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“So we’re fucking other people now.”
Jacob was not happy with her and his anger was more pronounced the longer she went without responding. She got caught on her way to Adelaide’s and was carted off to St. Francis.
How Jacob found out about her and Sharky fooling around was anyone’s guess. He was probably stalking her, the creep. She let her head fall back into the bars of the cage he had her in and stared at the ceiling of his room.
A few hours in and she was starting to get fond of the cage despite her circumstances. It was nice and cool and wouldn’t hurt her, unlike some people. Esther didn't notice him come in until Jacob kicked her cage, making her startle and bang her head on a few of the bars. She bared her teeth, ears ringing.
“You didn’t want me, remember? So why the fuck do you care?”
He snarled and tried to grab her through the gaps. She kicked back further into the cage so he couldn’t reach her without going around.
“No! You don’t get to touch me! I let you in once and you went and fucked me over, furry head ass.” The tips of his fingers brushed against her knee and she scurried to the opposite side.
“No!” She kicked out.
"So you'll let that bastard Boshaw touch you, but I can't?" He wasn't yelling, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"I saw you first" He growled, gnashing his teeth.
"Oh fuck off, Seed. You made your choice, you can't renege." She spat back.
This went on for a few more minutes, him trying to grab her through the bars and her evading him. He knew that if he opened it, she'd escape. She'd hurt him with more than her words. She was a killing machine when need be, he'd made sure of it.
"Kitten," He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers in irritation. She sat as far as she could get and glared daggers at him. "I'm going to wring his stupid fucking neck." His tone was grave and she knew he meant it.
"Don't you dare!" She shrieked. "You best leave that boy alone, on God!" She lunged at him and managed to get a hold in his shirt to yank him forward. "Don't you touch him." She hissed.
He wrapped a hand around her fist, caressing her skin. "Or what?" He pulled her towards him.
"What could you possibly do to prevent me from choking him the fuck out?"
Esther tried to struggle out of his space as his grip tightened around her. She bit his hand. Hard.
Jacob's eyes glittered as her teeth sunk in. "You run from my touch, but you go and do this. Stop playing with me, Kitten."
Her feet pressed on the bars, pulling herself away from him and landing in a heap. She got herself into a crouch, "You wanna play? Let me out and we'll see." She bared her teeth again, stained with his blood.
"There's my girl." He was shrugging out of his jacket and necklaces. His crazy ass was really willing to fight her and she didn't know what to do with that. He went to unlock the door and she watched as he let the lock fall to the floor. He motioned for her to come out and she stayed put. Jacob wanted to play, he'd have to come get her.
Jacob huffed at her and tried to tip the cage with her in it.
"Fucker!"
And she went tumbling out to his feet. He slid the cage away and peered down at her.
"On your feet."
His tone held nothing. No warmth, no hatred, nothing at all. His expression was passive and that scared her. She jumped up and put some space between them. This was almost like before when he followed her to the cabin again. He was upset that night and when she tried to comfort him, he lashed out. Jacob wanted her to abandon the Resistance. To give up the fight against The Project and join them, become part of their family. He said it was the will of Joseph and she mocked him.
"Why in the actual fuck would I go and do that?" She stomped past him. He caught her wrist in a hard hold. She looked down at his hand and then back at him in disbelief.
"Let go of me."
"No. We can't keep sneaking around. You have to do this. You will do this."
He towered over her, trying to bully her into acquiescing. She'd had bigger and stronger try to subdue her and they all failed. She refused to back down. Esther ripped her arm from his grasp.
"Fuck that and fuck you for trying to push this on me. I mean jack shit to you and we both know it."
She shoved her hands into the front of her hoodie so he couldn't see them tremble. She backed away further and shook her head. "I don't have to do shit."
She saw his hands turn to fists and her eyes widened, she backed up some more.
"I'm not going to beg."
He was so cold, his eyes hard. This wasn't right and she knew it, but the petty part of her figured this was bound to happen sooner or later.
"Then don't."
She could feel herself getting choked up. This was it. Shit would get a lot rougher around these parts and it would be in everyone's best interest if she skipped over to the Henbane or the Valley.
