Chapter 14
1496 Words
Inside his truck there’re the italians and Marcus, they get out, they walk heading straight at me.
“What do you want from me? What are you doing here? I say.
“I want what belongs to me. I want you back.” He says. “What sort of boss would I be if I let nerds like him take you away from me? You know the rules.”
He looks at his Italians who’re nodding in approval.
“I don’t want to be won like a trophy. You have to let me have the time and space to choose. Why can't you let me have at least that?
“We already made our vows Sweetheart! Till death do us apart remember?”
“I thought you were dead.”
“No… I’m what’s alive but this weasel is dead.”
He takes out a black pistol and points it at Owen who’s kneeling on the ground. I jump in the air to lower his hand. It goes bang and Owen falls to the ground and bleeds into the ground.
“What are you doing? You shot him!” I say tears already falling from my eyes.
Owen is on the ground, lifeless, on his last breath. Marcus looks at me and says,
“You care about this loser? I had a clear shot… He’s not going to be a problem anymore.” He looks at Ross and Jimmy and says, "You two take care of him alright?”
“Yes boss.” They say in unison. As if they have a worked out plan communicated telepathically. They mechanically take Owen’s body and dutifully put him in the RV and they drive off to dump him somewhere.
I’m standing in horror watching the RV driving off with Owen’s lifeless body. Marcus grabs me by the arm and puts me in Owen’s truck and he drives in the opposite direction as I’m crying next to him. He drives through the night.
The more I cry, the more agitated Marcus gets. The more agitated he gets, the faster he drives. At this point my tears are dry because Marcus has been getting more angry and now his foot is on the floor as he drives.
“Who you crying for b***h?” he says, “And when you see me, you act like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Please slow down Marcus. We’re going too fast.” I say trying to calm him down.
“So you hook up with the first guy I sent to come find you?”
“I didn’t know you were alive when I met him… He lied to me too.” I say.
“What, s’you think you’re too good for me now?” He says, “You want to date roaches that plumber?”
“I just don’t want to be lied to anymore.” This comment sets him off like a rocket.
“You know that I’ve never lied to you. I just want you to be happy. I love you and you know that I can’t live without you. I can’t accept living my life without you.” He takes out his gun as he’s driving at high speed. “I can’t lose you again… One of us would have to go.”
“What are you saying?” I ask him.
“You know I’d never hurt you.” He says and adds, “But one of us would get hurt.”
He says as the car moves fast down the highway.
I look back but there’s nothing but darkness. The future is coming to me as fast as we’re driving. I let the threat sit in the air as he drives with his gun in his hand.
I just know I need to take good care of myself because Marcus is not ready to let go.
He drives me straight to the city I ran away from. It’s like I’m new and fresh. I never thought I’d be here again ever since I started living in Aldin town.
The sky is gray and cloudy and there’s a cold wind in the air as we drive into the streets in Owen’s truck.
The first stop the truck makes is at the pool club. We get inside the pool hall, that familiar smell of cigars now saturates my body and permeates my being.
“I gotta tell the fellas that you’re back!” He says as he rounds up his goons. They all line up at his command and offer tributary kisses to the princess who’s come to take her rightful throne.
“This is my number one lady, guys. I went to the mountains to find her. You see her, you see me, so keep her safe. You know we’re expanding and some people are getting greedy.” He says.
They all see me as the boss’s prized jewel from now on. I won’t be able to carry a bag of groceries without these tough guys trying to appease me.
They are his eyes and ears, an alert system in case I ever try to run away. He has introduced me to a whole room full of surveillance cameras with brains and guns!
He walks into the office of the pool hall and he gets settled in a leather seat.
“You run this place now?” I ask, seeing the elements of his power and control of the establishment.
“We needed someone to keep things in-line so the associates let me take over things on this side for a while.”
“You’ve really made it for yourself.” I say, “But you know that I haven’t been around all this in so long.”
“Yeah I’m going to take you out and you’re going right where you need to be…”
One of his goons gets in the room and hands him a phone.
He tells one of his guys, “Go get her dressed and bring here by 8, don’t let her out of your sight, got it?”
“Yes boss,” he says. We exit the pool hall office as he’s shouting on the phone.
He turns to you and says: “Tonight we’re going out. Go put on something nice…”
I leave the room as he’s saying into the speaker: “They’re supposed to be here by now. Now just go find them!”
—
The guy that drives me to the apartment is Steve. He’s the man assigned to transport me and keep his eyes on me. I reach the apartment and open the door.
The last time I was in here, Marcus was on the floor. I see the place but it’s been replaced with a new rug and a table on top of it.
Steve stands inside the room as I go through the old place with all the memories flooding in. I look out the window and see the view I would see every night in this city before I moved to Aldin Town.
I go to take a bath and change my clothes. It’s around 7 and Steve comes to knock on the door.
“We’ve got to go right now ma’am. We are meeting the boss at the restaurant.”
I get dressed and put on a large coat because it’s windy outside and slightly cold. I am thinking of the ways I can escape. He wants me to play his princess or something like that. But all I want to do is discover myself. I don’t fit in this world anymore.
We get into the classy restaurant and order food from the expensive menu.
“You remember when we used to come to this place?” He says with a smile. He wants me to reminisce with him.
“It seems like a whole other life before.” I say, truly surprised by how much I’ve changed.
“I love you Sophia and it's time that we start a family for real.” He says reaching out to hold my hand. “That’s all I could think about when I got popped. I want you to give me an heir.”
“I am not ready for that right now.” I say. We are just getting back to being in each other’s lives again… and I need some time to just think about this. I thought you were dead this whole time but here you are!”
“Did you really want me to stay dead? Is that it?” He says and sips his drink. “I think you’re going to be happier when I make you a proud mother… The mother of my child.”
He smiles and gulps down another glassful of wine.
He’s really trying to make me his wife and he’s ready to give me a baby so that I can stay with him.
He wants me to make an heir for his empire.
- Writer
