WHAT NOW?
1106 Words
Amelia's P.O.V
"I did not know that you guys were together," it is the first thing August says when we are alone. "It's a long story," I am still bothered by the coincidence of it all.
He looks at me expectantly. I think it is easier if he sees.
I raise my shirt. His face portrays different emotions within such a short amount of time. First it is confusion, until he notices the blood-stained bandages that seem to be holding me together.
Then it is concern as he comes closer and stretches his hand to my wounds. Finally anger. I have only seen him this angry twice. This is the third time.
"He did this to you? I am going to kill him!" He storms out of the room. I hurry after him. If he gets to Jace before I have explained what happened, one of them will die.
"August,"he doesn't stop. "August stop,"we are getting closer to the basement. "AUGUST RIDLEY, THIS IS AN ORDER, STOP WALKING!" he comes to a halt immediately.
I walk until I pass him. I turn around to face him. "He hurt you, and he killed Raul," he says, seething in rage. "He didn't hurt me, he saved me," I know that complicates things.
To be honest, I hate that he was the one who saved me.
"We should go back to the room," I notice the guards passing us seem invested in what we are talking about. "I know he killed Raul, and I hate him for that. But he saved me, so I am conflicted," I admit.
"I understand. We have to come up with a solution that makes him pay for Raul and repay his kindness to you," he explains, his brows furrowed in concentration.
"Yeah," I can't think of anything. "I know," August says, excited. "We make him work for us. We need a good lawyer anyway after our last one was arrested," he says.
"Are you sure he will agree? The impression I have of him is that he is a straight arrow who isn't afraid of much." I have a feeling he is not someone we can make do anything if he doesn't want to.
"What does he care the most about?" he ask, walking to the huge mahogany desk.
"His family," I don't even need time to think about it. Spend one hour with him, and it becomes very clear his family is the most important thing to him.
"Then we use them, threaten them to control him," August makes sense. But until when? Knowing Jace, he will ship them to another country with different identities the first chance he gets.
"It's a good plan, but it won't hold. It has too many variables that we can't control," I voice out my worries.
"Good point, then what do we use?" he asks, before giving me a weird look. "What?" "We could always use you," he says carefully.
"Why do you think that would work?" I am confused by his suggestion.
"Because he likes you," he says way too casually. I give him a stern look that reminds him of his place. "Sorry, but he does," he repeats, but this time carefully.
I want to ask him what makes him think that, but this conversation is not helping us. We need to prove it.
"Let's see if it will work," I give in. " But we have to do it right, he has to think you could hurt me," I say.
"What are you thinking?" he asks. "I have to go back with more bruises than I left with. We need to make sure we push him to the edge," I explain.
"And how exactly are you planning on getting these new bruises?" I give him a small smile."No way, I am not hitting you," I look at him persistently, but he doesn't change his mind.
"Come on," I plead. "No, you are going to have to walk into a door or something because I am not hitting you no matter what you say," He is not going to change his mind.
I am thinking of running into a door. "Trust me, you don't need any new bruises, just the fact that you are here with me is driving him crazy. He would do anything not to feel like that again." I think he is reading too much into all of this, but I choose to trust him.
As soon as the door opens, our eyes meet. His eyes run through me like he is scanning me. "You were gone for long, are you okay?" I nod, but don't say anything.
I walk to the chair next to him.
"I told you I would take good care of her," August says with a smile. I try not to make any eye contact with him. Jace is smart, and we can't afford even small mistakes.
"I have talked with my boss," Augustine starts. Jace tenses up. No man, no matter how formidable, isn't afraid of dying.
"Against my advice, he wants to give you a chance to repay him. He wants you to work for him," he says, as if it is an opportunity of a lifetime.
"I can't, I won't," I knew it. "Well, that is up to you. We don't like forcing people to do what they don't want. We find that doesn't provide the best result,"August says in his usual civilized manner.
"That being said, you have a debt to pay, and a real man always pays his debts," he continues.
"My boss doesn't want your life. He says he understands that it was his subordinate who acted without orders. But he still has a reputation to uphold." August has a way of making people think that he is friendly.
"If you can't work for him, he will make you feel the pain of losing someone,"he says, looking at me for the first time since we got back to the basement.
"Hey, leave my family alone," he looks he is just about to rip out the cords tying his hands.
"Your family is too far, and to be honest I am too busy to go searching for them. There is one person that is close enough," he takes a step closer, and I do my best to look as scared as I can.
He runs fingers through my hair. "Take your time to decide," he says.
I look at Jace. His jaws are clenched. Could August have been right?
Before August can even walk out of the room, he speaks up.
"Fine, I will work for you, but I have my conditions."
- Writer
