River of sin

13. You know how to play this game

Jacob waited impatiently for Yvonne, quickly opening his car door and screeching off to his house in a complete and angry silence.
"You pulled a damn gun on me!" Jacob shouted at her the second he stepped inside
"You called me a whore and a tart!"
"For show! To put them off the scent, Evie! I thought you would have known that! You know how to play this game! Jesus Christ!" He paced back and forth "You bleach the squalor off you alright did ya?" He ranted angrily "huh? Get the filth off ya! Pick off the fleas!"
"Jacob...."
"what was that all about that your brother was saying? Slitting throats? That you're back? Your dads secret weapon? Ruthless? My worst nightmare? I knew my little Evie when she was sixteen! So what the hell they on about? You been playing me for a fool this whole time? Giving me the innocent little girl act, huh?"
Yvonne sighed, taking a seat by the fire "fine" she sighed out "I was fifteen" she began to tell her story, Jacob sitting opposite her listening intently "there was a business deal went wrong. I was there. He always brought me along, even when I was a small child. He took me everywhere with him at one point in my life. I saw things no child should. Saw my first kill when I was only five."

"What happened? Tell me, Evie." He took hold of her hands "I told you back then I knew something had happened to you."
"They took me, Jacob." She looked sadly at him, a tear rolling down her cheek "they put a sack over my head and...."
"Evie" he crouched down in front of her "if you're not pure, I won't think no less of you, little darling. It won't matter to me. It won't change how I feel. I ain't with you because you're pure, little darling. Did they force themselves on you, Evie? They take your innocence by force?"
"I slit his throat, Jacob" she whispered out ashamed "he came close but no." She nodded as her tears fell "I...."
"Little darling look at me. Look at me, Evie!" He held her face "it's alright, Evie. I'm sorry I yelled at you. You took me by surprise is all, I didn't even know you were armed."
"You don't think my brothers would think it odd if I just let you insult me, call me a whore, without retribution! A warning at the very least? I'm a Barnes, Jacob! If I didn't do it one of them would have done far worse. I did and said what I did to protect you! Of course I know how to play this game, part of this game is being a Barnes! I know there are no fleas, Jacob! It's a common jest in our house that the Evans clan have fleas!"

"Right of course. You're a good shot. I was impressed."
"Marcus taught me to shoot after....after that night. Before that I was only allowed a pocket knife. Stupid bastard didn't think a little thing like me would even be armed with that." She scoffed "bit like you, mr Evans. They underestimated me. They forgot like you often do that at the end of the day, I'm a Barnes. My first kill was at fifteen but it was not the first time I've had to....do things you would not expect. You know I do not care that...." She stopped thinking on her words so not to offend any further "you are far from filth and squalor, Jacob, and even if you were still in the slums, I would not care."
"I know, I'm sorry." He kissed her hand, sniffing her "you did have a bath though" he laughed at the fresh strong soapy scent
"They said they could smell you on me." She laughed along with him "they tossed my dress in the fire! Said it was contaminated with a repugnant Evan scent, if only they knew." She shook her head amused

"So" he lifted her up placing her on his lap "what's the deal? Let's form a plan. Agree a signal. The second I see it I'll get you out of there. No ones taking your innocence but me, my little darling" he smirked running his warm palm under her dress to run along her thigh. "That's mine for the taking, nobody else's." He ran his fingertips lightly over her underwear teasingly
"I have a plan. My....somebody gave me the idea after I left the meeting with you. I will require use of a private room. Your back office perhaps or the Evans private drinking room might be better placed logistically. Yes I know the layout of the black swan well. We have the plans to all your properties." She laughed at his shocked face, removing his hand so she could concentrate.

"Little darling, the type of men your father and I do business with aren't the type to be alone with. You're not a little girl no more, little darling, you're a woman, they will see you as such, no doubt your father has told them you're an untouched woman. Do you understand what I'm saying? Even if you don't give it up to him, he'll take what he wants, Evie and he clearly wants you. If your father threw your innocence in with the deal, he'll be expecting payment. Which ain't happening....has your father told you to give him what he wants?"
"He said he would rather I didn't but yes, as a last resort, he has left it to me to find a way out of it. Caroline and Diane are past their best according to him, they are both married with several children. He uses them for other associates. Less...fussy ones, with tastes in any women, that aren't particular. Clarke told him it was about time I started working the family business. Fully. That I'd returned as you say not a little girl anymore. It was his idea, not my fathers. My father knows Clarke is testing him, refusing would be a sign of weakness on his part.....my family dynamic is complicated, Jacob, myself and Marcus are.....his weakness, letting me off the hook would be openly admitting that. Men like my father aren't supposed to have weakness'. There will be consequences if I go back empty handed." she nodded quietly, Jacob seething under the surface. "I require the services of one of your whores."
"They ain't mine. I don't own a brothel, little darling. I just turn a blind eye to them doing their business in my establishments."
"I am sure you can manage." She looked away unamused "one that closest matches my appearance would be best. Hair colour, height, build, finer details will not matter."

"Evie you're getting yourself into trouble that you shouldn't be involved in or anywhere near."
"Will you do what I ask or not?" She asked sternly
"I'll see what I can do." He sighed "my uncle owns a brothel. We'll use someone we can trust. His girls know to keep their traps shut. They definitely ain't on the Barnes take."
"Then take this.....when I give you the signal you pour this into his drink before serving it to him, all of it." She handed him a tiny green glass bottle
"What is it? You asking me to kill him, little miss? Because there are easier ways."
"No. Just pour him the drink. That's all I'm asking. Then when it takes effect, bring in your whore."
"Drug him, hallucinogenic?" he nodded impressed, holding up the bottle inspecting it. "You think it'll work? That he'll think it's you?"
"Let us hope so" she nodded "it is the only plan I have come up with, unless you have a better one."
"No. I got nothing. If your father or Clarke are on to us, this will be a test. If I step in they'll know for sure, Evie. Unless he gets violent then he'd expect me to step in and kill me if I didn't."

"Evie?" He asked hesitantly "I love you"
"I love you too"
"Are you staying?"
"I have to get back tonight. Sorry I can't stay. Got a Barnes thing in the early hours."
"I meant generally speaking, Yvonne. Are you staying here or are you going back to America?"
"I will need to go back at some point. For my brother. For how long and when depends."
"On what?"
"On you, mr Evans."