Rise above, gonna start the war!

Oh, what you want, what you need

What'd you come here for?

Well, an eye for an eye and an 'f' for fight

They're taking me down as the prisoners riot

Got shackles on, my words are tied

Fear can make you compromise

With the lights turned up, it's hard to hide

Sometimes I want to disappear

~Foster the People

Houdini

The next morning was a bitch. Jacqueline laid there contemplating on whether she should get up and use the bathroom or wait?

Lazily she stretched in the bed the covers twisted over her lower half as she let out the first sigh of the day.

Today, she was going to escape again; she just had to wait when that prick James to leave. He was the only obstacle in her way the rest of his men were nothing, she could take them.

Looking at her hand she saw that the sting from that wasp-bee-assassin-bug- terminator had become a red bump.

Another thing she had to do was look out for insect’s assassin since they were apparently out to get her.

“I swear if I see that damn bee I’m kicking its ass,” she said as she stretched again.

She laid there for a good two minutes until the urge for her to use the bathroom was becoming too much. Throwing the covers off of her she jumped from the bed and ran towards the bathroom.

She didn’t know what happen; all she felt was her body jerked back with her landing face first on the floor.

“Goddamn it!”

Jacqueline turned to see what had caused her to fall with such a force.

On her right ankle there in shining silver was a shackle.

Long enough for her to walk around the room yet short enough where she couldn’t reach any doors or windows.

“That bastard,” she hissed.

She wished she could say that he didn’t place it on her while she was sleep.

But the proof was on her leg.

In those short minutes, Jacqueline sat up on the floor checking herself hoping that he didn’t get any ideas while she was sleeping.

Everything was in place her cloths didn’t look disturbed if anything they were wrinkle due to her sleeping in them.

She let out a sigh, happy that she didn’t get molested in her sleep, yet angry because now she had an even bigger obstacle than James to handle.

Eyes’ turning towards the shackle on her leg she moved to tug at them it was useless; it didn’t budge only making a rattling noise.

Dejectedly she threw them down causing a loud thud to be heard.

“Bastard”

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James was always an early riser waking up with the sun it was a routine that he was accustomed to.

Working out for a good six hours in his gym he walked back in to his room to take a shower and dress.

Today he decided to work from home; after all he had other business that he needed to handle.

That and he didn’t trust keeping Ace and the rest of his men with Jacqueline. After what he saw yesterday, she was definitely going to be too much for them if left alone.

Dressing in one of his crisp gray suit James was eating breakfast when Ace walked in.

“Good morning,” 

James looked at his second in command and couldn’t stop the smirk that came to his lips. Darting his eye away he took a sip of his coffee to muffle the chuckle that was about to come out.

Ace knew what caused him to smirk it only made him even more annoyed.

“Rough night?”

“No,” Ace walked towards the cabinet and pulled a mug out.

He didn’t even take two steps from the cabinet, when he heard a bang coming up stairs.

“Jacqueline’s up,” his smirk becoming cocky.

Ace looked at him questioningly; James disregarded it and kept reading the paper.

He did something to the girl; with that Ace continued to make his coffee as he rubbed the right side of his face wincing slightly.

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Jacqueline was determining to get the damn contraption off her leg. She pulled at the chain till her hands were warm and chafed from pulling.

Everything she did was no use, the damn thing wouldn’t budge and she still had to go to the bathroom real bad.

Her whole body was shaking from anger and the terrible urge to use it. Thinking up every vulgar word about that bastard James and her dirty cheating money hungry mother Katherine.

Despite everything, she knew that her cousin Monique and her clients would be wondering where she disappeared too. Someone would call the authorities to investigate.

This was her only hope, if she didn’t find a way of breaking out of these shackles someone that is close to her would go looking for her.

The sound of footsteps came from outside of her door she was preparing herself for the battle that was going to take place.

The sound of the door clicking rang out the room her eyes turned towards the door waiting for him.

She wasn’t disappointed…

James came strolling in, he wore gray suit with a crisp white shirt no doubt a designer made.

He stopped in front of her taking in the sight of her.

His features were unreadable and it annoyed the hell out of her.

“I hope you know that slavery ended in this country—do I look like Kizzy to you?” she was livid and all she wanted to do was go to the bathroom.

He kept quiet.

“Take this damn thing off me…now!”

“That defeats the purpose of your lesson,” he said crossing his arms over his chest.

“What lesson is that?” she said with sarcasm.

He looked at her leg that was shaking fieriest that he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her.

“Jacqueline did you forget? You said you didn’t expect anything from me, so I placed a shackle to; one prove my point and two a punishment on the attack of my dear men yesterday.”

“You bastard take this off now!”

“I don’t think so Jacqueline you’re expecting me to take that shackle off and I don’t take nicely to demands especially when you have no power here.”

He eyed her daringly, her left leg started to shake like crazy…this time due to her anger.

“It seems that you haven’t learned anything so…” he stops with a smirk coming to his face as he left the room.

Jacqueline didn’t keep her scream in as she threw one of the pillows at the door wishing it were James head instead.

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James wasn’t even far from the door when he heard Jacqueline scream and a soft thump to the door.

Ace looked at him questioningly, James simply disregard him and headed towards his office.

Walking into his office he sat down behind his desk eyeing the computer screen. He shook his head at the sight before him…did she really think she could get away so easy?

