Page 16

Jason

Goddamn, these really need some WD-40.

The pruning clippers in my hand are squeaking so badly I can almost hear them over the screaming that’s echoing through the room. I’ve been here for over an hour, and still haven’t finished with my client. This guy is tough as shit, and seemed to enjoy fighting the pain of my blades as they bite into his thighs, his arms and his face. But something about seeing his fingers lined up on his chest is starting to soften him up. His one hand was pretty easy to work through, his fingers snapping apart like baby carrots: still, after losing seven digits, he still hasn’t passed out from the pain yet.

“You know, I’m amazed that you’re awake!” I say with slight glee in my voice, looking through my mask over at the hand I had already finished with. With no fingers left, it looks like a sloppy little nub: it’s almost comical, really, except for the smell of burnt flesh. I don’t care how often my nose is exposed to it, it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Literally.

“After cauterizing your wounds, I would’ve bet MONEY that you would’ve tapped out. But you’re STILL with us,” I say as I position his pinky in between the clipper’s blades. “And we’ve still got three fingers left.”

SNAP

His voice is hoarse from screaming, only a slight jerk betraying his tolerance for the brutal pain he’s in. It’s only when I grab the blowtorch on the ground next to me and hold the flame to his fresh wound does he finally convulse uncontrollably.

Looking up at the chat box, I see mixed emotions that have me questioning my viewers.

OH MY GOD THAT SOUND MAKES ME SICK

THAT’S NOT RIGHT

I KNOW HE DESERVES IT, BUT SOMETHING ABOUT THE FINGERS…

KING I LOVE YOU!

DO THE TOES NEXT

ONE FINGER FOR EACH WOMAN HE RAPED

I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DO THIS AND SLEEP AT NIGHT

I set the blowtorch down and walk closer to the camera.

“Oh come now,” I say, wiping my hands on my vest and rolling up my sleeves a little more, looking into the lens and wagging my finger in disapproval.

“Don’t tell me you all are getting squeamish on me now. Not after all we’ve been through.”

Smiling, I turn and walk back to the table, picking up the clippers and lifting his hand again, preparing his ring finger. I glance at the camera and wink, when all of the sudden I see a red light blinking from under the computer monitor, out of sight of the viewers. My heart stops, my clippers drop to the table and I stare at the light in disbelief and worry.

Ace had installed a system in our offices to alert us of an urgent, ‘this can’t wait’ situation. Generally only used for security breaches, I’ve only seen this light go off ONCE since being here, and that was years ago: the day my mentor disappeared.

“Excuse me, please,” I say calmly to the viewers as I set the clippers down and walk towards the door. No sooner do I open it than I hear Ace’s panicked screaming from down the hallway towards the main room.

“GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!”

I slam the door shut behind me and break into a run down the hall as a million scenarios flood my brain.

Ace is hovering over some man in the corner, binding his arms and legs. A few shards of glass are embedded in his face, blood trailing down his neck: as I slide the hot leather mask up off of my face, I see Ace point to something behind me.

“Jason, she needs you NOW!”

Ace never uses my real name, not when we’re down here. NEVER.

Furrowing my brow, I turn to see Jack’s back as he faces the wall, leaning in front of a cot to set something down. I see what looks like a woman’s legs sticking out from the left side, one shoe missing. It isn’t until I see the familiar copper tendrils spilling from the crook of his other arm that I feel my jaw hit the floor, my eyes widening in rage and disbelief.

Eve.

I don’t even remember crossing the room, and as I rush next to Jack I look up at him, unable to hide the panic on my face. Eve appears unconscious but breathing, her eyes fluttering as if she’s fighting to stay awake.

“What HAPPENED!?” I roar at Jack as I kneel near the cot, noticing blood coming from underneath her. Rolling her away from me onto her stomach, I see a long, deep gash on her lower back.

“It doesn’t look like it perforated any vital organs, but the bleeding won’t stop on its own. She needs to be sewn up, and FAST!”

Jack is already on it, running over to Ace’s office, grabbing our emergency kit and running back to me. Drenched in sweat, he tries to catch his breath as he hands me the kit.

