mind very much if I tied your hair up?¡± He asked. ¡°No.¡± I felt his fingers run through my scalp and gather my hair in his fist as he tied it up in a high ponytail. ¡°Riley?¡± He started again. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Would you mind if I kissed that little ck mole on your back?¡± Jack was acting insane but the sexual tension was too much and my knees were having a hard time keeping me standing. ¡°Only if you don¡¯t bite me.¡± I heard the soft sound of his chuckle before his soft lips grazed my back and the wetness of his tongue against it. I closed my eyes, my hands were still shaking. The knife slid down and hit the floor. He spun me around slowly to face him, and I was stuck between his tall, strong body and the granite counter. Strands of dark hair fell over his eyes as he stared down at me. His charcoal ck eyes seemed lighter in the sunlight, almost like dark coffee. Thest time that he¡¯d kissed me it was in a public ce, between the sting noise from the speakers and the general public but today, the silence was our only audience. His hands caught mine, he brought them to his mouth and kissed. ¡°I would never hurt you, Riley. You don¡¯t need to be afraid of me.¡± ¡°Who said anything about being afraid?¡± I asked. And then Jackson¡¯s lips crashed against mine, he kissed me softly at first and then deeper. I could taste the hint of torti chips and the smell of his intoxicating spicy cologne mixed with it. Never had I assumed tasting torti on a man¡¯s mouth would turn me on so much. My hands automatically grasped his hair and his hands went down to my thighs as he picked me up and ced me on the counter top, bringing me a little closer to his imposing height. I moaned loud when his hands reached for the hem of my shirt and up to cup my breasts. And then suddenly there were tears pricking my eyes which is when we stopped because I¡¯d started to sob. Jack probably realized the reason why I was crying. He cupped my face in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riley. My hands just went inside your shirt on reflex. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, Jack. You don¡¯t understand.¡± I exined. ¡°Then make me understand.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be having these feelings for you, and yet here I¡¯m kissing you and letting you feel me up.¡± ¡°I said I was sorry...¡± ¡°No Jack, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want it. I... I crave for it. I want you to keep doing these things to me that you were doing now.¡± I continued. ¡°It¡¯s just that, I know you won¡¯t hurt me, but I¡¯m scared you would hurt someone else.¡± Jack still had a confused look on his face, or he was just good at pretending to be dumb. ¡°All those serial killers. They did really bad things to other people, but they always had this one person in their life, the person they loved or were attached too that they didn¡¯t hurt.¡± I said, ¡°If you did those crimes, Jackson, I don¡¯t want to do this with you. I¡¯d rather...I¡¯d rather you kill me, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just ashamed of having these feelings for me. I get it.¡± Jack said, his expressions wereced with hurt and understanding. He straightened my shirt and helped me down from the counter. ¡°I can keep repeating myself and say that I¡¯m innocent and I didn¡¯t kill those people, but you¡¯d still have second thoughts about it. There¡¯s no other way around it, I mean, look at you, Cotton-Candy, you¡¯re shaking when I¡¯m near you and that¡¯s proof enough how scared you feel when I¡¯m near you.¡± I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you. Look, Jack, there¡¯s no denying that I feel something for you. An attraction, maybe, but it could be possible because I haven¡¯t...I haven¡¯t...¡± I trailed off. ¡°Fucked anyone in a while?¡± Hepleted for me. My cheeks had caught fire. ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡± ¡°Oh, Sweetness, you offend me.¡± Jackson grinned. ¡°If it really is about not having your carnal needs Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. met, then I can help you with that problem, ma¡¯am. Noins.¡± He had that cockyugh going on again. ¡°We can have a go and you can tell me then if you still crave for more, which I¡¯m sure you will. I¡¯d be d to oblige again because it sure gets lonely in here.¡± ¡°Where do you get all that confidence from?¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if he was serious or joking which was most of the case where Jack was concerned. Before I could answer, he said. ¡°There¡¯s no solution for this because you¡¯re not the type of woman who¡¯d want to have a little adult fun so what we can do right now is that I can save you from this embarrassment and we stay the heck away from each other.¡± ¡°Jack...¡± ¡°Trust me, Riley. I¡¯m doing what¡¯s best for you because once I have you in my bed, there would be no turning back. You¡¯re still not sure about yourself and I can¡¯t take advantage of that fact. Once I find out about who is doing this, I¡¯ll drive you back to town myself, but until then we steer clear off each other.¡± I nodded. At that moment, I was sure with all my heart that Jackson hadn¡¯tmitted those crimes. I just needed proof to prove it and most of all, I had to help him find out who did it. The question remained. Who could do this, and why? I was pulled out of my thoughts by a sudden harsh knock at the door. Jackson and I exchanged nces and I didn¡¯t miss how his dark eyes turned smothering and vignt. We thought we¡¯d imagined those sounds until there was a knock again. Jack jumped to his feet, turned to me and said. ¡°Go to the bedroom and stay hidden in the closet or under the bed .¡± He ordered me. ¡°But, Jack...¡± ¡°Now Riley! There¡¯s no time to fucking argue about this!¡± He growled and I flinched. His tone reminded me of the time Jack used to be locked away in the asylum and he used to bare his teeth to the hospital staff. Without much thought, I picked up the knife and retreated towards the bedroom with the question on my mind. Who could it be at the door? Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°Do you know how to use a gun?¡± Jackson asked me as he pushed the curtains away to look outside the window. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Obviously you can use a knife to save your life, right?¡± What the hell was with his rhymes? ¡°Yeah. I guess.¡± He opened the kitchen cabs, the ones that were stocked with too many jars. He reached out for one and pulled out a gun from it. A gun out of arge empty cookie jar. I stared at him appalled. ¡°What? I keep my guns where no one can find them.¡± He handed me a butcher knife. ¡°Take this, and go to my room. Stay hidden until I tell you otherwise.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°If I don¡¯te for you within ten minutes, stay hidden.¡± He instructed. His expressions told me this was a serious matter. Whoever was outside the door could be dangerous. On second thought, Jackson had always been the king of threatening, killing and harassing people. How bad could be the person standing outsidepared to Jack? I quickly scrambled into the bedroom, shut the door behind me and crawled beneath the bed, clenching knife in my fist in a death grip. My hands were literally shaking. There was no sounding from outside and that stressed me to no end. Why wasn¡¯t Jack speaking to someone? Did that intruder silently bludgeon Jack in the head and dragged him out of the cabin? What if Jackson¡¯s lying there out cold and the intruder¡¯sing for me next? What do I do then? Use the butcher knife on a person? In my career as a Nurse, I¡¯d helped doctors during surgeries and it had never bothered me to see blood as much as it would any normal person. But to literally go for the kill? I shuddered at the thought and hoped Jackson hadn¡¯t gotten into trouble. The bedroom door opened a whileter. I held my breath for a few minutes and suddenly a hand wrapped around my ankle. I screamed so loud, the birds abandoned their nest. ¡°Rx, Riley. It¡¯s just me.¡± Jack said as he peeked at me from behind me. ¡°Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!¡± I asked as I crawled out form under the bed. His face was unreadable, it was like he had mastered the art of pulling an impassive face. ¡°You won¡¯t like it. I¡¯d suggest you should steer clear from seeing this.¡± ¡°I have to see it.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡± He warned. ¡°Who was it at the door?¡± ¡°No one. The person left a package.¡± He informed. Why wasn¡¯t Jack exining everything in detail instead of me asking him all these questions? ¡°What¡¯s in the package?¡± I was dreading the answer I¡¯d hear from him. ¡°For Fucks sake, Riley! Will you just let it go?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± I said storming out of the room. ¡°Riley!¡± He kept calling out to me but it was toote. On the table sat a box that had been unwrapped and was open. The glitter gift wrappery in tatters along with a pink ribbon. The box was red, not because that was the original color but because it was matted with blood. The putrid stench of the liquid was unbearable. The sight before me was going to give me nightmares. Insidey a heart. A human heart. I closed the box and stared at the gruesome gift. Whose heart was it? I had scary thoughts gue my mind. What if the heart belonged to... My brother? Maddy? Or Aaron? I banished those thoughts quickly. ¡°Incase you¡¯re wondering who it belongs to. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the previous kill. Nurse Roxane.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± I asked. ¡°I checked the news. There¡¯s no sign of any more bodies getting discovered so it has to be her.¡± ¡°Why do you think they sent us this package? What do they want to prove?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they want to prove anything. This is just a memo to let me know they have found my location. Whoever it is that is ying this sick game is keeping an eye on us.¡± He said, cing a parchment on the table. It had spots of blood on it. I picked it up and read it. Once upon a time there lived a handsome prince He grew up and started living in an asylum since The heir to the Million Dor dynasty. A lone Wolfe. Then starts the killing. The Bodies are piling. Jackson is lying. I found you, and that¡¯s a shame. I won¡¯t tell a soul if you y my game :) I stared at the note long and tried to remember Jackson¡¯s handwriting. It was a bit different, although I knew criminals could fake a different handwriting to avoid getting caught. What if Jack is setting it up to look like someone left the package when he¡¯s the one who put it there himself? Jackson passed me a suspicious look. ¡°What¡¯s going on in that little head of yours?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Are you perhaps wondering if I¡¯m the one doing it and pretending it is someone else?¡± How does he mind read just by looking at my face? ¡°That did cross my mind for a fleeting moment.¡± I said. ¡°What do you think about the note?¡± I tried to see his reaction. A slight clue would give him away. He stared at the note for a long time. ¡°One thing¡¯s definitely clear.¡± I arched a brow. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°This killer, whoever that he is...¡± he trailed off to create more suspense. ¡°He is pretty bad at poetry.¡± And I almost threw a knife at him. ¡°It says you¡¯re lying. What are you lying about, Jack?¡± Jack looked outside the window, his eyes staring at a distance. ¡°It says that I¡¯m lying about not having ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for you to decide, Riley. If the police get me, there will be a trial against me and if I¡¯m found guilty, I may be hanging from a noose one day.¡± Even as he said that, I couldn¡¯t hear the pain in his voice. He was just stoic and I didn¡¯t know how I felt about Jack being executed. No! ¡°If you¡¯re innocent, Jack, it will be proved in court.¡± Jack chucked, a sad undertone to hisugh. ¡°My sweet Riley. You¡¯re far too naive to underhand how truly vindictive people are. You either be a hunter or get hunted. I chose the former.¡± He looked straight in my eyes. ¡°I cannot die because of some murders that I nevermitted. I have to This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. get to this killer phantom first before he gets to me.¡± He blinked. ¡°Let me guess, you still don¡¯t trust me, do you?¡± ¡°My mind tells me you¡¯re manipting me just as you manipted all those people you killed before, but my heart says that you¡¯re telling me the truth.¡± I didn¡¯t think I would say it. ¡°I trust you, Jack. I¡¯m afraid you will break that trust one day.¡± ¡°The day I break your trust, Riley, consider me dead.¡± There was so much sincerity in his tone that it was hard not to believe him. ¡°You¡¯re going to get what you¡¯ve been asking me for the past few days.¡± He said. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you home.¡± We rode in silence in his car, a navy colored Mercedes Benz SUV this time. I didn¡¯t know if I was happy to finally go home or sad. In just a matter of four days, I¡¯de to like Jackson more than I wanted to admit. When he kissed me, my body felt like it was on fire. There was this unspeakable hunger inside my body that could have been extinguished with his touch. I was a coward and I didn¡¯t want to admit that I liked it. That I¡¯d fallen in love with him. Thirty minutes on the road, and there was a violent gush of wind followed by harsh pelting of the rain on the windshield. It was dark outside and the road surrounded by trees on all sides. I should have felt scared to be alone in a car with a notorious Wanted criminal, driving in the middle of nowhere but it was funny how my gut told me I had nothing to fear from Jack. The rain was so harsh that we could hardly see the roads. I watched him as he up in front of a shabby motel. ¡°We will stay here for the night and I¡¯ll drop you off home tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°That sounds okay.¡± I said. We didn¡¯t have a choice. I didn¡¯t want to ask him to keep driving and risk our lives. It was alreadyte and the roads were wet. We were greeted at the reception by a timid boy with a name tag that read ¡®Ben¡¯. He passed us a toothpastemercial smile. ¡°Wee to Country Creek Motel. I¡¯m Ben at your service. How may I help you?¡± He talked like a recorded voice message on repeat. Jackson smiled. He was wearing a blond wig that actually looked nice on him and wore contacts. His original brown eyes were now blue. ¡°I¡¯d like one room for the night please.¡± Jackson said. ¡°Sir, unfortunately, all the rooms are taken at the moment due to the storm and...¡± Jackson threw a bunch of cash on the table. Ben¡¯s smile grew wider, he nced around and pocketed the money. ¡°Perhaps I can do some arrangements.¡± He pulled out an old register that seemed like it had been pulled out of the ground after being buried for several years. ¡°Put your name here, sir and please sign. Card or cash.¡± ¡°Cash, please.¡± Jackson said. Ben smiled, ¡°this way Mr and Mrs. Miller.¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Miller?¡± I asked Jack in a mocking tone. ¡°That¡¯s what popped in my mind at that moment.¡± Jack said as he ced my bag and his on the carpeted floor. ¡°Besides, I thought Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe would have been too suspicious in case the guy had checked the news.¡± I threw open the bathroom door and was surprised to find it clean despite the fact that the Motel looked like it was a movie set out of a horror movie. I started to sit on the bed, ¡°Wait!¡± Jack interrupted me before I sat down. He pulled the sheet off and checked the mattress, after he¡¯d thoroughly inspected it, he passed me a slow grin. ¡°Just checking for bed bugs, you never know what type of creatures lurk in ces like these.¡± I snorted. He was right. And just like that it hit me. There was only one Queen sized bed in the room and it was way smaller then the king sized bed I upied in Jack¡¯s cabin. Suddenly, I started to feel nervous about sleeping in one bed. Not that I was particrly disgusted by the idea, actually far from it. My heart beat too fast in my chest like being back in high school and having asked by the teacher to sit beside my crush. Yeah, I had it very bad for him. He eyed me suspiciously as if reading my mind, he said. ¡°I¡¯ll take the couch. You can sleep on the bed.¡± ¡°No! You can sleep in the bed too.¡± I said it so fast that it may have seemed a little too looked desperate. Jack¡¯s gaze on me was unwavering. ¡°I did promise you that we¡¯d steer clear off each other and sleeping in the same bed doesn¡¯t seem like a great idea.¡± I breathed in and out and shook my head. ¡°You have a lot of hours to drive so you need a lot of rest before you¡¯re behind the wheel again. We can manage for one night. You sleep on your side and I¡¯ll sleep on mine.¡± His serious expressions cracked into a mocking smile. ¡°Are you sure, Nurse Riley? Because I¡¯m neither a boy-scout nor a gentleman so I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll stay on my side of the bed. Would you take the risk?¡± It was like asking me if I wanted to sit on the most dangerous and the scariest rollercoaster ride in the amusement park. I didn¡¯t know what had possessed me when I said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you agree to sleep in the same bed as me, Cotton-Candy, then I may have to terminate that rule of staying away from you.¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± He took off his wig and contact lenses and stashed it inside his bag. ¡°Very well then.¡± He pointed at the shower. ¡°Mind if I take a shower first?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± I replied. I heard the sound of the shower as I settled at the end of the bed. There was the sound of the heavy rain outside that seemed like it wouldn¡¯t cease until morning and that was okay. I¡¯d been reluctant to stay with Jack at first but now as the days had passed getting to know him, I¡¯d slowly drifted into the worry about a job, or anything else. It was almost like... We were a married couple. And I felt guilty for wanting to have this life. With him. Who was I kidding? I couldn¡¯t dream of a happy life with a criminal, a notorious serial killer at that. Deep down I knew it couldn¡¯t be him but there was also this small part of me that screamed it could be Jack. What if Aaron was right about Jack being a master maniptor? If that was indeed true, then Jack was a good actor. A charming man, ying his cards right, a psychopath who knew how to get people to do what he wanted while maintaining a innocent facade, but inside he would beughing at us for being too foolish to be blind to the real him. I switched on the little ancient television propped on the table. A few minutester, I heard the shower go off and Jack walked out of the steaming bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was dripping wet. My gaze traveled below and I¡¯d hardly ever noticed how brawny his chest was. His body was Herculean, the small curly hair sprinkled over his chest, circling his navel and disappearing deliciously down what was covering the most interesting part of his body. The saddest part was him catching me staring. ¡°You know Riley, if you want, I can drop the towel. Do you want me to?¡± My cheeks became colored. I scrambled to my bag pack. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower too.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Please go ahead.¡± When I walked out of the shower after twenty minutes (after scrubbing each part of my body extensively, just in case), I found Jack on his side of the bed, his eyes shut right and slightly snoring. I sighed feeling a little disappointed. I switched off the light, and lied down on my side. I¡¯d closed by eyes when I heard. ¡°Riley, are you awake?¡± His voice was husky and low. My eyes shot open. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can I ask you to promise me something?¡± He asked, his tone was unsure as if I would dismiss the idea of promising him anything. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°When you go back home, would you promise me to stay safe?¡± ¡°I promise you.¡± I said and this time I turned to face him in bed and my breath caught in my throat as I realized how close his body was to mine. The heat from his body was warming me in ways I didn¡¯t know was possible. The scent of his musky body-wash was making my knees weak. His dark eyes watched me intently. He brought his hand to my face and softly brushed my hair away. Something zed in his eyes. Something so passionate and powerful. ¡°I will miss you, Cotton-Candy.¡± It was me who lunged forward and brought my mouth crashing down to his. I watched his eyes widen in surprise once before he kissed me back open-mouthed like a hungry animal as an invitation to continue what I was doing. When he plunged his tongue deep into my mouth I moaned loudly and grasped the thick strands of his dark hair. He left my mouth to trail kisses down my jaw and corbone. His eyes met mine, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± I gave him a nod. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He pulled the strap of my tank top down my shoulder, ¡°once you give yourself to me, there¡¯s no turning back. There¡¯s no in-between. There can¡¯t be anyone else other than me.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be.¡± I smiled. He smiled back, ¡°well then.¡± Jack lifted his t-shirt over his shoulders and tossed it aside, helping me to do the same with mine. He unsped my bra with urgency and squeezed my breast firmly. My gaze momentarily flicked to his arm covered in tattoos. I could feel the thickness through the thin fabric of his boxers. Jack rubbed against and growled, low and masculine. His kiss grew wilder as he peeled everyst bit of clothing we wore leaving us both bare. He hadn¡¯t said he loved me, neither had I, but his actions spoke volumes. ¡°I want to touch you.¡± I said. I was being quite bold for someone who¡¯d been terrorized by him for months. The hunger for Jack that I¡¯d kept caged inside my body was spilling out. I should have been ashamed of myself. Everyone at the hospital had warned me about him, told me to stay away and yet here I was willingly climbing in his bed. The guilt and the shame had left my body for good. ¡°How much I wanted to do this to you since the very first day you walked into my room, Nurse Riley.¡± He breathed. ¡°I can¡¯t me you. I¡¯ve had filthy thoughts about you too.¡± I admitted. He chuckled. ¡°Do tell, Nurse Riley. Taking advantage of your patient like this, it¡¯s against the hospital rules.¡± ¡°Then maybe we should stop.¡± I teased him. ¡°I never said I had any problem with you taking advantage of me.¡± Iughed as he reached towards the desk and opened the drawer. He pulled out a square packet and grinned. ¡°I like this motel. Ites equipped.¡± My giggles were reced by groans and an insatiable urge to have him inside me. Before I knew what was happening, he was ravishing my body and then driving into me relentlessly. The lovemaking was intense and raw. When the frenzy was over, I had tears trailing down my eyes. Jack appeared confused. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± I wiped my tears. ¡°I¡¯m just too sensitive, I guess.¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not.¡± He said rolling off me, leaning with his head propped over his arm. He stared at me intently, his brown eyes bore into mine. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of something else. What is it?¡± I was afraid of speaking it, what if I asked him and he shut himself down or worse. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jack scooted closer and kissed my shoulder de. ¡°Tell me, Cotton-Candy.¡± I stared back at him, my eyes still glistening with tears. ¡°You¡¯re not a psychopath, are you?¡± He smiled sweetly, ¡°If I knew that having you in my bed would make you realize that, I would have had you here sooner.¡± ¡°Oh, Jack. I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± He said. ¡°I want to help you.¡± I blurted out. ¡°Help me?¡± he raised his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll help you catch the killer.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put you in danger. Whoever is after me clearly keeps record of people I care about and I can¡¯t tangle you in this mess. You can help me by staying out of trouble, Riley.¡± With the authoritative voice he¡¯d used, I couldn¡¯t argue with him. He continued. ¡°When you go back to your job, they will ask you questions and I won¡¯t me you for telling them the truth because if you tell them that you think I¡¯m innocent, they are going to think I manipted you, or worse. If you hide my location, they would think that you are supporting a criminal.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± I asked. ¡°Give them what they want. Tell them about the cabin, let them tear down the ce.¡± ¡°And where would you go?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m good at hiding, Riley. I¡¯ll manage.¡± I brushed my fingers on his gruff jawline. ¡°And what about us?¡± ¡°Us?¡± he chuckled and kissed me deeply. ¡°A Nurse and a wanted criminal can¡¯t have a future, Cotton- Candy. Not now, not ever.¡± My heart hurt. ¡°It is possible.¡± I reasoned. ¡°After we clear your name, we can be together.¡± ¡°I like the sound of ¡®we¡¯, but in my case, I¡¯d rather die than watch something happen to you. I won¡¯t ever forgive myself.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t kill your mother, right?¡± With the mention of his mother, his jaw tightened and I thought I saw that dangerous guy who used to This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. be locked up. ¡°She went missing one day and a weekter the police started the investigation, but before that I found the suitcase in the shed. A suitcase soaked in blood.¡± He recited it so calmly that it scared me. His voice was devoid of emotion. ¡°Her body parts were inside. I¡¯d opened it and clearly, my fingerprints were all over it. I didn¡¯t kill my mother, Riley.¡± I couldn¡¯t say I was sorry, or even console him with such words. I couldn¡¯t imagine the darkness he held within himself having gone through something so traumatic and gruesome. ¡°After that, I wasn¡¯t really myself. I¡¯ve been violent in the past but I¡¯ve never hurt someone. Instead, I would lock myself up in my room or admit myself into the institution when it got out of hands. But they believe I did it. They think I was always crazy and that I lost it and killed my own mother.¡± He buried his face between the crook of my shoulder de and my neck. I could feel the wetness of his tears on my skin. There was silence. He said in a anguished whisper. ¡°I would never hurt her. I didn¡¯t kill her. Do you believe me, Riley?¡± ¡°I believe you, Jack.¡± I said. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 I woke up in the morning to find myself nestled between Jack¡¯s arms. I brought my hand to his face and brushed the locks of dark silky hair and sighed. His caramel colored skin glistened in the sunlight that streamed from the open drapes. When Jack opened his eyes, I was still staring at him. Amusement was clear on his features. In a sleepy, husky voice, he said. ¡°I want to be inside you again.¡± My heart thudded against my chest rapidly. ¡°Shower first.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t even pretend to decline this time.¡± I gathered the bedsheet around my naked body and started walking towards the bathroom when one end of the cloth got stuck somewhere, I nced back to see Jack holding it. ¡°Let go.¡± I said. He grinned. ¡°What¡¯s the point of hiding something that I¡¯ve already seen?¡± My cheeks caught fire. I was blushing a lot this morning for someone who was encouraging and moaning his name. Last night was different, the room was dark. Now it was daytime and Jack seeing me fully naked this time made me a little nervous. ¡°Let me have the shower first.¡± He grasped my body and pulled me possessively against him, smiling. ¡°Not unless you let mee in with you. I¡¯m a bath specialist. I can scrub your body with precision.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can.¡± And he did follow me in the bathroom. His mouth came crashing down on mine as his hands moved to my breasts and then to my hips. He picked me up with an easy grace and I was stranding him in the shower with the warm spray of the water sprinkling over us. We didn¡¯t finish in the shower, instead we bathed together and crashed back in bed. He took a while to watch my body, tracing his fingers over every curve and then his mouth was everywhere. A few minutester Jack was thrusting into me relentlessly. ¡°Oh, Riley.¡± Jack growled my name in such anguish that I thought he was in pain at first. He pulled a bit out and slid inside again and I groaned. ¡°Jack...¡± It felt too good. I had tears at the corner of my eyes, I was pretty sure I¡¯d drove my nails into his back. It was so wrong and it still felt so right. I was in bed with a criminal and I didn¡¯t have any guilt left inside me anymore. I¡¯d betrayed everyone I knew by sleeping with the devil. I could hear Jack moaning and grunting and then the warm spill of his seed inside me. Just when he came down from the frenzy he realized what had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riley. I didn¡¯t realize when I....¡± I put my finger on his lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He was still inside me when I brought his mouth to mine. And he kissed me with a delicious slowness, taking his time to lick every corner of my mouth. He kissed my forehead and rolled away. Something in his expressions changed. His usual goofiness was masked with a dark cloud. I scooted closer to him. He smelled of soap mixed with sweat and all male. I could get used being like this with him. ¡°Jack, lets run away together.¡± I couldn¡¯t even believe I was saying this. A night with this man and I was already talking gibberish. ¡°You like my cock that much?¡± I was going to give a sarcastice back for that but I noticed that even though he¡¯d cracked a joke, there was no humor in his expression. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± He turned to face me, this time his expressions were vehement. ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re asking, Riley?¡± ¡°Wherever that you¡¯re going, I want to go with you. I don¡¯t want to go home.¡± I said. The corner of his mouth twitched upward. ¡°Why do women have to get so fucking emotional every time they take a man to bed?¡± ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± I asked. His ck eyes almost looked chocte brown in the sunlight. ¡°You told me your desire to satisfy bodily needs and that¡¯s exactly what I did.¡± I was shocked by his words. I shook my head. ¡°You asked me to marry you the other day!¡± ¡°Goddamn Riley! That was a joke.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t do this, Jack! Don¡¯t shut me out.¡± I said with frustration. My body was still sore from all the love-making and Jack was acting like he didn¡¯t care. His eyes had been filled with so muchpassion before and now they were just vacant, the kind that he usually had when he was confined in the asylum. ¡°You said it yourself the other day, Riley. If we were to marry, what would you tell our kids? Why am I always on a run from the authorities?¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting like this because you¡¯re afraid to ept these feelings.¡± He stared at me, his gaze darkened. ¡°What feelings?¡± ¡°These new feelings. You lov...¡± He ced a hand on my mouth and stopped me frompleting the sentence. He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s best you don¡¯t say it. We¡¯d rather pretend there¡¯s no such thing.¡± I flung theforter away. ¡°That is not fair! You can¡¯t just break down my walls, make me feel this and now turn your back! You¡¯re just acting like a coward now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a coward then, Cotton-Candy.¡± He admitted. I cradled his face in my hands. ¡°Talk to me, Jack.¡± He stared at me like I was his life-line, as if he could chase the sun and bring it down to me if I asked him. He pushed a dark hair behind my ear. ¡°There was just myself to protect until this day, now I have you.¡± His long graceful finger traced my jaw. ¡°And that makes me very weak, Riley. And I hate having a weakness.¡± Iced my fingers through his. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let me go back to my life?¡± He gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s what we are going to do. I was stupid to think I could protect you, and now the killer has tracked us down. You need to stay away from me.¡± I couldn¡¯t argue with him when he was using that authoritative tone with me, like I was his wife and he needed to make sure his property was safe. There was a loud knock at the door. Jack picked the covers and tossed it towards me. ¡°Cover yourself.¡± His moments were quick as he reached for the drawer and pulled out a handgun. Pulling on his shorts, he made his way to the door. ¡°Who is there?¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s me.¡± Came the response from the other side. Jack pushed the gun into his waistband and opened the door only partly. I couldn¡¯t see the person at the door, but it seemed like someone who knew Jack. His words weren¡¯t clear, but Jack was own. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. He shut the door behind him and ordered. ¡°Get dressed. We are leaving in an hour.¡± I didn''t know if I could get used to his possessive, pushy behavior. I found it adorable yet infuriating. We checked out in the afternoon and I noticed when we went to the parking lot, there was a different car. The Mercedes SUV was reced by a silver Nissan. ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡± I asked him. ¡°Exchanged. If anyone is following me or keeping tabs, it¡¯s going be hard to keep track of me if I keep changing my cars.¡± I settled inside the new car which seemed nice but not asfortable as the previous one. He took off his blond wig and contact lenses and stashed them inside the glovepartment. Jack drove the car in suffocating silence and it was getting unbearable to sit and witness him brooding over something. He stared ahead with a grim expression, lost in thought. I was even afraid to ask him what he was thinking, it was like the old Jackson was back. Cold and calcting. "Where do we go from here?" I asked. "You''ll go home and I''ll go back to my life." He answered. "Which is always staying on the run. How long will you live like that?" "I don''t have a choice. Do you think I chose this life, Riley? To be a convicted murderer and spend the rest of my life dodging the authorities?" He passed me a torn piece of paper. "This is my number. Call me only if there''s an emergency." "So it''s a goodbye then?" He stared straight ahead. "It is better this way. I thought I was protecting you by kidnapping you but I was wrong. I''m a dangerous man leading a very dangerous life. The only way you will be safe is by staying away from me." ¡°If you¡¯re worried about me, you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m quite capable of taking care of¡ª¡± Bang! I felt the car sway with a slight impact. I looked at Jack. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I watched Jack press on the gas and the car jumped ahead. His eyes flicked to the rear view mirror. ¡°Someone¡¯s trying to get us off the road.¡± I was looking back when there was another hit and this time it was with such a force that my head went whipping forward. ¡°Fucking sonofabitch!¡± Jack cursed as he jammed on the gas. I saw the speedometer strike one sixty. I held onto the door handle, my heart beating out of my chest. From the rear view mirror I could see a strong ck pick up with beaming headlights trying toe closer. Jack drove manically, trying to get away from the truck. ¡°What is happening?¡± I whispered. Before Jack could answer, there was another violent jab, and the car lost its bnce. I felt like my world was upside down, but I realized the car had spun. His dark eyes met mine for a second before his arms went around me in a safe circle. There was ast forceful impact with which we collided against something very hard and the windshield shattered and thest thing I remember was Jack''s arm was covering me, protecting me. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 I was feeling drowsy, and every part of my body was aching. I opened my eyes slowly to find myself in unfamiliar surroundings. It took me a while to realize where I was until the scent of disinfectant and medicines permeated the air.The walls were painted sky blue, an IV was attached to me. I was wearing a hospital gown. I hadn¡¯t even realized back then that I¡¯d been injured too. There were shes of the ident. We survived the ident and I was saved from being badly injured when Jack has wrapped his arms around me, cushioning me from the impact and taking the hit himself. ¡°Riley!¡± ¡°Jack, you¡¯re injured. We have to get you to the hospital immediately!¡± I hurried to the car that was now lodged into a tree and pulled out the First Aid kit and a shirt from my bag. I disinfected his wound as much as I could, tore the fabric and wrapped it tightly around his wound to stop the bleeding. As a nurse, I knew how to disinfect a wound and stop the wound from further damage but he still needed to be seen by a doctor. ¡°You need urgent medical attention.¡± I said frantically wiping the blood seeping through his denim. ¡°You¡¯re loosing blood, oh god!¡± ¡°Listen to me, love. Take this phone, and call Mark Bowen...¡± Jack said holding his bleeding leg. ¡°Code word ¡®Jack & the Beanstalk¡¯. If he answers with ¡®The Boy who cried Wolf¡¯ only then tell him the address of this area and ask him toe asap.¡± ¡°Jackson! Are you even listening to yourself? You could die out here waiting for this person. We need to take you to a doctor.¡± ¡°Mark is a doctor! He¡¯s the only person I trust!¡± Jack said, even though he was injured he was still arguing with me. ¡°Besides, if I visit any hospital, I¡¯ll be arrested and I can¡¯t take that risk.¡± He pointed towards the forest. ¡°Take me there.¡± I¡¯d helped him up, he¡¯d staggered all the way to the forest, drops of blood trailing on the road. When I ced him on the ground, his back against the tree, I saw that he had another wound near his waist. ¡°It¡¯s still not toote. Let me call an ambnce.¡± I insisted, my vision blurred as the moisture pooled in my eyes. Jack¡¯s once vibrant face was now turning gloomy, like he was battling to remain conscious. His brown eyes looked topaz in the sunlight as he stared at me. ¡°Nurse Riley, you¡¯ve hurt yourself too. Sometimes you need to put yourself before others. Now¡¯s that time.¡± I stared at him, was he joking? ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone here. You¡¯re stupid if you think I would do that.¡± I snapped, unable to keep the fury out of my voice. ¡°Call Mark right now. Please.¡± He said in a barely audible voice. I ran back to the car and in a few minutes I located the phone. I called the number and waited, the line rang for a few minutes until a man answered the call. ¡°Jack & The Beanstalk.¡± I said A few secondster, the man responded. ¡°The Boy who cried Wolf.¡± ¡°This is urgent. We met with an ident and he needs urgent medical attention. You need toe here as soon as you can. The address is...¡± Jack¡¯s eyes were closing. I pped his cheeks softly a few times to keep him from slipping into unconsciousness. ¡°Please stay with me...¡± He opened his eyes enough to look at me, he raised his blood matted hand to my face and touched my cheek. ¡°Leave Riley.¡± I shook my head, taking his hand in mine. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you until he¡¯s here.¡± ¡°The person who threw us off the road, he...¡± Jack coughed. ¡°He could be out here somewhere...¡± he winced from the pain, ¡°...waiting to attack you too. He wants me dead and I can¡¯t put your life in danger. One of us needs to be alive. He can¡¯t win this. You need to leave, Riley. Right away.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Just leave, Cotton-Candy.¡± He said. ¡°I can¡¯t protect you like this. Mark will help me. There¡¯s some money in my wallet in the car, take a cab home. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He squeezed my hand, ¡°I want you to remember two things.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Do not trust Aaron Shaw and stay away from Paul Be.¡± He said their names with such disgust, you¡¯d think they were some terrorists. ¡°Stay vignt at all times.¡± I gave him a nod and pulled his head close to my face and kissed his forehead and then his lips before I climbed to my feet reluctantly. I started to leave, my heart breaking with every step because I knew that I¡¯d never have such powerful desire for anyone else. ¡°I love you, Riley.¡± He said in almost a whisper when my back was turned to him. I stopped, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle a sob and he said, ¡°Don¡¯t turn back. Keep going.¡± One foot behind the other. I continued to walk ahead. It was like he was saying a final goodbye, as if he knew he wouldn¡¯t survive this. ¡°Riley, are you with me?¡± Voices in the distance. ¡°Riley!¡± ¡°Snap out of it!¡± Some was shaking me which is when I I stared back at my brother¡¯s worried face. "She''s awake!" Ken bellowed at someone in the background. He had a worried expression on his face. ¡°We looked everywhere for you Riles, Do you have any idea how worried you made?¡± ¡°Water...¡± I managed to say. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Ken brought a ss of water to my lips. ¡°Here. Drink this.¡± I swallowed some and coughed. The door of the room flew open and in walked Aaron. What I didn¡¯t expect to see was his expressions which were of utter relief. ¡°Riley, oh thank god, you¡¯re fine!¡± He said as he power walked to my bed and pulled me in a hug. I was back where I belonged with people that loved me, I should be d. Aaron didn¡¯t even seem to be mad anymore about the argument we had before Jack kidnapped me, and yet, I didn¡¯t want to be here. I wanted to be with Jack. I just stared ahead, feeling the trauma of the situation slowly sinking in. He patted my head softly, and kissed the top of my head. ¡°We thought you were dead.¡± ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± Ken asked suddenly. I didn¡¯t even have time to answer when Ken made an anguished sound. ¡°That bastard raped you, didn¡¯t he? Doctor Shaw we need Riley to take a rape test and then she will give a detailed report to...¡± Leave it to Ken to overreact over situations. My blood began to boil, and my ears were ringing. Frustrated, I screamed. ¡°Shut up Keh! I wasn¡¯t raped, okay?¡± The tears began falling uncontrobly. ¡°He did not hurt me!¡± The room basked in eerie silence and I didn¡¯t miss how Ken and Aaron exchanged nces like I¡¯d fallen off the rocker. In his usual soft and understanding tone, Aaron said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t trouble yourself. You need rest. When you¡¯re feeling fine, I hope I can speak with you. We have a lot to discuss.¡± I gave him a nod. ¡°I want to go home, Aaron. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not. You passed out in the middle of nowhere and a car driving by saw you and brought you to a hospital. The staff there recognized you from the news and contacted us.¡± I couldn¡¯t even remember passing out. My head hurt too much to even recall the details. ¡°How...how long was I out?¡± Aaron checked his watch. ¡°Approximately eight hours now.¡± I was shaking. I was out for eight hours! I wondered if Jack was alright, what if my address didn¡¯t go through to Mark and he didn¡¯t know where to find him. What if Jack bled out and there was no one to... Stop it Riley! I took deep breaths, my breathing was getting intensified. ¡°Calm down. You¡¯re safe now.¡± Aaron assured me. ¡°Whatever it is that happened with you when you were with him, it is over.¡± They thought I was his victim. I didn¡¯t say anything because I needed to collect my thoughts before I could say anything. One wrong word out and I could put Jack in trouble. ¡°I need some pain meds, Aaron, and I want to rest.¡± Aaron nodded. ¡°Of course. We are all here for you, Riley. If you need anything, just holler.¡± I tried to close my eyes but I kept seeing the ident and everything that followed. I realized I needed some good rest before Aaron and the others questioned me. Soon, they were going to be all over me. For defending a serial killer. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 I¡¯d taken ample amount of rest that evening and when I woke up it was already dinner time. I was This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. served white rice, boiled veggies and some gravy on the side. Any motivation I had about life had already left the building. I couldn¡¯t imagine how during the time I worked here, fed this particr dinner to patients and thought nothing of it. I felt sympathy for all those people I¡¯d forced to eat it, day in and day out. I¡¯d forced most of the food down my throat when Aaron entered the room. He had a worried expression on his face as he took a seat next to the bed. ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± He asked. ¡°Better.¡± I lied. He nodded. ¡°The antibiotics will make you drowsy but it will help you with the pain.¡± What about the pain stabbing in my heart? Will the antibiotics make that pain go away too? ¡°I hope so.¡± I said, pushing the carrots back and forth in my te. I wasn¡¯t liking the look that Aaron was giving me, it was filled with so much pity. I didn¡¯t want anyone¡¯s pity. All I wanted was for everyone to leave me alone and not act like I was a broken porcin doll. Suddenly he left his seat, closed the door of the room and was back in his seat. ¡°Riley,¡± Aaron said in low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve been very closed off since morning when you woke up. This is unlike you...¡± If anyone could read me well, it was Aaron. Before I could open my mouth and answer, he went on, ¡°During the one week that you were with him. Whatever happened there, if he¡¯d kept you captive and put you in...¡± he shrugged. ¡°Well...in apromising position, we understand. You are not to me yourself for that. Often the victims of rape and abuse me themselves for the situations that they were...¡± Aaron bbered more of his philosophical bullshit which I¡¯d already tuned out. It¡¯s like no one was trying to understand me. No one had bothered to ask me what actually happened in that cabin, and had let their imaginations run wild. Granted, Jack had a criminal record, he had the reputation of being the most notorious patient locked in the asylum, but if he¡¯d wanted to hurt me, if he really was the person behind those killings, I would have already been dead. Everyone suspected Jack without a shadow of a doubt, and they weren¡¯t wrong to assume it. I¡¯d been in a simr mindset before I went to his cabin. After staying with him for over a week, I¡¯d known in my heart that Jack couldn¡¯t be the killer. ¡°Riley, are you even listening to me?¡± Aaron asked. He seemed concerned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what were you saying?¡± He shut his eyes and sighed, closing his hand over mine. ¡°If Jackson assaulted you, and that¡¯s the reason you¡¯ve been so depressed then you need to talk to me. I will help you, Riles.¡± ¡°He did not assault me, or hurt me, Aaron. I already told you this before.¡± Aaron didn¡¯t believe me. He ran his thumb over my closed fist. ¡°He threatened you, didn¡¯t he?¡± I stared at him incredulously. How was he evening to these conclusions when I hadn¡¯t even said a word? ¡°He threatened to kill you if you told us anything. But you need to rest assured, you¡¯re in safe territory now, Jack can¡¯t hurt you here. There¡¯s a twenty four seven police surveince outside. No one can happened after that night when Jack kidnapped you?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± I said calmly. ¡°He gave me a room, there were plenty of clothes in the wardrobe, there was a t screen, food and everything one needs for a short vacation.¡± It was Aaron¡¯s turn to stare at me like I¡¯d spoken in Chinese and he was in need of an urgent trantor. ¡°I¡¯m not in a mood for jokes right now and the sarcasm is not appreciated.¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m not being sarcastic. What did you expect me to say? That he bound me to a chair in a shabby underground basement? Or that he used my body to satisfy his carnal urges by keeping me locked away in said basement?¡± When Aaron didn¡¯t answer, I went on. ¡°Clearly you¡¯re aware Jack doesn¡¯t need sses when ites to seduction. He could have any woman he wanted, he doesn¡¯t need to resort to tying them up in a dungeon.¡± ¡°Are you defending him again?¡± Aaron asked, and this time fury was clear in his eyes. ¡°I was speaking the truth. Nothing that you guys have been assuming happened. I lived with him in the cabin for a week and...