Chapter 51: Angst. Jonathan thinks he's won… hell, so does Clary. We know better.
I do not own any of the characters, only the illustrious Cassandra Clare owns them. I do, however, own this particular story, so please don't be lame and copy/paste it elsewhere.
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Previously: "She reached her good hand up and brushed his fingers and whispered. "I love you, Jace. I'll c-come back to you…"
Jace's eyes snapped open as he choked and spewed water from his mouth. Someone roughly shoved him over on his side. "That's right, little cousin, get it all out. You're going to be fine…" Will Herondale pounded his fist against his back, as Jace raised up on his hands and knees, coughing and vomiting the remainder of Lake Lyn's water from his body. Jace sat up, gasping, his chest heaving. His head pounded and his left side hurt terribly. Shit. I must have hit my head… bruised ribs? "What the fuck happened?" Will reached out and squeezed his shoulder, his blue eyes wild. "Fuck, mate. I didn't think we'd get you out in time…the truck was sinking fast. Andrew's okay too. You both were lucky…" Jem walked over and covered Jace with a blanket and nervously handed him a steaming cup of coffee, cutting his eyes at Will. "Good to see you breathing, mate. It seems your SUV hit Morgenstern's spike strips and rolled to the edge of the bluff. Morgenstern had his men ram the SUV and push it into Lake Lyn. We saw it happen and were able to get you and Andrew out in time…" Jem puffed his cheeks and looked at Will, raising his brows. Will sighed and looked at his cousin nervously.
Jace nodded, his head spinning. He blew out a shaky breath. "My ribs are killing me guys." He drank some coffee, then frowned and looked around. Where is she? He saw one of Jonathan's vans, the doors hanging open, with one of his thugs cuffed and sitting stoically on the ground. The man was bald, with a black goatee, and pissed. Andrew was being treated by members of Will's team a few feet away.. Andrew's okay. Where's Clary? Jace's eyes widened and he screamed, trying to get up, looking frantically at Lake Lyn. "Clary! Where–" Will pushed him back on the ground and grasped his shoulders, shaking his head. "No, Jace. No! She wasn't in the truck with you… He– he took her. We couldn't get there in time to stop him. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." Jace felt a wave of dizziness and nausea, as he grasped his hair in his hands and cried out in agony. Will sat back on his knees and looked into his eyes. "Jace! Jace, look at me. Jonathan thinks you're dead, right? He thinks he won. Focus on that… he won't be expecting you because he thinks he killed you. He's going to get sloppy now… we can win this. The SUV will be recovered by the local police and you'll be assumed dead. Stay focused! It will work.
Jace stared incredulously at Will and Jem, shaking his head and growling. "Goddamn psycho– Fuck! Will– he… he has to die. This will never end if he doesn't!" Jace stood up, dropping his cup and tearing the blanket off. He bounded over to Jonathan's cuffed guard, pulled his knife from his boot, and grabbed him by the front of the shirt. Will cursed and chased after him. Jace pulled the bodyguard up off the ground and shook him violently. "Alright, motherfucker. You're going to tell me everything there is to know about the security at Morgenstern Manor… and if you don't tell me every fucking thing you know, I will cut you to pieces." The bodyguard's eyes were wide and he swallowed. Will came up beside Jace and put his hands over his cousin's, gently prying them from the man's shirt. "Let the little bitch down, cousin. We'll all get a turn at him, I promise." Will stared angrily at the bodyguard, as Jace scoffed and let go, dropping him to the ground. He clutched his left side and slid his knife back into his boot, grunting in pain. Jem cleared his throat and Will and Jace turned their heads to stare fiercely at him. Jem sighed and gestured to the frightened man on the ground. "Okay, Herondales, stand down. We'll take this piece of dung to our local headquarters, interrogate him, and formulate our next steps. Come now, Jace. No one's going to do shit until everyone's healed and at their prime. We're talking weeks, if those ribs are broken, tough guy, so chill. We need to get your ribs and head checked out, you're looking rough, mate." Jace glowered down at Jonathan's thug and spat at his feet, then let Jem lead him to the medical team. All of this will be over soon. I feel it. I'm coming, Clary… and I will kill him for you.
One week later
Clary slowly opened her eyes and squinted. Bright sunlight streamed through a window across the room to her right. She lay in a giant four-poster bed, with black curtains pulled closed on three sides. Elaborate, colorful floral arrangements, balloons, children's drawings, and cards sat in front of the window on multiple tables. Groaning, she looked around and saw hospital monitors against the wall and IV poles– none of which were hooked up to her. Where am I? What happened? So thirsty. Clary reached out to pick up a styrofoam cup to her right, knocking it over, spilling it. Clary gasped when she saw her right forearm in a cast. What the fuck? She tried to sit up but felt something holding her down against the bed. Grabbing the covers and flinging them off of herself, she saw a cushioned lap belt stretched across her abdomen. Just like Amatis had– Restraints. Clary tried to reach the knots on the side of the bed, but couldn't reach them. She looked down at herself to see that she was wearing a short silky purple negligee. Oh my god. Her right leg was elevated on a pile of pillows with bandages wrapping her right ankle. Her heart started to pound and tears filled her eyes. I must have been in an accident. Why can't I remember? Jace. I was at the safehouse with Jace… We were going to the airport– where is he? Clary ran her left hand through her hair and felt staples on the right upper side of her head. Oh shit. Panicking, she started screaming and struggling against the restraints. "Help! Someone– Help!" Clary gasped and covered her mouth when she heard muffled voices on the other side of the curtains.
