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Silky hair splayed on the pillow, slightly pouted red lips and rich curves the sleeping woman was a sight to behold. A playful sunray danced teasingly on her eyelids waking her up. The unfamiliarity of the room scared her at first but shortly after memories from last night flooded her mind and she relaxed again. She turned her face and gave a soft look to the man sleeping beside her, he looked so calm, peaceful and fragile, noone would have guessed he was the same man who led the NYPD's Major Crimes Unit with an iron fist.
She rested her head against the headboard. Her heart was filled with joy, gratitude and, for the first time in a very long time, hope. She and Gil were dancing around their attraction for each other for decades but she never dared to make that extra step. It was all on her and she knew it but the burden was too much to bear, her poor love choices had already ruined herself and her children, she didn't want to tie another innocent person to that monster's legacy. Luckily, Gil wasn't a quitter and a promising future was laying ahead. She could use some happiness, Surgeon's reappearance had opened an old, festering wound she thought she had sterilized for good after all the alcohol she had drunk since his disappearance.
She shook her head, there it was, the Surgeon's ghost, haunting every moment of joy she tried to have. She turned on her side, basking at the reassuring heat of another human body next to hers, she had missed the intimacy of sharing a bed with someone else. She had sex before of course, no scandal or serial killer legacy could keep men away from a woman with her looks, her wealth and her connections for too long, but all her affairs were mainly carnal and usually ended by the time the sun was up, no cuddling, breakfast and shared bed. Two warm dark eyes met hers.
''Good morning,'' Gil greeted and searched for her hand, as if he wanted to make sure she was indeed there.
''Good morning,'' she reciprocated and interwined her fingers with his. She was afraid that the morning might be awkward but thankfully she was wrong, the magic was still there.
''Did you sleep well?'' He asked genuinely concerned. ''I know the mattress is a bit worn-out and the comforter isn't of the quality you're used to...'' he started apologizing. Jessica interrupted him with a kiss.
''It was amazing.'' she reassured him. It wasn't the luxurious bed stuff she had missed all those years. Gil relaxed under her lips and deepened their kiss and she responded eagerly. The cold ringing shattered the blissful silence. Gil rolled his eyes indignantly and checked the screen.
''I have to pick it up, it's from work.'' A move he soon regretted, a body was found and he had to go to the crime scene immediately.
''Are you calling Malcolm for this?'' she asked watching him get ready.
''Probably. He is the best profiler I have. The boy has a real talent for nosing out criminals,'' he defended his decision.
''Yes, I know. I wonder where did he get that from,'' she sighed.
''Well, about that...'' Gil mumbled, suddenly looking unsure. Jessica frowned.
''About what? Is something happening with Malcolm?'' her heart missed a beat. Her son wasn't the most stable person in the world but Gil knew that, what else had happened that made him so concerned?
''No, Malcolm is totally fine,'' he comforted her.
''Then what?'' Her brain had stopped, she couldn't guess. Gil sat in the bed beside her and took her hands on his.
''Look. I'm not supposed to discuss it outside work, there's a good chance it won't happen anyway but I wanted you to know and be prepared...''
''Gil, what's going on?'' she begged, she couldn't take it anymore.
''The DoJ is launching a new program,'' he started tentatively.
''What kind of program?''
''A rehabilitation program. They're approaching serious offenders that are serving life sentences and offer them a chance to work as consultants,'' he finally revealed.
''What? That's stupid! Why?'' cried Jessica. She was enraged. Silly her, thinking she could have a peaceful day for a change.
''The purpose is to prove that everyone can be useful to society and advocate for the total abolition of the death penalty,'' he explained gloomily, this wasn't the kind of conversation he dreamt of having the morning after his first night with Jessica.
''And they chose to contact Martin Whitly for that? That monster can turn even a monk into a murderer after a few minutes of talking!'' she protested.
''It's not sure yet. They've made some preliminary contacts but that's all. Do you know how many programs are announced every year only to be silently cancelled after a while?'' he tried to cheer her up.
''Oh please, Martin is involved. He always gets what he wants.'' Gil cupped her chin and made her look at him.
