“...the hell out.”“... shouldn’t be here.”“...care about her.”Distant voices roused me to consciousness. I sounded like I was in a cave listening to echos bounces off the walls.Slowly, I started to gain feeling in my limbs, wiggling my toes and clenching my fingers. These movements were small but painful, especially my hands.My eyes opened but it was like I had the sun right over my bed. I quickly shut them and slowly opened them back up to adjust to all the light. Everything I could see was white. I slowly turned my neck to the left and right seeing the massive room I was in. The commotion had dulled into hushed tones. I tried to raise my head up but pain sliced up my neck to my scalp.“Don’t move too quickly.”Suddenly, all the light around me was eclipsed and everything went dark for a moment but my eyes adjusted again and the sight before me shocked me to no end.I first recognized my parents, then Tristan and Sadie, then Jesse and, of all people, Petra. It took a bit of eff
Jesse left and Petra followed after giving me one final astonished look. Celia watched him go with so much pain etched on her face. I couldn’t find it in me to feel sorry for her even though I knew I should.She was a mother whose son could barely stand to be around her. That ordinarily would be such a sad situation but knowing Celia, she put herself in this situation and probably deserved way worse than him just walking away.“Don’t worry about him, mom,” Oscar said. “That’s how he’s always been. Acting like a spoiled brat. Let him go.”Celia was staring longingly at the door, seeming like she wasn’t even hearing anything Oscar was saying. “I’ll be back,” she blurted out, leaving before Oscar could offer any protest.“I don’t know why she bothers with him.” Oscar scoffed. Multiple feet shuffled over. My neck was less painful then so I craned it up, just enough to see Tristan and Sadie trudged over.“Remi, my dear, I’m so sorry about this. I feel terrible. If I hadn’t–”“Tristan stop
“What–”“No further questions,” she said with a smirk. “You’re kidding,” I said, eyes still as wide as saucers.Was she really going to drop this bomb on me and carry on like it was nothing?The bad blood between them now made so much sense. That must have been why dad took Tristan out..“It’s important to me that you know those men would never do anything to harm you. I trust them with my life.”I couldn’t help my “Aren’t they…”“Criminals?” She scoffed. “No more than every other person. Most people do despicable things regularly. You never know who’s secretly planning something nefarious. They’re just discrete with it. These men are open and honest in their misdeeds,” she finished with a bright smile.“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”She chuckled. “Relax. I already told you your safety is important to me. But if you don’t want them around anymore, just say the word.”I stayed silent as she stared at me expectantly. To be fair, the man had helped me. Debbie had overpowered
The ride was silent for most of the way. Celia had been wailing but stopped when we kept ignoring her. Oscar was probably battling his own inner turmoil of defying his dearest mother.The silence was finally broken by Celia.“My own son can’t stand being in the same room with me, yet here you are. How is that, Remi? How is it that you are able to forgive Oscar so easily?” she asked, her voice dripping with bitterness.I froze. Of all things, that question wasn’t on the list of things I’d expected.“My son who I carried for nine months and fed from my own breast can’t find it in his heart to forgive me. He wants nothing to do with me–” She tried to stifle a sob. “–but you, Remi, you found a way, didn’t you? Or maybe you have an ulterior motive.”She was digging and striking gold every time. My brain was scrambled. How the hell had she hit the mark so quickly? She was going to blow this whole thing up before it even started.The tracker in my pocket suddenly felt like it weighed a milli
“Bright and early and reporting for duty,” Petra said, giving me a mock salute.“Welcome back Petra.”I rolled my eyes and carried on to my office. It was a new week and a seemingly fresh start. Word had gotten round to Jesse that Oscar and I might be getting back together. Oscar couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut when it came to one-uping Jesse.Unfortunately, that had the effect of making Jesse further distance himself from me. As if my dad’s warning to stay away from me hadn’t been enough.I called and called but everyone of those calls went unanswered and unreturned. He seemed to have forgotten where he worked and who his boss was.****Later that day, I sat in my office chair, hands steepled in front of me, staring intently at him. He was quietly sitting opposite me, seemingly staring at something right above my head, shoulders squared.“Jesse…” I said, my voice inadvertently quivering with hurt. “Why have you been avoiding me? Is it my dad? Or Oscar? I know I’ve said this bef
“Stage one is going well,” Deandra’s calculating voice said. “We have his movements tracked and we know where he lives. Still reeling from my outburst on Jesse, my grip on my phone tightened. A mix of anger and determination made me feel wide awake. “What comes next?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice steady and free of emotions. “Ooh, eager, are we?’ Deandra chuckled. “For now, just keep him on a leash, throw him a bone once in a while so he doesn’t suspect anything. Don’t worry about your safety. Hugo and Mikel are your guardian angels. I promise no harm is going to come to you from now on. Not on their watch.” I assumed Hugo and Mikel were the burly men that had separated the fight between me and Debbie, and called the ambulance. It felt odd being told I was going to be constantly followed by them. But shit was getting real. Two muscular guardian angels with a checkered past might have been just what I needed. “Alright, Deandra. Let me know when phase two starts.
