Authors: Marie Coulson
Bound Together (46 page)
Something inside me
snapped and in a flash I launched myself at her. “You bitch!”
Falling to the floor she landed on her back as I straddled her,
punching and slapping her face. “Get off of me you dirty little
tramp!” She pulled hard on my hair making me fall to the side as
she kicked my shins and scratched her perfectly manicured nails
down my face. Mel grabbed her wrist and Amy frantically tried to
pull me away but I was fierce. Gripping a fistful of her hair I
yanked at it pulling out a few strands.
Without warning, I found
myself on my feet and being hauled away from her. My hands behind
my back a cold pair of steel handcuffs restrained me as I wriggled
and pulled to get away and continue my attack. Another officer was
handcuffing Alicia while two mall cops restrained my friends.
Kicking and shouting I was carried off along with the other three
to a squad car parked outside. I tried to spot Daniel, desperate
for some help but he was nowhere to be seen. Ducking my head, the
officer helped me into the car alongside Amy and Mel. Alicia was
taken to the car behind us and I glared wildly at her as she
grinned at me. Licking my lip, I could taste blood as it trickled
into my mouth. She’d split my lip. Fuck, this was all I needed when
I had a party to go to.
The police station was
bustling with people. Sitting at his desk, my arresting officer
told me that I was being charged with assault. Furious, I shouted
at him trying to protest my innocence and explain that I had been
provoked. Giving me a caution, he told me I would be held until a
judge could see me which could range from an hour to four hours and
I was taken back to the freezing cold holding cell. Outraged and
upset, I sank onto the hard concrete bench in the cell where Amy,
Mel and Alicia were glaring at each other.
“
This is your fault you
fucking Barbie bitch.” Mel sniped at Alicia who simply gave her a
snort and a sarcastic grin.
“
Just leave it alone Mel.
It’s not worth it.” My jaw ached from the blow she had slammed into
it with her slap. My lip was split and two long scratches marked
the pale skin next to my eye. A large police officer approached the
cell and unlocked the door. “Jennings. Someone here to see you.”
Rising from my seat I walked over where I was once again placed in
handcuffs. Who the hell could possibly be here to see me? I hadn’t
used my phone call as I didn’t want dad to find out I’d been
arrested and I knew for sure that Mel hadn’t called her folks. It
really only left one person…oh no. Shit. Now I really was in
trouble.
“
You too ma’am.” Nodding
at Alicia he gestured for her to come over where she too was
cuffed. Gripped and pulled by our elbows, the pair of us glowered
at each other as we were led into a small dark interview room. This
was about to get a hundred times more painful than my aching ribs
and throbbing lip.
Sitting comfortably at a
desk in the center of the room, dressed in a black suit and deep
purple tie, was Jared.
Holy sexy, fuckable
hotness
. I felt my insides clench
blissfully as I took in his unbelievably strict yet concerned
expression. Arms folded, he scanned me from head to toe. His eyes
widened as he saw my face and I could see the worry etched into his
expression as his brow furrowed. My lip was split and the marks on
my face were prominently visible and he was clearly livid at
finding me in my current state. Darting his eyes at Alicia he
glared at her with a fiery hatred. Tapping his lips with one finger
he waited as we were escorted in and sat in two chairs opposite
him. Giving the officer a thankful nod, he turned his attention to
us. Getting to his feet, he paced back and forth before resting his
hands palm down on the desk. “So, Thelma, Louise, who’s going to
tell me what happened today?”
Shouting over each other
and making snide remarks, we both simultaneously protested our
innocence. Slamming his palms on the desk to silence us, Jared
shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it. I’ve spoken to the
arresting officer who tells me you were both charged with assault.
Now since this incident happened in your store Alicia it appears
that it is your choice entirely if you wish to press charges
against Miss Jennings.” I opened my mouth to object but he shot me
a cautionary look and I immediately closed it again. “However, I
would strongly urge you to think carefully about filing charges
against the woman I love because if you pursue this, I will come at
you with everything I have. Counter charges will be made and with
the marks on her face I would have a strong case against you.”