''You give him too much credit, Jessica. I know he has ruined your life but you have to stop fearing of him. He is powerless, condemned to rot in a cell for the rest of his life. He can't hurt you anymore.'' His bold statement was accompanied by a long, comforting kiss. Jessica buried her face in the crook of his neck and hugged him tightly. Her expression hardened, she wanted so much for his words to be true but she knew Martin better than Gil, better than her serial killer profiler son, better than anyone else. She couldn't afford to keep watching her family being torn apart for a second time, she had to take matters into her own hands.
…...........................................
In the dark of the night the huge building looked bleak and dangerous, like the monsters it sheltered within its walls. Jessica slammed her car's door and walked decisively towards the front gate. The interior was even more bleak and ominous, shabby floors, naked walls and cold, fluorescent lights, the whole place felt so impersonal and dehumanizing it made her skin crawl from terror and disgust. Living like this seemed a fitting punishment for a monster like the Surgeon who had spread so much misery and pain to so many people. But of course Martin had found a way to bypass his fair punishment, his cell was somehow warm and cozy with its expensive Persian carpets, the big organized bookcase and the fancy desk, like he owned the place instead of being trapped there.
She asked to see the director and demanded to visit the Surgeon immediately in her most assertive manner. She was granted her wish instantly, with her attitude and her wealth she rarely failed to have it her way. A bored guard accompanied her all the way to the cell repeating monotonously his little speech like he had done hundreds of times before.
''Just remember, whatever you do, do not step across the red line.'' he concluded firmly showing some vigor for the first time. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside unannounced.
Mr. David was sitting on the corner of the room scrolling down on his phone while Martin was reading a medical book. They both raised their heads to see the unexpected visitor. Martin's face lit up upon seeing her. She was obviously furious and he liked her so much when she was furious, especially with him. He left the book on his desk and stood up.
''Jess! Where do I owe the pleasure of your presence in my humble cell?'' he asked joyously, knowing how much she hated seeing him happy.
''Mr. David, could you leave us alone, please?'' It was more of an order than a request. The guard took it for what it was and hurried to leave but he stopped midway.
''I haven't handcuffed him. Give me a minute and I'll...''
''Oh, don't bother. I guarantee you he is in a much bigger danger of being stabbed or strangled than I am,'' she dismissed his concerns.
''I see you put a lot of effort into thinking about murdering me, addictive isn't it?'' Martin commented mischievously. Jessica threw daggers at him. Mr. David was about to insist following the regulations but he changed his mind, a serial killer and a billionaire, he'd rather stay out of their way.
''So, now that you got us completely alone can I learn the reason you're here?'' Martin asked the moment the door closed behind his guard.
''Stay away from my children!" she cut to the chase.
"Our children.'' he corrected her. ''Our. You keep forgetting that little detail," he admonished her, his voice losing some of his friendly tone. That made Jessica explode.
''They're not our children, they're mine and mine alone! You forfeited the right to call them yours when you put your hobby to kill innocent people over them!''
''That's not how it works!'' he yelled, finally losing his calm too. ''Murder isn't some fancy hobby you can quit just like that. It's an urge, a dark need''.
''I don't care, you're staying away from my children!'' She came to warn him not get lectured about murder.
''Noted. Is there anything else you want because I was reading a very interesting book about cardiovascular diseases and you interrupted me.'' He said casually, having refound his composure. But, she wasn't done with him yet.
''I know about the rehabilitation program,'' she revealed.
''What program?'' She hated it when he played innocent.
''Stop it. You know very well which program I'm talking about. The morons at the DoJ may have lost their freaking minds but I'm not letting my son suffer because of you anymore''.
''Malcolm is a grown man, stop treating him like a naive prepubescent kid. He's proven himself capable of making the hard decisions,'' he pointed towards the chain keeping him tied to the wall like a wild beast. ''Once he locked me away for the greater good, maybe next he'll decide that the world will be a much safer place with me on his side''.
''Malcolm thinks he knows you and so do the simpletons of the DoJ but they're wrong. I know you better than all of them, better than all those profilers and their ridiculously expensive credentials so I'm not buying the fairytale of your sudden reformation.'' Martin chuckled.
''What's you gonna do, Jess?'' Jessica approached him defiantly, unfazed by his derision. She stood against him, the tips of her stilettos poking the red line on the floor, the edge of his world, but she made sure not to step on it, staying safely out of his reach. A sardonic smile, cruel and emotionless, just like him, appeared on her face.
