The Cunning

87

"Another party?" Madison sighed, staring up at the ceiling on the bed. Jase chuckled. He was sitting on the desk, attention on his phone.

"You don't have to come downstairs if you don't want to," he replied.

Madison rolled over, looking at him like he was stupid. "I sit in this room alone all the time. I'm not doing that if there's a party," she said then nodded to his hand. "The dressing on that needs changing."

Jase looked up, bottom lip between his teeth and brows drawn together in question. The cut on his hand had escaped his mind. It had been three days since it happened. The pain was closer to a tickle and the feeling had returned to all of his fingers, though he had pins and needles in his pinky more often than not.

"It should have been changed yesterday," Madison added.

"You can do it in a bit," he said.

"I can do it?" Madison repeated,

Jase smirked, not looking back up from his phone screen. "You look after me. I look after you, remember?"

She rolled her eyes, pretending the blood hadn't rushed to her cheeks. "Go and get the first aid kit then," she said.

Jase slid off the desk and went to grab the bandages and wipes, sitting on the edge of the bed when he returned. Madison took his hand and carefully unravelled the dressing. Now the wound had closed up it didn't look half as bad. She gently wiped at the thin gash, placing another cotton pad over and rewrapping it.

"Cheers," Jase said, examining the fresh binding.

"You said you were going to deal with the person who did this," she said. Jase hummed. "Did you?"

He peered at her through his lashes. It was one of Mitch's runners that had taken a swipe. No doubt in an attempt to impress Mitch. Adam and Tommy had gone out to find him whilst Jase was in the hospital, it hadn't taken long. Jase had more eyes and ears than he cared to count, the attacker hadn't even bothered to change clothes. Instead, he'd gone straight to one of their dealers houses and started running their mouth about causing some 'real damage' to Jase Davies. He'd been kept in a workshop Ramon owned and Jase had returned the damage tenfold the following day. With his good hand, of course.

"What kind of answer are you looking for?" he questioned. Madison poked her tongue in her cheek, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands and rolling her shoulders.

"I guess what I really mean is, this isn't going to happen again, is it?"

One corner of Jase's mouth tugged upwards, exposing a shallow dimple.

"I can't make any promises but it won't be him that tries."

The answer was enough to satisfy her, she didn't need details which was good, because Jase didn't fancy supplying them.

"Why do you throw so many parties?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Why risk selling drugs on the street when you can do it from the comfort of your own home?"

"Is Benny going to be there? I haven't seen him in a while."

"His mum's ill. He's out of town." He tilted his head. "Why?" he questioned, though he could take an educated guess.

"Because you're different when he's around," she replied, picking up her hairbrush and running it through her long waves. Jase grunted but didn't ask what she meant, he knew he was different, it was no mistake.

"Do you want chicken nuggets for dinner?" he asked, avoiding the elephant she'd let into the room with her statement, laying half on the bed with his feet still touching the floor. Madison nodded and put her brush down. He reached up, playing with the ends of her hair. "Did you want anything with them?"