Getting to her feet, her hands bound in front of her Alicia
screamed tearfully in his face. “She was in my store Jared! How
could you do that to me? Like I meant nothing to you. Isn’t it bad
enough you broke my heart without flaunting your relationship in my
face? I gave you everything. I fell hopelessly in love with you but
it was never enough. Why her? What makes her so different?”
Slamming his fist on the table and making me jump in fright, he
glared at her. “Don’t bullshit me Alicia. You were in it for all
you could get and we both got what we needed. You got a brand new
shiny shop and I got laid.”
I flinched as unwelcome
thoughts of them together swam through my mind. It was
nauseating.
”
Don’t pretend that it
was anything more than a good casual fuck every now and then. I
don’t have to tell you anything but if you must know, I love Layla
for everything she is and everything she’s not. But most of all I
love her for not being anything like you!”
I gasped as the venomous
words struck Alicia. I could see the pain in her eyes as though
he’d punched her in the gut as she gasped for air and sat down
sobbing into her cuffed hands. I stared at her, surprisingly
feeling sympathy for the woman who had insulted, attacked and
assaulted me. No woman deserved to hear those things no matter what
they’d done. Ok, I hated her for the things she said but heartache
can make people crazy and she didn’t deserve that. Glaring at him,
I scooted my chair across and placed my restrained hands over her
knee. “How could you be so callous? You have no idea do you? It’s
impossible not to love you Jared. No matter what you think, women
don’t have a heart of stone and you don’t cry like this if you
never cared.”
Rubbing his eyes, he
sighed loudly. “Fine! I’m sorry. But I didn’t love you. I didn’t
love
anyone
.
Don’t think that I didn’t care just because couldn’t give myself
over to a relationship. I did care. I didn’t know Layla would walk
into your store today but whatever issue you have about us is not
her fault.
I
ended our companionship so if you need to hate someone, hate
me. Not her! Those marks you left on her face are making me fucking
furious and I’m so angry right now I can’t even see straight. Just
look at her! Drop the charges and walk away with your head high or
I will make this get very ugly!”
His tone was callous and
deathly serious. Raising her head she looked at me and snatched her
leg from my hands. “I don’t need your sympathy bitch! I hope you’re
happy while it lasts. He’s a serial womanizer, he can’t help
himself. He’s dishonest, secretive and he’ll stray sooner or later
and then you’ll be just like me. A notch in his bedpost! Ask him
about all the others, go on. There’s dozens of us. Broken, chewed
up and spit out and you’re doomed to join us.” A stabbing pain shot
through my chest. She couldn’t possibly be talking about the same
man that stood in front of me. Could she? Was that who he really
was? Was the man
I
loved merely a diluted version of the philandering man whore
she accused him of being?
Jared fumed and I swear I
could see smoke coming out of his ears. He was livid. Rounding the
table he grabbed her handcuffs and dragged her to the door. “Drop
the charges Alicia or I will destroy you.”
I’d never seen him so
enraged. It frightened and aroused me to see him so worked
up.
“
Is that a
threat?”
He spun her around,
halting their steps as he grasped the door handle. “It’s a
promise.”
She took a long breath
and stood inches from his face before firing a large mouthful of
spit at him.
Classy
. “I’ll drop the charges and you can drop dead ass-hole.” His
shoulders hunched and he growled, pulling a handkerchief from his
pocket and wiped his face. I stood abruptly and strode over fast,
ready to go a second round with the woman I had only moments ago
felt sorry for. Extending his arm, Jared stopped me and shook his
head. I stood glaring at her, wishing she would suddenly become the
first recorded case of spontaneous human combustion. Opening the
door, Jared sneered at her. “It’s no wonder your husband got sick
of you. You’re a dirty little whore and I was only too happy to let
you fuck him by fucking me. But that’s all you ever were and all
you’ll ever be. Easy, cheap and disposable.” Shooting him a
murderous look she stormed out.
Closing the door he
turned his attention to me. Walking towards me he reached his hand
out to touch my face and I recoiled. Alicia’s poisonous words were
replaying through my mind over and over. Wounded, he stared at me.