''I've been too kind and fair to you all these years and it was a mistake, there's no point showing compassion to someone who would only exploit it to hurt you. I won't do the same mistake twice. You'll refuse to participate in that program and you'll stop trying to find ways to lure Malcolm in your lair. If you don't comply I'll put a bounty in your head and let guards and inmates fighting about who's going to give that final blow. I'm not exactly familiar with the market prices but I guess a couple of millions would motivate even the director himself to gut you like a fish, don't you think?'' Martin flinched at her words and Jessica felt a surge of power permeating every fiber of her body.
''You're bluffing.'' He stared at her like he was trying to size her up.
''Try me,'' she challenged him. She was done being scared.
''See, it's not that difficult, becoming a murderer''.
''It isn't. I sould have tried that 20 years ago and put you in the chair. But it's never too late to fix a mistake.'' A chill ran down her own spine, she used to think herself incapable of such cruelty, standing across a human being and tell him she regrets letting him live. But then again, the Surgeon was far from a human being.
''Nice try. But, I've lost count of the times you've threatened me to stay away from our children or I'll regret it bitterly and here we are. How do you expect to keep them away from me when you can't keep even yourself away from me?'' Of all the reactions she expected from him this was the only one she hadn't seen coming. The arrogant bastard was still trying to torture her! Her mind snapped and pure wrath took over her body. All she could see was red, like the narrow line on the floor, and maybe that was the reason she couldn't distinguish it anymore amidst the flaming red room. She crossed it against any fear and reason, all she wanted was to make him pay for his words, maybe murder wasn't indeed so difficult after all. The slap echoed in the suffocatingly small room.
''One more word and I swear to God I'll kill you.'' Martin looked at her, his hand holding his slightly reddened cheek. A wide satisfied smirk curled his lips giving him a deranged vibe. He took in her angry face. His eyes were shimmering with pleasure. Even after being threatened with death and attacked he still acted like he was in charge, always the predator but never the prey. Suddenly, something changed. He lowered his hand and the smirk disappeared. His expression hardened and the shimmering vanished too, leaving only the dark void behind.
''Oh, I see. Someone got you in the mood for games.'' Jessica didn't understand but she couldn't care less, she was mortified. She thought she had seen him angry, she thought she had seen him for the monster he really was but she was wrong, she had never seen him like this before. Martin Whitly was gone and the Surgeon had taken his place. Instinctively, she took a step back.
''No, no, no, you're not getting anywhere before I have my answers.'' He covered the distance between them and closed his hand tightly around her neck to keep her in place. Only then she realized why the red line on the floor was put there in the first place.
''Let me go,'' she demanded knowing how ridiculous she sounded.
''Not before I get my answers!''
''What answers, I have no idea what are you talking about!'' She protested.
''Don't be so harsh on yourself.'' His thumb reached a spot behind her ear and caressed it slowly. It was neither the time nor the place for that kind of thoughts but the realization was too strong to ignore, this was the first time their bodies touched in more than two decades. She shuddered despite her dire situation.
"So tell me, is there a reason you came to see your husband sporting a freshly made hickey? Call me a prudent but you could have used some make up to cover it. Did you do it so you can rub it in my face that you slept with another man? Not a very wise move, pissing off a serial killer." Jessica froze.
"A hickey?" she repeated and the blood drained from her face leaving her pale as a corpse. She was in such a shock she didn't bother reminding him they were divorced. She cursed herself internally, she had no intention of playing mind games with him, she was just so upset after learning about the rehabilitation program she didn't notice the damn thing at all. A huge mistake. And now the Surgeon was pissed. Martin was studying her face with unyielding dedication.
"Who was he?" he asked icily. She didn't respond, there's no way she was letting him find out the truth. Irked by her silence he used the grip on her neck to shove her in the nearest wall.
"Who was he?" he yelled losing his temper. He dipped his head and sniffed her like a hound smelling blood. The tip of his nose was grazing her skin. "Some young gigolo looking for a quick paycheck?'' he took a guess. His hot breath was dancing all over her neck and cleavage. ''A bored socialite looking for a trophy fuck? Or that sneaky, pathetic excuse of a cop finally managed to whine his way to your bed for a pity fuck?''
''Don't you dare speak of Gil that way!'' She hissed. Martin squinted.