¡± my throat clogged up with the memories. ¡°And I¡¯m not ashamed to say that it may have been some of the best days of my life.¡± He narrowed his gaze at me. ¡°What did he do to you?¡± ¡°I said...¡± ¡°Do you know what you sound like, Riley?¡± I maintained eye-contact. ¡°You sound just like one of his fucking victims.¡± I flinched when I heard Aaron swear. Aaron, the sweet angelic Aaron never used the F word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you.¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re suffering from a very bad condition of Stockholm Syndrome.¡± He said. ¡°And frankly, Riley, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your fault. It just proves how highly maniptive Jack is. He¡¯s turned one of my best nurses into his ally who is now sitting in the same hospital she¡¯s worked for and talking like his personal attorney.¡± ¡°Believe me, Aaron.¡± I pleaded. ¡°When I first went there, I had the exact same thoughts about everything but he proved me wrong. He kept me safe. There¡¯s someone else who is doing the killings.¡± Aaron grinned, his white teeth shed with impending annoyance. ¡°Have you ever thought that maybe he kidnapped you, fed you some sob story and worked his magic because he wanted this to happen. Think of it, Riles, he knew that once you¡¯re back here you would do a great job defending him. Did you even check the property while you were there?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d looked around, you would have found a few bodies casually sitting there like mannequins.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡± A room filled with a dreadful silence. I wish I could just go home away from the judgmental eyes. Softly, he said. ¡°Paul will be here in about an hour. Believe it or not, he seemed worried about you too. Tomorrow, I expect you to start sessions with him.¡± bbergasted, I looked at him. ¡°What sessions?¡± ¡°Counselling.¡± He said. ¡°Paul, although he¡¯s still new, he¡¯s good at exorcising demons. He will bring your mind back to the right frame.¡± My hands were balled into tight fists. ¡°I will never have any counselling lessons from anyone, and definitely not from Paul Be. I¡¯m perfectly alright, and I don¡¯t need a psychoanalyst.¡± ¡°You do.¡± Aaron said firmly. He was using that no nonsense tone with me again. ¡°If you want to keep this job, you will take these sessions with Paul.¡± That afternoon I was discharged from the hospital, however, I still needed to go down to the station the next day and recite the entire story which they likely wouldn¡¯t believe. If they thought I was lying about Jack treating me right, then that was their problem. Ken and I were strode out of the hospital building and into the parking lot towards his Camry. The clouds had began to gather in the sky, the shade of a dark gray. The trees looked greener than usual, the faint smell of soil overpowered every other scent. Instinctively, I looked up towards the window. The window of the room that Jack inhabited while he lived here. Surely there was no one there, what had I expected to see? Jack waving back at me? He was probably getting the help he needed, or he was probably lying there... No! I didn¡¯t want to think about that now. He couldn¡¯t die. Suddenly, I remembered something. My brother juggled a cup of coffee in one hand and a polytene containing my medicines in the other. He was already sitting down in the Camry. ¡°Ken, I just forgot something inside.¡± I told him. He made an irritated face. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Just wait here for me.¡± I called out and rushed back towards the building. I went inside the hospital and walked casually down the hallways. Dr. Sam caught my eye, ¡°Hey Riley, good to see you again.¡± ¡°Good to see you, too, Doctor.¡± I smiled politely and passed him. I waited until he was out of sight and took the turn and walked straight into the room that contained the medicine cabs. I opened a few ss cabs, my eyes scanning through the names with speed. Someone had taken the liberty to switch the ces for the meds since I¡¯d been gone and they¡¯d even named them in alphabetical order. I needed these pills.Thest thing I needed right now was a pregnancy, there were way too many Jack had met me in a different scenario, I would have probably taken a risk. Finally, after much browsing, I found what I was looking for and was about to pocket the strips when an arm seized mine. I swallowed nervously as I stared into a familiar pair of green eyes and a mass of fiery red hair. Those freckles sprinkled on his nose would have been cute if he didn¡¯t have a scowl stered on his face for three-sixty-five days. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± That¡¯s exactly the kind of greeting you would expect from Dr. Paul Be. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 There had never been anyone from my colleagues in the hospital who¡¯d infuriated me as much as Dr. Paul Be. I always had an urge to smack that condescending look off his face just as I was feeling now. Paul still had my hand in a firm grip. I tried to wiggle free. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°What the hell were you doing?¡± He asked. I snatched my hand away. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± I noticed that although I¡¯d managed to shrug his hold off me, he was still holding the strip of pills. Paul gave me a lopsided grin, leaning against the desk right next to the cab and trapping me. I had no space to dodge him and leave. ¡°Of course it¡¯s my business when you¡¯re obviously sniffing around in the wrong ce.¡± ¡°Give that back to me, Paul.¡± I said, trying to snatch it from him but he raised it higher, keeping it out of my reach. He was so tall, it was impossible for me even if I jumped. I imagined Paul to be a bully in high school. He had to be, he had the viinous tendencies to bully people he thought were below him, like he was doing to me. Casually, he pushed me away and inspected the strips. The grin dissolved into a hard stare. He shook the tablets in my face. ¡°You fucked that criminal?!¡± He was literally seething. All the traces of humor had been wiped clean. ¡°Exin Riley!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your goddamn business who I sleep with.¡± I snapped. Paul grasped my shoulder violently. ¡°Do you have absolutely no shame? Sleeping with the enemy. Do you have any idea what Dr. Shaw would do if he found out?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± I said. Paul chuckled. ¡°Watch me, Riley. Watch me destroy you in five seconds.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Go ahead.¡± I challenged him. ¡°Tell Aaron about it. And then in turn I will tell them about you.¡± He watched me, caution filling his expression. ¡°Tell him what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell him what I saw you doing. I¡¯ll expose your secret.¡± I had no idea what secrets I was talking about but at that moment, this seemed like a usible way to get out of this situation. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡± He called it. I continued to stare at him without admitting defeat. ¡°If you want to believe that, it¡¯s fine with me.¡± I smiled. ¡°You tell Aaron a single word about these pills and I¡¯ll spill the beans about you. Everyst detail.¡± ¡°Are you even in a position to threaten me?¡± I raised my hand towards him. ¡°My pills.¡± He scowled, cing the pills on my palm. ¡°You never know, it might be toote and the demon is already growing inside of you.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°If you were really craving for some cock, you would have asked me. I would have dly obliged.¡± I smiled sweetly. ¡°Dr. Be, as much as I appreciate your kind offer, I¡¯m not really into shriveled up cocks. I prefer mine to be...¡± I exaggerated a length. ¡°This big. And might I add, Jack sure doesn¡¯t disappoint.¡± ¡°You can try me.¡± He suggested, and then smirked. ¡°I can give you a list of names ofdies who will vouch for me and tell you just how amazing I am in bed. Maybe you¡¯ll forget the criminal.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°No, thanks.¡± ¡°Aaron will find out, one way or the other.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle when he does. It¡¯s my body, and it¡¯s my wish who I want to be with. Aaron or anyone can¡¯t decide that for me.¡± ¡°Suit yourself, Riley. When you¡¯re body is cut up lying in a ditch, we¡¯ll talk.¡± He said turning and walking out of the room. ¡°I can¡¯t talk if I¡¯m cut up. I¡¯ll be dead, genius!¡± I called out. It was overwhelming and annoying how some media persons and reporters always stayed hidden outside my house and tried to have a word with me every chance they got. ¡°Ms. Fraser, can you tell us a little about what happened when you were kidnapped by Jackson Wolfe?¡± Another fought for his spot beside me. ¡°Riley, was it emotional torture staying with him? We will help you get your story to the world.¡± ¡°Our channel will pay you ten thousand dors for an interview.¡± I¡¯d learned to ignore everyone and step into the building. When I closed the door behind me and lied down in bed, I felt better. There was no one here to judge me except Ken who was still at the hospital. During the time that I was away, he¡¯de closer to Ca, his co-worker. I suspected they were seeing each other, then again Ken could be meeting her as a friend and leading the poor girl on. He was that thick in the head. I turned in bed to find a picture of my parents on the nightstand. They were so young, and so much in love. When my brother and I were little, we used to have a peaceful life. My father used to work for a bank and my mother stayed home. Life was good until that one ident that ruined our lives and they¡¯d never managed to catch the driver. And then Ken and I had been orphaned by one irresponsible driver. They¡¯d closed the case putting all the me on my father as a reckless driver. It was easier for them to pin the me on him since he was dead and couldn¡¯t defend himself. Case closed due to no witnesses and evidence. My attention then diverted to Jack. What happened after yesterday, was he doing alright? Did Dr. Mark Bowen. Why did Jack trust him so much? What if he was a private investigator disguising as a spy? Wait, was I on Jack¡¯s side now or the police? I¡¯d beenpletely sure that Jack was behind the murders before, but after I lived with him and spent so much time with him, it was quite difficult for me toe to terms with the fact that Jack could indeed be the killer. It could be that Aaron was right and Jack had really killed all those people and was easily manipting me into trusting him. My entire week with him could all be a lie and something that I¡¯d imagined. Jack could be ying a game. He probably believed I was fool yet trusted me to look out for him. What if he really did butcher all those people? Would I still love him? I reached for the side table and opened thest drawer where I¡¯d hidden a piece of torn paper. It was written in Jack¡¯s beautiful handwriting. With shaky hands I picked up one burner phone. I¡¯d bought it at the convenience store and managed to keep it hidden from my brother. I dialed the number and waited until the phone rang on the other side. I had to make sure he was alright. He¡¯d strictly told me to call him for an emergency, and I wasn¡¯t in an emergency situation but I really needed to know if he was alright. I couldn¡¯t just sit here in myfort zone knowing I¡¯d deserted him in the wild with injuries. The phone continued to ring for what felt like an eternity until I realized he wasn¡¯t going to answer or he¡¯d given me a wrong number on purpose. I was just putting the receiver when I heard the click. And then silence. I wet my lips nervously. ¡°Jack?¡± There was absolutely no sound on the other end. ¡°It¡¯s me Riley.¡± For a second I thought I¡¯d dialed the wrong number. ¡°Is this an emergency?¡± He asked. ¡°No.¡± I said. ¡°Well, then you¡¯ve dialed the wrong number.¡± There was no mistaking it. That was Jackson¡¯s voice but it sounded so detached, my heart broke. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He continued in the same monotone. The same voice that used to pass sarcasticments at me, tease me, and say dirty things in my ear. It took everything inside me not to breakdown. ¡°They are probably monitoring your phone right now. Put it down!¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one with the brains? News sh, I got a burner phone just so I could call you.¡± Again, there was no answer. ¡°You still can¡¯t ce a casual call, burner phone or not. It¡¯s not safe.¡± ¡°Rest assured, I didn¡¯t tell them about your location. I would not give your location away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you I¡¯m worried about, not me.¡± He said angrily. What was all this anger for? I¡¯d just called him to check if he was alright, was that a crime now? ¡°How are your injuries?¡± I asked. ¡°Healing.¡± ¡°When will I see you again?¡± I asked, I was sounding like one of those clingy girlfriends. ¡°Probably never.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s all I was to you? One women out of the many who warmed your bed? Is that it? And now since you got what you wanted, you think I¡¯m being clingy.¡± ¡°Riley!¡± He growled in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking try to manipte me with words! Thest thing I need right now is to be manipted by a woman.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked. ¡°Who is what?¡± ¡°My recement!¡± I yelled irritated. I could hear him blow out a breath. ¡°Go to bed, Riley. It¡¯ste and you¡¯re talking gibberish.¡± ¡°Why are you acting so cold? I told you I would go with you. You just have to ask.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to do nothing, Riley. Can you do that for me?¡± Tears teetered my vision. ¡°I don¡¯t belong here. Take me with you.¡± ¡°The killer is out to get me. A single weakness is all he needs. Thest time we were together you saw what happened. You¡¯re not safe with me. I need to sort this out on my own, and I don¡¯t need you to distract me from this. I¡¯m not going to be moved by tears, I won¡¯t give in to any amount of begging or groveling. Do not call me in any minor circumstances, unless you find yourself in dire need of my help which I hope is never. Are we clear?¡± I lost it at that time. ¡°I can¡¯t...I can¡¯t do this alone. I¡¯m so lonely. They look at me like I¡¯m some criminal.¡± ¡°You have something to give me credit for.¡± ¡°I need you, Jack.¡± A pause, and then he said. ¡°Goodbye Riley, stay safe.¡± The phone clicked. I buried my face in the pillow as sobs erupted from my chest. That was my best first argument with him after a long time. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something outside the window, a sleek ck sedan was parked on the opposite side of the road. I ran out of the apartment in lightning speed without even closing the door behind me. I descended down the stairs but when I reached thending, I was out of breath. The car zoomed past me. Was that Jackson? Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°FBI Agent Flint Knight.¡± The tall handsome man introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯d like to start the interrogation now, I prefer to question you alone, Ms. Frazer without having your colleagues in the same room. If you can ask Dr. Shaw to wait outside.¡± ¡°Aaron...¡± ¡°I can hear you just fine, Agent Knight. I¡¯ll be in the other room.¡± To me, Aaron said. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± I nodded. The door of the room closed. Agent Knight was blond, emerald eyes and clean-shaven. He also had a sharp jawline, and although he wasn¡¯t movie star handsome, there was something so attractive about him that would bring any woman to her knees. Probably the way he carried himself and the radiating power of authority. The room was also upied by two other men. An equally attractive African-American and another Hispanic. Detectives Scott and Sanchez respectively. They were watching me intently, like hawks. Agent Scott was poised with an iPad, typing away. He¡¯d given me what was a hint of a smiled once and then he was all official and business like. ¡°Would you care for some water, tea or coffee?¡± Knight asked me. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m fine.¡± I said. I knew how they would bring any amount of liquid I requested and then when I wanted to take a bathroom break, they¡¯d deny until they had the truth tumbling out of my mouth. I wasn¡¯t going to let them use ¡°a bathroom¡± as a bait. Also, I had nothing to hide. ¡°Ms. Frazer, what¡¯s your rtionship with Jackson Wolfe?¡± ¡°He was my patient and I was his assigned nurse.¡± I answered. ¡°Nothing more than that?¡± He inquired. ¡°No.¡± I said. Jack had said he¡¯d loved me, it was an all too consuming attraction from both sides but I couldn¡¯t be sure what Jack could be thinking because he was highly maniptive and he could have said it for personal gain. He was smart enough to know that as soon as I left the cabin, I¡¯d be here surrounded by marshals being questioned and analyzed. Agent Scott continued to type on the device frantically. ¡°After you were kidnapped, Ms. Frazer, where did he take you?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t be sure of the location because I wasn¡¯t conscious. When I woke up, I noticed I was in a cabin, a very modest one surrounded by mountains and forest.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt you?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t. Jack would go on with his business during the day, and return at the cabin at night.¡± The agents watched me skeptically. And I could tell they were not believing a word I said. Eyes not wavering off mine, I continued to maintain eye-contact. If they thought I would be intimidated and confess to things that didn¡¯t happen, they were wrong. ¡°Did he mention where he was going, what business he was attending to?¡± ¡°He never said a word about his business, he never told me anything.¡± ¡°Are you telling us the truth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I said. ¡°Where was Wolfe when Nurse Roxanne was murdered?¡± ¡°At the cabin.¡± I said. Argent Knight¡¯s brow shot up, ¡°Are you sure? Think hard. Every little detail helps us, Ms. Frazer.¡± ¡°He was out until afternoon and he came back to the cabin that evening.¡± I said. ¡°The body was found the same morning, but the post-Mortem reports tell us she died the same day you were kidnapped. It¡¯s almost too convenient.¡± I stared hard at him. ¡°Are you insinuating that I killed her before I was kidnapped?¡± Knight chuckled, his gem like eyes glistening with amusement. ¡°I like how you made your own assumption about what we think, but you¡¯re smart, you know exactly what I was getting at so let me cut the nice guy act and get straight to the point. Did you kill Roxane Martin?¡± ¡°I did not. And you¡¯re foolish to think I did it.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°I have a good reason to think you did, Riley. It¡¯se to our knowledge that you have a certain obsession with bad boys and serial killers to be very precise. My gut feeling is, please tell me if I¡¯m wrong here, that you took a fascination for Wolfe like a child taking interest in beetles and butterflies, that fascination might have turned into something more. Since he was your patient, you decided to repair him with your unconditional love and then conveniently staged your own kidnapping, helping him go through with his ns and here you are, acting like a victim.¡± Iughed, it was augh ofplete and utter disbelief. I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening to me. ¡°If you have managed to build your own story about this entire case, why even bother to question me and waste my time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing my job, Ms. Frazer. And you may want to ask in my department about my reputation to pin down a case with my logic. I¡¯m right eighty percent of the time and manage to get a confession out soon, the other twenty percent are either lying or are already dead.¡± He smiled, radiating confidence and obvious arrogance. ¡°I¡¯m not Jackson¡¯s aplice.¡± ¡°But you do obsess over serial killers?¡± Agent Scott was typing away frantically, I wondered if he would break his fingers with that speed. His dark eyes met mine for a second before jerking back to the iPad screen. ¡°I have an interest in studying them. Nothing more than that and it has nothing to do with Jackson.¡± ¡°A scalpel was stolen from the operation theater and handed over to Jack.¡± ¡°He threatened me to do it!¡± I said angrily. ¡°Ms. Frazer, are you sure there¡¯s nothing between you and Jackson Wolfe?¡± ¡°How many times am I supposed to repeat myself? No! There isn¡¯t!¡± Agent Knight opened his drawer and pulled out some pills and ced them on the desk. ¡°Dr. Be told me that you confessed to having consensual sex with Jack and retrieving these pills for personal use.¡± He propped himself at the edge of the table, looking everything like a wild cat. ¡°Your sexual endeavors is none of my business, Ms. Frazer, but you denied to having any other rtionship with Jack and that directly makes you a suspect in the Wolfe Murder case. So here¡¯s what I think, A. you had sex with Jack and stole the pills. B. He sexually assaulted you, and you¡¯re hiding that information for some reason, or C. it was a different bloke you decided to sleep with.¡± He said and then added. ¡°I have my bets on A.¡± I remained silent. It was over for me. They were going to give me jail time even though I wasn¡¯t Jackson¡¯s aplice. The first thing I would do when I was out of the interrogation room was throttle Paul Be. ¡°I will not speak without an attorney.¡± I said. ¡°So he didn¡¯t rape you?¡± ¡°I said will not talk another word without my attorney present here.¡± Agent Knight nodded in understanding. ¡°Very Well, Ms. Frazer. We will give you time to make arrangements for a legal counsel and we will resume our interrogation following that, until then you will be ced under FBI supervision.¡± I grabbed my coat and stormed my way out of the door, I knew the Agents had watched every little moment that I¡¯d made, noticed if I was nervous and I could bet they suspected me for it. As soon as I was out of the station, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I could breathe normally again. Aaron fell into step beside me. His forehead could use a few less creases. ¡°What happened there?¡± I spun around to face him. ¡°They suspect that I had something to do with Roxy¡¯s murder.¡± I waited to see his reaction. He appeared to be genuinely appalled. ¡°But it¡¯s quite clear you didn¡¯t do it. I told them we found the body after you were kidnapped.¡± ¡°Exactly, but she was murdered before I left the ce, Aaron. And it doesn¡¯t help with the fact that you ratted me out!¡± I almost screamed at him. It was shame on me I was yelling at my superior but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°I ratted you out! What the hell does that mean?¡± He asked. ¡°You told them about the surgical knife I took and gave Jack. So now they think that not only am an aplice but a cold blooded murderer and I have you to thank for that, Dr. Shaw.¡± I said sarcastically. He threw his hands in the air in resignation, like it wasn¡¯t his fault. ¡°They wanted all the information, I couldn¡¯t hide something like this. You took the knife, Riley, that¡¯s the truth. If you have nothing to hide, then there¡¯s no need for you be frightened.¡± I pressed my hand on my head and pointed towards the car. ¡°Let¡¯s sit inside and talk.¡± I slid behind the wheel and sted the heater in the car. ¡°Jack said that the killer was framing him. I think the killer is framing me too.¡± ¡°I regret assigning you as Jack¡¯s nurse, Riley. I regret even considering to admit him in Woodville¡¯s asylum.¡± I looked at him. Could I even trust Aaron? The man who¡¯d supported me, mentored me all these years. Then again, how could I be sure that Jackson was telling me the full truth. He could be lying and manipting me into thinking he was innocent. When I¡¯d stayed with him in that cabin for a week, I¡¯d believed what I¡¯d seen and what I¡¯d seen that time was a man who denied killing all those people. Someone was ying a very borate game. ¡°Be careful of Agent Flint Knight. He is as smart as Jackson can be. Flint being on the task-force means he will not rest until he nails the person who¡¯s doing it.¡± I smiled. ¡°Well, that makes the two of us.¡± * * * As the agent had promised, there was another Officer who continued to follow me around, just keeping an eye on me while I continued my work throughout the day. I was a prime suspect in this case and it was taking me a while to wrap my head around it. People were looking at me with suspicion. There were Officers outside my home. If I tried to contact Jack, they would know. I¡¯d gotten rid of all the burners except one that I kept hidden. Just in case. On the fifth day after the interrogation, I received a call from the WoodVille asylum at ten thirty. ¡°Riley, they captured Jack. He¡¯s been brought to the asylum.¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¡°Jack has been caught and they are bringing him back to the asylum.¡± The male Nurse Marvin told me on the phone. ¡°Jack? You mean Jackson Wolfe?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. Him. There¡¯s no other Jack in the same wing, remember?¡± Oh god. ¡°When are they bringing him?¡± ¡°Tonight. The officials are not taking any chances this time. They are flying him through a chopper. Did you know our hospital has a Helipad? How cool is that?¡± I couldn¡¯t be bothered about a Helipad at the moment when I had more pressing matters to think about, starting with how the hell had they managed to find Jack? Unless, they found him because he wanted to be found. There was no way that Jack could ever surrender on his own ord, not when he believed that he was innocent. Being caught only meant that he would be prosecuted, and most likely get hanged for his crimes. Jack had to have a motive toe back. Or, I was thinking too much into this, and Jack could have let his guard down and walked into a trap which seemed as likely as me winning a lottery. My gut feeling was that Jack had got himself caught on purpose. ¡°Marvin, please call me when they bring him in.¡± In the meantime, I arranged for an attorney, his name was James McIntyre. He wasn¡¯t the best in the country, but I trusted him and he was Maddy¡¯s rmendation. He had won many cases and there was no doubt in my mind that if push came to shove, I knew James wouldn¡¯t rest until he had fought dirty by my side. During afternoon, James met me in a cafe where we discussed about the case. I told him the truth, what had happened while I was with Jackson and when the truth spilled out I couldn¡¯t omit the sex part. James didn¡¯t seem happy about it, he said sleeping with Jack hadplicated my side and proving me innocent would be more difficult in court. ¡°So whose side are you on?¡± He asked taking arge bite of his powdered donut, smearing all the white powder above his upper lip, making it seem like a white mustache. I couldn¡¯t hold it in andughed. ¡°Remember something funny?¡± He asked, skeptical. I waved a hand, I wasn¡¯t going to tell him about the powdered mustache. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure whose side I¡¯m really on. I lived with Jack for a few days, and he didn¡¯t seem like the person that people make him to be. He is dangerous, I have no doubt about that but I don¡¯t think he killed anyone. He was quite vulnerable when he told me about his mother¡¯s death and I believe him, James. He cried in my arms that night and I¡¯ve never seen Jack like that. If he really is a psychopath, he wouldn¡¯t have any feelings.¡± James continued to look at me, he was measuring his words. I knew it. The powdered mustache was Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. kind of distracting. He said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people like him all my life in this line of work, Riley. They tend to analyze people and strike when they see a weakness. From what I hear, Jack sounds maniptive. He could have faked those tears to have your attention. Psychopaths think we are foolish. They also think they are superior.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve worked with patients that had anti-social personality disorder and Jack to me, doesn¡¯t seem like any of those.¡± I pointed out. ¡°And that¡¯s why he¡¯s higher on the spectrum. High functioning psychopaths, the intelligent and educated ones. They can be who they want, Riley. CEO, doctors,wyers and that¡¯s why they deceive people easily.¡± I sighed. What he said actually made sense, but I didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°I have to go to the station and I¡¯m already dreading it. Agent Flint won¡¯t leave a stone upturned and he is hell-bent on putting me behind bars. He thinks I helped Jack escapest time, which is true but he also thinks the kidnapping is staged which is not true.¡± ¡°We have some alibi, Riley. You are in safe hands.¡± He said smiling. I took pity on him and wiped the powdered sugar off his lips. He cleared his throat. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The interrogation had turned into a screaming match. Poor James, he¡¯d turned from attorney to referee in point five seconds after the first question.He¡¯d specifically told me that they would do their best to rile me up and make me furious, to see if I fumbled with words and gave them the confession they needed. None of that happened so they had wasted their precious energy. Agent Flint was literally breathing fire. If he thought he could scare me with his dirty tactics, he thought wrong. ¡°No matter how many times you¡¯re going to ask me that, Agent Knight, my answers are not going to change. I. Did. Not. Kill. Anyone.¡± James kicked me under the table, leaned in and whispered. ¡°He¡¯s doing it on purpose to make you angry. Let me handle this. Just keep quite.¡± Agent Flint¡¯s continued to stare at me with impassive expressions. No one could depict what was going on in his mind. ¡°Miss Frazer, I hope you don¡¯t me me for grilling you for the information but this is all part of my job. You are the missing piece to this puzzle and only you can help us understand what is going on. If you confess to everything right now, I promise you on my¡ª¡± James cleared his throat. ¡°Agent Knight, you and your team has been harassing my client here under the pretense of an interrogation. It¡¯s been two hours and you still haven¡¯t gotten anything from her.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s ying by his rules.¡± Flint interrupted James. ¡°Miss. Frazer has said nothing but the truth until now. She went to the cabin that night under duress and what transpired after that wasn¡¯t part of any n. She¡¯s not on Jackson Wolfe¡¯s side.¡± ¡°And neither is she on ours. Makes no difference really. Tell me, Riley, did you also sleep with him under duress?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough Agent! You¡¯re straight up bullying my client now. I will not have you pressuring her like that.¡± ¡°Agent Knight. This is a colossal waste of your time. Believe me. You¡¯re not going to get any new information from me. I¡¯ve been honest with you with everything that I¡¯ve told you until now. If you still think I¡¯m Jack¡¯s aplice...¡± James threw me a warning look. Flint looked at James and back at me. ¡°Yes, Miss Frazer?¡± ¡°Then prove it.¡± I said. ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re saying?¡± I smiled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m quite aware. I¡¯m challenging you, Agent Flint. If you think I killed the nurse and helped Jack, please prove it. Try and find the evidence. I¡¯m sure you have a team of experts at your disposal.¡± ¡°Riley.¡± James warned me. Flint and I yed a game of who-stops-staring-first and he lost because he blinked and looked away. ¡°I promise you, Miss. Frazer, if you are involved in this in any way. I will not hesitate to put you under arrest.¡± ¡°Please. Don¡¯t hold back.¡± I said. ¡°We are done for today, if we have any leads, we will contact you again, Miss. Frazer. And if you remember something, I¡¯m just a call away. I hope you will co-operate.¡± I turned to leave, when the agent called me out again. ¡°A word of advice. You may feel like he¡¯s a good person now, but once he¡¯s got what he¡¯s wanted from you, you¡¯ll be nothing more than a body in the morgue.¡± ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± When I walked out of the station, I threw up my breakfast. Just the thought of Jack ying mind games with me made me sick. I was on the verge of tearing up. ¡°Did you see the way he was talking to me?¡± I asked James. ¡°Like I¡¯m Jack¡¯s whore.¡± James regraded me with concern. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he talks like that to every suspect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just about that, James. They don¡¯t trust me. It¡¯s clear as day. He thinks I¡¯m in it because I¡¯m obsessed with Jack because he¡¯s a killer and because he¡¯s a multi-millionaire.¡± ¡°Are you?¡± I gaped at him. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± ¡°You said they are bringing Jack in tonight.¡± James started changing the subject. I nodded. ¡°Do you really think he didn¡¯t kill all those people?¡± He asked. ¡°My gut feeling says he didn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t even know anything anymore. I want to believe Jack isn¡¯t lying to me.¡± I said. ¡°I want to talk to him. I¡¯m not his nurse anymore so it¡¯s going to be difficult to meet him. I¡¯ll just go as a visitor.¡± James agreed that was the best alternative. I stayed awake half of the night and mentally I wished Jack escaped again before they brought him back to the asylum because I knew what fate awaited him if he came back. He would be grilled and tortured both mentally and psychically by the officials in hopes of finding out the truth. A little after midnight, I received a text from Maddy. Jackson¡¯s here. My heart began thumping in my chest. It had been a week since Ist saw him and it felt like forever. I couldn¡¯t sleep most of the night, thinking what I was going to say to him the next day. The callst time hadn¡¯t gone well so I wasn¡¯t betting the meeting would be a great idea. I wore a casual jeans and a top. Left my hair in natural waves because I knew he liked it that way and applied lip gloss. I had goosebumps rise on my body as I made my way inside the asylum. The receptionist eyed me warily, but said he was allowed visitors. The visitors room was a cozy little area with chairs and couches. The coffee machine sat idle for people to help themselves. I was sure once you tasted the hospital coffee here, you¡¯d realize your dog could make a better one. Only two other patients were in the room with their families. Some patients were so ill that they were shackled to the chairs. I noticed Cody the man-child seated in the corner, wearing his favorite Angry Birds t-shirt and jeans. The panda stuffed toy was beside him. If you looked closely, Cody didn¡¯t seem older much older than I was. He could be anywhere in his mid twenties to early thirties. I¡¯d heard that Cody had a very severe ident when he was younger and since then he suffered from post-traumatic disorder and his mind never developed into adulthood. Otherwise, he was quite a good looking guy. I¡¯d heard rumors that the nurses were crushing hard on him. When Cody saw me he smiled and pointed at me. ¡°Ri. Ri.¡± My heart squeezed. He mostly never addressed me, but he had his good days and his bad days. Today, he seemed like a good one. His mother was seated beside him who beamed at me as I approached them. I said hello and told her I was a hospital employee. ¡°Mommy, this is Ri Ri.¡± Cody told his mother. ¡°She draws nice little flowers and cats for me.¡± He giggled in the way innocent four year olds do. ¡°Do you? That¡¯s very nice of you Nurse Ri Ri.¡± His mother said. ¡°It¡¯s actually Riley. Cody is such a sweet boy. In fact he¡¯s my favorite here.¡± I said. Cody may have grown a Pinhio nose there, his face light up with pride. ¡°I like you too, Ri Ri. Come sit with me.¡± His mother excused herself to go to get a coffee refill. I sat down beside Cody. He stared at me open mouthed. ¡°You smell nice, Ri.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± He scooted closer and kissed my cheek and then a little closer to my lips. After that his palm started to move towards my breast. I caught his hand before that and stood up. ¡°Cody! You¡¯re not supposed to do that!¡± A few months back, he¡¯d done the exact same thing and I wasn¡¯t able to stop him that time. When his mother walked back with her coffee, my face was probably burning. ¡°Why not?¡± He asked. ¡°I like it. You¡¯re so soft. Let me touch it.¡± His mother stared at me with regret, understanding dawned her. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell the doctors. I¡¯m sorry on his behalf.¡± ¡°I understand Mrs. Sanders.¡± I assured her. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault.¡± It really wasn¡¯t. Cody stared at me with unabashed longing. Even though Cody had a mind of a child, his body was that of an adult which had physical adult needs like any human being, and his childlike innocence didn¡¯t allow his mouth to have a filter. Mrs. Sanders¡¯s eyes began to water. ¡°I know he has needs. He¡¯s not a child anymore. I was wondering if I can take him to a--¡± I shook my head. ¡°The doctors said there¡¯s a possibility he may be normal again.¡± I looked at Cody who was talking to his Panda. ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t want you to do that if he knew better. I suggest you to wait some more time and I¡¯ll talk to a doctor who can help him with this.¡± ¡°Riley¡± Someone interrupted us. I nced back to find Tory, who was in charge of the visitors room. ¡°They won¡¯t bring Jackson down here, not when there¡¯s a risk of him escaping again. All his visitors are supposed to go to the room.¡± ¡°Alright. I will go upstairs.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± She said before I could leave. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Jackson is not taking any visitors and he specifically said he doesn¡¯t and I¡¯ll quote ¡®I don¡¯t want to see Riley.¡¯¡± I could see Tory passing me the sympathetic looks, ones that bordered to pity. ¡°Riley, whatever happened in the cabin, if I were you I¡¯d think of it as a nightmare and let it go. People like Jack, they seek power and can go to any extent to achieve their goals. You cannot trust him. He¡¯s got what he¡¯s wanted and now he doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± I refused to believe that but I didn¡¯t say another word and walked out of the room. I wondered if Jack didn¡¯t want me to see him because he didn¡¯t want me involved in this. If he wanted to end whatever that was between us, that was fine by me but I needed answers. I walked into the lobby and was speaking with Maddy who was consulting me about another patient who refused to eat meals when I saw some guards clearing people from the way and manhandling a restrained patient. It was Jack. The slight stubble that he hadst time was gone, his face was clean-shaven and his dark locks were cropped. As if he sensed me looking, his eyes met mine and held my gaze for a couple of seconds before looking away. ¡°Where are they taking him?¡± I asked Maddy. ¡°To the police station. The FBI is going to sit him down around the clock and get a confession out of him.¡± She said. ¡°He looks like he¡¯s had enough, doesn¡¯t he?¡± I bit my lip from screaming because I realized what Jack was going to do. He was going to give the killer what he wanted. Jack was going to confess to the crimes. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re in a good mood. How¡¯s the interrogation going so far?¡± Ken asked me the day after I went to see Jack. Since I was a suspect in the Jackson Wolfe case, I was temporarily suspended. The stealing of a surgical knife and sleeping with the enemy was enough to put me on the officials shit list. I poured milk into the bowl of cornkes and added some freshly cut strawberries. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think you¡¯re mocking me.¡± I settled down on the table in my PJ¡¯s. Ken had just walked out of the steaming bathroom, shirtless. He had something that looked like w marks across his shoulder de. ¡°How did you get that?¡± ¡°Someone brought a feral cat in the clinic a few days back.¡± Ken said, brushing it off like that was nothing. He was prone to getting abused by non-cooperative animals, the kind that looked cute as a button until they barred their teeth and wed your face. ¡°They have no reason to suspect you. You¡¯ve told them the truth.¡± ¡°Which is not good enough to prove me innocent.¡± ¡°Aaron told me Jack is co-operative throughout the thing, which is kind of suspicious. He didn¡¯t try to attack anyone, didn¡¯t even give them the usual death res. What¡¯s up with him?¡± I knew why. ¡°I think he¡¯s giving up, Ken. He¡¯s had enough.¡± Ken shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s too theatrical. Do you think Jackson, the one who is so famous for killing over a dozen people is just going to give up because he is tired of interrogation?¡± He gave augh. ¡°You¡¯re thinking wrong, sister.¡± ¡°Oh, so you have it all figured out?¡± I asked, folding my arms over my chest. ¡°Let me listen to your theory Amateur Detective Ken Frazer.¡± ¡°I think Jack has an aplice.¡± And then he quickly rified. ¡°Not you, but someone else.¡± ¡°Like who?¡± Ken appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. ¡°Someone among the asylum staff of course. The ones who appear to not be very close to him, but probably are.¡± He paused. I said. ¡°Go on. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Think about it, when Mad-Dave was killed Jack was in a straight-jacket, confined to a high security room. Next Nurse Roxy turns up dead, Jack could have personally killed her and left the body for people to find, almost mocking the FBI and the police. That or someone killed her upon his orders.¡± I hadn¡¯t given Ken the credit, but he was smart. ¡°Anyone you suspect?¡± I asked. ¡°Paul.¡± He said point-nk. ¡°Why Paul?¡± ¡°Paul pretends to hate Jack¡¯s guts but him and Jack seem like they have been cut out from the same cloth. They could be faking the hate thing going on between them.¡± The theories could be true orplete horse-crap, but I wasn¡¯t going to mention the horse crap part to my baby brother. He seemed very excited in ying detective and I didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings. ¡°That could be the case, or Jack is really innocent and someone is framing him. And me. Doing the killing job and making it look like he did it.¡± Ken raked a hand through his hair frustratingly. I could tell he was angry. ¡°What bullshit did he feed you when you were together?¡± ¡°He was honest.¡± ¡°You fucked him, didn¡¯t you?¡± It was my turn to stare hard. ¡°I never made it my business to ask you who you sleep with or not, and I would appreciate if you could do the same.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to make it my business if my sister sleeps with a criminal.¡± Ken said. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± I pointed at the breakfast table. ¡°I prepared your lunch box. Don¡¯t forget to take it.¡± His golden blonde hair flopping over his face in curls. He looked like a grown up baby. ¡°If he knocked you up, I swear, I will kill him.¡± ¡°The baby or Jack?¡± ¡°Maybe both.¡± He said without hesitation. ¡°Take your lunch and get the hell out of here.¡± He probably saw that I was going to explode and thought better than to argue with me. I spent the afternoon discussing the case again with James. He gave me his valuable insight and I told him what Ken had told me. James said he had the same idea in his mind, but the case was things even more difficult. While the officials med Jack, they still did not have valid proof. It was based off spection made from the previous murders which resembled a simr pattern. That evening after our brief meeting, I told James to drop me off in a small supermarket where I needed to pick some groceries. My apartment wasn¡¯t that far, so I decided to walk after I bought my stuff. WoodVille was a small town so most shops closed by nine p.m. It was already eight forty when I started walking down the street. A dog barked at a distance. I heard the sound of faint footsteps and a presence behind me so I stopped and turned. There was no one, but a car at the distance. And I couldn¡¯t be wrong, it was the same car I¡¯d seen the other day. Was it following me? I kept walking, my eyes trailing towards the car but I realized it wasn¡¯t moving. It was just parked. I resumed the walk and I could still hear the sound of someone behind me, a presence. I pulled my jacket closer as if that could shield me from whatever was following. Sensing I was in trouble, I stopped again. ¡°Who is it?¡± I called out at no one. ¡°Stop ying games with me! I¡¯ve had enough!¡± I yelled, unable to keep the frustration out of my voice. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡± In reality I was shaking. Jack had warned me before that I could be the killer¡¯s next target for reasons that if I was hurt, threatened even, Jack would throw his weapons. ¡°Always stay vignt, Riley and be very careful.¡± I heard Jack¡¯s voice. I had a gun in my handbag that Jack had given me just in case I needed to protect myself. He¡¯d taught me how to shoot. ¡°If ites down to it, pick up the gun and don¡¯t hesitate to shoot. Remember, one second of hesitation, Cotton-Candy and you¡¯re dead.¡± A horn red loud, dragging me out of my thoughts. I turned to find James in his BMW, the window rolled down. ¡°I realized its not safe for you to be walking home alone so I waited outside and followed you. Hop in and you¡¯re wee.¡± I guessed the terror and the fear was pretty apparent on my face. I threw one look behind me before I climbed into the car. ¡°I change my mind.¡± I told James. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Changed your mind about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause you trouble, James. You can either drop me home and I¡¯ll drive my car to the asylum or you can take me there.¡± ¡°Asylum? It¡¯s almost nine, Riley. Why do you wanna go now?¡± ¡°I have to talk to Jack.¡± ¡°Can I trust you to get me in the room without anyone knowing?¡± I asked Bobby, the nurse on the floor who was assigned to Jack to bring the food, keep his room in order, stuff like that. I was a little d Jack was assigned to a male nurse. I didn¡¯t want to imagine a female nurse watching him getting undressed or trying to be flirty. Okay, maybe the flirty part wouldn¡¯t happen because the nurses wouldn¡¯t approach Jack without a ten- foot long pole. He scared the living daylights out of them. Bobby eyed me suspiciously. ¡°Depends on how much money we are talking.¡± Also, Bobby was money hungry. A little bribe always did the trick. He had magic fingers that worked anywhere to retrieve keys and have rooms unlocked. Ironic, they had assigned Bobby as Jack¡¯s nurse of all people. ¡°How about fifty.¡± I was trying my luck. He sighed. ¡°Or, how about you go down to the desk, and ask Tory if she could allow you to visit him for a few minutes.¡± Clearly he was being a smartass. ¡°Visiting hours close by eight pm. It¡¯s way past visiting hours right now and you already know they wouldn¡¯t let me talk to him alone. Please Bob...¡± I¡¯d used his nickname on purpose. ¡°Would hundred dors work for you?¡± ¡°My middle name isn¡¯t ¡®Stupid¡¯. If I¡¯m caught doing this, I¡¯ll be an added suspect along with you. probably fired. No risk is worth hundred dors, not where Jackson Wolfe is concerned.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Two hundred. That¡¯s a concession I can make.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot for just a few minutes.¡± I said. ¡°One-fifty, or I¡¯ll find another way.¡± Bob analyzed me for a moment. ¡°Two-hundred. You and I both know how hard it will be for you to see him without a little help which you ain¡¯t getting in this asylum from anyone else.¡± I knew he was right. ¡°Fine! Get the keys.¡± I waited until Bob brought the keys to the room. My heart thudded as the elevator rode to the floor where they kept the criminally insane. There was tight security outside Jack¡¯s room. I wasn¡¯t even surprised to see the numerous locks set on that particr door. He¡¯d been transferred to one of the high security rooms. Bob told me to stay hidden, while he talked to the security guard. A few secondster, the guard walked into the opposite direction. Bob signaled me toe. ¡°Keep your distance as far away from him as possible.¡± Bob warned. ¡°He may be in chains, but I still don¡¯t trust him.¡± My stomach felt knotted when Bob opened the door. ¡°Hey Jack, look whose here to see you, buddy.¡± Bob legit cooed like Jack was four. ¡°Don¡¯t be a bad little boy, alright. Bobby¡¯s just gonna be outside incase thedy harasses you.