“Layla you don’t seriously believe any of that shit she said do
you? It’s not true. You are not a notch on my bedpost, you never
were. She’s just bitter and spiteful. You mean more to me than any
of them ever did. I love you Layla. I would never, ever hurt you.”
I scrutinized his face for weakness as I blurted out the burning
question I was holding. “What does make me so different
Jared?”
He stared at me confused.
“What?”
“
I want to know. What
makes me so different to the other sixty women?”
Threading his fingers
through his hair he stuttered and stumbled over his
words.
“
I…I don’t know. You just
are. They were so vain, high maintenance and out for what they
could get from me. Some liked the lifestyle; some, like Alicia,
wanted my business connections. But you…” He paused and took my
hands in his. “…You were so fiery, argumentative and downright
rude. You excited, confused and astounded me right from the start.
No one had ever spoken to me that way before. But even when you
found out who I was and what I have, you didn’t care. I’ve never
been with a woman who just wants to be with me before. It totally
knocked me on my ass. You’re different because of everything you
are and everything you’re not. Most importantly, you’re different
because you’re mine. My girl. My queen. That makes you more special
to me than any of them. I love you. I never loved them. Does that
answer your question?”
Looking into his bright
blue eyes I melted. He
loved
me and no amount of hurtful words from a jilted
ex-lover was going to convince me otherwise.
“
Yes. Completely. I’m
sorry Jared, about all of this. I just lost it. The things she
said, about me, you and us, I couldn’t stand there and take another
word of it. I just…snapped.”
Gripping his hands on my
arms, he rubbed them up and down gently.
“
It’s alright. I get it.
I don’t think she’s going to press charges. She has too much to
lose.”
Lifting my chin, he
brushed my hair from my eyes and ran his thumb gently over the
marks on my face. “Jesus baby, that girl is a fucking animal. This
is entirely my fault. She attacked you because of me and everything
I did to her and now look at you. I feel fucking sick. Did anyone
see to these cuts?”
My split lip pinched and
pulled painfully as I spoke and the taste of dried blood was bitter
and metallic. I shook my head weakly as his lips gently kissed my
broken skin. “Come on, as much as I love seeing you bound in
handcuffs, I’d rather it was at my hands for your pleasure. I need
to get you home and fix those cuts and bruises. That one on your
chin is going to be a real shiner. From the way she was hunched
over walking, you must have got a few good body hits in yourself.”
I smiled, proud of my efforts to give as good as I got. “I got a
few blows into her ribs and stomach.” Smiling, he kissed me gently,
careful of my injuries. “Way to go champ. We’d better go get Amy
and Mel out too. I owe her a thank you. It was Amy who called me.
She used her phone call to reach me. A shopper in the mall called
the cops and when Daniel saw them pull up and you guys being led
out, he jumped in the car and came straight to my office to get
me.” I smiled at the realization of all the people who had my back
that day. Mel in the store, Amy calling Jared, Daniel going to get
him and Jared himself, who came straight down to get me
out.
“
What would you have done
if she’d pressed charges? Could I have gone down for
assault?”
He shook his head
quickly. “No, nothing was ever going to happen to you. I wouldn’t
have let it. The judge here owes me a favor and if all else failed
I would have hired the best lawyer in the country to get you out of
this. At most you’d have got a fine and I would have paid it. But
it’s done now. She won’t be filing charges. I told you Layla, I
would do anything for you and I will do anything to keep you safe.
Come on, before those two end up getting into more
trouble.”
Waiting in the station
reception area, I let out a sigh of relief. Alicia had dropped all
charges against me and I hadn’t filed one against her. I could put
the whole horrible episode behind me. Jared had gotten an officer
to remove my handcuffs and questioned them harshly on their
treatment of me during my time there. He was still furious that no
one had tended to my injuries but after I begged him to forget
about it and take me home, he dropped it. Finally freed, Amy and
Mel came running over, embracing me in a warm hug. Kissing me on
the cheek Mel growled. “I can’t believe that bitch. Talk about
ruining your birthday. I’m so sorry this all happened.”
snapped and in a flash I launched myself at her. “You bitch!”