''Of course it's him. I should have guessed it from the start, your whole body screams of disappointment and unsatisfactory sex. Maybe I was wrong and you didn't come here to get your revenge, maybe your unconscious led you to the best lover you ever had to console you for the passionless night you had to endure.'' Jessica sneered and took a breath to tell him that Gil was a brilliant lover, that he gave her the best sex of her life and Martin could do nothing about it but rot in a cell knowing that the brave cop beat him for a second time. It was pretty much a suicide considering her situation but she had crossed that red line, someone had to be hurt and seeing the monster's unbreakable ego crumble totally worthed dying at the hands of the Surgeon. However, he was faster and without waiting for her response he crashed his lips on hers. His kiss was urgent and possessive, his need fighting with his anger.
Jessica was taken aback. She tried to react but she couldn't bring her body to do it, fear and surprise had paralyzed her. Martin deepened his kiss and his desperation almost brought tears to her eyes. He was a touch starved man, depraved of human connection for more than twenty years. She empathized with him as she knew herself that kind of hunger. An emotion much stronger than fear and surprise was now keeping her pinned in that wall, nostalgia. After all this time and the hell she's been through because of him his smell and taste still felt familiar and soothing. Despite her mind finding reasons to hate him her body kept recognizing him as the man she had once loved and chose to spend the rest of her life with. She opened her mouth to invite him deeper inside her. His tongue explored her inch by inch bringing back more memories. She couldn't change the past but maybe, just maybe, she could allow herself to relive it for one last time. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, indulging in the fantasy of a normal life and a normal wedding.
Suddenly, the illusion faded and Jessica was brought back to reality. This wasn't their bedroom and he wasn't her husband, it was only a cold cell and the serial killer who was locked in it forever. All her disgust and bitterness returned full force. She bit his lower lip hard. He winced and broke their kiss to touch the pained spot. She used his brief confusion to escape but she didn't make it far, he grabbed her forearm and pinned her again to the wall, face first. He twisted her hand behind her back and it was her turn to wince in pain.
''Run all you want, you'll never run fast enough to get away from me,'' he whispered in her ear. He pressed his body on hers and Jessica felt his hardness in the small of her back. Her heart missed a beat, had he found one more way to ruin her life?
''Help!'' she screamed at the top of her lungs, cursing herself for not letting the guard cuff him. Her cry was met with a mocking chuckle from the man behind her.
''I don't think anyone's coming to your rescue. Poor Mr. David was so scared he'd probably fled the whole floor. You can be really intimidating when you want to.'' He planted a kiss in her bare shoulder. And then one more at the base of her neck. He kissed his way up and stopped at the spot behind her ear. He sucked hard the sensitive skin. Jessica gritted her teeth, she knew what he was planning to do. The bastard wanted to leave a hickey on top of the old one and bury Gil's mark under his own.
''You're gonna regret this. I promise you,'' she vowed more to herself than to him.
''What more can you do beside fucking the man who put me in jail? Marry him? Take his name instead of mine? I'd rather kill you right now as a Mrs. Whitly than let you become a Mrs. Arroyo!'' That was the most disgusting and perverse thing Jessica had ever heard so she had no idea why a moan escaped her mouth at his words.
''You're such a naughty girl, being turned on by a serial killer,'' he teased. His fingers found the zipper of her skirt.
''You wish,'' she spat venomously trying to ignore the fire between her legs.
''Don't lie to me, Jess. I know you, every sign of your body.'' He unzipped the skirt unceremoniously. ''That's why I know that if I touch you down there your pussy will be soaking wet for me.'' The protests died in her throat as his hand slithered around her torso and passing past her abdomen snuck inside her panties. Martin smiled full of pride finding out he was right. He spread her lips open and found the clit with his middle finger. He started rubbing it expertly, like he had done countless times in the past. Jessica's legs started trembling.
''Gil is a decent man, he'd bore you to death,'' he scoffed.
''Shut up,'' she panted and rested her sweaty forehead on the cold wall to cool herself. She had hoped that after so many years the effect he used to have on her body would have waned but unfortunately it was still going strong, he was the only man who could make her come undone so fast. And right now she really hated herself for that.
''You may have fooled those who don't know you but I know what lies beneath this polished surface. You're not a clueless, innocent victim, you never were, you just loved wandering in the dark.
''That's not true!'' she whined.