¡± I threw Bob a look who grinned and winked at me. He was doing it on purpose, to piss Jack off. Bob gave Jack one nasty look and walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar. I focused my attention towards Jack who was seated, more like chained to a chair with a mask trapped to his mouth for obvious reasons. I detected a different aura from him altogether. Something had changed between thest time I¡¯d seen him and now. His dark eyes watched me intently. Every fiber in my body screamed at me to turn and leave. I didn¡¯t like seeing him like this. He looked away, obviously avoiding eye contact. I closed the door and approached him. Almost reflexively brushed his hair away from his face. His forehead now had a small cut. I ran my fingers down his gruff jawline. He stared at me motionlessly. He probably didn¡¯t see iting as I leaned in and pressed my lips to his firmly and kissed him. He remained stoic at first before he kissed me back but the passion was missing, the fire was nonexistent. He ended the kiss abruptly, saying. ¡°You made a mistake bying here.¡± I was staring straight into his eyes. Something was not right. ¡°I should say the same thing to you.¡± I said. ¡°Why did you get yourself caught, Jack? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You tell me, Riley. What¡¯s going on between you and Dr. Be?¡± I gave him an usatory look. ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± ¡°It means what I said.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you to talk in riddles!¡± I said. ¡°And don¡¯t change the subject.¡± He remained silent. ¡°What did you tell Agent Flint?¡± ¡°The truth.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°That I did not kill Roxy. The officials think I¡¯m onto something, they think you and I conspired this entire debacle and I came back in one piece just because I¡¯m your lover which sounds fucking ridiculous.¡± I hardly swore but during thest few weeks I wasn¡¯t even the same woman anymore. Everything had changed since Jackson. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m here.¡± He said in a stern voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to get to the bottom of this and find out who is doing it.¡± I had to leave, I started making my way towards the door. ¡°Good luck with that because there¡¯s nothing you can do while being confined to a room with the security guards outside your door. If nothing else, Bob will be too happy to kill you in your sleep for fifty dors. And guess what, no ones going to care.¡± ¡°But I know you will, baby.¡± Jack chuckled, ¡°And Riley...¡± I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him. ¡°Yeah?¡± He asked. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Will you kill for me?¡± I locked my door and all my windows as soon as I got home and dialed one number. It rang and rang and continued to ring until I was directed to voice mail. This is Dr. Mark Bowen, leave a message. Those eyes had been a dead giveaway and the fact that he¡¯d called me baby. I kept the voicemail short and filled in the details and stressed that this was very urgent. I hadn¡¯t expected to get a call back so fast but I received a call from an unknown number exactly thirty minutes ¡°I told you not to call me!¡± The familiar voice said on the other end of the phone. ¡°Jack?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course, who else were you expecting?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not answering the phone from the WoodVille asylum, are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Riley?¡± Jack asked, his tone more serious than I¡¯d ever heard him. ¡°There¡¯s a man in the asylum that the authorities have brought in and confined. He has your face. Everyone believes it¡¯s you, I was fooled for a minute until I took a closer look into his eyes. It¡¯s definitely a shade lighter than yours. Please tell me I¡¯m not losing my mind...¡± I could hear the growing silence on the other end. ¡°Say something, Jack.¡± This revtion had disturbed him far beyond than any news ever could. I could feel the tension through the phone. ¡°It¡¯s not possible.¡± he said almost in a whisper. ¡°What¡¯s not possible?¡± ¡°My...my twin brother Ezra.¡± Jack stuttered. And Jackson never stuttered. ¡°You have a brother? What¡¯s he doing here?¡± It was as if Jack hadn¡¯t heard me. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Riley!¡± He said impatiently. ¡°It can¡¯t be him!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because Ezra Wolfe is dead.¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°If your brother is dead, then who is that man in the asylum?¡± I asked. ¡°It can¡¯t be Ezra. I...I was there with him when our car crashed. I was the only one who survived...unless...¡± ¡°Unless what?¡± ¡°Unless he didn¡¯t really die and was in hiding for a long time.¡± Jack said. ¡°Do you think he killed all those people?¡± I knew I¡¯d voiced Jack¡¯s concern because he went silent on the other end. A beatter, he said. ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll talk to youter. If that man pretending to be me is in fact, Ezra, you need to be very careful. If they call me vicious, then it¡¯s only because they haven¡¯t met my brother yet. Alert the authorities and for godsake, Riley, don¡¯t go alone in his room again.¡± I didn¡¯t mention the part where I kissed him. I realized that bit could wait. ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t.¡± I assured him. ¡°This makes things moreplicated.¡± ¡°But¡ª.¡± Before I could say another word, Jack hung up on me. He really was in need of a good grilling for always cutting my call mid sentence. I called Agent Flint early next morning. Thinking I had some lead, he asked me toe down to the station. Naturally, James was with me. He¡¯d warned me against having any type of conversation with the fed in his absence. Although I wasn¡¯t scared of the agent, I was quite aware of his tactics of trying to fool me with his words. I sat in the office and tried not to show how pissed off I was about the other day when his team of officers had bulldozed their way into my apartment and nearly turned it upside down. I was quite certain my parents were rolling in their graves thinking how I¡¯de to turn from an innocent nurse to a suspect in a high-profile murder case. Anyway, the officers managed to find zero evidence in my house involving Jackson and that disappointed Agent Flint. He¡¯d made up his mind that I was somehow involved and this was like a kick in his face. ¡°So, what information do you have, Miss. Frazer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware that Jack was brought into the asylum recently and he¡¯s been confined to a high security room.¡± Flint looked bored. ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t wasting our time. What you¡¯re telling me are facts. What I¡¯m looking for is a solid lead, one that would help us in our investigation.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m getting to that.¡± ¡°Please go on.¡± He urged me. ¡°The person in the asylum posing as Jackson is actually not him. It¡¯s his twin brother Ezra.¡± Flint stared at me for a good thirty seconds before he startedughing. ¡°Is this some kind of a joke?¡± He threw a look at James who was seated silently by my side, asionally stepping on my foot. ¡°I¡¯m not making this up!¡± I insisted. ¡°I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this but Ezra died three years ago in a crash. Jackson can give you a good ount of the tragedy himself since he narrowly escaped with only a few injuries which is kind of strange, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s like the man¡¯s got some curse on his family. Getting them killed left and right.¡± ¡°It is possible that Ezra survived that crash and somehow lived and now...and now he¡¯s--¡± ¡°You think Ezra killed all those people and staged it to look like Jackson did it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure that the man is Jackson¡¯s twin and not himself?¡± I couldn¡¯t confess that I¡¯d paid a male nurse to sneak me into his room the other night, neither could I say that I kissed him and the man didn¡¯t kiss me back. ¡°I...I just sensed it. He looks a bit different. Jack never crops his hair short.¡± Flint nodded, but I knew the wheels were turning in his head and he wasn¡¯t believing a word I¡¯d said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you came to this bizarre conclusion, Miss Frazer but I can assure you that the man we have in the asylum is in fact Jackson Wolfe. You¡¯re either trying to put us on a wrong trail, or This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. repeating the words Jackson drilled into you. I must admit, the twin brother troupe is so fucking oundish, I find it more hrious than the Kevin Hart movie I watched with my wife the other day.¡± ¡°Why is it so hard to believe this?¡± ¡°Because he is dead!¡± Flint yelled. ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to suggest that perhaps Ezra dug up his own grave and walked out of it.¡± He continued, ¡°you don¡¯t see what I see here.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°Jackson is manipting you again. He¡¯s making you see him as an innocent man, putting the me on his dead twin.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you what I know, it¡¯s your job to take necessary precautions. If someone else dies, Agent, the blood will be on your hands.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Miss. Frazer.¡± He said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯d like to know something else.¡± James remained alert. So far he hasn¡¯t said a single word. ¡°What proof do you have that proves the man is not Jackson but is in fact Ezra? Because as far as what I¡¯ve known they are identical, same height, built, hair color and eyes.¡± ¡°I just sensed it. Ezra has a scar near his forehead, Jack doesn¡¯t.¡± Agent Flint narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°How did you manage to notice such details? Unless you went to see him personally, you did that, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°My client will not answer that question.¡± James said. ¡°She¡¯s doing you a favor by telling you something important. Her duty is done.¡± ¡°If that man in the asylum is the twin, and if Jack is in touch with you, ask him to surrender because that¡¯s the only way me or the department is going to believe there¡¯s a double. If he surrenders, the case takes a different turn and I will promise that if Jack is innocent, he will walk out of the court. He gets his freedom, if not. We go from what we have right now.¡± I thought about that for a while. ¡°How about you get Ezra¡¯s finger prints? If they don¡¯t match with Jack, you would know I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°I told you an alternative.¡± Feeling exhausted, I asked. ¡°Can I leave now, Agent?¡± He gestured a hand towards the door. ¡°You may, and think about it Riley.¡± That night I decided to do a research over Ezra Wolfe. I had expected to find something huge, something that could tie up to the case. In one hour, I was disappointed and crushed. I¡¯d managed to find almost nothing other than the school he attended and fact that he was an heir to a multi-million dorpany. There was nothing else, as if the search engines were bribed to keep from exposing any important information. There was Jack¡¯s photo with his brother when they were teenagers. Jack in a basketball uniform, smiling gleefully at the camera, and the one with the stoic expressions was no doubt Ezra. Was it possible for a brother to have so much hatred for someone who was practically a part of him? I¡¯d heard that twins, especially the identical ones are very close. What had drifted them apart? Just then my thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. I nced at the clock. It was way past eleven p.m. Who could be at the door at this hour? I peeked through the peephole and saw that there was no one. There was a knock again, this time a urgent and a little louder. ¡°Who is it?¡± I called out. No answer. I picked up my gun that was stashed under my pillow, loaded it and with the other hand opened the door. ¡°Whoa! Don¡¯t shoot! It¡¯s me.¡± I hand flew to my mouth. ¡°Oh my god. Jackson!¡± He let himself in and kicked the door shoot. Next he reached for the gun in my hand and clicked the safety into ce. He grinned at me. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you¡¯re following my instructions.¡± I hugged him fiercely, my head pressed to his chest, and my eyes were getting moist. He hugged me back, and softly he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get mud all over you. I need a very thorough shower. Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± I pointed in the general direction of it. I knew my eyes were still stained with tears when I looked at him. His hair had grown longer and the tips touched the cor of his bomber jacket that was matted in mud. I could tell he hadn¡¯t washed his hair for days, the grease in it was pretty evident. His face had lost the glow and he looked tired in general. ¡°I also need a clean t-shirt and jeans, please.¡± He said, a beatter he added. ¡°A clean underwear if possible.¡± I smiled. ¡°I have some clothes Ken never used.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Iid out the clothes while Jack took a twenty-minute bath. When he walked out of the bathroom, he looked nicer, and cleaner. He smelled of my shampoo. The towel slipped down from his waist leaving him buck naked. He began dressing up slowly and when he noticed me watching, he winked. Sure was getting hot in here. I turned on the air-conditioner. It felt weird to see him in my brother¡¯s clothing. The t-shirt was a little short for his broad shoulders and the jeans rode a little higher up his ankles, but he still managed to look sexy as hell. ¡°What time does your brothere home from work?¡± ¡°He has a night shift today. Won¡¯t be back until tomorrow morning.¡± I said. His eyes glinted with mischief and I wondered if he¡¯d picked on the suggestion. I ran a hand through my hair wishing I¡¯d at least worn something sexy like my silky night suite instead of the t-shirt and shorts I was wearing. Jack crossed me and walked to the refrigerator. He opened it and pulled out a cartoon of milk which he guzzled down and then proceeded to devour cookies from the tin box on the kitchen counter. Iughed. ¡°I made dinner. Would you like to sit down and eat?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, that would be nice.¡± He settled down in the dinning area and ate the mashed potatoes, gravy and the grilled cheese sandwiches like a man who had limited ess to food for a few months. He wasn¡¯t even taking his eyes off it as he ate. he¡¯d been hungry for a long time. Jack saw me watching and pointed to the nearly polished te. ¡°This is good. My offer for marriage still stands.¡± ¡°So you wanna marry me just for the food.¡± I decided to tease him. He shook his head. ¡°For everything else thates with the food. Your smile, Cotton- Candy, it gives me hope that there¡¯s still room for normal in my fucked up life.¡± And the room filled with silence. He hadn¡¯t been sarcastic in that moment, he¡¯d spoken the truth. ¡°You look thin. Haven¡¯t you been eating? Were you living in the cabin all by yourself?¡± He gave a dryugh, taking a sip of the wine. ¡°You have no idea. After that ident, I was under Doctor Bowen¡¯s care. I went to the cabin a weekter to find it ransacked, literally torn apart.¡± ¡°The FBI and the police.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Sure the police came but only after the ce was turned upside down. Someone else must have beat the police to the punch.¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to join the dots. ¡°The killer.¡± ¡°I think leaving that ce was a good decision. I¡¯m sure he would have left me alive, but you.¡± Jack looked at me in anguish. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think what he would have done to you if you were still in that cabin with me.¡± ¡°And then it would have been easier to pin that murder on you. The kidnapping was just a bonus.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You wouldn¡¯t have been alive to tell them otherwise.¡± It was so strange to have Jack in my house, sitting at my table making conversation. A few months back I would have never imagined that I¡¯d fall in love with the most notorious criminal in the history of WoodVille¡¯s asylum and the funny thing was that I hadn¡¯t felt safer before. I decided to ask him the question that had been haunting me for a while. ¡°Do you think your brother killed all those people?¡± Instead of answering that question, he said. ¡°Since we were young, Ezra and Ipeted against each other. Whether it was grades, sports, affection of our parents, girls. We always tried to beat each other at something and then as we grew older it got out of hands.¡± Jack stared into the distance, as if the memory of it disturbed him. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°We werepeting for the throne.¡± He said sarcastically. ¡°The ownership of thepany. You see, only one of us was going to be sitting in that chair and our father wanted us to rip each other¡¯s throats doing it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awful. Why would your father want that?¡± He gave augh. ¡°Because that was my dad¡¯s revenge against my mother.¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°What revenge?¡± I asked. ¡°My parent¡¯s marriage was more of a business deal between two partners. Our grandfathers were associates who decided that marrying my parents was good for the business. I think my father was quite smitten with my mother. Her, not so much but they still ended up getting married.¡± I waited for him to go on. He continued. ¡°She didn¡¯t conceive us until after ten years of their marriage. They were trying for a baby for a long time until there was a miracle.¡± ¡°My father found it suspicious when she was pregnant. There was probably a DNA test or something, I¡¯m not entirely sure about the details but my father found out Ezra and I weren¡¯t his.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°After a few years into the marriage, my mother was having an affair with her former lover, the one she¡¯d initially wanted to marry. She loved that man and couldn¡¯t forget him. Antonio Ruiz. We called him Uncle Tony. He was also my father¡¯s friend. We were an oue of love that was doomed from the very beginning. My dad found out about the affair when we were six, he told my mom to cut all ties with Tony, the friendship between the men was severed. Mom did exactly what Dad wanted and he decided to continue raising us as his just like before although he never looked at us the same way.¡± That exined Jack¡¯s delicious caramelplexion. ¡°I guess Tony wanted her to get a divorce ande to him but she refused. He often came to school and took us to amusement parks, fishing, and he gave us toys, things like that. We actually liked him more than the father who treated us with indifference. Tony was being a father that Brady Wolfe could never be.¡± ¡°To our father, we were a constant reminder about her affair and his inability to give her a child.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°We were like a kick in his face, if you get my drift. He had no choice, he wanted an heir and we were his only option. He had somehow managed to get Tony out of our lives and we were too young to understand it then. To us, Brady was our father. Ezra and Ipeted against each other, fought for the affection that we were never going to get. We tried pleasing him too much.¡± ¡°I hate to interrupt but that¡¯s not your fault, nor your brother¡¯s.¡± I remarked. ¡°Every child craves for love and attention.¡± Jack gave me a sad look as he caressed my cheek and then started ying with my hair. Hisshes were hooded and long, a sin for a man to have such beautiful naturalshes. His dark locks were begging for attention, I was dying to run my fingers through it. As if sensing my thoughts, he whispered, ¡°Come a little closer.¡± I scooted closer, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me into hisp. Our eyes met for a split second before I looked away. ¡°I want to listen to your story. What happened?¡± Jack looked at me with an indescribable longing, the intensity of his dark gaze made my heart race. ¡°Love, can I continue my storyter?¡± ¡°Why, what¡¯s distracting you?¡± There was a hint of a smile. ¡°I realized I have more pressing matters at hand.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± Heughed softly. ¡°Such as the throbbing erection I¡¯m sporting right now because of you.¡± I decided to tease him a little. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think I can do anything to solve your problem.¡± ¡°Trust me, only you can.¡± Jack didn¡¯t let me answer as he took my mouth in a hungry kiss. Hisrge hands moved from cupping my face to my shoulders and lingered towards my waist. He pulled me possessively towards him as his mouth continued to move against mine. When his tongue moved in my mouth in urgent strokes, I moaned hopelessly. My hands went up into his hair, catching a handful of the silky strands. I realized when I¡¯d kissed Ezra thinking it was Jack to test a theory, I¡¯d imagined him to kiss me like this but he hadn¡¯t and that had proved why. Jack needed to know. But, definitely not now. What if I confessed to kissing his brother and he stopped this mind-blowing kiss? I couldn¡¯t take those chances. I felt Jack¡¯s hands moving all over my body. He reached for my top, pulled it over my head and tossed it on the floor. He took off my bra, and his mouth was on my breast, nibbling and suckling. I sighed in pleasure. Jack was a devil reincarnate, and his tongue was meant for sinful things like what he was doing to me. I was far too deep into these emotions that I had for him. There was no turning back. If Jack decided ¡°Your brother won¡¯t be here until morning, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go to your room.¡± He suggested. He made sure the room was locked. He threw one nce at the lights above the headboard that illuminated the entire room. It was kind of romantic and far better than the motel that we¡¯d taken refuge in two weeks back. Jack stripped down every garment from his body as he joined me in bed. We took our sweet time to explore each other knowing we wouldn¡¯t be disturbed this time, at least not until after sunrise. Jack kissed me like there was no tomorrow, and frankly in his case, we didn¡¯t know what would happen the next minute. He knew that I never voiced the concern but deep down we both knew it wasing. He kissed me passionately as my hands moved to cup his ass taking him deeper inside me. He let out an anguished growl with the steadfast thrusts, his eyes burning into mine before he looked away. He He was silent and that was unlike him. ¡°Jackson.¡± ¡°I want to burn this moment with you into my memory forever. I will think of only you when I take myst breaths, Riley.¡± He whispered moving out of me and rolling onto the side. ¡°Why are you saying that?¡± I asked. ¡°The killer won¡¯t rest until I¡¯m sentenced to a lethal injection or until I¡¯m hanging off a nose. One of us lives, or both of us dies, and I won¡¯t regret if I die taking him down with me. Whatever game that he¡¯s ying, it ends soon. I¡¯ll find him. I¡¯ll kill him.¡± There was no doubt in my mind that he would carry out what he¡¯d nned. Jack was dangerous, and so was the killer but I also knew he could sacrifice himself doing that. ¡°We have to find a way out of this. You can¡¯t just die. You¡¯ll be giving him what he wants!¡± I said. ¡°Shh, Cotton-Candy. My days are numbered, and I knew that since I found my mother killed brutally in the barn. I¡¯d decided that if thew wouldn¡¯t do what¡¯s needed, I¡¯ll do it. All these murders that I¡¯ve been framed for; it¡¯s just fueled my vengeance.¡± ¡°Promise me you will fight until the very end.¡± I said. ¡°Riley¡­¡± ¡°Promise me, Jack, that whatever happens you won¡¯t give up on your life. You have to live, if not for yourself then¡­then for our baby.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± Iughed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been nice if I could actually get to say that? No, Jack. I¡¯m not pregnant. Would you still want to live? For me?¡± There was a shadow of a smile on his features. ¡°I thought you were being serious for a moment there. I can¡¯t promise you a future, but I can surely say I will try my best to get out of this alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me.¡± I said. He kissed my lips once more. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you, too. More than I should admit.¡± I said kissing the tip of his nose. He grinned. ¡°You say that but I don¡¯t see any of my posters hanging on your wall or the bathroom for that matter. Even the home screen on your phone doesn¡¯t have my wallpaper on it. ¡± I giggled, touching his hair again and ying with it. His gaze softened. ¡°You like ying with my hair, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thick and long. Of course, I love it.¡± His brows drew up. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re just talking about my hair or something else?¡± I snorted. ¡°Your mind is always in the gutter. A Typical boy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man.¡± ¡°You are. I have no doubt about that.¡± His thumb caressed my cheek. ¡°Thank you for having trust in me.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t break it.¡± I whispered. ¡°You know Riley, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if we¡¯d met under normal circumstances, like in a club or a caf¨¦ or just introduced by mutual friends.¡± I smiled. ¡°It would have been nice. Although, I¡¯m not sure you would have been avable.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you looked at yourself in the mirror?¡± I asked. ¡°Men like you never pay attention to women like me in normal circumstances. You¡¯d probably have a tall, beautiful girl on your arm. I¡¯m just too in.¡± ¡°Riley, I think you¡¯re underestimating yourself. You¡¯re not in, at least not for me. I think you¡¯re fucking gorgeous. My attraction to you was since day one when you walked into the office and mistook me as Paul. Believe it or not, I¡¯ve wanted you since then.¡± He sighed in obvious bliss taking my hand in his. ¡°I want to have this life with you, to wake up and see your face first thing in the morning, to take you out on dates and make love. I know it¡¯s simple but that would be like a dreame true for me.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the vicious Jackson Wolfe could be such a sap.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He appeared amused. ¡°Laugh all you want but that¡¯s true.¡± Suddenly his expressions turned dark. ¡°You believe that I didn¡¯t kill those people and that¡¯s one reason you¡¯re supporting me through all of this.¡± I gave him a nod. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What if I tell you that I did kill people? Would you love me lesser?¡± He asked. ¡°Did you, Jack?¡± ¡°I asked a question first, Riley.¡± He said coldly. ¡°My answer depends on your answer.¡± ¡°It was a hypothetical question. I¡¯m not giving you facts.¡± ¡°If you killed people, I want to know the truth. If you really are a killer like what people are portraying you to be, then that changes everything because I would never be with someone who cold-bloodily murdered innocent people.¡± He smiled coyly and leaned back against the headboard. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense.¡± I said. ¡°I thought you have feelings for me because you¡¯re really into psychotic killers. If that¡¯s the case then you¡¯d be disappointed that I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to know that you didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± Jack¡¯s expressions were impassive. He continued to stare at me. ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t a psychotic killer, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not capable of murder.¡± My heart began beating fast as I waited for him to add more. He looked straight in my eyes and said. ¡°I¡¯d like to make a confession to you, Riley.¡± ¡°Jack! What are you¡ª¡± ¡°I killed three people and I enjoyed killing them. A lot.¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Riley I waited to see if there was a punch line, some clue to see if he¡¯d made a crack but Jack¡¯s expressions This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. remained the same. He wasn¡¯tughing; in fact his face remained stoic. With a lot of people, I could easily figure out what they were thinking but with Jack I always encountered a brick wall. I could only see what he decided to show me. ¡°I can¡¯t decide if that¡¯s a joke or if you¡¯re serious.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not really in a mood for jokestely. So far I¡¯ve been telling you the truth.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me you killed three people and enjoyed doing it.¡± I waited, my blood was turning to ice. A few second passed, he was still holding me and staring intently at me. I pulled away and started to scramble off the bed when Jack caught my hand and pulled me back into his arms. My bare front rubbed against his chest. His other hand went into my hair; his mouth was hot on my neck. ¡°Stop it.¡± I pushed my palms against his chest, but he was so strong and didn¡¯t even budge. ¡°Stop touching me!¡± I knew that if Jack decided that he wanted to kill me, it would be a piece of cake. A swipe of his Herculean arm would be enough to silence me for good. In a silky desperate voice, he said. ¡°Shhhh...Don¡¯t be scared of me, love. I will never hurt you. Believe me.¡± Tenderly, he swiped at a tear on my cheek with his thumb. ¡°I love you. I¡¯ll kill myself before I let anything happen to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be with a killer!¡± ¡°You say that now, but you can¡¯t deny this attraction between us. Be honest with me, Cotton-Candy, would it matter to you even if I¡¯d killed people ruthlessly? If I told you that I hadn¡¯t killed three but the dozen that they use me of, would you stop loving me?¡± I didn¡¯t answer. A sob was on the verge of erupting from my throat because he knew that he was my weakness. He whispered something sweetly into my ears and tried to calm me down. I felt the swipe of his wet tongue against my cor bone, and then he pulled my lips down to his in a desperate, hard kiss. I whimpered and tried to pull away but his hold on me was solid. Apart from being a master maniptor, he was also an excellent seducer. I didn¡¯t fight back, instead I thought fuck it and rxed into his strong hold. My arms went around his back as I held him in ce, kissing him back with the same amount of fierce longing. The thought of losing him forever pained me. He pulled back a little, our foreheads touching, ¡°Whatever I tell you, promise me you won¡¯t leave me, Riley.¡± Jack said in a low voice. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you anything until you exin yourself. And you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± His dark eyes softened. ¡°Why did you kill those people, Jack?¡± I asked. ¡°No matter how much you try to portray yourself as the bad guy, I know you wouldn¡¯t kill anyone just because you enjoy killing.¡± ¡°Do you want to hear the rest of the story?¡± I gave him a nod. Jack nced at the clock hanging against the wall. It was three a.m. ¡°How long do we have until Kenes back home?¡± ¡°We have a lot of time. He won¡¯t be here until ten a.m.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough I guess, because this story is long.¡± ¡°I want to listen.¡± I said. And so he began. ¡°At one point in my life, I was having a really hard time, getting into brawls at clubs, beating up thugs whonded up in hospitals, getting wasted doing drugs and finding myself inpany of strange women. Well, I was never home most of the time because I was sick and tired of my parents constantly fighting. Ezra was doing his thing, he was the golden boy after all. I already knew Ezra would be the next sessor to the Wolfe Enterprise and I was fucking jealous.¡± ¡°My father cut off my resources and that¡¯s when I got myself into a shit load of other things. As if I hadn¡¯t already done enough. I had no money and Ezra was tired of covering up for me. He told me to ¡äget my shit together or leave¡¯ and that irked me. I was the older brother here, but he was acting like one.¡± He said, curling and uncurling my hair. ¡°Wait. You guys are twins.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m still twenty minutes older than him. I saw the world twenty-minutes before he did so that makes me his older brother.¡± I suppressed an eye-roll. ¡°What happened then?¡± ¡°A friend suggested me an easy way to earn money.¡± Jack continued, this time avoiding eye-contact like he was ashamed of the information he was going to reveal next. ¡°You did not just...¡± ¡°I just needed to drive the goods from one ce to another. I thought that was going to be fairly easy. I did that like twice, before I got arrested for possession of cocaine. They found it stashed in a hidden ¡°It¡¯s during the same time that I began seeing things that didn¡¯t exist. An influence of the drug abuse.¡± Heughed. ¡°I was a lost case. Dad got me admitted into a psychiatric institution. Only, it wasn¡¯t private. This was the worst kind and I was probably one of the sanest people living there. The patients were neglected, treated badly and not provided with proper food. I don¡¯t think the doctors were even qualified to do what they were doing.¡± I touched his face, trying to fight the pity and the sympathy I was feeling for him. ¡°What did they do to you, Jack?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll spare you the details, Cotton-Candy. I thought it was the best punishment my father could think of for what I¡¯d been doing. I stayed there for six months until I had enough.¡± Jack¡¯s hand began shaking. I turned in his arms andy my head on his chest, snuggling close. I took his shaking hand in mine and interlocked our fingers. ¡°They¡¯d diagnosed me with anti-social personality disorder. An obviously wrong diagnoses. They¡¯d done it on purpose. My dad told my family that I wasn¡¯t fit to be free in the world, and that if I was let out of an institution, I¡¯d be posing as a threat to society.¡± ¡°Mom didn¡¯t believe it at first, but dad always found a way to manipte her. There was a nurse there who was better than the rest of the staff and knew I didn¡¯t belong there. Aline. She visited me one night and told me something shocking.¡± ¡°What did she tell you?¡± ¡°She¡¯d heard the head doctor talk to one of his staff about me. They were speaking in some code doctors to kill me and make it seem idental.¡± ¡°How could your father do something like that?¡± Jack gave a sarcasticugh. ¡°We weren¡¯t his, remember? I was proving to be more of a liability than an heir. A waste of space. Ezra was all he needed and for personal gain only. I wish my brother saw through all the lies. Brady had torn our family apart.¡± ¡°I tried calling Ezra but he refused to speak with me. He said I was making excuses to get out of the asylum. He didn¡¯t believe what I was telling him about our father. Anyway, Aline came to my room one night with keys to get me out of chains. It appeared another ward boy had followed her. He tried to stop me from escaping and I knew if I was caught by any doctor that night, I wouldn¡¯t survive. I wound the chain around the man¡¯s neck and bit a chunk out of his shoulder. I acted on impulse, it was an act of self-defense. Aline helped me get out of the institution gates.¡± ¡°News got out pretty fast. I was a mess and on the run. I managed toe home and tried to look for Mom because I wanted to talk to her, apologize for my wrongdoings.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You know the story, Riley. I found her in the shed. Brutally murdered, and cut into pieces.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°When the authorities arrived, I was right there, sitting with a suitcase, matted in her blood. It was easy for them to assume I¡¯d killed her. Broken out of the institution and then taken my mother¡¯s life out of revenge for putting me there. Myw record wasn¡¯t glorifying to say the least.¡± ¡°Ezra convinced me that it would be best if I voluntarily admitted myself in the asylum. He said he would make sure I got into the best one. I didn¡¯t want to, but I didn¡¯t have a choice. It was either prison or the asylum. During the car ride, the car crashed and when I woke up in the hospital, they told me Ezra was dead.¡± ¡°Oh, Jack. I can¡¯t even imagine what you went through.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel sorry for me, Riley. I had it alling. I was partly responsible for everything.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me why you killed those three people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to that.¡± Jack said. The night had already passed. I could see the traces of light starting to spill out of the thin curtains. We¡¯d spent the night making love and talking and I wasn¡¯t even feeling sleepy. ¡°Jack, aren¡¯t you feeling sleepy?¡± He smiled. ¡°Sleep can wait, I guess. I feel like I haven¡¯t slept for days.¡± I ran my hand through his wavy curls. ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up in a few hours and then you can continue your story.¡± He debated. ¡°Is it really okay if I sleep?¡± I nodded and kissed his head. ¡°Sleep. I¡¯ll protect you Jack.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes lit up with amusement. ¡°I¡¯m so d I met you, Riley.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes turned heavy, before slipping into a slumber, he mumbled. ¡°You¡¯re the other half of me.¡± I didn¡¯t even realize when I¡¯d fallen asleep just watching him. When my eyes flew open, it was already past eight a.m. The other side of the bed was empty. I sat upright and got a whiff of fried eggs. When I walked out of the bedroom, I found Jack¡¯s imposing figure standing behind the counter and flipping an omelette. His eyes followed me as I went and stood behind him. Iughed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Making us breakfast.¡± He said. I choked back aughter. ¡°You overcooked the omelette. Get away from here!¡± I snatched the spat out of his hand and began putting the omelette in a te. ¡°You can¡¯t cook to save your life, can you?¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°I suck at it, and that¡¯s why I want to get married.¡± ¡°What kind of qualities are you looking for in a wife?¡± Jack leaned against the ind. ¡°I want a tall girl, blonde and beautiful like the sun.¡± I threw him a look. ¡°Well, good for you because I¡¯d like someone who looks like Liam Hemsworth. Tall, sandy hair, blue eyes. He¡¯s a treat, isn¡¯t he?¡± Jack was clearly amused as he walked towards me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a guy like that in your dreams.¡± He caught me by the waist and turned me to face him. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯m not really picky. I would like a certain girl with dark hair and violet highlights, who can cook a masterpiece for asagna. I can spend the rest of my life with her.¡± Was that an indirect proposal? My cheeks burned. He nudged my chin up to look at him. ¡°I lied. I don¡¯t want you to dream about any other man. Just me.¡± Iughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°Do you want me to tell you the rest of it now?¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°After knowing my brother was dead, I had nothing to loose so I stayed in hiding until I learned the truth. I had resources, a handful of people I trusted. It turned out my father had wanted to get my mother killed because he suspected she was getting back together with Anotonio. I was enraged. Mom died painfully, Riley, and she didn¡¯t deserve that end. I hunted those three men down and killed them. They didn¡¯t tell me who asked them to kill her, but doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out.¡± ¡°You could have gone to the police and told them the truth about your father.¡± ¡°Riley, my father was a very powerful man. He had people spread out everywhere. You never know who was siding up with him.¡± Jack argued. ¡°But the police could have helped.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so pure, Cotton-Candy. I wish I could protect your innocence.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s toote for that.¡± I retorted. ¡°Corrupt officers. That¡¯s who I¡¯m talking about. A few months of practically living like a homeless man, I eventually gave up. A few key people whom I trusted, ended up dead in a simr way that my mom had and it was all linked to me because the witnesses said they¡¯d seen me with those people. My number was in their phone logs.¡± ¡°When I stood in court, I plead insanity. The doctors backed up that I was in fact crazy and the rest as you know is history.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lotplicated than I thought.¡± I said. ¡°Do you trust everything that I told you?¡± He asked, his eyes glinting with hope. ¡°Of course I trust you.¡± I said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t me you if you decided you didn¡¯t want to be with me, Riley. With the killings that have piled up again, I may get a death sentence.¡± He said sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why Ezra would pose as me though.¡± Just then we heard the jiggle of keys and the lock turning. ¡°Go into my room and hide!¡± I whispered to Jack as he dropped the breakfast on the table, ran into my room and shut the door. Ken walked into the house and saw me standing near the dinning table. ¡°What are you doing, standing there so awkwardly?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Riley Ken was standing in the doorway, dressed in scrubs, giving me a weird look. ¡°What are you doing, standing there so awkwardly?¡± I had to remain calm. ¡°I was just making breakfast.¡± I said, and then a little louder, ¡°KENNETH, if you were going toe home EARLY, why didn¡¯t you call me? I would have made breakfast ready!¡± ¡°Why are you screaming at the top of your lungs? I¡¯m right here and I can hear you just fine.¡± He said, obviously irritated from a twenty hour shift. ¡°Well, thought you were going to fall asleep any minute. Just making sure you¡¯re awake.¡± I said. He eyed the half eaten te of eggs on on the table. ¡°Sometimes you act really strange, Riley, did you know that?¡± I tried not to take offense to that. ¡°How would you like your eggs?¡± ¡°Scrambled, if you can. And thanks. I¡¯ll just go get a shower first. I smell like a fucking animal farm.¡± He said, slipping off his coat and then stripping out of the blue uniform t-shirt. He started walking towards the bathroom, when I called out to him loudly. ¡°KEN, take as long as you want IN THE SHOWER. Stay there FOR THIRTY-MINUTES or ONE HOUR. No hurry at all!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I could have heard you if I was four blocks away.¡± That said, closing closed the door behind him. Next thing, I heard the sound of the shower turning on. I sighed and hastily prepared the scrambled eggs, the way Ken always preferred and ced the breakfast on the table after which I took Jack¡¯s half eaten breakfast te into my bedroom. Jack was standing behind the door, just in case Ken walked into my room. I kept the door ajar. I wanted to be aware in case Ken decided to end his shower quickly. Ken mostly spent a long time in the bathroom, especially when he¡¯s had a long shift. Jack was giving me one of his sweet smiles. I punched him yfully in the ribs. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± ¡°Wondering how I got so lucky this time.¡± He said, touching my hair. ¡°You¡¯re like a mama bear to him. It¡¯s really cute in a maternal way.¡± ¡°We only had ourselves to look out for each other after our parents died. Ken thinks it¡¯s his duty to take care of me but I end up babying him most of the time and its irritates him.¡± ¡°I like that quality about you, Riley. You¡¯re always giving, and you never expect anything in return.¡± Iughed. ¡°You make me sound like a saint which I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Do you have dirty thoughts about me?¡± He asked tantly. ¡°All the damn time.¡± I confessed. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d love to hear about those dirty thoughts someday.¡± Jack said and shoveled down the fried eggs. ¡°And what are your thoughts like?¡± I asked. ¡°I have dirty thoughts about you, too, but mine are probably filthierpared to yours.¡± I had goosebumps rise at the nape of my neck. I scratched my back feeling the blush creep into my cheeks. ¡°Really? Exin it to me in detail.¡± ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to exchange filthy thoughts about each other, and even demonstrate it to you, I think it¡¯s best that I leave right now before your brother walks out of the shower and catches me hiding in his sisters bedroom. Not really in a mood to test a brother¡¯s wrath. I¡¯d be dead before I even stood for trail.¡± I gave him a weak smile. He was trying to make the situation light by making a joke but we both knew our hearts were sinking. It hadn¡¯t even urred to me that he would leave so soon. Did I expect to keep Jack safely tucked in my closet? Besides, if Ken found out that Jack was here, he¡¯d blow a gasket. ¡°I want to give you something.¡± Jack said and produced a piece of jewelry from his wallet. Upon inspection, I realized it was a brooch. A very beautiful brooch with intricate design in the shape of a butterfly. It was embedded with glimmering blue and emerald stones. It was so pretty and vintage, something that I¡¯d see in a jewelry store and only dream of buying it one day when I became rich. ¡°I want you to have this.¡± Jack said. Certainly he wouldn¡¯t go as far as to buy it for me, considering he was in a tight position himself. ¡°It looks really expensive.¡± I said. ¡°It was my mother¡¯s favorite, Riley.¡± He said, still holding the jewelry out to me. ¡°I know that I¡¯m being too sentimental.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You loved your mother.¡± I took the jewelry from him. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, Jack. Are you sure you want to keep it with me?¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°But...but...¡± He closed hisrge palm over it. ¡°She told me to give this to the woman I loved, and I want you to have it.¡± ¡°Oh, Jack.¡± I was moved to tears. My height barely surpassed his chest; I went up on my toes and kissed his cheek. ¡°Will you be okay?¡± I asked, although I knew the answer to it. Of course, he won¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Riley.¡± He said. ¡°I want to properly apologize to you for what I said about your brother. I threatened you with his life, and that was wrong of me. I wanted to be out of the asylum and it was the only thing that I could think of at that time to get out. Just know that, I would never hurt you or anyone you care about. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± I nodded. ¡°I forgive you, Jack.¡± ¡°Where will you go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know but I¡¯ll survive.¡± He assured me. ¡°If you need anything, I¡¯m always here for you.¡± Then I remembered something, walked to the wardrobe and retrieved some money out of the handbag. Jack looked at the dor bills and back at me. ¡°Riley¡ª¡± ¡°Take the money.¡± I told him. He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t, Cotton-Candy. I know you need it too.¡± ¡°Not as much as you do. Trust me, we¡¯ll be fine. Take the money, Jack.¡± He probably was in dire need of cash because he took the dor bills and pocketed it. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± ¡°Jack, I hope you don¡¯t mind my saying.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Your real father, Antonio. Well, I was just thinking. What if Brady wasn¡¯t the one who sent those people to kill your Mom, but Antonio? I know it sounds crazy but there¡¯s an aspect that we should consider that maybe Antonio got angry about your mom not leaving Brady for him and decided to take revenge.¡± Jack stared at me for a moment before saying. ¡°It can¡¯t be, Riley. Antonio was a detective. He was a cop.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That left no room for argument. ¡°I need to see Ezra and find out what he¡¯s up to.¡± ¡°What if he¡¯s the one murdering people?¡± I asked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to take drastic measures.¡± Jack said without hesitation. There wasn¡¯t a need for him to spell it out beyond what he¡¯s said. Drastic measures only meant one thing. If push came to shove, Jack would kill his own brother no matter how painful it would be for him. I heard the shower go off. Jack and I both turned towards the sound. ¡°I have to go.¡± Jack said hastily. I caught his hand in mine. I¡¯d never seen Jack get serious so I knew this was goodbye. His dark eyes bore into mine, conveying a lot of things that he didn¡¯t wish to speak. ¡°If I get out of this alive, I will find you. If I don¡¯t, well, Riley, I want you to move on.