Categories > Celebrities > Backstreet Boys > Jersey Girls and Jamestown Boys
-2001-
Pepper sighed as she headed back to Nick's room when he sent her there for his phone after he realized he had left it there. She had left the movie they were watching with his friends to go do this, so she was in a hurry to get back. Using her card key, she swung open the door, frowning when she saw Jane Carter drop Nick's wallet, exclaiming in surprise. She eyed Jane with anger as she watched the woman try to stare her down as she had earlier that day.
"Come in dear, don't just stand there with the door open," Jane finally spoke, her body rigid as she watched Pepper do just as she was told, "we wouldn't want some fan knowing where the boys' rooms are, now would we?"
"What were you doing with Nick's wallet?" Pepper questioned once the door was shut.
"Look, Pepper, I'll be honest with you," Jane said as she sat on the edge of Nick's bed, patting the spot next to her. "Let's talk honey."
Pepper had to repress a grin at where Evil Herself sat, since she knew what had happened right in that spot. She wondered if she should let her know she was probably sitting in something she wouldn't want to, but instead moved to lean against the dresser that was across from the bed. "Pardon the lack of trust, but I know how close you have to be for a snake to bite you," Pepper said, her eyes as cold as Jane's, yet somehow her whole body was on fire at the thought of this woman stealing from Nick.
Jane gave a wry smile and made a small noise at the comment, but let it slide as she regarded Pepper. "Do you work dear?"
"I do, but where that is, and what it is, is none of your concern," Pepper answered, "I do believe I asked you a question."
Jane visibly clenched her jaw for a moment before she managed as polite a smile as possible. "Listen, Pepper, if someone doesn't keep Nick's money under control, he would spend it all on stupid things, or people who don't deserve it," Jane explained, the look she gave Pepper made it quite clear that had been at her. "And I don't really need my son going broke."
"The only time your son spends a dime on me is when it benefits him, like bringing his girlfriend out to the city he'll be at so he can see her," Pepper explained, folding her arms over her chest. "He doesn't buy me anything, because I won't let him. I have my own money, that I earn at my job. Also, your son manages his money quite well, without the help of a thieving mother. The boy gives you enough money as it is, why do you need to steal more? Maybe you're the one who needs to have someone watch their money for them."
Jane's eyes burned holes in Pepper as the calm expression she had been wearing faded into the anger that she had been trying to keep at bay. "Trying to keep his money all to yourself, is that it?" Jane demanded. "Well listen here hon, let me let you in on a little secret. I'm not the person you want to have against you, rather than for you. I can make your whole world crumble in an instant dear. You need to realize that."
Pepper gave her a cold smile, her eyes flashing an dangerous look at Jane as she ran her eyes over the woman. "Honey, dear, you don't know my family," she said as she shook her head. "You do anything to hurt me, you do anything to upset me, I guarantee you, you're going to have three siblings willing to hunt you down from one word from me. Not only will you have them, but you'll have anyone we call up, and we know plenty of people who love some fun. I'll put up with a lot of shit, but threatening is not one of them."
She walked over to the nightstand by the bed and grabbed Nick's phone, slipping it in her pocket. She headed to the door and looked back at the woman. "You'll be lucky if I don't tell your son what you're doing, but I hope you're not feeling lucky." She walked out of the hotel room and went back to Brian's room, using the key he had given her to get back in, taking her spot next to Nick as she handed him his phone. She handed Brian the room key and bit her lip as she tried to think of how to tell Nick that his Mother was stealing from him.
- - - - -
Pepper raised a brow as her and Brian drew closer to Nick's room and heard the shouting from inside. "I got it from here, Bri," she said as she knocked on the door, watching him walk away. When the door opened and a very upset Nick answered the door, she frowned. "Nick, what's going on?"
"Get in here and we'll talk about it," Nick said as he opened the door wider, revealing Jane Carter sitting on the luggage bed, a smirk on her face as she caught the sight of Pepper. But when Nick turned to face her, the smirk was gone, replaced by the anger she was showing Nick.
Pepper frowned as she stepped in and shut the door. "What's going on Nick, why do you look so upset?" She questioned as she turned to her boyfriend.
"My Mother is throwing around some pretty big accusations," Nick explained, his anger still evident as he tried to calm down for Pepper. "I'm missing some money, and she said that she saw you put it in your bag."
Pepper looked at Jane. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" She demanded, her fire raging once more. "I caught you trying to steal and now you're about to blame it on me!? How much money did you take from him?"
Nick cut between them and looked at Pepper. "When did you catch my mom stealing from me?"
