Chapter 406: My sake.
Jarek.
Pain.
Excess pain. That was all I felt as I looked up into the eyes I used to love more than life. It was the same set of eyes that I used to dream about... long for and crave more than oxygen itself. But do you know what I felt when I saw it now?
It was not the usual butterflies in my stomach. It was not my occasional heart flipping in my chest.
I felt nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Oh, scratch that. I felt nothing until the ’nothing’ soon morphed into rage and disappointment. And until the ’nothing’ became an aggravating need to be as far away from her as possible.
I balled my hands into tight fists, watching her with suspicion as her eyes bore into mine with a kind of annoyance I have never felt from her before. Hell, she used to look at me with big puppy doe eyes. But now, all it held was contempt.
And betrayal.
She seethed; "I lost Grace."
I know.
However, at the mention of her daughter’s name— her now late daughter’s name— my frown deepened and I sighed; "And what does that have to do with everything, Keisha. How is that a reason for all of this unnecessary drama?"
"Jarek—"
"Why are you causing such a fuss?" I snapped, interrupting her for interrupting me, "...and just so you know, I understand that you’re grieving and I feel sorry for the pain you must feel, but why are you causing so much ruckus over something that is beyond everyone’s control?!"
My voice came out harsher than I had intended and in response, she scowled at me.
If at any time in my life some years ago, someone had told me that Keisha, this Keisha singing before me, would one day smack me hard across the face until my face was forced to loll to the side, then I would have never believed. I would’ve tried to prove them wrong or even called them out for being liars—
But ladies and gentlemen, that was exactly what happened next!
That was exactly what she did to me!
My head fell to the side and I groaned in pain when the metallic taste of my blood filled my mouth.
Usually, this is the part where I would’ve fought back or something, but I could not. Not when she had ensured to have my wrists clasped together behind my back with the biggest ugliest silver chains I’ve ever come across.
She snarled; "I lost Grace because of you!"
At her words, I froze. Something about those words felt and sounded familiar. It reminded me of memories I’ve tried to bury and filled me with emotions that have been locked up for so long, it almost felt surreal to feel them.
Something akin to bile rose at the back of my throat and I gulped to push it down before hissing; "If you lost Grace, then it is as a result of your stupidity or nonchalant attitude. You never wanted that child. You told me times without number that you didn’t, and now—"
"It was all your fault!" She cut in, interrupting me. "It all happened because you decided to choose that bitch, Leilani, over me!"
Her outburst made my frown deepen and I cocked my eyebrows as I lifted my head to meet her gaze. Heavens, I didn’t even need to do that because she hooked her finger under my chin, and using it to propel my face upward, she glared right at me. "You and that wench are the reason my daughter is dead."
"How does that even make any sense?" I hissed in confusion mixed with anger, "what does Leilani even have to do with this? How is she to be blamed for your negligence?"
At my words, her face darkened. She smacked me hard across the face one more time, but because I had already expected it this time, I was not stunned. Instead, I rolled my eyes, spat out the blood from my mouth and hissed;
"You’ll regret this,"
"No, I won’t." She clapped back sassily. "The only person who would regret anything today is you, Jarek."
Something about the way she said those words had chills running down my spine. My body trembled slightly and my already racing heart picked up even more speed as I slowly lifted my head to meet her gaze.
"You have no idea what you’re talking about."
"No, you don’t." She sassed, her eyes glowing with a kind of maniacal gleam that I found too eerie to look at. "Leilani thought she was smart by hiding out in those three stupid Alphas’ mansion," she drawled, and then hooking her finger under my chin for the second time today, she added; "...but let’s see what she would do when she finds out that you’re with me. That you’re being tortured by me... and that you will be killed by me."
As she said those words, my heart skipped several beats. And one of the reasons this happened was due to how seriously she sounded when she spoke. She talked like she meant each and every word she said and that sent shivers up my spine. "She would do nothing!" I hissed, and for some reason even saying those words hurt.
It hurt because I wanted things to be different.
I wanted her to worry about me like she does about the triplets.
My face burned with rage and frustration when I was pulled out of these thoughts by Keisha’s evil chuckle. When she caught me staring, she shrugged and turned away from me, her voice as cold as ice as she said; "You underrate the kind of affection she has for you."
I froze. "I don’t..."
"Yes, you do. You do not know how much she loves you and cares about you. Gosh, the two of you are so attached to each other’s hips, it’s nauseating to watch!"
"Keisha..."
"You may not believe me but my sources tell me that she’s now out of her safe heaven! She left the triplets’ mansion for your sake and she may be on her way here as we speak."
Something about those words had my blood running cold. It filled me with warmth and chillness all at once.
Warmth because it is obvious that she cares about me, more than I gave her credit for... and chillness because I of all people know that Keisha has something terrible in store for her.
I mean, why are there so many filled syringes arranged at the furthest corner of the room as if waiting to be used?
Why are there massive silver chains hanging loosely from the ceiling?
And why’s there liquid silver boiling in that metal pot not so far off, its pungent smell clogging my nostrils and polluting the air with its strong stench?
Keisha followed my line of sight and let out a derisive laugh. Her voice was high pitched and sarcastic as she hissed;
"Oh you’re wondering what that is for?" She asked and when I didn’t respond right away, she continued; "it’s for your beloved. We’re only waiting for her to get this party started."
As the weight of her words sunk deep into somewhere at the back of my head, my blood ran cold, and slowly... very slowly, goosebumps spread across my skin.
—
Leilani.
I had half expected the triplets to try to stop me from leaving their house when I asked to leave, and so I was quite shocked when instead of looking for ways to make me stay, they decided to look for ways to come with me.
Kael held my arm when I tried to walk out the door, his voice dripping with worry as he drawled; "I want to come with you..."
And oh, I had asked them not to. I was unwilling to allow them to come with me with the fear that they would complicate things even more for me. I feared that they could get in trouble for my sake, and I’d rather eat shit than allow one more person to be hurt simply because they were trying to protect me.
My eyes bore into his for a moment too long, and while I secretly hoped that he would back down, his brother, Zevran, leaned close, his warm breath fanning against the side of my face as he said;
"We cannot let you go on your own, Lani. It’s unsafe."
"But Keisha—"
"Keisha doesn’t mean shit. She doesn’t make the rules and I’d rather get hurt than she gets her way with you and hurts you."
Something about those words however, clawed at my chest. It made my chest feel warm— some of which crept up my face.
I felt the sting of my tears at the corners of my eyes way before they dropped, and without thinking, I went on my tippy toes, pressed my lips to Zevran’s cheek...
— and then I went ahead to do the same to Kael and Caelum, whilst ignoring the way they all stared at me like I had sprouted a second head.