“Call Thomas he knows exactly what to do,” with a slight nod Ace walked to the adjoining room to make the call.

His eyes turned to his watch it was nine past three he was going to give her another hour before he returns back to the room.

Hopefully she would get the picture that it was useless to escape and that she better get her act together.

It was only wishful thinking on his part…

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Jacqueline was going crazy she had to get this damn thing off her leg or she was going to have a complete accident on herself. That was not an option.

There had to be something in this damn room to unlock the shackle. She rummaged around the nightstand drawers and under the bed. Yet still there was nothing…if only she had her purse! There were some bobby pins…

If it was a snake it would have bite her…reaching in both of her jeans she found a bobby pin.

After all being a hair stylist Jacqueline always had something pertaining to her job in her pockets.

She totally had forgotten that she used some bobby pins on a client head the day before. 

Wasting no time she bent the pin and started to work on the contraption that bastard placed on her leg.

The excitement seemed to go through her at the prospect of having some form of freedom. Her body shook with a new fever but this time from her nerves. Trembling hands and a mind out of focus was a recipe for disaster if she didn’t calm down.

Stilling herself, Jacqueline inhaled and exhaled, sitting there for only a second to get herself back in check.

 When everything was back in focus she began to work the pin into the little keyhole.

This wasn’t her first time trying to unlock something with a pin it was an art that she perfected at seventeen.

Numerous times in the past Jacqueline would forget to have her key on her especially when coming home from a night shift at McDonalds. Katherine was never the type to wake up from a beauty sleep for anyone. Meaning you either pray she was still up or you were sleeping outside…a very hard lesson that Jacqueline learnt.

She sat there a mere hour concentrated on the job before her.

Had she paid any attention she would have noticed the door knob to her prison twisting.

It would only be fate to have Ace and James walk in when the shackle was clean off her ankle.

“Hah” She cried in triumph. “Take that you arrogant bastard, Jacqueline got skills” She sang happily.

Still Jacqueline had not known that they were in the room with her. Before she could continue her small victory speech…she heard someone cough.

Looking up she could see Ace head bowed and a very solemn look on James face.

She stared at him and then at her leg where the shackle laid carelessly on the floor.

Awkward was the only word to explain that very moment.

Now she knew that feeling animals have when they sense danger…the urge to run was so strong yet so dangerous all at the same time.

Her hands itched as if ready to make a decision for her.

“Do not move,” he said as he walked towards her.

There was something about his voice, a sharp edge to it that told her that she wasn’t ready to test him right now.

She seat there still as he bent down before her…even bending down he still seemed to tower over her.

Looking him in the eyes it could be easily compared to staring at a cobra; any minute he could strike.

James placed the shackle back on her leg it seemed that she was too much to handle.

“Now hand it here.”

Her glare could only mean two words…fuck you as she gave him the bobby pin the last key to her freedom.

He took it from her as he stood up and turning to the doors.

“I guess adding another hour…”

“What!”

James looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

“Is there a problem?”

She couldn’t believe the audacity of this man!

“Yes there is a problem I have to use it! I’ve been holding it ever since you came in the first time today! Now you’re planning to add another hour!”

“That’s your problem,” he said as he and Ace left the room.

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“Is everything going to plan?” he asked Ace as they walked back to his office.

“Yes,”

James nodded his head, his blood was boiling, and once again the same person was mocking his intelligence.

But like the saying goes a hard head makes a hard ass…and it seems that this person was never going to learn their lesson.

He walked towards his desk, pulling out a red box with a white bow wrapped around the box.

“Ace, have this sent to Roxanne tell her I’ll be hearing from her in a week,” he said as he went about his business.

“Of course sir,” Ace said as he reluctantly went to do his boss bidding.

“Also pick up this order for me after you seen Roxanne,” he handed him a sheet of paper.

Ace reading the paper couldn’t stop himself from shacking his head as a smirk came to his lips. These past days were going to be very amusing indeed.

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It could have been mere minutes…seconds probably but the effects of really wanting to relieve her bladder was hitting her tenfold. It was only a day, and Jacqueline found herself in tears.

Tears not because of being kidnapped or the lost of her freedom…but wanting to go to the bathroom.

It had only been a minute and this was how James found her…on the floor moving back and fourth with puffy eyes.

“Have you learned your lesson?”

“Yes,” it was a bitter taste to her tongue but right now she did not care…right now she was going to play along with him but afterwards the old Jacqueline was going to come out with a force of hell itself. This bastard was going to know what the saying “hell hath no fury like Jacqueline scorned” fully.

James knew she was simply acting…she didn’t learn her lesson she was simply using him so she could get what she wanted.

“I’m going to take the shackle off so you can go freshen up in the bathroom...afterwards your going back on the shackle.”

She nodded her head with a glare that could freeze.

“And let us be clear if I were you I wouldn’t try anything…especially not with me understand?”

“Yes”

Jacqueline wasn’t stupid…it would be foolish trying anything with James he just had that aura of danger. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t talk back to him and pull some shit behind his back. If he wanted her so badly then he would realize how much of an annoyance she could be.

James walked over to her and unlocked the shackle before it could hit the floor Jacqueline made a mad dash to the bathroom.

James couldn’t help but to chuckle at her antics…this week might have a silver lining after all…well for him that is.