Jameson Hotel - the Dark Suite Series: Parts One, Two & Three (34 page)

“Funny.” I smirk.

She pulls her
sweatshirt down, reaches under my robe and strokes my dick, then whispers,
“Can’t wait to see your cum face tonight,” then she walks out.

“Oh, she’s good.” I
rest my head against the door, breathless, touching my cock.

“Sarah?”

“Damn it.” I tighten
my robe and peer toward the second floor. “Better get the duct tape.”

“Hey, bitch!”

I can hear her all
the way down to my garage, swearing up a storm as I’m looking for the tape,
calling for help as I stare at the cars, and saying she’s
gonna
kill someone if she’s not set free. God, she’s fucking loud. Good thing Jules’
room is next to my suite and will be a buffer for some of the noise. It’s
amazing that one woman can sound like a herd of cattle.

When I walk upstairs
and into the bedroom, she’s grumbling ‘bitch this’ and ‘bitch that’ while
trying to get out of bed.

“Good morning,
Mera
Calloway.” I smile. “Welcome to my hotel. I hope
you’re enjoying your stay.”

“Fuck!” She tilts
her head back then tries a quick jut forward, trying to sit up; only she
doesn’t have the strength to do so.

“You look exactly
like
Dayne
did before I killed him, a beached whale
on dry land. Poor thing.”

I take my blade out
of my robe and she screams.

“Now, now, calm
down. I’m only cutting the tape.”

She looks at her
stomach and screams for her ‘friend.’ “Sarah! What did you with her, Mark?
Sarah! No
..
.” She turns her head, trying to escape the
tape.

“That’s better,” I
remark. “I never did find your loud, rowdy voice very attractive. Now shut the
fuck up. I doubt my guests can hear you, but
I
sure as fuck can.”

She winces and rolls
to the opposite side of the bed, searching for an escape.

“Guess the cuffs
aren’t enough,” I sigh, walking back to my garage for some rope.

I pour a cup of
coffee after another long trip down and back up, carrying the cup and the rope
with me into the bedroom. She’s on the floor, wiggling like a worm on pavement
after a heavy rain. I watch her for a while, sipping my morning coffee and
slicing the rope into two pieces.

“It’s a magnificent
morning, don’t you think?”

Her response is
muffled under the tape.

“Too bad you can’t
enjoy it,” I say, lifting her back into bed and tying her to the posts,
aggravated that I got blood and urine on my robe.

I pick up my coffee
and finish the morning alone, reading the paper in my bedroom, doing a set of
sit-ups and push-ups, and showering off a days worth of blood, sweat, and sex.

Pussy boy.

My father’s voice
enters my head when I wipe the steamed mirror with a towel and gaze at my
reflection.

If you were anything like me you’d be fucking
that tied up bitch in your bed. Don’t waste a free meal.

I place my hand on
the mirror, covering my blue eyes like I’m silencing his mouth.

Bring your cock out and make her suck you
off. Women dig that shit before you kill ‘
em
.

“Get the fuck out of
my head.” I look away from the mirror, reaching for my cologne in need of a
distraction. I dab a spot on each of my wrists and neck before putting on my
watch, seeing a missed call from Jules.

Good, someone to
talk to besides Paul Jameson. I call her back immediately, hoping her voice
clears my head.

“Hey, beautiful,” I say.
“You called? Everything okay downstairs?”

“It’s busy, but no
issues. Look, I thought of something I wanted to say to you, but I think I’ll
wait to tell you in person. Maybe tonight. You can forget I called.”

I smile... she’s
going to say yes.

“It’s not about the
proposal.”

I frown. Wrong
again.

“Just tell me, I
could use a diversion to my morning routine.”

“Hold on.” She talks
to a guest then gets back on the line. “It’s amazing how many people are
leaving together after turning in a key card from one room. Some of them really
scammed you.”

