Page 19 of Shades of Loyalty
I nod. “Whatever you say, Jenny.”
She scoffs. “You’re so…”
She doesn’t finish her sentence; the only recognition she gives me is an annoyed look on her face with a hint of confusion.
Overall, I’m sure she’s confused about the situation. About Julian. About the fact that he quite literally thought she was a whore who was supposed to feed my lust.
Poor thing. Panic, anger, confusion—all emotions which are normal for her today.
I have no idea what’s going on in her mind right now, but if she thinks I wanted to protect her from Julianbecause I like her, or because I got some sort of jealousy on my mind… She’s wrong.
All I want to do is protect her from assholes. I’d do that for any woman. And as much as I like our job, some guys we’re in contact with are terrible creatures. Not humans, no. Creatures.
A creature just like Julian. Worse than him.
A mafia is never a clean thing; everybody knows about that. But we draw the line at sex-trafficking.
That was the first thing he tried after my dad started to trust him, and ever since then, I despised him.
‘I know a dealer’, he told my father. My father made it clear that we won’t get involved in shady businesses, and that innocent women won’t get involved either.
Julian tried again a few years after, but when my father saw a woman tied up in our training room, Julian almost got killed by my father personally.
Call me a sadist, but I would’ve loved to keep seeing him try. Maybe, one day, my dad would’ve killed him. It would’ve made me happy, at least.
Chapter Eight
Jennifer
Although Daniel promised me his mother would get Mary here safe, I can’t help but feel anxious. My leg won’t stop shaking, and my breathing is ragged.
Daniel led me to another room, which seemed to be an office. I’m not sure if it belongs to him but judging by the wristwatch lying on the desk in front of me, I’m sure it does.
He’s been wearing that wristwatch all day, and he wouldn’t just leave me alone in a stranger’s office. Right?
Besides, how many people in the mafia have an office? Not many, I’d say.
But then again, I have no idea about how the mafia operates or how they organize things.
I asked him if I could just pick her up and find a reason to go to this place so I could explain it to her. I can’t even begin to imagine how my daughter must feel right now, being picked up by strangers and not knowing where they’re bringing her.
I called her teacher earlier, telling them a “new nanny” would pick her up, so they wouldn’t get suspicious.
As much as I’m thankful that he sent his mother and not one of his men, it still worries me. Who wouldn’t be worried? She’s my child, after all. My little sweet pea.
Of course, I had to raise her alone all her life, and of course, it was hard. But there’s nobody in my life I could love more than my own child.She’s myeverything.
I stare at the big clock on the wall, checking the time every few seconds.
Seconds that feel like minutes while all I can hear is the tick-tick-tick of that goddamn clock.
My brain doesn’t seem to quiet down. It only seems to get louder with every passing second.I tried washing my hands for ten minutes in the bathroom before Daniel started asking me if I’m okay. I’m not.
My hands still feel wet. Like there’s blood on them. But I know they’re clean. I’ve been rubbing them forseveralminutes with soap, hoping the feeling of blood would leave.
But it didn’t get better. It only got worse once my skin started to get irritated and red.
At some point of simply sitting around for a while, I get up from the chair and walk around the office.
