BRONX"What are you still doing sitting there, Bronx?!" The sharp, trembling voice of my wife shook me out of my depressing thoughts. "Why aren't you on air yet?!"She was like a woman on a mission, storming into my small, private office without knocking. Not that any of my family members ever needed the permission to have access to me unless I was with very important guests or in a crucial political meeting. "What?" I almost knocked my glass of bourbon off the table in a slightly tipsy daze. "I said why are you not on air right now pulling Jared from the race and saving my daughter's life?!" She seethed, reaching my table and placing both hands on it. "Francesca where did you hear that?" I had to ask. I didn't tell anyone about my meeting with Peter, Hailey and Jared. "Don't reply me with questions, Bronx. Where is my daughter?! Why are you intent on making my poor girl suffer in the hands of those...those monsters?!" She cried, anger and despair clouding her big, blue puffy eyes
"He's still not picking his phone. Why is he not picking his phone?!" I paced about the living, almost out of my wits. The television was on. I'd turned it on with the hope of hearing the President making his denouncement speech regarding Jared. The voices of random people talking on TV buzzed around the room, but I didn't pay attention.They weren't what I was interested in."Hey. Hey. Hey. Come here." Jared stopped my agitated pacing and drew me into his embrace. "Calm down, worrying yourself will not help.""That girl is counting on me to save her. I have to save her. Oh God! She gave me a clue, I have unraveled it and now, I have... I have to save her." My heart was beating faster than usual. Time was running out. Just few hours ago, the kidnapper had called just as I was leaving the room assigned to Denise until she recovered and reminded me, in no mirthful or light tone if I may add, about the deal. I had no idea why the President was doing this to his own daughter. Now, he w
"Please be safe." Uncle Pete hugged me tight. I felt the fear radiating off of him. I hugged back, keeping back my own fear from surfacing. "I will.""God be with you." Miss Nancy enveloped me in a warm hug as well. "I hope." Was my low response.It was Celine's turn. One would think I was embarking on a journey of no return with the many hugs and dreary faces. Well, with dangerous and desperately power-hungry men like Philip Pillax, it might as well be. "I haven't known you for long but you're a good person. Please come back." Her hug was shorter but nonetheless warm."I will." I checked the time once again. It was ten past four in the morning. Location had been sent a minute past four. I couldn't sleep. No one could. We had all kept vigil.Jared came out just then, he hadn't been with us ever since. I had gone to find him and talk to him, but he wasn't speaking to me so I left him alone. Uncle Pete too. I wasn't even expecting him to come out. I spotted him coming down the sta
"You don't have to do this, please." I begged while trying to rack my brain for a way out of this situation. "I can pay. I will pay you, name your price. A blank check?""I already have my money. Philip paid me well, I just need your pussy to run wet enough for me to cum all over your pretty face. Keep moving." We were walking towards a building.The sun was yet to be up but I could make out the skeleton of an uncompleted building in the growing dawn. Maybe Nina was there. "Can I at least know where Nina is? Or how she is?""She's fine. Now shut the hell up or I'll put a bullet through your head and fuck your corpse. Either way, I'm good and you'll be dead." His laugh was maniacal.He definitely wasn't alright upstairs. His words caused chills running through my veins. He was, in layman's words, a madman.And the behaviors of such deranged people needed to be kept in check and also avoided. This guy might actually do as he had said if I didn't keep shut.He shoved me into the buildin
"How did you...""Ask questions later." Jared cut me off amidst a struggle with this masked green-eyed bastard who'd tried to take advantage of me. Jared threw him off of me like a sack of corn, his body hit the wall and he fell helplessly to the ground. Picking up the shard of glass, he raised himself from the floor and lunged at Jared.The latter was already expecting him. Jared was quick to pick up the gun but this guy was smart and deft enough to kick the weapon out of his hands.It landed a few feet away from me, close to my clothes. I made a quick work of getting dressed while Jared fought and exchanged blows with him. He was having a hard time using the broken shard on Jared who was dodging every slice and nick just in time before it cut his flesh."Jared!" I called his attention, throwing the gun at him. The balaclava guy wanted to catch it first but Jared was quicker. He had the gun in his possession in seconds and moving to action with the light of speed, cocked the gun,
Rather than fear, anger flooded my veins combined with the knowledge I already had against Philip Pillax. I stepped forward, Jared tried to restrain me from going further, he was showing care for my wellbeing. But I snatched my hand from his and approached Rashford, the medic attending to him didn't bother stopping me, probably resigning herself to the fact that her words would not be adhered to anyways. Letting him see the determination and anger lurking my gaze, I leaned in. "I will be waiting for him. In fact, Rashford, I am ready for him."I swerved on my heel, inwardly smirking for my dramatic flair and that he was watching every second of it. "He's going to use your son..."Before he could finish that statement, Jared had him by the throat, his rage instantly palpable and emotional restraint broken. "One more word about my son and I'll will make sure you do not live long enough to witness your sentencing."Rashford's eyes popped, they went red and scared. His shortage of bre