He flexed his hands, shoulders rigid. "I can't have you like this. I won't."
She flinched, her face scrunching up with hurt before it smoothed out again. "Then don't."
Esther saw him draw in a deep breath and turn to walk out of the door. As soon as she was sure he was clear from the area, she threw some clothes in a bag, shoved herself into some pants and locked up the cabin. She jumped into her truck and drove, she didn't cry. She didn't.
Jacob managed to get in her space and shove her back down and, to both of their surprises, she went like a sack of bricks. They blinked at each other. He opened his mouth to speak, but all the air came rushing out of him when she tackled him.
Somehow he caught her around her middle and slung her back. She landed on her feet and rushed him again. He didn't hit her, but he didn't hold back either. His hands were vices wherever he could get.
He had her pinned to the floor, sitting on her; Esther's body thrashing wildly underneath him.
"Stop fighting me, Kitten. You can't win." He was so close she could smell whiskey on his breath.
She screamed in frustration and headbutted him. He groaned and clutched at his nose with one hand, the other going to her neck to keep her pinned. Her body stilled beneath his hand and she looked up at him with wide eyes, mouth parted.
Eyes narrowed and still holding his nose, he looked at her thoughtfully. His fingers tightened and she gasped, hands balling up in his shirt.
"You're kind of a slut, aren't you?"
She punched his thigh instead of speaking. He let go of her, sitting back on his haunches and watched as her lungs tried to pull in as much air as possible.
"Don't－Don't slut-shame me, asshole."
He shrugged, his eyes boring into hers.
"What's the matter with you?" She tried to push him off of her to no avail. His body was solid above her and she shivered at the warmth he radiated. She'd gotten so accustomed to his caresses that she craved the rasp of his calluses on her skin. She was too fucking thirsty for it.
Jacob's hand trailed down to her chest, pressing into the valley of her breasts to feel her heartbeat. It was fast beneath his palm and he dug his nails in.
"Jacob."
He closed his eyes and leaned down to push his face into her neck.
"What're we doing?" She mused, rubbing his back. Her head hurt and he grumbled into her skin, shifting his weight to press her fully into the floor.
“I don’t understand. If you’re gonna kill me, do it. If not, just... I don't know. Do something. I'm not defecting to Eden's Gate, that's not an option for me."
She felt his whole body sigh and his head lifted so he could speak.
"I don't know why I'm acting like this. You've got me weak."
She grimaced, "I don't know about you, but a couple fucks, some cuddling and the admission of maybe like-liking you doesn't actually change someone that quick."
She was still running her hand up to the back of his head and down his spine. He shuddered and planted his face back into her neck.
“Honestly? You’re acting crazier than usual. You’d never let me get away with half of the shit I pulled.”
She heard his hands slap onto the floor by her head before he lifted himself to look her in the eye. His were ringed red－tired－ and dull; even the blue.
“No one else can touch you. Tell me.”
Esther slowly blinked at him, “What.”
“No. One. Else.” He snapped his teeth.
She stared at him, defiance practically radiating off of her. She raised her chin.
"But he eats pussy better than you.”
Esther watched as his nostrils flared out in anger, his eyes narrow and his ears turn darker than his hair. He looked ready to combust and, as funny as that would seem on a regular day, Jacob was fucking batshit crazy. And drunk. She did not need that type of negativity in her life right now.
“Okay, no. Let me up.”
When he didn’t move, she slid herself out from under him and sat up.
“Because you’re like, super fragile and shit right now, I shouldn’t have goaded you like that. My bad. But!” She held up her hands.
“That doesn’t mean you can go around all caveman and act like a goddamn psychopath. Possessiveness, like all things, is good in moderation. Too much of that shit and it’s just isolation and abuse.”
Jacob sat back and scrubbed at his face, “You make me like this.”
She clucked her tongue at him. “As if, I didn’t do shit. You’re just being a weenie.” All he could do was stare at her in a weird mix of awe and disbelief.
