I’m going to go out as a loser. I’ll never be back on top.”
“No!” Kait’s tone was insistent. “It’s because Carl has been drugging you.”
“What?” Jasper titled his head to gaze at her. She sounded crazy.
“It’s those drinks,” Kait continued, talking quickly. “Those damn drinks that Carl insists you drink. There must be something in them, something that sedates you and forces you to lose. You need to stop drinking the drinks, Jasper!”
“Kait,” Jasper gave her a sad smile. She was sweet to try and make him feel better, but what he needed to be doing was addressing the facts. He was past his prime and needed to finally accept that. Kait’s crazed theories weren’t going to make anything better.
“I know you’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“I’m not!” Kait declared sharply. “I’m trying to make you see sense.”
Jasper tensed, and his jaw clenched.
“Carl is a crook,” Kait continued fervently, “he screws over all his clients like this and leaves them with nothing, yet he always comes up smelling of roses!”
“The only person to blame for my performance tonight is me,” Jasper announced bitterly. “Look, Kait, I know you don’t like Carl, but the least you can do is stop talking shit about him.”
The machines were beeping furiously as Jasper’s heart rate began to rise in anger.
“Jasper, you need to calm down,” Kait glanced fearfully at the backlit monitors around his bed.
“Then you need to stop trying to come between me and Carl!” Jasper roared, ignoring the soreness of his throat. “He’s always been there for me, Kait. How could you even suggest that he’d try and harm me? Do you know how fucked up that sounds? How it makes you look to even think that?”
“Jasper, please, if you’d just hear me out - ”
“Go,” Jasper gave the order as a nurse hurried over to his bed to check his machines.
Chapter 29
Kait wanted to stay. She lingered at Jasper’s bedside for a few moments hoping the nurse would leave, but she didn’t, and Jasper refused to make further eye contact. Reluctantly, she stood up, reached for her handbag, and began making her way out of the ward. She was still shaken over having seen Jasper get knocked out, but now she was even more troubled by his complete unwillingness to see what Carl was doing to him.
“Ah, Kait.” She almost collided with Carl in the main corridor. He was wearing a clean shirt but the same sickly smile. Seeing him there made her think of a quote her mother always used to say –
“Think of the devil, and he shall come.”
“Carl,” Kait greeted him flatly. She was in no mood for any kind of pleasantries, if there even were any to be had between them. He now knew that she was on to him and would surely be doing his utmost to remove her from Jasper’s life once and for all.
“How is he?” Carl almost sounded concerned when he asked, but he failed to convince Kait. She saw straight through his flimsy act.
“How do you think?” she demanded briskly. “He entered a boxing ring sedated! How would you feel?”
“Now, now,” Carl raised his hands defensively. “I don’t want to fight. I’m just here to check on my friend and client.”
“Right now you’re not treating him like either of those things,” Kait snapped angrily. “You’re a fraud and a monster, and I’m going to expose you.”
“Big threats for a little girl,” Carl remarked, still smiling smugly. Kait bunched her hands in to fists, wishing she could go two rounds with him in the ring. She’d scratch him to pieces. She didn’t think she’d ever hated someone so much.
“He trusts me, Kait,” the smug smile widened. “He trusts me , always has, always will. We’ve been through a lot together. There’s years between us. So who do you think he’ll believe? You or me?”
Kait ground her teeth together
“No!” Kait’s tone was insistent. “It’s because Carl has been drugging you.”
“What?” Jasper titled his head to gaze at her. She sounded crazy.
“It’s those drinks,” Kait continued, talking quickly. “Those damn drinks that Carl insists you drink. There must be something in them, something that sedates you and forces you to lose. You need to stop drinking the drinks, Jasper!”
“Kait,” Jasper gave her a sad smile. She was sweet to try and make him feel better, but what he needed to be doing was addressing the facts. He was past his prime and needed to finally accept that. Kait’s crazed theories weren’t going to make anything better.
“I know you’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“I’m not!” Kait declared sharply. “I’m trying to make you see sense.”
Jasper tensed, and his jaw clenched.
“Carl is a crook,” Kait continued fervently, “he screws over all his clients like this and leaves them with nothing, yet he always comes up smelling of roses!”
“The only person to blame for my performance tonight is me,” Jasper announced bitterly. “Look, Kait, I know you don’t like Carl, but the least you can do is stop talking shit about him.”
The machines were beeping furiously as Jasper’s heart rate began to rise in anger.
“Jasper, you need to calm down,” Kait glanced fearfully at the backlit monitors around his bed.
“Then you need to stop trying to come between me and Carl!” Jasper roared, ignoring the soreness of his throat. “He’s always been there for me, Kait. How could you even suggest that he’d try and harm me? Do you know how fucked up that sounds? How it makes you look to even think that?”
“Jasper, please, if you’d just hear me out - ”
“Go,” Jasper gave the order as a nurse hurried over to his bed to check his machines.
Chapter 29
Kait wanted to stay. She lingered at Jasper’s bedside for a few moments hoping the nurse would leave, but she didn’t, and Jasper refused to make further eye contact. Reluctantly, she stood up, reached for her handbag, and began making her way out of the ward. She was still shaken over having seen Jasper get knocked out, but now she was even more troubled by his complete unwillingness to see what Carl was doing to him.
“Ah, Kait.” She almost collided with Carl in the main corridor. He was wearing a clean shirt but the same sickly smile. Seeing him there made her think of a quote her mother always used to say –
“Think of the devil, and he shall come.”
“Carl,” Kait greeted him flatly. She was in no mood for any kind of pleasantries, if there even were any to be had between them. He now knew that she was on to him and would surely be doing his utmost to remove her from Jasper’s life once and for all.
“How is he?” Carl almost sounded concerned when he asked, but he failed to convince Kait. She saw straight through his flimsy act.
“How do you think?” she demanded briskly. “He entered a boxing ring sedated! How would you feel?”
“Now, now,” Carl raised his hands defensively. “I don’t want to fight. I’m just here to check on my friend and client.”
“Right now you’re not treating him like either of those things,” Kait snapped angrily. “You’re a fraud and a monster, and I’m going to expose you.”
“Big threats for a little girl,” Carl remarked, still smiling smugly. Kait bunched her hands in to fists, wishing she could go two rounds with him in the ring. She’d scratch him to pieces. She didn’t think she’d ever hated someone so much.
“He trusts me, Kait,” the smug smile widened. “He trusts me , always has, always will. We’ve been through a lot together. There’s years between us. So who do you think he’ll believe? You or me?”
Kait ground her teeth together
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