“I am Mikel.” He extended his hand and lifted me to my feet as if I weighed less than a feather. “And my friend here is Hugo.”Hugo seemed to have a less friendly disposition than Mikel. Scowling, he glanced at me, gave me a slight nod, and returned his gaze behind me to Jack.I dusted myself off and turned back to face Jack. He too had stopped and was staring warily at us.“Jack, are you going to let them scare you? You’re in a gang for crying out loud! Get her!”Jack glanced back at Rachel and then back at us with a pensive gaze.“My friend, if you know what’s good for you, you would walk away. That woman’s tongue is like a sharp knife, I know. But don’t let her slicing words push you into a tiger's mouth,” Mikel said. I had my eyes fixed on Jack but I could hear the smile in Mikel’s voice.“Don’t be a bitch, Jack,” Rachel spat.Jack looked so conflicted, like a lost puppy not knowing where to look. I almost felt bad for him. He was stuck between Rachel and a hard place. It made
I wrapped my arms around his neck, completely locking our bodies together.“I thought you were judging me. That’s why I lashed out like that. I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice dripping with desire.“Why the hell would you think that baby?” he cooed into my ear. “I want you so bad right now, Remi.”Hearing him call me baby was like I got electrocuted. My body lost all its rigidity and melted into his embrace, molding us seamlessly together.“Honey, I’m all yours,” I purred, brushing my lips against his.Breathing heavily, he lifted me with his hand under my cheeks. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling my heated core against his growing hardness.He carried me to his room, threw me onto the bed, and stood there, staring at me, looking drunk on lust.Even though I giggled, there was nothing funny about the situation. It wasn’t the first time we were getting together but something about this time felt different.Jesse himself was the difference. He was usually control
I sat in my office, staring at my CEO certificate.‘Congratulations. You’re ready to run a company!’ The golden words said.sI couldn’t believe how far I’d come since I last read those words. The last few months were loud and rough; the betrayals, the struggles, all the pain – it was all finally over.I stared at a picture on my phone – one of Jesse and I at a company event. We were mid-conversation, laughing our asses off at something. For a second, I wanted to be back then. I was care-free then, with no worries on my mind.My phone buzzed, startling me. Jesse texted that he was coming to my office.After a few minutes, the door opened and Jesse walked in carrying two cups of coffee. “Figured you’d need some fuel.”“You know me too well.” I accepted the warm cup from him.“I do.” He sat down and took his own cup. “Which is how I know there’s something on your mind.”I sighed, taking a quick sip and setting down my cup. “I can’t help it. I keep wondering ‘what next?’, you know what I
“Do you think he’s going to kill her?”My head had been on Jesse’s chest all morning. We talked and talked until I finally decided to bring up a burning question I had.“Who, Deandra?” Jesse asked.“Yeah. Those cops seemed like they would probably leak the details to Don Simeon, and apparently, he’s some big shot in the criminal underworld. So?”“I don’t know. Proba–”A loud knocking – no, banging on his front door jarred up alert. WHo the hell thought now was a good time.I reluctantly got off of him so he could go and check it out. I quickly put on some clothes just in case.“Ashley?” I heard him say.It had been ages since I saw his cousin so I went out to see her. Who I saw next stopped me in my tracks.“Mom?” Jesse said, standing stiffly at the door.Celia was standing on his doorstep looking like she’d been sentenced to death.“I’m sorry, Jesse. She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Ashley said before turning to me. “Hey, Remi. I’m so sorry about this.” And just like that, she wa
“I knew you’d come around.” Deandra poured herself a glass of scotch.As some sort of power move, she made us wait half an hour before we met with her. Sitting in her office, for hopefully the last time, my heart was pounding a thousand beats a second. My mind was reeling. There is no way she was going to suspect us right? I mean, someone who’s had to deal with so many crooked people would be able to spot crooked behavior. Maybe this was a bad idea.Jesse squeezing my hand soothed me a little but the anxiety remained. Only this time, it was a shadow in the corner of my eye as opposed to a looming figure blacking out my vision.“And you even brought little Miss Perfect with you.” She smiled and took a sip from her cup.“I’m only here because you threatened Jesse,” I spat. “I can’t stand being near you.”I crossed my fingers, hoping she would take the bait.“Oh, so she’s the knight in shining armor and you’re the princess?” She asked, cackling. “Either way, I didn’t threaten him. I gav