''Oh, please. Me, Endicott, admit it baby, you have a thing for monsters.'' A loud sob was the only answer she was able to form. Martin's words stirred a deep seated fear that was tormenting her ever since she learned about Endicott's true nature, the first time it's bad luck, the second time it's a pattern. Her pondering didn't last long, Martin changed the angle and increased the speed of his rubbng, totally dominating her mind.
''That's my dirty little girl!'' He praised laughing. Jessica couldn't decipher his words until she noticed it, her hips were moving frantically back and forth on their own accord, rubbing her core against his fingers and adding that delicious friction that made her lose control. Her hands clenched into fists, she hated the pride in his voice but she couldn't stop, the only thing worse than boosting his ego was losing his touch. She surrendered to shame and kept moving. He would be insufferable after this but she was only human after all and she didn't have a proper orgasm since she lost him.
Her whole body was aflame. Her need was building up to a delicious crescento. She was close, so close. She could almost taste the absolute bliss in her tongue. One moment later the pleasure was gone, his hand had withdrawn and she was left panting and unsatisfied. She cursed, of course the sadist wouldn't let her have what she wanted so easily. Martin grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him.
"Not so fast, Jess,'' he teased. ''This is your punishment for letting another man have you, remember? You deserve to suffer a bit,'' he whispered against her neck. He showered the soft skin with wet, open-mouthed kisses. Jessica grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and brought him back for a passionate kiss, she already missed his taste. He was like a powerful drug to her and she had spent almost half her life battling her addiction only to relapse into it the first chance she got. God, she would gladly give the other half of her life to be able to feel the same way about Gil. Her guardian angel, her son's mentor, a caring lover and an honest man and she still preferred a violent, merciless serial killer! What the fuck was wrong with her!
Their second kiss was even more fiery than the first one. From her lips he moved to her jaw and down the column of her neck. He dived in her generous cleavage and explored the valley between her full breasts. It wasn't enough though. With an abrupt move he yanked both her shirt and bra at once exposing her torso. He found an erect nipple and gave it a long lick that sent Jessica writhe against the wall. His hands slithered over the luscious curves of her hips. The fabric of her skirt was soft and sleek and no doubt ridiculously expensive but Martin knew it paled in comparison to what was hidden underneath. Eager to feel the smoothness of her skin once again he sent it to pool around her ankles on the floor and cupped her buttocks. He squeezed them firmly and she sighed wantonly. She didn't care anymore that she was standing half naked in the Surgeon's cell and that the door was unlocked leaving them exposed to everyone's eyes, she only wanted to feel him again. She guided his head back to her chest and for once Martin obeyed. He closed his mouth over one breast and sucked hard before moving to the next one.
Of course, the Surgeon couldn't suppress his cruel nature for long, he had a punishment to finish. He bit the pink nipple hard making the poor woman yelp in pain. He bit it again, harder this time, and basked at the sound of her sobbing. He put his hand under her knee and brought her leg to rest around his waist. He rubbed his clothed member on her cunt that was covered only by a thin layer of black silk slowly, prolonging her torture.
''You should have come to me from the beginning instead of wasting your time with incompetent lesser men,'' he said maliciously, enjoying his victory over the man who put him in jail.
''If you're waiting for an apology you're not getting any,'' Jessica made herself clear. If she hadn't gotten an apology from him for destroying her life and family then sure as hell she wasn't going to apologize to him for trying to make a new start. But none of these mattered right now. She snuck her hand inside his pants and started palming his member, she was done with his games. It was his turn to groan. Unable to contain himself any longer too he freed his member. He put aside her flimsy thong and with one swift move he buried himself inside her. They moaned in perfect unison.
Martin pulled back a bit and then slammed back in hitting a sweet spot that made her eyes roll inside their sockets. He continued thrusting, hitting relentlessly that same spot over and over again.
''There, there,'' she urged him breathlessly.
''I don't need directions, Jess. Every night for the past 20 years I lay down at my bed and remember our nights together. I recall all the small things I've memorized through the years, your taste, the softness of your skin, your little sighs of pleasure or how you like to be touched while I fuck my fist with my cock for you.'' Jessica moaned at the top of her lungs, she didn't care anymore if Mr. Davis or anyone else might hear them. All her shame was long gone.
''You like that, don't you? That I'm confined here, in this cell, fantasizing about you and you alone while you're out there fucking one man after another. And they call me a narcissist,'' he scoffed. He cupped her breast and started kneading it in time with his thrusts.
