Beasthood

~Chapter 12- Confront~ Part 1

~Chapter 12 -Confront~

Tuesday May 10th, 7:20 p.m.

Driver's bedroom

As soon as Jaz spotted movement outside the door she began to panic. It was only when she saw Aunt Erica, followed by an old woman half hidden behind her, that her panic swiftly turned to anger.

Jaz stepped back. She felt very threatened but hid it well as she glowered at her aunt. Traitor!she thought with a hiss.

It didn't take Erica long to determine what had happened by the scene in front of her. Jaz hated how she dared to look upset when she saw Jaz bleeding.

Jaz's eyes swept over the other woman she didn't recognize. The old woman's eyes didn't falter as she gazed back.

Jaz ignored her and fixed her glare back on Erica. She wanted to strangle her. How could you do this to me?!She couldn't breathe evenly, her aunt's presence upset her that much.

There was a tense pause before Driver sliced the air with his sharp voice. “Erica, what are you doing here?”

“We saw wh-”

“I told you not to come in here!” he bellowed.

Jaz froze in place. She saw Erica shift on the spot uneasily; her facial muscles were stiff. Jaz eyed the old woman by Erica's side, who seemed unmoved by his rage. There was another pause. The air was electric with anger, now from both sides.

“We've done it your way for long enough,” Erica began.

Jaz didn't like the idea of the very tall, violent man who had injured, cut, imprisoned, prodded and kidnapped her, having control of her fate. Not to mention the fact that he had taken part in mangling up her feet, which she still didn't dare look at. Thinking about them brought her attention to how sore they were; standing for so long made them worse. She sank back, finding the wall beside her cell doorway and leaned against it, allowing her feet to rest and to be as far away as she could from him without going back into that awful cell.

“Are you planning on taking over, Erica?” he asked in a voice that could have curdled milk.

Jaz clenched her teeth apprehensively, flicking her gaze to her aunt.

Erica was watching Driver warily but her voice was confident and defiant. “Look at what's happened to her!” she spat, holding out her hand in Jaz's direction.

Everyone looked at Jaz's bleeding hand. She hid it behind her back self-consciously, clenching it shut to stop the blood dripping anymore on the floor.

“Right under your nose!” Erica carried on. “By your own hand if I'm not mistaken!”

“You are.” His deep voice sliced through the air like an Executioner's axe. “But if you think you can do better... be my guest.” He stepped aside with his hand held out towards Jaz, as if offering her to the traitor.

Erica was about to argue -afraid of the responsibility and Driver's eyes that said 'Be careful what you wish for'- when a loud voice growled, “No.”

Everyone snapped their heads in Jaz's direction. Driver had to crane his head to look back at her, regarding her curiously.

She was scowling at her aunt with revulsion.

Erica's mouth opened ready to reason with her niece but Jaz shook her head in response, glowering at her aunt with fierce eyes. “I hate all of you -make no mistake,” Jaz hissed and shot a cutting look Driver's way. He raised his head a fraction enough to show her he got the message. She turned away, focusing back on her aunt. “-But if I had to pick out of all of you people to be 'responsible' for me -if that's what you call it- you,” she pointed at Erica, “would be the last person on Earth I'd ever let that fall to. Ever.” She swept her hand to her side to emphasize the finality of her statement.