PHILIP"I've been calling Rashford. He's not picking my calls." I was on the phone with Derek, my friend and business partner."I've also been trying to reach Catherine, to no avail." He said, a bit of worry in his tone.Ever since he'd told me of his long-aged relationship with Catherine and had given me a friendly but firm warning to stay away from her, after I'd revealed to him I wanted her to work for me and the plans I had to end her life if she didn't follow my instructions, I'd respected my friendship with him and backed off.Though I didn't let him know of kidnapping her son who was later kidnapped right from under my nose by Hailey.Well, Catherine was a closed book for me, I didn't care what Hailey would do to her son. For the sake of my friendship and partnership with him, I had to let go. "Do you think something's wrong?" My eyes glanced over to the TV in my bedroom where I currently was, sipping a glass of brandy. "I have no idea." A short silence ensued. "But I don't t
"Oh my baby!" The First Lady broke into an emotional run as soon as the door to her husband's office opened and she spotted her daughter still being crushed in a tight hug by the President. "I... can't... breathe...you...two." Nina was sandwiched between her parents.I couldn't stop smiling at the sight, I even felt a bit emotional. Their little girl was back to them. Uncle Pete, Jared and I had made the journey to the White House to deliver her. I wanted to come alone but Jared and uncle Pete had insisted on coming with me. "Sorry, honey. We're just so happy to see you." The First Lady sniffled, tears clinging to her lashes and glazing her puffy eyes. She looked every bit like her daughter — unkempt and weary. Though Nina had tried to cover hers with a smile and more stories on the way back here.I'd never seen such a strong, brave girl at that age. I wish I'd known her six years ago, I would have learnt a thing or two from her about being strong and taking bullshits from people.
THREE YEARS LATER...I stood outside in front the prison's huge gate, Zion and Zaya, still having their sibling rivalry, stood beside me. I paid them no mind. The day they would not argue, I would be genuinely worried. Jared stood beside me as I held a cardboard paper in view, waiting for her. "Where is she?" I questioned impatiently.Uncle Pete and Miss Nancy were home, they couldn't come because Miss Nancy had just put to bed a beautiful set of twin boys. The twin gene was really strong in the Johnson family. Celine was due at any moment. Funny right? Dylan had proposed a year after my wedding. Celine was expecting her first child but was advised to stay home and to stress as little as possible. That was what happened when your husband was a big shot doctor.The gates opened and there she was. I beamed.Zion and Zaya, now eight years of age, ran forward in unison, forgetting their meaningless squabble. "Aunt Denise!""Hey!" She opened her arms, stooping to hug them only they wer
When I finally came to, the first thing I heard was the steady beeping of the heart's monitor. I blinked reflexively as the bulb overhead hurt my eyes some. I tried to raise myself to a sitting position but a groan escaped my lips."Hailey." Someone rushed to the bed, helping me to sit up.It was Jared. "W-what happened? I had a dream. A weird dream." I told him, looking quite disoriented. "Really? What kind of dream was that?" He asked, tucking hair behind my ears. "I saw Zaya. Zion was holding her hand and they...they..." Emotions swamped me, making it difficult for me to continue speaking.I swallowed hard, trying to dislodge tears suck in my throat. He heaved a sigh. "It was not a dream, baby. Zaya is alive. I'm as shocked as you are but after uncle Pete and Miss Nancy explained all that happened, I am just thankful she's alive." Emotions rose to his throat. "No." I shook my head, not wanting to believe. "No, no. Zaya died. I saw her body. She...she laid there unconscious an
"Thank you Brenda, you did a superb job." I shook hands with the very pretty bartender dressed in revealing clothes as the cops threw handcuffs around the wrists of drugged, oblivious Philip and Derek.Finally, I did it. Actually, to be fair, I had help. Jared and me had tracked them to the location Denise had provided and it was true. I realized they frequented a rundown bar at this remote area and they were smart to because no one would have ever traced them here."It's my pleasure. Plus, the money was too good to pass up." She seemed pleased with herself. "Just a second." I left her to go get my checkbook and pen from my bag sitting in the car. I returned to her with these, wrote a figure and extended it to her. "This is thank you for a job well done."She took the check, her eyes bulged in both excitement and shock. "This is freaking much! What the hell do I do with so much money?"My eyes did a quick sweep of her work environment, then moved back to her. "You can pursue your dr