''Tell me, did you touch yourself for me too?'' he whispered against her lips, devious and dangerous like a snake.
''Sometimes,'' she confessed against her better judgement, his voice was like a truth serum to her. ''Some nights, when I was alone and too drunk to feel guilt or disgust I lay on our bed, the same bed you forced me to sleep alone in, and fucked my pussy with my own fingers, thinking of you and hoping that everything was a bad dream and I would wake up safe in your arms.'' Martin opened his mouth to say something but she didn't let him, she kissed him hard and moved her hips to meet his thrusts. She didn't need a comment or an apology right now, this might be her last chance to feel him again, she didn't want to stain it by speaking for things that hurt.
Miraculously, Martin didn't insist and they went on silent. Their kisses, their moans and the distinctive sound of skin meeting skin compensated for the loss of words. Jessica was too far gone. Every ounce of guilt, shame and remorse had vanished, the whole New York press could barge in and she still wouldn't stop, Gil himself could barge in and she wouldn't be able to stop even if it broke the man forever. Nothing else mattered but her need to satisfy her addiction. She got scared with herself. Was this the kind of need Martin felt for murder? Was this what he'd been trying to explain to her all these years?
Her orgasm was getting closer, unstoppable, inevitable. Martin had rested his forehead on hers, his laboured breath fanning over her face. He was close too.
''Jess, I'm close,'' came the confirmation. ''I want to come inside you, like I used to when we were married. I want to make you feel me, all of me. Tell me you didn't let anyone else have you that way,'' he whined and Jessica gasped, she'd never heard him so unsure before.
''I didn't,'' she confessed. ''I never managed to develop that kind of intimacy with anyone else beside you. Martin, please come inside me. Remind me how it feels to be someone's wife again,'' she begged and it was all it took to break him. He was thrusting with abandon, over and over again, seeking to reach so deep they would become one and she wouldn't be able to hate him anymore.
''Faster, faster,'' she encouraged him insatiably. Martin couldn't hold anymore and he exploded inside her with a groan fit more on a beast than a human. Jessica followed him suit, drunk at the feeling of intimacy she had missed so much. Foreheads connected, lips hovering above each other and adrenaline rushing through their veins the two lovers were lost in their post-orgasmic euphoria, secluded from the rest of the world.
Like waking up from a fever dream Jessica came back to the real world and panicked! Her situation finally dawned on her and she became self-conscious. She was standing half naked in the Surgeon's cell and the door was unlocked leaving them exposed to everyone's eyes! She pushed Martin away with disgust. He didn't resist but the self-pleased expression on his face hurt more than a stab. She turned her back on him and put her clothes on hastily, she couldn't stay a minute longer in his presence.
She smoothed over her clothes and hair and checked her lipstick in an effort to get rid off of all his signs on her. When she felt ready she took a deep breath to mentally prepare herself and turned to confront him for one last time.
"What happened changes nothing. Stay away from Malcolm or I'll kill you!" she repeated her threat.
"Of course it doesn't, you hate me like always, I get it. But maybe I would believe you more if you weren't covered in my saliva and sperm.'' Jessica had never felt closer to murder than that moment. Fortunately, a hesitant knock on the door prevented her from finding out just how close she really was. The door opened without waiting for an answer and Mr. Davis came in accompanied to her absolute horror by her children who seemed equally surprised to find her there.
''Mom, what are you doing here?'' asked Ainsley puzzled, she knew her mother avoided her father like the plague. Jessica gulped and looked at the floor absentmindedly. She saw that without noticing it she had crossed the red line again, only this time toward sanity. She took heart, noone had to know about what had happened inside the Surgeon's sick world.
''Isn't it obvious? It's a family reunion!'' Martin answered heartily before her and clapped joyously. He seemed unusually happy and energetic, like a child on Christmas Day after a generous present.
''Your father and I had something very important to discuss,'' she said taking the most serious mom attitude she could master considering the circumstances and hoping it would be enough to make her children stop asking too many questions. It didn't work.
''Something important enough for you to come here. In the Surgeon's cell.'' Malcolm wasn't convinced.
''Ouch,'' exclaimed Martin in protest. ''I have a name, guys!''
''What's the matter mom?'' Malcolm was scanning her thoroughly, he had entered his ''expert profiler'' attitude. Damn it!, thought Jessica, her son was freaking perfect at reading people like open books and she just had sex with his serial killer father. Brilliant! Well, attack is the best form of defense.