“What HAPPENED!?” I roar as I tear the kit open.

“I was near the VIP area, but I saw her come in and sit down. Some guys confronted her at the bar. I don’t know what was said, but the conversation seemed intense. She hit this one in the face with her glass,” he motions behind him to the man Ace was dealing with. “As soon as I saw her hit the guy with her glass, I rushed over from VIP but the other asshole ran. I tried to follow him but he had a head start and was gone before I could leave the parking lot. I think he might’ve stabbed her while her back was turned.”

His voice wavers with worry, but right now his emotions aren’t my problem. I dump the contents on the ground and scramble for a pair of small shears, iodine and gauze, and a suture kit. Within seconds I cut through her dress and peel it away from her torso, wiping away as much of the blood as I can before drenching the area with iodine.

“Jack, grab a blanket and towels from the office,” I order as I thread the needle and begin to close her wound, my hands tired and shaking as a lump forms in my throat.

“Ace, that guy is still in my room,” the words barely escape my throat as I pour all of my concentration into steadying my grip on the small piece of metal between my fingers. “This wound is bad, but it’s not deep enough to be life threatening…I think she’ll be ok.”

Ace comes over to join me, keeping Eve’s body steadily positioned as I finish the last few stitches.

“I had already cut the feed right after alerting you, so don’t worry.”

The man in the corner struggles against his ties, and Jack delivers a swift kick to his stomach. Groaning, the man doubles over and sobs quietly while Jack walks towards us, his voice lowering dangerously.

“I think they might be the same guys that attacked Eve a few days back. Maybe seeking revenge for her murdering their friend.”

I stare at Jack blankly.

“How do YOU know what happened?” There’s no hiding my irritation as I return my focus to Eve, and Ace coughs.

“Actually, I told him.” Ace says with a raised eyebrow. “After I ran that plate for you the night Eve was followed, I came back in and told Jack what had happened. He’s our security after all, and he needs to know how to protect us. And from whom.”

He looks down at Eve with regret, and I nod curtly. The fact that these were the same men…it made sense. Eve wasn’t traditionally young enough to get harassed at a bar by some college scumbags, and judging from her need to break her glass on a man’s face, it definitely checks out.

I finish my suture, cutting the thread and tossing the needle to the side.

The moment I had called Maya for her help the night Eve killed that man, I knew Ace would be needing an explanation. Especially since I requested the Jokers’ help in addition to Maya’s. So the day after the driveway attack, while Eve was sleeping, I met with Ace and told him everything: my feelings for Eve, about the stalkers from Clover attacking her that night, and about the cremation.

Everything.

I think part of him felt almost responsible for what happened to Eve. After all, the entire reason Ace started the Suits was to punish the bad and protect the good. And this time, he had failed.

As Jack takes a few steps back to check on the man behind us, Ace looks up at Jack with appreciation.

“Thank you, for helping me get them down here.”

Jack nods, crossing his arms.

“Of course, man. But why didn’t we call the cops, or take her to the hospital?”

It’s no surprise Jack has taken a shine to Eve. The two of them always joke around when she and I come by the club. He is like a big brother to her, and you can tell he genuinely cared about her.

“Let’s just say that these men are our kind of scum, if you know what I mean,” I answer as I help Ace to wrap the gauze around Eve’s body before lying her gently face-down.

Ace stands and faces Jack, motioning down the hallway.

“Jack, there’s still the matter of Jason’s client…would you be so kind as to dispatch him for us? Make it quick, we don’t have time to waste here.”

Jack’s lips press into a thin line as he looks down at Eve, then places his hand on my shoulder.

“She’ll be ok, man. She’s a tough broad for sure.”

As he disappears down the hallway, I meet Ace’s eyes and reach out to shake his hand.

“Ace…Thank you, man. Thank you for helping her.”

Ace returns the shake before rising to stand next to me.

“Don’t thank me just yet. I’m going to go run this guy’s fingerprints and face through the system to see if there is any dirt on him or his friends. Keep me posted on her.” He looks down at Eve and his jaw clenches in frustration before he marches away to his office.

