by Sandra Raine
"Have any of you ever been to Columbia?" I then spoke suddenly and to no one in particular. I think it was more along the sentimental lines of a cry instead.
"'Columbia'?" Marx repeated sounding a bit peculiar by the question. "I've never been there. Why do you ask?"
"According to Parker I was sold to someone in Columbia."
"What?" Jonah blurted questionably and quite taken aback. I mean, the pitch of his tone coerced me to cringe in my skin 'cause he was sitting right beside me.
"Wait. . .What?" Dominic then chimed in from the front passenger's seat.
"Yeah," I said, and again, to no one in particular. "For three point five million. Said the man wasn't a dealer but rather a "collector"." And just like that I had their attention especially the Suburban 'cause it went skidding clear across the Interstate, almost landing grill first in an empty shallow ditch no thanks to Josh slamming on the breaks.
"Goddamn it, Josh!" Marx bitched as his bottle of water drenched him.
"Hold up, back up!" Jonah exclaimed while his staggered expression tried to grasp what I had just divulged. "Parker said that he sold you to a collector down in Columbia for three point five million?" I nodded, without skipping a beat. "Dom, did you know about this? Justin? Josh?"
"Nah, man. This is news to me," Justin retorted sounding sincere.
"Same here, man." Josh said sounding just as sincere as Justin.
"Dom?" Jonah pressed with a hint of impatience clinging to his tone.
Dominic cleared his throat, giving his face a few mild slaps which was more out of stress than of waking up. "There's a couple of men the Organization has dealt with in the past. But I can't say exactly for sure which man Parker had a recent dealing with."
"Are any of the men so-called "collectors"?" Marx queried.
"Yeah, there's one. His name is Pablo. Pablo Soma-Guillermo. He just goes by Guillermo."
"What does this Guillermo collect?"
". . .Girls." Jonah said to both my and Dominic's surprise.
"So, you know him? Hmm?" Dominic said presumptuously after a couple of minutes of intense gazing had slipped past them.
"Not personally," Jonah retorted. "He's just someone my father knew quite well."
"Well, I guess that makes two of us then, huh?" and Dominic just chuckled, turning back around in his seat to stare out the window. "Enough with this fucking driving. We need to have a serious talk. Find us a motel." Dominic then said to Josh who nodded, shifting the Suburban in reverse then into drive.
Jonah slumped down in his seat and settled his view toward the top of the Suburban's cab. Meanwhile, Marx and I gazed at one another. Then I had this uncontrollable desire to just lay in his arms. I mean, it was obvious we both harbored intimate feelings for one another, yet we both understood that exploring those feelings wasn't exactly the right time for either of us considering that my past wasn't quite as finished as was his. Eventually I looked away wondering if I had broken his heart the way Dominic had broken mine?
We ended up in a town called Soda Springs, and in a motel not exactly fit for five Kings and one Queen so we had to get two rooms, and it was obvious I would be sharing it with Jonah since we were kin. After the rooms were rented, we then headed out for a bite to eat which was refreshing just to sit at a table and have a decent meal. There was tension between Jonah and Dominic which was only expected since they were rivals. But considering they were working together, they were forced to comply with one another. Which brought me to the question why they were even working together in the first place?
"Look, Jane," Jonah began to say once we returned back to our motel room. I was very tired, and I wanted to take a nap. I would have preferred to turn in for the night but it was still early out. "Earlier you asked about what had happened to me back in New Orleans.?" I nodded, and quickly took a seat on the bed opposite to him. "When the explosion near dad's office hit, and remember when the room filled with smoke?" Again, I nodded. "I ended up escaping through a secret room that was built in the wall next to the bookcase behind dad's desk. There's an 8 by 8 underground tunnel that leads straight to the house directly across the street from the Manor. Dad had that tunnel built a few years back for emergencies. Now the house across the street, dad just so happens to own. Additional cars and guns are usually stored on that property when we have no room on ours which explains why we're driving around in the Suburban. So that answers that.'
'Now getting back to your question about why I'm working with Dominic. . .I took a chance, actually. I had crossed them about a month ago at a local diner. Well, I actually stalked them to the diner when I was stalking Parker in search of you. And I must've caught them in a time when they were seriously thinking about quitting Parker. I propositioned them with something important and it must've sparked an interest with them because since then we've been able to cooperate, work side-by-side. Establishing some form of trust. They feel very responsible for you, Janie. I guess that's the reason why they agreed to work with me."
"How did they take about my being related to you?"
"They were kind of shocked at first. But then they were more shocked when they learned you were Viktor Kasa's biological daughter and not that bargaining tool they were led to believe you were."
"Is Viktor. . .alive?"
"I don't know, Janie. . .I mean, I just up and left."
"And Sissy. . .I mean, mom?"