''I learned about the program, Malcolm.'' The man flinched, losing his leverage.
''What program?'' asked Ainsley, her eyes darting from her mother to her brother and back.
''How could you hide something so important from me?'' This time she wasn't deflecting, she was genuinely disappointed that her son kept her in the dark for something so crucial for the whole family.
''What program?'' Ainsley asked again, losing her patience.
''A rehabilitation program authorized by the DoJ. They plan to use criminals serving life sentences as consultants in order to catch other criminals. A chance of giving back to society and atone for their sins of sorts,'' he explained, his eyes never leaving his mother's face.
''Not to mention free, first class, expert labour,'' added Martin cynically.
''I've never heard of it before,'' said the young woman confused.
''Understandable. The program hasn't been greenlit yet and it's classified. Only people with clearance know. How did you learn about it, mother?'' he asked suspiciously. Jessica froze. Her children already saw Gil like a father and she was sure they'd be very happy to hear about them but the Surgeon's cell was the last place on earth for such a conversation. In fact, she wasn't sure yet there had to be a conversation to begin with. Their affair was too young and fragile with all the burden she was carrying, the last thing she wanted was her children's expectations on top of it, if things went south she didn't want to be responsible for them losing one more father. And, frankly, after what had occurred earlier she wasn't sure this relationship had to continue at all, Gil didn't deserve someone as damaged as her.
''Come on, son, don't be so pushy. I'm sure your mother has a perfectly valid explanation for knowing classified information that only high ranked law enforcement officials have access to.'' Martin's eyes were glistening with mischief. Jessica gave him a murderous look, the bastard was enjoying her humiliation so much. She turned to Malcolm.
''I'm a Milton. I have connections you can't even begin to imagine. You think I wouldn't learn what Martin Whitly is up to? Please, give your mother some credit. So far, the Surgeon lives off my courtesy.'' Her explanation seemed to have done the trick, her children looked convinced and didn't question her further. However, she wasn't done with them.
''What about you? What are you both doing here?'' Their expression was priceless, they went from accusers to accused in a heartbeat.
''We're investigating a murder. A man was found de...'' She waved her hand dismissively.
''I don't want to know. I'm sick and tired of hearing about murders.'' Malcolm's phone started ringing.
''It's Gil,'' he announced and answered the call. He hung up after a while. ''Ainsley, we have a new lead. New victim, same M.O. We have to go,'' he informed his sister succinctly.
''A serial killer!'' Martin gasped. He was obviously having the time of his life while Jessica was one step away from a total mental breakdown. She was looking forward to get the hell out of there. She held the door open and ushered her children outside.
''Let's go together, then. Malcolm dear, I hope you're not in a hurry, we have to discuss a certain rehabilitation program you so conveniently forgot to mention.'' Her voice was sickeningly sweet and Malcolm shuddered, he knew that tone, he was in a serious trouble.
''My boy! Don't forget to give my best regards to our friend Gil. He flew too close to the sun the poor man. No wonder he couldn't handle the hotness,'' he shouted at Malcolm before Jessica slammed the door to his face. She ignored Malcolm's questioning expression and kept walking. She was really tired, both mentally and physically. Her day so far has been an emotional rollercoaster and her blinding orgasm had left her exhaust... She clenched her fists, no, she wasn't going there. It was just a nightmare, something that happened in another, twisted world. She sped up her pace to leave the place as soon as possible but as she was about to turn at the end of the corridor she couldn't resist and looked back, at the closed door. Her heart sank. Behind that door there was an evil force that controlled their lives. They thought they had beaten him for good but he kept finding his way back to their lives. No matter what they did or how hard they tried in the end he always got what he wanted. Malcolm turned him in, denounced him and changed his name to get away from him and now, after 15 whole years, he was frequenting on his cell and seeking again for a relationship with him like he was some role model of a father. Ainsley was so young when he was arrested she didn't even remember him and here she was, grasping every excuse to visit him and yearning for his approval. And she? She had vowed to never see him again, she had managed to convince herself he was dead and there was no point to even think about him anymore. Yet, he found his way out of the grave and inside her mind and body. How do you expect to keep them away from me when you can't keep even yourself away from me? She shuddered. Will she be strong enough to break the cycle and free herself or she'll keep coming back to him?