“I’m sorry, I don’t want to hurt you. ”
“I do not want to hurt you in any way. ”
“But Justin, I won’t be able to love you like you do me.”
“I’m sorry….”
“Hey….. you know I don’t like to see tears in your eyes .”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You can never do anything wrong in my sight. ”
“See how far we have gotten in a few months ”
James, unlike other men, was intentional and plain With me about his feelings. He never got anything from me. How he felt about the situation, how I made him feel, or any problems. was waa open to Me all the time and even today, he was.
” We have gotten this far in just a few months, you were more than “another woman” to me. ”
“Isabelle……
“Any man would be lucky to have you.”
“I’m so glad I got the chance to spend time with you.”
“I love you and no one else can take that away .”
Hearing James say those words to me even after I gave him nothing but hurt broke me.
“I’m sorry…. ”
“I’m sorry ”
My head dropped helplessly to the ground. He pulled me closer and buried my head in his chest.
“It’s fine.”
“I love you.”
I told Him the truth and I felt Lightner. It’s true, I was hurting too. Maybe I only got involved with him under the pretense of having a father figure for Aiden and Amelia when truly I just wanted to fill the void and forget Justin quickly.
James didn’t deserve all I gave to him. He deserved better than a woman that would give him her all. I regretted ever leading him on.
“Justin better not hurt you again,” He said playfully with his fingers running through the hair on his chest.
******
It’s been two days already. Two days without drama.
I didn’t know what to do. Did Dean give up on me?
No…. He was too greedy and egocentric to just let everything slide.
Justin tried to convince me several times that Dean wasn’t coming back. He made several claims and assurances but my mind couldn’t let Me have a moment of peace.
With the ranging question “What if?”
“What if he comes back?”
“What if he was waiting for the right time to strike”
“What if he was waiting for me to let my guard down?”
So many questions but none with answers. Justin found Meworriedy most of the time he came over.
“Why are you still bothered?”
” It’s 2 days already, don’t you think Dean left you after the mission?” Justin sat next to Me on the bed.
“You don’t get…. ”
“I know him. I worked for him for over 7 years. ”
“I know Dean would never let this slide just like that.”
“We are all going to get what is coming for us .”
“The kids….”
“You know… he threatened to take Them away from me. ”
“I can’t let him.”
He will come after us. I started to pace up and down the room Nervously.
“We need to leave.”
“I can’t stay here any longer. I can’t….”
I went to my wardrobe swiftly, opened it, t and brought out my empty box. I started to unpack my folded clothes into the box. All that ran through my mind was Amelia and Aiden’s safety. I didn’t care if I was going to leave everything behind again.
“Isabelle ”
“Isabelle, what are you doing?”
“What I should have done a long time ago. ”
I kept on packing.
“Then go …”
“Go Isabelle.”
“Isn’t that the support you wanted from me?”
“Go, continue to run .”
“How long are you going to run ?”
“How long are you going to hide from Dean or whatever your boss’s name is? ”
“Talk to Me. ”
“Tell me this Is what you want.”
I kept mute, staring at him
“You can leave if you want to but my kids won’t go with you. ”
“What are you talking about? ”
“You need to understand that we are not safe here.”
He knows where we live, he knows everything about me, about you, about our family and you expect me to sit back and watch with folded arms?
“No…..”
Then what are you talking about?
“You can not run forever. ”
“15 years ago, you ran away to start a new life and today guess who is at your doorstep again. Dean. ”
“Do you think he would let you go so easily?”
“After everything? ”
“That man would do anything to have you as his puppet.”
“Seeing you run away every time he does something will only strengthen his force over you .”
Isabelle? Think it through.
“Do you want to leave your whole life running away from him?”
“Think about Aiden and Amelia. ”
“Do you want to keep running away ?”
” Isabelle, I lost you once, I will not lose you again.”
“What do you want me to do ?”
“I can’t help but wonder what is coming for us.”
“I don’t want to do it anymore. ”
“I…. I Don’t know ” I sat on my bed.
I was helpless and drained. Drained mentally, emotionally, and physically. Dean made it worse with his suspense.
Oh! How I hated his suspense.