Running my fingers over her hair, I gently tilt her head so that it’s facing me. Her hair is sprawled out along her back, the red ringlets brushing against the gauze. I use a finger to gently push them away from the stab site, and as my fingers brush her back, I feel her muscles tighten.

Her eyes flutter for a moment before opening, looking around and trying to focus on what’s around her before coming to rest on my face.

“Jace…Jason…”

“I’m here Eve,” I grab her hand and give it a squeeze, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

She returns my squeeze before sliding her hand from mine, trying to push herself upwards and letting out a small yelp in pain. I place my hand on her shoulder, holding her still while taking the blanket and covering her.

“Sssh, don’t move. You’ve been stabbed,” I say as I tuck the blanket around her and slowly stroke her hair.

She remains still, her breathing deep and steady but her eyes are darting wildly, trying to make sense of where she is. I try to rack my brain for an explanation as to why she’s underground instead of in a hospital. Most of the things in the room I can explain, but the dark hallway leading to our offices isn’t exactly invisible. I glance down the foreboding corridor, knowing Jack is down there finishing the job I started. My lips purse as I wonder how I can keep the truth from her and protect her from it…and the realization slowly dawns on me that I may not be able to.

Before I have a chance to look back, I feel Eve’s grip on my arm, squeezing hard. I nearly break my neck glancing down at her, meeting her eyes as she locks onto me. She looks up at the mask on my head, her gaze trailing down my body to the blood-stained suit vest, then back up at me with an expression that could only be described as reality-shattering.

OH FUCK ME.

“Jace….Jace, is that…is that MY blood? And what is with that mask? Where AM I?”

I’ve never heard Eve sound fearful since I’ve met her. Panic? Perhaps. Concern? Of course. But fear? No, no that wasn’t a tone I was used to in her voice. She shifts to sit up, tightening her grip on my arm and staring at the blood drying there. I rip the mask off with my free arm and toss it aside, my heartbeat rising in my chest.

She’s a smart girl, Jason, she’ll know that blood isn’t fresh enough to be hers.

“Eve, listen, I can explain…”

Ace comes storming out of his office, holding a few sheets of paper in one hand and his phone in another.

“J, I got a hit on this guy and his friends, apparently they’re part of a trafficking ring that’s been operating out of the city for years–”

He stops in his tracks, staring at Eve and her wide-eyed expression. The look she has on her face, the uncertainty, dread and confusion: he knows it too well. I turn to Eve, and as she grips me tighter I feel her fingertips rubbing back and forth as if confused by the texture. She glances down at my arm and stares at the dried blood underneath her fingers. Recoiling, she snaps her arm back and sits up, the blanket falling to her hips as she sits nearly naked on the cot, her lips tightening and her eyes narrowing at me.

“Jason, PLEASE tell me what the FUCK IS GOING ON! Why are you covered in blood? Whose blood is it?!”

I slowly rise and back away towards Ace, giving Eve some space. I glance at him, the two of us looking at each other for a brief moment, each considering the fact that we may very well have to tell her the truth.

Can we trust her? Ace asks silently as he raises a brow, his countenance returning to that of the authoritative leader as a calm washes over him. I can see his mind assessing every decision and every outcome, weighing the pros and cons as we both look over at Eve, whose expression is slowly transforming into one of concern and anger. She and I lock eyes as I stare into the very depths of her and search for an answer. I know I don’t have to look far.

“She trusted me with her secret,” I say aloud, directing my words towards Ace as I keep my eyes fixated on Eve. “I was the first person she called when she killed that guy, when she needed someone she could confide in. She has no family, no close friends…plus the Jokers confiscated the crowbar with her prints and her victim’s blood on it: she won’t talk if she knows there’s leverage against her.”

Eve shoots to her feet, ignoring the pain in her back as the blanket falls to the floor around her ankles. Standing in her bra, her dress cut and gathered around her waist like a skirt, with her torso covered in blood with fire in her eyes…she has the same wild look I saw the night she made her first kill.