The curtains were suddenly swept back and Clary was surprised to see a sweet-faced middle aged blonde woman wearing red scrubs. She smiled warmly at Clary. "Hello, Clarissa. You're finally awake! I'm your nurse, Ruth. We discontinued sedation this morning because you've improved so much. I bet you're thirsty, dear." She reached behind her and produced a large styrofoam cup of water with a straw and handed it to Clary. Sedation? Looking warily at Ruth, Clary quickly drank the entire contents of the cup. Better. "Thank you, Ruth…" The nurse hummed and picked the blanket up from the floor, covering her back up. "It's still quite chilly out today. The ladies were up here this morning to wash and doll you up. You look so fresh and pretty!" She sighed and smiled at Clary's confused expression. "I bet you have a lot of questions, don't you?" Clary swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, tears filling her eyes. Ruth nodded sympathetically at her and held her hand. "There, there. Your husband will be here soon to help answer all of your questions. He's been so worried about you… we're all so thankful you have been brought home—" Ruth furrowed her eyebrows in concern as the color drained from Clary's face and she began to tremble. Husband. I'm at Morgenstern Manor. He got me. Realization suddenly dawned on Clary and she looked past Ruth into the room, the bookshelves, the antique furniture, the windows, then down at the bed she lay in. I'm in our bedroom… where he fucking ravaged me for hours the last time we were here.
Clary jumped and gasped, ripped from her thoughts as she heard a sickeningly familiar voice. "Clarissa, you're finally awake, my love." Clary slowly turned her face to her left. There, across the room, leaning against the doorframe, and holding a smoothie, was Jonathan. Her husband. Her rapist. Her abuser. Her keeper. Fuck. Fuck. Keep it together. He wore a tight black t-shirt, faded jeans, and black combat boots. His Morgenstern pendant flashed in the sunlight. He looked devilishly handsome, dangerous, sexy… and pissed. Clary fell back against the pillows and shook her head, beginning to cry. Jace. What did he do to him? Where is he? Jonathan smiled at the nurse and raised his eyebrows. Ruth looked back at Clary and smiled tightly, quickly leaving the room, and shutting the door. Jonathan walked over to her and sat facing her on the bed, setting the smoothie on the side table.
Clary sniffed and cleared her throat. Be strong. "What happened Jonathan? How did I get here? I– Where is he? Where is Ja–" She yelped as he grabbed the back of her hair and shook her head, pulling her face close to his. "Don't say his fucking name, Clarissa. Don't." Clary's eyes widened and she nodded. He raised his eyebrows and sneered down at her then smashed his mouth against hers, holding her hair tight in his grip. Clary whimpered and tried to push him away. He growled against her mouth, forcing his tongue inside, kissing her fiercely. "I've missed you, love." He hummed, then pulled back, releasing her hair. Clary fell back on the pillows gasping. His eyes wandered down to her cleavage and he smirked. Typical. Fucking pervert. Trembling, she pulled her blanket up to her neck, watching him warily. "Please tell me everything, Jonathan. I don't remember how I got here… please. How did I break my arm? Why do I have fucking staples in my head?" Did he do this to me?
Jonathan nodded and stood up, beginning to pace. "I'll start from the beginning, Clarissa. I will only tell you this once, then we will not discuss it again. Do you understand?" He stopped at the end of the bed and stared at her angrily. Clary swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Jonathan." He pursed his lips and began his story. "Of course you know what happened at the gala and, I assume, have seen the TV news reports of your… kidnapping. So, I shan't revisit all of that. Anyway, a week ago, we picked up a reading on one of the tracers I had placed in the diamond hair pins you wore to the gala. As soon as you and your kidnappers hit the road towards Alicante Airport, we were able to head you off and follow you as well. We, in effect, boxed you in." The hairpins… If I hadn't worn them, I would be home in New York with Jace. Jonathan paused and handed her the smoothie from earlier. "It's blueberry. Drink it. You've had nothing but IV fluids for a week. We had to keep you sedated for observation. You had a concussion with a mild brain bleed and required surgery. It was successful, love. You'll have no residual issues. Drink it all, Clarissa." Clary's eyes flew wide. Brain bleed? She slowly sipped the smoothie. It was delicious and she was starving. She looked up at him. Play along… you're in a lot of trouble. "Thank you, Jonathan." She drank the smoothie down, savoring the taste. It's probably drugged. Fucker. He looked back down at her and sat on the side of the bed again, taking the empty smoothie.