Falling to the floor she landed on her back as I straddled her,
punching and slapping her face. “Get off of me you dirty little
tramp!” She pulled hard on my hair making me fall to the side as
she kicked my shins and scratched her perfectly manicured nails
down my face. Mel grabbed her wrist and Amy frantically tried to
pull me away but I was fierce. Gripping a fistful of her hair I
yanked at it pulling out a few strands.
Without warning, I found
myself on my feet and being hauled away from her. My hands behind
my back a cold pair of steel handcuffs restrained me as I wriggled
and pulled to get away and continue my attack. Another officer was
handcuffing Alicia while two mall cops restrained my friends.
Kicking and shouting I was carried off along with the other three
to a squad car parked outside. I tried to spot Daniel, desperate
for some help but he was nowhere to be seen. Ducking my head, the
officer helped me into the car alongside Amy and Mel. Alicia was
taken to the car behind us and I glared wildly at her as she
grinned at me. Licking my lip, I could taste blood as it trickled
into my mouth. She’d split my lip. Fuck, this was all I needed when
I had a party to go to.
The police station was
bustling with people. Sitting at his desk, my arresting officer
told me that I was being charged with assault. Furious, I shouted
at him trying to protest my innocence and explain that I had been
provoked. Giving me a caution, he told me I would be held until a
judge could see me which could range from an hour to four hours and
I was taken back to the freezing cold holding cell. Outraged and
upset, I sank onto the hard concrete bench in the cell where Amy,
Mel and Alicia were glaring at each other.
“
This is your fault you
fucking Barbie bitch.” Mel sniped at Alicia who simply gave her a
snort and a sarcastic grin.
“
Just leave it alone Mel.
It’s not worth it.” My jaw ached from the blow she had slammed into
it with her slap. My lip was split and two long scratches marked
the pale skin next to my eye. A large police officer approached the
cell and unlocked the door. “Jennings. Someone here to see you.”
Rising from my seat I walked over where I was once again placed in
handcuffs. Who the hell could possibly be here to see me? I hadn’t
used my phone call as I didn’t want dad to find out I’d been
arrested and I knew for sure that Mel hadn’t called her folks. It
really only left one person…oh no. Shit. Now I really was in
trouble.
“
You too ma’am.” Nodding
at Alicia he gestured for her to come over where she too was
cuffed. Gripped and pulled by our elbows, the pair of us glowered
at each other as we were led into a small dark interview room. This
was about to get a hundred times more painful than my aching ribs
and throbbing lip.
Sitting comfortably at a
desk in the center of the room, dressed in a black suit and deep
purple tie, was Jared.
Holy sexy, fuckable
hotness
. I felt my insides clench
blissfully as I took in his unbelievably strict yet concerned
expression. Arms folded, he scanned me from head to toe. His eyes
widened as he saw my face and I could see the worry etched into his
expression as his brow furrowed. My lip was split and the marks on
my face were prominently visible and he was clearly livid at
finding me in my current state. Darting his eyes at Alicia he
glared at her with a fiery hatred. Tapping his lips with one finger
he waited as we were escorted in and sat in two chairs opposite
him. Giving the officer a thankful nod, he turned his attention to
us. Getting to his feet, he paced back and forth before resting his
hands palm down on the desk. “So, Thelma, Louise, who’s going to
tell me what happened today?”
Shouting over each other
and making snide remarks, we both simultaneously protested our
innocence. Slamming his palms on the desk to silence us, Jared
shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it. I’ve spoken to the
arresting officer who tells me you were both charged with assault.
Now since this incident happened in your store Alicia it appears
that it is your choice entirely if you wish to press charges
against Miss Jennings.” I opened my mouth to object but he shot me
a cautionary look and I immediately closed it again. “However, I
would strongly urge you to think carefully about filing charges
against the woman I love because if you pursue this, I will come at
you with everything I have. Counter charges will be made and with
the marks on her face I would have a strong case against you.”
