17. Jax

Jax

T he receptionist glowers at me as she chirps happily on the phone. She presses one finger to her lips, then points at Sparrow's office and flicks her fingers towards the door.

I smile tightly back at her and cross to the office and tap lightly.

The door opens, and Dr Sparrow smiles. It's a smile of satisfaction and power. All at once, I remember who has the real power in my life. Oh, I might play dress up, and I might play pretend and go out and eat dinner with people, but this man, this one single, evil, human man…he owns me.

The court's decision to deliver me, gift-wrapped, to him was evil. When my life circumstances suddenly changed and my social status went from fiancée to murder suspect, it caused me to have a breakdown that put me in my own prison.

It could happen to anyone. I can't prove my innocence, and they can't prove my guilt. Stalemate. So, next best thing, involuntary psychiatric treatment.

I'd rather be in prison than go back to the psych ward.

My eyes go to the black door on my left as I approach my chair. I perch on it, feeling like I need to be ready to flee, but knowing perfectly well I have no chance of making it anywhere.

"So, so, so. What are we going to do?"

I clench my hands together so tightly the knuckles turn white. "I didn't do it." It comes out a whisper.

"I know. Of course, I believe you. I always have."

His words bring only a shudder of fear.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

It's not a request. It's a command posed as a polite question, but I have no choice now.

"I went to Red Shard last week to help out Andy and Stevie Harmon."

"Your friends?" Sparrow raises an eyebrow. He hasn't stopped smiling at me, and it's starting to freak me out.

"Yes, I organised them a ride, but Titan wanted to speak to me. I had no choice. No one tells Titan no. He owns the Shard and almost everyone inside."

A flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"Did Titan hurt you, Jax? There are lots of people who come to see me that Titan has hurt. Did he force you-"

I shake my head, cutting him off. "No. He just wanted to speak."

"About what?"

"I-" I stop because we never did have that conversation. "We didn't talk. He got called away. Lisha didn't like me speaking to him. She warned me off. That's all."

"Why do you think he went after her? You must have spoken to a few people over the week."

"I don't know. Maybe because it was public. Maybe to keep me on my toes." I regret it as soon as I say it.

"Keep you on your toes, that's an odd way of putting the situation, very blasé."

"I'm having a terrible morning. The detectives were here."

"I can't imagine your morning is worse than poor Lisha's."

My cheeks burn at the verbal slap. "I didn't mean, of course, it's not, I-" I cut my words off and shift on the seat.

Sparrow picks up his notebook and starts writing. I want to tear the book out of his hands and read every evil little thing he's ever written about me, and then burn it.

He puts it down again and focuses on me. "Have you received any contact at all from Louis?"

"No, I haven't. The last time I heard from him was six years ago, when he supposedly left to go to a work conference."

"Didn't it seem odd that an accountant had to attend a conference?"

"Dr Sparrow, I honestly, even now, couldn't tell you anything about what accountants do. He said it like it was normal. I never thought I had to be suspicious of his motives."

"Did he ever have any female friends?"

I snort. "Louis had both male and female friends. He could make friends with a rabid Saint Bernard. He just had a way about him."

"But he only went after people you were friends with?"

I nod tightly. I can't quite figure out where he's going with this, but it's making me really edgy.

Sparrow contemplates me with a steady gaze and that maniacal smile on his lips for a long time. "You know what I think?" He doesn't stop to get my response; instead, he stands up and paces around the room. "I think this is the proof. After six years of waiting, my theory is right. You!" He spins and points at me. I blink and recoil. "You are the answer. I knew I just needed to sit on this. Wait, and the answer would come."

"I don't understand," I say stiffly.

"Louis has come back for you, Jackie. But he doesn't know that you belong to me now, and you're going to be the key to his downfall. You and I are going to bring him down together."

Oh, god, Doctor Sparrow is insane. This whole plan is batshit crazy!

He turns on me suddenly and sits down, bringing his chair right up close to mine, and puts his hand on my knee. He squeezes so tight I squirm.

"You aren't going to go running off now and warn him, are you?"

"No!" I spit, aghast.

"You're completely over him, and his influence over you is gone? We have worked hard. If you think for one second you might fall back under his spell, then we can arrange accommodation for you." He jerks his head to the black door.

"No, no. I'm over it. I want to bring him down. Trust me, Doctor, I want my life back," I say with a fervour that I don't have to fake.

He lets go of my knee and sits back in his chair. Then he stands up and paces around his office again. There, the maniacal, terrifying gleam is back in his eye again.

"We are going to destroy him," Dr Sparrow murmurs.

I stare at the man and wonder if the world has gone insane. "Dr Sparrow, while that sounds like a really great plan, how exactly do you plan on achieving that?"

He chuckles and sits back down, smiling happily. "Don't worry about that right now, all in good time. We don't want to spook him."

We sit in silence for ten minutes, with him chuckling happily every now and then. Eventually, he waves me off.

"Oh, and, Jackie…if you see or hear anything, come and see me directly."

"Of course, Dr Sparrow."

"Good. Good." He spins on his chair and closes his eyes. "Finally."

I slip out of the room and get out of there as fast as I can. But in the back of my mind, I feel the strings of my life getting pulled in too many directions. I'm starting to unravel.