I was confused. Was he intentionally keeping me In suspense? Or was he totally In the dark? What exactly was it?
I killed Dylan as he instructed me to. But I didn’t kill Jessica. I didn’t get his money and I didn’t report back to him. My children’s lives were still on the line. For all I knew, He could barge in on us anytime and take them, hostage again. What was I going to do then?
My stupidity was going to cost me I thought. My bravery was my stupidity to Dean. He wasn’t a man to be toyed with yet I did.
“What do you want me to do ?”
“What am I supposed to do ?’
“I …. Can’t…. ‘
“I have a plan but I need your support and James’s too.”
“What plan ?”
******
Justin, James, and I were all In the living room now. I had no idea what Justin’s plan was. He insisted on waiting for James before he said anything. I invited James over and in no time he was there with me. Even when I ended things with him, he still checked in on me from time to time. Amelia and Aiden were still his number priority and I couldn’t thank him enough for that.
“Isabelle, are you okay? ”
“You sounded tense on the phone. ”
“Yeah… I need your help. ”
“We need your help. ”
“About the incident, there is something you need to know.”
” It was no coincidence that I was there to kill Dylan. ”
“I was asked by my boss.”
“Your boss?”
“We don’t have time for this Isabelle…” Justin told me. He saw the reluctance in my voice to speak.
“Isabelle was a part of an organization a few years ago and they forced them to Eliminate people for money.”
“Her boss is back and orchestrated Amelia and Aiden’s Kidnap. ”
“We know how that went and now we need to be on alert. For Isabelle and the children’s safety. ”
His explanations were brief and understandable. He was right, we didn’t have time. Every moment spent and wasted was an opportunity for Dean and his men to make a move against us.
I was weak but I knew I had strength. With Justin’s support and James’ love, I knew I wasn’t alone. We were alone.
Maybe this was just the breakthrough I needed to get over my past guilt. Maybe it was time for me to stop running and finally own up to My mistake With a hand of change.
James was trying to process everything Justin just said but he didn’t waste his time doing that. My safety was all that mattered to him. For all he cared, any other information could be withheld till we were safe.
“If Dean hasn’t shown up, there are two possible explanations. ”
” He doesn’t have any idea about this or he does and is planning something big,” Justin added.
“I know him, he wouldn’t take that L just like that.”
“He is going to do something to hurt me. ”
James placed his hands on mine that was seated Nervously on my lap.
“Do you know what he might do to achieve that?”
“No… Dean is a man of few words. ”
“But…. He said something about Owning Aiden and Amelia. ”
“He threatened to take Them far away from me if I messed it all up. ‘
“He is going to do something to them, I know it .”
“We won’t let anything happen to them. ”
” I won’t let anything happen to you Isabelle. ”
James reassured me. He glanced at Justin and stood just a few steps away from us and glanced back at me.
“Justin won’t let anything happen to you.”
I told Justin about James. I told him I already told him the truth about us and I broke things off yet he didn’t seem to be relaxed. Watching James comforting me spiked him with jealousy all over again. He tried so hard to hide it but his expression and body language gave him away.
“If the children are Dean’s main target, then we have to carefully plan it out. ”
“It’s not about us now Isabelle, Aiden and Amelia’s life are at stake.” Justin instantly cut off his emotions
“What if we involve the police?” James suggested.
“Are you crazy? ”
“Do you want to get my children killed?”
“It’s okay that they are not yours but think about Isabelle.” Justin snapped.
James didn’t say anything wrong. He only made a harmless suggestion but for some reason, Justin found it offensive. His built-up jealousy turned into anger and James was the next in line to get the unleash.
“They are not my kids but I care about them just as much as you do. ”
“I have as much right as you do over them.” James stood up to Justin.
“I care about Isabelle and The children. ‘
“More than you ever did.”
“Stop it you too,” I said with a weak voice. I had no strength left in me to raise my voice.
James stood up. The two were getting into a heated argument and I couldn’t do anything.
You are a joke…..
James and Justin were exchanging words paying no attention to my cry for them to stop when my phone rang. A private number. My heart skipped a beat.
I picked it up and heard Aiden and Amelia’s cry.
“I told you not to mess it up…. .”