Getting to her feet, her hands bound in front of her Alicia
screamed tearfully in his face. “She was in my store Jared! How
could you do that to me? Like I meant nothing to you. Isn’t it bad
enough you broke my heart without flaunting your relationship in my
face? I gave you everything. I fell hopelessly in love with you but
it was never enough. Why her? What makes her so different?”
Slamming his fist on the table and making me jump in fright, he
glared at her. “Don’t bullshit me Alicia. You were in it for all
you could get and we both got what we needed. You got a brand new
shiny shop and I got laid.”
I flinched as unwelcome
thoughts of them together swam through my mind. It was
nauseating.
”
Don’t pretend that it
was anything more than a good casual fuck every now and then. I
don’t have to tell you anything but if you must know, I love Layla
for everything she is and everything she’s not. But most of all I
love her for not being anything like you!”
I gasped as the venomous
words struck Alicia. I could see the pain in her eyes as though
he’d punched her in the gut as she gasped for air and sat down
sobbing into her cuffed hands. I stared at her, surprisingly
feeling sympathy for the woman who had insulted, attacked and
assaulted me. No woman deserved to hear those things no matter what
they’d done. Ok, I hated her for the things she said but heartache
can make people crazy and she didn’t deserve that. Glaring at him,
I scooted my chair across and placed my restrained hands over her
knee. “How could you be so callous? You have no idea do you? It’s
impossible not to love you Jared. No matter what you think, women
don’t have a heart of stone and you don’t cry like this if you
never cared.”
Rubbing his eyes, he
sighed loudly. “Fine! I’m sorry. But I didn’t love you. I didn’t
love
anyone
.
Don’t think that I didn’t care just because couldn’t give myself
over to a relationship. I did care. I didn’t know Layla would walk
into your store today but whatever issue you have about us is not
her fault.
I
ended our companionship so if you need to hate someone, hate
me. Not her! Those marks you left on her face are making me fucking
furious and I’m so angry right now I can’t even see straight. Just
look at her! Drop the charges and walk away with your head high or
I will make this get very ugly!”
His tone was callous and
deathly serious. Raising her head she looked at me and snatched her
leg from my hands. “I don’t need your sympathy bitch! I hope you’re
happy while it lasts. He’s a serial womanizer, he can’t help
himself. He’s dishonest, secretive and he’ll stray sooner or later
and then you’ll be just like me. A notch in his bedpost! Ask him
about all the others, go on. There’s dozens of us. Broken, chewed
up and spit out and you’re doomed to join us.” A stabbing pain shot
through my chest. She couldn’t possibly be talking about the same
man that stood in front of me. Could she? Was that who he really
was? Was the man
I
loved merely a diluted version of the philandering man whore
she accused him of being?
Jared fumed and I swear I
could see smoke coming out of his ears. He was livid. Rounding the
table he grabbed her handcuffs and dragged her to the door. “Drop
the charges Alicia or I will destroy you.”
I’d never seen him so
enraged. It frightened and aroused me to see him so worked
up.
“
Is that a
threat?”
He spun her around,
halting their steps as he grasped the door handle. “It’s a
promise.”
She took a long breath
and stood inches from his face before firing a large mouthful of
spit at him.
Classy
. “I’ll drop the charges and you can drop dead ass-hole.” His
shoulders hunched and he growled, pulling a handkerchief from his
pocket and wiped his face. I stood abruptly and strode over fast,
ready to go a second round with the woman I had only moments ago
felt sorry for. Extending his arm, Jared stopped me and shook his
head. I stood glaring at her, wishing she would suddenly become the
first recorded case of spontaneous human combustion. Opening the
door, Jared sneered at her. “It’s no wonder your husband got sick
of you. You’re a dirty little whore and I was only too happy to let
you fuck him by fucking me. But that’s all you ever were and all
you’ll ever be. Easy, cheap and disposable.” Shooting him a
murderous look she stormed out.
Closing the door he
turned his attention to me. Walking towards me he reached his hand
out to touch my face and I recoiled. Alicia’s poisonous words were
replaying through my mind over and over. Wounded, he stared at me.
