Chapter 25 (p.78) - The Game of Fate

[raine]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr arggggggggggg hmpfffffffffffff

[§hannon]

blue said:

Just read it, i love it! Except your stupid cliffhangers. Grr. lol

That wasn't really a cliffhanger... lol.
It wasn't intended to be.

[azina]

See Shannon, even when you don't cliffhang you can't win.

[§hannon]

What's THAT suppose to mean? lmao

[azina]

Your fans still aren't happy when you end a chapter.

[§hannon]

Is that a good or bad thing...?
I don't get where you're going with it. Hahah.

[raine]

it's good, it means you leave them wanting more

[§hannon]

Thanks for that clarification.
Azina and I RARELY understand each other... hahah.

Chapter Six... COMING SOON! ;D

[blue]

I meant more about the cliffhangers, that kill me while I scroll to find the next chapter. I'm impatient like that, hehe.

[raine]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i'm in agony... hehe jk but i gave you a karma for the story and fo rour little misunderstanding :/ i feel akward

[Lisa Rippner]

How could I have missed this story?! Ahg, now I'm completely obsessed! You're a brilliant writer, and your characterization is perfect! Yay for Lisa/Jackson!

Update soon, before I have an anxiety attack and die.

Thank you.

[raine]

haha update before you make me die that's great

[erutuoC]

ohhh... I love it!! cannot wait for the next one!!
btw, I just love the way you kept the characters personalities so similar....I can actually imagine Lisa and Jackson saying these things!

[§hannon]

This is going to be one of THE chapters in the story.
So, I hope you enjoy. Feedback, as always.

Language, intense scenes, etc.

I apologize in advance for any typos.

Chapter Six:

Lisa’s head was spinning with emotions she’d never felt before. The heat radiating from Jackson's right palm into her left palm made her whole stomach turn. She knew she was once again trapped by Jackson Rippner; this time, in her own territory, her own hotel. There was no denying that now, as Lisa unwillingly walked by Jackson’s side across the hotel lobby. Lisa felt her eyes cloud with tears as she looked over to her left at Jackson. She bit her bottom lip to stifle the tears, when for that split second she tasted the peppermint from Jackson’s lip and she shivered. Her involuntary shake caused Jackson to look over at her and Lisa could sense him beaming a threatening stare of blue from behind the shades of black in his sunglasses. Jackson tightened his grip on Lisa’s hand as they continued to walk. They were attracting stares from many people throughout the hotel. Some smiling, acknowledging Lisa. Some staring, wondering what she was doing holding hands with a man in dark black sunglasses. Some… walking up to talk to her.

In this case, it was Cynthia, bright and cheery as she always tried to be. She looked and smiled at Jackson and Lisa but, then focused her gaze on the holding of their hands. Cynthia looked taken back.

”Sorry to interrupt, Lisa,” Cynthia said, laughing. “Bryan, nice to see you again.”

Lisa showed a fake smile, seeing no humor in this at all, if only Cynthia knew. But, another thing began to confuse Lisa.

Bryan? Why was Cynthia calling Jackson, Bryan?

Lisa turned to look at Jackson with a questioning look and he just gave off a threatening look, saying “remember what I told you; sell it” through his smile. Lisa began to feel an even more intense pain in her stomach, as she turned her fake smile towards Cynthia once again.

”Anyway,” Cynthia continued. “There’s an older man that came up to the front desk saying that a pair of sunglasses were stolen off the roof of his car when he was loading bags into his trunk. I’m so sorry to bother you, Lisa. I just didn’t know what to do. I panicked and I freaked out because people take their anger out on me and...”

”Its okay, Cynthia. Calm down. Take a breath,” Lisa said, trying to take her own breaths. “Tell the man that you understand his frustration. But, the Lux Atlantic cannot be held responsible for anything outside of the hotel. If he’s too much for you to handle, get Claire to do it for you. Okay?”

”Okay. Thanks so much, Lisa. You two have fun,” Cynthia said, laughing again, pointing to their hands holding each others, and winking as she walked away.

Jackson pressed the up arrow for the elevator and they both stood there waiting for it to come back down from the 5th floor.

