Read Online The Darkness of Perfection by Michael Schneider - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael Schneider
Ads: Link
understanding of the type of flooding that ‘claimed’ her life two nights ago.
More importantly, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the way she ‘died’ to raise her mother’s suspicions. There would be no evidence of foul play, and while tragic, Jayden would just be another victim of a simple act of God.
There was a timid knock on my door. “Enter,” I said, and looked over my shoulder to see my mother standing uncertainly in the doorway.
She looked first to Jayden, and then lifted her hazel eyes to me. I didn’t understand the sorrow that flashed briefly before her expression cleared.
“Your father and brother are waiting for you in his office. I-I thought I could sit with Jayden in case she wakes up while you’re gone,” she explained, gesturing to where Jayden shifted again.
I looked down at my sleeping beauty. There was the scrape of metal as she tried unsuccessfully to pull her arm down to her side, and I chuckled softly at the disgruntled look on her sleeping face. Then I pulled the blanket up to cover her arm and tucked it in around her shoulder to keep her warm, leaning down to kiss her again before answering my mother.
“You can sit with her, but I don’t want you disturbing her rest. If she wakes while I’m gone, call me immediately. Her stomach may be upset and she might need to vomit,” I explained, gesturing toward the small, lined garbage can beside the bed. “You can use that if I’m not back in time to take her to the bathroom.”
As a kid, when I was learning the ins and outs of our ‘real’ business, I’d witnessed vomiting as a
common side effect of the drugs in Jayden’s system. I’d only cuffed one wrist so she could easily turn over to the side if need be, unlike my usual immobilization technique. When I was fifteen, one girl suffocated on her own vomit and died before anyone thought to check on her. I wouldn’t allow anything like that to happen to Jayden.
My mother came into the room to stand at the foot of my bed, pointing to the handcuff on Jayden’s wrist. “You could take that off so I can help her to the bathroom when she wakes up. She may need to relieve herself as well, and I’m sure she’d be more comfortable with a woman helping her. I also made a light soup she should be able to handle. I’ll have it brought up with something to drink. She’s going to be hungry. It’s been almost two days since she last ate.”
“No,” I snapped sharply. My mother flinched in response to my sharp tone and her eyes darted back to me. “She stays cuffed until I return. A tray can be sent up when I get back. Call me on the intercom and I’ll come immediately. She needs to learn her place again, so until then everything she receives comes from my hand alone.”
My mother looked at me and I saw that same flash of sorrow in her eyes before she dropped her head and nodded. “Of course, Nicholas. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her until your return,” she assured quietly.
I walked to the door and turned back to see my mother sink into the chair beside the bed. She was brought into this life as a teen, unlike Jayden and her mother who were born into it, but she learned quickly and had never given my father a moment of trouble. She knew her place.
Her only flaw, as I saw it, was the fanciful things she used to whisper to William and me when we were children. My father put a stop to her silly notions years ago, and my mother had been a perfect wife since and would be an excellent role model for Jayden to emulate.
I didn’t understand that sorrowful look she kept giving me and the way she stared at Jayden now. She should be happy for me. I’d finally found her and brought her back home where she belonged. I remembered how fond she was of Jayden, and she knew how upset I was when Jayden’s mother stole her from me. She should be jumping for joy that I had her back and would soon be working on giving her grandchildren to dote over. It wasn’t like she
More importantly, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the way she ‘died’ to raise her mother’s suspicions. There would be no evidence of foul play, and while tragic, Jayden would just be another victim of a simple act of God.
There was a timid knock on my door. “Enter,” I said, and looked over my shoulder to see my mother standing uncertainly in the doorway.
She looked first to Jayden, and then lifted her hazel eyes to me. I didn’t understand the sorrow that flashed briefly before her expression cleared.
“Your father and brother are waiting for you in his office. I-I thought I could sit with Jayden in case she wakes up while you’re gone,” she explained, gesturing to where Jayden shifted again.
I looked down at my sleeping beauty. There was the scrape of metal as she tried unsuccessfully to pull her arm down to her side, and I chuckled softly at the disgruntled look on her sleeping face. Then I pulled the blanket up to cover her arm and tucked it in around her shoulder to keep her warm, leaning down to kiss her again before answering my mother.
“You can sit with her, but I don’t want you disturbing her rest. If she wakes while I’m gone, call me immediately. Her stomach may be upset and she might need to vomit,” I explained, gesturing toward the small, lined garbage can beside the bed. “You can use that if I’m not back in time to take her to the bathroom.”
As a kid, when I was learning the ins and outs of our ‘real’ business, I’d witnessed vomiting as a
common side effect of the drugs in Jayden’s system. I’d only cuffed one wrist so she could easily turn over to the side if need be, unlike my usual immobilization technique. When I was fifteen, one girl suffocated on her own vomit and died before anyone thought to check on her. I wouldn’t allow anything like that to happen to Jayden.
My mother came into the room to stand at the foot of my bed, pointing to the handcuff on Jayden’s wrist. “You could take that off so I can help her to the bathroom when she wakes up. She may need to relieve herself as well, and I’m sure she’d be more comfortable with a woman helping her. I also made a light soup she should be able to handle. I’ll have it brought up with something to drink. She’s going to be hungry. It’s been almost two days since she last ate.”
“No,” I snapped sharply. My mother flinched in response to my sharp tone and her eyes darted back to me. “She stays cuffed until I return. A tray can be sent up when I get back. Call me on the intercom and I’ll come immediately. She needs to learn her place again, so until then everything she receives comes from my hand alone.”
My mother looked at me and I saw that same flash of sorrow in her eyes before she dropped her head and nodded. “Of course, Nicholas. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her until your return,” she assured quietly.
I walked to the door and turned back to see my mother sink into the chair beside the bed. She was brought into this life as a teen, unlike Jayden and her mother who were born into it, but she learned quickly and had never given my father a moment of trouble. She knew her place.
Her only flaw, as I saw it, was the fanciful things she used to whisper to William and me when we were children. My father put a stop to her silly notions years ago, and my mother had been a perfect wife since and would be an excellent role model for Jayden to emulate.
I didn’t understand that sorrowful look she kept giving me and the way she stared at Jayden now. She should be happy for me. I’d finally found her and brought her back home where she belonged. I remembered how fond she was of Jayden, and she knew how upset I was when Jayden’s mother stole her from me. She should be jumping for joy that I had her back and would soon be working on giving her grandchildren to dote over. It wasn’t like she
Similar Books