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Jack¡¯s expressions told me he¡¯d made up his mind and nothing that I would say was going to change it. He was really stubborn that way. We stared at each other like it was thest time and I hated this feeling. ¡°Whatever Ezra tells you, don¡¯t believe him.¡± I gave him a nod. Throwing a quick nce at the bathroom door, I went up on my tiptoes, but he was still so tall. ¡°Kiss me.¡± ¡°Close your eyes,¡± He whispered. ¡°And don¡¯t cheat, Cotton-Candy.¡± I closed my eyes and waited. His lips pressed warmly against mine, and then more aggressively, his strong hand snaked around my waist as he pulled me against his body. My fingers brushed his silky dark locks, holding him in ce. He kissed me passionately and I heard him groan deep in his throat and that gave me encouragement to deepen the kiss and then he ended it abrubtly. He¡¯d stopped kissing me. ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes.¡± He whispered. Jack wasn¡¯t holding me in his arms anymore. He let go of my hand. I stood there in the suffocating silence of the room. ¡°Riley, what are you doing with your eyes closed?¡± I heard Ken¡¯s voice and I opened my eyes. He was gone. I spent the next day searching through pages and pages online about any information that I could find on Ezra but nothing seemed to hint to his violent nature. He seemed to be the only man in the family that had a clean page. There were no records of previous assaults, encounters with thew or anything remotely scandalous so how was it that a golden boy had turned out to be a killer? Ironically, Jack was the center of all controversies. Each and every tabloid had given a detailed ount of Jack tarnishing the family name. With Jack¡¯s IQ being higher than the average as stated in the websites, it was said he was intelligent and had sessfully manipted most people in his life. I pulled out a writing pad and a pen and began jotting down all the things that Jack had told me, scratching names and circling some twice. There was something that I wasn¡¯t seeing. This was all part of a bigger picture and a piece was missing from puzzle. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. What were the chances that Ezra had killed all those people to get some twisted revenge on Jack and was now pretending to be him so he could put him on death row? I highlighted the word Motive and beside that I wrote The Wolfe Enterprise. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ken asked me. I shut the book quickly. ¡°Just writing my thoughts.¡± Ken nodded. ¡°Do you think Jack will confess to everything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Suddenly, my phone began ringing. An unknown number was shing on it. I thought it was Jack and quickly answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss. Frazer, this is Flint Knight. My partner Scott and I wanted to talk to you about something.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It would be more appropriate to have a chat over coffee if you¡¯re free, that is.¡± ¡°Agent Flint, what is this about?¡± The fed sounded friendlier than usual and I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good sign. ¡°It will be apletely informal chat, Miss. Frazer. I just need some of your time.¡± He exined. ¡°Do I need to bring James with me?¡± ¡°You can if you want to, but as I said, it¡¯s informal. We won¡¯t be bringing any tapping devices and Scott won''t be taking any notes,¡± He said, and the quickly asked. ¡°Any ce closer to your home that we can meet?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I told Flint about the local caf¨¦ that was close to my apartment, the one I went to usually to get my fix for caffeine. They served the best mochattes and donuts in town. Around four p.m. that evening, I dressed up in casuals and drove to the ce. The agents were already waiting inside the caf¨¦ for me. I checked the watch and it was still five minutes early. Why were they so eager for this meeting? What was it that they wanted to talk about? There was only one way to find out. I walked into the caf¨¦ not knowing what to expect, and that¡¯s when the pair of agents noticed me, they stood up respectfully and Scott went as far as to pull the chair out for me in a gentlemanly gesture. Even some of my previous dates had failed to do that. ¡°Hello Gentlemen.¡± I said and took my seat. I realized when they¡¯d said it would be an informal meeting, they¡¯d been serious. Their usual ck suits were reced by jeans and t-shirts. Flint¡¯s usual disciplined blond hair was styled in casual waves, his white t-shirt highlighting all the right ces. Even the Native-American agent was wearing a simr outfit. Both equally attractive and looking totally out of ce in a little caf¨¦. If they thought they seemed like normal civilians, they had it wrong. Their stature would be enough to blow their cover, pun intended. ¡°So nice of you to ept our invitation, Miss Frazer.¡± Flint said. Scott merely nodded in acknowledgement. The sidekick who remained silent throughout the interrogation, but noticed the smallest of details from the suspect that waster used by Flint to build another round of questions. I knew how the pair worked. ¡°I¡¯d like to know why you called me at such short notice, Agent Flint.¡± The waiter who was also the owner of the caf¨¦, Oscar smiled at me and passed me the menu. ¡°Introduce me to your new friends, Riles.¡± I made fast introductions and then ordered for my personal favorite, the mochatte and the agents ordered the same upon my rmendation. Oscar batted his eyes and tried to flirt with the two. Scott smiled politely, taking the hint, and Flint was quite oblivious. I also picked on the fact that Flint was dense as a brick in cases like these. After Oscar took our order and left, Flint started saying. ¡°I know we started on the wrong foot but I want us to start this fresh. Suspecting people and pressuring them for information is part of our job but we have nothing personal against you.¡± Scott nodded. ¡°Exactly what Flint said.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I didn¡¯t. Flint had said some really personal things during the interrogation whether it was for the investigation or not wasn¡¯t my concern. It had just been cruel for me, but I wasn¡¯t going to say that to the men. ¡°You¡¯re not here just to tell me that, are you?¡± Flint smiled. ¡°We have concluded the investigation we¡¯ve been doing on you, and I¡¯m happy to announce that you¡¯re off the hook.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I looked at both of them. ¡°Of course. We didn¡¯t find anything that indicated you were involved with Jackson Wolfe¡¯s murders. We also know that you weren¡¯t his aplice.¡± Out of all the things, I hadn¡¯t expected to hear this from him. This made me genuinely happy. ¡°Thank you, Agents.¡± The coffees arrived. They were mildly taken aback by the size of the tall sses. Oscar grinned. ¡°Enjoy.¡± From over their shoulders I could see Oscar from behind the counter pointing to my folded tissue. ¡°The coffee is really delicious. You weren¡¯t lying.¡± Flint said. I smiled. ¡°I never lie, Agent Flint.¡± Flint and Scott passed a knowing smile. They¡¯d caught on my sarcasm. I opened the tissue and read. Bring the boys back again next time and I¡¯ll give you a forty percent off on the bill. P.S: Are either of them gay and single? I was sipping on the coffee and coughed. ¡°Are you alright?¡± That was Scott. ¡°What¡¯s that in the tissue?¡± Flint eyed it suspiciously. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing.¡± I wiped my mouth with it and balled it. I¡¯d have to be discreet and ask themter about their sexuality and statues. ¡°Wanna hear something better?¡± Flint asked. ¡°There''s more?¡± ¡°Great news is that, Dr. Shaw wants you back on the job starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that but why couldn¡¯t he tell me that personally?¡± I asked. I was a little hurt by how Aaron had informed the agents before even talking to me about it. ¡°And I don¡¯t know if I want to join back to work, my reputation is in tatters, all thanks to me being a former suspect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Dr. Shaw¡¯s fault. We could tell he really cares for you.¡± Flint said. And yet Aaron hadn¡¯t bothered to call me even once to ask how I was doing. Granted he was busy and didn¡¯t have time to ask the well-being of a nurse who worked for him, who¡¯d been his friend over the years. ¡°We apologize for the inconvenience we¡¯ve caused. As you know, it¡¯s our¡ª¡± ¡°Duty, I know.¡± Ipleted for him. ¡°Thanks for talking to me.¡± Flint nodded. ¡°No hard feelings.¡± ¡°Tell me something, Riley.¡± Flint said. He was using my first name. Not a good sign. ¡°Do you really believe the man confined in the asylum right now is Ezra Wolfe?¡± I stared at him, quite aware of the two pair of emerald and brown eyes watching me over the rims of their drinks. ¡°Are you wearing a wire?¡± I asked mockingly. Flint grinned, raising his hands, palm up. ¡°You can do a thorough search of our body if you like. We don¡¯t mind, do we, Scott?¡± He nudged his partner. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡± I said good-naturedly. So Flint was capable of flirting too. ¡°Just being careful. I still think its Ezra. I guarantee it.¡± ¡°Very well, it was nice seeing you again.¡± Flint raised his hand for a handshake. ¡°If you want to talk to us, at the station or casually, I¡¯m just a call away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I said. As soon as the men left the cafe, Oscar power-walked towards my table. ¡°I want more information about them.¡± I sighed. ¡°Oscar, even if one of them was gay, I wouldn¡¯t rmend them to you.¡± Oscar pouted. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they are dangerous men.¡± When I went home that evening and retired to bed, I could smell Jack¡¯s scent on the sheets and if I had tried to avoid thinking about him all day, I was having a hard time keeping my thoughts away from him now. I gathered the sheets around me and didn¡¯t realize when I¡¯d fallen asleep in it. I woke up with in the middle of the night with my phone ring in my ears. I looked at the screen and the hospital number shed. ¡°Riley, there¡¯s something you should know.¡± I heard Aaron¡¯s voice on the other end. ¡°Aaron, its two-freakin a.m., are you calling me to cover for someone? Can you put my schedule for tomorrow in the rooster?¡± ¡°Riley¡­¡± Aaron¡¯s voice sounded distressed and that rang rm bells in my mind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aaron?¡± He took his sweet time to answer. ¡°It¡¯s Maddy.¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Riley As soon as I heard Maddy¡¯s name, I texted Ken to let him know what was going on and rushed quickly to the hospital. The entire drive I began thinking, what if Maddy was dead in a gruesome way? Would I be able toe out of the trauma? When I arrived at the hospital, the receptionist told me she was admitted due to having injuries. Maddy was propped against the bed, connected to the IV, arge bandage on her neck. Her eyes were tear- stricken and she looked exhausted. I was so relieved to see her alive, I went to sit in the chair beside her bed. ¡°Maddy, what happened?¡± I asked. She appeared to be in some kind of a shock. ¡°I was attacked.¡± She choked out a reply. Maddy stared at the distance as if she saw something that didn¡¯t exist. ¡°I was just going to get some medication for a patient. It was dark in the room so I switched on the lights and when I went to the cab, someone hit me from behind. When I regained consciousness, the man was dragging me by my ankle.¡± She said and then sobbed hysterically, clenching my hand in a death-grip. ¡°I was so scared, Riley. I thought I was going to die!¡± I tried tofort her but her sobs were uncontroble. ¡°I kicked him so hard, but he was strong. There was blood everywhere. It was some cold dark room.¡± She shrieked. ¡°Who was it, Maddy?¡± I asked. ¡°Who did this to you?¡± She was saying something incoherent, I couldn¡¯t make sense of anything other than her chants ¡®he would have killed me¡¯. ¡°Maddy, you have to remember who did it!¡± I said. She looked straight into my eyes. ¡°It was Jackson.¡± I had no doubt in my mind that it was Ezra, that¡¯s who Maddy had meant when she¡¯d taken Jackson¡¯s name. Maddy definitely wasn¡¯t aware about the twin swaps. Everyone assumed Ezra was dead, so it was a no-brainer Jack was taking the me. Rage coursed through my body. How could Ezra do this to his own brother? Hadn¡¯t Jack suffered enough? If this went on, Jack could be no doubt executed for crimes he hadn¡¯tmitted. Ezra was dead to the public eye. I stayed with Maddy until evening, and when she fell asleep, I took a coffee break. I saw Aaron rushing from an E.R barking instructions to a poor Physician assistant. When he saw me, his expressions turned rxed. ¡°Riley.¡± He approached me. ¡°Doctor Shaw.¡± I never called him that unless we were inpany of the higher-ups. ¡°I¡¯m so d to see you, Riley.¡± He said, having missed my slight taunt. ¡°Did Agent Knight tell you everything?¡± I gave him a nod. ¡°Although I¡¯d like to hear it from you.¡± ¡°I want you back here, working alongside me.¡± Aaron said with what I assumed was sincerity. He took my hand in his and squeezed it. ¡°I need you.¡± I searched his eyes. He seemed eager, almost desperate for me to join again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aaron?¡± He rubbed his temples. ¡°Everything.¡± He whispered as he caught my wrist and pulled me into a corner. ¡°The controversies linked to WoodVille¡¯s hospital surrounding the Wolfe case have been bad for the faculty. One nurse brutally murdered within the hospital and the other almost killed! The staffs are piling my desk with resignations and Dr. Liu isn¡¯t happy with this. I know you¡¯ve been through a lot and it¡¯s too much to ask of you but I can¡¯t lose you too. I want you back in the Psychiatric Unit.¡± ¡°When would you like me to start?¡± I saw relief cross his features. He looked so tired, I felt bad for him. ¡°Tonight, if you can. Please. I¡¯m short on staff. You won¡¯t be assigned to one patient. All you¡¯d be required to do are the routine duties.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be here.¡± Aaron sighed. ¡°I will forever be in your debt. Thank you.¡± I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my job. You don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± He appeared agitated. ¡°There¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to talk to you about.¡± When I didn¡¯t say anything, he proceeded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what is Dr. Be¡¯s deal.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Aaron nced around; staff and patients alike passed the lobby. Lowering his voice a several tones more, he continued. ¡°He was the one who found Madeline when she was attacked. While Madeline¡¯s memory seems a little fogged up, she¡¯s mostly giving bits of what she thinks she saw, we can¡¯t be sure if it¡¯s even true.¡± And she¡¯d bbered Jack¡¯s name. ¡°It¡¯s normal, Aaron. She was attacked, she probably doesn¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Paul was right beside her and he kept giving her some strange looks and when she would see his face, she looked away, almost as if he was forcing her to hide something.¡± Now that was new. ¡°Why would Maddy do that?¡± I asked him. ¡°You¡¯re not implying that Paul is the one doing the murders, are you?¡± ¡°Jackson was locked that night. We checked his locks and made sure.¡± He said and I didn¡¯t miss how¡¯d mentioned a plural on the locks. ¡°I mean no offense to Paul, but he seems more of a book genius. He doesn¡¯t strike me as clever or smart when ites to executing nned murders.¡± There was a hint of a smile on Aaron¡¯s lips. ¡°Guess you¡¯re right but he¡¯s been acting suspicious. Anyway, I¡¯ll talk to Paul and see what¡¯s going on. One thing¡¯s for sure. No one can be trusted in this faculty. Not a staff and definitely not the patients.¡± I went home that evening and a few hourster I was back at the hospital dressed in my nurse uniform. It felt weird to be wearing it after such a long time. I actually missed working here, I realized. The scent of the cleaning solutions was repulsive for most people, for me, it wasforting. I felt like home here. ¡°Wee back, Nurse Riley.¡± Bridget, the receptionist on the ground floor smiled at me. ¡°Thanks Bri.¡± I acknowledged her, making my way to the locker to dump my things. I walked to the adjoining wing of the Psychiatric Unit. The head nurse La was more than happy to see me. Poor woman was having a rough time with a shortage of staff. The nurses in this wing had either asked for a transfer or in handed out a resignation. They¡¯d rather live being unemployed for a while than risk their lives at the hands of a psychotic killer. I couldn¡¯t me them; I would have done the same if I wasn¡¯t so damn eager about this. Maybe I had a death wish. The only staff that was now left was Bobby, the sly male nurse assigned to Ezra. There was the shy and short nurse Josephine whom Bobby had nicknamed ¡®midget¡¯ because she was four feet something. Then there was Tilly, the nurse Bobby was supposedly banging. With Maddy lying in a hospital bed, that left with me joining the team. I was almost done with the work and decided to get a refill of my coffee when Josephine called out to me. ¡°I want to ask for a favor, Riley.¡± She said anxiously. ¡°And in exchange I¡¯ll cover as many shifts of yours as you want in future.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what had implicated such desperation but I was the type of person who always helped my colleagues. Sometimes I wondered if my softness had led them to take advantage of me. I was just too nice. Maddy often told me how unfair everyone was towards me. In Josephine¡¯s case, I thought it had to be something really serious. She was far too sweet to ask reckless favors. ¡°Bobby took a half day off, said he was sick but you do know how cunning he is.¡± She said in apparent disgust. ¡°He wants me to take the dinner and medication to Jack¡¯s room. I¡¯m begging you, Riley. Please help me.¡± ¡°How can I help you with that, Josephine?¡± ¡°He scares me! The way he looks at all the staff like he¡¯s going to eat everyone alive.¡± She said. ¡°Tilly went to his room the other day, and Jack said ¡®Boo¡¯ literally and Tilly almost peed herself. I saw her change into a spare uniformter that day.¡± I bit backughter. I couldn¡¯tugh at a nurse¡¯s distress. Finding it funny was bad enough. ¡°You could always pass the food through the opening in the door. There¡¯s no need for you to walk inside.¡± ¡°Jack doesn¡¯t take his food that way. The te just lies there with the food untouched. Nurse La won¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°So you want me to take the food and medication to his room?¡± ¡°Yes. You will, won¡¯t you?¡± She asked. If I refused, would she burst into tears? Thirty minutester, I was bringing dinner to his room. I unlocked the room slowly, taking my time. Ezra was reading a book. I couldn¡¯t read the title but knew he was reading a book by Stephen King. ¡°If it¡¯s mashed potatoes and gravy, you can take it back. I¡¯d rather eat my foot than eat that for another fucking day.¡± He¡¯d assumed I was Bob; he nced up from his book and passed me a sheepish grin. ¡°So nice to see you again, Sweetness.¡± He was lounging in the chair like azy cat on a Sunday afternoon, not having a care in the world. ¡°How unfortunate it is that at the end of the book, John Coffey was convicted and literally fried on the Old Sparky for crimes he nevermitted. I want to feel remorseful, I can¡¯t.¡± It took me awhile to realize Ezra was talking about the book The Green Mile. I decided to humor him. ¡°Yeah. Innocent people get med for the crimes that they often never He chuckled, the voice oddly familiar. If I closed my eyes, I could bet it belonged to Jack and a painful yearning gnawed at me. ¡°Not me. I guess I¡¯m rightfully med for the crimes I didmit. They couldn¡¯t find a John Coffey here unfortunately.¡± I ced the tray of food, and medication. ¡°It¡¯s shepherd¡¯s pie and veggies. I¡¯m hoping that¡¯s up to your standards.¡± I teased him. ¡°What if isn¡¯t?¡± He asked. ¡°Would you get me a Big Mac? You could do an ex-lover a few favors.¡± I folded my arms across my chest and watched him. He pointed at the tray of food. ¡°Would you mind bringing the tray here?¡± I picked up the tray, walked towards him slowly, keeping my pace casual and ced the tray of food on the table. A hint of a smile was ying on his lips, his eyes following each of my moments. He could sense fear and I knew that. One moment of weakness and I¡¯d give him an upper-hand. Ezra¡¯s posture, the way he kept his gaze trailed on me, it was clear he thought he was the King here, regardless of the fact that he was chained. The twins had so much inmon and yet nothing. Ezra raised his wrists towards me. ¡°Can I ask you to unlock my restraints? I promise to behave.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± I said. ¡°The restraints shouldn¡¯t be a bother. I know you can move just fine without me unlocking them.¡± He kept staring, ¡°Do they know?¡± ¡°Who knows what?¡± ¡°Our little secret.¡± I had to keep reminding myself that Ezra thought that I assumed he was Jack. I couldn¡¯t act hostile all of a sudden. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Beats me, neither do I.¡± ¡°Ezra, I know who you are and also, you suck at acting like Jackson.¡± I said. If Ezra was surprised he didn¡¯t show it in his expressions. A slow smile yed at the corner of his lips. ¡°What gave it away?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°The kissst time. You couldn¡¯t kiss me back and it wasn¡¯t mind-blowing the way it was with Jackson.¡± I confessed. ¡°Does my brother know you kissed me?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t and I¡¯d rather we keep it that way.¡± I said. ¡°We can change that you know.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can show you better than mind-blowing. I have a dozen ofdies who can vouch for me.¡± ¡°Who I¡¯m pretty sure were either chopped to pieces or are so scared out of their minds that they can¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°You hurt my feelings.¡± I sighed. He indicated me towards his bed. ¡°Sit and talk to me for a while, Nurse Riley.¡± I settled down on the chair instead. I didn¡¯t want to go anywhere near his bed. ¡°Why did you kill all those people?¡± I asked outright. He gave out augh. ¡°Do you think I did it?¡± ¡°Yes. I have no doubt about that.¡± I pressed him further. ¡°Why are you trying to pin everything on Jack? He didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡± Okay, maybe he admitted killing three people but those weren¡¯t innocent people at least, but Ezra didn¡¯t need to know. ¡°What if I tell you that Jack¡¯s the one who did it.¡± All the traces of humor had vanished from his expressions. ¡°I trust Jackson.¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s your call entirely.¡± Ezra said. ¡°Do you know how utterly misbehaved he was in high school and college after that? Do you know that he sent three boys to the hospital in a fit of a rage? Have you any idea the extent of violence that Jack can inflict in point five seconds?¡± ¡°That¡¯s in his past. He¡¯s told me all about it. And he also told me how you were always preferred by your father, Brady Wolfe. You wanted to seed thepany.¡± ¡°True.¡± He made a tick in the air, ¡°And true. I wanted thepany. Past tense. Not anymore.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°Time will tell you, Riley.¡± He said, raised his hands again. ¡°Unlock me?¡± I climbed to my feet. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Ezra.¡± He rubbed his fingers to his wrist. ¡°I¡¯m asking you nicely. Unlock the restraints.¡± ¡°I believe I spoke in English the first time I said no. Let me try it in French, German and Russian. Non, Nein and Nyet. Hope that makes it clear.¡± ¡°You can try Italian. I understand it better.¡± He smirked, his eyes turned dark. ¡°On second thought, I don¡¯t think I need you to unlock them at all.¡± That¡¯s when I realized Ezra had been ying a game with me, buying time. I took a step back then another. He pulled at the restraints, once, twice and then I could see the veins in his arms darken as he jerked at it with a loud masculine growl. Before I could close the door behind him, he pushed his way out of the room. I stumbled and fell on my knees. The lights on the floor began going out one after the other. Where were the security guards? I nced back at him. I could see his dark huge form standing in the middle of the hallway, the chains dangling after him. He wiped his blood stricken hand. ¡°Run as fast as you can, Riley. I¡¯ll give you a two minute head start.¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Riley ¡°Here are the rules of this game.¡± Ezra dered. ¡°I¡¯m going to let you run and hide. You can try and escape from the hospital if you want. If you get down to the ground floor and tell anyone, games over and Maddy¡¯s throat will be cut.¡± ¡°No! Please!¡± I shrieked. ¡°If you manage to get out of the hospital, you win. If I find you, well, you loose. And you¡¯ll do exactly as I tell you to. I think that¡¯s fair game.¡± ¡°We can get you the help you need, Ezra.¡± I said. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± ¡°Run as fast as you can, Riley,¡± Ezra said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a two minute head-start.¡± He was standing in the passageway in a rxed manner. The chain that he was restrained with earlier was dangling on the floor. Blood dripping down his arm. The lights above had almost gone out, leaving only a dim light on that left a silver shadow on his face. It was a scary image. I climbed to my feet and took off in the opposite direction I ran all the way to the end of the floor. The howls and cheers of the other patients rang as I jabbed the elevator buttons. ¡°Come on,e on!¡± Deciding against taking the elevator, I pushed through the Emergency exit stairs. I could hear Ezra calling out teasingly. ¡°Three...two...one. Here Ie!¡± I heard the eerie sound of the chains dragging against the floor. Ezra surely didn¡¯t know about the old abandoned wing that only staff used. I ran to the farthest end of the floor, entered a room and shut the door behind me. I heard the sound of the chains dragging inside. Fear cut deep inside me like a sharp razor. I hadn¡¯t experienced fear in such a way before. Jack had never engraved fear inside me the way Ezra was doing. With Jack I knew what to expect, with Ezra I didn¡¯t. I could die here and no one would find out until they saw me hanging somewhere like a piece of meat in a meat farm. I shuddered at the thought. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I had to fight until I drew myst breath. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and pressed Aaron¡¯s number. It rang for an eternity. I tried his phone a few more times but he didn¡¯t answer. Next I called Agent Flint, and the call went straight to voice mail. ¡°This is Agent Flint Knight. Leave a message after the beep...¡± ¡°Agent Flint! Please help me...it¡¯s Ezra. I...I think he¡¯s going to kill me and frame Jackson for it. You¡¯ve got to inform the authorities.¡± I said on the phone. My hands were shaking as I called nine-one-one next but my phone ran out of battery. I could sit here in the abandoned wing for an eternity and wait until someone realizes I was missing and not answering my phone. The chances of Ezra finding me before the police or the hospital staff were higher. At this time, I could just be sitting ducks. I opened the door and walked out into the darkness, feeling wary and anxious about ever shadow and sound. I walked into the main wing, heading straight to the administration office. There had to be at least one person working there. Before I could open the door, I saw a tall figure walk by. Ezra was prowling around on the same floor. I hid behind a wall and waited. When the sound of the chains vanished, I opened the door of the office and went inside. No one was there. The sound of footsteps were closing in. I hid under the table quickly and my breathing intensified. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Riley. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± I heard him say. ¡°It¡¯s a promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.¡± ¡°You cane out now. I said I won¡¯t hurt you. You have my word.¡± I covered my mouth with my hand and watched from the surveince footage on the screens mounted on the wall as he prowled around the room far from my hidden space. He couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°You wanna y hide and seek? That¡¯s fine with me. You know, when I was little...I always managed to find the other kids. Grown ups even.¡± He chuckled softly, the same masculine voice with a boyish charm that I¡¯d fallen in love with, but now the same voice ran a chill down my body. The only difference was that this voice belonged to the man that I didn¡¯t love. Something crashed loudly. He¡¯d damaged the emergency lights, pulling the room in pitch ck darkness. He was getting closer to where I was hiding. As if he¡¯d heard my mind he reached for a broom stick and smashed camera one, followed by camera two and three. ¡°That should solve the problem, I guess. Now, you wouldn¡¯t be able to know even if I¡¯m right behind you.¡± The screens went static and then turned ck. From the corner of my eye, I watched his shoes walk past me. I held my breath and a shiver ran down my body as I wondered what would happen if I were caught. A few minutester, I heard the door open and close. I waited for a few seconds, listening to any other sound in the room but all I could hear were my heart beats. Cautiously, I crawled from beneath the desk to check around and thankfully he was no-where in sight. I let out a sigh of relief and climbed to my feet, taking a few steps towards the door. Once I was out of the room, I¡¯d make a run down the hallway and get help from the doctor or anyone for that matter. I stepped out to find the lights switched off. I¡¯d seen a number of sher movies, and had always someday. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. My life was no better than a horror movie. The lights flickered as I tried to walk quietly but the sounds of my canvas shoes echoed through the empty hallway. I heard soft footsteps behind me so I picked up pace and turned around the corner when a pair of strong arms seized me. He whispered. ¡°Gotcha! y times over, Riley.¡± And my head was spinning and a total ckout was surrounding me. I couldn¡¯t tell what day or time it was. For a moment, I didn¡¯t even know what was going on until everything starteding back to me in shes. Me walking into Ezra¡¯s room to give him food. Ezra getting out of the restraints and chasing after me. I took a lungful of breath and coughed. ¡°Easy there, you don¡¯t want to hurt yourself.¡± My head snapped towards the man of the voice. ¡°Did you drug me?¡± My voice was barely audible to me. My hands were shacked to a chair. I tried to wiggle out of it but it started to bite my skin harder. ¡°Why are you doing this Ezra?!¡± I asked. ¡°Do you understand that people are going to find me missing and they are going to start looking for me. Once they track me down, they¡¯ll get to you too! Let me go.¡± He passed me a coy smile. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think it was genuine and one that wasn¡¯t purely evil. ¡°Let¡¯s not garner any delusions, Nurse Riley. No one¡¯sing for you.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± I asked. He stared at me for a good few seconds. He¡¯d changed out of the patients outfit into a in white t-shirt and jeans. Where the hell did he get those clothes from? He brought a chair closer and sat on it. ¡°I just need some information.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting any information from me!¡± I said. ¡°Where is my brother Jackson?¡± He asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I said, and that was the truth. The hell I knew where Jack went after he left my apartment that day. ¡°And even if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°You were captive for nearly a week; you surely know where he buried the victims or in another case, tossed the body parts in numerous locations. I want you to tell me where.¡± ¡°I told you. I don¡¯t know! And Jack never killed anyone.¡± I said. ¡°You did it and you¡¯re just putting it on Jack. I don¡¯t understand why.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a civilized conversation, Riley. If you tell me where my brother is, I won¡¯t hurt you and if you don¡¯t tell me, well, that would be testing my patience.¡± I sighed. ¡°If you take off the restraints, I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡± Ezra chuckled, the amusement glinting in his eyes. ¡°Funny how our roles are reversed in a matter of a few minutes, tell me, Riley. Are you trembling with fear?¡± ¡°Take off these and I¡¯ll tell you about Jack.¡± I said. He retrieved a key from his pocket and unlocked it and just as quickly backed away before my fist before it could connect to his face. I didn¡¯t know how he saw iting. He was smart to dodge it. ¡°Don¡¯t you go using old antiques on me. I¡¯m too experienced for that shit.¡± He didn¡¯t even try to stop me when I ran to the office door and opened it. I rubbed my wrist where I¡¯d been restraint. Red welts were going to appear there. I¡¯d made as far as the end of the floor when I saw Agent Flint and Agent Scott walking towards me. Thank goodness they had gotten my message and hade to my rescue. ¡°Agent Flint! Oh thank god!¡± I eximed. Flint appeared worried. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Miss. Frazer?¡± I pointed at the administration office. ¡°Ezra. He escaped from his room and he threatened to kill me!¡± The agents exchanged a look. ¡°Let¡¯s go check out the ce.¡± ¡°No. You shouldn¡¯t! Ezra is dangerous! He can kill you both.¡± ¡°Well, we know how dangerous he is if that person really is the twin and not Jackson.¡± Agent Flint agreed. ¡°We would still like to check the ce. You cane with us, Miss. Frazer. I assure you, you¡¯re safe with us. We will protect you with our lives.¡± I gave a nod and stayed beside the two agents as we walked to the administration room. When we opened the door, Ezra was still there, holding a gun. A freakin¡¯ gun! It was during that time that I knew shit was about to go down. Agent Flint and Scott raised their weapons. ¡°Freeze. ce the weapon down and put your hands where I can see them. Do it now!¡± Scott closed the door behind me. Ezra was stoic, his expressions not betraying any emotion. Maybe Ezra realized it was game over. He ced the gun on the floor and slowly and deliberately raised his hands up. ¡°Well, you were looking for trouble again, weren¡¯t you, Wolfe?¡± Agent Flint said. ¡°You just can¡¯t sit your ass tight without causing drama. Look you scared the living daylights out of a poor nurse.¡± What was going on? The serious expression that Ezra was sporting burst into a chuckle. ¡°You got me.¡± He said in a matter of fact way. ¡°Are you going to kill me, Agent Knight?¡± Agent Flint and Ezra stared at each other in a battle of epic stare down. ¡°We should inform the police.¡± I whispered. Agent Flint looked at me and then back at Ezra, the tension is the room was brewing. ¡°Sit down, Nurse Riley.¡± He said lowering his gun. I shot Agent Flint an incredulous look. ¡°We should call the police, Agent!¡± And then it clicked. I looked from Ezra to the Agents. ¡°You guys are together in this?¡± Ezra picked up the gun and jammed in into the waistband of his denim, and the Agents made no attempt at stopping it. He then walked towards me slowly in the same predatory way. I took a step back and then two. ¡°Let me introduce myself again, Nurse Riley.¡± ¡°FBI, Special Agent Ezra Wolfe.¡± He grinned. ¡°I work deep undercover. Pleased to finally make real introductions.¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Riley ¡°You¡¯re an FBI agent?¡± I gave him an incredulous look. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Ezra said. I looked at Flint and Scott, trying to see if there was any hidden joke in this but they appeared to be serious. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re lying to me.¡± I said. Ezra reached for the back pocket of his jeans and produced a badge. He let me inspect it for a minute. ¡°Maybe the badge is fake too.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Agent Flint and Scott would vouch for me. If that¡¯s not enough, I can try to get in touch with the Bureau head in Virginia which may take some time.¡± I stared at him for a good few seconds deciding that my rage had overpowered the relief of being alive and not having to die at the hands of a psychotic murderer. ¡°I would have died of heart-attack; did that possibility ever cross you, Agent Wolfe?¡± ¡°I apologize about that.¡± Ezra said giving me a smile, not having even a twinge of remorse. ¡°I need answers starting with why you are in WoodVille¡¯s impersonating as Jack?¡± I asked. Ezra sighed and touched his gun. He noticed me looking and said. ¡°It¡¯s a service weapon. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. He pointed towards a vacant chair. ¡°Sit down, Miss. Frazer¡± ¡°I said I need answers!¡± ¡°I said sit down!¡± Ezra ground out. The mask of control was slowly slipping. I sat down despite myself, not because he¡¯d practically ordered me to, but mostly due to exhaustion. The two other Agents, Flint and Scott settled down a few chairs behind me. Ezra hoisted himself up on the table. ¡°Let me start from the beginning.¡± He said. ¡°I know Jack didn¡¯t kill our mother, but he¡¯d been used of it and the murders that followed after. I know my brother is quite capable of killing but he wouldn¡¯t take innocent lives. His methods are wrong; he took thew into his hands.¡± Ezra said in obvious frustration. ¡°I was in Quantico when I first heard about a series of murders; almost simr to the three people Jack had killed.¡± He continued. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe at first but it was all being pointed at him as if Jack had finally gone couldn¡¯t help myself. I kept hounding them for answers they didn¡¯t have. Agent Flint believed from the start that it¡¯s Jack who¡¯ was behind everything.¡± ¡°Agent Flint is wrong.¡± I said turning in my chair and saying it loud enough for the two of them to hear it. ¡°Well, unfortunately he doesn¡¯t share your sentiment or even mine¡± Ezra retorted, an indirect hit at Flint. ¡°So when I started meddling in the case, there was a meeting at the bureau and the Chief wasn¡¯t happy with what I was doing. He thought I was going to try and hide the evidence in favor of my brother.¡± ¡°Would you?¡± Ezra shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of doing it. Let¡¯s be clear on this, Miss. Frazer¡ª¡± ¡°Call me Riley.¡± I said. ¡°Riley, I¡¯m not on Jack¡¯s side. I¡¯m with thew and if Jack happens to the person behind this debacle, I¡¯d be the first person to shoot him dead.¡± He said it with such conviction that I believed he was telling the truth. A giggle escaped my lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Something amusing?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that Jack said the same thing about you. He phrased it differently.¡± ¡°I do not harbor any misconception that Jack might not be behind all of this, and neither should you.¡± He said. ¡°After mother died, I was in Quantico under training. I had to take up an operation and stage my own death which I did. The operation was involved with a mafia syndicate. Drug lords, human trafficking¡¯s, you know that type of stuff. If they found out I was with the FBI, it would¡¯ve blown my cover. Lives of children and women were at stake. I couldn¡¯t take a risk.¡± ¡°So you let your brother assume you were dead.¡± I saw the guilt seep into his expressions. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the price I paid, and I don¡¯t regret it.¡± Faith had clearly yed a joke with their lives. The brothers were two sides of the same coin. One twin was a powerful man inw enforcement, the other a dangerous fugitive. ¡°When I¡¯d sessfully exposed those people, I came back to find that the damage was done. Jack was used of murders. I put in a request at the head office and the chief told me I could help them in the Wolfe murder investigation since I was a key element. They knew that I knew my brother more than anyone else and that made things easier for them. That¡¯s when I decided to get caught by the police. I never told them I was Jack, they assumed, I remained quiet.¡± He grinned. ¡°I took that opportunity to do some investigations in the asylum myself. Keep an eye out.¡± ¡°And did you find anything?¡± Ezra shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, not much.¡± ¡°Why did you threaten me and chase after me like that? I really thought you were going to kill me.¡± I said. ¡°You were a prime suspect. I had to get you to start spilling. I thought if I gave you a bit of a scare, you¡¯d tell me Jack¡¯s current location.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell you even if I knew.¡± ¡°Which is precisely why you are going to do what I¡¯m going to tell you to. You will get in touch with Jack and we¡¯re going to pretend you¡¯re in danger from me.¡± ¡°And why would I do that?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s what¡¯s best for him.¡± ¡°You will lead him into a trap!¡± My voice was bordering to a scream now. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? The killer wants to frame Jack! If we bring him here, you¡¯d give the killer a perfect reason tomit another murder. The killer is not an outsider. It¡¯s someone among us.¡± I concluded. Ezra folded his arms over his chest, ¡°how do you figure that?¡± ¡°I just know it. I¡¯m not sure if the previous killings are linked to the ones that took ce in WoodVille¡¯s but the murders that happened in the hospital are done by a person who knows every single hidden exit that only the staff have ess to.¡± ¡°What about the surveince cameras there?¡± Ezra was quick to ask. ¡°Some of those areas are not covered with the cameras.¡± ¡°Dr. Liu is supposed to tell us about this, or at least Dr. Aaron Shaw.¡± Ezra appeared to be thinking for a minute and then he turned to the agents seated behind me. ¡°Flint, can we have a thorough interrogation with each of the doctors?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already done that, Ezra and we failed to find any valuable information.¡± ¡°Do it again. I¡¯ll prepare the questionnaire this time.¡± He said. ¡°Roger that.¡± Ezra turned his piercing gaze towards me which kept reminding me of Jack and how jarringly obvious the simrities between them were. ¡°So, Riley, do we have your co-operation?¡± ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± He smiled. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have Jack¡¯s number, in case you¡¯re plotting to torture the number out of me.¡± I made a snide ¡°We don¡¯t need to use any torture methods on you; we¡¯ve already acquired a means to contact him. Did Jack mention Dr. Mark Bowen by any chance?¡± My face was probably as white as a sheet because Ezra grinned. ¡°Jack is smart, I¡¯ll give him that much but he¡¯s also a human being like any one of us and humans are bound to get exhausted when they reach their limits. In Jack¡¯s case, there was a minor slip up. He contacted Bowen in an emergency and the number lit up like a Christmas tree. That¡¯s all we needed.¡± Ezra pulled out a phone and punched into a number. ¡°Let¡¯s test Jack¡¯s devotion for you, Nurse Riley.¡± He ced the phone on the table between us and put it on speakers. It continued to ring. It hit voice mail and a reordered robot voice said ¡®Leave a message¡¯ ¡°Greetings twin brother, I have Riley with me. If you don¡¯t call this number back in one hour, I¡¯ll send you a picture of what little remains of Riley¡¯s scattered brain.¡± ¡°Jack! Don¡¯te here!¡± I bellowed. Toote. Ezra had already ended the voice message and his eyes were menacing. ¡°If you blow this, Riley, understand that I won¡¯t be able to help Jack if he really is innocent.¡± ¡°You could have just told him the truth! I¡¯m sure he would have understood.¡± I reasoned. Ezra shook his head. ¡°He won¡¯t trust me and he definitely won¡¯t show up. My only chance is luring him through you.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s the point of¡ª¡± ¡°Is it possible that you¡¯re scared?¡± Flint asked from the seat behind me. I¡¯d almost forgotten he was even in the room. ¡°Scared of what?¡± Flint and Ezra exchanged looks like school boys who had dirty magazines hidden in their bags. ¡°Are you scared that Jack may not show up? The possibility that Jack may put himself before your life? Wouldn¡¯t that shatter your illusion?¡± ¡°I trust Jack, no matter what you people say.¡± I was pretty adamant on it. As if on cue, the phone started ringing. Ezra chuckled, his gaze snapping to the wall clock. He pressed answer. ¡°How¡¯s life as a fugitive treating you?¡± From Ezra¡¯s expressions and his jovial tone, you¡¯d think he was asking his brother about his ns for the weekend. ¡°Ezra, if you hurt Riley, I swear on our dead mother, I¡¯ll ughter you.¡± Jack said in dead-pan voice that made me shudder. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. It depends on how fast you make it here. A deep conversation is in order, brother.¡± Ezra teased. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare call me that, you imposter! I¡¯m not your brother!¡± I could hear Jack¡¯s venom from a mile away. And here I¡¯d thought there would be a family reunion. One twin brother having an emotional moment, tearing up as he listened to the other twin¡¯s voice on the phone, but this wasn¡¯t a soap opera. Ezra had deceived Jack into thinking he was dead for a couple of years. Surely, Ezra wasn¡¯t receiving any bro hugs or birthday cards anytime soon. ¡°When youe to the location, leave your weapons at the door. Each one of em.¡± Ezra said. ¡°If I get a single clue that you¡¯re trying to outsmart me, you know what happens to yourdy love.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Give me a location and I¡¯ll be there.¡± Jack said. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I asked Ezra as he told me to get inside an old Honda Civic. ¡°Is this a stolen car?¡± ¡°You ask too many questions for someone who is taken as a hostage.¡± Ezramented as he raised his hand towards mine, palm up. Not realizing at first, I ced my hand on his. He grabbed my other wrist and clicked a pair of handcuffs into ce. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± I hardly cussed which meant Ezra was crossing his limits. ¡°Trust me. Not going to involve you in anything kinky .¡± he smirked, pushing the stick shift into drive. ¡°I told you I would cooperate. There was no need of these.¡± I jiggled the cuffs. ¡°It¡¯s for show purposes.¡± He said pulling the car onto the freeway. ¡°Jack needs to believe that you¡¯re my captive.¡± ¡°Where are we going and why aren¡¯t Agents Flint and Scotting with us?¡± ¡°They will follow us and take their positions.¡± Ezra told me. ¡°Positions?¡± I asked. My throat tightened as I realized what was going on. I¡¯d led Jack into his own death-trap. ¡°You¡¯re going to have armed officials there while he walks in defenseless? How¡¯s that fair?¡± ¡°Two federal agents.¡± Ezra said giving me a pointed look. ¡°Three, including me. If Jack acts smart and opens fire, Flint will have to put him down.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your brother for gods sake, not some rabid dog!¡± I was shaking with anger. Mostly the anger was directed towards myself. I¡¯d let this happen. If I hadn¡¯t helped Josephine, I wouldn¡¯t have been in this situation. ¡°That¡¯s one reason why I will hesitate to kill him myself should the need arise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re heartless.¡± I said. ¡°Heard far worse.¡± Ezra agreed in a monotone. ¡°If you knew all the things I¡¯ve done, all the people I¡¯ve had to kill, I¡¯m sure you would have found a few other glorifying adjectives to add to my description.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hypocrite.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Jack admitted killing people, and now you say you¡¯ve killed people too, and yet you look down on him.¡± Ezra pinned me with a look that could have killed half a dozen. ¡°I killed people in my line of work, because I had to. Jack killed people in out of revenge, or as the tabloids suggest, purely for pleasure.¡± I looked out the window. I¡¯d lost the argument. Ezra - One Riley- Zero He drove us about an hour away from the city. The roads were covered by trees on both sides. The sky above turning a shade of dark grey as if it was going to rain. Finally the car stopped in front of an old barn. He parked at a space that did kept the car hidden from view. ¡°Stay here.