“I know, it happens
all the time with events like this. The Marathon’s over today and the hotel
will be calm again until ski season begins... about two weeks.” I stare at my
reflection; a gold towel wrapped around my waist, my hair finger-combed into
place, and my fingertips trailing over my abs and stomach.

I hooked your sister up with Star. Fuck, they
made me a hell of a lot more money than you ever did. I don’t know why I didn’t
think to bring her into my company sooner. I wasted years with you on camera
when I should’ve just used you for the behind the scenes desk work. That’s
where you shine, right sunflower?
Behind the scenes... a desk
job?
What... are you jealous? You’ve always been the jealous type, not
the Jameson type.

My fists clench.
“Fuck you.”

“What?”

“Sorry.” I turn away
from my reflection. “Distract me,” I request.

“Are you talking to
your mirror again?”

“You know me so
well,” I exhale.

“I worry about you
when you’re alone in that bathroom, Mark. Get dressed and come downstairs would
you? Please? I’d love to know you were in the office behind me instead of alone
upstairs.”

Desk job pussy.

“I’ll be down soon,”
I whisper, ending the call and sliding down to the floor with my hands over my
face.

I’d like to smash
the mirror again, but it does nothing for me. I need to figure out a better way
to put to rest some of this shit with my father. The one person I can talk to
about him is Cove, and yet he’s so fucked in the head because of my dad that
our conversation would be an unhealthy, never-ending, bitch-fest about the man.

And I know these
thoughts are my own, my father’s not really in my head. The words are what I
believe he’d say... it’s not real, just like my relationship with him was a
sham from the day I was born until he was killed.

I toy with my watch,
bringing up my sister’s cell number, then Cove’s, sending him a text.

I love you.

I should’ve sent it
to Jules, but he needs it more, even though it’s something he’ll ignore like
the one from last night. When I think about my father, he’s the next person who
comes to mind. I can’t help it, he just does.

“Fuck, you bastard.
You never told me that you loved me,” I say to my father, while resting my head
against the bathroom cabinet. “I only needed to hear it one time, just once.” I
shake my head. “What would’ve made you proud of me? Anything? Or nothing...
there’s nothing I could’ve done... nothing. No matter how many people I fucked,
killed, or how much money I made you, it wouldn’t have mattered. I was nothing.”

You needed to be a completely different
person for me to love you. Isn’t that why you hate your own son?

“Fuck! I despise my
mind sometimes.”

Thank fuck my
thoughts get sidetracked when I hear an incoming call from Jules.

“Hey sweet thing.” I
take a deep breath and massage my eyes with my thumb and forefinger, trying to
clear my head of my father.

“Are you rubbing
your gun under your chin?”

“No,” I laugh, “not
this time.”

“What are you
doing?”

“Getting ready for
work.”

She doesn’t respond,
but I hear her heels clicking on my wood floor as she walks through the lobby.
“Be right back, Chloe,” she says before her footfalls soften, reaching the
damask patterned carpet in the corridor.

“I wanted to tell
you something,” she says quietly. “You know I like you, right, I mean...”

“I’m in no mood to
get dumped by someone over the phone like we’re teenagers. You’re right, if
this is what you called about before, say it to my face.”

“Mark, get real. I
love you.”

“Sorry, I’m a bit
off right now. What is it?”

“You can’t fix
people, you can only join them.”

I smile. “Oh yeah?”

“Just listen. You
don’t need fixing. Okay? I love you for who you are and I wouldn’t want to
change you. You haven’t tried to change me and you didn’t force me into your
way of life. I’ve made my own choices of how far I wanted to be involved with
you and all of this, I still am. I think you’re incredible just the way you
are, perhaps crazy, okay, definitely fucked up, but amazing too. You deserve
happiness in your life and
..
.
hell
,
I can’t believe I’m saying this... I think some of the things you do make you
happy and I’d like to share those moments with you because I enjoy them too. I
guess we’re both fucked in the head, but neither one of us needs to change.
Right? I know I’m right. Don’t answer that. That’s all. Nothing else. That’s my
opinion. No fixing. You’re perfect in my eyes. Now get your ass down here so I
can see you while I’m working.”