”You stole that man’s sunglasses, didn’t you,” Lisa mumbled to him with her eyes steadily staring at the elevator door.

Jackson watched as the lights above the elevator counted down.

”Do yourself a favor and don’t ask questions,” Jackson said flatly, as the elevator doors slid open. A young woman walked out of the elevator that worked for housekeeping at the Lux. Lisa greeted her and she smiled back at her. Once the young woman exited with her cart, Jackson and Lisa had the elevator all to themselves. Lisa pressed 40 for the top floor of the hotel and let out a sigh, as she leaned against the side of the elevator and it slowly headed upward.

”You can let go of my hand now. Nobody’s in here to see us,” Lisa said, in a sarcastic tone.

Jackson just stared at her, wanting to start choking her again right then and there for her sarcasm but, refrained from doing so and forcefully threw her hand out of his. Lisa grabbed the rail in the elevator with both hands out to her sides and threw her head back against the wall. It wasn’t until then that Jackson noticed the red imprints of his fingers around Lisa’s neck. She let out another sigh, as for the time being she was out of the grasp of Jackson’s rough hand. Lisa rolled her head to the side to see the floor number.

24. 25. 26. 27. 28.

The rest of the elevator ride consisted of intimidating silence, as it finally reached the 40th floor. As soon as the doors slid open, Lisa began to quickly walk out. Jackson grabbed her wrist spinning her back against his chest. Lisa winced.

”You’re forgetting something,” Jackson said, grabbing her hand and then continuing to walk.

”Do you enjoy taking advantage of women?”

”It’s called, ‘I save your life, you save mine’, Lis.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

”That’s as plain English as you’re going to get for right now. We’ll talk once you’ve unlocked the door and we’re inside room 4080.” Jackson said, walking Lisa down the long hallway to the room.

They arrived at the door of suite 4080 and Jackson held his hand out in front of Lisa’s, for her to hand over the key to the room. Using her right hand, she reluctantly reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled the key out, handing it to Jackson. He slid the card in the lock until the light flashed green. He turned the handle and walked inside, pulling Lisa in behind him. Once safely inside, he stuck a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the outside door handle and locked it.

”You really don’t need to do that. Nobody’s staying…”

”Yes, I do. Sit,” Jackson demanded, letting go of her hand and pushing her towards the sofa.

4080 hadn’t changed on bit. Of course, Jackson had never physically been in the room to see it but, considering the pictures he’d seen of the room before it had been blown up, nothing had changed, except for everything being brand new. Other than that, everything was in the same exact place, of the same exact color and style. Lisa took a seat on the plush white sofa and looked outside the window with a blank stare. Jackson sat down on the opposing sofa across from her, throwing the black glasses on the glass coffee table. He just stared at Lisa for a moment. She looked tired, weary, stressed out. Her eyes began to glisten with tears again as she continued to stare out the glass doors into the Atlantic. She looked blank and Jackson just continued to look at her before saying anything. Out of the corner of her eye, she could feel Jackson’s eyes drilling a hole right through her, as she turned to look at him.

”Why are you doing this… again?” she asked.

”Pretty much, I just saved your life. Is that a good enough reason?”

”How do you consider that saving my life? All you did was choke me and you came THIS close to physically abusing me.”

”Lis… if anything, you should be thanking me right now. That scar on your chest, just like how you got threatened on your life, I got threatened on MY life by the same guy.”

”What?”

”I know the guy that raped you 3 years ago, Lisa. This whole time. And I wasn’t aware of it. He was coming here to kill you and I just saved your life. Otherwise, you’d be downstairs organizing your files and the next thing you know, you’d be lying on the floor with a bullet to your head, not knowing what hit you. Is that what you wanted life to be? Is it?” Jackson said, leaning off the edge of the sofa, as his eyes gleamed at Lisa.

”I don’t believe you,” she said cutting her eyes at him.

”Well, too bad. Because whether you want to believe me or not, I saved your life, regardless, and now, you’re going to return the favor,” he said, become more and more frustrated.

”Where are you going with this?” Lisa said, becoming tired.