“What are you? Six?” Jacob was shook. How was this the woman that managed to kill his men, threaten everything and even have his own brothers questioning his loyalty? With her around, fewer things made sense.
Esther patted his cheek, “Stick around long enough and you’ll get used to the crazy.” She leaned back on her arms. “As for Sharky,”
Jacob’s fingers twitched.
“Me and him are just friends. We only messed around to see if there was any attraction or whatever, we decided to just stay friends.”
She saw him visibly relax, his skin going back to its natural irritated color. He wasn’t as tense.
“Your siblings, however, really wanna smash.”
"Oh, Deputy~" John sing-songed at her over the radio. She side-eyed it, its betrayal noted. She picked it up anyway.
"What do you want, John." She could see him now, sitting in a chair petting a hairless cat-like Dr. Evil. The thought made her chuckle.
"You've been naughty, giving yourself up to others."
His voice was sweeter than cherry cordial and she made a face, turning to Jacob.
"You told your brothers? Really?"
His face was pressed into her hip, half of his body sprawled over hers with his arm flung over her stomach. It shrugged.
"None of your business, John."
Esther idly played with his hair while she waited for the youngest's response.
"Of course it's my business! You'll be joining the family, after all! Besides, Joseph says it's my turn for a little starlight."
Before she could blink, Jacob snatched the radio out of her hands and growled into it.
"Not now."
A high whine floated over the airwaves but was cut short by Jacob shutting it off and tossing it out of view. She ignored the crash and shattered glass.
Esther pulled his hair so he could meet her gaze.
"J, what'd he mean about it being his turn to use the Xbox?"
His face pinched in confusion.
"His turn for a "little starlight", I mean."
He didn't look away from her or even blink.
"Your name means starlight."
She made a noise for him to go on.
"The Voice told Joseph that you're ours. Collectively."
He watched her face screw up in distaste. It wasn't a good look on her and he internally cringed.
"I don't have the time to unpack how fucked up this is. And I don't belong to anyone, not even you."
Her expression was more pissed than anything else now and Jacob found he preferred her pissed than disgusted. This he could handle.
"Actually," She pulled at his hair again to shift his focus back on her. Had he closed his eyes? Again?
"It'll bother me if I don't. I can't belong to anyone but myself due to racism and misogyny. Next thing you know, I'm the 'White Man's Whore' and shit like that. There's an odd amount of black folks out here in the ass-end of Montana and we like to talk."
"They followed Joseph from Georgia."
Esther rolled her eyes. "Just like a man, responds to what he wants." She took his face in her hands.
"Jacob, I can't belong to you, but maybe you could be mine instead...?"
He finally blinked at her, she hoped his eyes weren't too dry. He looked so tired and dehydrated, she couldn't help but care about him. No one else was, not even Joseph and his "Voice".
He grunted at her, mulling it over.
"You've belonged to others before but they never treated you right. I can, you've seen it firsthand, felt it. I'll keep you safe, Jacob."
He rubbed his face into her hands before abruptly pulling away. She let her hands drop to her lap.
He shook his head and cleared his throat, "It won't work. I can't. I'm Joseph's sacrifice. I have to fulfill my duty to him. Protect him and John."
"Jacob－"
"Go."
"J, I'm serious. I can help."
He shook his head again. "I'm letting you go now. You won't get another chance."
Esther stared at him for a beat and leaped from the bunk and shoved her legs into her pants followed by her feet into her boots. She found her knife on the floor by her pack at his desk. She shrugged it on and turned back to him.
Jacob had sat up on the bed, bare feet on the rough floor. He looked miserable and exhausted. She darted in to kiss him quickly but stopped short to envelop him in a hug. She kissed his forehead and eyes, finding his lips next. She parted from him and ran her fingers through his hair again.
"Get some rest, Wolfman." She smiled at him sadly and kissed his forehead again before stepping away from him and walking to the door.
"Esther,"
She paused to look back at him.
"Use the back door and try not to get caught by John."
Esther grinned at him and saluted him, "Yessir!" Before rushing out into the halls.
Jacob sighed and collapsed back onto his bed. She was going to be the death of him.