I swallow hard,
unable to respond with the baseball-size lump in my throat, but ready to follow
her order. Standing, I end the call and look in the mirror wanting to see if
the tear she placed in my eye is real.

“I’ll be right down,
love.”

LADY OF THE NIGHT

“H
i.”

My sister’s cheerful
voice comes through my cell as I take her call in the lobby of my hotel. I’m
using my actual smartphone today, waiting on a private call from my guy in
Vegas so he can give me a drop off address for the vehicles. No need to
announce the situation in my garage to the world if I don’t have to.

“Hey, Soph. You guys
make it back okay?”

“Yeah, no offense,
but it’s so nice to be home.”

“None taken.”

“The boys are happy,
I’m happy, Cove’s happy, the wine bar’s even happy to have us back,” she
laughs. “I’ve been in St. Louis now for over a decade and when I think of home,
this is it, not Philly where we grew up.”

I lean back in the
gold stuffed chair next to the burning fireplace and watch the guests arriving
for the evening check in. I nod to some of them, wearing one of my finest suits
with my arm raised over top of the chair and my fingers dangling over the side
while we chat.

“How’s
Daxton
?”

“Oddly, he seems
fine. Do you think that’s okay? It’s like he doesn’t even care. I don’t know
what to do.”

“Sometimes it’s best
not to do anything.”

“Perhaps,” she
sighs. “That’s sort of why I’m calling. Can you do me a favor?”

“Another one... geez
I don’t know, Soph.”

“No jokes, this is
serious.”

“You know I’ll help
you out any way I can. What’s the favor?”

“Please stop
taunting my husband.”

“What? Fuck that.” I
look around to make sure no one heard my foul language and continue the
conversation in a quieter tone. “Is that what he said?”

“He’s at the
Scarlett and doesn’t know I’m calling you, this is between you and me, but, he
does walk around the house mumbling about your texts so I know he’s annoyed.”

“Tell him to grow a
pair and just admit we’re family.”

“Mark, stop.”

I lower my arm and
tap the armrest. “What’s it
gonna
take?” I whisper.
“I’ve tried everything over the years.”

“That’s just it, you
try all the time, just leave him alone for a while. We’ve had this conversation
time and time again, but this time I need you to listen.”

Jules sends me a
smile from across the room while she signs for the delivery of fresh lilies.
She opens the long flower boxes and her shiny blonde hair falls forward,
gracing the white petals. The head of housekeeping arrives to distribute them
to the rooms as Jules saves a few for the front counter. Her face comes alive
on the days when the flowers arrive, like they’ve been delivered specially for
her.

“Mark?”

“I’m listening.”

“What did I say?”

“That I needed to
listen.”

“
Ergh
.”

“I heard you loud
and clear, Sophia,” I laugh. “Look, I’m your big brother, I’m supposed to tease
you.”

“Forever?”

“Forever.”

“But you heard me?”

“Yes, I’ll give it a
rest.”

“Thanks, now here’s
my second request.”

“Oh, now there’s
another?”

“Listen, please.”

“Shoot.”

“That’s the opposite
of what I’m asking.” She hesitates, aware her boys are in the background
requesting dinner. “In a minute,” she whispers to them before getting back on
the line. “Cove mentioned some things to me last night and I want you to let it
go.”

“Be specific.”

“Hold on.” Her
cell’s muffled, but I can hear her ask
Dax
and
Xav
to play in their room until she’s off the phone. A
minute later, the boys’ voices can no longer be heard and the line’s silent.
“Still there?”

“Yep.”

“Don’t kill
Mera
.”

“Not over the
phone,” I caution her. “Poor choice of words.”

