Prey
1014 Words
There’s nothing I enjoy more than watching prey walk straight into a trap, especially when they don’t even realize they’re being hunted.
It’s a wicked thrill. One I learned from my father. Watching them squirm. Backing them into a corner. It's all part of the fun.
Jake’s grip tightens before he speaks.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jake asks, his long fingers pressing harshly around my arm.
I turn slowly. The look in his deep brown eyes makes me want to gouge them out. After everything he’s done, he dares to feel jealous? No. He doesn’t get that right.
“Jake,” I say calmly. “Let me go.”
“The hell I will. Were you just about to kiss another man?” he demands.
The hypocrisy makes my stomach twist. I open my mouth to respond, but Elezar rises before I can.
He unfolds to his full height like a king standing from his throne.
The room tenses.
Jake’s gaze snaps to the side as Elezar stands. If he looked dangerous sitting down, now he looks terrifying as hell.
The man oozed confidence.
He's like a damn wolf among sheep. It sends a chill through my bones, and something else I can’t quite explain.
“I think the young lady asked you to let her go,” Elezar says, almost as if he’s uninterested in the drama unfolding before him. But there’s no mistaking the warning in his voice.
Back the f**k off. Or die.
Jake doesn't move.
“Are you deaf, or should I make you let go?” The words come out soft, yet utterly dark.
Elezar rubs his jaw, his white dress shirt straining against his solid frame as he casually waits.
Only then does Jake seem to realize his nails are digging into my skin. His face flushes. He releases me abruptly.
“Esme, I didn’t mean to—”
“That’s enough,” I cut in, rubbing my arm. “What’s wrong with you?”
Jake returns my glare. “You were about to kiss him, Esme.”
His breathing turns ragged, nostrils flaring. It's something he’s always struggled to control. It’s a fatal flaw, and I plan to capitalize on it.
“No. I was not,” I say softly, letting my voice tremble just enough to draw attention. “I don’t want to upset you. Please calm down, Jake.”
People around us begin to murmur among themselves.
Jake notices and straightens. “Esme, what are you—”
Elezar steps forward to stand beside me. “Do you perhaps handle your wife like this on a daily basis?” Though he says it nonchalantly, there’s a dark edge to his voice.
Jake’s face goes pale. He turns to me. “Esmeralda, you’re giving people the wrong impression.”
I lower my gaze slightly. “I’m sorry, Jake.”
The whispers intensify, guests eating up the tension between us.
Footsteps approach from the center of the room. Jessica’s high heels click as she catwalks toward us, like some sort of diva.
“Esmeralda. You’re taking this too far. People are starting to talk.”
I raise my head, my hands still at my side.
“Oh really? But you’re the one who suggested this in the first place. I was only going to offer this man”—I point to Elezar, who watches me with a flicker of amusement in his gaze—“a bottle of scotch. The kiss was never on the table. You’re the one who crossed the line.”
Jessica opens her mouth, then shuts it, knowing I’m right.
“In any case,” I straighten my back, “you made me almost cheat on my husband.”
Jessica’s face flushes red as the guests begin to murmur about how shameless she is.
“How could she do that?”
“To her best friend, of all people,” a woman whispers.
Jake steps forward, shielding Jessica. “You’ve made your point, Esme. Let’s talk about this privately.”
I turn to him, tilting my head. “Why? What do we have to hide?” I stoke the fire.
“Jessica said cheating is for losers. Do you perhaps think so little of me?”
She takes a step forward, snapping out of her embarrassment. “You’ve had too much to drink. Let’s call it a night.”
I grit my teeth, ready to retort, when I feel a strong, warm hand on my shoulder.
“A few drinks don’t change what happened tonight. Perhaps you two should leave first.”
Jake immediately steps forward, the veins on his neck bulging.
“And who do you think you are? She’s my wife,” he snarls.
Before I know what’s happening, Jake reaches for me again, but before he can touch me, Elezar snaps his hand to his waist, his posture shifting dangerously as he pulls out a pistol.
“You’d do well to remember who you’re talking to,” Elezar says, his jaw setting. His fingers curl around the trigger.
I smile inwardly. The rumors are true. This man is a complete menace. Elezar Mendoza, the man known for making anyone who crosses him disappear. They say even the police are in his pocket.
And tonight he's on my side.
Everyone goes still. The temperature in the room drops.
“Do as I say, pretty boy.” Elezar adds with a cold smirk.
Jessica tugs on Jake’s arm. “Jake back down.”
Jake inhales sharply. He looks like he wants to confront him, but I know the coward he is. I used to mistake his hesitation for gentleness, but I was just fooling myself.
The man is a pushover.
He glances at me, a questioning look in his gaze.
I meet his eyes with indifference.
His confusion intensifies, but before he can question me. Jessica pulls on his arm.
I watch as they leave.
The small victory is satisfying for a few moments before reality begins sinking in again.
And it feels like s**t.
- Writer