Pepper frowned. "When you sent me to get the your phone, I came in here and she had your wallet. She said you needed someone to keep your money under control since you only made stupid decisions with it. I was trying to decide how to tell you or I would have said something sooner."
Nick looked at Jane, a questioning look in his eyes. "Is this true, Mom?" He questioned, "were you stealing from me? And why are you trying to blame it on her? Are you that threatened by her?"
Jane frowned at her son, shaking her head. "How could you believe that little hussy over your Mother, Nickolas? I told you that I walked in on her, and now you're siding with her? I told you she is just trying to use you, and now she's trying to make sure she's the only one that has a chance at your money."
"I don't let him buy me anything!" Pepper exclaimed at the woman, outraged at what she was trying to do. "I never ask for money, because I make my own, why the Hell would I need to steal from him!?"
"Maybe you don't make enough at your job, who knows?" Jane snapped. "All I know is that I walked in here, looking for my son so I can apologize for how I treated you earlier-"
"Oh bullshit!" Pepper exclaimed, cutting her off.
"And there you are, putting my son's money in your messenger bag!" Jane finished, glaring daggers at Pepper. She sent a desperate look at Nick, who was watching the scene unfold before him. "Nick, she even offered me half of it to keep my mouth shut! I told her no, and then she threatened me!"
Nick looked at Pepper, who was giving Jane a look to kill. "Is that true, Pepper? Did you threaten my Mom?"
Pepper turned her eyes to Nick, softly the glare, but there still was one because it was obvious to her she was losing the fight for someone who claimed he loved her. "I only threatened her after she threatened me Nick. When have you ever known me to make threats without reason?"
"Keeping yourself in his pocket is good enough reason," Jane spat, making Nick frown.
"Nick, for fuck's sake, look in my bag if you don't believe me!" Pepper snapped, pissed at the look in her boyfriend's eyes.
"I don't want you to have to prove yourself, Pepper," Nick replied, though his voice wavering was enough to cause a small tightening in Pepper's chest.
"She's probably counting on you not checking her bag if she tries to push it on you," Jane cut in, her brow raised. "You should let her show if she's so sure she didn't go about stealing your money."
Pepper glared at the woman and stalked over to her messenger bag, shoving it into Nick's chest as he gave her a guilty look. "There, open it," she snapped as she looked to Jane. "You really have some nerve, Mrs. Carter," she growled.
"No," Nick's voice caught her attention, "you do."
Pepper sighed as she headed back to Nick's room when he sent her there for his phone after he realized he had left it there. She had left the movie they were watching with his friends to go do this, so she was in a hurry to get back. Using her card key, she swung open the door, frowning when she saw Jane Carter drop Nick's wallet, exclaiming in surprise. She eyed Jane with anger as she watched the woman try to stare her down as she had earlier that day.
"Come in dear, don't just stand there with the door open," Jane finally spoke, her body rigid as she watched Pepper do just as she was told, "we wouldn't want some fan knowing where the boys' rooms are, now would we?"
"What were you doing with Nick's wallet?" Pepper questioned once the door was shut.
"Look, Pepper, I'll be honest with you," Jane said as she sat on the edge of Nick's bed, patting the spot next to her. "Let's talk honey."
Pepper had to repress a grin at where Evil Herself sat, since she knew what had happened right in that spot. She wondered if she should let her know she was probably sitting in something she wouldn't want to, but instead moved to lean against the dresser that was across from the bed. "Pardon the lack of trust, but I know how close you have to be for a snake to bite you," Pepper said, her eyes as cold as Jane's, yet somehow her whole body was on fire at the thought of this woman stealing from Nick.
Jane gave a wry smile and made a small noise at the comment, but let it slide as she regarded Pepper. "Do you work dear?"
"I do, but where that is, and what it is, is none of your concern," Pepper answered, "I do believe I asked you a question."
Jane visibly clenched her jaw for a moment before she managed as polite a smile as possible. "Listen, Pepper, if someone doesn't keep Nick's money under control, he would spend it all on stupid things, or people who don't deserve it," Jane explained, the look she gave Pepper made it quite clear that had been at her. "And I don't really need my son going broke."
"The only time your son spends a dime on me is when it benefits him, like bringing his girlfriend out to the city he'll be at so he can see her," Pepper explained, folding her arms over her chest. "He doesn't buy me anything, because I won't let him. I have my own money, that I earn at my job. Also, your son manages his money quite well, without the help of a thieving mother. The boy gives you enough money as it is, why do you need to steal more? Maybe you're the one who needs to have someone watch their money for them."