"Like I said. . .I just up and left."
"You know. . .I saw when Parker shot Vik. . .I mean, dad."
"Let's not talk about that, okay?"
"And when Sissy was knocked unconscious."
"Janie. . ."
"Aren't you a little sad that they might be. . .gone?"
"I'd rather not think that way."
"You know we can't keep running, Jonah. Sooner or later we're going to have to stop and face Parker. . .I mean, he needs to pay for what he's done to me. For what he forced Dominic and Justin and Josh to do to me - "
"Wait? What did they. . .I mean - "
"He forced them to rape me then prostitute me for him and Bob Ray."
"Wait! You mean to tell me that Dominic, Justin and Josh. . .all had their way with you?"
"Yeah. I mean, how else would I have been broken down?"
"Is that what they call it. . .Breaking someone down by raping them?"
"Isn't that the business both you and Viktor Kasa are in?"
"That's not fair, Janie."
"Really?"
Jonah said nothing more at that point. Instead, he got up from the bed and turned an angry heel and stormed out of our motel room to the motel room next door.
By the time I had followed Jonah into the other motel room, Jonah had just pulled his gun out on Dominic which left Justin and Josh to pull theirs on Jonah.
"Why didn't you fucking tell me that you, and Justin and Josh here all took turns raping my sister?!"
"And how were we supposed to fucking know that Jane was your sister?!" Justin argued, pulling back his gun. "I mean, it wasn't like we were exactly informed. We were kept in the fucking dark as much as you were."
"Trust me when I say this, Jonah," Dominic said also pulling back his gun coercing Josh to do the same. "We would have never touched Jane if we knew she was your sister and Viktor Kasa's daughter. I mean, it's not like the man isn't to be feared. He's got as much respected fear as we've got."
"Well if it's a matter of earning respect and honesty amongst ourselves. . .Why not confront Marx here," Josh casually retorted. "I mean, it isn't exactly fair, man, that you've singled us out and not necessarily him. I mean, even you got to know where your loyalist's reside, am I right?"
Jonah shifted his gun from Dominic to Marx. "You raped her, too?"
"I didn't rape, Jane, I slept with her. There's a goddamn difference. And besides, it was purely consensual. But if you're looking for trust and loyalty to your cause, Jonah, then I'm someone you can trust as I plan to remain loyal to Jane."
"Well you can keep your co
ck in your coral, Marx, Janie's much to young for you."
"Well I'm not exactly a hundred-years-old either, man."
"Say what you will, dude. . .My sister is not for you."
"And who are you to decide that?" I couldn't help but to butt in, and quite valiantly.
"What?"
"I've known you for less than a year. So how are you to decide the course of my life. I mean, I don't even know what your favorite fucking color is - "
"It's blue. Anything else?"
"Prick." And instead of Jonah feeling insulted by my tongue, he instead smirked, leaving the rest of the guys to chuckle, including Marx.
"Well since we got that out of the way, let's talk about Guillermo, Jonah." and Dominic wasn't asking to talk about it, he was rather demanding. I could see that Dominic was irked by the idea that Parker could be plotting something big that could affect us all. I was also to assume that Guillermo was someone big to fear 'cause in all perspective, Dominic looked scared. Jonah slipped his gun back into his holster, thus giving Dominic his undivided attention.
"What do you want to know?" Jonah began.
"Was Viktor fairly close to Guillermo?" Jonah nodded.
"My father said they went way back. . .when the two were just petty thugs. What's your family's story?"
"The same. Well, according to Abel since he's second in command next to the old man."
"So Abel doesn't succeed Parker?" Dominic shook his head. "Pop believes Parker to be more business savvy than the rest of us."
"So do you think your brother might be in association with Guillermo as an individual and not so much as an Organization? I mean, you just found this out through Jane. And even that took you by surprise."
"I think he's acting alone."
"And why do you think that's so?"
"As a means of revenge."
Jonah sighed out suddenly. "You know that whole fucking revenge thing is getting kind of old, Dom. I mean. . .Sissy was just another woman."
"Well according to my brother, he loved Sissy. He holds your father accountable."
"'Accountable'?"
"For meddling in his business. I mean, and after all, he had plans for he and Sissy."
"As in what?"
"Playing house, for starters."
"You're brother is a sick fuck, Dom."
"Yeah. And that's why our business has managed to stay in business."
"So what do you suggest we do?"
"Knowing Guillermo the way I do, and if there was a sale, Guillermo is going to want his product. And he won't be bringing a one-man war with him to get it either."
"Is there a way of finding out if the sale did take place?" I casually, yet cautiously stressed.
"What do you mean?. . .Like seeing if there's a paper trail?"
"Well three point five million is a lot of money, Dominic." I conceited. "Maybe Parker moved the money undetected. Maybe the money is in his possession."
