Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“What’s in there?”
He turns back to look at me. “The other woman I loved.”
What the fuck! My heart starts beating erratically as he pulls me in, and I look to where his eyes are pointed. A woman with dull brown hair sits on a bed, her eyes lost as she looks up to the ceiling which is covered in glowing light stars which have been stuck to the ceiling.
“Who is that?”
When she turns at the sound of my voice, she smiles. It’s a beautiful, but scary smile.
And I know exactly who this is.
His mother.
“You told me you killed her.” I turn to face him with my eyes wide in shock.
“I did. In all the ways that matter to her.” He turns, walking in, stepping next to his mother and leaning down to whisper in her ear. Her eyes find mine and she smiles. “She’s sick. Schizophrenia is the diagnosis.”
“And you keep her locked down here?” I ask, looking around.
It appears like she has everything she needs—toilet, shower—just no interaction with people.
“He does keep me locked up. Isn’t he an evil little spawn. I knew he was evil the minute I laid eyes on him.” His mother touches his face, her nails drawing a line down his cheek. “See this…” her finger touches the scar on his lip, “… he was naughty one day, so he had to be punished.”
“She did that to you?” I ask, shocked.
“I did a lot of things, but this…” she drags her finger along it once more, “… was nothing in comparison.” Then she touches his face once more, then drops her hand to her side.
“Does anyone else know?” I ask.
“Yes, the boys all know. No one else, though.”
“So, they play along with you killing her?”
“They do what I say, when will you learn this?”
I turn to look at his mother, who rolls her eyes at his words. “Just like his father, that one. I loved that man, did you know? Jasper, though, he was a mistake. A big mistake. Needed to get rid of him. Should have gotten rid of him.” She smacks his chest and he winces.
Shit, his wound.
“Are you okay?” I ask, stepping up to him. I look at his shoulder, but he turns so I can’t see.
“Oh, so you care for this spawn.” She maniacally laughs. “You are one silly woman.” She rolls her eyes.
Ignoring her I ask, “Why? Why did you keep her alive?” It makes no sense to me.
“I love her. She’s my mother. I will always love her. I told you.” Jasper gives her some pills and she takes them, then pokes her tongue out at him after she’s done. It’s obviously a routine they have in place.
“I’m sorry,” I say while shaking my head.
“Momma,” he asks, dropping his head to her level. “Tell me about Max.”
26
Jasper
Isadora looks to me. “Will she even remember him?” she asks.
“I don’t know, only one way to find out.”
“Momma, Max.”
Momma scrunches up her nose. “That awful little man… he wanted me to kill his family, so he could be rich and make me happy. What a silly man. Money doesn’t make me happy. Hell no. Power does.” She cackles then looks to Isadora. “You want my boy because of his power, right?”
“No,” Isadora answers without hesitation.
“Max wanted that little girl dead as much as I wanted you dead. It’s funny, right?” She throws her head back and laughs, then lies back on her single bed. I get up knowing she’s done for the day, and reach for Isadora, taking her back up the stairs and away from her. When I turn to lock the door so no one can go down there, Isadora’s standing behind me, her hands by her side, her green eyes lost in thought.
“I’m sorry.” She covers her mouth as tears start welling in her eyes. “I’m so fucking sorry.” She shakes her head as Carter walks into the room. Her having sympathy for me, is something I have never experienced. No one’s cared that deeply for me before that they’d cry because of my situation. Not with the conviction she does. Carter stays behind her and she doesn’t notice him because her eyes are now covered by her hands as she tries to wipe away the tears, but he nods his head and walks back out. I step up, placing my hand on her shoulder, a pain shoots through my chest but I don’t let it show. I’ve never had to comfort someone before, and I really don’t know how. My mother never needed it, and my father didn’t show any sort of affection.
“Isadora.”
She continues to sob, but a hiccup leaves her as she does. “I… I killed y-your m-men. Your men. Because of h-him,” she stutters out.
“People die, Isadora. It’s our way of life.”
She looks up, her eyes red and swollen. “How c-can you say t-that?” She shakes her head and composes herself. “If I could bring my parents back, I would. It damn near killed me to lose them.”