Jane's eyes burned holes in Pepper as the calm expression she had been wearing faded into the anger that she had been trying to keep at bay. "Trying to keep his money all to yourself, is that it?" Jane demanded. "Well listen here hon, let me let you in on a little secret. I'm not the person you want to have against you, rather than for you. I can make your whole world crumble in an instant dear. You need to realize that."
Pepper gave her a cold smile, her eyes flashing an dangerous look at Jane as she ran her eyes over the woman. "Honey, dear, you don't know my family," she said as she shook her head. "You do anything to hurt me, you do anything to upset me, I guarantee you, you're going to have three siblings willing to hunt you down from one word from me. Not only will you have them, but you'll have anyone we call up, and we know plenty of people who love some fun. I'll put up with a lot of shit, but threatening is not one of them."
She walked over to the nightstand by the bed and grabbed Nick's phone, slipping it in her pocket. She headed to the door and looked back at the woman. "You'll be lucky if I don't tell your son what you're doing, but I hope you're not feeling lucky." She walked out of the hotel room and went back to Brian's room, using the key he had given her to get back in, taking her spot next to Nick as she handed him his phone. She handed Brian the room key and bit her lip as she tried to think of how to tell Nick that his Mother was stealing from him.
- - - - -
Pepper raised a brow as her and Brian drew closer to Nick's room and heard the shouting from inside. "I got it from here, Bri," she said as she knocked on the door, watching him walk away. When the door opened and a very upset Nick answered the door, she frowned. "Nick, what's going on?"
"Get in here and we'll talk about it," Nick said as he opened the door wider, revealing Jane Carter sitting on the luggage bed, a smirk on her face as she caught the sight of Pepper. But when Nick turned to face her, the smirk was gone, replaced by the anger she was showing Nick.
Pepper frowned as she stepped in and shut the door. "What's going on Nick, why do you look so upset?" She questioned as she turned to her boyfriend.
"My Mother is throwing around some pretty big accusations," Nick explained, his anger still evident as he tried to calm down for Pepper. "I'm missing some money, and she said that she saw you put it in your bag."
Pepper looked at Jane. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" She demanded, her fire raging once more. "I caught you trying to steal and now you're about to blame it on me!? How much money did you take from him?"
Nick cut between them and looked at Pepper. "When did you catch my mom stealing from me?"
Pepper frowned. "When you sent me to get the your phone, I came in here and she had your wallet. She said you needed someone to keep your money under control since you only made stupid decisions with it. I was trying to decide how to tell you or I would have said something sooner."
Nick looked at Jane, a questioning look in his eyes. "Is this true, Mom?" He questioned, "were you stealing from me? And why are you trying to blame it on her? Are you that threatened by her?"
Jane frowned at her son, shaking her head. "How could you believe that little hussy over your Mother, Nickolas? I told you that I walked in on her, and now you're siding with her? I told you she is just trying to use you, and now she's trying to make sure she's the only one that has a chance at your money."
"I don't let him buy me anything!" Pepper exclaimed at the woman, outraged at what she was trying to do. "I never ask for money, because I make my own, why the Hell would I need to steal from him!?"
"Maybe you don't make enough at your job, who knows?" Jane snapped. "All I know is that I walked in here, looking for my son so I can apologize for how I treated you earlier-"
"Oh bullshit!" Pepper exclaimed, cutting her off.
"And there you are, putting my son's money in your messenger bag!" Jane finished, glaring daggers at Pepper. She sent a desperate look at Nick, who was watching the scene unfold before him. "Nick, she even offered me half of it to keep my mouth shut! I told her no, and then she threatened me!"
Nick looked at Pepper, who was giving Jane a look to kill. "Is that true, Pepper? Did you threaten my Mom?"
Pepper turned her eyes to Nick, softly the glare, but there still was one because it was obvious to her she was losing the fight for someone who claimed he loved her. "I only threatened her after she threatened me Nick. When have you ever known me to make threats without reason?"
"Keeping yourself in his pocket is good enough reason," Jane spat, making Nick frown.
"Nick, for fuck's sake, look in my bag if you don't believe me!" Pepper snapped, pissed at the look in her boyfriend's eyes.
"I don't want you to have to prove yourself, Pepper," Nick replied, though his voice wavering was enough to cause a small tightening in Pepper's chest.
"She's probably counting on you not checking her bag if she tries to push it on you," Jane cut in, her brow raised. "You should let her show if she's so sure she didn't go about stealing your money."
Pepper glared at the woman and stalked over to her messenger bag, shoving it into Nick's chest as he gave her a guilty look. "There, open it," she snapped as she looked to Jane. "You really have some nerve, Mrs. Carter," she growled.
"No," Nick's voice caught her attention, "you do."
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