Chapter 11

-Jared-

There was a reason our games were so addictive. Even when it seemed I had nearly crushed Alison earlier in the day by telling her I was never through with her, she returned stronger, armed with new tactics and formidable walls I needed to climb. Despite her appearance of exhaustion and isolation, she still managed to taunt me, igniting a rush in my veins, eager for another challenge. This party served as mere reconnaissance, an opportunity to infiltrate the elite, and I had succeeded. Now, it was time to retreat momentarily, planning to spend the rest of the evening reminding Alison why there was no sanctuary from my pursuit.

Granting her a slight head start, I observed her entering the house, noting that her husband remained present, suggesting she sought solitude rather than an escape. As I savored my drink, contemplating my next move, I caught her glancing back at me over her shoulder. However, her gaze swiftly shifted to away, running over the crowd. It was a brief scan before she quickly disappeared inside. Although she seemed unsuccessful in her search, I made a discovery of my own amidst the crowd.

Alison's father's old friends observed her entry into the house from their secluded spot by the bar. Though partially concealed, their intentions were unmistakable as they leaned in, gesturing toward the captivating figure that vanished from view. Could they be so bold? I pondered. While Alison had long been exposed to their unsavory desires, they had yet to act upon them. Would tonight be different? Had their camaraderie begun to fray? Numerous questions swirled in my mind as I witnessed one of them rising from his seat, making his way toward the house's entrance, stoking a flame of fury within me.

Not on my watch, I growled inwardly. Following closely behind, I entered the house, trailing the culprit. It didn't take me long to identify him—Cal. His receding hairline betrayed his age, and I remembered seeing him at the clandestine club. He was the closest to balding among them.

I had hoped he wouldn't follow Alison's lead, but through the expansive windows, I spotted Alison at the front of the house while Cal emerged behind her. I instinctively reached into my jacket, feeling the weight of the knife against my side. The urge to plunge it into his neck repeatedly, staining the driveway red with his blood, surged within me, but I took a deep breath, reigning in my fury.

Pausing in the doorway, I observed as he approached Alison. Calling out her name, she turned with a polite smile, though it was evident she had no interest in small talk. The evening hadn't unfolded as she'd hoped, and she clearly sought an escape. However, men like Cal never seemed to take the hint.

He offered Alison a cigarette, which she declined courteously, reaching for her phone in her purse, feigning urgency. Yet Cal persisted, moving closer and lightly grasping her arm as she attempted to pull away. The confusion in Alison's eyes hinted that she hadn't experienced his pushiness before. It was evident he wanted something from her, and it wasn't difficult to discern his intentions. Whether he merely sought a casual encounter with the daughter or intended to draw her into a world of depravity was a chilling question—one I had no intention of allowing to unfold.

Stepping forward, my pace quickened as I approached them. "Come on, it's too early to call it a night," I heard Cal insist.

"Well, I am feeling quite tired, but it was lovely seeing everyone," Alison replied politely, attempting to extricate herself from his grasp.

Cal persisted, unwilling to let her go, despite her obvious discomfort. With each passing moment, my anger intensified at witnessing her distress in his repugnant presence.

"Alison," I interjected in a cheerful tone, as if our meeting had been planned. Stepping smoothly between them, I subtly cut off their connection, compelling Cal to release her and acknowledge that she wasn't going anywhere with him.

I encircled Alison with an arm, positioning myself as a barrier between her and Cal. Both of them looked up at me with evident confusion, clearly taken aback by my sudden intrusion.

"Jared," she whispered softly.

Ignoring Alison, I turned to Cal. "Apologies, but she's had a bit too much to drink tonight, as has her husband. He asked me to take her home," I explained.

"He asked you?" Cal inquired, his interest piqued. His gaze shifted between us, as though he had already discerned there was more to the situation than met the eye, prompting a nagging thought. Could it be that the pictures I had circulated of her husband's affair had made Alison a target? Was it really that simple?

"Yes, we go way back," I informed him, implying a long-standing friendship.

"From high school," Alison interjected, further solidifying our bond. "Warren thinks the world of him."

I was taken aback by how swiftly Alison could alter her demeanor, seamlessly slipping into her role as an adept actress.

"Is that so?" Cal responded.

"Yes, so we'll be heading home now," I asserted.

"Is Warren not coming with you?" Cal probed further.

"His buddies are taking care of him. They're having such a blast, and I don't want to spoil his fun just because I've had a bit too much wine," Alison chimed in, her voice laced with practiced charm.

Though we exchanged smiles, an undeniable tension lingered among the three of us. Something was brewing beneath the surface.

"It was lovely seeing you all again," Alison said kindly before taking a step forward, feigning a stumble. I instinctively wrapped both arms around her. "Clumsy me."

I wanted to roll my eyes at the display, finding it absurd, but I was willing to play along if it meant extricating her from Cal's clutches.

"Make sure you get home safely," Cal bid her farewell.

"Don't worry, I've got her," I reassured him, noticing his frustration at my interference in what seemed to be his pursuit of a fallen angel. Shit, this was never part of the plan, I thought to myself as I guided Alison toward my car.

"You don't have to take me home," she whispered, her eyes darting past me to where Cal stood, smoking his cigarette and observing us from a distance.

"No, I do," I replied firmly.

She turned her puzzled gaze to me, but then her expression hardened. "Jared, I'm not having sex with you again," she hissed under her breath.

"Alison, just get in the car."

"No, I don't want to. Just leave me alone. I'll call an Uber."

"Sure, because the princess takes Ubers," I remarked sarcastically.

"Or maybe I'll just leave Warren stranded and take our car," she countered.

"Then why haven't you? Why were you standing out here alone?" I pressed, noticing her discomfort. "You're trying to pretend everything's fine with you and Warren, even after all his affairs and the child he—"

She quickly covered my mouth with her hand. "Could you not say that so loudly with an audience?"

