As the person in the car saw us approaching, he opened the door and marched out. It was a potbellied man. With a reclining hairline and beady eyes.
He licked his lips as he saw me coming and he opened the passenger seat of the car.
“I thought the picture was photoshopped, my my” the man spoke, his breath smelled like something nasty.
He reached forward to touch me and I jerked my head away. The younger man held my head in place and the fat man smiled and reached forward again.
I couldn’t turn my head away, the man’s fat fingers grazed my chin and then my collarbones. I felt my soul recoil into the deepest parts of my being.
I almost puked.
The man laughed and said something in a language I didn’t understand.
“No, I take her first” the younger man stated.
The potbellied man studied me and he shook his head.
“I should take her first”
“What rights do you have?” The younger man asked angrily.
“Her mother owes me more. Three hundred and fifty five thousand. Yours is merely just one hundred and twenty six, I should have her first ”
“I did all the work while you just waited out here like a foo”
“What work did you have to do, Elisa said the house would be clear by this time, she said she took care of it”
The younger man laughed.
“She didn’t tell me there was going to be a fucking scary man in the house. He was distracted, if not, I would have been dead before I even took two steps towards him. He thought I was the security ”
Christian, he was talking about Christian.
“Let the girl choose who should go first ” the potbellied man said.
Both of their attention turned to me.
“Please let me go, I’ll clear my mother’s debt’s ” I begged.
The bottom of my lips started trembling and a cry threatened to erupt.
“Look at her… She’s so pretty. I’m changing my mind, I’ll keep her” the older man said.
“Don’t you dare” were the only words the younger man said.
It was enough, there was enough danger written in it.
The pot bellied man stepped backwards back sighed.
“Fine, you have her first but I have her next. And, don’t be too hard in her, I don’t like mark on things I fuck”
My heart ceased in my chest and I thought I would die from fear and terror. There must be a way to get out of this
“You don’t tell me how to handle my business!” The younger man said.
The potbellied man gritted his teeth and pointed his hand at the younger man.
“If you’re going to give her blue and black marks then let me fuck her first”
The younger man’s grip on the back of my neck tightened.
I was certain it would bruise. I closed my eyes and sucked in breath as he held me tight. I remembered Mr Greene and how he had taken me to his house, the torture Blue and I had faced, we feared to discuss about it even after it happened.
The scars were still on my belly and back, testimony of what I had endured and escaped.
I opened my mouth to speak, maybe to strike a bargain with the younger man who’s heart was like steel.
“I’ll deliver her to you when I’m done” the younger man said and he pushed me to move forward.
I didn’t oblige, his grip on my neck tightened.
“Move” he ordered.
“She’s not going anywhere with you!” A loud and familiar voice said.
The amount of relief I felt crushed my lungs.
****
“I’ll be fine” I told Elisa.
I looked around to see if I could find a clerk to ask for the bathroom. I needed to stop the bleeding because it was too fast.
Elisa’s hands were trembling.
“I’ll be fine” I told her again, if she drops dead from a heart attack, it wouldn’t be so exciting. I wouldn’t want to explain to my fiancee why her mother died under my supervision.
She nodded frantically, as if she didn’t believe me.
I left her without saying anything else and I went to the bathroom.
It was empty and it smelled of citrus air freshener. I almost choked on the scent. I stood in front of the mirror and raised my shirt. Blood was seeping out of the stitches.
I had been surviving on pain killers, even when Jenna had asked me if I felt any pain, I told her no because I didn’t want her to worry. The pain was excruciating but bearable with medication.
There was a knock on the bathroom door. I picked up the tissue and took out a big roll. I wiped the blood with it. The knock came again.
“Come in” I said.
Elisa’s head peek in.
“How did you get that wound?” She asked me wide eyed.
“How did you get that wound?” She asked me wide eyed.
“Who do you think took care of the Russian mob?”
Her eyes widened again and she gasped, her face was pale and she looked sick.
“No, no. Said he hired someone Marcellino said hired an assassin ” she said.
I scoffed.
“Well, here is your assassin” I said mockingly and she started crying.
I focused on adding pressure in the wound but instead of helping to cloth, the tissue was absorbing blood. For the first time in a long time, I swayed… But caught myself on the sink.
“Hospital, please let me take you to the hospital ” Elisa choked out and ran towards me.
“Don’t touch me, I’ve been through worse, I’ll be fine”
“Stop saying that, you’re so sorry. This is my mess, please let me clean it up” she begged.
She brought out a neckerchief from her purse, it was very long.
“Please take this ” she said handing it over to me.
I didn’t hesitate, it would add enough pressure to the wound and it would cloth.
“Thank you” I told her.
She shook her head as if she didn’t deserve my thanks and she gestured to the door. We didn’t end up buying anything.
“I’ll drive” she said.
“No, Elisa, the car is too low and aerodynamic, I don’t think you can__”
“I’ll drive!” She yelled.