“Okay, but we need
to talk. Cove told me he requested it and I figured you’d do it anyway, but I
want all of this to stop. I hate her. I fucking hate her with a passion for
hurting my son, but someone needs to bring all of this bullshit to an end.
Dayne
was different; he wasn’t going to walk away, but I
think she will. Plus, she has a sister who will eventually start to wonder...”

“I know, and
parents, and maybe friends. I’m not an idiot. Dad taught me... I know what I’m
doing. And I firmly believe a person who hurts a child isn’t fit for this
world; ask your husband. He’ll have an opinion about that. And I agree that
she’ll walk away, but who said she should?”

“Fuck, I want you to
get better.”

“That’s funny,
someone just told me I’m perfect just the way I am.”

There’s silence from
both ends. I rest my foot over my thigh and whistle, setting my eyes on Jules
as she walks over and places two flowers in the small vase on the coffee table
in front of me. She points to her watch that it’s almost time for her shift to
end and I nod.

“I am getting better
in some ways, but it’s too late for the situation you’re referring to,” I say.

“Oh.” Her voice
cracks. “Just like that? That quickly?”

“Partly, I’ll finish
the rest tonight.”

“Let her go,” she
whispers. “Please.”

“I probably won’t
‘dispose’ of her,” I reply. “I’m not sure I have it in me to do
that
to a woman.”

Jules places two
fingers over her lips and blows me a kiss as she’s on her way out of the lobby.

“Thank you,” Sophia
says.

“Someone else will
take care of the situation for me.”

“Don’t you dare..
.
I know what you’re thinking, just don’t. Everyone needs to
go their separate ways and live life, not take it away.”

“You
don’t
know what I’m thinking, sis. Not
this time.”

“Mark...”

“Love you.” I end
the call and place the cell in my pocket, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace
for a few minutes before following Jules upstairs. I hear the shower running as
I pass by her room, deciding not to interrupt as I continue into my suite to
see
Mera
. I plan on the three of us having a romantic
evening together.

I take a shot of
whiskey and head upstairs. My last check was two hours ago when I untied her
hands and feet, allowing her to use the bathroom before roping her back to the
bed. She’s in the same position when I return, staring at the ceiling, mumbling
through the tape that gets ripped off and tossed on the nightstand.

“Fucker,” she gasps.
“Untie me so I can cut off your balls.”

“Manners, manners,
Ms. Calloway, or is it Mrs. Rosen? Are you keeping
Dayne’s
last name?”

“I never took it in
the first place. Where’s Sarah? Don’t hurt her, you dick. She has nothing to do
with the situation. And when are you going to untie me? I’ve suffered enough.”
She struggles to free her hands and feet.

“You’re only going
to hurt yourself.”

“At least give me
some K so I don’t have to lie here bored to death.”

“Last time you did
drugs you got tied to a bed, sliced, and diced. Remember? Most people would’ve
learned from that experience.”

“Prick. You’re not
going to hurt me.”

“Then why did you
scream this morning? What were you afraid of? And look at your stomach.”

“I was confused,
that’s all.” She looks down. “And my stomach doesn’t hurt. It’s barely even a
cut. You’re terrible at this. Seriously, I bet
Dayne
is downstairs and tied to a chair because you’re too much of a loser to take
anyone down.”

“Is that so? You’re
still in denial of everything?”

“I’m still here,
aren’t I? I know you’re just fucking with me, so just untie me now instead of
later.”

“Bitch.” I walk down
to my kitchen, rummage through my cabinets, grab a container of salt, and stomp
back upstairs. My sport jacket gets hung on the bedpost, my sleeves rolled, and
my gun out of my shoulder holster and placed on the dresser. “I’m actually
quite good at what I do,” I say, putting the tape back over her mouth and
taking out my knife. I pull a chair over to her side and drag the blade along
her flesh. Her eyes widen then scrunch shut when I reopen the shallow wounds.
“You’re right, the cuts probably didn’t hurt, but they sure as fuck will now.”
Taking the salt container from my jacket pocket, I pour some inside of each
slice then sit back and watch her squirm with muffled cries. I’ll keep my
sister’s words in my head and
try
my
best not to kill her, but she certainly isn’t making it very easy not
to
.

