The Cunning

17

Jase had gone to the gym for a few hours, then to see a girl, returning late in the evening to find Adam, Sam and Benny standing around in the kitchen. They all had their coats on.

"We're going to get more girls," Sam said. "You coming?" Jase dumped his gym bag on the table, shaking his head as he shed his jacket. He was too tired to spend the night cruising the local red-light districts in search of any girls dumb enough to still be roaming around after the high numbers of disappearances recently. They weren't all Jase and the others doing, though, some were no doubt recruited by Mitch McKinney, a new name in the underworld. At least that's what the rumours suggested. Jase expected they would soon cross paths.

"Not tonight," he said. It wasn't out of character for him to turn down this part of the job. He didn't particularly enjoy mingling with the ladies of the night when he didn't have to. The others continued to ready themselves whilst Jase prepared food for the girls around them.

"Is there anything I can do?" Madison asked when he walked into the bedroom. Jase stared at her with a blank expression. He didn't intend on letting her do anything she suggested but humoured her and his curiosity.

"Like what?"

"Anything. Can't I have a book to read or something to draw with? I'm bored." Jase scoffed at her.

"This isn't a holiday. I don't give a fuck if you're bored. Why would I get you a book?" he replied. Madison tilted her head, the milky sweetness of her pout melted away, replaced with a hateful glare.

"Why would you do anything for me?" she asked, a question oozing with implication. Jase clenched his teeth.

"You think you have an advantage. You don't. More damage will come to you than me. They'll kill you. I made a mistake that night. I won't make another." The way he spoke was final. That alone wavered Madison's confidence in her plan. She needed to call his bluff.

"Shall we test that theory? Because I mean it when I say I would rather be dead than-" Her words caught in her throat, Jase had her jaw in his large hand, pressing her skin into the bone.

"You'll keep your fucking mouth shut if you know what's good for you," he lowered his voice, "I said they'd kill you, I didn't say they'd make it quick, and if you think for one second they wouldn't make the most out of your body before doing so, you're wrong." He pushed her face away from him. Madison felt the tears of anger burn, the lower half of her face aching as the blood rushed back in. "And just so we're clear, I'm protecting a product, not you. That's the only reason I haven't told them myself."

Madison asked why before she could stop herself.

"Why what?" he snapped.

"Why would they kill me? I'm not the one that fucked up."

"Because you could have told someone, called the police," Jase said.

"I didn't tell anyone," Madison mumbled, kicking herself now at her stupidity. At the time, she figured if she didn't get involved, no one would involve her. It wasn't like she had anyone to tell anyway. Jase shrugged.

"No such thing as being too careful when you do the things we do."

He left her to simmer, locking the door behind him. Sam was right; she was testing the waters, seeing what she could get away with. Now he didn't have to worry about her saying anything, that would be a lot less than she originally anticipated. He'd ripped the leverage from right under her. A rush of relief washed over Jase as things appeared to be balancing themselves out once more.

Customers came and went throughout the night. Annabelle had started screaming. The withdrawal pains were getting too much for her. He marched back upstairs, unlocking her door with an angry twist of the key.