Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Listen to me.” I tap him with the gun. “Five days. Big offer. Accept it, or your family dies. Say you understand.”
“I understand.” Tears stream down his face.
“Don’t worry. This will be good for you.” I release his wrist and kick him hard in the back, knocking him face-first to the ground, then I turn and trot away. I’m in the car and driving off before he even gets back up.
I toss the jackal mask onto the passenger seat. I’ll ditch this car later. But for now, that’s a start.
Chapter 12
Laura
The second show is twice as crowded compared to the first. Angelo’s running around playing host and talking up my work while I linger near the bar drinking a martini and trying to pretend like I’m not nervous as hell. Elena’s talking my ear off, and while I’m only half listening, I actually appreciate the company this time around.
I’m in my ram mask again with my big twisted demon horns. But this time, I repainted the front black and gold to match Jackal’s color scheme. Now that I’m here and standing around waiting for him, I’m starting to feel like a total moron. I mean, I’m matching his mask like we’re going to prom together? It’s silly and childish, and I’m starting to think he got one look at me and decided that I wasn’t worth the trouble.
“Angelo looks like he’s in heaven,” Elena says and I can see her grin through her small lacy mask. It barely covers her eyes and mouth. “The guy loves this club more than anything, and you just filled a room with rich people.”
“Isn’t every member of Cage a rich person?” I ask, sipping my drink and craning my neck to skim the crowd. It’s been an hour and there’s still no sign of him.
“Absolutely stinking rich, but half the guests tonight aren’t actually members. By the end of the evening, I bet Angelo and Claudia bag themselves a few new whales.”
“I’m so happy for my brother. Now his fancy whore house will make him even more money.”
Elena cackles and elbows my side. “Don’t let him hear you call it that. Cage is a sex club, not a whore house.”
“I fail to see the difference.”
“Technically, the men aren’t paying the women.” Elena’s eyebrows waggle. “Emphasis on the technically part.”
I smile in response and try to cover my anxiety with more drinking, which is probably a bad idea. I’m a lightweight, and if I have another one of these, I’ll be staggering around, blind drunk, and I doubt Jackal will like that.
Except why shouldn’t I drink? This is my show and these people are here to look at my art. Their checkbooks are opening because they like what I’ve done, and shouldn’t I get to celebrate that a little bit? It’s pathetic that I’m sitting here at the bar worried about what some total stranger is going to think about my drinking and pining after him like a teenager.
God, I’m inexperienced. I haven’t been romantically involved with a man in a very long time. And I’m not even sure romantically is the right word to use for whatever I’m doing with Jackal. Aggressive fuck buddies? Thrill sex junkies? Control bang buddies? Something like that. Either way, I don’t know how to emotionally handle this, because I’ve never had to handle anything like it before.
I spent years in my house making art and processing what happened to me. I’ve moved on from my trauma, but I found that I like being a recluse and making things. Art fills my days and gives my life purpose. It’s not messy, there’s no uncertainty, it’s all under my control.
Jackal is none of those things. He’s messy, random, and way beyond me. And yet here I am, wanting more of him, even though he’s exactly what I’ve tried to avoid for so long now.
I spot Claudia coming toward me through the crowd. She looks incredible in a flowy dress and a feathery peacock mask. I can see what my brother likes about her. She’s serious, very clever, and even though she had a terrible upbringing, she’s about as loyal as they get, and she works ten times harder than anyone else I’ve ever met.
“Have I told you how happy I am that you decided to do this again?” Claudia leans against the bar next to me and gives Elena a quick air kiss, their masks bumping slightly. “Seriously, Laura, Cage has never been so popular before. I just had, like, three millionaires ask if we’re going to start doing more art shows in the future.”
“Happy I could help,” I murmur.
“Also, all your pieces are sold, and they went for five times what they did at the last show. Congrats, you’re even richer.”
That gets my attention. “They’re all sold? Really?” I stand up straighter. “What about the jackal ear? Who bought that?”