The Cunning

28

Another half-hour passed once they returned downstairs before Madison went back into the kitchen to get another drink. The six men in there were being loud. A more light-hearted atmosphere befell them as their laughter boomed through the house. From what Madison could gather, they were talking about boxing. Jase was immersed in the conversation, not noticing her behind him in the fridge.

"He's way too quick. Alex doesn't stand a chance," he said, leaning back in the chair, lacing his fingers behind his head. She saw his bottle was almost empty and opened the fridge again, taking one from the shelf and using a lighter to prize the cap off, placing it in front of him. Jase looked over his shoulder, previously unaware of her presence, and followed her with his eyes as she left.

It was a subtle, calculated move on Madison's part. Jase may be desensitised to most things and playing on his sympathetic side was a waste of time but he still had an ego to stroke. Every man in their line of work did. They all wanted money, power, and respect. Madison getting Jase a drink without being prompted and then leaving rather than interrupting their conversation did wonders for his image when so many people were around. It also played into the boys' whole 'women should be seen, not heard' rule they had going on.

All Madison had to do was behave, keep her head down and let him believe he had complete control of the situation. For now, she would swallow her pride and play to the patriarchy, putting him on a pedestal as if she relied on him. People that said 'flattery would get them nowhere' were doing it wrong.

"Fucking hell, she's well trained," a friend of Jase's said. The mixture of cocaine and alcohol aided in swaying his opinion of Madison. He found himself being intrigued by her. Jase wasn't an idiot, he understood that every move Madison made was a step towards self-preservation but it was interesting to watch her work. It had been a long time since anyone – or anything besides cocaine – had enticed him. He stood, finding Madison on the sofa in the living room.

He whistled to get her attention before calling. She turned sharply at the sound of her name, finding Jase standing in the doorway.

"Everything okay?" she asked when they got to the top of the stairs. He dangled the small baggy of cocaine over his shoulder suggestively. Madison swallowed the apprehension camping at the base of her throat. If drugs were the doorway to get into Jase's head then so be it. She smiled, "I thought the girls weren't allowed to do drugs?"

With the unwinding feeling the combination swilling in his body gave him, he let her questioning slide, not wanting to squash his intrigue so soon by deflating her mood.

"A few lines aren't going to kill you. Also, I'm the one that makes most of the rules, so if I decide to break them, I will," he replied, opening the bedroom door. It was the most they'd spoken without any underlying threats, they were practically having a conversation.

Now the ball was rolling, Madison grew brave.

"Why do you make rules if you're just going to break them?" she asked, sitting on the desk, facing him as he proceeded to rack up another two lines.

"Because I can." Madison had guessed as much. It wasn't about keeping the girls in line so much as it was a power trip. Because he could, It was a silent flex. What he said was final. It wasn't even for the punter's sake, which made sense considering Janine smoked weed, and they pumped the girls with heroin when and if they pleased. It was because he was bored.

Madison made a mental note that entertaining Jase was likely her best bet in garnering his attention. She needed to keep his curiosity piqued, to keep doing whatever it took to stay on his radar and off everyone else's. So far, so good. It was almost a little too easy. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Janine's words looped over in her head again. Jase liked playing games.

But what was he playing right now?

He took the note out again, rolling it up and holding it out to her,

"Ladies first." Madison hopped off the desk, the apprehension towards the drug had faded now. After a little while, she'd stopped feeling the rush and it hadn't done much to cloud her judgement. Her thoughts and goals were still crystal clear and she was being careful to only sip her drinks. As she took the note, she masked her suspicion with an attempt at a playful smile.

"Imagine you have manners," she replied sarcastically. Jase smirked,

"Watch it." The second rush wasn't as hard-hitting as the first, even though he'd given her more. She stepped away from the phone, tipping her head back as he did his line.

The backdrop hit her as he turned back. She grimaced. Jase offered her his beer to wash away the taste. He leaned on the desk once more, folding his arms.

"Why did you let me go, Jase?" Madison questioned after a brief silence. He tilted his head, taking in her features. Wisps of flaxen hair framed her angular face, her dark brown eyes wide in question. She was alluring; there was no denying that. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, determined to stay focused on his plan. Make her feel special, appeal to her sensitive side, so she's less inclined to put a knife in his back. He would have to pepper their conversations with truth.

"We pick up most of the girls off the streets. Girls that already work corners. Promising them better work, housing and so on. Once they're here and realise what's going on, it's too late. Sometimes we get requests, like you. When I saw you in the shop, your name badge didn't read Madison, it said something else," he shrugged, "As far as I was concerned, you weren't the one we were looking for." Madison examined him but didn't pick up any notes of deception. For a second, her devious buzz fizzled out.

"When did you find out you shouldn't have let me go?" she asked.

"About an hour later." He'd known when he saw her on the bus.

This knowledge made her memory of his unwavering eyecontact all the more ominous. She recalled how vulnerable his presence had made her feel. Predator and prey had been mere feet apart and she'd been none the wiser.

"Was that why you were on the bus? To track my routine?" she questioned. Jase nodded. How long had they been watching her? They'd been directly outside her front door. The letters. Was she sure they had nothing to do with this house? And who the fuck had requested to buy her? The questions and cocaine was suddenly a little overwhelming.

The thought that she'd been so unaware of this surveillance taking place made Madison's skin crawl. Yet it did more to piss her off than it did to upset her. It had all been going on under her nose and years of peaceful living had caused her naturally cautious disposition to wane. Her dad had been away for so long she hadn't been exposed to the ugly side of the world in a while. She'd forgotten certain kinds of people existed because they didn't cross paths on a regular basis anymore. Even with the threatening anonymous letters, she hadn't been as concerned as she should have been, figuring they'd eventually stop.

Madison stared at Jase, determined not to behave so negligently ever again. From now on, she would notice everything, pick up on every change in tone, any suspicious behaviour. She would nit-pick and unweave the house piece by piece. Starting with him.

She stood, leaving the room. Jase didn't know how to feel about the lack of response. He couldn't tell what Madison was thinking or feeling and it unnerved him because this was a girl he wholeheartedly believed could be stunningly conniving.

*

Do you think Jase admires Madison and if so, do you think it's enough to save her? Or do you think he'll be even more determined to squash her fire? 

Give me all your opinions, I want to know what you think!