Jackson just smirked and folded his hands. He looked around for a moment, as Lisa was waiting for a reply.

”Is there any alcohol in here? I think you’re going to need it,” he said, walking over to the kitchen area.

”There’s some in the wet bar,” Lisa said pausing, realizing what he had just said. “You think I’m going to need it? What’s that suppose to mean?”

”So you don’t have a womanly mental breakdown like you did on the plane.”

”You threatened to kill my father, Jack. What’d you expect me to do say, ‘Okay, he’s all yours’?”

”You don’t even know what I have to tell you yet. But, you’ll find out soon enough,” he said fumbling through cabinets. “How about that seabreeze…”

Lisa didn’t like this. Period. There was something in Jackson’s tone that was menacing in her mind and she couldn’t take it anymore. She needed to leave, to get away from him before he drained her mind anymore. But, how could she get out when she’d have to walk past Jackson to get to the door? That couldn’t work if her life depended on it, and right now, it did. Lisa did a mental recap of the upstairs of the suite. 2 bedrooms. 1 bathroom. A balcony.

The balcony. That’s it.

If she could get upstairs to the balcony, she could climb the fire escape to the roof and take the alternate fire escape on the far side of the hotel and get back inside on the 39th floor. She had no idea how she thought of this wild plan but, doing a mental recap in her head, it just might work.

”Sorry, no grapefruits this…” Jackson stopped as the glass he was holding fell to the floor. He saw a mere glimpse of Lisa’s arm as she ran up the steps and disappeared.

”LISA!” he screamed in anger as he ran up the steps after her.

Lisa’s heart began to pound as she heard the breaking of the glass and the hard pounding of footsteps behind her. She frantically ran around the hallway to check the bedrooms. On her first try, she found the right room. She looked through the glass out of the window to find where the fire escape was located, as she tried pulling open the window. It wouldn’t budge. Lisa could hear the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer.

Closer and closer.

“GOD damn IT! OPEN!” she frantically thought to herself.

She looked to both sides of her trying to find something to throw at the window to break it. Nothing. She turned around.

”Boo,” Jackson said, half an inch from her body and he grabbed her and turned her, so that her back against his chest. He removed his tie and wrapped his tie around her neck, choking her.

She began gasping for air, trying to pull the tie away from her neck.

”Did you really think you were going to outsmart me again? Hmm? Did you not believe me? Hmm?” Jackson said in a harsh whisper as his words dispersed like an echo across the flesh of her neck.

Lisa felt extremely dizzy as blood went rushing to her head and the back half of her lifelessly leaned into Jackson’s front half. She knew she was going to pass out any minute now. Jackson was just having his way with her.

”I… beli…eve ya…oouu,” Lisa managed to get out.

”Oh, so you LIED to me then. Is that what it is?”

”Suh… so what? You.. you’ve lied… to.. me.. too,” Lisa replied with all the anger and energy she had left in her.

Jackson began walking over to the bed, pushing Lisa along in front of him. He stopped at the side of the bed, turning her around to look at her face. Her eyelids were slowly falling but, her eyes stayed sharply on him with fear and anger.

”You know what happens when you lie, Lis?”

She just stared at him with no expression at all. Jackson, with rage in his eyes, lunged towards Lisa, hitting his head strongly against hers, as she fell unconscious onto the bed. Lisa was now laying there, lifeless, with her body askew and her legs partially dangling off of the side. Jackson rearranged her so that her head was on a pillow and her feet pointing towards the foot of the bed. Jackson looked at her sleeping for a few more moments and then gradually leaned over her, never taking his eyes off of her face. For a split second, he let his lips collide onto her forehead with a kiss, beside a blood stain that had now occurred. Jackson leaned back upright and took one last look at her. He headed for the doorway from which he came and began reassembling his tie, now starting the countdown until when Lisa Reisert would awake once again.

[jill]

Woah, creepy. I love how you show the whole love/hate thing Jackson has for her. You can really sense that while she still frustrates him, he really does care for her in a way and wants to help her, but this is like the only way he knows how...

can't wait to see what his plans are!