HER SHELTER

4.

She didn’t know what to feel at that particular time, was it the betrayal, or hurt, could she perhaps cry but she couldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her broken, it simply wasn’t worth it but what could she expect, she was simply just a child. All she could hear ringing in her head was YES, the answer that changed her life and all its views. she could not forget the broken and tearful expression on the face of her mother. Perhaps she was thinking about where she had gone wrong in marrying such a man as she did but she could not do that, she had loved him while it lasted even if he did even for a second.

Alma did not think she could feel this much pain on such a special day, she had lost both parents and she still did not know what to feel but she was numb, she was trying so hard not to think of what he said, were they going to be a family, was she going to be living here now, was she going to be okay, was she going to be looked after properly. She was going to miss her parents no doubt but all that came to her head was the lifeless bodies as they dropped to the floor and her screams as that happened. She just felt worse that all she did was scream, nothing else, she couldn’t even put up a fight, who was she kidding, she was so tiny so what could she have done………

“Boss, these are my family, you promised you would keep them safe”, Mr. Alex said.

The man chuckled wickedly taking a sip of what seemed to make him feel good and powerful,

“did, I”

Mr. Alex was beginning to become so restless, that was what he was promised if not why would he go through all this trouble, he had also been promised a million for his family to be utilized while they were kept safe, whatever that meant, he didn’t care to ask or he couldn’t as he was too afraid. This couldn’t be happening to him, was he not going to get the money promised or was something wrong with the process.

“Boss, is something wrong?”

“Yes, something is wrong”

“What is?”

He stood up smiling like a few screws had left his brains and approaching him dangerously slowly, he said;

“sadly, I don’t remember making a deal with you, would you care to remind me what we discussed.”

He could feel his body heating up, was this happening to him or was this some kind of joke? He couldn’t help but turn to look at his wife and daughter, he truly had let them down, and for what, just for his selfishness and whatever was to come next was all his fault and that alone was enough to run cold shivers down his spine.

“Sir, you had promised to take care of my family, I got myself in danger for you and you said you would protect me or have you forgotten”

“Did I? I can remember giving you a fair share of the money, do I still have to protect you now, well I would keep my promise to you but sadly not all of them”

With that he beckoned his family to come closer as they were a bit from the pair as they had their discussion and all they could hear were whispers but looking at them both you would be certain that the conversation was serious.

He took a look at the little girl and smiled at her and asked her to come closer, but Alma was so scared of him, his face alone was enough to make anyone run away so all she did was hide at her mother's back and clutching tightly to her clothes like her life depends on it and at any moment the floor will open to swallow her. The crazy man dared to laugh like he hadn't seen something funny in a long while and that alone had her mother turning to her husband in a hopeless attempt to understand their current situation.

“Oh, hi my bad, we haven’t been properly introduced, I am Jax Alonso but pls call me Jax”. Giving him a friendly smile, she tried to mask her fear;

“You must be my husband’s friend, we have never met”, she extended her hands out of courtesy for a handshake but he looked at her from up to down in a menacingly slow manner like she was just so annoying he could have her disappear now.

She retracted her hands but not before giving him a look that she was scared of him and he could try his worst but all she simply was interested in was protecting her daughter and nothing else mattered not even him.

Jax couldn’t help but chuckle dangerously, he hadn’t expected her to hide her fear behind this bravado front she had going on but he was impressed, if anything he was going to enjoy killing her but she didn’t need to know that, did she?

“woman, I am not a friend of your husband, you can say am his boss but his friend, no way.” He turned his attention to the little girl shivering and smiled at her but that only made her turn away further. He was scary, he knew that and he enjoyed the expression on people's faces, was he psychotic, oh yes….

“would you love to live with this gorgeous uncle”

“NO”, she screamed at the top of her voice, the thought alone was scary.

“Well dear, I don’t think you have a choice, you see here your father has given you to me. He is such a coward, just look at him.”

Those words were so big, she could hardly comprehend but all she could understand was the fact that her father had given her to this man and she was going to have to stay with him. All she could think of was why he would do that, she knew he didn’t like her but she hadn’t thought he would do something like this, it was just beyond her imagination and she didn’t like it one bit. She didn’t know if it was okay for her to feel this way. She turned to her mother as if trying to get an answer from her but all she could see were the tears she was trying to blink back but was failing terribly.

“Mother, what is going on, you are not going to leave me right, you know I can’t live without you”. All her mother could feel at that particular time was her heart been ripped into pieces but she had to keep it together for her child. She passed her a smile and turned slowly to her husband, clutching a hand to heart.

“what is tttthhhheee probleeeemmm?”, she couldn’t help to stutter but all she got from her husband was a look of guilt and that was not what she needed to see at the moment.

“Could you tell me what is going on, you did not do what he is talking about, he is playing a prank on me right?”

She tried to reason with him but he just could not speak up, how was he going to explain that he did this to save his family from the dangerous thing he did by getting involved with the wrong people, he just couldn’t.

“I am sorry, am sorry, I didn’t mean to break our family to this point, look at me dear, what can I do to fix these” He had this pained expression but deep down he knew he messed up badly and even if he had the best of intentions, he was just so much at fault. This wouldn’t have happened if he was contented with what he had but no, he just had to be greedy to get money and messed with the wrong people.

“oh, am so touched, I feel like I could cry with all these raw emotions, it’s just too much,” Jax said with a look of disgust on his face and out of contempt. He had never felt such emotions and so did not understand what the exaggeration was all about but who cares, he was perfectly fine alone.

“would you excuse me, I have better things to do with my time but I sadly hate to break this little family reunion going on here”, he said.

“Boss, please we would get going, am so sorry to disturb you”, Mr. Alex finally spoke up

“Go on, take care of yourself”

With that he signaled his family and they took hasting steps towards the door but a voice stopped them.

“on second thought, I need something”, Jax suddenly said and the temperature in the room dropped. Everywhere went silent and they all slowly turned to look at him.

“What is that?”, Mr. Alex said.

Jax just smiled like he had remembered something funny and with that raised his gun and shot the husband and wife.

Thank you for reading.