Activating Stage Two
1208 Words
JoJo's POV
Ken and I peer into the burner phone, “What's with the burner?”
“Activating Stage Two.”
Mal: WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THAT NIGHT
Jeremy Vongov doesn't reply so Mallory shoots him another text.
Mal: WE HAVE PROOF
Still no reply, Ken takes the phone from Mallory, “Let me, I'll rile him up a little.”
Ken: This video will go viral if you don't do what is required of you (sent video clip)
“Why would you send him the video? you just played our trump card in the first round!” I yell.
“So, he knows we're not messing around!” She yells back.
Three dots appear, “Told you it'd work,” she smirks.
Jeremy Vongov: What do you want?
“WhatdoIsay WhatdoIsay?” Ken whispers like he can hear us, her anxiety spiking through the roof.
“Oh hi there! Jeremy Vongov, we stalked you for a few days because we need your help to take down a common enemy…
okay, not exactly common because you don't care about Kingston… actually you don't care about anyone but he cares about you, he sees you as his number one rival so we want to work with you and air out his dirty laundry and make him have the worse year of his life, what do you say, partner?”
I bite my lip and grab the phone.
Me: Isn't it obvious…
I wince, Mal snorts and Ken just looks at me like I'm an i***t, “Really? Jo… ”
Mal chortles as Ken scolds me, “What is this? A flirting session?”
Three dots appear on the screen.
Jeremy Vongov: You'd have to be more specific.
Me: We want you Jeremy Vongov.
Ken sighs and throws her hands in the air, exasperation evident on her face but I ignore her too.
Jeremy Vongov: You know who I am then??
Me: Jeremy Vongov the elusive bastard heir of Russian Business Man, Maxim Vongov rumored to have blood ties with the Russian mob.
Jeremy Vongov: Then you know my father is very powerful, yes??
Me: We know that and more.
Jeremy Vongov: Enlighten me
Mal sighs, “You know… I've never seen where the blackmailee goads the blackmailer.”
“He's not even alarmed.” Ken gripes, “It's like he's playing an amusing game of cat and mice with us.”
“Blackmailee isn't a word, Mal.” I correct, irritation marring my calm.
“Then why'd you say it?” she counters.
“This is so f****d. We're so fucked.” Ken mutters, her palm repeatedly smacking her forehead as she paces around.
“I should've looked up how to blackmail on Google, right?” I ask with a pinched expression and they give me 'duh' looks.
Me: We wouldn't want to bore you with mundane details of the contact.
Jeremy Vongov: Yes, the two 'drunk' girls stupid enough to bug us, I take it they're your contact.
My heart thuds as I read the message but I bite down spiking nerves and type.
Me: Your concern should be the video we just sent because one click and your father's empire is ashes.
Jeremy Vongov: You think you can get away with this?
Finally, a response I'm familiar with!
Me: Jeremy Jeremy Jeremy you know very well this isn't time for threats, especially not from you.
Jeremy Vongov: You should run while you can because I will find you and…
Me: Be at the GMJ Gone Girls blowout on Friday night. (Sent an encrypted link)
Jeremy Vongov: I will hunt down everyone you care about before your very eyes until you come, crawling on your knees, begging for death, and even then I won't stop.
“End this, Jo.” Mal urges and I realize that I'd clamed up, staring at the words on the screen. I break out a shiver and type.
Me: Stand at the center of the pool by midnight. If you're a second late, the video goes viral.
I switch off the burner phone and Mallory immediately smashes it against the wall.
I jump at the sudden noise.
“What! That's what they do in movies.” She defends.
“Think he's gonna find us?” Ken asks in a small voice and I'm about to apologize for bringing them into my mess when she adds, “Cause I don't think it'd be so bad.”
Mal and I stare at her.
“What?… I think he's hot.” Her voice is tiny as she replies to our stares.
“Damn girl!” Mal laughs and a smile tugs my worried lips.
Ken suddenly turns to me, “Don't you think he's hot?”
Ken opens her gallery to a hundred pictures of Jeremy Vonglo and I must look dumbfounded because she shrugs, “We were tailing him.”
“Didn't mean you had to take photos of him. Everyday.” Mal accuses from her workstation.
Ken rolls her eyes and shrugs like Mallory's the crazy one for pointing that out.
“So... what do you think of him?” Ken urges.
My eyes narrow at a picture of him shirtless and chugging on a water bottle, his Adam's apple all prominent and appetizing and my throat instantly dries up.
“Ahem.” I cough and Ken smirks knowingly.
“I think you're crushing hard on this guy! A guy who's probably a Murdering Mafia Psychopath!”
The words are on the tip of my tongue but given that this is the first time I've seen Ken talk about a guy since kidnapper-Ex I decided to tease her about it.
“Hmm.” I pretend to think, “Let me see… harsh cheekbones, very sharp jawline, aristocrat nose, and piercing gray eyes that scream I stare into your eyes as I wring the life – orgasms(Mal quips) – out of you”
Ken snorts and I blurt out, “He's Freaking Dangerous! Ken.”
They both groan.
“Live a little Jo!” Mal hollers as I retreat to the back of the house.
“Where ya goin'?” Ken asks
To clear my head from all your craziness.
“Gotta check on party supplies.”
“You can't go out looking like a lobster.”
We look at Mallory, “Gimme a minute, someone's trying to hack my firewall.”
“You think it's him?” Ken asks, inching towards Mal's screen.
Mal's all fired up, “I don't care if it's freaking Bin Laden, I'm gonna destroy anyone who thinks to use such cheap tricks to infiltrate my castle.”
“Mal!”
“Jo! I'm working here,” she yells back.
“Okay, your Maleficence, what was the big deal behind the pool stunt.”
“Actually… it was just a prank.” she flirts a glance at me, a grin tainting her sorry expression, “I just... missed you, Jo.”
I send her a withering look that screams, Die b***h!
“You know you love me!” She hollers to my retreating figure and my lips curve as head for the stairs.
- Writer
