Page 35

-Jared-

I arrived later in the day at Shane’s house. He greeted me at the door, welcoming me inside and guiding me to the room where the others were gathered. It was a cozy, private space, evidently designed for Shane’s relaxation and to ensure his wife didn’t disturb him. We all settled onto leather couches, drinks in hand, and some of them lit cigars, filling the room with a faint smoke.

Despite my role in distracting them while the others worked, I couldn’t shake off my extreme exhaustion. Astrid had kept me up almost all night, asserting her dominance after having submitted for so long. Shane must have noticed because he gestured toward me, snapping me out of my momentary distraction.

“Are you all right, Jared? You seem tired,” he remarked, prompting the others to focus their attention on me.

I needed to come up with an excuse quickly to avoid cutting the meeting short. I smiled at Shane, chuckling a little as I realized the best lie was often closest to the truth.

“That’s what happens when your wife is eager to get pregnant,” I quipped, eliciting laughter from the group. It was indeed true that I had been up all night, though I had spent most of it with my head buried between Astrid’s legs. I could still taste her. That’s why I had sought out Alison. I knew a few hours with her would make me feel better.

“Do we ever get to meet her?” Cal inquired as I sipped my drink.

“My wife?” I questioned.

“Yes. We don’t even know her name.”

I deliberated for a moment whether to disclose her identity, but I reasoned that if they kidnapped Astrid, it would ultimately liberate me from her.

“Astrid,” I revealed.

“You should bring her next time,” Shane insisted. “It would be nice to meet the woman who was lucky enough to lock you down.”

“Ah yes, she’s one lucky woman, and I’m one fortunate man,” I said through gritted teeth, resenting that she became a topic of conversation when I had spent the night tending to her needs instead of sleeping like I wanted to.

“No doubt with a wife who wants to fuck all night,” Gary joked, prompting laughter from the others.

“Yes, she’s a needy thing,” I agreed, trying to suppress a snarl.

Fortunately, the conversation moved on, but it never delved into their business, only superficial matters. I hoped the others were gathering the information we needed. I should have realized this was merely a meeting to assess my suitability for their circles.

I tried my best not to crush the glass in my hand, showing my displeasure, and I was relieved when Shane finally signaled the end of the meeting. Yet, he surprised me by suggesting another drink. I agreed as we bid farewell to the others. Then, as we sat facing each other, a strange smile played on his lips, and I realized he was letting his guard down.

“My wife tells me you saw something happening between my daughter and her, even decided to extort her,” he revealed, causing me to narrow my eyes slightly, wondering if my cover had been blown. However, I wasn’t going to let him corner me that easily.

“You’re correct,” I confirmed, noting the surprise in his expression. “I did threaten her because moments before the evening ended, I found your daughter crying, and I noticed the marks on her arms. Were you aware your wife abuses your daughter?”

Shane seemed to grow a little uncertain, aware of his own reputation. He had to maintain the fa?ade of the protective father, but how could he do that if he allowed his wife to mistreat their daughter?

“Alison told you that?” he inquired.

“She didn’t need to. I hear the way her mother speaks about her. Others might brush it off, laugh it off, but it is easy to connect the dots when you know what to look for,” I explained. “So I did make some things clear because, I have to admit, sir, I’m not going to accept anyone, especially not her own mother, treating Alison in such a manner.”

“Jared, I know what Alison used to do to you. Why do you care?” he asked, obviously curious.

“Because to my big surprise, as I returned home, Alison and I met, and she made up for the pain she caused me.”

Shane appeared confused, not expecting that. “Alison apologized?”

“She did more than that. She showed me how sorry she was, and I moved on. Now, I can’t say I have any sort of affection for your daughter, but I can’t stand abusive parents. I’m sure you know why, considering where I come from.”

Shane leaned back in his chair, nodding. “Yes, I can understand your motive. However, I need you to delete that recording.”

“Sure. I can do that.”

Shane seemed even more surprised that I would so willingly agree, but this man was not safe. Recording or not, his death sentence had already been signed. I pulled out my phone, showed him the recording, and then pressed delete. When he saw it all happening in front of him, he seemed impressed.

“You certainly have changed a lot,” he pointed out. “Much more confident. A bit cunning too.”

“I’m sure you can understand I was merely helping an old ‘friend’,” I mocked, making him smile.

“Yes, Alison and her scheming. She gets that from her mother,” he explained, and I realized Shane thought Alison had asked me to record her conversation with her mother.

“I can see that,” I agreed.

“I do like you, Jared. You have a quality about you that I rarely see in other men.”

I knew he was referring to a quality in himself he saw mirrored in me, but he was far from the truth. I had no desire to even resemble him a tiny bit. He not only exploited other women for his own gain, he enjoyed doing it, while at the same time putting on such a perfect act to the rest of the world.

Besides, he had also paid my father off many times not to go to the police or make a complaint to the school about the treatment of me. I hated Shane just as much as I hated his daughter, and I was going to relish killing him.

“I feel honored to hear it,” I replied.

“Now, I’m sure you must understand no more recordings in this house,” he commented.

“Will you stop your wife from hurting her daughter?” I asked.

“It matters that much to you?”

“It doesn’t matter to you?” I challenged, making him smile a little, noticing how fast I was.

“Of course it does.”

“Then I think it’s time to put an end to it, don’t you?”

“Don’t worry. I have spoken to Callie. She will stay away from Alison and any more possible recordings.”

“Then let’s conclude it here. It was nice speaking to you all again, and I do hope I have proven myself a little to you,” I said, standing up, and Shane did as well.

“As I said, Jared, I like you. You have changed into the sort of person I could see myself working with in the future,” he admitted, holding out his hand. But there was something in his eyes that told me it wasn’t as partners. He either sought to exploit me too, or he wanted to keep someone he found suspicious close to him until he knew how to deal with me. How had I ever overlooked the ice in his eyes? They were so cold that they reminded me almost of my own father.

I gripped his hand, sensing a subtle tension. His distrust was obvious. My abrupt appearance had set off alarm bells in his mind, and I needed to tread carefully.

“It’s good to see you again,” he greeted.

“Likewise,” I replied, withdrawing my hand. The room seemed to bristle with tension as I moved away. He watched me intently, a smile lingering on his lips. I hurriedly left, hoping the others had completed their tasks by now. As I reached the entrance, I glanced back, listening for any signs of activity, silently praying that it signaled the end of our mission.

Exiting the mansion, I slid into my car and texted Vince, inquiring if everything was proceeding smoothly. His response came swiftly, a reassuring thumbs-up. However, I informed him about Shane’s growing suspicion of me. As I drove away from the mansion, Vince called.

“Are you sure about Shane?”he questioned.

“The way he looked at me, Vince. It felt like he’s onto me,” I explained urgently. “Tell me we have enough to bring down these men.”

“I’m going through everything now, Jared. But it’s best you keep a low profile tonight. I don’t want you putting yourself in harm’s way until I’ve concluded my review,”he advised.

“Understood.”

”Go home,”he instructed, but I refused. If I was going to lie low somewhere, it certainly wasn’t going to be at home, where my wife would undoubtedly want to exhaust me with her needs. I had a different location in mind.

“I’ll be in touch soon,” I assured him.

“Take care,”he responded before ending the call. Vince was never one for lengthy conversations, a trait born of his inherent caution. Therefore, the length of our exchange indicated his concern for my safety.