The Enforcer or The Mafia Prince

Chapter 29

Dr. Malone kept an office on the first floor of the O'Sullivan building in addition to her main office. This served two purposes. First, it allowed members of the organization to feel safe visiting her. Second, it kept her safe if members of the organization needed her services. If a rival organization were to know that a member of the O'Sullivan group was speaking to a professional, it could be used against them. Keeping an office in-house ensured the safety and confidentiality of both parties from prying eyes.

"Welcome, Jessica," Dr. Malone said, inviting her into the condo-turned-office. Jessica compared her photo to the image Declan had sent her. Dr. Malone was an older woman about Ciaran's age with graying auburn hair.

"Hello, Dr. Malone. It's nice to meet you," Jessica replied uneasily. She was always uncomfortable meeting new people.

"You can call me Cathy. Would you like anything to drink before we begin?"

"Do you have water or unsweet tea?" Jessica wrang her hands while Cathy rummaged around in the kitchen.

"Certainly."

Cathy handed Jessica a sealed bottle of water before leading her through the living room and into the bedroom she used as an office. Jessica sat on the plush white sofa across from Dr. Malone's recliner. She grabbed a light blue pillow and hugged it to her stomach while looking around.

"I like the succulents and plants you have around," Jessica said.

"Thank you. I find that my clients enjoy greenery in this space. I've been told it's refreshing." Cathy adjusted her glasses and crossed her legs. She used a knee to prop up her purple notebook. Jessica was momentarily distracted by the older woman's novelty pen, capped with a fuzzy kitten on a spring, so it wobbled when Dr. Malone made a note.

"Clients? Not patients?" Jessica picked at the pillow.

"That's correct," Cathy responded, jotting down a note about Jessica's nervous behavior. "I find that big bad mobsters don't like to refer to themselves as patients."

Jessica c****d her head to the side, "That makes sense. I think they do a lot of things weird."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Hmm. Like, comparing photos to new people or the excessive use of plastic water bottles, for instance," Jessica said as she took a sip of her own.

"Yeah, that threw me off at first, too. Still, it's not without reason. No one wants to discover that they've trusted the wrong person or that their water has been tampered with."

"That makes sense," Jessica said. She understood the why; it didn't change the how.

"So, Jessica. Let's start with why you're here. Declan told me a little, but I'd prefer to hear your take."

"Um," Jess didn't know what Dr. Malone meant. "I don't know what you mean. Do you want to know how I got here or why I asked to see someone?"

"Tell me how you got here; that'll give me the background context to understand why you're with me." Jessica contemplated her response. Dr. Malone's voice was soothing, lulling Jess into a sense of security.

"About two weeks ago or so, Declan and Tristan broke into my parent's home. They tied us up in the living room."

The only indication of surprise from Cathy was her wide eyes. She'd known that Jessica's situation wasn't familiar to most people in the organization. Nevertheless, Cathy hadn't realized that Jess was forced to be here. Jessica grew quiet. She still resented how this began.

"You can go on or take your time, Jess. You're my only client this afternoon, and we'll finish when we finish."

"Is that okay?"

"It's just what I like to do when meeting someone new. I dislike taking days or weeks to discover what brought a person to me. Plus, you'll discover that telling everything at once makes you feel better after."

"Okay. Well, like I said, they tied us up despite knowing my mom has cancer. They did it anyway. My dad owes the O'Sullivans a lot of money. No one has told me how much. Tristan said they'd give my dad time to pay them back if I left with him. So I did."

"How have they treated you so far?"

"Aside from when they tied us up on the first night, everyone has been kind and respectful to me."

"But?"

Jessica sighed. It was a long story, but perhaps Dr. Malone was correct. Maybe explaining everything would help Jessica's mind understand, too. She started her story over. Jessica explained how she'd been home to study away from her roommate. Then Tristan and Declan coerced her into leaving with them. Cathy was a good listener. She'd nod, smile at the good parts, and frown when Declan or Tristan had upset Jess. After Jessica explained her contract with Ciaran, Cathy gasped.

"You met with Ciaran and agreed to this arrangement with Tristan? You weren't afraid?"

"It's not that I wasn't afraid, not physically. My future has always seemed cloudy to me. My hard work and achievements have always been overshadowed by the need to make sure my family is okay."

"Do you have any family aside from your parents?"

"No." Growing up, Jessica had wished for siblings. When her mom had trouble conceiving, the doctors ran test after test. That's how they found the cancer. The memory of Heather and Manuel crying at the dining table across from Jessica as they told her the news clouded her thoughts. It was a hazy image. Jess recalled that she had sobbed as her parents explained what type of cancer her mom had. The tears had washed away much of the moment. The color in Heather's shirt had dulled, and the edges of memory were dark. Jessica couldn't remember when her parents had told her. Had it been after dinner one night? Was it in the middle of the day? Those details were lost to her in a shroud of fear and heartbreak.

"Jessica, you know that as a child, it's not your responsibility to make sure your parents are okay, correct?" Dr. Malone's voice cut through the foggy memory, bringing Jess back to her current surroundings.

