KESTER.
"Mine? Is everything okay?" The man, who would be dead before the day breaks, asked, with concern lacing his sorry tone, "Mine!"
He yelled into the phone, obviously worried something must have happened to his precious Kasmine, before dropping the call abruptly. I guess his slow brain finally processed what the situation might be right now.
The bastard had the audacity to use that word... the one only I was allowed to use. Mine.
I felt my anger spike. My jaw clenched hard enough to ache as I held the phone, waiting for him to say more so I could confirm who he truly was.
My body trembled, and I didn't even realize it as I stood, looking at her with a blank expression.
I brought the phone to my face and looked at the caller ID, but it wasn't a number that was saved.
Smart of her.
I immediately smashed the phone into pieces. I wanted to break something else—anything. She flinched, recoiling into the bed as if she could dissolve into the wall behind her.
I took a step closer to her, my body a wall, blocking her from any chance of escape. "Who the hell was that?" I growled.
Her eyes darted to the shattered phone on the floor, then back to me, lips trembling, a guilty flush rising on her cheeks. She didn't speak. She never did when she knew I had her cornered.
She didn't seem to notice the way my knuckles were white, how I was holding myself back from smashing more things to pieces. "Who. Was. That?"
"Please, Kester," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's not what you think."
"Don't make me tear it out of you, Kasmine. Don't test me." I reached out and grabbed her by her arm, pulling her off the bed and slamming her back against the wall beside her bed.
"I'm sorry. It was..." She swallowed, nibbling on her lips that it got me fucking hard.
"It was Jake, right?" With a bitter scoff, I asked, "What would it take for you to leave that boy? Huh?" My hand moved to her throat, grabbing it firmly. I enjoyed the way her eyes widened, "His death? Is that what it would take for you to stay away from him?"
My grip tightened around her throat, my fingers pressing into her delicate skin. Her pulse fluttered wildly beneath my palm, matching the frantic rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes - those deep green eyes which have trapped me in their abyss - glistened with unshed tears.
She shook her head frantically, "No, Kes. I'm sorry." She wheezed.
"Jake," I hissed after a moment of silence, the name burning like acid on my tongue. My jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack. That bastard had the audacity to call her ‘Mine’?
His?
No. That word belonged to me. She belonged to me.
"Do you think I don't know where your little lover boy lives? Hm?" I spat, and she froze, her trembling body stiffening against the wall.
Good. She should fear what I was capable of.
"Kester, please!" she choked, her hands clawing at my iron grip.
I leaned in closer, my breath hot against her ear, "Number 16. Fourth floor. His room faces the fire escape…" I chuckled, though it was humorless, "I could be there in minutes, Kasmine. Minutes. And you know what I'd do to him."
"No!" she cried out, her voice cracking. Tears spilled over, streaking her flushed cheeks as her body shook in my grasp. "It's not what you think! I swear, Kester, please, you're misunderstanding—"
"Misunderstanding?" I sneered, my lips curling in a dangerous smile. "The only thing I'm misunderstanding is how you had the nerve to let him believe he had any claim over you." I shook my head in disbelief, "Why the hell is he calling you Mine, huh?" I tightened my grip, watching as her knees wobbled beneath her. "What the fuck did you let him think he is to you?"
My hand released her throat abruptly, and she crumpled to the floor like a broken doll, gasping for air. I straightened, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone.
"What... What are you doing?" Kasmine stuttered, her gaze shifting from me to the phone in my hand.
"Get the car ready," I barked into the receiver, and I saw the color drain from her face. I ignored her and turned toward the door.
"Kester!" she screamed as she crawled toward me. She grabbed my pant leg, clinging to me like her life depended on it. "I’ll do anything. Anything you want. Just don’t kill him. Please… it is all my fault for not staying away. He doesn't deserve this. Please.”
Her sobs filled the room, each one grating against what little restraint I had left. Slowly, I turned to face her. She was a mess—tear-streaked, trembling, completely at my mercy. And fuck, didn’t that look suit her?
A sinister smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I took a step closer, crouching down until our faces were level. Grabbing her chin roughly, I forced her to meet my eyes. “Anything, you say?” She didn't miss the amusement in my voice, "This would be the second time you've said that. You desperately want to do my bidding now, don't you?"
She nodded frantically, her tears falling freely. “Yes, anything. I’ll do whatever you want, I swear, Kester. Just don’t hurt him. Please…”
My thumb traced her trembling bottom lip, my eyes narrowing as if weighing her words. The power I held over her was intoxicating, and I wasn’t about to let it slip away.
“You could do more than beg while you’re already on your knees,” I murmured, my voice thick and husky with dark intent.
Her gaze snapped up to meet mine, and there were a thousand questions in there that I wouldn't even bother to answer.
She swallowed slowly, her gaze darting away in shame, but my grip tightened, forcing her to meet my eyes.
“You want me to spare him, Kasmine?” My tone was deceptively soft, laced with a threat that made her heart pound because I could hear it. “Then show me that you’re mine. Show me just how far you’re willing to go to keep that bastard breathing.”