I couldn't believe how much my life had changed. Things were going so much smoother without the drama from all the enemies I inadvertently made along the way.Better yet, Jesse and I had been making up for lost time. That part was amazing. Zero complaints there. I was firing on all cylinders, almost like all the stress was dulling my senses and now that they’d all been cleared up, I could finally see things. My judgment was impeccable.Which is why I noticed the uneasiness in Jesse. We were in a doughnut shop, satisfying my sugar cravings. He had been trying to hide it the whole time, checking his phone when he thought I wasn’t looking, fielding calls, until he eventually turned off his phone.“Jesse,” I placed my hand on his, “what’s going on?”He dropped his doughnut and sighed. “I thought I was hiding it well. It’s Deandra.”Hearing her name was like a shock. I knew she wasn’t done with us but why was she back so soon? “What does she want?” My voice showed more worry than I’d int
“What? You’ll try and kill me again?”“Stop saying that!” She stomped her feet and crossed her arms like a child throwing a tantrum. “I did that once! Can’t you let it go? Damn, why do you always have to bring that up and ruin the vibe?”Mission accomplished. I hoped Jesse heard everything.“I didn’t want to have to do this, Remi, but you’ve left me no choice.” She snapped her fingers, and like something out of a movie, two hefty men walked out of the shadows, flanking Debbie on both sides. “These men will teach you a lesson now,” Debbie said as casually as if she was ordering a burger. My stomach dropped when the men started to approach me. Run! The voice in my head screamed, but my feet were rooted to the spot. Everything went into slow motion. I couldn't run away from her again. But if I didn't, her men would do unspeakable things to me. Jesse would want to help but I couldn't put him in danger for my fight. Visions of Oscar from the previous day flashed in my mind. I cringed
“To-together?” I stuttered. He probably thought I looked silly with the massive grin on my face but I didn’t care. I was right where I wanted to be, staring into the eyes of the man I loved.My phone buzzed, ruining the moment we were having.It was a text from an unknown number so I didn’t bother.“You’re not going to get that?” Jesse asked.I shrugged. “I don’t know who it is.”He nodded thoughtfully and sat down. I began to feel awkward standing aimlessly in his office. I was hoping he’d say something to ease my tension but he didn’t. He didn’t even look bothered.“I’ll just… go.”The walk to his door seemed a mile long and my legs moved haphazardly like I forgot how to walk but I eventually got to the door. “Um, Remi? Do you want to get dinner la–”“Yes!” I turned around before he could even finish his sentence. I mentally smacked my forehead.“Cool.” He flashed me a smile. “I guess I’ll pick you up after work. When do you get off?”I burst into laughter – a bit exaggerated I wa
Things between Jesse and I weren’t quite back to normal but they were good. Better than I could have imagined in such a short time. We were talking and laughing together again. I was on my way to his office with coffee. I felt silly; I was his boss, why was I getting him coffee? I guess it didn’t matter because when I got outside his office, I froze. Through his slightly-open door, I could hear his voice, sharp and determined.“That was your plan all along?” He sounded shocked, like he couldn't believe his ears. “Something is very wrong with you, Deandra. You need help.”“I see that little miss perfect has gotten to you.” Deandra’s voice was smooth and deceptively soothing. “I had so much hope for you, Jesse. Oscar is a cancer that needs to be cut out, can’t you see that?”My breath caught in my throat. History had shown me Deandra wasn’t to be trusted, but to bear witness to this level of manipulation? It made my skin crawl. “So you want to frame him? What did he ever do to you th
“The day just keeps getting better and better.” Deandra chuckled and sat back down. “Come on in, Jesse. I have some news for you too.”We hadn’t talked much after he kicked me out but I was still his boss. “Did you need something, Jesse?” I asked.“No. Just wanted to say congrats. I heard about the confession,” he said.“Oh.” I puffed my chest out and sat up straight. “Thanks.”“I made it happen by the way so you should be thanking me,” Deandra said.I rolled my eyes.“By the way, Jesse, Remi wasn’t playing ball so I had to find a work around for your Oscar-sized problem.” Deandra’s smile was sinister. “Oscar will be picking up a package later today – I’ll give you the address. Let’s just say some friends will be paying him a not so friendly visit in a nearby alley. Now, you could join them or just watch; up to you.”“What did you do?” I asked, suddenly alarmed. I didn’t care for Oscar but to go to these lengths was just unnecessary. Surely even Jesse could see that.“What I had to,”
I couldn’t shake the queasiness in my stomach. Despite the media frenzy around the bribery scandal dying down, questions still lingered, and Renard's reputation teetered on the edge. To make matters worse, the person I had to depend on for results was none other than Deandra.Just as I picked up my phone to call her, someone barged into my office.A snotty-looking man in an expensive suit, shortly followed by an angry-looking Jesse. “What’s going on?” I asked Jesse.“This person isn’t supposed to be here,” he answered, glaring at the man.“I’m here on behalf of Mr. O’Hearn,” the man said, turning his nose up at me.“In what capacity?” I asked.He rolled his eyes. “As his lawyer.”I already hated this man. He was a lawyer, an occupation that Deandra had shown me was untrustworthy. Strike two was the fact that he was Mike’s lawyer.I needed to make him feel as unwelcome as possible. “Jesse, it’s alright. He won’t be long anyway.”He looked amused. “I assure you, I’m not here to cause y