“Wait. You saved the crowbar? To BLACKMAIL me? To keep me in control!? FOR WHAT?!”

I remain silent. Ace as well. As Eve kicks off her one remaining shoe and takes a step towards us, I feel a shift in her energy: her eyes darken and she lowers her head, looking at us through her thick, matted locks. Something in her changes. Her voice is cold, calculating, controlled. No sign of the fear she had earlier, no threats of calling the police or running away.

“Somebody needs to explain what the fuck is going on RIGHT the fuck now, or I swear to God I’ll kill you both.”

Ever since the night she called me to her driveway, something in her changed. I’ve seen it the last few times we’ve been together, and couldn’t put my finger on it until now. She connected with the darkness inside her, the animal that she’s been keeping caged, and now that it's free to roam, she is intimidating. Dangerous.

I can’t help but to smile.

Ace steps forward, holding the papers out towards Eve, who reaches and grasps them. Her eyes scan the pages as Ace checks his phone.

“Eve,” he says, nodding at his phone before putting it in his pocket. “The men who attacked you, the man you killed…they are all part of a trafficking ring that operates in the county. They must’ve seen you that night at Clover and followed you to your house. After you killed one of them, they were probably seeking retaliation.”

Eve shuffles between the three pages as she assesses each profile. Tossing the papers on the cot behind her, she takes a few steps forwards and gets right up in Ace’s face, her neck craning as she lifts her chin at him defiantly.

“How do YOU know I killed somebody?” She asks quietly as she scans his face, noticing trails of sweat on his temples, observing the tensing of muscles in his jaw.

I have to give it to her, she’s observant as hell. No detail goes unnoticed, and I can only imagine what conclusion she’s reaching about Ace as she scans him.

Ace looks at me, and Eve follows his eyes to my face.

“So you told him,” Eve says, her eyes glued to mine and her fists balling at her sides.

“You told him about me bashing that man’s brains in? About how you helped dispose of his body? And on top of all of that, you KEPT the CROWBAR to use against me?”

Her whole body is shaking with rage, tears welling slightly as her lip curls and twitches. She’s trying to hold back right now, but I can see she’s on the verge of exploding. Stepping towards me, she bares her teeth.

“After everything…EVERYTHING we’ve been through. Everything we’ve shared with each other. Everything we’ve come to understand about each other. And you still don’t trust me?”

She reaches out and shoves against me, and I step backwards. I don’t retaliate. I don’t speak. I have no right.

“Explain the blood, Jason. Because I know damn well that the blood on your body isn’t mine.”

I glance at Ace, who closes his eyes slowly and gives me one deep, solemn nod. Giving me permission to tell her the truth.

“Eve,” I say, stepping forward. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. About what I do for a living.”

“Well no SHIT,” she says, motioning to Ace nearby. “For one, WHY the FUCK would you tell your boss everything? EVERYTHING? Why would you trust him with that kind of shit?”

“Because Ace is the one who gave me a second chance,” I say, walking closer to Eve. She doesn’t budge. “He is the one who gave me a future when all I had to look forward to was an early death and a shallow grave.”

“‘’Ace’…what, is that some pet name?” She scoffs, glaring sideways at Ace. “And what do you mean, ‘gave you a future?’ You told me your adopted father left you Everlast when he disappeared.”

“That’s true, he did,” I say, moving around Eve to pick up the papers she had set on the cot, her body turning to face me. “But working at Everlast wasn’t the only thing we did. It wasn't the only job he left me with.”

She stays silent, so I decided to lay it all out in the open for her.

I hold up the papers, pointing to the photo of the men on the front.

“There are hundreds, thousands of people in this world who are evil. Murderers who kill with no remorse. Rapists who steal children from their homes. Drug lords and gangs who torture entire families. Traffickers who abuse women for no reason other than a profit. And every day, people like this slip through the cracks of the justice system, are released on technicalities, and roam this Earth free to continue to terrorize the rest of humanity.”

I hand her the papers, looking her in the face with as much seriousness as I can muster.

“We hunt these people down, and make them answer for their crimes.”

