The Enforcer or The Mafia Prince

Chapter 16

For the time being, Tristan had to live with the camera in his apartment. He had to act like he didn't know it was there and had just checked what cord he needed for his Xbox in case the video feed was live and someone was watching him. He even went so far as to actually swap the HDMI cord he had been using. The O'Sullivans pretended nothing was wrong while they learned as much as possible about where it was transmitting. The charade in his own home was exhausting. Still, Tristan arrived by seven to escort Jessica to class. As usual, he sat next to her. Jimmy drove while Declan sat in the passenger seat. The sun was out, and it promised to be a beautiful day. The entire situation was both familiar and foreign. It was as though the four were sitting in the illusion of normalcy, whatever that might be. Underneath the façade, everyone was obviously waiting for something to happen. Tristan tried over and over to settle Jess's mind. He promised that IT was actively working on the issue and would be until it was no longer necessary. He also told Jess that they'd be the first to know if anything happened.

Jessica was almost too afraid to leave the car when they arrived on campus. As she walked to class, she felt everyone was staring at her. Her guard was up the entire morning. Jessica's heart almost stopped when the university sent out a campus-wide notice. The message had nothing to do with her; it was just a reminder about some upcoming event on campus. Still, that moment when everyone around her reached for their phones or started clicking around on their laptops was terrifying. Then she saw Greg walking around campus. She cautiously made her way behind a sizable column, trying to act as nonchalantly as possible. Fortunately, he didn't see her, but Jess saw he was a little worse for the wear. Jessica noticed that his nose seemed recently broken, and she couldn't help but wish it was true, although she felt guilty for thinking that way. Greg was only a momentary distraction. Once he passed, Jess was back to her neurotic morning. She was uncertain how long she could continue coping in this way.

Meanwhile, Declan was hounding Tristan with reminders about what they should do for Jessica. She could not defend herself and relied on the O'Sullivans for everything. At some point, they may be unable to protect her due to unforeseen circumstances. Declan was adamant that Jessica should learn self-defense and how to properly use a firearm in case of emergencies.

"Unfortunately," Declan was lecturing Tristan, "she's an academic, not an athlete. You can tell she occasionally works out and walks a lot. But, you know, she might not have enough stamina if something unexpected occurs." That reminded Declan that he had meant to tell Tristan something. "Did you know Jess likes to swim?"

"She does? How'd you find that out," Tristan eyed his friend questioningly.

"I took Jessica on a tour of the entire building yesterday before class. She was amazed by the gym. When she saw the pool, she damn near lost her mind. It might be a good idea to take her shopping since she doesn't own a swimsuit. Plus, swimming will be a good way for her to build up endurance as she trains," Declan explained as he swiped through his phone, checking their schedule for the day.

"I didn't agree that she should get trained," Tristan tried to argue. Declan couldn't help but chuckle, trying to mask it with a cough.

"You tell her that; let's see what happens. Did you notice how she was shaking as she got out of the car? She has a semester and a half left to go. That's a long time to be afraid." Tristan hated to admit Declan was right, but it was his fault Jess was in this situation. It'd be irresponsible of him to disagree.

"What's her class schedule like again?" Declan switched to the calendar app and pulled up Jess's schedule.

"She has classes Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. She finishes her classes at noon on Mondays and Thursdays. On Wednesdays, her classes begin at ten in the morning and continue until four in the afternoon," Declan recited.

"Let's have Jess train with an instructor for an hour after class. On her days off, she should do swimming and weight lifting. So that she's more comfortable, a female instructor from the security team should be sent over to lead her training," Tristan suggested. Given recent issues with Greg and the possibility of a leaked video, Jessica may feel uncomfortable around men who find her attractive or vulnerable. Ultimately, however, the final training plan would be left to her instructor.

Declan rubbed his chin and thought about Tristan's instructions, "I think Georgiana is back from her vacation. They're about the same age, and Gia kicks ass. She's had me tap out once. How about we ask her to train Jess?" Tristan had met Gia several times, and the security lead spoke highly of her.

"Sure. I think that'll work," Tristan agreed.

As soon as her second class was done for the day, Jessica dashed back to the meeting spot only to discover Jimmy hadn't arrived yet. Declan said that he and Tristan had a meeting today, so she only expected Mr. Dunn. After five minutes, Jess' anxiety got the best of her. Her hands trembled as she fumbled for her phone. With a racing heart, she reluctantly dialed Jimmy's number, hoping nothing was wrong. She felt better knowing he was okay and nearby. The traffic was just worse than usual. As she waited, Jess noticed the day was colder than anticipated. It was windy, too. She pulled out her phone and realized a storm was moving through and would hit the city later that night.

"That's just great," Jessica thought. Jess dreaded storms, and if it became severe, tonight would be unbearable. Being on a high floor and close to the water, she would have a clear view of it, too. Most people claim to enjoy watching a storm roll in; Jess was not one of them. She got anxious whenever there was a storm. It reminded her of the night her grandma, Abbi, died. Jess tried all the tricks to remember she was safe during storms, but nothing helped, even though it was just thunder and lightning. While contemplating whether or not to call and ask Declan to pick up some candles or if she should just have Jimmy stop on the way home, Jessica failed to notice a shadowy figure snapping photos of her from down the street.

