Page 22 of Mistress A-0002

I hung up, spinning as my door flew open. Deep breaths had me studying my son.

“Jett, what’s going on?”

“I’ve done it. Well, not exactly as I had hoped. It was pure accident, but it happened.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s all so damn fascinating.The brain,” he rushed out. “I killed the first two slaves. I mean, I’m not a medical student. Lobotomies aren’t taught in private school?—”

“Wait,” my hand rose, but I didn’t immediately speak. “The first two? …This isn’t just about the power to you. You’re truly serious about this path.”

“Mom.” He closed the distance between us, the biggest smile on his face. “I’ve never wanted anything more. For months I’ve been nonstop studying every paper and article I can find. I was almost afraid to try so soon, but I couldn’t resist.I didn’t kill this one. She’s alive. Drooling and sort of ‘out of it’, but she’salive. The screaming stopped. She doesn’t even get afraid when I get close.”

I couldn’t help but mirror his smile.

“Great job. What you’ve done is no easy task for a beginner.”

“You’ve done it too?”

The pure captivation as Jett looked at me sent warmth into my chest. Perhaps he wasn’t so bad all the time.

“Countless times. I used to help your grandfather experiment when I was in high school. Not on his patients, but to…special cases.

“Please tell me he recorded it.”

“Of course he did. He’s recorded all of them. Documentation is important, after all.”

“Oh my God, Mom, you have to bring them here. I need to watch everything he’s ever recorded.”

I laughed at his enthusiasm. “You’re in for quite the journey if you’re going to watch them all. Luckily for you, I have them here at the Gardens. I’ll contact Dr. Milsap and have him retrieve you the first box. You can start at the beginning. You can see how far we came.”

“We? Are you in all of them?”

“Oh, no, although I did witness most. I’m talking about where your grandfather started and where me and Elec picked up. Jett…” A mix of emotions, nostalgia and sadness, twisted in my chest. “Elec and I did some amazing things. We took grandfather’s work so far. I mean…look at the blank slates we have. Elec really embraced that part of our work. It was never my passion, just fun. He, on the other hand, has a great love for it. He’s come far, and I hope you can take it the rest of the way.”

I could tell he didn’t like the mention of Elec, but his excitement was still intact. “Thank you, Mother. I hope so too. Do I just head down to the lab or…?”

“No, they won’t let you in. I’ll have Dr. Milsap have one of the guards drop it off at your apartment.”

“Excellent. I can’t wait. I’ll…just be in the city until then. Just tell them to call me when they’re headed up. I’ll meet them there.”

I nodded, watching Jett as he smiled over his shoulder. He shut the door behind him, and I frowned at the memories of me and Elec. We’d had such amazing moments back then. Hotsex. Savage, couldn’t-get-enough, sex. Or maybe it was me who couldn’t get enough, and he was the one grieving for something he’d never have again.Her.That part didn’t matter to me. It was life. But…I did miss how close we used to be. Dammit, I had to get him to talk to me again. I had to fix this.

Main Master

Cement. Glass. Drains. Screaming. Base thumping. Ear-splitting music so loud I couldn’t hear my thoughts. Blood. It covered me. This wasn’t the time for a lesson from the Main Master in his expensive suit. Just me and murder. Me…Elec. No shirt. No tie. No fancy watch or shoes. Just the man who killed the woman he loved. The man who lost his own child because he didn’t defy rules. Rules. I swung connecting against the crows face again. I was unfeeling. I was hatred sprinkled with wrath, and I hadn’t been this lost since I had self-destructed after Vivia’s murder. I wasn’t sure what to think. Of what to believe. Nothing. There was no evidence to prove Melissa’s guilt. I’d looked with a fine-tooth fucking comb. Nothing. There was nothing.

“Plea—”

Whack!

Whack!

Whack!

No words existed here. No thoughts. No pleas. All there was time for was releasing aggression so I didn’t end up killing the wrong person. And it would be a lie if I said I didn’t want to burnMelissa’s lips off and stuff my hands in her mouth to tear her jaw free.

Kissing me. Fucking kissing me?Against my will?In secret, where I couldn’t possibly have a say?

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