¡± He said unloading a gun. I rolled my eyes. With the handcuffs around my wrist, how did he think it was possible for me to get out? There was no sign of Flint or Scott anywhere. Suddenly I heard the sound of a car door getting shut. I looked up to find Jack stepping out of a car. His t-shirt front matted in blood. What happened? Was he hurt? Or did he.... ¡°If you hurt Riley, I swear on our dead mother, I¡¯ll ughter you.¡± Those were Jack¡¯s words when he¡¯d spoken to Ezra on the phone. He¡¯d sounded ice-cold, not the man who¡¯d said he loved. Jack had always been cocky, and sarcasm came to him naturally but his temper was on a whole new level. When Jack was truly mad, he went ballistic. He went from an attractive calm man into a raging personality. An alter-ego perhaps? What were the chances that Jack had unknowinglymitted these crimes? What if his alter-ego was fighting against his true humane personality? When he was with me, he showed me his true self. But when he was alone, he turned devious and a psychotic murderer. I gasped as I realized the possibilities of that were higher. What if he attacked Ezra in a rage? Ezra had unloaded his gun which meant, he didn¡¯t n on shooting Jack at all. Ezra¡¯s life was in danger. I needed to do something. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Riley One of the two brothers could die and I needed to do something. I tried to look in the car for a key, in case Ezra had left it in the car console and forgotten to take it with him but of course he was smart, he wouldn¡¯t make such a juvenile mistake. I leaned towards the car door and brought my restrained hands to the car lock. I flipped the lock and it gave away easily. I threw the door open and flung myself out on my feet. The clouds began hiding behind the mountains. I walked towards the barn slowly and opened the door to it. I let myself inside the barn and closed the door behind me. I stayed hidden behind a stack of hay. The ce was creepy and smelled of cattle. Standing there amid the dusty old junk were the twins. Ezra was facing Jack, who had his side facing towards me. ¡°You look like a dead man walking.¡± Ezra said to Jack. ¡°Why, Ez, thanks for thepliment. You don¡¯t look bad yourself.¡± Jack said in a voice that was almost good-natured. Jack¡¯s voice, his presence made my heart beat faster. ¡°Where is Riley?¡± ¡°Why is there blood on your shirt?¡± Ezra asked him, his voice was eerily calm. Their voices were so simr to each other; it was bing hard to understand who was talking unless I kept looking. ¡°You promised me that if I showed up, you¡¯d let Riley go. Here I am where you want me to be, you have no use of that woman. Let her go.¡± Jack said. ¡°I did as I was told and left my gun in the car.¡± ¡°I never promised anything. I told you we needed to talk first.¡± Jack rubbed his temples; I could tell he was loosing his patience as well as his temper. ¡°What do you wanna talk about?¡± Frustrated, Jackughed. ¡°Wait, are you even real, or perhaps you¡¯re a figment of my imagination. Maybe I finally lost all my marbles.¡± ¡°I can hear the sarcasm.¡± Ezra said. ¡°You have to understand. I had to pretend to be dead. There was no other way. You see, I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°An FBI Agent.¡± Jackpleted for him. ¡°I gathered as much.¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes widened. His cover had already been blown. Jack knew of his real identity. Jack continued. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is why you would go to such lengths to pretend to be me? Unless you have a hidden agenda. What is it, Ezra? What do you want? Name it. I don¡¯t have the time or the inclination to y childish games.¡± ¡°I want the truth from you. That¡¯s all I need.¡± Ezra said. ¡°You tell me. You¡¯re the FBI Agent. I¡¯m the criminal, remember?¡± Jack mocked him. Ezra¡¯s expressions turned hard. ¡°I know you killed three people. I didn¡¯t ask about that. I want to know if you killed the others.¡± Then his eyes focused on something else. ¡°The blood on your shirt. How¡¯d you get it?¡± A long pause. ¡°I went to the mansion.¡± ¡°You what?!¡± ¡°You heard me the first time. I went to the mansion...¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°And?¡± A phone began ringing. Ezra reached for his pocket and pulled out his phone. ¡°Agent Wolfe speaking.¡± A beatter, ¡°Yes?¡± A long pause. The silence was getting suffocating. ¡°What?¡± And then, ¡°But how¡¯s that possible? There has to be a mistake!¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes rested on Jack. He cut the call and turned to Jack. I thought Ezra¡¯s vein would burst, ¡°What the fuck did you do, Jackson?¡± The cool persona that he¡¯d maintained until now was evaporating. ¡°Why were you at the mansion? Did you do it?¡± ¡°What if I did?¡± Who did what? What were they talking about? ¡°Hell and damnation!¡± Ezra swore. ¡°I got a call from the P.D. The maid found a body ripped apart in a bed that¡¯s soaked in blood. The walls are painted red, Jack.¡± He was breathing hard. Anger was giving away to grief. He lunged at Jack and caught the cor of his shirt. ¡°You! You¡¯re so driven by your lust for revenge that you didn¡¯t even consider the consequences of killing Brady Wolfe in cold blood.¡± Jack didn¡¯t even blink at the outrageous insinuation; instead he produced a gun from the waistband of his jeans and offered it to his brother. ¡°You think I killed him? Well, guess what, I¡¯m not going to attempt to convince you otherwise. You can tell the officials that I was carrying a gun and that you had to do what was needed.¡± A moment caught my eye. Two people were positioned in two different hiding ces, their guns pointed at Jack. My blood ran cold. I didn¡¯t think before I stood up and walked towards them. The sound of my shoes scrapping against the ground made Jack turn. ¡°Jack.¡± I called out. ¡°Why did you get out of the car?!¡± Ezra growled. I stepped towards Jack. His dark eyes holding my gaze as I walked towards him as if he were a puppeteer pulling the strings. His eyes flicked towards the restraints and his jaw hardened. ¡°Take these off Ezra.¡± Jack said in a menacing whisper. ¡°No.¡± Jack red at his brother. ¡°Take these off. I won¡¯t ask you the third time.¡± Ezra probably heard the dangerous tone in Jack¡¯s voice. It gave me the idea that although Ezra was strong, he was still scared of his brother. He pulled out a pair of keys from his pocket and tossed it towards Jack who caught the keys in mid-air. Without a word, Jack unlocked the cuffs and let it slid to the ground. ¡°Riley, walk out of the barn.¡± Ezra ordered. Jack caught my hand in his. ¡°Do what he says, Cotton-Candy.¡± I shook my head as I leaned in and whispered. ¡°There are people hidden here who will shoot you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jack said. ¡°There¡¯s no other way around it. The killer did this on purpose and I walked right into the trap heid out at my house. Our father was killed.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t...I can¡¯t leave you.¡± I said. ¡°Riley!¡± Ezra warned me. ¡°I trust Jack.¡± I said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you trust him or not. Thew will decide the right punishment for him. Step out of the barn, Riley.¡± ¡°Promise you won¡¯t shoot.¡± I said. ¡°Promise me, Ezra.¡± Ezra signaled with his hands to the men hidden at the back. ¡°Lower your weapons. Jackson, I¡¯m going to read you your rights. You have the right to remain¡ª¡± Bang! The noise of the gunshot roared through the silence. Ezra whipped around. ¡°What the fuck?! I told you not to bloody shoot!¡± The men appeared confused. They hadn¡¯t shot. The shot had been fired from the top floor. I looked up and there was someone, a dark form moved towards the window and disappeared. Jack staggered and he fell down on his knees holding the wound with his palm. I was too shocked to even move. Ezra kneeled beside him, cradling his head in hisp. ¡°No! You can¡¯t die, Jackson...No! Stay with me...¡± Jack¡¯s eyes became droopy, but he smiled and touched the bloodied hand to Ezra¡¯s face. ¡°I never once...¡± he coughed. ¡°I never doubted you.....that you would kill people and frame me for the crimes. I trust you, brother. Even though you abandoned me for years, I trusted you.¡± Ezra has tears in his eyes. ¡°I had to do it! For the sake of my job, and for those helpless people! I was never interested in thepany you foolish man, I thought you wanted it more than anything.¡± Jackughed. Ezra¡¯s cheek was matted in blood. ¡°If I die, find that sonofabitch and kill him.¡± Ezra began shaking him. ¡°Jackson! Stay with me!¡± He turned to the men who were standing in the corner watching. ¡°Follow that bastard!¡± I brushed Jack¡¯s hair away from his face. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me.¡± I sobbed as the reality of the situation began to sink in. ¡°Jack...¡± Ezra was calling someone and barking orders. Jack¡¯s eyes were closing, he squeezed my hand. ¡°I have to tell you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± He stared straight into my eyes. ¡°I¡¯d called Brady before I went to the mansion. I wanted to talk to him about everything that was going on. I wanted to know¡­why he hated us so much, I wanted to know if he killed our mother. I¡­I¡­walked into the room and saw him¡­ choking in his own pool of blood. I asked him who did it.¡± ¡°What did he say Jack?¡± Jack stared at me with eyes that were almost haunted. Vacant. ¡°He¡­he gave me a name.¡± ¡°Who did it?¡± Jack opened his mouth to say the name and then his body went limp. ¡°No. No. No. Wake up, Jack!¡± I cried. Ezra was beside me in a second, he was handling this worse than me. Ezra was practically bordering to hysteria. He was checking his pulse with shaky hands. ¡°Riley, Jack¡¯s not responding.¡± ¡°He¡¯s got a pulse. I think he¡¯s just unconscious.¡± I told him. I touched Jack¡¯s wound. ¡°Keep the pressure on the wound. I don¡¯t know how far the bullet has lodged in. If he loses too much blood, it could be fatal. We should just take him to the nearest hospital in your car.¡± ¡°The road is not safe and the ambncees with all the equipment. What if he¡­¡± Ezra kicked some dusty old wooden crate that went flying and smashed into the wall. ¡°Goddammit how long does it take for the ambnce to get here?¡± It¡¯s when I realized both Ezra and Jack had a temper problem. Finally there was the siren of the ambnce ring in the background. I watched the paramedics making their way in. They carried Jack outside the barn on a stretcher. Ezra and I stared at each other. We were covered in Jack¡¯s blood. ¡°Jack knows who the real killer is.¡± I said. ¡°Did he give you a name?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t able to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Ezra said. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t called him here to talk, none of this would have happened. I thought if I didn¡¯t lure him here with you as bait, he wouldn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°You wanted to see him, didn¡¯t you?¡± He covered his eyes with his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve failed as a brother. He knew who I was; Jack figured I was with the FBI. I feel so fucking ashamed I¡¯d doubted my brother even once.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest. My eyes moistened. ¡°Do you think Jack will¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t even ¡°He will live, Riley. He cannot die when the other part of him is alive.¡± He pointed towards himself. ¡°He has to live.¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Riley Jack was admitted to the hospital. We didn¡¯t want to risk putting him in WoodVille¡¯s in case the killer was someone from the staff and waiting to kill Jack so we¡¯d taken him to another one rmended by Ezra. I was seated beside Jack. His eyes were closed, his body propped against a hospital bed connected to an IV. His chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. It was the most peaceful expression I¡¯d seen on his face, other times that I¡¯d been with him; I¡¯d watched him wake up at odd times, reach for the gun and aim it at nobody. He didn¡¯t even sleep a wink. I pushed his hair back away from his face which is when I heard the sound of boots approaching and a presence in the room. I turned around to see Ezra standing behind me. He passed me a worried look. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± I asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Jack¡¯s out of danger.¡± He said. I didn¡¯t trust Ezra to tell me the truth. He could be lying to make me feel less worried about Jack. ¡°I¡¯ll sit here beside him until he wakes up.¡± I said. ¡°Can you get me some coffee?¡± He eyed the empty cup on the table. ¡°Coffee is thest thing you need. Get some rest. You¡¯ve been awake all night. I¡¯ll sit here.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± Ezra checked his watch. ¡°It¡¯s three p.m.¡± He put his hand on mine. ¡°You can trust me. He¡¯s my brother.¡± I had lost my will to argue and wanted to stop thinking for a moment and actually get some sleep. I decided to stop being stubborn and head home. ¡°Call me as soon as he wakes up.¡± Ezra nodded. ¡°I will.¡± That day I spent most of the evening sleeping. When I woke up, it was already past eight p.m. A feeling of dread washed over me when I remembered the events of the day. I was exhausted beyond a limit and all I wanted to do was go back to sleep and forget about everything. I called Ezra to ask him how Jack was doing and he gave me a thorough report about his health. The doctor said Jack was still under anesthesia and would wake up in an hour or so. The entire unit of the police force and the team of FBI agents were waiting for Jack to wake up. He had a name. As time passed, the killer got more time to cover his tracks. How were they going to find out the killer? My stomach growled, I decided to make myself a sandwich and walked into the adjacent kitchen area. I pulled out veggies and a jar of mayo from the refrigerator. I¡¯d taken two bites of the sandwich when my phone started buzzing on the coffee table. I dropped the half-eaten sandwich back on the te and ran to the coffee table to answer my phone, thinking it was Ezra calling to tell me Jack was finally awake. Disappointment washed over me as I realized it wasn¡¯t Ezra calling. It was Maddy. ¡°Hey Maddy.¡± I said on the phone. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± After the attack in the hospital, Maddy hadn¡¯t been herself. She¡¯d avoided talking to me, and appeared more stressed than usual. I¡¯d chalked her behavior up as just another phase for someone who¡¯d gone through a difficult time. I¡¯d asked her time and time again to tell me what had happened the night she was attacked but she said she couldn¡¯t remember. Couldn¡¯t remember or didn¡¯t want to remember? It was a little weird how evasive she was being, considering how bad the situation already was. ¡°Riley, are you there?!¡± I heard Maddy¡¯s voice on the other end. She sounded distressed. ¡°Is everything alright, Maddy?¡± ¡°Can youe to my house, Riley?¡± She asked. ¡°Right now?¡± I asked. ¡°Um, okay, but what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± She said and a pauseter she continued, ¡°It¡¯s about the killer, and it¡¯s urgent. I need to get this off my chest.¡± I didn¡¯t need to hear more. I was already half way out of the kitchen. I reached for my jacket and the car Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. keys hanging against the hook. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting. I¡¯m so scared, Riles.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡± I assured her. I was d Maddy was finally opening up and wanted to talk about that night. I could use some information that would lead Ezra one step closer to knowing who the killer was. ¡°Where are you going?¡± I had almost forgotten that my brother was back after doing a twenty-four shift at the hospital. ¡°I¡¯m going to Madeline¡¯s house.¡± I exined. ¡°She sounded really frightened.¡± Ken nodded. ¡°Alright, bute home soon. It¡¯s not safe anymore.¡± Instead of arguing, I just nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± The rain started pouring down in full swing. I couldn¡¯t even see the road clearly through the windshield, and it didn¡¯t help the fact that there was a rainstorming up soon. I had to navigate my way through the traffic. I turned up the heater but that didn¡¯t help either. The rain wasing down hard and I noticed an ambnce at the side of the road with a car that was A shiver ran down my body. I looked away, feeling little mncholic even though I didn¡¯t know the person who¡¯d just died in that ident. The radio cackled and went static so I switched it off. A few minutester, I was pulling up in my friend¡¯s driveway. The street was eerily silent. I peeked at the mirror and noticed how messy my hair had be. I climbed out of the car and practically made a run towards the porch. By the time I made it to the dimly lit porch, drops of rain soaked into my jacket. I rang the doorbell and waited. A few secondster I rang the doorbell again. Then I knocked the door a few times. Was it possible Maddy was so scared that she didn¡¯t want to open the door? ¡°Maddy, it¡¯s me, Riley.¡± I called out. ¡°Open the door.¡± No answer. I pressed my ear to the door. There was no sound in the room. ¡°Madeline! I¡¯m outside.¡± I knocked again, harsh raps this time. ¡°Let me in.¡± Finally, I reached for my phone and dialed her number. She wasn¡¯t answering. What was her deal?! It was probably intuition. I reached for the door-knob and turned it. The door gave away easily. I walked in through the foyer and stood below the darkened staircase. There was soft music drifting from the radio in the kitchen. Both her parents were out of town to attend a distant rtives wedding so she was living alone until the next week. The kitchen counter was covered with an opened packet of chips and sliced pieces of meat. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯d invited somepany and when she¡¯d been stood up, she decided to call me. That would be typical Madeline. ¡°Maddy, are you upstairs?¡± I called out. I checked the living area, but all I found there was a messed up nket, an almost empty ss of what appeared to be wine and a dog-eared book, the one that she¡¯d borrowed from me a few weeks back. Looked like she was having a great night so far, so what had caused her to call me up so suddenly? Could it possibly be a trap? Do not trust anyone, Riley. Jack¡¯s warning repeated in my mind. I hadn¡¯t even carried the gun that Jack had given me. I needed to be cautious. I walked up the stairs and reached the first floor. I headed straight for her bedroom at the end of the hallway. The lights flickered. I continued to walk forward and knocked on the door first. When she didn¡¯t answer, I opened the door and walked inside the bedroom. The bed appeared to be slept in. A bathrobe was lying on the carpeted floor. Makeup scattered on the dressing table. I heard the sound of an obnoxiously loud rock music tracking from the bathroom. Again, Typical Maddy. When I opened the bathroom door, I found her in the bathtub. Face down. The tub was filled with blood. Her arms were on either side of the tub. The tiles were stained bright scarlet, stters painted on the walls. For a minute I thought I was hallucinating until I realized I was screaming. Ezra had caught my hand in his the whole time that I recited what had happened when I¡¯d found her dead body. When I panicked and ran out of the house, I saw wet shoe prints in the mud. Huge prints. Men¡¯s shoes. I was so disturbed; I couldn¡¯t wipe that image of her in the tub out of my mind. Ken had his arm around me. I cried on his shoulder. ¡°She was going to tell me something about the killer. How did he reach her before me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ezra said. ¡°What is?¡± I asked. ¡°She let the killer into the house because it was someone she knew and trusted. Either that or the killer somehow broke into the house while she was in the bathroom.¡± Ezra said. ¡°There was no break-in.¡± I confirmed, wiping my tears. ¡°The killer must havee in through the window or¡ª¡± ¡°Picked a lock like a burr.¡± Kenpleted. Ezra nodded. ¡°That could be the case. He¡¯s good at not leaving any traces behind. He knows how to clean up his mess.¡± Ezra turned his gaze towards me. ¡°Did Madeline tell you something about the killer? Anything that she may have mentioned and it slipped your mind.¡± ¡°No. She was going to talk to me about it personally.¡± I said. ¡°Even the smallest of detail helps, Riley. Think hard.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything to me before she died.¡± ¡°He¡¯s mocking us. The way that he left her body there in the bathtub, he¡¯s making fun of thew enforcement.¡± Just then Ezra¡¯s phone began buzzing. He let go off my hand. ¡°I have to take this.¡± I gave him a nod. He walked a little farther so he had the privacy of the call but it was clear from his expressions that he didn¡¯t like what he was hearing. After he hung up the phone, he walked over to me and gave me a weak smile. ¡°Duty calls. Uh¡­I have to leave.¡± He said. Something was not right. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone for a while. Do you think you can handle the interrogation by yourself?¡± I searched his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ezra?¡± He looked away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s something importante up.¡± Ezra turned to leave when I caught the end of his shirt and stopped him. ¡°That was from the hospital, wasn¡¯t it? What¡¯s going on? What are you hiding?¡± I was having a hard time breathing as I thought of the endless possibilities of what might have gone wrong. Apart from Maddy, there was only one other person who knew about the killer. Was it possible that the killer had murdered Maddy just to distract the police from his actual motive? His actual motive being to kill Jackson. I caught Ezra¡¯s both hands in mine. ¡°Please tell me what¡¯s going on. I deserve to know. Did something happen to Jack?¡± ¡°The doctors said that the trauma of the injury was so severe that Jack¡­¡± He was avoiding eye- contact. ¡°It¡¯s so severe that Jack slipped into aa.¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Riley ¡°Jack will wake up soon, right?¡± I asked Ezra. ¡°Right?¡± Ezra stared at me with the familiar eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to you, Riley, but I can¡¯t guarantee about that. He could wake up tomorrow, a weekter or even after ten years.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true.¡± I said the words barely out of my mouth. I wiped a tear that was sliding down my face. ¡°There has to be some other way!¡± ¡°The damage is done. The killer got what he wanted. There were two key people who knew his identity. He killed one of them and the other slipped into aa. Everything turned out in the killers favor.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do? Just give up?!¡± I asked. ¡°No. Of course not! The investigation will go on with or without Jack.¡± He squeezed my shoulders in assurance. ¡°Everything is going to be okay. You¡¯ve gotta be strong.¡± ¡°How could I?¡± I whispered. My best friend was dead, and the man I loved had slipped into aa with a possibility that he may never wake up. I didn¡¯t think I could remain strong much longer. I was alone in this, and the killer was out there. ¡°Can I see him?¡± I asked. Ezra shrugged. ¡°Riley, it¡¯s best for you not to.¡± ¡°But I really want to! You can¡¯t stop me!¡± And of course he didn¡¯t. The next hour I was walking down the long hallway of the hospital ward towards the room Jack was admitted in. When I entered the room and saw Jack lying there with all those wires connecting to his body. It was heartbreaking and I couldn¡¯t bear to see him like that. I sat there for a few hours until Ezra told me I should leave. ¡°But what if the killeres here and tries to hurt Jack?¡± I asked. ¡°We have two security guards outside the room. A doctor and a nurse who makes regr rounds. The killer won¡¯t be able to get in. I have told hospital staff to not allow any visitors apart from you and me.¡± I looked at Jack. Ezra sighed, understanding my dilemma. ¡°Go home, Riley.¡± Maddy and I had often discussed what I would wear at her wedding as her maid of honor, but never in my worst nightmares had I imagined I would be picking a dress from my wardrobe for her funeral. I was wearing the same dress I¡¯d worn during my parents funeral. I looked at myself in the mirror. My brown hair was pulled back in a bun, my face looked tired with puffy red eyes. Like I cared. I cried that morning, I¡¯d let loose the floodgate that was bound to open but I¡¯d been holding back. I almost fainted but Ken caught me in his arms before I could hit the floor. He held me tightly in his arms while I let all the tears free. Ken didn¡¯t say a word to reassure me; he never said a word when our parents died too. We It was cloudy that morning; the sky was painted an ugly shade of grey as if my feelings were being conveyed through the weather. The air was damp and breezy. I was seated in the middle aisle of the church where I¡¯d met a few nurses who¡¯d been friends with her. Most of the WoodVille¡¯s staff was here, including the director, Dr. Liu. I saw Dr. Paul Bet seated in thest aisle, all by himself wearing a ck suit. His reddish blond hair him, but I knew they got along better than he and I did. Suddenly, his eyes met mine for a fraction of a second before I turned to the front. The church basked in hushed conversations. Everyone was dressed in ck, their faces white as sheets. I hated this feeling; it was like nothing was going to be okay ever again. No matter how happy you were in life, one day it wasing to an end. For some people it would be tragically early, for someter in life. The most important thing was to live life to the fullest, without regrets and I guess Maddy had done just that. She was reading a book, having a ss of wine and preparing dinner while hogging on chips. I giggled thinking of it, and just then realized that it wasn¡¯t the best thing to do at a funeral because all Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. heads turned to face me. ¡°Sorry.¡± I mumbled. I spotted Maddy¡¯s parents who were talking to a distant rtive. Her mother was especially distraught, sobbing into her handkerchief. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I remembered how she used to joke around and make fun of things, especially the other nurses. All this seemed so unreal. The funeral service went slowly. I had already tuned out the Ministers words as he recited the rehearsed speech. Maddy would have had something to say about his hairstyle. I said a few words in memory of Maddy, it was short and sweet, cutting straight to the point. I couldn¡¯t onto her father and sobbed harder. I said myst goodbye to Maddy, staring onest time at her face, thinking she would blink her eyes open any minute. While I ced her favorite flower in the casket, I noticed stitch marks on her neck. I stayed until after all the mourners had paid their respect and the casket was lowered into the ground. My heart broke as I watched the soil being shoveled on top on the casket. The rain began pouring. I took a few steps back and took shelter by arge tree. It didn¡¯t help much as the water drops soaked into my clothing. I felt a presence beside me, and I wasn¡¯t soaking in the rain anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened to Madeline.¡± Paul Bet stood disgustingly close, holding the umbre above our head. His strong perfume assaulted my nostrils. He shocked me further by extending his handkerchief towards me. I stared at him, bbergasted. What if he¡¯d doused that handkerchief with poison so that I¡¯d die taking a sniff? ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry too.¡± I responded, dabbing the cloth under my eyes despite of myself. I wasn¡¯t really in a mood to talk right now, and definitely not with someone like Paul, but I really didn¡¯t want to make a scene in my best friend¡¯s funeral. ¡°Is there a reason why you¡¯re being so nice? Forgive me, Dr. Bet, but it¡¯s a little nauseating. I don¡¯t like you.¡± I reminded him, handing his handkerchief back and taking a side step away from him. ¡°Let¡¯s bury the hatchet, Frazer. We started on the wrong foot, I said some horrible things which I shouldn¡¯t have and I apologize for that.¡± Paul said, taking a side step towards me. I never thought I¡¯d see a day where Paul Bet, my mortal enemy would apologize to me. ¡°I want to know why were you so mean towards me?¡± ¡°Do you want an honest answer?¡± ¡°Of course, I do.¡± I replied. ¡°I was jealous of you. The way you were close to Aaron. He always talked about you and it made me green with envy because I wanted to be in your ce. I wanted to be his favorite. And then when you took a liking to Jackson Wolfe, he hated it. The two of you drifted apart.¡± ¡°And that made you happy.¡± I concluded for him. Paul nodded. ¡°It did, but I realized how wrong it was, and that there¡¯s no point in the constant bickering. What if I die tomorrow? Or in a few days? All these fights would be for nothing.¡± ¡°What did you do with Dr. Paul Bet?¡± I mocked, giving him a sideways nce. ¡°We have amon enemy, Riley.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said. A lot of people died, and we could be next on the killer¡¯s list.¡± It was the first time I agreed with Paul on something. ¡°I know that.¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, I could be talking to a killer right now, and you could beughing at the lot of us for not suspecting you of a thing.¡± Paul¡¯s serious expressions cracked into a devilish smile. ¡°I¡¯m quite ttered you think I could be smart enough to be the killer, but I could say the same thing about you too. Maybe the goody-two shoes act is just your way to distract the investigators from yourself. Maybe you¡¯re the oneughing at us.¡± ¡°And you think I would try to kill Jack?¡± ¡°Hypothetically speaking, it¡¯s possible you have an ulterior motive. If you¡¯re the killer, attacking Jackson would just be in your favor. Everyone knows you¡¯re his bae...as people like to call themselves these days. Frankly, no one would suspect you and it would be an excellent cover.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± I stared at him in disgust. ¡°I said it¡¯s hypothetical. I¡¯m not here to fight. I just saw somethingst night and I thought I should warn you.¡± Paul said growing serious, the no-nonsense tone was there. ¡°About what?¡± Paul leaned in. ¡°Last night when I was done with the twenty-four shift, I saw something.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± I asked. Curiosity got the better of me. ¡°I remember someone telling me that you saw a shoe print in the mud outside of Maddy¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Almost like someone killed her and tried to take off by foot.¡± I added. ¡°Right. But I learned of that only after the murder wasmitted.¡± He lowered his voice down even more. Due to the pitter-patter sound of the rain it was difficult to listen to him as it is. ¡°I still don¡¯t know where you¡¯re getting at.¡± I stated. ¡°This happened an hour before I heard the news of Madeline¡¯s murder. I was passing through the closed hospital section and I saw a man there with mud prints. He was washing his shoe sole in the men¡¯s restroom frantically.¡± ¡°Who was it, Paul?¡± ¡°It was...¡± he looked around and then in a lowered voice he said. ¡°It was Dr. Aaron Shaw.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± I said right off the bat. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t believe it myself but it¡¯s not difficult to connect the dots. He left early that night giving a bullshit of an excuse. It looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.¡± To prove his theory, he added. "Did you see him attending this service? He was close to Maddy too. Why wouldn''t he show up at her funeral if he wasn''t guilty?" I contemted. It was true. I had seen mostly everyone except Aaron and that was quite odd. ¡°You should talk to the detectives.¡± I suggested. ¡°I will. I just wanted to warn you.¡± Paul said. ¡°Some people are not what they seem to be.¡± What if Paul was telling the truth? Or was it possible that the friendliness was just an act to hide something else? Trusting Paul was like trusting a snake to look after a dozen baby mice. My head started to spin. The thought of Aaron being the killer was too disturbing. I needed to talk to Ezra. I was headed towards my car when my phone buzzed in my little leather bag. I pulled it out and swiped the screen. A message from an unknown number lit up. Just two chilling words. You¡¯re next :) Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Riley That afternoon I didn¡¯t go for Maddy¡¯s funeral reception. I just wasn¡¯t ready to walk into that house and remember that horrific night when I¡¯d found her body in the bath tub. Instead I drove my brother there and decided to meet Ezra and tell him about the text message. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell Ken because I knew he¡¯d blow a gasket and put me under house arrest. And that¡¯s probably exactly what the killer wanted. If I was scared enough to stay home, there was a high possibility he¡¯d pick the lock and the next thing, I¡¯d be face down in a tub filled with my own blood with my throat slit open. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I drove back home, changed out of my ck dress and decided to meet Ezra. Paul had promised to meet me and Ezra at the station. I was surprised he was acting so co-operative. Then again, his life was on the line too. Paul had beaten me to the chase. He was already seated in the diner with Ezra and Agent Flint Knight. Agent Scott was missing. Since Agent Flint and Ezra were seated beside each other, I had no choice but to sit beside Paul in the booth. It was weird because we''d spent the better half of the year hating each other¡¯s guts and now we were forced to y allies all of a sudden. ¡°Riley, I¡¯m so sorry to hear about your friend.¡± Ezra said sincerely. I nodded. He continued, ¡°You wanted to tell me something.¡± I looked at Paul and then at Flint. ¡°I thought I¡¯d tell you about it in private. It¡¯s something that I don¡¯t want to disclose in front of everyone.¡± Ezra¡¯s gaze shifted towards Paul and back at me. He knew what I was talking about. ¡°Alright.¡± He left his seat and stood up. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, gentlemen, I¡¯d like to talk to Riley more privately. No offence.¡± ¡°None taken.¡± Flint said. Ezra led me farther away from the booth. We rounded around the corner and I pulled out my phone and showed the text to Ezra. ¡°I received this text right after the funeral.¡± Ezra stared at the phone but didn¡¯t react. It was hard to decipher what he was actually thinking because one couldn¡¯t read his expressions. ¡°I think the killer¡¯s trying to put us on the wrong trail.¡± ¡°So you think the message is a hoax?¡± ¡°Not exactly a hoax, but more of a diversion. The killer wants us, the police force and the agents to focus on you so he could take someone else as a victim.¡± I had never thought of that! ¡°Either way, we can''t risk to think he won''t being after you. There''s a fifty-fifty chance it''s the truth or absolute bull." I hugged myself. ¡°I think he¡¯sing for me.¡± Ezra got hold of my shoulders, looking me straight in the eye he said, ¡°Riley, I will never let him hurt you, I promise. I know that if Jack was awake, he¡¯d want to protect you and I¡¯m going to do that in his stead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, Ezra.¡± I said. ¡°I can see why my brother has fallen in love with you.¡± I blushed. ¡°I hope he wakes up soon.¡± ¡°I do too, but I know that if and when he does, there¡¯s going to be chaos. He would be questioned for Brady Wolfe¡¯s murder and he could be the killer¡¯s next target because he knows his identity.¡± So Jack¡¯s best option was to stay in aa? He ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to our seats.¡± Paul told them the same story that he¡¯d told me, about how Aaron had made excuses the night Maddy was murdered and had been seen cleaning his muddy shoester in the closed hospital section. He was also not present at the funeral, so where exactly was Dr. Aaron Shaw? ¡°Have you tried calling his cell?¡± Flint asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± Paul replied. ¡°The forensics team searched every corner of the house, checked if they found any finger prints or a DNA sample and came up empty except for Riley¡¯s finger prints in certain areas.¡± Flint concluded, picking up the menu and leafing through it casually. ¡°Are you suspecting me?¡± I asked Flint. ¡°No. I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± I was still a suspect. ¡°The killer is very careful. About Aaron Shaw, we don¡¯t have much evidence against him to rule him out as the killer yet, we need solid proof. As disappointing as it sounds, Dr. Bet, we can¡¯t take your word alone for it.¡± ¡°I understand, Agent.¡± Paul said. ¡°I was also going to mention¡ª¡± ¡°Are you ready to order?¡± The waitress interrupted our conversation, she was cheerful than usual and her eyes lingered on Ezra longer than necessary. ¡°Two grilled cheese sandwiches, Two cheeseburgers, arge dynamite fries with extra cheese, chicken wings dipped in hot sauce, one Blueberry pie milkshake and a Diet Coke, please.¡± ¡°That will be all.¡± Flint said closing the menu. Ezra stared at him in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting anything?¡± ¡°I think all that would be enough for the four of us.¡± Flint said in a matter of fact way. Ezra shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s my order. And I don¡¯t share.¡± Paul stared at Ezra with his mouth hanging open in surprise. The waitress was as confused as the rest of us seated at the table. Flint said quickly, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just have a ssic cheeseburger and a coke. How about you, Dr. Bet? Riley?¡± Paul recovered a momentter. ¡°Uh...I¡¯ll have a Russian sd and an iced tea.¡± Ezra chuckled, ¡°Lighten up, Doctor. You may want to substitute a healthy lunch for something unhealthy for a change.¡± And then he added devilishly, ¡°Seeing as the situation is, you may not live long enough to eat what you actually want. One should die without regrets.¡± ¡°You can pretend you didn¡¯t hear that, Dr. Bet. Ezra has a very dry sense of humor.¡± Flint said. Iughed. It was a little giggle, but they all turned to look at me in wonder. I guess they hadn¡¯t heard me light of the situation but what he¡¯d said bore the truth and Paul knew it. It could be hisst meal, or even mine. Ezra and Flint could lose their lives fighting this evil. Paul cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll like to change my order. I¡¯ll have two chicken grilled sandwiches, chili jack and cheddar cheese omelet with sausage at the side. Carrot cake and a double chocte chip ice- cream. ¡± Ezra smiled back at me in obvious triumph. I couldn¡¯t help but smile back. ¡°And what would you like, Miss?¡± The waitress asked, scribbling the order on her notepad furiously. ¡°I¡¯ll have the same as Flint.¡± I said, waving my hand towards the Agent. ¡°Got it.¡± The waitress beamed, obviously in a good mood. She walked back to the kitchen, swaying her hips, putting up a show for the men. ¡°Riley, you¡¯re no fun.¡± Ezra teased me. ¡°Don¡¯t even try. I¡¯m not going to fall into your trap. You guys must be monsters to eat like that.¡± I said. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we all?¡± Ezra asked, twirling the salt shaker on the table. ¡°A monster resides in everyone. It¡¯s just a matter of choice when a person decides to unleash it.¡± ¡°Wise words.¡± Flint said. An old Juke box in the corner was ying songs from the eighties. It yed Take on me by A-ha. I really liked that song a lot. The diner had the lovely retro look going on, like I¡¯d walked into the past. The food was served approximately twenty minutester. They had to join two tables to amodate the amount of food we¡¯d ordered. It was like a feast. The owner of the diner, a sweet olddy approached our table and asked us if we liked the food and that it had been herte mother-inw¡¯s recipes. She further exined that her grandchildren were trying to modernize the cooking to meet the standards of the youngsters. ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯d rather prefer the original recipe, Mrs. Danbury, because these wings...¡± Ezra sighed, both his fingers dripping in sauce and cheese. ¡°Divine. Better than sex.¡± The olddy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°How old are you, dear?¡± ¡°Twenty-seven.¡± Ezra answered dutifully. Mrs. Danbury smiled in good humor. ¡°If I was only forty years younger.¡± Ezra pouted. ¡°I wish you were too. If you cooked like this, someone as beautiful as you, I mean, I¡¯d divorce my wife right now.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t even married, dipshit.¡± Flint said. ¡°Hey, show some fucking respect here, please.¡± Ezra said. ¡°I¡¯m technically your senior.¡± Flint rolled his eyes and that got anotherugh out of me. ¡°Gramma, we need you in the kitchen, if you¡¯re done flirting with the gentlemen.¡± A cute girl looking like the younger version of Mrs. Danbury called out from the kitchen doorway. ¡°My Anne is single. She¡¯s just twenty-four.¡± Mrs. Danbury added. ¡°And people say she looks and cooks just like me.¡± ¡°Gramma!¡± The girl called out, her face beet-red. When Mrs. Danbury had left the table, Paul said. ¡°Is this the usual amount of food you eat every day, Agent Wolfe?¡± ¡°Got a problem?¡± ¡°I mean the calories.¡± Paul added nervously. ¡°Ezra won¡¯t live long enough for the killer to get to him. The food¡¯s going to kill him first.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± I said. Ezra¡¯s middle finger slowly began rising from his right hand towards Flint who scowled at him. After we¡¯d polished off our meals, we were served homemade apple pie which was on the house. Ezra had impressed Mrs. Danbury with his smooth tongue which was very typical of the Wolfe twins. I couldn¡¯t believe how miserable I¡¯d been until this morning, and right now it all felt so normal again like the murders weren¡¯t happening, as if the killer wasn¡¯t still on the loose, as if my life wasn¡¯t so messed up. Paul dabbed a towel on his mouth and his phone began ringing. He took one look at it and then at the two, ¡°Agents, if you¡¯ve asked all the questions you¡¯ve wanted to, I¡¯d like to get back to work. I got a call from WoodVille.¡± ¡°Thank you for your time, Dr. Bet. If you see anything remotely suspicious, I assume you would ¡°I definitely will.¡± Paul said pulling a few dor bills from his pocket to cover his share of the meal, but Ezra waved it away. ¡°Thanks for the treat.¡± Paul then shook hands with the two agents. He looked at me and said. ¡°Take care, Riley. See you around.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± We watched from the window as he sat down in his Toyota SUV and backed out of the parking lot with a screech, almost furiously. ¡°What do you think, Flint? Is Paul telling us the truth?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t really strike me as someone who would kill people. He¡¯s a bully for sure, but killer? I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Riley?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say that he did it. I mean everything is pointing towards Aaron. Did he answer your call?¡± I asked. ¡°It hit straight to voicemail.¡± Ezra said. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± Ezra said, and then in a very urate Jigsaw voice impersonation he asked, ¡°Do you want to y a game?¡± Flint appeared bored, but I knew he was amused. ¡°Sure, if it doesn¡¯t include getting any of my body parts chopped up.¡± Back in his normal voice, Ezra continued. ¡°Your partner, Scott and you against a lone Wolfe. Two teams.¡± He pointed at himself. ¡°The first team that manages to get to the killer, wins.¡± ¡°Well, I never back down from a challenge. What¡¯s the grand prize?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the bureau chief myself and you get a cing in Washington D.C.¡± Ezra grinned. ¡°This is a tough case. You crack this and you get promoted to DSAC.¡± Flint stared at him like he¡¯d spoken in Japanese. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Deputy Special Agent in Charge.¡± ¡°I know what the abbreviation means.¡± ¡°The chief told me about this.¡± Flint¡¯s hands were balled into fists. ¡°And he never said a word to me. The chief wants you in Washington taking over that rank. It¡¯s obvious, Ezra, you¡¯re his favorite. It¡¯s one reason he agreed to put you on this case despite the fact that your brother is a convicted felon. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re even telling me this.¡± ¡°Because I want this to be fair.¡± Ezra said taking a bite of the apple pie. ¡°If I get to the killer first, I go to Washington and if you do, well, I know how much this would mean to you.¡± ¡°And what if I nail the killer and you loose? What awaits you?¡± Flint asked him. ¡°There¡¯s another case waiting for me. I¡¯m more interested in that one. I''m not the Chief''sp dog. I do my own thing. Hear this. I don''t need the bureau. The bureau needs me." Ezra had a smug expression stered on his face. "Show off." Flint smiled. ¡°You want me to win, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Badly.¡± Ezra said. I looked between the two men. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Ezra. Your father owns a million dorpany. Why do you even need this job?¡± I asked him the question I¡¯d always wanted to. ¡°I like thrill of it. This job gives me the reason to live, Riley. New assignments which means new ces, risks and adventures. I wasn¡¯t cut out to lead apany. I want to do my thing. Jack is more business minded. He¡¯s sharp and can handle being the owner of the Enterprises some day.¡± ¡°Someday?¡± ¡°When he¡¯s out of thea and has sorted out his shit.¡± Ezra reminded. ¡°Now, Riley, I¡¯d suggest you to stop going to work for a while.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best option if you don''t wish to get killed.¡± Flint said. ¡°We have established the fact that the killer might be doing the exact opposite of what he¡¯s told you but we can¡¯t be sure. Maybe he knows what we are thinking and will decide to outsmart us.¡± ¡°A police officer will be outside your apartment at all times.¡± I didn¡¯t have a choice. I had to follow Ezra¡¯s instructions. ¡°Can I have the cheque please?¡± Ezra called out. I was having trouble going to sleep just like the previous few nights. Tonight I kept remembering Maddy in her casket. She¡¯d looked like she¡¯d just fallen asleep. I tried to block out the thoughts and my mind wandered to Jack. Next thing, when I opened my eyes, I wasn¡¯t home. I was lying in a field. A field filled with roses. I didn¡¯t know where I was, but I was somewhere far away from home. The skies were a shade of inky blue. A mansion loomed in the far distance. And there he stood holding a single rose. Jack. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. His dark hair was rumpled, he turned his head towards me, his hooded eyes watching me. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Riley.¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Riley The field was surrounded by roses, but when I looked closely the roses were all dead. There was just one that had bloomed to its highest quality, the rose that Jack was holding between his fingers. He was looking at the distance into the growing mist. I climbed to my feet and stood there, wondering how I¡¯d managed to get here. The ce waspletely deserted and it seemed like there was a void beyond, like nothing else existed other than the field of dead roses. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Riley.¡± Jack said in his deep voice, I couldn¡¯t forget that voice. I¡¯d missed hearing him speak since thest week. He had a smile on his face, but I couldn¡¯t be sure what was going on in his mind. He was difficult to read as usual. He raised his hand towards me, beckoning me toe to him. I started walking with shaky legs unsure of myself. Contrary to his appearance in the hospital where he wore an ugly hospital gown, here he was dressed in a ck suit, and I wondered how my imagination was able to conjure up such an impable image. Was this a dream or had I teleported into some other dimension? I started walking towards Jack when I stumbled upon something. A severed arm. I gasped in horror and took a step back. It was only until a few secondster that I realized that there wasn¡¯t just one arm on the floor but a lot of other severed body parts lying upon the bed of dead flowers. An arm, a leg, foot with painted toe nails, an eyeball staring up at me. A huge raven came pping itsrge wings and began feasting on the human eye, pulling at it. My breathing was erratic. It was the most disturbing thing I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Don¡¯t look down, Riley, it¡¯s only posing as a distraction to stop you from listening to what I have to say.¡± Jack¡¯s hand was still raised towards me. ¡°Come to me.