All I Ask of You
Chapter Five
Jackson waited for Lisa to be escorted away by Ian, before moving in on Cynthia. The other woman had always been a thorn in his side, but her little deal with Lisa had been the final straw. He was normally a patient man, yet he had finally run out of patience for the redhead.
He stalked Cynthia as she wandered back to the room she shared with Lisa. While she had been heading towards the building's entrance with Lisa to wait for Ian, Jackson had slipped in and trashed their room. He had focused his rage on Cynthia's belongings; ripping clothes, splattering paint on walls and furniture, stealing various items of jewelry and photographs. He had even used the opportunity to steal some of Lisa's belongings that would be presumed to have been "lost in the shuffle".
Jackson waited just outside the door as Cynthia entered and began to let out a scream at the sight of her room. Before she could scream, he leapt inside the room, clamped a hand harshly over her mouth, and kicked the door shut. She struggled with him briefly, but when he placed his trusty knife at her throat, she ceased.
Distorting his voice, Jackson growled, "Stop messing around with Lisa or your room won't be the only thing ruined. She does not belong with Rickler."
To help prove his point, he hastily drew a line across her throat with the knife. It elicited blood, but the cut was not deep enough to seriously harm the redhead.
"If Lisa and Rickler end up together, you'll die, Cynthia," he warned, before shoving her towards the floor and hurrying out of the room.
He had other plans to attend to.
Lisa was enjoying her time with Ian at the bar. It was still strange to be spending time with a man after everything that she had been through in the past few years. The parking lot alone had scarred her, but it was the encounter with her blue-eyed demon that had destroyed her trust in people—particularly in men.
Who would have thought that I'd actually see him again after all these years? That we could essentially pick up where we left off?
"Having fun, Lisa?" Ian asked, breaking her train of thought.
"Oh? Yes, of course." She shot him a brief smile.
"Good, because I was worried for a moment there that you had forgotten all about me. You were looking a little lost."
"Oh, that was nothing."
"Hmph," he remarked.
"Thank you, for you know—"
"It was no problem. I really enjoy spending time with you."
Lisa blushed bright red. She could feel the heat from her cheeks as she tried to control her embarrassment.
"I enjoy spending time with you too."
Jackson sat in a dark corner of the bar, glaring daggers across the smoky atmosphere to where Ian Ricker was seated with Lisa— his Lisa.
If looks could kill… he mused in his dark thoughts.
Cynthia was scared half-to-dead now, but Lisa, she was still a loose cannon. Ian was still with her, when she should be with him. Ian did not deserve someone was bright, beautiful, and vibrant as Lisa Reisert.
Suddenly, Ian dropped to the ground on one knee and Lisa's hands flew up to her mouth in shock.
He saw the glint in Ian's hand as he reached for Lisa…
He saw her curls bouncing up and down as she nodded her head…
He saw the ring on her left hand and her throwing her arms around Ian in delight…
Then, Jackson saw red.
How dare he? How dare he propose to her? She's mine! Lisa is mine!
He clenched his fists in fury, wanting to wipe the smirk and smile off Ian Rickler's face with a few well-aimed blows. The knife strapped to his belt felt heavy and he longed to use it.
How dare you try to take what's mine? I'll kill you—you'll see. You will never have my Lisa…
Author's Notes:
Sorry about the long delay in posting. Life just keeps getting out of control.