Chapter 23
Emily
Time passed, and as much as I despised the idea, it was time to get back to the mansion. I waited on the cab, in an alley right around the corner of a mall.
I couldn’t help but wonder what Alessio was doing at the moment. He went away for business, but what
kind of business?
Whenever those thoughts crossed my mind, I seEmilyed to realize the true situation. He did not have a normal job, that family was not normal anyone in this city knew that.
God knew he was blasting bullets through somebody head.
Perhaps something as disgusting as selling people, maybe even something horrific like organs?
I cringed, shaking my head. Whatever it was, it was not legal. That much I can tell you.
“Emily,” my thoughts got interrupted by a too familiar male voice. No, no, no…
Instantly knowing who it belonged to, I took a deep breath and turned around with my eyes closed. I felt like sinking through the floor, because that probably would’ve been better than the confrontation that
was about to follow.
I had been so careless, and these were the consequences.
It couldn’t end like this. It just couldn’t.
A tight and aggressive grip around my wrist made me open my eyes, and there he stood. The man I had been trying to avoid, Jason.
“Did you really think you could get away from me?”
I was trapped in Jason’s grip, with no way to go as my heart raced with fear. Even though it had barely been a second, looking into those hardened blue eyes that were once so soft felt like ages.
His hair had grown longer, around neck length and the short beard the usually groomed Jason had always maintained had grown. I breathed like I had just ran a marathon, and with every breath I did a silent prayer for this all to be nothing more than a terrible nightmare.
It took me several breaths before the harsh reality set in. It wasn’t a nightmare, I couldn’t escape this
moment.
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“You dumb bitch,” Jason hissed, shaking his head in disgust. The hatred his voice carried was equal to a spear through my heart as images of the past began to find its way to my mind.
“Please, let go of me,” I begged, whispering with a hoarse voice.
Unamused, Jason only squeezed tighter, digging his cold fingers into my flesh. “You thought you could take my daughter and run?” he yelled, his face nearly red of anger. His warm breath filled my nostrils, and I could smell a hint of liquor and cigarettes.
“You’re hurting me,” I cried out. Sometimes when I would do that, Jason would change his approach.
He did. His expression shifted, and then he let out his apologetic chuckle. “Come on, baby. I didn’t mean it. You know I don’t want to hurt you,” his tone became lighter as he loosened his grip. “I’m sorry, Emily. I’m sorry for everything. I miss you!” he said, and if I didn’t know better now, I would’ve believed him.
I could barely utter his name, “Jason-”
“Emily…” he prevented me from speaking. “Let’s get Natalie and go back home, and be a family again, huh? You’ve made your point, I’m sorry. There’s no need for all of this.”
His words followed a familiar pattern, full of promises that never lasted. I wasn’t going to fall for it anymore. I knew his cycle of behavior all too well. It wasn’t even about me anymore. It was about Naty and how me accepting this behavior could affect her in the future. “No,” I stated firmly.
His eyes darkened at my refusal. “No?” his pupils almost jumped out.
“No,” I repeated, looking straight into those threatening eyes. “You need to stop this, Jason,”
“You’re coming with me, now!” he growled, yanking my arm.
I screamed, waiting for him to slap me around like he used to. “Let go of me!”
“Shut up!” he hissed, trying to silence me.
Because of that I knew he wanted to avoid drawing attention, so I quickly formed a plan. Seeing no other way out, I let out a scream at the top of my lungs. “Help, this man is trying to rob me!”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw people turning, appearing from nowhere with questionable looks on
their faces.
I leaned in closer to Jason. “You should walk away, leave me alone. My fiancé is not someone you want to mess with in this city.” I whispered.
Jason clenched his jaw, taking in my words as the crowd around us grew. “Hey, let go of her!” A man’s voice rang out.
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In an instant, Jason released me, pulling his hood over his head. Then he turned and walked away as fast as he could.
“Thank you, god.” I clutched my beating heart, not believing all of that just happened.
“Are you okay?” The voices around me asked, showing their concerns.
I nodded, still in shock as I tried to process the close call.
I had just escaped Jason’s grasp, but for how long?
