Thank you, oh Jenna, thank you” my mother cried and she fell on her seat and slumped on the table like boiled vegetable.
I turned to look at Brien, he was looking at me through the eyes of a buyer, and he was sizing me up, weighing me as if I was an item. He was wondering if I was really worth it and she smiled at least, he considered me perfect.
He was good-looking, in a conversational way, in a way that didn’t draw any attention at all but if you looked at him, he wasn’t an eyesore.
“Marcellino, name your price ” Christian said one more time. His voice had dropped lower. It crushed something in me, and it truly terrified me. I wanted him to stop trying to strike a deal with Marcellino, he has given up so much already, so much.
Marcellino laughed this time and threw his head back. Mr Cooper was snickering and Jeandre’s face was grave.
“What are you all leaving to Budapest?” I asked.
“The day after tomorrow” Jeandre said and he gave me a sympathetic smile.
I nodded.
“You’re coming too, right?” Regalia asked, I thought she was asking Christian but when I looked up, I saw that she was looking at me and expecting and answer.
“Yes, I am”
Christian stood up and stormed out of the room, I fixed my attention in my laps. I had broken a lot of promise to save my mother. Brien’s hands came to my laps and when his hand touched me, I felt nothing.
As he squeezed, I didn’t feel that electricity run through my legs, I didn’t feel that spark, all it was.. was hands.
I brushed his hand away and it came to wrap itself around my shoulder. He already felt entitled to me.
“Wait, where did Christian go” Mr Cooper said and Marcellino sat up, alert.
“What?” Brien asked and Jeandre laughed.
“You my friend, you… Be lucky if you leave this building alive” Jeandre said.
“Christian is a little bit fond of Jenna and so what, he wouldn’t attack the Coppers because they’re giving her off into an arranged marriage ” my mother said.
“Elisa, are you really that daft?” Mr Cooper asked, he was standing now.
“What?!” My mother yelled.
“Mr Cooper, sir.. she can’t know ” Marcellino said Nd I remembered when Christian had paid him to keep quiet about it.
“Know what?!” My mother cried.
“Christian just left and he might come back and kill us… He might be looking for a gun for crying out loud” Marcellino shouted and ran to lock the door.
“So your idea is to lock us all in?” Mr Cooper yelled.
Regalia’s face was pale.
“He… He owns a gun?” She asked timidly.
Marcellino laughed.
“He has a warehouse full of them, sweetheart” Marcellino said to his first daughter.
“Sit down, he’s not coming back” I said, all their head turned to me.
“How do you know that?” Brien asked me.
“Oh, she knows” Marcellino said smugly and he went to sit.
“I’ll be going ” I announced and I stood up. My mum stood up with me.
“I need to talk with you” my mother said and she took my hand.
“I’ll come with you” Marcellino and I stopped walking.
“Stay where you are, Marcellino ” I said and when he insisted I raised a finger. “Stay where you are”
He sat down and he eyed me and my mother. I took her to the living room.
“Outside” she said.
“No, it’s too cold”
“Upstairs”
I followed her and I let her lead me to her bedroom. She locked the door.
“Are you going to tell me who did this to you?” I asked her and she frowned.
“I told you already, I got into a fight”
“Bullshit, I’m calling it caps”
She shuddered.
“I’ll tell you but not today”
“Why? I need to know now”
“No, please, not now”
I knew it was Marcellino, I knew. I just needed her to say it.
“Whatever you do Jenna, please come to Budapest ”
“Why is it so important?”
“If you want to save me, If you want to love, please come”
“You’re scaring me” I told her.
I felt a dark feeling slither across my belly like snake.
“I’ve made some really bad decisions. But, I’m correcting them. And, I need you to help me, just once”
My phone buzzed in my handbag.
I pulled it out, it was text from Christian.
‘WHY DO YOU DEFILE ME’
I didn’t know what to reply with, I just shoved the phone back into my handbag, more texts came, more… My phone became alive with so much buzzing that I could use it as a vibrator.
“What did you do?”
“Please.. just come. Things are about to get intense Jenna, bad things are coming… But, we’ll be fine at the end ”
Before I could ask her any questions, a knock came.
“Don’t mention a word to anybody”” she said gripping my shoulders hard.
“How can I mention a word when you didn’t even tell me anything useful ”
She ran to the door and opened it.
I was expecting to see Marcellino, but it was Christian.
“Chris, Jenna helped me so much…” My mother was saying.
“Who did this to you?” He asked her, cutting her off sharply.
She bursted out in new tears.
“I’m sorry ” she said to no one in particular.
“Jenna, Kylee will take you home” Christian said.
“Hello Mrs Alexander” I heard Kylee’s voice cut into the silence, Kylee!
I went forward and when I came into her line of vision, she shook her head, conveying her disappointment.
“Next tomorrow, remember. Be are early, we have everything ready” my mother reminded me.
I left the bedroom, Kylee and Christian were walking in front of me and discussing as if they were plotting the war.
“I’ll take care of her” Kylee said finally and Christmas walked out the front door, into his car and he just drove off.
Kylee went to the other car and I followed her
As the driver was pulling out of the compounds, I looked up at my former bedroom window and saw Marcelino standing there and staring down at us.
The car drove off and Kylee turned to me.
“Do you know what you’ve just done?”