“Layla you don’t seriously believe any of that shit she said do
you? It’s not true. You are not a notch on my bedpost, you never
were. She’s just bitter and spiteful. You mean more to me than any
of them ever did. I love you Layla. I would never, ever hurt you.”
I scrutinized his face for weakness as I blurted out the burning
question I was holding. “What does make me so different
Jared?”
He stared at me confused.
“What?”
“
I want to know. What
makes me so different to the other sixty women?”
Threading his fingers
through his hair he stuttered and stumbled over his
words.
“
I…I don’t know. You just
are. They were so vain, high maintenance and out for what they
could get from me. Some liked the lifestyle; some, like Alicia,
wanted my business connections. But you…” He paused and took my
hands in his. “…You were so fiery, argumentative and downright
rude. You excited, confused and astounded me right from the start.
No one had ever spoken to me that way before. But even when you
found out who I was and what I have, you didn’t care. I’ve never
been with a woman who just wants to be with me before. It totally
knocked me on my ass. You’re different because of everything you
are and everything you’re not. Most importantly, you’re different
because you’re mine. My girl. My queen. That makes you more special
to me than any of them. I love you. I never loved them. Does that
answer your question?”
Looking into his bright
blue eyes I melted. He
loved
me and no amount of hurtful words from a jilted
ex-lover was going to convince me otherwise.
“
Yes. Completely. I’m
sorry Jared, about all of this. I just lost it. The things she
said, about me, you and us, I couldn’t stand there and take another
word of it. I just…snapped.”
Gripping his hands on my
arms, he rubbed them up and down gently.
“
It’s alright. I get it.
I don’t think she’s going to press charges. She has too much to
lose.”
Lifting my chin, he
brushed my hair from my eyes and ran his thumb gently over the
marks on my face. “Jesus baby, that girl is a fucking animal. This
is entirely my fault. She attacked you because of me and everything
I did to her and now look at you. I feel fucking sick. Did anyone
see to these cuts?”
My split lip pinched and
pulled painfully as I spoke and the taste of dried blood was bitter
and metallic. I shook my head weakly as his lips gently kissed my
broken skin. “Come on, as much as I love seeing you bound in
handcuffs, I’d rather it was at my hands for your pleasure. I need
to get you home and fix those cuts and bruises. That one on your
chin is going to be a real shiner. From the way she was hunched
over walking, you must have got a few good body hits in yourself.”
I smiled, proud of my efforts to give as good as I got. “I got a
few blows into her ribs and stomach.” Smiling, he kissed me gently,
careful of my injuries. “Way to go champ. We’d better go get Amy
and Mel out too. I owe her a thank you. It was Amy who called me.
She used her phone call to reach me. A shopper in the mall called
the cops and when Daniel saw them pull up and you guys being led
out, he jumped in the car and came straight to my office to get
me.” I smiled at the realization of all the people who had my back
that day. Mel in the store, Amy calling Jared, Daniel going to get
him and Jared himself, who came straight down to get me
out.
“
What would you have done
if she’d pressed charges? Could I have gone down for
assault?”
He shook his head
quickly. “No, nothing was ever going to happen to you. I wouldn’t
have let it. The judge here owes me a favor and if all else failed
I would have hired the best lawyer in the country to get you out of
this. At most you’d have got a fine and I would have paid it. But
it’s done now. She won’t be filing charges. I told you Layla, I
would do anything for you and I will do anything to keep you safe.
Come on, before those two end up getting into more
trouble.”
Waiting in the station
reception area, I let out a sigh of relief. Alicia had dropped all
charges against me and I hadn’t filed one against her. I could put
the whole horrible episode behind me. Jared had gotten an officer
to remove my handcuffs and questioned them harshly on their
treatment of me during my time there. He was still furious that no
one had tended to my injuries but after I begged him to forget
about it and take me home, he dropped it. Finally freed, Amy and
Mel came running over, embracing me in a warm hug. Kissing me on
the cheek Mel growled. “I can’t believe that bitch. Talk about
ruining your birthday. I’m so sorry this all happened.”
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