Silence hangs between us for a moment, and then Eve does the unexpected.

She bursts into laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHA! Is THAT why you have blood on you, you got into a fight with someone? What are y’all, the fucking Justice League? Are you fucking Batman?”

Ace chuckles nearby, my neck nearly breaking as I shoot daggers in his direction.

“What? It was funny, man,” he says, walking closer to us as his laughter dies down, replaced with somber stoicism.

“Eve, you aren’t wrong. We do try to take villains off the street. Except we don’t give them back to the law. We make sure they can’t hurt anybody else ever again.”

Something in Ace’s face, in the way he is staring at Eve, it connects with her. The look of realization, of the final piece of the puzzle she has so desperately been trying to solve finally falling into place.

She sets her jaw and looks at the both of us, her mind racing behind her eyes as she nods slowly.

“Show me.”

Without a word, I turn on my heels and walk towards the hallway behind us, and Eve follows silently. As we approach the four doors, I stop and allow her a moment to take it in: the gold engraved symbols on each door, the silence, the smell of darkness and copper, machinery and death, hangs in the air. She walks over to the Spade outline on Maya’s door and traces it with her fingers as she looks at the other four symbols.

“Spade. Diamond. Club. Heart…” she mutters as she looks down, her eyes flickering as she processes.

Her eyes drift to me and I lean against the wall in front of my office, placing my hands in my pockets as I watch her.

“The Queen of Spades,” she says as she steps away from the door. Her lips purse for a moment as she nods to herself.

“Maya. Maya had the playing card on her desk. You said she was part of the same club your ‘mentor’ was. She’s part of your group.”

“Yes.” I confirm in a low, solemn voice.

Her forehead wrinkles slightly at the word, her eyes scanning the doors as she sees Ace standing near the door with a diamond on it, and a small smirk creeps up on his face.

“Derek,” she says as she looks at the symbol behind Ace. “Jason called you ‘Ace.’ I’m guessing you’re the Diamond? The ‘Ace of Diamonds’?”

Ace gives a slight bow.

“You’re smart, Eve, and so goddamn observant,” he says. “It’s been hard for J to lie to you like he has. Especially considering the way he talks about you, how you don’t let any small detail go unnoticed, how you’re so innately good at figuring people out. He has immense respect for you. As do I.”

He turns from us and with a deep sigh he puts his hand on his door handle, only pausing for a moment to speak to Eve. His voice is soft, blanketing a dangerous warning that lurks underneath.

“There are reasons why we can’t tell anybody what we do, reasons why we don’t get attached to people. It’s not just for our safety, it’s for theirs. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s someone I must attend to.”

He opens his door and closes it swiftly behind him, but not before the muffled sound of yelling and struggling drifts out and echoes faintly in the hallway.

Eve heard it, I know she did. However she doesn’t address me or ask about it, rather turns and focuses on the gold heart carved into the door behind me.

Keeping her eyes fixed, she walks around me and approaches the door. I pivot to face her, watching her stand in front of the door and staring up at the heart.

“You had a card on your desk as well, didn’t you Jace?”

I nod, lifting off of the wall and pulling my hands from my pockets.

“Do you remember what that card was, Eve?”

She keeps her eyes on the door, as if enthralled by it.

“It was a King. A King of Hearts.”

“Yes, Eve. It was. My mentor was the King before me, and when he left, I took over the role. There can only be one King, one Queen, one Jack. Only one at a time. The only way out is death, or desertion…and then praying Ace can’t track you down.”

Crossing my arms, I see her reach out with her hand and gingerly place it on the door. The same way she had placed her hand over my heart after we slept together. As if she knew that my pulse–my life–was tied to this room.

“Jason…I know that wasn’t my blood on you, it was already drying. And I would know the scent of suffering a mile away.”

Her head slowly twists in my direction, her face turning upwards as her emerald eyes clash with mine.

“What do you do in these rooms?”

I sigh, walking over to put myself between Eve and the door, and as she drops her arm I raise mine, cupping her face and stroking her cheek with my thumb.

“We kill people, Eve. We kill people.”