JADE
I pressed the doorbell incessantly, wondering what was delaying my parents in getting to the door. My anxiety and fear were grippling unto me, eating me up from the inside and causing me to become nothing but a deranged wrecked soul.
A week ago, Luciano got shot in the arm by someone who definitely wanted him dead. I could tell that probably the shot to the arm was a mistake meant for probably somewhere else fatal like his head or heart.
Weeks back, I stumbled upon a death threat in Luciano’s office and nobody wants to tell me about what is going on as to regards to getting who shot my husband and why he was shot!
Luciano keeps casting me away and his men are as vague and cryptic as their master!
I feel so lost and I feel so scared.
Is my life in danger too? Should I go meet the cops myself and complain to them?
“Oh Jade it is you. What a lovely surprise princess. You did not inform us that you would be stopping by”
Finally.
“Mother what took you so long in opening the door?” I frowned, walking inside.
Mother smiled and shut the door behind me. “I was upstairs sweetie doing the laundary and you have not been standing outside for long baby. It is just some seconds ago. What brings you here?”
“Is dad home? Melinda?” I craned my neck to observe the surroundings of our living room. How I so much miss this house!
The tranquility and peace is incomparable to none.
Something which is absent in my husband’s home.
“Nobody is home sweetheart just me. You look worried. Is everything alright?” Mother walked over to the kitchen and came out with a glass of orange juice in her hand.
Stretching out her hand, I grabbed the glass and sculled it all down. “Mum honestly I can not even lie to you about any thing. I fear for my life and for my husband’s life”
“How do you mean sweetheart? Are you being threatened there?”
“From the first day I got married into that family I have been threatened by various individuals. My husband’s family hates me” I bemoaned.
“Now do not say that. I believe you are mistaken” mum gasped.
“I am not mum” I retorted back, on the verge of sobbing. “Aurora hates me, Raffaele, Luciano’s brother hates me too. Even Mrs Gabriela. I do not know why or what I did to them. Mother what is more painful is that I fear that my life is in danger.
Something very fishy is going on in that family. Nothing seems right with them. I actually asked Luciano one time to tell me about what he does for a living and he got so vexed and angered like as if I was not meant to know what was his occupation. He is hiding something from me mother. I can feel it”
Mother shifted uncomfortably in her seat and cleared her throat, “Are you really sure? Luciano probably did not mean to scare you this much and—”
“He was shot mother!” I sharply interrupted her.
“What?” I could see the fear that permeated her features and her face grew pale with fear.
“Yes. He was fucking shot some days back. Do you know what is more frightening? I literally stumbled upon a death note which was in his study room some weeks back. But Luciano waved it off. He said it was nothing. But now look mother. My husband was shot and everybody refuses to tell me what is going on in that house!” I literally broke down into tears and craddled myself in my mother’s arms.
“Just calm down sweetheart. You are over thinking and–”
“I am not! Mother I came here for advice and you are not even helping. You and father pushed me into this marriage. You both threw me into marrying someone I barely even knew and now that things are going haywire in my life, no body is profering any solution to my dilemma.
You two must know something concerning Luciano’s real identity. Who is really my husband? Is he into something illegal? Why was I forced to marry him? I need answers mother!” I urged her to speak.
Mother just sat mute, her lips hanging loose but no words emitting out of it.
She was too tongue tied to speak.
“Mother say something!” I shook her vigorously.
“I-I ca-n’t. I am sorry” a lone tear trickled down her cheeks.
I withdrew my hands back and sniffed my nose. “Thank you for your help” I bluntly said after a minute of silence.
Springing up to my feet, I quickly walked towards the door, heading for my car outside.
“Jade baby just wait…” but I did not pay her any heed. I walked briskly and slammed the door shut.
I lurched myself into my car, revving up the engines and driving out of my parents home.
My mind was in complete dissaray and turmoil. I came to her for answers and she gave me nothing but more reasons to be alarmed.
Why am I just being kept in the dark concerning any thing and everything?
I drove on the highway, the clouds above me turning into a darkened shade of blue.
The rain drops came drizzling down almost immediately, obstructing my view momentarily and swaying trees and shops banner as I drove on.
Taking a cursory glance onto my rear view mirror, I noticed something strange after driving for a while.
A toyota from no where was tailgating at me. Was the car following me?
My anxiety became piqued but I had to remain calm.
I kept on driving and increased the speed. But to my greatest horror, the Toyota did the same.
Oh my God. It was literally following me!
I decided to take multiple turns in a bid to throw the car off my back but it did not work.
“Oh shit. God please!” I gasped noticing how fast the car was catching up on me.
I forcefully stomped on the gas pedal, trying to make my car go even faster. But my efforts seemed to be in vain, as the car stubbornly refused to comply with my desires.
To my utter astonishment, the vehicle behind me was practically pursuing me, as if it had a personal vendetta. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized the gravity of the situation; I was recklessly speeding, and slowing down was not an option until I could successfully rid myself of this relentless tailgater.
With a sense of urgency, I quickly reached for my nearby phone and speedily dialed on Luciano’s number.
“Hello L-Luciano” I stuttered in fear, my eyes continuously glancing at the blue Toyota behind me.
“Jade thank goodness. I wanted to call you right now. Why would you leave the mansion without any security whatsoever?”
“Luciano I am being followed. A black toyota car is literally racing for my car please! I need help!” I cried.
“What! Where are you!?”
“I-I do not know.. I am scared please!” My heart was beating so fast and I became jittery.
“Do not cut the call Jade. I promise nothing will happen to you ok” Luciano tried comforting me but it was not helping.
I was hell scared. If I keep on driving like this, I would run out of gas in no time or rather still crash!
What happened next came as a total shock and took me off guard. Out of the blue, I felt an enormous jolt as my car got slammed from behind with such force that it completely caught me off guard.
It was like a sudden explosion of chaos on the road. The impact was so strong that I could not keep my hands on the steering wheel, and just like that, I lost control of the car in an instant.
“Sweet Jesus!” I screamed, my grip on the steering wheel slipped away, and my car started swerving uncontrollably all over the place.
“Jade!”
What followed after Luciano’s blood curling yell was a vociferous crash which pulled into a dark and frightening void.