“Fuck
Mera
, you’re a guest here, you don’t have to be so fucking
rude.” I pick up my gun and jacket and walk out, needing to change and get high
before Jules arrives.

With music playing
in my bedroom, my back door open, and a joint in hand - I take a hit, admiring
my property and the towering pines. Water splashes in the pool and a chilly
breeze runs across my face. It’s much colder tonight than it was yesterday and
I’m hoping the muddy ground is frozen. It will make the walk through the woods
a hell of a lot easier.

“Inhale deeply,
Mark,” I whisper, closing my eyes... not referring to the pot. I smell winter
moving in, pine needles, and burning wood. “Breathe in again and relax before
you make your decision.”

Swimmers continue to
kick in the heated pool and I swear I can feel water land on my nose from their
fun. But then more cold drops melt on my eyelashes and cheeks.

It’s snow.

I keep my eyes
closed, feeling it, letting it wet my face as the sun sets for the day. I want
it to touch me, coat me... shit, I’m fucking stoned.

I open my eyes and
grin, watching the white flakes float down and melt as soon as they touch the
ground. The area probably won’t get a significant amount until November, but
the first sight of it alters my mood. Winter at my hotel is grand with an overabundance
of lights, soft holiday music, and plenty of tourists coming in from California
and Nevada to ski. It makes me feel like I own a chalet in the Swiss Alps, with
chestnuts roasting in the fireplace of my lobby and hot chocolate... okay,
that’s enough pot for now.

Fuck, but it is
beautiful out here.

“Hey.” Jules voice
is gentle and mimics the snow, floating through the air and melting against my
flesh. She looks different tonight, relaxed, happy, dressed in jeans and a
furry long-sleeve black sweater. Her hair is dried and her makeup light and
natural. She might’ve sensed we’ll be going outdoors.

I raise my arm and
she immediately burrows against my side, enjoying the warmth and the scenery,
but declining my offering of pot. I put the snuffed out joint in my pocket and
kiss the top of her head, lingering over her clean hair before lifting my head
toward the woods.

“It’s pretty,” she
says.

“Yeah, I can’t think
of a better place to be right now.”

Her hand slides
under my shirt, slowly circling and caressing my back. “Did you figure out the
cars?”

I nod. “Two people
will be here tomorrow. I just need to give them instructions when they arrive,
talk to my guy in Vegas for the delivery, and that problem is solved.”

“And you called
Jack?”

“I did, and as you
suggested, I asked him
why
he was
drinking last night, not how much.”

“And?”

“His girlfriend
dumped him. He has a teenage broken heart which is something I know very little
about.”

“But you talked to
him, right?”

“The best I could.”

She laughs, “Poor
kid.”

“Let’s not discuss
my son right now. It was another shitty conversation and I don’t want that part
of my life to change my mood. Just enjoy a minute alone with me.”

She gazes at the
tall pines, and smiles at the snow, taking it in her hand and watching it melt.
“What are you listening to? It’s sort of eerie.”

“It’s called
In The Pines
, a very old recording
that’s been my smoking song since I built this place. Eerie, yes, especially
since I have it on repeat, but just listen, the lyrics are hypnotizing, especially
with the low downhearted tone in the singer’s voice... and the acoustic guitar
and the bass together... it’s a moody, lonely song that for some reason makes
me feel calm and in control.”

Her eyes remain
closed as she leans into me and listens. I hum the instrumental part then sing
softly into her ear...

Little girl, little girl, where will you go?

I’m going where the cold wind blows

In the pines, in the pines, where the sun
never shines

I will shiver the whole night through.

Look up
,
look down
that lonesome road