¡± I gathered up some courage, and did what he told me to, ignoring the mess of the body parts on the ground. I walked towards him. When I reached close to Jack, he slid his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. Really close. Curiously, I touched his cheek and I was partly taken aback that I could actually feel him. ¡°Wake up, Jack.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m getting lost in this darkness with each passing day. I don¡¯t know how to get out of here, Riley; I don¡¯t think I have enough time. Mesmerized, my fingers traced his eyes, then his nose, his cheeks and his lips where he kissed my fingers. ¡°You¡¯re really here. You¡¯re real!¡± Jack pulled me in a tight embrace; his face was buried in my hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for summoning you here, sweetheart, I was so lonely. I needed to see you.¡± He nuzzled the crook of my neck and I could feel the warmth of his lips there, his hot breath and his strong fingers syed on my waist. I sighed in pleasure. ¡°I miss you, Jack. You have to wake up for me and for Ezra. He¡¯s beside himself worried about you.¡± ¡°Listen to me carefully, Riley. I don¡¯t know when or if I will wake up. You need to remain vignt and on your toes every time. Ezra needs to stay with you.¡± ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± I assured him. His caramel colored eyes stared at me with suspicion like he didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°We¡¯re at a disadvantage so far. The killer will take its next victim on the seventh of April.¡± ¡°How do you figure that?¡± I asked. ¡°Mad-Dave died on the first of January. Remember Nurse Roxy? Third of February. Madeline on the fifth of March. There is a pattern that the detectives failed to see while they were too busy looking for other details. The killer is doing the killings at the odd numbers of every month.¡± ¡°But what about Brady Wolfe?¡± ¡°He died on twenty-sixth of February which is a dead-giveaway that our original killer is not the one who did it. Twenty-six is an even number. It messed up the killer¡¯s pattern but he still decided to move on.¡± ¡°So that means the person you saw who killed Brady Wolfe that day wasn¡¯t the actual killer.¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not. That was a hired killer and I highly doubt it has anything to do with the one we¡¯re after.¡± ¡°All those detectives and the FBI waiting for you to wake up are going to be disappointed.¡± ¡°They are.¡± Jack touched my hair. ¡°I have a hunch about something, and you¡¯re not going to like it. I have a suspicion about the killer.¡± ¡°Who?¡± He said something and I stared at him in horror. ¡°That¡¯s....that¡¯s not possible, Jack...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riley, but you needed to know.¡± I woke up in bed covered in sweat, the thin fabric of the nightgown clinging to me. I heard the sound of the footsteps and the door to my room opened. Ken switched on the nightmp and settled down beside me. He had a worried expression on his face. ¡°Are you alright? I heard you scream.¡± I realized that I was breathing hard and my heart was pounding against my chest. ¡°It was a nightmare.¡± I assured him. He brushed the hair away from my face. ¡°What was this nightmare about?¡± ¡°I need water.¡± I¡¯d downed an entire ss of water, contemting how I was going to talk about this. ¡°Did you meet Aaron?¡± I inquired. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t.¡± Ken responded. ¡°He¡¯s not showing up at work, and hasn¡¯t answered any calls. I wonder what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. I hope nothing bad happened to him.¡± I was genuinely worried about Aaron now. Despite what Paul and the others had pointed out, I still found it hard to believe that Aaron would be capable to kill somebody. ¡°Ken, if I were to ask of your opinion about the killer, who do you think did it?¡± Ken scratched his head appearing bored. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Paul, I guess.¡± ¡°And yet all the evidence so far is against Aaron. He hadn¡¯t even shown up at the station for questioning after that night Maddy was killed.¡± ¡°Strange indeed.¡± Ken said. ¡°Look, I have to wake up early tomorrow morning; do you think you can pick up the groceries in the afternoon?¡± ¡°Sure, and then I¡¯m going to the hospital to see Jack. I¡¯m meeting Ezra after that. I¡¯ll bete so I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be home for dinner.¡± I saw his features turn hard. Ken was furious. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, Riley?¡± I stared at him in confusion. ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°That psychopath is in a fuckinga, he¡¯s half dead as it is and you¡¯re still going day after day to see him. What are you getting out of this?¡± ¡°Ken, that¡¯s enough.¡± I said in a soft older sister scolding voice. ¡°I told you my feelings about Jack, and that¡¯s not going to change no matter what you say or anyone else so you may as well get used to it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you see it? Jack¡¯s savage and killed so many people ruthlessly. Let¡¯s assume for one goddamn minute that there¡¯s a miracle and he somehow wakes up from thea and let¡¯s say they do catch this killer, what then? You¡¯re going to start dating killers now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a psychopath and he¡¯s not a killer! Stop saying that. Jack was being framed and that¡¯s the only reason he¡¯s slipped into thisa in the first ce.¡± In a maddening rage, he threw open my drawers and pulled out all my private journals where I¡¯d written about my researches and thesis. He practically flung one such diary in myp. ¡°This. This is what had gotten you so damned obsessed with serial killers and now you¡¯ve taken one step too far. Riles, I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about this. You¡¯re sick and you need help asap.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Open the journal.¡± I opened it and saw what I knew I¡¯d see. ¡°Yeah. All my research about deviant minds. What¡¯s weird about that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s weird, sister is that you¡¯d always been into the crazies and as soon as you were introduced to one charming, good-looking lunatic in the hospital you decided to stick to him like a fucking leech.¡± ¡°Mind yournguage with me, Keh!¡± Ken was staring at me like I really needed help. ¡°You¡¯re obsession is so strong that you started to think it was love. If Mom and Dad were alive, do you think they would be proud of you? Do you think they would like you sneaking killers into your bedroom?¡± ¡°You knew Jackson was here that day?¡± Kenughed. ¡°Of course, I did. How stupid do you think I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore; I know the difference between what¡¯s right and wrong. Ezra is doing his best to find the killer. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the killer is behind bars.¡± ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Ken said in a tired voice. ¡°Night.¡± I was relieved he was exhausted because even I didn¡¯t have the energy to continue bickering with him. ¡°Good night, Ken.¡± I said, ¡°And keep my bedroom door open.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. I knew Ezra and Flint would stare at me like I¡¯d grown several horns on my head if I told them how I¡¯d seen Jack in my dreams and how he¡¯d given me information about the pattern of the murders so I excluded that part and said I¡¯d managed toe up with the theory. Ezra had a pencil poised in his hand as he stared off into the distance. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee was enticing. I took a sip of the beverage and a bite from the sugar zed donut. Finally Ezra said, ¡°It¡¯s a good guess but at this point the killer probably did the murders on odd numbered dates on purpose just to confuse us and put us on the wrong trail.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that it is true and you¡¯re wasting time looking into something that isn¡¯t even important.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to teach us how to do our jobs now, Riley?¡± Flint asked in a joking way, he was smiling but I didn¡¯t miss the serious undertone to it. ¡°Of course not, but you guys should really look into this. ording to the calctions made so far, the next murder could be on the seventh of April.¡± Flint and Ezra looked at each other and I hated when they did that. It was the signature looks that FBI¡¯s and police officers exchanged during movies or tv shows when they were in on something that the third person wasn¡¯t a part of. Flint cleared his throat and looked at Ezra. ¡°She deserves to know. I think we should tell her.¡± ¡°Tell me what?¡± ¡°Your brother Keh was here earlier this morning before he headed to work.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And he confessed.¡± Ezra said. The coffee cup rattled in my hand and spilled on the floor but I couldn¡¯t pay attention to it and neither could the Agents. ¡°What do you mean he confessed? What did he confess to?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you suggesting that my brother is the¡ª¡± ¡°He said he knows the killer and has proof against them.¡± Ezra cut me off mid-sentence. ¡°Well, who is it?¡± ¡°He says it¡¯s you.¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Riley ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± I stared at Ezra in disbelief. ¡°Did Ken say that?¡± I may have forgotten how to blink. I shifted my gaze towards Flint to see if he would crack into a smile and dere that it was Ezra¡¯s idea to y the joke. No such thing happened. I had turned from suspect to victim and now I was reduced to being an actual murderer by my own brother. I stared at the grey walls of the interrogation room. A table separated the distance between me and the FBI Agents. Ezra was the first to speak. ¡°Would you like anything to drink, Riley? Tea, coffee or water?¡± ¡°I just need an answer.¡± ¡°The answer to your question is a yes. He didn¡¯t outright say you killed all those people but he suggested that you may have something to do with it.¡± Ezra exined keeping a poker face. I couldn¡¯t guess what was going on in his mind. And something else was different. They thought I was deranged. I didn¡¯t like that look. ¡°Do you really believe that I killed Mad-Dave, Nurse Roxy and my best friend Madeline?¡± Ezra didn¡¯t answer this time, it was Flint who did. ¡°Your brother has reason to believe that you may have done it without having knowledge of it.¡± I was baffled by all of this, and my anger was going to shoot through the freakin¡¯ roof. ¡°Agent Flint Knight, would you kindly stop talking in riddles and get to the point?!¡± ¡°Very well, Keh told us that you were experiencing some headaches and ckouts, and upon some investigation on our part...¡± he paused and looked at Ezra, ¡°The staff at WoodVille¡¯s confirmed that it was indeed true that you were found in the empty wards dozing off from consuming a heavy amount of sleeping pills.¡± ¡°That happened just once when I identally swallowed Jack¡¯s medication.¡± I said. ¡°And do you remember how it happened? How did you manage to swallow the medication prescribed to your patient?¡± ¡°As far as I remember, Jackson was not co-operative. He had been under the impression that I was going to force it down his throat like all the other nurses before me, but I wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Your brother also showed us the diary you wrote, all the type of research about the criminally insane.¡± Flint said. Ezra just continued to stare at me like I was a puzzle he needed to solve. He had his legs stretched out in front of him, his posture rxed. ¡°I did the researches as a means to help me understand the mental health of my patients. In fact Dr. Aaron encouraged it. It was nothing more than a study about something that I was passionate about.¡± This was supposed to be us trying to unravel the killer. How had it turned into an interrogation and more importantly, why had Ken told the FBI that I had done the killings? ¡°There¡¯s going to be a thorough investigation, Riley, we are going to go through your apartment again. Your mental health will be confirmed by a psychiatrist and until then you will remain under police custody.¡± ¡°So you think I¡¯m crazy?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t implied that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not implying it because you¡¯re insinuating it. You cannot lock me up in an asylum!¡± I shrieked. ¡°What proof do you have that I murdered those people?¡± Flint passed me a bored look, like he wanted to be done with this interrogation, get a nice hot meal and getid with a beautiful woman that evening. And I was in his way. ¡°Ezra, would you like to do the honors?¡± Flint asked. Ezra crossed his legs in front of him. His expressions turning cold. It was clear that I was being cornered. ¡°When Mad-Dave was killed you were on duty at the time and you told Dr. Aaron that you needed to get some rest and left home early that day. Jack was locked away in a straight-jacket. So far into the investigation, we¡¯ve been able to understand that the killer is someone who knows about the inner exits of the hospital that no one else does.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t exin¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not finished yet, Riley.¡± Ezra cut me off in a curt manner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please go on.¡± I said ¡°Dr. Aaron Shaw mentioned that before you were taken by Jack to live with him in the cabin, you saw the body of Nurse Roxy in the old wing.¡± ¡°I did.¡± I admitted. The killer hadid all the traps and I¡¯d walked right into it. ¡°And when Dr. Aaron went to check on it, he couldn¡¯t find the body.¡± ¡°So that proves I¡¯m the killer?¡± ¡°Your fingerprints were all over Madeline¡¯s house.¡± ¡°I need to ce a call to my attorney, James. I won¡¯t talk any further without him being present; neither will I give any exnation because it seems to me like you guys are hell-bent on putting the me on me. You want me to go to a shrink? Fine.¡± I sat back and folded my hands against my chest. ¡°Nothing personal, Riley. I hope you understand.¡± I passed him a smile. ¡°I understand, Agent Wolfe. Do what you have to.¡± Twenty-four hours. That¡¯s all it took for me to turn from apletely normal person to someone who experienced ckouts and killed people. I looked at myself in the mirror, I had turned pale and wasn¡¯t getting enough sleep. The hospital food was just adding to my depression. Ezra was supposed to be my friend, but he¡¯d betrayed my trust in the end. Then again, how could I expect anything from Ezra who I had recently met when my own brother had lied to the police? I had called him that evening and given him an earful and he refused to give me answers. ¡°You¡¯re a coward, Ken. You lied to the police. There are going to be people wanting to know the answers. I will get hanged!¡± Hot tears ran down my cheeks. ¡°I did that to protect you!¡± Ken shrieked over the phone. ¡°To protect me?¡± Iughed. ¡°How are you going to protect me by framing me for these murders?¡± ¡°You did it, Riley. You murdered those people without even realizing it. You killed them because you were totally in love with Jackson. I promise though, everything is going to be okay now, you¡¯re going to get the help you need.¡± He said. ¡°The only way I can keep you from getting convicted is by making sure you¡¯re locked up.¡± ¡°Do you hear yourself? You¡¯re sounding insane! You¡¯re the killer aren¡¯t you?¡± There was a long silence on the other end of the line. ¡°Ken?¡± The line went dead. My mother had always said that I was strong. I had promised her that I would always protect my brother even though we didn¡¯t have much of an age-gap, and now he said he was protecting me in some twisted way. Did he really think I killed people? It had just been a few days since I was admitted into the asylum. I had a lot of time to think in my ward room. I spent my time, staring into the in walls thinking of the answers to my questions. I wasn¡¯t crazy. I knew that for sure. I hadn¡¯t killed people unknowingly. It was just maddening to think of me doing something like that. When I saw James, I felt utmost relief. My attorney was my best option to get out of this situation. He was dressed in a formal grey suit, a serious expression on his face. I guess he didn¡¯t think he would see me in such bad circumstances such as me locked up in a mental health facility. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I asked him out of curiosity. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± I caught his hand in mine. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy; James and I never killed anyone.¡± Probably the hundredth time I had said it this week. We stared at each other in silence. The only sound in the room was the other patients talking to their visitors. ¡°Riley, I¡¯m your attorney and if I¡¯m representing you, I have to know everything. If you are having ckouts and have no recollection of the lost time, I have to know.¡± I squeezed his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve got to believe me. I¡¯m not having any ckouts. There is some misunderstanding. I have no idea why my brother is lying to everyone.¡± I said with as much conviction as I could muster. James remained silent for a while. ¡°Do you think he is the killer?¡± I gave out augh. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t imagine Ken killing so many people.¡± I paused and thought for a moment. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say he is the killer, what motive would he have?¡± ¡°A serial killer doesn¡¯t need a motive, Riley. It could be an addiction, or he could be killing just for fun. They do it because they find it entertaining, and can¡¯t stop. Sometimes they continue to kill until they are apprehended, it¡¯s like a cry for help.¡± I pondered over that thought. ¡°James, I need a favor from you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± James had been quite a good friend, I was yet to pay him fully for his services and he¡¯d been generous enough to let me know that I could take my time which was quite nice of him. ¡°I want you to get inside my apartment and go through Ken¡¯s room, there are some files in his wardrobe, I want you to take copies of it and bring it to me. You will find the copy machine in the living area.¡± James face was drained from his usual color. ¡°You suggest I break into your apartment¡± He lowered down his voice a little, ¡°I could go to jail for it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to break in. I always keep a spare key of my apartment below the ¡®Wee¡¯ mat outside the door. You¡¯re the only person I can trust to get me these documents.¡± James appeared to be thinking. I pressed on. ¡°Please, James. I need your help.¡± ¡°I will try my best.¡± ¡°Not try, James, I want you to do it, But be very careful.¡± Two dayster I received a call. ¡°Riley, I found something. You¡¯re not going to believe this.¡± I heard James say on the other end of the line. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I went to your apartment and got my hands on some really strange stuff. I don¡¯t know how this links to the murders, but I know it surely does.¡± ¡°Come see me in the hospital tonight. Bring the things you found, let¡¯s talk about it.¡± Whatever that James was going to tell me, I had to be ready. ¡°I¡¯ll visit you tonight when I can.¡± He said and ended the call. If James had acquired some proof against Ken, I had to be strong. It hurt a lot to think my own brother, my own flesh and blood would kill people and frame me for it but if there really was solid proof then it meant that all this madness would end. I was exhausted from staying high on alert, always looking behind my back. I craved for a normal life, to be a normal woman for once. I waited for patiently for James that night, anticipating what he had in store but when I didn¡¯t hear from him, I went to bed deciding that James had changed his mind about meeting me tonight. Maybe he had other important work that day. At around eleven p.m, a nurse came to tell me that there was a call for me. I thought it had to be James. I picked up the receiver. ¡°Yes, James?¡± ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Riley, but this is Ezra speaking.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Cutting straight to the chase. I have two news to give you. One good and one bad. Which one would you like to hear first?¡± My heart began racing faster. ¡°Um, good?¡± ¡°Okay, the good news is that Jack woke up from thea. He opened his eyes and the first person he asked for was you¡ª¡± I think I may have started sobbing in relief. ¡°Jack woke up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then suddenly I started to feel ill. What was the bad news going to be? I hoped he didn¡¯t tell me that Jack stepped on a bar of soap and slipped back into thea or something or that he forgot who I was in a matter of seconds. ¡°What¡¯s the bad news? Is Jack alright?¡± ¡°Riley. Your attorney James McIntyre was found in his apartment.¡± ¡°No!¡± I whispered. ¡°He can¡¯t be dead!¡± ¡°A cord was around his neck, damaging his windpipe. We reached on time to find that he was still alive. We¡¯ve taken James to the hospital. He¡¯s been treated in the intensive care unit. His apartment is in shambles. Everything turned upside down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± I mumbled. ¡°You kill people telepathically? Next thing, you¡¯re going to tell me you¡¯re in possession of a Death Note.¡± I didn¡¯t know how Ezra could even joke at a time like this. ¡°I told James to acquire some important things from my apartment and look what happened.¡± I held the receiver tightly in my hand, feeling my knuckles go white. ¡°I know who did it. It¡¯s clear now.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you didn¡¯t let meplete, Riley.¡± Ezra said. ¡°One of James neighbors ran into a person while she was waiting for the elevator. The man was running down the stairs in a hurry.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Well, the description matches only one person.¡± He said. For the first time. I didn¡¯t need to ask Ezra who this person was. ¡°The descriptions match your brother Ken.¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Riley ¡°You have to get me out of here.¡± I said. ¡°Not now, Riley. I can¡¯t.¡± Ezra said. ¡°It¡¯s safe for you to stay in the facility. There are guards outside. You¡¯re safe there. The police are going after Ken. As soon as we have him in custody and get a confession out of him, you will remain locked up.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re leaving me here?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. Jack¡¯s awake and I have enough pressure from the chief of bureau to find the killer, wrap up this case and get on with it. I can¡¯t have you running around trying to help me only to get yourself in more trouble.¡± I had never heard Ezra more pissed in his life. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re Ken¡¯s sister and that makes you a suspect too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny how my roles keep changing. I turn from an innocent victim to a lunatic murder having ckouts to a suspect who supported his brother in the killings. That¡¯s very nice. I guess the FBI can learn to keep some consistency.¡± Ezra heard the jibe loud and clear. ¡°I¡¯m doing my job.¡± ¡°Look, Ezra¡ª¡± He hung up on the call before I could utter another word. I waspletely alone now, in the literal sense. Even James was involved in this now, because I was foolish enough to send him up to my apartment. If something happened to James, I didn¡¯t think I could forgive myself. After dinner that day before I could go to bed, I picked up the chair lying in the corner of the room and put it against the window. I climbed it and tried to pry open the lock on the bars. It wasn¡¯t easy. All those things they showed in the crime tv shows was all a bunch of bull. I only ended up panting and feeling drained. If it was Jack, I¡¯m sure he would have found a way to walk out of the asylum without batting an eye. ¡°Need help getting out?¡± Jose, the Nurse asked. I almost jumped out of my skin and the chair tumbled in the process. I had been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn¡¯t even heard him unlock the door and walk in. ¡°Will you help me?¡± I asked even though Jose was thest person I wanted help from. Jose was known to be a womanizer, and there was the fact that he was popr with thedies for all the wrong reasons. He was good looking with the shabby blond hair and blue eyes, not in the movie star gorgeous way, but just nice to look at. I¡¯d heard rumors from fellow patients that he sometimes slipped into some patient¡¯s room for a good screw. Recently, I¡¯d seen him eyeball me more than on one asion and it made my skin crawl. He smirked, the kind that made me want to punch his face. ¡°What do I get in return?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He looked me up and down, ¡°Let¡¯s see. Getting you out of the asylum unnoticed would have a high price. If you could open your blouse and let me suck your tits, I¡¯ll consider.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡± I said. ¡°I have some money; I can give you all of it.¡± He wasn¡¯t even listening. ¡°Or you could let me fuck you and I¡¯ll slip you out of here nice and easy.¡± His eyes looked at me greedily. ¡°Or how about you fuck off from my room?¡± I asked. ¡°I think that would be even better.¡± The color drained from his face, I think he was used to getting his way with thedies here. He shut the door behind him muttering something. Three days passed and I hadn¡¯t heard from anyone. I wanted to see Jack more than anything. I was relieved to know that he was alright and that he was awake. If he had at least called me once. I just wanted to hear his voice. The doctors here were being nice, but I didn¡¯t miss the way they looked at me, like there was something seriously wrong. She said patients who appeared normal were actually the most disturbed. I assured the doctor that I waspletely normal and I was stuck here because of a misunderstanding. They didn¡¯t believe me. That evening I had a simple meal of egg sd sandwich, and then I watched some tv in the leisure room, hoping the nurses would inform me that I had a call from Jackson. I decided to have a bath before I went to bed, since most of the patients had had their baths before me, when I went to take the shower, the water was already running cold. I realized I ran out of luck a long time back. I went to sleep thinking of Jack, and my brother. I wondered what Ken was doing. If he was running from the police or if they had caught him, I was hoping they had so all this woulde to an end. I wished Ken didn¡¯t kill those people, and it was all a misunderstanding. And then I could finally sleep in myfy bed, maybe live a normal life with Jack. How nice it would be to date him? I wondered. What kind of a boyfriend was Jack? Would he pull the chair out for me if we walked into a restaurant or do no such thing because he considered me his equal? Would he ask me what I preferred to eat or order something for the both of us? I slipped into a dream where everything was alright. Then I woke up when I heard the lock turn. My eyes opened and I saw a tall form looming above, standing beside my bed. ¡°Hey Sugar.¡± He whispered in a sultry voice. Jackson? It took me a whole second to realize it was Jose. I sat upright; all the sleep hadpletely abandoned me. ¡°What are you doing here, Jose?¡± He kept staring at me for a creepily long time. The clock on the wall ticked to three thirty. I had a feeling like something bad was going to happen to me. The clock ticking was the only sound in the room. He put a finger to his lips and brought his face really close to mine. ¡°Shhhh¡­keep your voice down.¡± He slurred. He was drunk and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I pushed him away. ¡°Get out of here!¡± He didn¡¯t budge. ¡°I just want to fuck you once. Just once.¡± Before I could do anything, he flipped me over and held my face down on the mattress until I was my screaming was getting muffled by the pillows. I tried to punch him but being in an awkward position with my face down, I couldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°It¡¯ll be over in a sec, baby-girl. If you can jus fucking co-operate I wouldn¡¯ have to hurt ya.¡± I struggled toe up but it was hard because his fingers were digging into my wrists. ¡°Help me! Somebody!¡± I said. No one could hear me here. This guy was going to ruin my life in a matter of minutes and I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I gathered as much energy as I needed and kicked him hard where the sun didn¡¯t shine. Jose stumbled and fell down on the floor, holding his groin and throwing a string of curses at me. I stood up and started to leave when I felt his grip on my ankle, he yanked and that¡¯s when I lost my bnce. He knocked me down. I reached for the heavy marblemp on the nightstand and swung it at him. There was a sickening thud sound, and possibly a bone cracking. ¡°I¡¯m not your fucking baby-girl.¡± My voice was menacing to my own ears. He yelled from the pain or the anger, I wasn¡¯t sure. I felt the spray of something wet on my face, but it had felt good to hit him, and the sound was satisfying as hell. I kept smashing him until his face was bloody and he was lying down on the ground. He had underestimated me. I stood there in the darkness with the stainedmp in my hand. I was panting, and then I wasughing. I was losing my sanity. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I was ready to swing themp towards the person but stopped. I stared into a familiar face. I could recognize those smoldering brown eyes even in the dark, those same eyes that had looked at me like I meant the world to him. Jackson. Tears sprang into my eyes. Was I hallucinating? Maybe this man was someone else and I was seeing Jack because that¡¯s what my mind and heart wanted me to see. And then he touched my cheek and I knew this wasn¡¯t a hallucination or a dream. He had lost weight, but he still managed to look sexy as hell with a mouth that was meant for sin. He could have been Lucifer himself with the glint of danger in his eyes. ¡°Riley.¡± ¡°He¡­he tried to rape me and I¡­I overcame with so much rage that I didn¡¯t even realize what I was doing. I didn¡¯t mean to kill him; I¡¯m not the killer¡­¡± I was a mumbling, stuttering mess. ¡°Riley.¡± He repeated. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be here. Ken said I killed people and then James is lying in the hospital bed in a critical condition because of me. I¡¯m not the killer. No one trusts me. And you were¡­you were in aa¡­¡± ¡°Riley, listen to me.¡± ¡°What are you doing here, Jackson? Shouldn¡¯t you be in the hospital bed? You¡¯ve gotta trust me. I didn¡¯t kill¡ª¡± He stopped me from bbering by crashing his lips against mine in a hard kiss. His fingers held my face in ce. I opened my mouth to give him more ess as his tongue tried to seek entrance, I moaned when he did delicious things with his tongue. His mouth was totally merciless with his assault and I loved it. He tasted better than chocte. My knees were going weak so I had to hold onto his strong shoulders for support. Nothing else mattered anymore. Jack was the one to pull away first, and I immediately missed his lips on mine. We were both breathless, and I was feeling a little dizzy. Jack nced at Jose and I heard the man groan on the floor. My first reaction was why the fuck was he still alive? And the other part me was d I wasn¡¯t going to jail for a murder. ¡°You were really brave right now.¡± Jack said, his eyes glimmered with intensity. ¡°Cotton-Candy, I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± I lunged forward into his arms and cried into his chest, heaving uncontroble sobs. I was so d he was here; it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off of me. I could finally breathe freely. ¡°You¡¯re here. You¡¯re really here with me.¡± I whispered, cupping his face in both of my hands; touching his cheek and feeling the short hair of his stubble graze my skin. I had just smeared blood on his cheeks. What I really wanted to do was kiss the hell outta him again. Instead, I asked. ¡°How did you find me?¡± ¡°Ezra filled me in on the details, everything that happened when I was in aa.¡± Jack exined. ¡°I had difficulty with my memories at first but it all starteding back to me slowly. They told me where to find you. You¡¯re not safe here. I¡¯ll take you to a safe ce where the killer can¡¯t find you.¡± I grasped his end of his jacket, and shook my head. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t let me leave this ce.¡± He retrieved a bunch of papers from his jacket. ¡°I have the signature of the head doctor.¡± I stared at him. ¡°Did you forge the signature, Jack?¡± His lips broke into a mischievous grin. ¡°You need to get out of here. Don¡¯t question how or why. Now let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Riley ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked. I was hit with a feeling of nostalgia as I climbed into a ck BMW. This wasn¡¯t an old car, it appeared new and I wondered if it belonged to Jack or if he¡¯d stolen it. ¡°Is this your car?¡± Jack smiled as he slid behind the wheel. ¡°You ask too many questions, Cotton-Candy.¡± He reached behind me, pulled the seat belt and secured it in ce, his faceing close to mine. He pecked my lips and ran his forefinger over my lower lip lightly. ¡°Your lips are swollen, I guess, I¡¯m partly to me for it.¡± I blushed and looked out the window. ¡°Are you going to tell me where we are going?¡± ¡°I have an apartment that was registered with an alias. You¡¯ll stay there for as long as this matter settles once and for all.¡± ¡°No.¡± I said. ¡°Take me home, to my apartment.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t giving you a choice, Riley.¡± ¡°I know you weren¡¯t, but I can¡¯t always let you take decisions for me. This concerns my brother. If he is the killer, I will find a way to end this.¡± Jack gave out augh, and then his features turned hard. ¡°No amount of sweet-talking is going to stop your brother from doing what he is doing. If he thinks you¡¯re in the way, he will not hesitate to kill you and if Kenys a hand on you, if he tries to hurt you, then by god help him I won¡¯t stop from putting a bullet in his head.¡± I knew Jack wasn¡¯t lying when he said that. I could tell from his expressions that he was dead serious. ¡°I know the risk of going home, Jack, but I have to. I don¡¯t want to be scared anymore and I don¡¯t want to hide. The killer wants us to do exactly that, and we are not going to give him the satisfaction.¡± I think Jack was ready to argue back but closed his mouth and thought better of it, because he knew I was telling the truth. We weren¡¯t going to run our entire lives. ¡°If Ken wanted to hurt me, he would¡¯ve done it a long time back.¡± ¡°He framed you for the murders and put you in a mental facility, what else do you need?¡± Jack asked furiously. It was my turn to shut up. Thankfully, Jack¡¯s phone started buzzing. I hated arguing with him. He looked at the phone and told me it was Ezra. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We have a problem, Jack.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice boomed from the car¡¯s speakers, his voice was so much simr to Jack¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± There was silence in the car for second and then Ezra said, ¡°Riley is missing. I received a call from the hospital. They said they found a male nurse lying there, barely breathing and Riley wasn¡¯t in her room. Is she with you?¡± I shook my head at Jack. If he told Ezra I was with him, then Ezra would ask me to go back to the hospital again. I wasn¡¯t ready to cage myself back in that dreadful ce again, not when there were chances of Jos¨¦ing back for a bit of revenge. ¡°She is.¡± Jack said. ¡°That bastard tried to rape her. He deserved what he got and if it weren¡¯t for Riley, I would have done worse. He¡¯s lucky not to be dead.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking thew back in your hands, brother. She is still a suspect.¡± ¡°I can hear you.¡± I snapped at him. ¡°Yo quiero que lleves a estaci¨®n de policia.¡± I want you to take her to the police station. ¡°They will keep an eye on her.¡± Ezra said thest part in English. "Eso no va a suceder.¡± That¡¯s not happening. Jack responded in Spanish. I couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying, momentarily taken aback by Jack speaking in Spanish. It was the first that I¡¯d seen him talk in thatnguage. All I had understood was the word ¡äPolicia¡ä which meant police. ¡°Can you please speak in English so I can understand what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Nosotros podemos protege y vamos a ver que podemos hacer sobre el enfermero.¡± We can protect her, and we will see what we can do about this male nurse. ¡°Yo creo que he puesto bastante confianza en policia anteriormenteo para saber mejor.¡± I think I have ced enough trust in the police before to know better. ¡±I know you can do your job, Ezra, I don¡¯t doubt it but I¡¯ll feel safe when she¡¯s with me.¡± Jack concluded passing me a nce. ¡°I trust Riley. You can talk in English.¡± ¡°Fine. One of the factories in the Wolfe Enterprise has burned down to the ground. It seems to be a short-circuit problem, but we are still investigating.¡± ¡°Which department?¡± Jack asked, his fingers tightening over the steering wheel. ¡°The clothing manufacturing department. It¡¯s the factory. All the equipment¡¯s and the fabrics are damaged.¡± ¡°Are the workers alright?¡± ¡°Most of them, yes. Only twenty are seriously injured.¡± Ezra said. ¡°Compensate them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your fucking servant. I have too much on my hands already with the bureau chief literally hounding me every second. You do it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s arson.¡± Jack said. ¡°What?!¡± Came Ezra¡¯s shocked response. ¡°Exactly what you heard. I thought all the employees were happy doing their jobs. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of something like this in five years.¡± Jack said, his voice sounded strained. ¡°What do you know Jack? You¡¯ve spent the better half of your life in an asylum and then running from the police.¡± ¡°Your point?¡± Jack asked, clearly pissed. ¡°My point being, brother, that this wouldn¡¯t have even happened if you¡ª¡± ¡°Do not even fucking go there, Ezra. I¡¯m warning you.¡± Jack said in such a menacingly low tone, a chill ran down my spine. ¡°Have you tried to talk with Tobias? Did you ask him the person responsible for making a contract for the factory safety measures?¡± ¡°We have a name. It¡¯s apany called¡ª¡± ¡°Fire him.¡± Jack said tly. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Fire the man who made a contract with thepany. They obviously did a piss-poor job and we don¡¯t need people like that working for us. I¡¯ll get in touch with the constructionpany and see if we were reallycking for the building to have a sudden ¡®short-circuit¡¯ problem.¡± In that moment, I knew that Jack was a perfect fit to be an heir to a multi-million dor corporation. He knew what he was doing, and if I wasn¡¯t aware before, I had no doubt in my mind how truly intelligent and smart Jack was. ¡°We lost a couple million dors. If this continues, we are going to face a lot of problems, the bankers and the investors woulde asking questions. Thepany needs you back on the board.¡± Ezra said. ¡°I¡¯ll handle everything.¡± Jack said in a monotone. ¡°When this is all over, I¡¯ll do what¡¯s needed.¡± ¡°Which is reiming your position as president of the Wolfe Enterprise, and with Brady dead, you don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Jack drove me to my apartment as I¡¯d asked him to. Inside, everything was turned upside down. It didn¡¯t look like a home that I had left just for a few days, more like an apartment that had narrowly survived a natural cmity. Jack and I spent the next hour trying to put things back in its original ce while looking for some clues. I didn¡¯t miss how he went through every single document or paper that he found lying around the room. Ken¡¯s room was messy; no doubt it was done by the FBI and the detectives who were here to investigate. ¡°Where is Ken¡¯sptop?¡± Jack asked. I found theptop stashed beneath the bed. I pulled it out and handed it over to Jack. He opened it and the home-screen appeared. ¡°It¡¯s not password protected.¡± ¡°Ken never had much regard towards his own privacy. He left his bedroom unlocked whenever he was working at the hospital which is why I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s the killer. I still don¡¯t believe that he is.¡± I said. ¡°He keeps it unlocked for the same reason because he didn¡¯t want you to suspect him.¡± Jack looked at me with an expression that I knew too well, the wheels in his head were turning fast. We had to think fast before time ran out and there was another innocent victim. ¡°Jack, do you remember the dream?¡± I asked while he continued to rustle through the papers. ¡°What dream?¡± ¡°When you were in aa, I dreamed of you. I saw you standing there somewhere in the greater beyond. You gave me strength to keep going.¡± I smiled at him. ¡°I can never forget that.¡± ¡°I did?¡± He passed me a grin. The first real smile that I¡¯d seen him give me after a long time. I loved the yfulness glimmering in his eyes, the color resembled caramel brown. ¡°Honestly, Riley, I don¡¯t remember where I was or if I even had a dream during that time. I felt like I woke up from a very long nap.¡± I nodded, he said he didn¡¯t remember it but I knew what I had seen. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Jack stopped what he was doing, his eyes turned sad. I squeezed his hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°When I woke up from thea, I had this weirdest feeling like something had happened to you. I was so scared to ask Ezra if you were even...¡± ¡°Alive?¡± He lowered himself on the floor in front of me, took my hands in his and kissed them. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you, Riley.¡± His eyes met mine. ¡°If I lose you, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to live.¡± I touched his cheek, ¡°I need you to promise me something, Jack.¡± I whispered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If something were to happen to me, you would go on with your life. Try not to do crazy things, and stay out of the asylum.¡± He stared at me disconcerted way, and finally said. ¡°Nothing is going to happen to you because I will always protect you besides...¡± he smiled, ¡°I want you...no, I need you be in my life to keep me sane. If you¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll be mad as a hatter and I¡¯ll move hell and earth to have you by my side. So do me a favor and live.¡± ¡°Oh Jack.¡± I wrapped my arms around his neck and stayed that way for a while. ¡°I promise you, Riley. I¡¯ll fight until myst breath to keep us both alive.¡± I was shaking because I was scared that something would happen to one of us. If anything happened to Jack, how was I to live? ¡°You have to promise me something in return.¡± He said quietly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m dead, you will marry any other guy except my brother.¡± He said it with a serious face. We stared at each other for a while in silence until I burst outughing. He was grinning. I was stillughing when I waved my hand, ¡°that¡¯s not going to happen, don¡¯t worry, Ezra is not my type and I believe the feeling is quite mutual.¡± ¡°But you did kiss him once, didn¡¯t you?¡± I froze. I was taken aback by that question because I hadn¡¯t seen iting. I watched as his features darkened as he continued to look at me. ¡°I...it was...it was a misunderstanding, Jack. I thought it was you when I kissed him but he was unresponsive and I realized that it wasn¡¯t you.¡± He gave me a nod, his face stoic and it kind of frightened me, ¡°Does he kiss you better than I do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, at least not for me. It was more like we just touched our lips to each other, kind of like a hug. Nothing special. There were no sparks flying for me, my heart wasn¡¯t beating faster, I wasn¡¯t turned on like I¡¯m when you do those things to me.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± He asked in the same monotone. ¡°Of course.¡± Finally, Jack¡¯s face cracked into a smile and heughed, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to feel ttered, huh?¡± ¡°Well...¡± ¡°Did you even look at your face? You were scared out of your wits.¡± Jack said betweenughing, he was having a st at how ufortable he¡¯d made me with that question. What had he expected? He had scared me with that brooding look on his face and I¡¯d thought he was really furious. I had started to imagine Jack killing me slowly and then burying a ck trash bag deep into the forest that contained my body parts. As if reading my mind, he said, ¡°I will never hurt you, Riley, no matter how angry I be. Always remember that.¡± I gave him a nod and he pecked my lips. ¡°You look tired, go take a nap. It¡¯s three a.m. already. I¡¯ll look through all of this in the meantime.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep. I don¡¯t want to waste any more of my time sleeping when I could just keep looking at you.¡± ¡°Well, not just look. You have my full permission to do as you please with my body.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I asked him excitedly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m yours. Heart, body and soul.¡± I giggled and took the file out of his hands. ¡°This can wait for a few more minutes...¡± I took his mouth in a full kiss and said. ¡°Who knows what will happen to me in the next twenty-four hours. Come to bed with me, Jackson.¡± ¡°Hmmm...now that¡¯s an invitation hard to turn down.¡± He said in a sultry voice that made my body tingle. ¡°I missed hearing you say my full name, Nurse Riley.¡± ¡°Give me a few minutes to get ready.¡± I whispered. He gave me a teasing smile. ¡°You¡¯re one horny girl, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s okay, I guess. Can¡¯t really Laughing, I quickly walked into my bedroom and threw open the drawers. I had bought a set of sexy lingerie from Victoria¡¯s Secret a year back and never even used it. It was bright red andcy. I almost felt like a naughty school girl. I stripped off all my clothing and wore the lingerie, ran my fingers through my hair and popped in some lip-gloss. The bra sure made my breasts look big. I quickly fixed my bed and slid beneath the cover. ¡°Jack, you cane in.¡± He didn¡¯t waste time and walked in without a shirt. He dived straight in bed and pulled the cover off, flinging it towards the floor. Hastily I reached for his denim button and undid it. Jack didn¡¯t give me a chance to pull his jeans down, his hands slid to my waist and he pulled me possessively against him, his mouth devouring minepletely. He groaned deep in his throat and I smiled in satisfaction. My fingers threaded through his soft hair, I liked the prickly feeling of his gruff jaw brushing against my cheeks. He pulled one side of the bra strap off my shoulder, licked and suckled there savagely. Then he pushed me down onto the bed, trailed kisses down the valley of my breasts, his other hand reaching my panties. I could feel the hardness from through the thick fabric of his jeans. I was almost dying of anticipation. He touched my panties and began peeling them off my body when my phone started ringing. ¡°Ignore it.¡± Jack whispered in a voiceced with desire. I ignored the phone but it continued to ring for the third time and the fourth. I pulled away from the kiss and said. ¡°I¡¯ll just see who is calling me.¡± ¡°There better be a fucking emergency like a hurricane or something, or I¡¯m going to kill whoever it is that¡¯s cock-blocking me.¡± Jack said as he handed me the phone. I looked at the screen. ¡°An unknown number.¡± ¡°Put it on speakers.¡± Jack instructed. I pressed the answer. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Riley, it¡¯s me.¡± He sounded desperate. Jack and I exchanged looks. ¡°Ken, what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I need your help.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Riley ¡°I need your help.¡± I heard Ken¡¯s voice on the other end of line. The call was on speakers so Jack could hear every word of the conversation too. My eyes met Jack¡¯s who silently mouthed me to say yes to Ken¡¯s request. ¡°What do you need help with? And where are you right now, Ken? Tell me everything starting from the beginning.¡± Ken didn¡¯t give me an answer for the longest minute and I started to wonder if he had hung up the call likest time. ¡°Ken?¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know where I am and I can¡¯t give you more details. All I know is that I may or may not have much time left. I need you to do something for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You will get a text message on your phone right now that has an address. Jackson needs to be there, without the police or the FBI.