"I don't know why you brought me here. You could have come alone." I folded my arms, staring with a displeased expression at the entrance of the police station. "You need this." Jared said, turning off the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt. "Aren't you getting out?""I told you I'm not ready. I don't know what to tell her. I'm not even sure I want to talk to her, I can't forget the fact that she had a hand in my father's death.""Fine. Then don't talk, let me do the talking. I just want you to be available so you can hear the information she has. You want Philip and Derek to pay for what they have done to you, don't you?" He shifted to face me. "I guess." My tone was reluctant."Good, because I want Philip to pay for killing my father." His jaw tightened.I frowned a little. "You've never been this upset ever since...I don't know, he was your father-in-law.""A big mistake. My father's death ruined my family with my mother as an accomplice." His words were bitter to the ears. I pl
I was dressed for the event — a simple tank top and distressed denim shorts. It was time to pluck off another adversary.I opened the door and turned on the lights. "There you are." My smile was anything but welcoming or friendly. "And I thought I smelled a rotten fish." She spat, looking unkempt and dirty. And she was tied to a chair. "Oh, that'll be you seeing as you haven't had your bath in like...well, weeks." I drew a chair from the wall, placed it few feet from hers and sat. "Forgive my lack of hospitality, I've been busy.""It's been a while. What do you want?" Her once shiny red hair was now a matted mess. "Revenge." I simply said. As though on cue, I heard a rap on the door. I opened it to allow Celine and Jared walk in. Jared was carrying a box of things I'd asked for. "You bitch! You think I'm scared of you?" She was trying to act strong but the little quiver in her voice gave her away. "I think you already are." I emptied the contents in the box.I heard her gasp. "
"Room 48." I mumbled, blowing nerves away. I was here and there was no turning back. Uncle Pete and Jared had no idea where I was going. I'd lied about picking some things for Zion from the store. This should be over in no time. I raised a fist and rapped gently but firmly on the door. "Who's that?"Two of the cops had followed me upstairs but were hiding from view. That sounded like the President's voice. I knocked again, cleared my tone in a bit to disguise it and said. "Room service."There was seconds of silence, then the padding of feet coming towards the door. The door opened. "We didn't order any..." The rest of his words were drowned by shock."Hello, Mr. President." I plastered on a smile. "Can I come in?" He was yet to see the cops."Get out." Fear and anger had him growl out those words. He tried to shut the door in my face but before he succeeded, I had a foot stuck between the door and used all of my power to push it open, making him lose balance and fall to the gro
"Uncle Pete!" I dashed into the room to envelope him into a hug, not minding the presence of Miss Nancy and a nurse. He hugged me back, his chuckle a bit weak. "I missed you too."I blinked my eyes, struggling back tears and swallowing emotions lodged stubbornly in my throat. "I'm so glad you're okay, uncle Pete. I...I... thought..." I couldn't even say the words out loud. "You thought what? I'm going nowhere for a long, long time, babygirl."My heart swelled with both gratitude and love for the man. It was the first time he would be using such an endearing term in that soft, affectionate tone. "You'd better not.""Can't...breathe." He said, still hugging me. "Thank you for saving my life. Thank you." I sniffled. "I owe you everything, my life included." "I did what I'm supposed to do, Hailey. You don't have to thank me for that." He rubbed my back. I held onto him for a few more moment. "Save some for us, Hailey." Celine who had come with me chuckled. I let go, finally paying
Jared unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled me onto his laps, I could not stop sobbing. "Shh. It's okay.""I...I..." I hiccuped, words failing me. "You don't have to say anything now." His hand on my back, comforting and soothing was a bit helpful."But...oh God. I don't want to believe her, but..." I trailed off as more tears interrupted my speech."Me too. I thought she just being her sly self but when I heard her talk, I knew she wasn't lying."I sniffled back snot, raising my head to look at him. "You heard her talk? When?""When we worked together. See, everyone makes mistakes, including your father. And that mistake led to his untimely, unfortunate demise. Denise too and we both know where the mistake landed her.""I can't imagine being poor and having a rich father who didn't want you. I know my dad was wrong to have pretended Denise didn't exist but killing him didn't solve anything. She only killed the man I've loved all my life till the day he died.""And I'm sorry for that. I
"He's not our son." Was the only argument I could come up with. Disappointment and disbelief darkened his eyes. "So you're prepared to let that young boy who left his country to provide a life for himself and his family to die in a fight that doesn't concern him? Coming from you, a mother?"Guilty speared, so I kept mute, partly to reflect. "Look, babe, I know you've been through a lot and Kazim was giving every information to bring every injustice to an end and the people responsible to book and he has done a wonderful job so far, but it was getting too heated. He was digging in too deep and I feared it was only a matter of time before he would wound up dead probably in some remote location. I know you're a good person and would never want to put his life at risk, you just wanted to fight back the only way you knew how."I hated that the anger was no longer aimed at him. I felt ashamed that he'd considered the risks while I was only interested in what Kazim had to offer. "Where is