"Can you give us a second?"
"Absolutely not. You're done. I want you away from my sister." Jim grabs Libby by the wrist and talks to her the same way I'm talking to Lexi - soft and whispered but firm enough that they know we aren't going to take any shit. After a few minutes of them going back and forth with me and Lexi just watching them like a tennis match, Libby finally huffs out of the office.
"I tend to agree with her Jack. Maybe it is better if we have someone else watch her from now on."
"Was it better for you when you had Libby at the club sitting on your lap?"
"That was different."
"Was it? Because from where I'm sitting it’s not a bit different."
"I wasn't...," he stops himself and looks over at Lexi who still isn't looking up. "Can we talk about this without Lex being right here? I'm sure she doesn't want to know about me and her sister and would be far more comfortable in her own room."
"She doesn't go anywhere without me."
Jim rolls his eyes. "Fine, have it your way. I wasn't leading Libby on or playing a game with her. This isn't alright, Jack, god damn it. I ask you to watch over her because I thought you would be the one person I could trust not to do something stupid like this."
Lexi makes a little noise at his words and tries to shrink further in on herself. Fuck it, I pick her up and sit her in my lap. "I'm not playing a fucking game, Jim. This is how it's going to be and you and her sister are just going to have to make peace with that." I put my finger under her chin so she is forced to look up at me. "The minute I put my seed in you is the minute you become mine."
Her lips tremble open and for a moment all we do is look at one another. I tell her with my eyes what I can't say with words. She belongs to me now. The plans to live with some other couple are just going to have to be canceled unless she wants me living with them too and I don't think they're going to be prepared for me throwing Lexi down on the table or over the couch and fucking her anytime I want to.
"Jesus, Jack. I'm sitting right here, man. I don't really want to hear about that - about any of that concerning Lexi."
"Then I suggest you talk to Libby and tell her how things are going to be from now on. Or else I'm going to be walking around proving my claim - everywhere." She stiffens in my arms at my words. I'm not just warning Jim, I'm letting her know how things are going to be too. "The pool, the kitchen, the couch, the loveseat, the floor, the hallway."
"All right, all right. Remy was right, it is more over the top when one of us dark sons of bitches falls." He shakes his head and runs his hand down his face, "Go, take her to her room and get her in something that isn't half wet. I'll see you two downstairs for dinner. Hopefully, by then I'll be able to find a way to tell Libby what the fuck is going on. Or she's going to kill me for being associated with you."
I scoop Lexi up, blanket and all, and make my way back to her room. We'll have to talk but for now, I just want to make sure she understands what this all means.
11
____________
Lexi
I have no idea what happened. One minute I was relaxing in a hot bath and the next everything is turned upside down and Jack is acting...different. I was going to hide out in my room all day after Jack hurt my feelings so badly with what he said downstairs and the next thing I know he's busting into the bathroom and bossing me around.
I don't want to think about what exactly he put in my mouth. I'm innocent, not stupid. I know what it was but I don't understand why he did it or why he keeps saying I belong to him over and over. He didn't want anything to do with me not hours ago and now he's acting like...a lover would. He takes me not to my room but to the room he's been staying in. He sits me on the bed and locks the doors.
I pull the cover closer to me not sure which Jack I'm going to get. He turns around and runs his eyes over me. "Let's talk sweetheart."
What are we going to talk about? How he was an asshole to me right before all of this? How he ruined my bath? How he switches moods like he's pms-ing? He doesn't say anything. If we are going to do this I will have to start it.
"Maybe you should explain what is going on?"
"Evie came to me saying she heard Don and Bambi talking about when you would be in your room alone." My stomach sinks at his words. Oh no, no, no, no. He did all of this because he was playing this stupid part for Don and Bambi. "Don was going to break in and see if he could find you in your bath."
I give in to the shiver that works its way down my spine at the thought of Don being the first person through the door instead of Jack. As mad as I am at Jack I don't want to think what would have happened to me if it wasn't for him.
"Why couldn't you...just come tell me? Why did you have to...why would you do that thing to me that you did?" I'm not even sure how to put words to what he did. I can't begin to understand why he would do it when he can't stand me.
"Fill your mouth up with my spend?" Oh God, he didn't have to say it. My mouth falls open at his blunt words and I shut my eyes to keep from having to face him. "I wanted to make sure that son of a bitch understood you belong to me. I wanted to...," He pauses and sighs heavily before continuing on, "leave my mark on you."
"So you did...that to me just to make sure Don would leave me alone?" That does not make me feel any better about what happened.
"No." He doesn't give me anything else. I'm never going to understand him or the reasons behind his actions at this rate and for someone like me, that is so frustrating.
"Because before you came busting in, you told me you didn't want to babysit me anymore."