He scooted closer to her, reached out and took a long curl in his hand, winding it around his index finger. "The SUV you were in was speeding and didn't have time to slow down before it hit the spike strips the security team placed on the road. The tires blew and the vehicle rolled and flipped upside down. I pulled up a ways behind the accident and walked up– that's when I saw you… crawl from the wreckage, my fierce little kitten. You– you were hurt and crying, laying on your back." He frowned and closed his eyes, as if the memory pained him. Aww… your little dolly got hurt, psycho. "I looked in the truck and saw him and a driver. They were unconscious. I picked you up and you screamed in pain. You were bleeding from the head. As you know, your right arm is broken. Your right ankle is severely sprained and you have bruised ribs, which should be feeling better soon." Clary nodded, trying not to act impatient. Jace. Jonathan released her curl and watched it bounce back down to her chest. He licked his lips and continued, as if excited to share the next part. "I wanted to get you away from the scene and get you medical attention, you were dizzy and crying in pain, so I turned and started to walk to my van when I heard a loud sound, like metal scraping. The SUV, you crawled from, tipped and began rolling over the bluff, with your detective inside. It rolled all the way down into Lake Lyn, Clarissa, and sank rather quickly." Clary gasped and covered her mouth in horror.
Jonathan smiled sympathetically at her, reaching out to stroke her head. "There is an old adage we have here in Idris, Clarissa… Lake Lyn does not give up her dead. It's so deep and dangerous that bodies are hardly ever recovered. Your detective is dead, love. He died, trying to take you away from me. So sad… he'll not be coming for you, ever again." He reached up and slowly pulled the blanket down, watching its progression as he exposed her trembling body. He smiled, his eyes filling with lust as he watched her breasts heave under the scant silken fabric of her nightgown. Clary closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face, shaking her head. No. He's dead… oh my god. My love… Jace. No. Jonathan reached forward and gripped her chin, shaking it gently until she opened her eyes to look at him. His black eyes bored into hers, furiously. "That was the third time you've run from me, Clarissa. Normally I would physically punish you, but I think being the cause of your detective's death is punishment enough. But, just in case you have any other ideas about trying… well anything, really, take a look at these."
He handed her a folder. Clary shuddered, crying softly, her heart shattering with every breath. Jace. She opened the folder and saw a handful of photographs… surveillance photos. She gasped in shock as she looked through them. She saw Simon getting out of his car, Izzy leaving their apartment, both of them eating at Taki's, children entering the Community Arts Center, and Magnus and Alec kissing in front of Pandemonium. The implication was clear. Comply with him or he would hurt her friends… kill them. Clary closed the folder and looked down, her shoulders shaking, as she wept. "I get it, Jonathan. I get it. You'll… Where is my Aunt?" Jonathan sighed and moved closer to her. He cupped her face in his hands and brushed her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "I haven't decided whether or not to kill Amatis yet, Clarissa. She's undergoing… psychological treatment for now. We'll see how she responds. Now, just to be clear, love, if you do not stop all of this escape nonsense and continue to refuse me, I will kill Simon Lewis and his lovely Isabelle… then I will burn your beloved mother's Community Arts Center to the ground, with all of your little volunteers inside. Poor little Jules…then I will slit Amatis' throat and make you watch her bleed out… and so on." Clary stopped breathing and her eyes flew wide. He fucking means it.
Clary cried out as Jonathan climbed over her, straddling her waist and pinning her down against the mattress. He'll do it all. He's fucking insane. Jonathan leaned down, nuzzling her neck, inhaling deeply. He slowly cupped and squeezed her breasts, humming. Clary felt his arousal against her thigh and shuddered in disgust beneath him. "So tell me, Clarissa, do you finally surrender? Are you ready to take your place at my side, as my lover? As my wife? The Lady of Morgenstern Manor? Willingly?" Clary looked up into Jonathan's black eyes. He suddenly looked vulnerable, as if he were afraid she would reject him again. Willingly? As if I have a fucking choice. He will kill my friends if I refuse him again. It's your fault Jace is dead. You deserve this. "Yes, Jonathan. I– I surrender. I fucking surrender to you. Willingly. I'll be your l-lover, wife, and Lady of the Manor. Yes…" Jonathan's eyes brightened and he smiled lovingly down at her, gently kissing her lips. "I need to hear you say it, Clarissa. You know what I mean." I fucking hate you. Trembling, Clary sighed and nodded, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him nervously on the lips, as expected of her. "I– I love you, Jonathan… and I b-belong to you." Jonathan chuckled smugly and returned her kiss. "And I love you, Clarissa. We belong to each other." Clary closed her eyes, tears trickling down her cheeks, as his hands wandered over her body. I deserve this. It's all my fault– I will always love you, Jace.