¡± ¡°Why Jackson?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the killer¡¯s deal. He would let me go in-exchange for Jackson.¡± Ken said, and then in a soft voice he added, ¡°I know what Jackson means to you, Riles. If you decide not to let Jackson know about the address then I won¡¯t me you. You deserve happiness, and if he can give you that then it would be worth it in the end.¡± ¡°What would be worth it?¡± I asked although I knew what his answer was going to be. ¡°My death.¡± As informed by Ken, I received a text message ten minutester with an address. House number zero-seven-two on Boulder Street north of Garden Avenue. Jack reached for his shirt and pulled it down over his chest. I watched as he buttoned up his jeans and ran a hand through his thick hair. ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked. ¡°Ken¡¯s location.¡± He answered. Fatigue was so clear in his eyes. Jack looked like he was in need of a warm nket, a hot cup of cocoa and a good night¡¯s rest, neither of which he was going to get anytime soon with way things had transpired. ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡± I had already pulled on a jeans and a t-shirt. ¡°No you¡¯re not.¡± Jack said it in such a tone that there was no room for argument. ¡°This concerns my brother. He must be in danger.¡± I reasoned. ¡°This could be a trap and I can¡¯t have you walking into them, besides Ken said I shoulde alone.¡± Jack picked up a gun from the bottom drawer of the dresser. I hadn¡¯t seen it until this moment. He quickly stashed it in the waistband of his denim jeans. ¡°Ezra told me something about your brother, but I refused to believe it.¡± ¡°What did Ezra say?¡± He stared at me intently, probably weighing the oue of me knowing this truth about my brother. ¡°Ezra has the documents that your attorney James tried to retrieve from this apartment the same day that he was nearly assassinated.¡± ¡°What was in those documents?¡± ¡°Are you ready to listen to this?¡± Jack questioned. ¡°It may change the way you see things.¡± I licked my lips nervously, my mouth was going dry. ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you think. Please tell me.¡± ¡°Those documents had clear evidence that Ken was doing drugs.¡± My mouth was ck open. I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. I had a lot of possibilities of what Jack was about to tell me but never in a million years had I imagined it would be something as bizarre as this. Ken and drugs? ¡°But...but that¡¯s not possible.¡± I said. ¡°Ken would never do that.¡± ¡°Why? Because he¡¯s your baby brother?¡± For the first time, I noticed Jack appeared a little pissed. ¡°Have you entertained the thought that maybe Ken was doing drugs all this time and murdered those people under the influence of it?¡± I put a hand on my ears and shook my head. ¡°No! That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°The truth was right here, Riley but you were just acting blind because it¡¯s hard to think a person you love would butcher people mercilessly.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± I whispered. ¡°I will stop talking but that won¡¯t change anything.¡± Jack pointed out. The tears rolled down my eyes. ¡°Why are you being so mean?¡± He crossed the distance in two steps and grasped my chin in a firm grip. ¡°I was always mean, you just failed to notice. We all have darkness inside us, Riley; it¡¯s only a matter of choice when we decide to unleash it.¡± ¡°Take me with you.¡± I pleaded. He let go off my chin. A sense of sadness crept into his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a trade. Either he lives or I do. Take your pick.¡± I sobbed, ¡°I can¡¯t choose. Both of you are important to me.¡± Jack smiled; again it wasn¡¯t a happy smile. ¡°I won¡¯t ever ask you to choose between your brother and me. I was only kidding.¡± ¡°I love you.¡± I said. ¡°Please stay. You don¡¯t have to go alone, we will figure it out.¡± ¡°You already know how much I love you. I would be d if Ken is not the killer. And I promise that you will see him here within an hour.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gamble, Cotton-Candy. One life for another. That¡¯s what the killer wants. ¡± ¡°Jackson, please. Take me with you.¡± He seemed reluctant to make a decision, but he¡¯d made up his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you hurt.¡± Before I had time to react, he¡¯d already made his way to the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riley.¡± He shut the door This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. after him. ¡°Jack!¡± I called out as I walked to the door. I heard the lock turn. ¡°Please. Let me out.¡± I tried turning the knob but he¡¯d locked me in. What was I supposed to do now? I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the room unless the police or someone found me. Think, Riley. Think. The phone. I still had it with me. Jack had forgotten to take it with him. I found it lying on the table and dialed Ezra. He picked the call on the second ring. ¡°Riley?¡± ¡°Ezra, I wouldn¡¯t call you if this wasn¡¯t important. Jack¡¯s life is in danger.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± He asked. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t inform this to the police department.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Just tell me.¡± Ezra was getting impatient. I exined him the call we received from Ken and the address he¡¯d given us. I told him what Jack nned to do. ¡°Is he fucking nuts? He¡¯s supposed to inform me before acting on his own. He thinks he¡¯s a damn hero!¡± ¡°Is it possible for you toe here and unlock the door?¡± Ezra went silent on the other end for a while. ¡°If Jack doesn¡¯t want you involved then I think it would be best if I didn¡¯t do that and went there alone.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s my brother. If he¡¯s killed people, there is a chance he may listen to me and not hurt Jack. Please.¡± I pleaded. ¡°Take me with you.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯m on my way.¡± ¡°You look like a wreck!¡± I told Ezra as I slid into the passenger seat of his car. His dark hair was disheveled, and his eyes had bags like he hadn¡¯t slept a wink in forty-eight hours. He was wearing the blue FBI Jacket. I had never seen him in uniform before. ¡°Thanks. You look even worse.¡± Ezra retorted, I couldn¡¯t miss the humor in his tone. ¡°Why, Ezra thanks for thepliment.¡± My gaze dropped to the car console, he picked up the tall Dunkin¡¯ Donuts coffee cup and sipped, then took arge bite of the sugar zed donut that oozed with a jam filling. I stared at him incredulously. He pointed at the box, his lips covered in sugar. ¡°Help yourself.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Your brother¡¯s life is in danger.¡± ¡°So? I¡¯m supposed to not have donuts or drink my coffee?¡± He asked. ¡°Do you realize how many hours I spend in this car watching and waiting in the shadiest of ces for criminals to make the tiniest of mistakes? I gotta keep myself fed, and coffee is my best friend.¡± I suppressed an eye-roll and looked at the address in my hand. ¡°It¡¯s Garden Avenue.¡± Ezra frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that like the most abandoned neighboring town?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s exactly the point. Anyone screams or calls for help, there¡¯s not going to be anyone for miles.¡± ¡°True.¡± ¡°Can I be honest with you?¡± He asked. I gave him a smile. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I like more than honesty.¡± ¡°How can I be sure I¡¯m not driving into a trap?¡± He asked, sneaking a look at me and then turning his gaze back to the road ahead. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°For all I know, maybe Jack isn¡¯t even at this location. Maybe you and Ken plotted the entire ¡äaddress¡ä thing to get me to drive there on my own, so naturally I would be bait to get Jack there.¡± I gave out augh. I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°You¡¯re smart, because that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing.¡± There was an ufortable silence in the car and then I flicked the side of his head with my thumb and index finger. ¡°You¡¯re really naive, you know. Makes me wonder how you became a Special agent.¡± ¡°Well, what can I say. I¡¯m really smart.¡± He said in a fake conceited tone. ¡°You knew about Ken and yet you never told me about it.¡± I said. He shrugged. ¡°Well, I know a sister would never like to hear about her baby brother being a drug addict. I thought I would talk to you when things settle down a little. Eventually, he¡¯ll be questioned by a DEA agent.¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s hard, you know.¡± I bit back a sob. ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t hurt people. Makes me wonder if I went wrong somewhere, if it happened because I wasn¡¯t paying attention to him.¡± He took my hand that was resting on the seat and gave it a little reassuring squeeze. ¡°You¡¯re almost the same age as him, Riley. Cut yourself some ck. Besides, if a brother turns out rotten, it¡¯s hardly the older sisters fault.¡± He decided to change the subject. ¡°So how¡¯s things with that other doctor? Paul Bet, right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been quite friendly as oftely which makes me suspicious.¡± I opened google maps in my phone. The battery was only ten percent, and there was no charger in Ezra¡¯s car. I wasn¡¯t stupid, but I realized Ezra thought I was. He was taking a detour from the actual road by engaging me in frivolous talk, although if I should admit he was being nice and gave me some encouraging words. ¡°You know that isn¡¯t the way to Garden Avenue right?¡± I pointed out and then asked. ¡°Where are you taking me, Ezra?¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I told you before. I can¡¯t involve you in this, and I know mi hermano (my brother) would want the same thing.¡± ¡°Ezra, we made a deal. We would go there together and I would stay in the car.¡± ¡°I changed my mind.¡± He said simply. ¡°Last time we went together and I told you to stay in the car. We know how that turned out. Jack got shot and almost died.¡± ¡°Well that won¡¯t happen again.¡± I said. ¡°I am. Not. Taking. You. Period.¡± He said each word slowly like I was a baby and it was hard for me to Well, I really didn¡¯t have any other choice now did I? His face met with the muzzle of the revolver in my hand. I loaded the barrel with a round of bullets, it snapped into ce. Ezra¡¯s expressions turned from smug to shunned in a few seconds. As expected, fear did not even cross his features. ¡°You¡¯re shoving a gun in a Federal Agents face! Do you understand what an offense that is?¡± Ezra asked me, his voice as cold as ice. ¡°You don¡¯t leave me any choice.¡± I nudged him with the gun. ¡°You are driving to the address and you¡¯re taking me with you.¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Riley ¡°Do you think I¡¯m scared of your threats?¡± Ezra asked. ¡°You can try pulling the trigger, and forget about saving your brother or mine.¡± My fingers on the gun faltered for just a fraction of a second and then tightened around it again. I pressed the gun to his side. ¡°Keep driving to the location.¡± Ezra opened his mouth to say something, and then thought better of it and pressed his lips together. His eyes straight ahead of himself. And then I noticed as he slowly reached for his phone that was wedged between the seat and his thigh. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I demanded. ¡°We need backup, we don¡¯t know how far this guy has gone to set us up for a trap in that abandoned ce so unless you want us all to be toast, you would let me call Agent Flint.¡± I thought of that for a moment. Was Ezra telling the truth? What if he called Flint just so he could hand me over to the agent so he could be free to go there alone? ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± I said. ¡°Think what you want to.¡± ¡°Call Agent Flint and put him on speakers.¡± I said because I wasn¡¯t confident that Ezra wouldn¡¯t act smart. Ezra pressed speed-dial. Flint answered the call on the first ring. ¡°Ezra.¡± ¡°I want you toe to Boulder Street, Garden Avenue. It¡¯s a ghost town. Take position outside of house number zero-seven-two. And be discreet about it. Park your car at a distance and walk the rest of the way. No one should see you.¡± Ezra exined. ¡°And why exactly am I taking orders from you?¡± Flint asked. ¡°Because you need the promotion and you wanna go to Washington D.C, which I don¡¯t.¡± Flint was quite on the other line for a second because Ezra had pointed out his weakness. ¡°Care to fill me in on what¡¯s going on?¡± Ezra told Flint about the message I received and that he was going to help me end this. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Scott to apany me.¡± Flint said. ¡°No, don¡¯t bring your partner. You have toe alone. And bring a gun with you.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± The call ended and I lowered the gun from Ezra¡¯s side. I had no choice but to believe him. My only shot at saving both my brother and Jack was to trust Ezra. After all, his brother¡¯s life was in line too. A single mistake would cost us a lot and I knew Ezra would never risk Jack¡¯s life. Then again, the brothers had doubt in my mind that Ezra was fighting an inner battle of siding up with thew by doing his job and protecting his brother. There was tension brewing in the atmosphere. ¡°Do you think that Jack?¡± Ezra gave me one sharp look and that told me I¡¯d hit the bulls-eye. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it for one second. My brother is innocent, and I hope yours is too.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± I heard my voice tremble. Ezra parked the car a few houses down. We argued in the car for five minutes, it was mostly him coaxing me into sitting in the car with all the doors locked but I reasoned that I wanted to be there to help him. He continued to re at me until he finally gave up and told me to stay by his side. ¡°I can protect myself, you know.¡± I said as I jogged behind him to keep up with his pace. It was chilly for a summer night. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, considering how you threatened me with that gun. I have no doubt you can pull the trigger when you need to.¡± I froze and Ezra kept walking. Realizing that I wasn¡¯t following him, he stopped midway and turned. He walked back to me, ced his hands on either side of my shoulders and pulled me in a hug. ¡°It¡¯s for the best. If either of them are the killers, we would do them a favor. Don¡¯t you think killing them is better than you watching your brother or your boyfriend walking to court each day and having the media, the judge; the people take hits at them? Can you sit in the same court and face all the loved ones of the innocent people they killed? Can you shoulder the guilt? Can you live your entire life being judged for something you never did?¡± My throat was clogged with emotion. Ezra patted my head. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want that either, and so I¡¯m hoping we don¡¯t face the situation when we walk into that house.¡± We resumed walking. ¡°When we were little¡­¡± I said, ¡°We used to y house with the other kids. I used to dress up as a bride and pretend to marry a boy in our neighborhood. Ken used to always walk me down the aisle. It¡¯s something we did for fun. And then one day, I saw him crying. We were just kids, he was six at that time and I was nine. I asked Ken why he was crying, and he said he was upset because I would leave him eventually and we wouldn¡¯t be together after I got married. That made me sad, Ezra. I want him to see me get married and start my own family; I want to see him be a Vet that he¡¯d dreamed to be. I don¡¯t think I can bear to see my brother get killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this, Riley. I wish things were different too.¡± The moon was full today; animal howls came from the forest that surrounded the area. The path we walked was lined up by abandoned houses. At one point there was a nuclear disaster in this town caused by a chemical factory. Several hundred people died, or were permanently disfigured, babies born prematurely. And eventually, people moved out. No one wanted to live in the town any longer. The houses that may have been filled withughter and life now remained abandoned and empty. We stopped outside an old little one-story house. Ezra had to wipe the dust off the number te to see numerals zero-seven-two. I opened the rusted gate and walked inside. Thewn was overgrown, and all I could see was the dark windows of the house staring back at us like two using eyes. The French windows were almost broken from their hinges. Something rattled behind us and the gate made an eerie creaking sound. Ezra and I stood guard, pulling out our guns. We looked behind our backs, and realized it was just the wind making the gate rattle. Ezra told me to stay behind him as he walked to the front porch of the house. He nudged at the door which gave away easily. ¡°Don¡¯t make any sound.¡± He warned me before we crossed the threshold and entered the house together, guns raised. He indicated for me to close the door behind him. As I pushed the door, the room plunged into darkness; the only light was the moonlight streaming from the open windows. The wooden floors creaked as we walked further into the house, keeping a vignt eye in our surroundings. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Jack here?¡± I whispered. Ezra appeared as confused as I was. ¡°Let¡¯s check all the rooms and then let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± ¡°Or you can go upstairs and I¡¯ll check down.¡± I suggested. ¡°You want us to split up?¡± Ezra asked me, his expressions asking me if my brain hadpletely abandonedmon sense. ¡°Riley, either of us could die here if we¡¯re not careful. There¡¯s absolutely no sound here and that¡¯s even more sinister. He gave you this address and yet I don¡¯t know why I feel like we shouldn¡¯t havee here.¡± There was a staircase leading to the firstnding. The banisters all covered in dust and some of the wooden nks for the steps had caved in. Ezra would have to do some acrobatics to get to the floor. He had a regr gym regime that he followed because of his FBI job so I had no doubt that he would do it without even breaking a sweat. I was just worried; there were chances the steps would cave in more due to his weight, and plummet down into the basement. ¡°Maybe I should go upstairs, and you can look through the rooms down here.¡± I said. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be on the top, you¡¯re below.¡± He said and then scratched his head and tried to hide a smile. ¡°That sounded wrong. I wasn¡¯t making any crude jokes with my brother¡¯s girl, I swear.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I hit him yfully. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be below.¡± I teased him back. ¡°If there¡¯s anything wrong, just holler and I¡¯ll be there in a second.¡± Hemanded. ¡°Aye aye, Captain.¡± Ezra handed me the torch that he¡¯d taken from the glovepartment of his car and climbed the broken stairs like an Olympic pro champion on his way to get his gold medal, and left me all alone on the floor. I blew out a breath and looked at the long empty hallway leading to more darkness. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t frightened because my heart was beating wildly. This was a savage killer who¡¯d killed so many, and if it really was Ken, it didn¡¯t make me any less anxious. I kept going because the lives of the two men I loved were in danger and I needed answers. I wanted to finish this. I checked two rooms to find thempletely empty. Next, I stumbled upon an old music room. An old vintage gramophone was sitting there collecting years of dust. A piano that had seen better days, there were also two chairs by the window. Suddenly the piano started ying; I spun around to face the person who was ying it, only to find a ck cat jumping on the keys. ¡°Meeeoo¡­¡± The cat cried and jumped out through the open window. Strange. The piano was even tuned as if someone had lived here not too long ago. I left the room and looked at thest two remaining ones facing each other. I just had to go through these, if I didn¡¯t find a single person or a clue, I would call Ezra and we would have to find somewhere else to hunt for our respective brothers. I understood what this was. The killer had given an address, and asked Jack to be there. Of course he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe that I would prefer sitting home while my brother¡¯s life was in jeopardy. He knew I woulde, and so would Ezra. He was probably around somewhereughing at us. It was yet another game. But this time he¡¯d changed the rules. There were several yers, neither of whom trusted each other. I tiptoed my way to the doors and opened each one with caution. One was a dining room; the other was another formal sitting room. And I found nothing suspicious there. When I walked back to the foyer, I felt equal measures of disappointment and relief. I was ready to call out for Ezra when my eye caught something else. A stain on the floor. How had I missed it? Due to the darkness, I couldn¡¯t be sure. I walked towards it and shed the torch-light in the spot. Something dark stained the wooden floor. The stain seemed fresh. I crouched down below, and touched it. It was blood. I followed the trail and it led me to a closed door, and it reminded me that Ezra and I hadn¡¯t checked one ce yet. The basement. My fingers trembled as I reached for the knob and turned it slowly. There was a staircase leading down into the basement. The steps were smeared with blood. I bit back a sob; I kept telling myself that I had to stay strong. I didn¡¯t know if I was prepared to see Ken or Jack as one of the victims. Was I perhaps toote to save them? I thought of calling Ezra from upstairs but then decided against it. What if the killer did something worse if he realized we hadn¡¯t followed his rules? What if I¡¯d stumbled upon Ken in the basement who was still alive? Maybe it won¡¯t be toote for him. My left hand quivered over the torch but I held it tightly in my hand, I pulled out the gun once again with the other as I descended the stairs slowly. When I reached thending, I was afraid to even move the torch light around the space as if I would encounter something I didn¡¯t want to see. I covered my nose and mouth; there was a stench in the room, the smell of rotting flesh. The trail of blood ended at the far corner of the room where a chair was ced and a person was seated on it. And then another thought crossed my mind. What if it¡¯s not a person at all? What if it¡¯s a dead body? My mind and body screamed at me to run for the hills but I couldn¡¯t. I was thinking about the worst. I wasn¡¯t ready to see another one of my loved one tortured and dead. Cautiously, I walked towards the chair, keeping safe distance and shed the torch light on the person. Bound to the chair, covered in blood, the man squinted his eyes at me and then flinched as if being hit. ¡°Don¡¯t! Please don¡¯t hurt me!¡± ¡°Aaron?!¡± He raised his bloodshot eyes towards me and sighed in relief, ¡°Riley, oh thank god, you¡¯re here.¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Riley Aaron raised his blood-shot eyes towards me and sighed in relief, ¡°Riley, oh thank god, you¡¯re here.¡± My mind was reeling with possibilities. Why was Aaron here? Could it be possible that he was the killer and he was trying to trick me into thinking he was the victim? Or perhaps he really was the victim and I was not seeing clearly into this. ¡°Aaron, who¡­who did this to you?¡± His hair looked like he hadn¡¯t washed it in a long time; his fingers were covered in dirt and there were angry red marks of the robe cutting through his skin. His eyes were blood-shot, as if he hadn¡¯t slept in weeks. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he seemed like he¡¯d been beaten. ¡°Riley, you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± He whispered, his eyes darting around the dark room in panic. ¡°He could If I thought he was the killer before, the thought left my mind that time. He was bound to a chair, situation. Aaron had always been so bright, lively andfortable to be around with, a guy who would never even hurt a bug intentionally. To see him in this vulnerable state really shocked me. ¡°The police were looking for you. They thought you killed Maddy and the others because you never showed up at her funeral or the interrogations and¡ª¡± ¡°I did not show up because the killer had me.¡± He said in irritation and exhaustion. ¡°Were there any search parties going around even looking for me?¡± He paused, ¡°Of course they won¡¯t because they thought I had murdered all those people.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± I said. ¡°Everyone was a suspect at that time. I¡¯m still a suspect, Aaron.¡± ¡°Yes but you weren¡¯t a captive for a straight week, locked and bound to a chair.¡± He stated impatiently. He had a point. ¡°True but I wasn¡¯t really hitting clubs and having fun either. I spent thest few days in an asylum getting my mental health re-evalued.¡± He was silent for a long minute, staring at the ground. He nced up to look into my eyes. ¡°You should leave. Take the chance when you have it.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I will not leave you here to die.¡± ¡°Riley, just leave! Listen to me at least once!¡± He said angrily. ¡°Never have and I will not start now.¡± I told him as I looked around the ce for something sharp to cut the robes around his wrists. I couldn¡¯t see clearly even with the torch light shing around. Finally, I found a rusty old pocket knife and decided this needed to work. I began working the knife through the robe and it was turning to be quite hard. I looked at Aaron and he appeared agitated. ¡°You need to do it fast, Riley. If he finds us, we are both dead.¡± A minuteter, I had managed to cut deeper into the robe and I was almost done when I paused and looked at him. Throughout the entire conversation, I¡¯d forgotten to ask him one important thing, ¡°Who is the killer, Aaron?¡± He stared at me like I¡¯d asked him the stupidest question ever, ¡°It is Jackson. I thought it was pretty obvious by now.¡± My blood ran cold and I had my heart jump into my throat. ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Aaron said. I shook my head. ¡°Jack can¡¯t be the killer!¡± Aaronughed with no traces of humor. ¡°That again. Wake up. You¡¯re blinded by your love for him. He murdered all those people and then manipted you to into trusting him. You were deluded by the thought of Jack falling in love with you, but all he did was use you to get what he wanted. He¡¯s a psychopath. His brain doesn¡¯t have what it takes to feel empathy or guilt.¡± ¡°He told me his reports were all lies produced by Brady Wolfe to get him locked up in the asylum for life. I trust Jack.¡± ¡°Alright. I understand. Maybe your mind won¡¯t be clouded until I¡¯m just a useless piece of meat with eyeballs missing. If that¡¯s all it would take for you to believe me, then fine. You can walk back up the stairs and show yourself out. Just do me a favor and let the police know I¡¯m here.¡± My mind was boggled and my thought process was jumbled up. How could this be true? ¡°Think, Riley. When Mad-Dave was dead, Jack was in the hospital, as for Roxy he¡¯d taken you to live with him but he could havee back to the asylum, killed her and left the body there while he seduced you with his own game. Jack has a pretty good motive to kill his father and Maddy¡­well, I don¡¯t even know why he could have killed her but then again, psychotic killers do not need a motive.¡± I raised my hand, indicating him to stop speaking. ¡°I need time to think.¡± ¡°Time is running out. I told you to either untie me or leave. There¡¯s really no point in the two of us dying.¡± He said quietly. Suddenly we heard the sound of the footfallsing down the stairs. I had to be ready for this. I pulled out my gun and was ready to shoot a bullet when I saw it was Jack. Clearly, he was stunned to see me here. ¡°Riley, what are you doing here?¡± Jack asked me, his tone was sharp. I kept the gun cocked at him. My hands trembling, ¡°Where¡¯s Ken, Jack?¡± ¡°Are you seriously fucking doubting me?¡± Jack snapped. To be honest, I was scared. Knowing what Jack would do to me, or had already done to my brother if everything that he told me was a bunch of lies. This was no time to shed tears. ¡°I want to know the truth!¡± I turned the gun to aim at Aaron and then at Jack. ¡°Either of you killed those people. Confess right now or I¡¯ll shoot you both.¡± ¡°Go on shoot me, Cotton-candy.¡± His brown eyes had turned a shade darker, his jaw set hard. Did I even know this man? ¡°I want the truth!¡± I said in a frustrated yell. ¡°Here¡¯s the truth!¡± Jack snapped, keeping his eyes on me. ¡°As soon as I got the text, I came here looking for your brother but he wasn¡¯t here, instead I found Dr. Aaron Shaw waiting here in the basement for me acting like a victim, the same way he¡¯s trying to trick you. Although, Shaw told me that Ken was the one doing the killings and that I should let him go.¡± Jack turned his wrist to show me a deep gash. ¡°When I didn¡¯t believe him, he tried to attack me, but I¡¯de prepared for it so I tackled him down and bound him to a chair¡ª¡± ¡°He is lying, Riley!¡± Aaron eximed, and then pointed an using finger at Jack. ¡°You lying piece of shit! Here¡¯s what actually happened. You have to listen to my side. After Maddy¡¯s death, I tried to reach the police but before I could talk to them, I was drugged and abducted. When I opened my eyes, I found myself here. A man in a ck mask visited to drop in food and then left. Jack appeared two days drug addict. I had no choice but to do as I was told because I didn¡¯t want to die.¡± Jackughed and then pped, ¡°Nice story. If you uploaded that online, I''m sure it''ll get a million hits and maybe even get a Netflix series made out of it.¡± He turned to me. ¡°Do you seriously believe him?¡± I looked at Jack. ¡°If you tied him up, why didn¡¯t you inform the police?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I was doing right now. My phone wasn¡¯t working and this ce is not exactly a ce with a lot of phone connections or pay phones. When I came back, you had already found him and believed every word he said.¡± I remembered Paul¡¯s words during Maddy¡¯s funeral. ¡®I saw a man washing the sole of his shoes in the men¡¯s restroom. It was Dr. Aaron Shaw.¡¯ Aaron¡¯s story didn¡¯t add up and sounded jumbled up, almost like he was forcing me to believe him. I was going to go with my gut feeling which said¡ª The sound of a gunshot roared through the basement and I let out a bloodcurdling scream. It happened all at once. Aaron had broken free from the robes, he was standing tall, and his expressions were downright mean. He looked like a bully, which was so unlike the Aaron that I knew. Jack was shot in his leg, but the bullet had just grazed him. Jack cursed under his breath and then groaned. ¡°Jack¡­¡± I started making my way towards him when I felt the sharp point of the de poking under my chin. ¡°I¡¯ll slice your throat clean right in front of Psycho boy, and the next bullet goes in his head.¡± Aaron said in an icy-cold voice, one that I never thought he possessed. ¡°And then you both love birds can die watching each other as you slowly bleed to death.¡± He reached into my waistband and took my gun. ¡°You¡¯re sick.¡± I told Aaron. ¡°I knew it was you the second you made up that cock and bull story.¡± Aaron sniggered. ¡°Yeah, and I was smart enough to know your intentions as to which side you were really taking on and it¡¯s a real shame. At least, if you¡¯d believed me, we could have killed Jack together and that could be the end of this long revenge story. The police would have believed that Jackson was the killer since a lot of other evidence was against him. Ken would have testified as per my instructions and everyone would go home happy. Case solved.¡± ¡°Why did you do it?¡± I asked, my voice barely a whisper. ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡± He asked. ¡°Revenge.¡± Jack asked. ¡°What was your purpose for revenge?¡± ¡°Listen up because I¡¯m going to make this quick, and won¡¯t repeat twice.¡± Aaron said. ¡°Joel Shaw. Does the name ring any bells?¡± Jack appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. ¡°As a matter of fact, it does. He worked for my adoptive father, Brady Wolfe. Joel Shaw was a personal butler and then climbed his way up to bing his personal assistant. Now that I try to recall, he had a son that used to keep to himself. Even came by the mansion, once or twice. Baron, was it?¡± Jack said all this with a straight face, his emotions in check. Aaron¡¯s jaw began ticking. ¡°Your mother was a whore, I hope you realized that.¡± Jack didn¡¯t seem remotely offended. ¡°She was my mother nevertheless, granted that she may have been a little selfish. Then again, she was beautiful and men were easily attracted towards her. She took advantage of the fact. Maybe your father should have tried to practice some restraint.¡± ¡°You arrogant sonofabitch! You¡¯re one to talk.¡± Aaron raged. What the hell were they talking about? How was Jack¡¯s mother, Laura Wolfe linked to any of this? Aaron continued, his speech was filled with so much hate, ¡°She had me before she had you and Ezra, and yet, she never showed me even an ounce of love. I craved just a few words from her but she pretended like I wasn¡¯t her son and then she ditched my father and married Brady Wolfe. How ironic that he couldn¡¯t give her any kids. A gold-digging lying bitch that she was, she deserved it.¡± ¡°Ezra and I were the same as you. She had us with an affair after she married Brady. There¡¯s no difference.¡± Jack reasoned. ¡°There¡¯s a huge fucking difference!¡± Aaron spat. ¡°She loved you and Ezra, she never loved me. I was supposed to be adopted when Brady decided to adopt her illegitimate child but she chose you and Ezra over me!¡± ¡°I had a hard life.¡± Jack began. ¡°You destroyed my name, my reputation, turned my employees against me for something that wasn¡¯t our fault.¡± ¡°You destroyed my life. My fathermitted suicide because of your selfish mother!¡± ¡°She was your mother as much as mine. Don¡¯t you forget that.¡± ¡°Aaron is your half-brother.¡± I whispered. ¡°Riley has nothing to do with this.¡± Jack said calmly. ¡°Whatever issues you have with me and Ezra, we can resolve it alone. Let her go.¡± He pushed the knife at my throat again and I felt the trickle of something warm running down my neck. My eyes were turning watery due to the pain. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked. Aaron was my friend, and my mentor and to think he¡¯d been the one all along. I couldn¡¯t fathom to think he was capable of so much violence. ¡°Because he¡¯s got Mommy issues.¡± Jack responded. Sometimes I wondered why Jack couldn¡¯t just shut his mouth up for a second. ¡°Shut the fuck up or I¡¯ll kill her!¡± Aaron said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Riley, I didn¡¯t want to drag you into this but you left me with no other choice.¡± He turned to Jack. ¡°I wanted your life destroyed. You didn¡¯t deserve to live a millionaire¡¯s lifestyle when you¡¯re the same as me. A bastard. And now you will pay for all those years of torment you put me through.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re man enough, you¡¯d stop dragging a woman into this.¡± Jack said in amanding voice. The knife sliced to my skin and I screamed and tried to hit him which is when a strong pair of hands seized my arm in a harsh grip and before I knew it I was pushed violently towards the floor when I realized what had happened. Jack had saved my life. Aaron¡¯s de had slipped out of his fingers and I watched horrified and helplessly as the men engaged in a fight. Jack had delivered a few blows before Aaron took advantage of the fact that Jack was injured and pummeled him relentlessly on the ground. His fists were bloodied as he continued to pound Jack with as much hate as he could muster. A vindictive glint shining in Aaron¡¯s eyes. All the while he continued to chant, ¡®She should have loved me! I should have been the heir to the Wolfe Enterprise.¡¯ I whimpered. If this continued, Jack could die. My eyes darted around the floor to look for the weapon. I spotted my gun pushed below the chair. I scrambled on my hands and knees to reach it and snatched it into my hands. I turned around to aim it at Aaron. My hands trembling on the trigger. He raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, Riles. Don¡¯t shoot me.¡± Riles.He called me Riles. Just like old times just to soften the blow. He had made his intentions loud and clear. Memories of usughing, talking and working together shed through my mind. I was beyond hurt. Jack lied on the floor, barely breathing. ¡°Where is Ken?¡± I demanded. I heard more footsteps descending the stairs. A mass of light blond hair and vignt emerald eyes. Agent Flint Knight stood there, armed. ¡°Games over Dr. Shaw. Lower yourself on the ground, hands where I can see them. Do it now.¡± Aaronughed, and continued tough hysterically. Flint and I exchanged looks. I heard Jack whisper, his voice gruff. ¡°House number zero-seven-two. He gave us the wrong house number.¡± Jack moaned in pain, ¡°The next victim was supposed to be killed today. The seventh of April. House number zero- seven-four. It was a clue.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡± I asked. Aaron sniggered. ¡°I never liked your brother Riley. I thought he needed to be taught a lesson.¡± ¡°What did you do?!¡± I screamed. Aaron lunged forward towards Jack like a madman. And there was the sound of two gunshots. Reflex. That¡¯s what I¡¯d call it. One bullet had been shot from my gun, the other by Flint. Aaron¡¯s body hit the floor; he made some gurgling sounds. Flint¡¯s bullet was lodged into his neck making his death slow and painful. A puddle of blood began forming on the floor. I started to move towards Jack but he shook his head. ¡°House zero-seven-four. Your brother¡¯s there.¡± I jogged my way to the neighboring house, abandoned and left open. Everything turned upside down. Ken was hisst victim. I prayed that my brother was alright. Even if he¡¯d gotten addicted to drugs, I would find a way to help him back on tracks. I didn¡¯t want him to die. I heard a sounding from outside the house. I walked into the kitchen and through the back door. Ezra was there digging through the soil with a shovel. His hair and shirt matted with dirt and sweat. His face turned pale when he saw me, but he continued to dig deeper without stopping. My hands covered my mouth. I broke into a sob. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± He was buried alive. All part of Aaron¡¯s game. If I had solved the mystery and found the house before, I could have saved my brother. I found another shovel and began helping Ezra. A minuteter we found a coffin nailed shut. I wept as I wed at it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Ezra ced aforting hand on my shoulders and proceeded to open the coffin with care. His hands were confident as he took the nails out with the back of a hammer and yanked the coffin lid aside. My heart could have stopped beatingpletely. ¡°Nooooooooo! No. Please no!¡± Keny inside with his eyes closed. His fingers covered in blood, his nails had been ripped off, clearly from trying to get out of it before he suffocated. I touched my brother¡¯s face with my bloodstained hands, and tried to hug him close. Ezra ced his fingers on the side of Ken¡¯s neck and looked at me. Please be alive. Ezra looked puzzled for a moment and then turned his tired eyes towards me. ¡°We¡¯ve got a pulse.¡± Ken and Jack were rushed to the hospital. And I couldn¡¯t believe the fact that I¡¯d shot Aaron dead. Me. Of all people. I let the realization sink in. In the days that followed, I was interrogated by the police and the FBI. I told them everything without leaving out any details. Mywyer, James had recovered from his injuries and was d that it had ended. He was shocked to learn that Aaron had been the one behind all of it. The reason. Revenge. I¡¯d tried during the days that followed to feel pain or remorse for a friend that I¡¯d lost but I instead I was relieved. Aaron had murdered people ruthlessly, someone as innocent as Maddy and he¡¯d gotten what he deserved. I watched Ken recover each day. He barely spoke, his eyes haunted by the horrors of what had happened. I couldn¡¯t me him. He¡¯d been through a lot. I ced the flowers at the side of the bed and sat down beside him. He was reading a book. ¡°Are you seriously reading Wuthering Heights again?¡± I asked him, grinning. I tried to throw in the Snape¡¯s dialogue. ¡°After all this time?¡± He grinned back. ¡°Always.¡± ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked, cing a brown bag of more books beside his bed. I¡¯d gone out of my way and bought him some Manga and otheric books. Ken looked at me and then looked away. I recognized that expression. ¡°I¡¯ve always¡­always taken you for granted.¡± ¡°Oh, Ken¡­¡±I put my hand on his. ¡°Let me speak, Riles.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ve always looked up to you as an older sister, even though I act like a macho brother all the time. After mom and dad died, you were all I¡¯d left and when you met Jackson, I felt like I was losing that connection with you. I started to feel insecure. And honestly, I hated him. He appeared predatory, the way he looked at you. I jumped on the bandwagon and believed that he was behind everything. I fucking hated how he tried to take things in his hands and be the man of this house. I wanted him gone.¡± ¡°Well, now you don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± I said bitterly. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± he asked innocently. ¡°He¡¯s gone, Ken. After Jack received medical attention, he just picked up his stuff and left.¡± Which was so typical of Jack, I shouldn¡¯t even be surprised. Ken shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to thank him. I¡¯m alive and breathing today because of Jack. He found me buried inside and tried to talk to me through it and told me to stay calm. If you see him again, please do me a favor and thank him for me.¡± I nodded, trying so hard not to break out in a sob. ¡°And one other thing. I wanted to apologize to you¡­¡± He said and then paused. I looked up into his eyes to find that he was trying not to cry in front of me. I cupped his face in both of my hands and wiped his tears. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, Ken. I Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. understand.¡± ¡°No. I need to get this off my chest.¡± He choked, and then broke into a heaving sob. I¡¯d never seen my brother cry. Not since his pet or our parents died. ¡°I¡¯m so so sorry, Riley. I¡¯m ashamed of myself for what I¡¯ve done but trust me, I only told the police your name because Aaron threatened to hurt you. But that doesn¡¯t excuse my behavior. I¡¯m such a coward.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you realized your mistakes and that¡¯s enough for me.¡± I said. ¡°Saint Riley.¡± He teased me between wiping his tears. Weughed. ¡°So you forgive me?¡± He asked. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m your older sister. A person can make mistakes sometimes.¡± I said sincerely and then I pulled him in a hug and kissed his head. ¡°I love you so much.¡± ¡°I love you three thousand.¡± Heughed quoting Tony Stark and I rolled my eyes. He was still so immature but didn¡¯t fail to make me smile. ¡°Which reminds me, I brought you someics.¡± ¡°Love you ten thousand.¡± ¡°I also brought some homemade tacos.¡± ¡°I love you infinity.¡± ¡°Okay, stop.¡± Iughed and realized it was the first time in a week that I hadn¡¯t forced myself tough. ¡°Get some rest, Ken. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I walked out of the hospital room and bumped into Ezra. ¡°Whoa! Gotta watch where you¡¯re going,dy.¡± I¡¯d tried to act civil around Ezra but it wasn¡¯t working. I knew that he knew where Jack was and yet he wouldn¡¯t tell me. I begged, groveled, bribed. Nothing had worked. His will was made of some solid metal. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± I asked, folding my hands across my chest. A smile crossed his lips. ¡°Not me, but you need to read this.¡± He handed me an ivory colored letter. It had one word written in the center of it in beautiful cursive. Riley I stared at the letter. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to tell you who the letter is from.¡± Ezra said. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me where he is; don¡¯t ask me how to reach him. Just read it.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re wee and I¡¯ll see you around.¡± He kissed my cheek before leaving. I settled down in one of the stic chairs outside in the passageway and opened the letter carefully even though I had this urge to tear it and throw it away. It was like kindergarten where it made you happy even receiving the smallest of gestures from your crush. Much like the letters written on the envelope, this was in the same loopy handwriting. The most beautiful penmanship I¡¯d seen. Dear Riley, You¡¯re probably really angry at me right now for leaving you without notice. But that¡¯s just how I am and you know that. I didn¡¯t leave because I wanted to, but because I needed to. There¡¯s some unfinished business I have to take care of and I cannot involve you. This may take a while and that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m writing to you. (You¡¯re probably thinking that¡¯s pretty old fashioned, who writes a letter when we have email. But Sweeting, it¡¯s just downright romantic. You admit that, right? ;) I know I should have at least met you once before leaving, but I knew for a fact that if I had you, I wouldn¡¯t leave. I love you so much. It¡¯s a no-brainer and I have so much to talk to you about, but that has to wait. This letter isn¡¯t really a parting letter, but it also is. It depends on how you take it. I don¡¯t know how long this is going to take me. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing with my life right now. I needed some time and space (Not gonna give you a ¡¯it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s me speech. Don¡¯t worry.) I have a lot of shit to sort out, a lot of baggage that I need to get rid of and I will eventually. How much time that will take, I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m going to be honest with you. While I want to be selfish and ask you to wait, I won¡¯t. It¡¯s your life and if you choose to not wait for me then I have to ept it and won¡¯t hold it against you. It¡¯s a dark tunnel, Cotton-Candy and I have to walk through it right now, (Not gonna bore you with philosophy either). I¡¯m walking alone. But if at the end of the tunnel, I find you, my love, I wille to you. Until then I will treasure every moment, every kiss and every touch and hope that itsts for a long time. Andstly, smile because you don¡¯t look nice when you cry which is exactly what you¡¯re doing right now. Take care of yourself. Yours forever, J. P.S: If you¡¯ve read this letter until the very end without skipping, give yourself a pat and treat yourself to a seven course meal in the best fucking restaurant in town and bill it to Ezra Wolfe. You have my permission. Iughed between tears and read the letter over and over again. I realized it was the only connection I had with Jack. I will wait for you Jack even if it takes you a million years because you¡¯re worth it. Chapter 45: Epilogue Chapter 45: Epilogue Riley I probably hadn¡¯t been to a party in ages; at least not since that Halloween partyst year and here I was today, dressed up in a rose-gold sleeveless sequin dress that had a long slit starting from mid- thigh until the ankles. I had a lovely pair of glitter heels to go with it and my hair was just done in simple beach curls. If I should admit, I looked downright fucking hot, excuse me for my crudenguage. It was my birthday today; I¡¯d just turned twenty-six and Ken was acting like he had forgotten all about it. He¡¯d called me from work and when I thought he was going to wish me, he¡¯d said he was calling to ask if I was making his favorite dinner tonight. I¡¯d hung up on his face. Had he forgotten about all the three story cakes I made for him? Had he forgotten how far I always went to call up his friends and set up his birthday party? How about the special edition volumes of the stupidic books I gifted him all the time? And when it came down to wishing his sister on her birthday, he¡¯d forgotten. I tried to tell myself that it was all a little act so he could surprise meter on that night but as the hours dragged on, I started to wonder if the party was going to only happen in my head. I sat alone at the bar, wearing my best dress and looking like a woman who¡¯d been stood up by her boyfriend. How pathetic was my life at this point? Ezra had called me that afternoon, and I thought he knew about my birthday and that he wanted to wish me but instead he¡¯d said he wanted to meet me tonight and talk about something. So instead ofing dressed up in casuals, I¡¯d ended up wearing my birthday dress. Maybe I was fishing forpliments, maybe I wanted him to say ¡®Oh, that¡¯s a lovely dress, what¡¯s the special asion?