"Then let's talk in the car," I suggested.

"No, because I know as soon as I get in, you'll expect me to suck you off," she snarled, her words dripping with disdain. I couldn't deny the allure of her suggestion, but at that moment, my priority was getting her away from the man behind us, still eyeing us suspiciously.

I knew it wasn't ideal for me to be the one taking her home instead of her husband, but Warren was too intoxicated to notice the men ogling his wife while he enjoyed himself with his friends. Leaving Alison in Warren's care would be a grave mistake, so the responsibility fell to me. Despite my hatred for her, I couldn't risk her being drawn into such a world.

"Alison, I'm going to count to five. If you're not in the car with your seatbelt on by then, I'll have no problem with bending you over the hood of the car and give your dad's old friend quite the show," I whispered harshly into her ear.

She pushed me away, attempting to break free, but I stood firm, blocking her path back to the party and away from Cal.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me. And then I'll wager he'll see it as an invitation. You're not wrong, Alison. It's often the wife who pays for her husband's mistakes," I declared coldly.

She gasped, taken aback by my sudden iciness and lack of games. My only concern was getting her away from Cal before he got any ideas about joining the party.

"You're sick, Jared Tyler," she spat.

"Learned from the best," I retorted.

With an annoyed huff, she pushed past me to the other side of the car. I took the driver's seat, but before I could start the engine, I noticed Cal walking away, understanding that Alison wasn't going to be his target tonight. I shook my head, feeling a twinge of foolishness, knowing that Alison suddenly had a target on her back all because of me.

Starting the car, I informed her, "I'm taking you home," as I began to reverse out of the driveway.

"Why? I can drive myself," she protested.

"Because I said so," I replied firmly.

"You're not the ruler of my life, Jared!"

"I disagree. I'm your God,"

She sighed in frustration, crossing her arms and turning away to stare out of the window. As I drove away from the imposing mansion, aware of the darkness lurking within, I knew my work was far from over.

"God is supposed to be kind," she muttered under her breath.

"Really? Then why did he create such a shitty world?" I countered, causing Alison to fall silent, unable to respond.

Nevertheless, she couldn't resist reiterating her earlier stance, "We are not having sex."

"It's interesting that you think you have the authority to dictate what happens between us," I remarked.

"Jared, I'm exhausted. I've dealt with my mother tonight. Do you have any idea the kind of strength it takes to handle that woman?" She turned to me, seeking understanding.

"I'm fully aware. I spent the day with her."

"Yes, but she also wants you two to be friends. She likes you for who you are now. She never liked me," Alison pointed out bitterly. It was evident her mother's treatment of me was vastly different from how she treated her own daughter.

"I know she wants us to be friends. She invited me for dinner," I disclosed.

"What dinner?"

"The one they're hosting for their friends."

"She invited you to dinner and not me?" she questioned incredulously.

"She mentioned you'd be there, probably to sweeten the deal, thinking you're somehow what I desire," I remarked, sensing her hurt as I pointed out the situation.

Alison shook her head in disbelief. "Well, I didn't receive an invitation."

"Maybe it will come later."

"Oh, because you'd want me there?" she taunted.

The last thing I wanted was for her to attend, especially since her father's old friends were likely to be present. I couldn't risk them seeing Alison as a potential target for their needs. Was her position truly that precarious? Was her marriage the only thing protecting her? Did her father hold no regard for her? Or was she simply invisible in his eyes?

"How close are you to your father?" I asked abruptly, catching Alison off guard with the sudden change in topic.

"Why?"

"It was his party, and yet I barely saw you speaking to him," I pointed out.

I already knew a great deal about Alison's relationship with her parents. Love didn't seem to factor into it, but there might still be aspects I didn't fully comprehend. My month with Alison had revealed things I'd missed, hidden facets I was slowly uncovering. Unfortunately, these revelations only added depth to the monster within her, but it wouldn't deter me from my mission.

"Well, he has other people he'd rather speak to, and I greeted him at the beginning, giving him his present," she explained, her tone detached.

"So, not close?" I pressed.

"I thought I made it quite clear that my parents only helped me to maintain their own image," she retorted.

"Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean your relationship with your father couldn't be different from your relationship with your mother," I reasoned.

"It is," she confirmed.

"In what way?" I inquired.

"Why does it matter? You can't use that information for anything."

"Let me be the judge of that," I replied.

She sighed, shaking her head.

"Answer me, slave," I demanded.

"I'm not your slave anymore! So go fuck yourself!"

I jerked the wheel, pulling over to the side of the road. Turning to Alison, I grasped her jaw, forcing her to meet my gaze. She grabbed my wrist, but made no move to push me away.

"Do you want to repeat that?" I asked, my tone low and menacing.

She appeared to mull it over, her grip tightening around my wrist. I felt her white-painted nails digging into my skin, each little scrape carrying a hint of malice, accompanied by a sly smile spreading across her lips.

"Jared, I say this with all sincerity," she whispered, her voice dripping with venom. "Go. Fuck. Yourself."

"You just never seem to learn," I retorted, a surge of excitement coursing through me.

"I'm not your pet to train anymore."

"Are you sure about that? Because I still hold the power."

"Then what are you waiting for? Not going to punish me?" she challenged, her tone daring me to act.

"No, because now you're asking for it," I observed, noting her attempt to provoke me. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction, at least not yet.

With a firm push, I eased her back into her seat. Despite her continued glare, she was directing her anger at the wrong target. I wasn't the husband who had abandoned her, nor the parent who had sought to undermine her. Alison may have viewed me as the devil in her life, but having lived among demons for so long, she seemed to have lost sight of who was truly detrimental to her well-being.