Chapter 79
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Keesha watched as Miranda kissed Nikolas goodbye. She waved at Katherine
who gave her a mock salute. "No love lost?"
Katherine looked over at Keesha's question. "Nikolas can do who...I mean
*what* he wants."
"Yes. But it still must be kind of odd. You and Miranda were rather
close, and now she's involved with your ex."
Katherine groaned. "No, it's not odd. The closest person I ever had to a
sister, stabbed me in the back and took away the person I can't get out of
my head...no matter how hard I try. That's not odd, it's betrayal. Plain
and simple. I hope they both get what they deserve...." she walked away
mumbling. "Jax..." she muttered, walking past him.
"Katherine." Jax turned and looked at her as she disappeared. He shook
his head and shrugged, walking over to Keesha. "Hi." he glanced around.
"Can I kiss you or will I mess up the makeup?" he whispered with a grin.
"Oh who cares." she leaned forward and they kissed gently. "Hi." she
smiled. She pulled away, wipting the edge of his lips. "Miranda's
racking up quite a hate list."
"Katherine?"
"Let's just say, I don't think she's quite over Nikolas."
"Well then, I just found myself a new best friend...ow..." he rubbed his
arm where Keesha hit him. "Second...ow..."
"That was for Jerry."
"Third?"
"Okay." she laughed.
"Anyway, anyone who has no use for Miranda is a winner in my book. I
think I'll go see if I have anything to offer her..." he stepped back.
"What?"
"I was waiting for you to hit me again."
Keesha smiled. "I worry about you."
"Keesha?!"
"Yes Nikolas!" Keesha rolled her eyes. "I suppose that means they're
ready. I love you." she stood, kissing Jax one last time.
Jax knocked and waited. "What do you want?" Miranda called from the other
side of the door.
"Miranda...will you...please..." his voice deepened. "...open the damn
door?"
He waited for a moment longer and finally the door opened. "What?"
"I'm taking a page from you. It's rather stupid for us to pretend you're
not around, isn't it."
"So Jerry told you." Miranda moved out of the way and Jax walked in,
pausing. He couldn't beleive how different Brenda's old cottage looked.
Nikolas had changed everything completely.
"What's your problem."
"Nothing." Jax sighed. "Aside from you, nothing."
"You know what. You don't scare me."
"I'm not trying to."
"Good, because you don't."
"Even though having Helena on your side meant nothing to me, and I
still...won. And Nikolas is a mere child, and trust me, if I wanted to, I
could make your life into a living nightmare. He couldn't stop me."
"Ah, but what Nikolas wants, Stefan wants. I'm back here, remember. I'm
not going anywhere, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Maybe so."
"No. Postively so." Miranda stepped closer to Jax for effect. "You mean
nothing to me, but if you get in my way, ever again, on anything, expect
an all out war. And you will lose."
Jax actually smiled.
"What's so funny?"
"Now, you see, after the fall I've had, if anything, I am prepared
for...it's an all...out...war..." he stated seriously. "So, all my same
rules apply. You abide by them, I will stay out of your way. Leave Jerry
alone. Leave Keesha alone. Leave me alone. And as far as I'm concerned,
you don't exist."
"Funny. As far as I'm concerned, you already ceast to be." Miranda
managed to hold her ground, despite her growing fear. If anyone could
find out about that connection to Peter it was Jax. And she bet that Jax
was looking into it already.
Jax left without another word, closing the door behind him. Miranda
waited, and then went upstairs, picking up the phone. She debated and
then dialed.
"Scorpio Detective Agency...Felicia speaking."
"Hi Felicia. It's me..."
"Miranda! Hi"
"I need a favor. But it has to stay between us, and you can't involve V,
or Mac."
"Must be some favor."
"I need you to watch Jax for me. I need to know what he's doing, where
he's going. And I will pay you of course. Just name the price."
"Why?"
"Because I want to make sure I'm safe."
Felicia sighed. Miranda had a lot of enemies in this town. And Jax
definitely was on the top of the list. "Okay. I'll start now." she hung
up, smiling as V walked in.
"New client?" V asked.
"No. Old one." she answered. "You just got here, where are you..."
"I have a meeting with Ned, and I forgot something." V laughed. She
reached into her desk, grabbed a file and closed it. "Bye."
"Bye."
Felicia sighed, knowing what she had to do. The best place to start with
Jax...she walked over to V's desk and took a look inside, pulling out his
file.
"I can drive you home if you want? Or are you waiting for Jax?"
Keesha turned and looked at Nikolas. "No, just a cab. But I'd love a
ride home, if you don't mind."
"No problem." he opened the door to the studio once more and led Keesha
through to the parking lot in the back. "I had a feeling you would take
this job."
"Really? Why?"
"You're a natural."
Keesha laughed. "Thank you."
"You should think of a career change."
"No. I can only manage this once or twice a year. After that my
modelling quota is done. But thanks so much for the opportunity. I'm
actually kind of surprised you agreed to this...given..."
"Miranda?" Nikolas opened the door and Keesha got in. "Yes, but if
there's one thing I learned, is that relationships blur all the time. So
compartmentalize. You must have done so. Given Jax. I'm sure he wasn't
too happy." he closed the door.
"No." Keesha agreed when Nikolas got in and started to pull off. "He
wasn't that sold on the idea."
"So why did you do it?"
Keesha shrugged. "If he absolutely hated it, I wouldn't have. But he
didn't, he just had his preference and I had mine. What about Miranda?"
"Miranda didn't mind actually. If she had, I would have still agreed with
Katherine that you were the perfect choice however. I'm not a child." he
said, looking right at Keesha. "I always know what I am doing. Father
just taught me to keep motives to myself."
Shani
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