"I guess. On the surface, that sounds right. But I know I'll be the one to take care of them in the future." Jessica's explanation made sense. Cathy nodded.

"Think of it like oxygen masks on a plane. If you can't take care of yourself, your own future, how can you expect to care for someone else's future?"

"It feels so selfish."

"You've said that more than once today. You said you felt selfish for worrying about yourself over your parents. You also said you felt that way regarding your relationship with Declan and Tristan because you want them both. Oh, you also said you don't like how everything seems centered around you because it feels selfish."

"I hadn't realized."

"How often do you do something for yourself, Jess?"

"What do you mean? I go to college for myself," Jessica said.

"Hmm, yes, but you also picked your major because you wanted to help people. You volunteer with various organizations but don't take credit for your work. You'll raise money for other people but don't seem to advocate for yourself."

Jessica was stunned. She opened her mouth to reply, but words failed her. Had she backed herself into a corner where doing anything for herself felt wrong?

"You don't have to give me a response right now. You've told me a lot today: how you got here, how you feel about Mr. O'Sullivan and Mr. Hamil, about the young man harassing you. I think I have a good grasp of your background. I'd like to assign you a little homework."

"Okay," Jessica drew out the word, unsure what Dr. Malone meant by 'homework.'

"Don't worry. It's not hard. I want you to write down every time you feel selfish about something. It can be in a small book you carry with you or on a note on your phone. Whatever is easiest for you. It doesn't have to be a complete list; whenever you think about it is fine. I want you to bring that list with you next time we meet."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Since your situation is a bit unusual. I'd like to meet twice a week. How do Monday and Thursday sound?"

"I have classes before noon, so after is fine."

Jessica's appointment with Dr. Malone wrapped up, and she found herself in the elevator without remembering how she got there. Explaining everything had left her feeling drained, and her mind was on autopilot. The revelation that Jessica felt overly selfish had come out of left field. That wasn't what she expected to come from the appointment at all.

Jessica also hadn't expected the appointment to go so long. It had taken well over two hours to explain everything to Dr. Malone. Had she overshared? Jessica remembered how bare she felt explaining her relationship with Tristan and Declan to Cathy. It'd be one thing if Cathy were unaffiliated with the O'Sullivans. However, Dr. Malone knew the men Jessica was talking about, which added a unique level of discomfort to the entire story.

Despite feeling like she'd cried an awful lot, Jessica resigned herself to completing the rest of her schedule. Around three in the afternoon, Jess changed back into workout clothes and met Gia upstairs. Gia could notice the difference in Jessica's mood and energy level. Instead of having Jess do a mountain of endurance work, Gia had Jess use lighter weights than she had planned. The two women focused on targeting each muscle group and ensured Jess was moving correctly. Jessica had some knowledge of weightlifting, so there was less awkwardness than during her self-defense training.

Gia noticed Jessica's lack of engagement and asked, "Jess, are you okay? Did something happen over lunch?"

"Huh?" Jessica looked up at Gia and stopped her arm curl midway.

"I asked if you're okay. Did something happen? You seem distracted." Gia leaned toward Jessica, furrowing her brow. Jess could smell her sweat and feel the warmth coming off Gia's skin. She was too close. Jess took a step back. Gia righted herself, realizing she'd been in Jess's face. "Sorry, I checked your eyes to ensure you weren't sick or something."

"No, you're fine. I just, um, I met with Dr. Malone today," Jessica explained.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'd have rearranged your schedule if I realized you were doing that. The last thing I want is for you to be distracted and hurt yourself." Gia grabbed a green hand towel and wiped the sweat off her face and head.

"Then you should know I'll be meeting her on Monday and Thursday from now on," Jess said while drinking water. Gia nodded; she didn't want to pry into Jessica's personal life.

"Let's end things here today. It's the warmest part of the day, anyway. You might as well go up to the pool and relax."

Less than half an hour later, Jessica was alone, floating in the rooftop pool. It was too cold for most people to enjoy despite it being spring break for most students. Jessica didn't turn on any music. She listened to the wind as she stared at the sky. It was both loud and quiet at the same time. Once her muscles had relaxed in the warm water, Jessica did laps. She lost count after twenty-six and started counting again. She loved swimming. It gave Jess a high, similar to running but much gentler, allowing her to get lost in her thoughts. At fourteen, Jess lost count again and gave up. She let her body float on the surface of the water.

Was she really overly concerned with right and wrong so that doing anything felt selfish? Jessica took more time than most people to get dressed and made up in the morning. Was that selfish of her? Logically, she knew the answer was no. Besides, it didn't feel selfish to be clean and look nice. Working out didn't make Jessica feel selfish, but was that because it was dictated to her by someone else? When Jessica stopped worrying and looked around, the sky was growing dark, and her hands were pruney.

Jessica changed into something dry in the locker room before returning to the condo; she didn't want to trek water back to the apartment. As she walked through the front door, still toweling her hair dry, Jessica found that the condo's lights were dimmed low. Declan was standing next to the table waiting for her, wearing a suit and holding a bouquet of roses.