Other Fan Fiction ❯ Stolen ❯ Something Wanted ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17 - Something Wanted

 

The sun was warm and penetrating but the cool ocean breeze balanced it well, almost making this one of the most beautiful days Lisa Reisert had ever had the pleasure of enjoying. It almost made her forget where she was, whom she was with and most of all, it nearly made her forget exactly what she'd become.

 

Sometimes she wished she could put it out of her mind. Then life would be so much simpler. She wouldn't have to wake up each day and find that the last six months hadn't been just some elaborate and excruciating nightmare. She wouldn't have to feel like some piece of medieval chattel that had been bought and paid for like a parcel of winter wheat. She could just be content with her place in life, as the kept woman of a well to do assassin for hire.

 

It continually amazed her that she was in the position in which now she found herself. That simply, a year ago she had been the manager of a major hotel with a loving family and overprotective father. Now she stood there against the railing of a deck that overlooked the ocean and allowed the creature that had caused everything she now detested in her life to run his hand down the indent and curve of her spine without even flinching.

 

It had been like that for some time now. He could touch her whenever he pleased and not be met with one ounce of defiance. Where had that woman gone? Where had Rippner hidden her away? Was she dead like so many of his contracts or had he just smuggled her away to some unknown location that Lisa was unlikely to find?

 

“Beautiful morning.” He stated simply before giving her a quick peck on the cheek. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her gently to him.

 

“Hm,” was her non committal reply.

 

“Would you like to eat out here on the veranda or in the kitchen?”

 

She thought about it for the moment and found that she couldn't bring herself to make a decision. It was beautiful out this morning and she had eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same kitchen bar hundreds of times now but she still couldn't bring herself to care. Either way, she ate the breakfast he prepared in his company. A shrug of her shoulders was her final answer.

 

“Out here then. It's rare to have a non gusty morning so we'll take advantage of it.” He didn't seem to mind her apathy being that he was used to it these days. Little he said got any kind of rise out of her these days and the reactions he did receive were as mild as a brow that furrowed for a couple seconds and nothing more. He squeezed her against him lightly and quickly kissed her neck before pulling away to retrieve their meal.

 

While she waited, she once again confirmed, as she had many times over the past month, that this life was really quiet boring. Once you stop trying to think of ways to escape it and acclimate yourself to the amorous activities of the person you hate more than anything else in existence, life begins to lose its thrill. That bothered her but not enough to make her act. It was just an underlying feeling. Like a low, quiet ache in your joints. You learn to live with it. You don't like it and you may even hate it but you don't do anything about it. Doing something about it would be too much work, too much bother and most of all; it would make you actually acknowledge that the ache was there to begin with. Lisa wasn't up for that at the moment. She had no reason to be. She had no motivation and no foreseeable recourse. Sighing, she turned away from the ocean when she heard him set the two china plates down on the glass surface of the outdoor table.

 

 

Jackson smiled inwardly at the way his bird was adjusting to her caged existence. She was reacting predictably these days. It seemed her will to fight had all but disappeared. The “all but” came from her continued obvious dislike of her situation and most of all, him. Jackson was now convinced that she would never lose that. It didn't displease him in the least, in fact, that was the part of her he most enjoyed. He may have grown bored with her if she had lost that spark and he would have eventually disposed of his pet. Unfortunately for her, he didn't see that happening in the foreseeable future. She was perfect and she was all his.

 

The company was also happy with her progress. Though none of them had met her personally, they had seen her progress in a series of tapes that Jackson had provided them. There were cameras; of course, all over the house and Jackson had been only slightly picky. Due to a sense of modesty for her part and a sense of territorial possessiveness on his part, he only gave them tapes that alluded to their intimate encounters or tapes that showed her progress in other ways. Either way, they displayed constant improvement on her part toward her needed adjustment. All this despite the increased workload he'd acquired with his new position within the company.

 

That part of his life was progressing with just as much success as he'd had with Lisa. He picked team leaders that then went about the monotonous task that he was all too familiar with of choosing specific point men, watchers, and gatherers with a clean up crew as well the tedious job of procuring the correct materials for the job. It was great. After selecting the correct lead, he would wait for the report on the status of assignments and approve or disapprove of any and all actions. It was great. Granted, it was more work in the end since he was now in charge of multiple operations at one time instead of just the sole mission he was previously used to but he didn't mind. It was a challenge and that was something Jackson would always relish. A challenge.

 

The two ate together in companionable silence. Jackson watched as Lisa seemed to be staring at something off to his right but her expression lacked any real focus. It must not be anything important, he thought to himself.

 

“Not hungry?” Her attention broke as languidly, Lisa's eyes moved from her current point of interest to her food that she hadn't touched and then onto him.

 

“No.” She said simply and returned her gaze to its previous occupation.

 

“I'm touched Leese, really.” He stated as he cut into his portion of ham and placed a small piece into his mouth. One of Lisa's classic brow furrows appeared but stayed longer than they usually did these days. That was probably because it wasn't caused out of annoyance or heartache but actual confusion. She stayed like that for some time, with the same expression until she obviously gave up trying to figure out his unusually cryptic comment and looked to him for clarification. She watched him for quite awhile, letting her gaze ask the question for her but Jackson was not going to play that way today. No, she was actually going to have to voice her desire for explanation. Her passive style was not going to cut it.

 

He raised an eyebrow at her when he looked up to find her still looking at him. A mock look of concern spread over his features. “Is there something the matter, Leese?” She rolled her eyes and he laughed in response.

 

“What did you mean?” She finally asked.

 

“Pardon?” He watched as she clenched her jaw. She sighed.

 

“A second ago,” she was tired and didn't want to play his little game at the moment but curiosity got the better of her, “you said you were touched. What did that mean?”

 

“Oh, that.” He feigned sudden recollection. “I actually find it rather cute.” She was now going as far as giving him an exasperated look when it seemed he wouldn't continue with his explanation. He finally gave in.

 

“The fact that you want to be a mommy. It will suit you.”

 

Lisa gave him a death stare, having completely forgotten whatever it had been she was observing over his right shoulder and picked up her fork. He smiled when she started eating.

 

“Oh, now that hurts.” He placed his hand that wasn't holding his fork over his absent metaphorical heart.

 

“Fuck you.” She said through a mouthful of hash browns.

 

He laughed. It was fun to get the mostly quiet Lisa Reisert worked up these days. So much fun in fact, why should he stop there? She'd just opened herself up to a multitude of great comebacks. The only question was, which one would he use? All this mental musing happened in a split second as he chose his next words.

 

“I'm only one man Leese. You're going to have to wait a while before we can do that again.” He admonished with as much mirth as he felt.

 

“You're an idiot.” She said after she swallowed and then moved onto her ham.

 

Jackson chuckled. It was an uncharacteristic response on her part but at least she was smart enough to say something so ridiculous that he wouldn't dignify it with a response. He observed her as she finished her breakfast in record time.

 

“Let's get out of here.” That got her attention. “I'm sure you're tired of this little island, so let's get out and see a few other things shall we?”

 

“Off the island.” She said more to herself than to him.

 

“You up for it, Love?” He watched as Lisa turned to look at the expanse of ocean behind her. She turned back to him and nodded but didn't look him in the eye. She hated admitting that she wanted anything from him but for once he was offering something she truly did want. Strangely, the idea of leaving the island, even if it was with him, felt strangely freeing.

 

“Off the island.” She said again.