Finally, Jess spotted the town car turning onto the street and slowing to a stop in front of her. Mr. Dunn didn't have time to exit the vehicle or open the door before Jess was bucked into her seat. He noted how she got in, locked the door, then got settled. Jimmy felt terrible for her. He'd chosen this life because his wife grew up in one of the families that made up the O'Sullivan group. He knew that it was dangerous. Still, it was his choice. Jessica didn't get a say in her case; she was just doing her best. By working with Ciaran, she could improve her situation and avoid being at the mercy of him and his employees during a difficult time. Jessica was independent and preferred to take care of herself rather than rely on others. Maybe it was a trait from her mother or even Abbi, but Jess wouldn't let herself be vulnerable that way. It was too risky.

"How was class today, Ms. Jessica?" Jimmy hoped making conversation would help Jess relax.

"Jimmy, you don't have to be like that with me. I'm not your boss. My classes were fine. Thank you. How was your day?" Jimmy could tell the only part of that response that wasn't phoned in was her instruction not to be so formal with her.

"Okay, Jess. My day was fine." Jessica had a wall up, one Jimmy didn't know how to break. In a sudden flash of inspiration, Jimmy was struck with an idea to help her feel better. "Hey, Jess, do you have plans before Declan and Tristan return this afternoon?"

"No, not really. Since we've turned in our midsemester assignments this week, our workload is a bit light today," Jessica responded, still preoccupied with the weather.

"Jess, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to introduce you to my wife when we return to the condo. Would it be okay if I sent her up to see you?" Jimmy thought speaking with another woman in a similar position might help her.

"Oh? Is everything okay," Jess knew nothing about Jimmy's wife except that she'd had a cold recently. So, she was unsure about what Jimmy could be thinking.

"My wife grew up in this life. Her father is one of Mr. O'Sullivan's closest associates. Their fathers worked together, and so on. Before meeting my father-in-law and getting married, her mother was one of Mr. O'Sullivan's secretaries. I think you'd like her." Jimmy didn't want to say he was sending his wife to help Jess cope. Judging from the conversations he'd heard between her and Tristan, he didn't think she'd be too receptive to unsolicited help.

Additionally, Jimmy was concerned about Jess potentially suspecting Ciaran had orchestrated the situation. Jimmy genuinely wanted to help ease her worries. Jess realized she hadn't been around other women much lately and thought that Jimmy's wife would be someone she should get to know.

"Okay, Jimmy. When we get home, let me change. I'll text you when I'm ready. By the way, can we stop at the store on the way home? It looks like we're expecting a bad storm, and I want to get flashlights and candles," Jessica asked him.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. A box filled with storm supplies is already in the storage closet on the balcony. All the units have one. If it seems like it'll get dangerous, Ciaran has building maintenance go around and put up coverings too. You don't have to worry," Jimmy told her, looking at her through the rearview mirror. Once they got home, Jimmy turned into the garage to park instead of stopping in front of the main entrance as usual.

"I'm not going to be driving for a while and thought you might not want to go up alone," Jimmy explained to a surprised-looking Jess.

Jessica and Jimmy rode the elevator up together. As he got off on his floor, he reminded her to text when she was ready. Jess nervously entered the condo, scanning the surroundings to ensure she was alone. She couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching her every move. It was understandable. She was being either extra vigilant or extra paranoid, depending on one's perspective. Content that she was alone, Jess freshened up and texted Jimmy that his wife was welcome to come up. Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. After confirming it was Jimmy's wife by comparing a photo of her to the woman at the door, Jessica let her in.

"Hello, Ms. Dunn. I just realized that Jimmy never told me your name," Jessica welcomed her nervously. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water would be wonderful," she responded, making herself comfortable at the dining table. "You can just call me Emma." Emma and Jimmy were both older than Declan, Tristan, and Jessica. Emma looked to be in her late 20s. She had a medium build but carried a little extra weight, making her look cute. As she sat, Emma took a small square-looking thing, pricked her finger, and then read some details on her phone. "Do you mind if we order lunch while we chat? I need to eat something."

"Oh, are you diabetic?" Jessica sat two glasses down on the table, followed by a pitcher of water and a bowl of fresh-cut lemons.

"Yeah, it's not too much of a hassle with all the tools we have now. Even my phone tracks blood sugar for me now," Emma explained. Jessica was hungry as well. When Emma heard Jess was vegan, she recommended a restaurant down the street. It was considered healthy and catered to all dietary restrictions. They ordered personalized Greek salads; Jessica opted to forgo the feta and chicken for falafel.

"So, Jimmy told me a little about your situation lately. Care to tell me how you ended up here from your perspective?" Emma ate her salad and waited for Jessica to tell her story. Jess told her about Tristan showing up at her parent's place, her father's debt, the meeting with Ciaran, Tristan hitting on her, Sophia, the recording-basically everything but the dirty details. She figured most of the information was "public" to the organization already, so Jess didn't have to hide anything. Emma was a great listener. She'd roll her eyes when the O'Sullivans were extra pushy or nod along when Jessica asked if she understood a particularly complex part of the tale. Without realizing it, Emma had finished her salad before Jess could eat much of hers. Jess didn't mind, though. She was glad to get everything off her shoulders.