Chapter Five - Life could have been different

Scarlett

I headed out of the coffee shop. I had made myself very familiar with it with the time I was in there. Though getting acquainted with the place was not why I stayed as long as I did, Caleb was the reason for that. He was one of most the gorgeous men I have ever seen with his dark eyes and hair; he was beautiful. I found him very sweet and charming too, and the way he got around me was adorable.

I know I shouldn’t even be thinking about him. I shouldn’t be thinking about anything other than the job that PJ has given me, but I couldn’t help myself with Caleb.

I never took my car with me because it was such a beautiful Sunday, so I walked back home and thought about Caleb the whole way. What was it about that fine man that got me in such a tizzy? Was it his looks, his charm, or just everything about this man? I don’t usually bother talking to men as every relationship I have been in always ends terrible, but there was something about Caleb that drew me in. 

Upon arriving home in my joyous mood, I opened the door to enjoy the rest of my evening sipping wine and watching a good film. However, my attitude soon changed when I saw an envelope sitting just in my doorway. I didn’t even have to pick it up to know who it was from. I could see the marking straight away; PJ has been here.

 I wasn’t expecting to hear from him this soon, but I knew it would be my orders. I sighed, sitting back down, and hesitantly opened it. It was more information on my target, yet still no photo or name. My eyes went wide when they fell on a particular paragraph.

This has to be carried out over time. You will make the subject fall for you, learn to trust you, and you will do everything to make him believe that you feel the same. You will do what is needed! No matter what that is.

Him, it says him. Could it be Caleb or the other guy that works there? I’m sure his name is Nate. 

I’m thinking into this too much; it could be anyone. There might be more guys that work there, or it could even be a regular that I need to find and watch. I shouldn’t worry about it too much. I know that whatever I am asked to do, I will need to do, or there will be consequences. Consequences are not something I have had to face, but I have seen others that do not complete their tasks, and let’s say things don’t ever go very well for them. 

They were never seen or heard from again.

 That is the sort of power PJ has. I sighed, resting back on the sofa and closing my eyes over. I wish I never met PJ because if I didn’t, then my life would be very different right now. But when I first met him, he was good to me; he taught me how to release my locked-up anger after losing my brother. I just never knew at the time he was grooming me to become something more, and he was more than only my MMA instructor.

Still to this day, I remember my happy-go-lucky big brother. He was by far the best thing in my life for many years. I still struggle with not having him here. Justin was only nineteen when someone took his life away. I was only fourteen at the time.

I always said to myself that I would never get involved with any groups or gangs after he was murdered.  Unfortunately, he ran with a gang, and he got caught up in a gang fight which left him fighting for his life in hospital, but sadly he never got home. His injuries were too severe for him to recover from them. 

I have never got over it, and neither have my parents. That was why they moved away, to the other side of the world; they couldn’t take staying here any longer. They wanted me to go with them, but I never. Actually, I couldn’t because, by then, PJ had his claws into me and had made me believe what I was doing was for the greater good. He convinced me I was ridding the world of the kind of people that took my brother away from me. I was young and vulnerable, and my parents were grieving, so they weren’t around for me, and PJ used this to his advantage.

I would never hold it against my parents as I just couldn’t imagine how they felt at the time and why they were so distant from me. Fast forward to now, though, and we still speak regularly and see each other twice a year. They have already been over this year, but they have had to cancel the next visit due to my dad having to work, but it’s okay. We can reschedule for another time. 

It’s maybe a good thing, though, as I do not want them finding out that PJ is back around. They do not know to the full extent of what PJ used to have me do. They thought he was just an excellent, hands-on MMA trainer. Little did they know he was actually training me in more ways than one.  In a way, I am grateful for him being in my life. At the very beginning, he really helped me try to understand what happened and why it happened, but now I hate him being part of my life as he is bad for me.

 I just wish I could find a way to get rid of him once and for all.

I got back to what I was doing, going over the information in front of me. As I did, my phone went telling me I had a text, and I knew by my guy who it was. PJ!

PJ: Did you get my present, Princess

I hated when he called me that! He has always done it!

Scarlett: Yes.

PJ: Good. I will see you real soon, sweetheart.

I groaned, tossing my phone away. I have tried changing my number, but he always gets my new one. I decided to throw everything to the side along with my phone. I am done dealing with PJ for the night. I went to get myself a large glass of rosy wine, but I have none left, a bottle of beer it is.

I plop myself back down on the couch, take a big drink of my Coor's light, and channel flick until I find a good comedy to watch, something that will put all thoughts out of my head and just help me laugh.

I found myself drifting back to Caleb. I think I may need to go back to the coffee shop again soon, just to see him. But, it isn’t like I could start anything with him because I have too many secrets, and you can’t be with anyone when you are doing nothing but lying to them. It was not fair.

It was getting late, and I have work in the morning, so I switched off my TV and finished my beer. Then, I did a walk around the house just to check all the windows and doors are locked. I finally get myself all tucked up in bed, and all I can think about is Caleb. He has made me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time. And that scared me.