¡¯ and then I would say, ¡®hey, it¡¯s my birthday today.¡¯ And then he¡¯d respond. ¡®Oh, happy birthday, Riley. Since you¡¯re all dolled up, let¡¯s celebrate.¡¯ Ugh. Yeah I know. Pathetic even wasn¡¯t the word suitable for me right now, more like desperate. I was even ready to celebrate my birthday with my ex-boyfriend¡¯s brother. I call him ex-boyfriend because I hadn¡¯t heard from Jack for around six months now. He hadn¡¯t tried to get in touch with me, never wrote a letter and never passed any other letters to Ezra which told me that he¡¯d ended things. Jack was smart. He¡¯d opted out of confrontation. That coward. Granted that he¡¯d asked me to wait, but can a person wait for six months not knowing where she stood? It had been tough. Those cold nights, lying there alone in bed thinking of what life could been if Jack was still around and then crying into the jacket that belonged to him and still smelled of him. Even Ken was giving me pitiful looks now and then. And there were these thoughts that kept running through my mind. What if Jack had changed his mind about me? Maybe he¡¯d thought I wasn¡¯t good enough, maybe he met someone (that particr thought always brought tears to my eyes), the mere idea of another woman having her hands on him made me want to actually stab somebody. Jack had been way out of my league, so I should just admit that I¡¯d had an adventure with the most dangerous, smoking hot bad boy and it just somehow didn¡¯t work out. Deep down I knew I wouldn¡¯t find someone like him because I¡¯d alwayspare every man with Jack. The buzzing of my phone stopped my train of thoughts. And I was surprised to see who the message was from. Paul the Bully: Hey Nurse Riley, Happy Birthday! How is it that I wasn¡¯t getting any happy birthday¡¯s from my brother or my new best friend, (I¡¯m looking at you Ezra), but I get a goddamn text from Paul Be?! Maybe the sun rose in the west too. Did I mention that since the time Jack left, Paul¡¯s been acting really nice which was kind of strange. He wouldn¡¯t just pass by, he took extra time to bring coffee to me if we shared the same shift. Shocker, right? And I¡¯d started to wonder if it was another one of his devious ploys of bullying me. Me: Thanks! Paul: See you soon. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± I heard Ezra¡¯s voice from behind me. He pulled me into a warm hug and propped himself beside me on the bar stools. ¡°I¡¯m so d you coulde.¡± Ezra had cropped his hair short from the ends and it was growing on the top. He wore a simple white t- shirt over ripped denim jeans. He looked so much like Jack, yet the two brothers were different. My heart sank whenever I looked at Ezra because it kept reminding me of him. ¡°Of course, I would.¡± I said. ¡°Did you notice my new dress?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re looking so beautiful.¡± He said barely even looking at my outfit or me, ¡°I¡¯m kinda blinded by all that glitter.¡± Ask me, what¡¯s the special asion? C¡¯mom Ezra! ¡°Can I order you a drink?¡± he asked instead. ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡± Ezra ordered Jack Daniels on the rocks. The bartender smiled shyly at him, she was cute with a short boy-cut hair. She looked like a short pixie. Ezra smiled back at her and winked, holding a little note between his fingers. He read it and slid it inside his denim pocket. Well at least someone was getting some action in bed tonight. So totally not jealous. If only. Con Calma by Daddy Yankee was sting from the speakers, and most people had left to join the dance floor. He turned his attention towards me. ¡°So, the reason why I called you here.¡± Ezra said with a serious face. ¡°What happened?¡± I felt my stomach turning. Ezra wouldn¡¯t call me if it wasn¡¯t important. Ezra leaned in closer, ¡°There¡¯s another murder. This one is quite simr to the ones that were orchestrated by Dr. Aaron Shaw.¡± I stared at him in shock. This couldn¡¯t be happening again! ¡°You mean a copycat killer?¡± I had a sinking feeling. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Why do you think anyone would want to copy those murders that were linked to you and Jack?¡± I asked. Ezra shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It happened here in one of the private lounges.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Yes, but keep your voice down. We don¡¯t want people to know about it. Do you want to see? Maybe help me if you can notice any clues.¡± ¡°Am I allowed to?¡± I asked. ¡°If I¡¯m with you, Riley, you¡¯ve nothing to worry about.¡± I gave him a nod and he led me through the throngs of people. I was feeling quite uneasy, why was this happening again? We walked past the crowded dance floor towards the door with golden handles. Ezra opened the door and a st of confetti momentarily blinded me. ¡°Happy Birthday, Riley!¡± There was a loud unison of familiar voices. Apart from Ezra, Ken and James were here too. And also Paul Be who had a foolish grin stered on his face. His red hair was longish, his freckles looking lighter. I didn¡¯t miss the way his eyes moved from bottom to top, literally like a scanning machine. Well, at least Paul knew I looked amazing in the dress. Even he couldn¡¯t stop appreciating what he was seeing in front of him. ¡°Aw, thank you so much guys.¡± I said as I hugged each one for the surprise that I hadn¡¯t seening. I should have known. Ezra wasughing and I hit him yfully. ¡°You guys should have seen the look on her face when I told her the murders were happening again.¡± The othersughed with him, making a total fool out of me. ¡°Riley¡¯s expressions were totally like ¡¯Not this again please.¡¯¡± Ezra was tearing up with all thatughter. ¡°I hope you had fun making jokes at my expense.¡± I said faking a pout but also loving the attention from all these men. The lounge was cozy and I could tell it was one of the best ones in the club. Ezra had made sure of it. It was decorated with gold and pink balloons. My name was a balloon of individual letters. A small snacks bar was set in the corner stacked with fries and slider burners. And then I saw the little empty tes of food on the floor. The traitors had started eating and boozing way before I even got here. And the cake... Well, the cake was a Barbie look alike of me, dressed in a nurse¡¯s uniform, sitting on top of the cake, holding a bloody knife. Iughed and looked at them, ¡°Seriously, guys? Whose idea was this?¡± They pointed at each other. ¡°It was Ken¡¯s idea.¡± Ezra confessed. ¡°I¡¯m so touched, all of you.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t touched you, yet.¡± Ezramented. I ignore his smartassment. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the cake.¡± They sang the Happy Birthday song as I cut the cake and even though it reminded me of kindergarten, it still put a real smile on my face and made me happy. Who wouldn¡¯t be d to be the center of attention of four handsome men? There was only one thing missing and that¡¯s Maddy. I missed my best friend and wished she would be here. I wiped a lone tear off my cheek as they took turns to feed me the cake. The waitresses started bringing in food which smelled heavily. They began serving the tacos, slices of pizza, spicy fried chicken and sausage rolls. And the men attacked the food like they¡¯d just escaped from an isted ind. I started to wonder if my birthday party had been a good excuse for them to hangout together and have a boys time. I tried to close my dress slit when I saw Paul¡¯s eyes lingering there longer than necessary. And then they yed music, the boys took turns to dance with me. The best was Ezra doing salsa, he taught me some amazing moves. The worst had to be my brother. He couldn¡¯t dance to save his life. I wasughing and having the best time of my life, I almost forgot how much I missed Jack. ¡°Okay, Riley will open her gifts now.¡± Ezra announced. I would be kidding if I said I wasn¡¯t excited to open the gifts like I was four again. First, I found a huge square box that was from Ezra. I looked at it suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯ll have to find out.¡± He said. The box said ¡®Open me.¡¯ I removed the ribbons and the glitter paper, and opened the box to find another box inside gift wrapped. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be serious!¡± ¡°I am.¡± He admitted. I opened the second box to find a third. Then I opened the third to find another smaller one inside. I threw the torn gift wrappers on hisughing face, and they all cracked up. Finally, I¡¯d reached the sixth box which was the smallest. Inside was Louis Vuitton scarf that was perfectly folded to look like a flower. ¡°It must be really expensive.¡± I said. Ezra waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Got it from the China Market. Thedy gave me fifty percent off.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± I said smiling up at him, ¡°Thank you, Ezra.¡± Next I opened James¡¯s gift which was a lovely bracelet. He told me his wife helped him pick it up for me. Then I opened the gift from Paul, he¡¯d given me a bouquet of roses and a box of assorted expensive choctes. I thanked him. Lastly, I opened my brother Ken¡¯s gift. It was a t heavy box. I tried to guess what was inside and failed miserably. When I tore off the gift wrapper, I was surprised to find a brand new iPhone. ¡°Ken, how much money did you blow for this?¡± I asked. Ken shrugged. ¡°Remember how you saved up money to buy something for yourself but always spent it on something that I wanted to buy. You made too many sacrifices for me, Riles. You deserve this.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize when my baby brother grew up so fast.¡± I said, and opened my arms. ¡°Give me a hug.¡± He came to me dutifully and gave me a hug. ¡°I love you so much, Riles, I wish you all the happiness in this world.¡± ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re going to make me cry and ruin my makeup. I spent two hours on it.¡± Ezra cleared his throat. ¡°Guys, i just wanted to say that it¡¯s been great knowing you all. Throughout this entire case, I¡¯ve managed to make some friends and I¡¯m grateful for¡ª¡± ¡°Why are you talking like you¡¯re going somewhere?¡± I interrupted Ezra¡¯s little speech. Ezra looked at me in what seemed like sympathy, and I hated that look. What I hated even more was what he said next, ¡°I have an early morning flight tomorrow to Virginia.¡± He said and the room filled with silence, ¡°I have to go to the FBI academy in Quantico. The bureau chief needs to discuss a new case with me, and I¡¯ll probably be stationed in some other city for the job.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re really leaving?¡± I asked. Don¡¯t cry, Riley. Don¡¯t! I kept telling myself. ¡°I came to WoodVille to help solve Jack¡¯s case. My job is done. Since I won¡¯t be taking the DSAC position in Washington, I¡¯ll be taking this new assignment elsewhere.¡± He exined. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riley.¡± ¡°I see. I understand.¡± I said with a meek smile, and then turned to the others. ¡°Guys, thank you so much Owned by N?velDrama.Org. foring here today and making my day so special. It was the best birthday I ever had.¡± I had already stood up; I excused myself and started walking out of the lounge. I knew Ezra was following me. I couldn¡¯t let him see me crying. Maybe he would think of me as a selfish friend. I had just walked to the bar when I felt a tug on my hand. ¡°I was going to tell you, I didn¡¯t want to spoil your birthday.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s just that...¡± I could feel his thumb caressing my cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends now. I liked talking to you, and hanging out...I just felt so....¡± ¡°You felt close to him when I was with you.¡± Ezra said in understanding. ¡°Does that make sense?¡± I asked. ¡°It does.¡± He smiled. ¡°Honestly, if I were you, and if he made me wait for six fucking months, I¡¯d move on too.¡± ¡°He never asked me to wait, Ezra. I¡¯m the fool here.¡± I admitted, and then I started feeling emotional again but I wouldn¡¯t cry. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday and I just wish that he¡¯d call, or text or something¡­ anything¡­I don¡¯t think he even remembers it.¡± I caught his hand, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m wrong to hold onto him?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong, all I can say is you deserve happiness after everything you¡¯ve been through. And I hope you find it very soon.¡± There was a glint of smile and hope in his eyes. ¡°If you want to talk to me about something, I¡¯m only a call away.¡± ¡°Thank you and I wish you all the best for this new assignment.¡± I told him genuinely. ¡°Back at ya. So, are youing with?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to sit here alone for a little while.¡± ¡°Okay, happy birthday once again. I¡¯ll call you before I leave tomorrow.¡± Ezra said and parted with a kiss on my cheek, the way he usually did. I settled down in the bar stool, thinking what had gone wrong with my life. The song Animal by Maroon 5 began ying, and there was a collective hoot from the dancers. I ordered for a Sangria and just watched people, trying to keep my thoughts happy despite feeling a little lonely. I saw a couple literally dry humping close to the stage and I groaned. A shadow crossed me and took over a seat beside mine; I didn¡¯t look up or sideways. Just stared on the other side, if this person whoever it was wanted to flirt, he could talk to my beachy curls. ¡°Pardon me if I¡¯m mistaken, but I think I¡¯ve seen you somewhere.¡± That voice. Deep and husky. It couldn¡¯t be¡­ I turned around in my seat. He was seated right beside me, his dark hair thicker than before; he looked healthier and much much better, d in ck denims, a ck leather jacket over a ck t-shirt that stretched over his broad chest to show me he¡¯d spent thest couple of months working out a lot. He was wearing boots beneath. My breath caught in my throat, his caramel brown eyes danced with amusement and mischief. He was here! ¡°My name¡¯s Jackson Wolfe, but you can call me Jack. What¡¯s your name, beautiful?¡± Chapter 46: Bonus Chapter 1 Chapter 46: Bonus Chapter 1 Riley ¡°My name¡¯s Jackson Wolfe, but you can call me Jack. What¡¯s your name, beautiful?¡± I had to be imagining this right? I mean, Jack can¡¯t be sitting here beside me, looking as hot as badass as an action hero, and giving me that panty-melting smile and voice as smooth as silk. Surely, I¡¯d taken my imagination too far, or I¡¯d had far too much to drink. I sipped on my Sangria. Jack¡¯s smoldering brown eyes assessed me from above the rims of his ss. Two can y a game. ¡°I don¡¯t talk to strangers.¡± I told him. ¡°Oh,e on. Let me buy you a drink at least.¡± He continued. I was acting really tough by not acting desperate but all I wanted to do was curl into hisp and have his mouth over mine. Even thinking about it, made my knees weak. ¡°I already have a boyfriend.¡± I informed him and waited for his reaction. To see the surprise on his face or even disappointment, but he just smiled like a sly fox that he was. ¡°You do, huh?¡± He asked, grinning. ¡°Lucky guy. Well, it¡¯s too bad because I¡¯m still single.¡± ¡°Now that you know that I have a boyfriend, how about you go and bother someone else?¡± I said taking a sip of my drink. Instead of feeling insulted like a man normally would, he slid closer towards me. I could smell the overpowering scent of musk andvender, it was too addicting. That hadn¡¯t changed about him; he wasn¡¯tpletely shaved and that was new, it gave him a more mature look. I had an urge to run my fingers through his thick hair and feel those whiskers on my skin. ¡°I just want to keep bothering you until you finally give in.¡± He whispered close to my ear and that Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. brought goosebumps on my body. He¡¯d taken off his leather jacket, and now I could see the ck t- shirt that he¡¯d been wearing underneath outlining an impressive set of abs. Neither his delicious abs nor his sexy smile was going to distract me tonight. He¡¯d left me stranded for six months, had he been expecting a ¡®wee home¡¯ party? ¡°Would you please leave me alone?¡± I asked. When in truth I didn¡¯t want him to leave, like ever! But I¡¯d rather eat freshly cut grass from thewn than admit that. ¡°I¡¯ll give you five seconds to leave, Cotton-Candy. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll carry you off into a private lounge like a caveman and then you can¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°Listen...¡± ¡°Five...¡± I took a sip of my drink. ¡°Four...¡± ¡°Three...¡± I remained seated right there, not moving a muscle.¡± ¡°Two. One.¡± Heughed. ¡°You¡¯ve made your decision.¡± His strong arms went under my knees and the other around my shoulders, he carried me bridal style towards the lounges. Heads turned and some people cheered us as he weaved through the crowd with me in his arms. Finally he brought me to a much more private lounge, a VIP lounge precisely, which was rtively smaller than the one I¡¯d celebrated my party in. This one had a corner curved booth that we could both use to rx and talk. An unopened bottle of champagne was sitting at the center of the table with two tall flutes. A bouquet of I settled down in the middle, marveling everything. ¡°You remembered.¡± I said. ¡°Of course I did.¡± His expressions still held amusement. ¡°Happy Birthday, Cotton-Candy.¡± A waitress walked in and ced a muffin sized cake in front of me and left the room. It was decorated to look like Cotton-Candy, vivid colors like violet, blue and pink. Iughed. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty easy to please.¡± Hemented. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m just pleased by your gesture, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not mad at you for leaving me.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t really left, you know.¡± His eyes weren¡¯t even on my face; he was looking down at the low V cut of the neckline. I would be kidding if I said I wasn¡¯t liking his horny stares. I picked up the cake and took a bite; it tasted like heaven in my mouth. ¡°So what now? You¡¯re just going to wish me and leave again?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? I never left.¡± He moved closer and I felt the heat of his body beside mine. He didn¡¯t give me a chance to answer as he brought his face close to mine and licked the icing off the side of my lips. ¡°Hmmm...tastes better when I¡¯m licking it off you.¡± He whispered, his hand that was covered in tattoos was moving towards the dress, he found the slit and moved his fingers beneath the dress. The pressure and the feel of his strong hands was enough to turn me on. ¡°Would it be inappropriate to tell you...¡± he said huskily. ¡°That I always watched you from the sidelines for thest six months, I saw you, Riley, when you wore that tight red dress and unted¡ª¡± He reached for my breast and gave it a squeeze. ¡°These in that club that night...¡± Now I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand what he was saying because his tongue was grazing my ear. I couldn¡¯t hold it any longer; I turned around to face him, caught fistful of his shirt and brought his mouth to mine in a hard kiss, a sensual long kiss that had long been overdue. His tongue moved inside mine in urgent strokes; hot and needy. We kissed like there was no tomorrow, that either of both of us would die, like I wouldn¡¯t survive if I stopped kissing him. He caught my thigh and brought it around himself so I was stranding him. I didn¡¯t even realize when his fingers had pulled the zipper of the dress down. ¡°I love you.¡± He murmured. ¡°I waited so long for this. Led a life of celibacy for six fucking months, but it¡¯s worth it. You better let me keep touching you now.¡± ¡°Someone would see us.¡± I said, already feeling giddy with his words. ¡°No one can. It¡¯s a VIP lounge, one that doesn¡¯t have any cameras installed.¡± He said and proceeded to kiss me again, his fingers now were dipping in the thong that I was wearing. I gasped when his fingers found my cleft and he drove his finger inside while kissing me fiercely. I came up for air, trying to control the moans that were erupting from my throat. ¡°Not here, Jack, let¡¯s go somewhere more private.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to my ce.¡± He suggested with a devilish smile. We stopped in front of a slick, white sports BMW i8 that I¡¯d only seen on the roads and on an episode of Top Gear, never dreamed of riding it. Jack grinned as the door opened upward. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Are you trying to impress me?¡± I asked sliding into the passenger side. ¡°Well, is it working?¡± I sighed. ¡°Jack, you already know I¡¯m not impressed by your wealth and money. I don¡¯t want any of it. I wouldn¡¯t care if you lived in a tent.¡± Heughed. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Um, maybe I would. I mean a tent isn¡¯t really very convenient, is it?¡± ¡°It would be really convenient for some things that I had in mind for you.¡± He pecked my lips. ¡°You know what I like about you...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You never ask for more, you just do the best with what you already have and I love you so fucking much for that.¡± My heart was beating so wildly. As he drove towards his house, I had to constantly tell Jack to slow down. He looked so happy and my heart soared when I saw the happiness so clear on his face. A year back, he¡¯d been locked up in a room sometimes in strait-jackets, restrained and although he looked like he didn¡¯t care, I¡¯d seen the despair clear in his eyes. The thought that I was even a little bit responsible to take the darkness away from him pleased me. The car maneuvered near a four story mansion, the letters ¡®W¡¯ were marked on the either sides of the gates. He parked the car near a row of other cars and we started walking into the mansion. The courtyard was beautiful, freshly mowed and some areas covered in flowerbeds. A man of average height, bushy mustache and friendly gray eyes weed us. Jack tossed the keys of his car towards the man who caught it in mid-air. It gave me the impression that the two did this often. ¡°How¡¯s it going, Lynn?¡± ¡°Everything is fine, sir. Dinner is ready to be served.¡± He threw me a look and then to Jack he said, ¡°If you wish to dine in your room, I¡¯ll have Lily bring dinner upstairs.¡± There was the yful grin again. ¡°Look at her carefully, Lynn. In a month or less, she¡¯s going to be giving you orders in this house so you better learn what she likes and what she doesn¡¯t.¡± Lynn looked as shocked as I did. His bushy moustaches twitched. ¡°Congrattions Miss, sir. I will have all the preparations made all at once.¡± And then he bellowed somewhere at the back, ¡°Georgie, Lily, Dorothy, we have a new mistress of the household.¡± ¡°Lynn, please make sure we¡¯re not to be disturbed. If we need dinner or assistance, I will ring for you.¡± The maids had stopped doing whatever work they¡¯d been doing and sneaked nces at me now. Every corner had a curious head peering at me like I was a rare species that the gardener had found in thewn and meant to be marveled. ¡°What does it mean?¡± I asked Jack as we started climbing the marble staircase. ¡°It means what I said.¡± Jack answered vaguely, he enjoyed teasing me a lot. The house was probably built in the eighteenth century and had a gothic look. The architectural work done was brilliant, yet had a modern look to it. ssic,vish and greatly opulent. I¡¯d never been to a house like this, let alone walked into one. I¡¯d only read about them in Romance novels. This is the house that Jack grew up in. The house where his mother and his adoptive father had been killed. I tried not to think of that. Jack¡¯s room was on the first floor, a spacious room with an open balcony and an attached bathroom. The bathroom wasrge enough to fit my entire apartment. I¡¯d imagined Jack¡¯s bedroom to be extraordinary, but it was simple. There was arge king-sized bed dominating the center, the walk-in closet and a t screen on the opposite side of the wall, some gaming consoles. A wide dresser that had some bottles of men¡¯s perfumes sitting on the top. I also noticed another connecting door in the corner and when I asked Jack where that led, he said it was his home office where he usually worked when he brought his work home. The bedroom was lovely and so cosy. ¡°Come live with me.¡± He murmured close to my ear. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I saide live with me.¡± He kissed the sensitive part behind my head and drew a path down the back of my neck. ¡°Move into my home, lets live together Cotton-Candy.¡± Before I could say something, he went on. ¡°There¡¯s a spare room connecting to my office. You could put your stuff there if you want, or decorate this room as per your preference.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be your whore.¡± I said and then corrected myself, ¡°What I mean is, I can¡¯t live here just because you need me to be close to you when you¡¯re around, I know you¡¯ll leave again and I¡ª¡± ¡°Be my wife, Riley.¡± He smiled. ¡°Mistress of the household, my wife. Not as a kept woman.¡± I almost stumbled at his words. I had not expected Jack to walk into my life after six months and propose marriage in such a casual way. I¡¯d known that being with Jack didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d always be presented with flowers, that he was a difficult man who was still haunted by the demons of his past. ¡°Oh.¡± I said, surprised how I¡¯d misunderstood. And now the prospect of marriage with Jack excited me, it also made me nervous. Heughed. ¡°What were you thinking? That¡¯d I¡¯d want you living here just for the sex? Maybe you thought there was a contractying around somewhere, and a red room of pain down the hallway.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked. ¡°Never been so sure in my life.¡± He said, his eyes looking at me with desire. He produced a small velvet box from his pocket and that¡¯s when I knew he hadn¡¯t asked me to marry just jokingly, that he was dead serious. Therge diamond solitaire ring was proof enough. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ast chance, Cotton-Candy. If you want, you can walk away from me right now, but know that I want to care for you, love you and make love to you for our entire lives, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I may not be an ideal husband. I still need to have my name cleared from a few cases, I¡¯m still difficult. I battle this suffocating darkness that sometimes consumes me, but I can assure you that I¡¯m not the same man you saw trapped in that asylum that day. You set me free, Riley.¡± My eyes were brimming with tears. He was holding the ring between his fingers. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be that asshole that takes advantage of you first and then proposes you. If you say yes, you¡¯re mine and I¡¯m yours. This room, this house, the i8 outside, and the dozen cars, the maids, every little damn thing that I own will be yours. If you say no...¡± his hands were shaking, his voice wavering and low. It was the first time that I¡¯d ever seen Jack having a loss of words orck of confidence. Iughed, ¡°are you trying to bribe me with your riches?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes.¡± He said, smiling. ¡°I love you, Riley, please marry me. Let me have the honor of bing your husband.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes. Yes. I¡¯ll marry you even if you decide to take me to live in a tent.¡± I said going into his arms, wiping my tears. ¡°How long did you rehearse that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say I had six months of practice.¡± He said and Iughed. Theugher died when his lips imed mine in a rough kiss and he wasted no time as he unzipped my dress and took off his t-shirt. My birthday dress and his clothes were a pile on the floor. It took only a few seconds before the remaining of our cloths joined the pile. We were both naked, exploring each other with a new greediness. Jack¡¯s hands and mouth moved with expertise and it kind of made me wonder how many other women he¡¯d been with before he met me and I realized I didn¡¯t want to know the answer because it didn¡¯t matter. He hadn¡¯t asked them to marry him. It had been me. He kissed me with the kind of hunger and savagery that I hadn¡¯t witnessed before. Jack was inside me, and moving with urgency. I matched his rhythm. ¡°Yes. Yes, sweetheart,e for me.¡± ¡°Jackson...¡± My screams were muffled by Jack¡¯s mouth on mine. I could feel how he¡¯d spilled inside me. He After that crazed, frenzied love making, we talked for a while, until Jack told me he wanted to go for the second time and who was I to say no. If I could stay in this fluffy bed forever, and have this man do wicked things to me, I would. I looked at the moonlight streaming out of the window and wondered how I¡¯d gotten so lucky this birthday, and then a gloomy thought settled within. Ken, my brother. He would be all alone if I married and moved out of our apartment, wouldn¡¯t he? How would he cope living all my himself when he needed me for the smallest things. I looked at Jack sleeping beside me. His fingers drewzy circles on my stomach. As if reading my mind, he asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, love?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ken. If I married you and moved out of our apartment, he¡¯ll be lonely.¡± He cupped my face in his hands. ¡°I have that figured out as well. We have a lot of spare rooms in this house. Ken can move in with us. He¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯d let my brothere live with us?¡± Jack took my hand in his, the one with the ring on it and kissed it and continued kissing it like he couldn¡¯t believe I was even here. ¡°Of course, Cotton-Candy. He¡¯s your little brother and by marrying me, that¡¯ll make him my brother-inw. Wouldn¡¯t it be my duty to look after him too?¡± ¡°thank you, Jack.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Ken about it.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He asked, his fingers moving downward. I pped his hand yfully. ¡°You¡¯re a horndog.¡± ¡°Can you me me? I haven¡¯t been with you for a long time.¡± ¡°If I said no to your proposal, you would do what? You never finished the sentence before.¡± ¡°I was going to say, if you said no, Riley, I¡¯d...¡± ¡°You¡¯d what?¡± I asked, impatiently. ¡°I¡¯d find a way to make you say yes.¡± Iughed. ¡°You presumptions, asshole.¡± Wey there in silence, with Jack it was aforting silence. I could stay listening to him breathe and I didn¡¯t want anything else from life. ¡°Jack, can I ask you something?¡± I asked, even though I was feeling distracted with his touch. ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°Does it make you sad that your rtionship with Aaron could have been different?¡± I asked, propping up on my elbows. Jack looked at me with a carefree,zy expression. His fingers now ying with my hair. ¡°I regret that if I had known about him sooner, I may have been able to stop some of the killings. He was vindictive, Riley, just pure evil and for someone like him...I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any way to bring them back on the track. He made it his life mission to destroy Ezra and me. His end was inevitable.¡± I gave him a nod. He asked, ¡°do you miss your friend?¡± I decided to answer him truthfully. ¡°I actually do. I think of him sometimes. I¡¯d known him for five years, Jack. I wonder if what we had was just an illusion. I guess it was, and it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, Cotton-Candy, don¡¯t think about it.¡± He whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll make all the bad memories go away.¡± I smiled. ¡°I know you will. You make me so happy, Jackson.¡± Ezra ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve been instructed not to let any visitors disturb him at this hour.¡± Lynn followed me, hot on his heels. I knocked on the door of Jack¡¯s room, scratch that, I rapped on the door with angry thumps. The Jackass better be awake, because if he wasn¡¯t, I would whoop his ass. I wouldn¡¯t leave without asking him what had been bugging me all this time. Chapter 47: Bonus Chapter 2 Chapter 47: Bonus Chapter 2 EZRA POV I should¡¯ve been in my hotel room packing, better yet, spending my final hours in WoodVille screwing the bartender I¡¯d met at the club, instead a new discovery had forced me to first talk this out with my brother before I drew up any conclusions. My gut feeling told me that what I¡¯d witnessed and seen was wrong, but I knew in my heart that it could as well be true. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve been instructed not to let any visitors disturb Mr. Wolfe at this hour.¡± Lynn followed me, hot on his heels, dabbing a handkerchief on his forehead. Poor Lynn and the other house staff. They¡¯d thought I¡¯d died during one of my missions, and I¡¯d made sure to keep my existence from public knowledge. I was someone who worked from the shadows, and so, my agency hadpletely wiped out my remnants from this mansion. I had no reason to live here after I¡¯d joined the FBI because unlike Jack, this ce haunted me. I couldn¡¯t look at the shed outside without thinking of our mother; I couldn¡¯t even step towards the same floor as my father¡¯s room because I often thought he¡¯d still be there inside, sitting in his usual chair, smoking a cigar. When I¡¯d turned up at the mansion, monthster, Lynn and the staff had nearly survived a coronary. They thought they¡¯d seen a ghost, and I had to quickly exin what had happened. I¡¯d imed back my old room, the one on the same floor as Jack¡¯s but my room consisted of less things and even lesser furniture. I knocked on the door of Jack¡¯s room, scratch that, I rapped on the door with angry thumps. The Jackass better be awake. ¡°Sir...But...¡± ¡°Lynn, please remind me who I am.¡± I told the butler. He opened his palms as if to ask why I was even asking this question. ¡°You are Ezra Wolfe, sir.¡± ¡°And what does that make me?¡± I asked. ¡°An important member of this house.¡± Lynn looked like a kid giving his best answers to win Who wants to be a Millionaire? ¡°Right. So, if the owner of this house, my brother wishes not to speak with me, he¡¯d have to throw me out himself, which he can¡¯t because it¡¯s my house too. You¡¯re not losing your job so...pretend like I¡¯m not here and run back downstairs.¡± Lynn huffed. The door of the room opened and a very sleepy Jack walked out of the room. I could see Riley sleeping on her side, the whiteforter drawn up to cover the lower half of her body. It¡¯s no wonder his phone was switched off. ¡°It¡¯s four a.m, Ezra. What the fuck do you want at this hour?¡± Jack asked, barely opening his eyes. No shirt on, just a pair of jeans, unzipped and unbuttoned. I had barely even slept, because my new partner had called me to discuss this new undercover case. I had a flight in two hours but this conversation needed to happen. ¡°Lynn, I need breakfast.¡± Jack said. ¡°Eggs would be good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just four a.m, sir.¡± ¡°I can read time.¡± Jack replied, grumpily. ¡°Get me a strong coffee, ck.¡± I told him and the butler was dismissed. I turned my gaze towards Jack. He closed his bedroom door carefully behind him, like making the slightest sound would wake up the sleeping baby in his crib. Yeah, right. ¡°Jose Fisher.¡± I said. The name was enough to remind him what had happened. Jack watched me, his demeanor as cool as a cucumber. Anyone else would have been fooled, not me. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± He asked. ¡°You should try enrolling into a better acting school because you¡¯re definitely not passing any auditions any time soon, brother.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk in riddles.¡± He snapped. ¡°Say it clearly.¡± ¡°Jose¡¯s body was found in a ditchst night, butchered beyond recognition. Let me paraphrase that in a better way. His eyeballs are missing, Jackson and so was his penis. His organsying in a pile beside him.¡± I told him. ¡°The new FBI recruit puked his guts and almost called quits when he looked at the mess.¡± ¡°Who do you think did it?¡± Jack asked, watching me closely. ¡°Certainly it¡¯s not Aaron because he¡¯s dead. Maybe it¡¯s someone else?¡± He leaned against the doorframe. I knew that posture, he was trying to intimidate me, dominate me even. ¡°I won¡¯t y your game, Jack. It probably charms the fuck out of Riley, it does nothing to me.¡± ¡°Get to the point, hermano. I need to get back to Riley. She¡¯d probably start missing me.¡± ¡°I know you did it.¡± I said and watched as his expressions did not change. Jack stared at me with the same darkness in his eyes. ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± Good Lord! He hadn¡¯t even tried to debunk the suspicion I¡¯d nted. ¡°You killed a man for fuck¡¯s sake! I¡¯m an FBI Special agent, Jackson! You have no idea what I can do!¡± Jack gritted his teeth and looked at his closed room door. ¡°Lower your damn voice.¡± ¡°What were you thinking? Killing that man like that!¡± ¡°He tried to rape Riley that night when you locked her up under the suspicion of the murders.¡± Jack said coldly. ¡°I¡¯d checked his records, he¡¯s been reported of sexual assault more times than you could count but the hospital authorities didn¡¯t want to report it because they didn¡¯t want to be involved in a scandal.¡± ¡°Jack, you could have told me about this. There¡¯s a way we could have handled through thew.¡± ¡°If it had been at the hands of thew, Ezra, he would still be free raping other women. If thew is the right way to go then I wouldn¡¯t have to hunt our mother¡¯s killers down and kill each one of em. One of us needed to do the dirty work and heck, if I regret it.¡± Jack said he didn¡¯t regret killing those three men in the past, but he couldn¡¯t deny how it had changed him. The way I see it, Jack was always surrounded by darkness, it was about time he let it consume him. After he¡¯d killed the people, he hadn¡¯t been the same man. ¡°You scooped his eyeballs out! How angry were you?¡± Jack¡¯s jaw muscle twitched. ¡°If you truly loved a woman, and saw some dirtbag try to soil her, you¡¯d do the same thing.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. Don¡¯tpare me with you.¡± I said frustratingly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re being such a hypocrite. You¡¯ve killed far more people than I have, don¡¯t deny it.¡± Jack said, hitting the bullys-eye. My hands were balled into tight fists. ¡°That¡¯s a different case. I killed because I was protecting some innocents¡ª¡± ¡°I was protecting innocents too.¡± He chimed in. ¡°I take a shot, point-nk not butcher them like they are animals brought into a meat farm. There¡¯s a difference.¡± Jack didn¡¯t even feign indifference. It¡¯s when I realized there was no point in arguing with him. What was done was done. ¡°What do you n to do? Pull this up in the police department? Put me back in the asylum or maybe prison this time. You know, my fianc¨¦ won¡¯t be happy about it, probably won¡¯t believe you about the murder story either.¡± I stared at him, speechless. He¡¯d asked Riley to marry him, and she¡¯d said yes¡­ That changed a lot of things. I didn¡¯t know for the better, or worse. ¡°What do you want Ezra? Thepany? We¡¯ve talked about this a dozen times. I don¡¯t want it. This entire fucking murder spree happened because of it, remember? I want to live with my happiness, with my Riley. And you can¡¯t take her away from me.¡± It was a warning that I should be taking, but damn him if I was even a bit scared. ¡°For the millionth time, I¡¯m not interested in thepany. I¡¯m interested in my brother¡¯s well-being and keeping his sanity in check, but seeing as the way things have taken a turn, I think it¡¯s toote for that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re wrong.¡± He said. ¡°I know you killed Mad-Dave, too.¡± Jack¡¯s brow twitched upward. ¡°How do you figure?¡± ¡°My instincts never lie, especially if it concerns you. What was the reason behind it?¡± ¡°He pissed me off that day in the asylum, talking shit about me, about mom, I couldn¡¯t handle it. I¡¯d noticed Aaron¡¯s pattern of killing before it started in WoodVille and then I¡­¡± ¡°You killed because it was fun.¡± Ipleted the sentence for him. ¡°You tried to mess with Aaron¡¯s head and got him. The actual killing spree in the asylum started after you.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Jack said. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say.¡± I confessed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t take Riley¡¯s happiness away from her, would you?¡± There it was the master maniptor doing his job. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± I said under my breath. ¡°Neither Dave nor Jose were innocent, and what you did to them, while it was brutal, they had iting.¡± Jack¡¯s lips formed into a knowing smile. ¡°I knew you¡¯d understand.¡± He was lucky his brother was in the bureau. I was ashamed to admit this, but even a single clue trailing to Jack was going to be wipedpletely out of existence. It wasn¡¯t the first time that I hadn¡¯t reported back what wasn¡¯t needed. I¡¯d seen some people kill other bad people, and kept quiet. This was my brother we were talking about. ¡°My eyes are on you, Jackson. You kill the mail man next for eye-fucking Riley, and I¡¯ll have you go where you¡¯re supposed to go. I can¡¯t make it any clearer.¡± ¡°Warning heard loud and clear.¡± Jack said. Jack¡¯s bedroom door creaked open and we stared at Riley in disbelief, hoping she hadn¡¯t heard any bits of the conversation. Her brown hair was messy, and she was wearing Jack¡¯s t-shirt that reached her knees. ¡°Ezra, weren¡¯t you leaving tonight?¡± She asked. Riley wasn¡¯t really someone you¡¯d call pretty, or she wasn¡¯t eye-catchy. She was just beautiful in a conventional way with her brown hair and dark eyes but she wasn¡¯t like the women that I¡¯d previously seen Jack with. Those women looked like models. And at first, I¡¯d been a little confused, maybe taken aback that Jack had been sopletely devoted to her, but as the time passed I saw what he saw. She was real, she was strong and that¡¯s what made her so beautiful. Her pure soul. She was his light, something that he was aplete opposite. I saw the ring in her hand. Jack ced a hand possessively around her waist and kissed the top of her head. It was new to me, to see Jack showingpassion towards one woman. She looked at him like he was her entire world. A twinge of jealously sparked inside me, wondering if I¡¯d ever find someone like that in my life who would look like that towards me. I¡¯d kill myself before I hurt Riley. Jack¡¯s watched me, daring me to tell Riley what I¡¯d learned. ¡°Go back to sleep, Cotton-Candy.¡± He told her. ¡°I wanted to say goodbye to Ezra.¡± She turned to face me. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see you next.¡± ¡°Probably not for a while. This case is deep undercover as well, and I can only hope it¡¯s not as bizarre as what I had to do here in WoodVille.¡± I said. ¡°I wish you sess.¡± She pulled out of Jack¡¯s arms and gave me a hug. ¡°Thanks.¡± I said. I was going to miss her a lot. ¡°If Jack causes trouble, you call my phone. My assistant will answer. Code word: Cotton-Candy. I¡¯ll leave whatever mission I¡¯m on and run back here.¡± ¡°I hope that situation doesn¡¯t rise.¡± Riley giggled. ¡°Jack proposed me! You have toe for our wedding.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it.¡± I assured her. ¡°Take care of her.¡± I told Jack, giving him ast warning look. He knew what that meant. I gave Riley onest kiss on her cheek and turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, guys.¡± My flight was dyed to Virginia, and in turn it hadnded mete in the assistant director of Criminal Investigation division¡¯s office. When I¡¯d walked the hallways of the center, all the FBI trainees had stared at me, some smiled and waved, others had wanted to talk in person. It was nice toe back to the ce and be idolized by the newbies. I was clean shaven, and dressed in a formal gray suit. Assistant Director, Edward Rudolph smiled at me warmly. ¡°Wee back, Agent Wolfe.¡± ¡°Thanks for having me, sir.¡± I said. ¡°Coffee, tea, anything to drink?¡± He asked. ¡°Coffee would be good, ck please.¡± I was having coffee and an assortment of biscuits. Rudolph cleared his throat, ¡°You might have heard of this case.¡± ¡°The president of the Graham Holdings, Simon Graham died tragically in a Charted ne crash. It seemed like the ne had crashed due to a storm, and the case was closed but a few monthster the investigation started back up because someone believes that Simon¡¯s death wasn¡¯t an ident but a murder. I don¡¯t know why sir, but I believe the new president could be the one who¡¯d conspired to kill poor Simon.¡± Rudolph assessed me with curious eyes. ¡°Do you know who the new president of thepany is?¡± ¡°His brother, Charlie?¡± I asked, unsure of myself. The director was clearly amused. ¡°Simon had four brothers, Das, Seth, Walter and Lance. Das, being the oldest brother. Technically, after the current president of thepany dies, the position could directly fall into the older brother¡¯sp by default, considering the fact that Das worked closely with Simon.¡± ¡°So¡­why didn¡¯t thepany go to Das? Who is this Charlie?¡± Was there a second inmand who worked closely with Simon and maybe this second inmand had gotten really greedy. The old man smiled. ¡°It gets interesting. Charlie Graham, also known as Charlotte. She is the new president of thepany, Simon¡¯s widow. Can you believe this, Ezra? A woman taking charge of a multi-million dorpany after her husband¡¯s death, and shouldering the burden of thousands of her employees, it sounds insane, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I sat cross-legged. A high profile murder case. A powerful man was dead, and his widow was taking charge of thepany when his brothers were still in line. I loved where this case was going. ¡°What part am I ying in this?¡± ¡°Your new partner, Beatrice did some digging. She¡¯s already ced there and doing a wonderful job so far. She¡¯s a housekeeper.¡± Iughed. Beatrice is one of the best FBI agents of this agency, and she¡¯d agreed to work as a household staff for this investigation, that means these guys were probably paying a lot. It¡¯s no wonder poor Bea was scrubbing floors while keeping tabs. Did I even want to know what was in store for me? ¡°What part am I ying?¡± ¡°Graham¡¯s old butler died in the ne crash with Simon. They¡¯ve spent the past few months going through a dozen. It seems none of them seem to be able to work under the pressure that Charlie Graham puts them through. You will take the position, Ezra, and keep it whether you like it or not. It¡¯s an order. I¡¯m giving you three months¡¯ time to investigate this case. Find out why, when and who and report back to me.¡± ¡°Let me get this straight. You want me work as an undercover agent pretending to be the family¡¯s butler?!¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Mr. Rudolf, I do not possess any skills of a butler.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t even half as mad as your twin yet you yed his part well and lived in an asylum for days. This should be rtively easier.¡± ¡°What about my identity? Wouldn¡¯t they do a background check?¡± I asked. ¡°Got that covered as well. You came here from Puerto Rico looking for a job, and Bea¡¯s already made rmendations. No one, I daresay, no one can turn down a handsome Latino man standing at their doorstep looking for a job.¡± There was a fake birth certificate, social security number and things that did not link to my current life. He passed me a forged driver¡¯s license. There was my picture on it and my name. I felt my heart stop beating. Alejandro Ruiz My given name and my pa¡¯sst name. The name that I¡¯d wanted the world to know. Mr. Rudolf probably noticed me getting a little emotional there. ¡°Your father Antonio Ruiz was a great detective. You¡¯re walking in his footsteps, Ezra, you would have made him proud.¡± Emotions began to well up, tears were stinging my eyes. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do this.¡± Rudolf shook hands with me. ¡°Good Luck Alejandro, god knows you probably need it a lot.¡± I¡¯d just shook hands with the director toplicate my life even further. A double identity, a murder case and a window. I didn¡¯t feel nervous at all. A spark of excitement burned inside me. This is going to be fun. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!