"He has made some contacts, and those contacts don't come cheap." Justin asserted.
"What contacts?" I pried. Then my gut pinched. And I was hoping those contacts weren't anywhere affiliated with me.
"Just reinforcements, Jane." Justin comforted. "Like the one back in St. Louis."
"Like the unexpected hit on our Suburban, right?"
"I think you're mouth is starting to get the best of you, Jane - " Justin mused, seriously.
"And what?" I sassed. "Like you're going to fucking shut it?!"
"Jonah," Justin sighed, frustrated. "Control your girl."
"Janie - "
"It's not "Janie", Jonah, it's Jane." I corrected. "I mean, give me some time, for bitching out loud!"
"What's with you?" Marx demanded.
"You fucking sound like you haven't had your period?" Josh sassed leaving Justin to chuckle and the rest to smirk.
"I haven't," I stated matter-of-factly, broad siding them. And I think they expected for me to break out laughing or something as if I was joking, toying with them, but I wasn't. In fact, I was dead serious. . .I hadn't had my period, and it had been almost three months now. And I knew it wasn't stress that was fucking with my cycle. No. The situation was much more grave.
"Who's the father, Jane?" Jonah said suddenly. And the weight burrowing down on his tone couldn't have been farther from what he was feeling at that exact moment: Jonah was fucking pissed!
"Who do you fucking think?" Dominic retorted in a tone that harbored more disgust than a rotting landfill.
"That son-of-a-fucking bitch!" Justin spat. "Parker."
Chapter 16
"So after he kidnapped you "again". . .he still continued to have his way with you?" Jonah pressed, and sounding beyond abnormally shocked.
"Oh, c'mon, dude," Justin interrupted comically. "You've been in this business awhile now. You know exactly what goes on after a girl has been kidnapped?"
"I've never raped a girl. . .not after an instance such as kidnapping. Only because our business doesn't engage in kidnapping girls like your Mr. Parker's. We work the proper channels."
"Say what you must, Jonah, but we're all still treading the same fucking waters here whether you engage in raping girls or not." Dominic retorted.
"You know you're a hypocrite to this hypocrisy if you don't take pleasure in your business." Josh scolded, lighting two cigarettes and passing one off to Dominic. Josh dragged on his cigarette for a second then exhaled. "So don't insult us by saying you've never ra. . .I mean, "forced" yourself on a girl. I guess that's the proper term, huh?" Josh then indirectly stated leaving Justin and Marx to merely shake their heads.
Meanwhile, Jonah was not amused. And it occurred to me that he harbored a compassionate bone for girls just like me. And I could respect that. Maybe that is why I respected Marx the way I did 'cause he didn't force himself on me or against my will, he gave me a choice in spite of his intentions to have me whether I consented or not. And it was only in the choice of the manner I chose for him to have me in. I know it sounded strange. I also knew it was a catch 22. But I think between having a choice of how you wanted to be approached to just be brutality raped, I chose having a 'choice' - the lesser of the two evils.
"I want an abortion. And I want it a.s.a.p." I stated without giving the thought a second thought. I mean, Parker Evil was growing fast inside me and I just wanted it out. I knew I was pregnant. There was no mistake about that as I felt its first movement on the night I escaped Jeanest's place. It was at the pawn shop. I thought it was nervous knots 'cause of the pawn broker; but it wasn't. I was tempted however, to grab Marx's gun from the broker's hands and shoot myself in the stomach.
"That's going to cost," Justin said.
"So who gives a shit how much it costs, Justin. You guys got money. Guys like you always have money." And just as I had said that, and just by the way Justin and everyone else's gazes lowered to the floor it then occurred to me that we were flat broke.
"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me?!" I chuckled nervously.
"What did you expect?" Justin sassed. "It cost money to be on the road. And those fucking tires on our ride didn't come cheap."
"But you're all fucking members in one of the most lucrative businesses of all. I mean, how can you not be fucking rich?!"
"It doesn't work like that, Jane," Jonah fortified. "I mean, it's a lot more technical than that."
"There's a technicality when prostituting girls?"
"Don't fucking mock, Jane," Dominic threatened.
"I alone was making you a thousand dollars a fuck, Dominic! Don't fucking tell me what I can and can't do!"
"Well you're not exactly turning over that kind of money as of this moment, are you Jane?. . .So if I were you I wouldn't suppress any opinions."
"And if I could?"
"What?" Dominic's ear upturned leaving Jonah and the others stunned that the thought of prostituting myself even crossed my mind. . .especially what I've been through these last few years.
"If I can go out and make you a t
housand dollars can I get the abortion?"
"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Jonah erupted.
"Yeah. Are you?" Marx echoed.
"We're broke, Jonah. I mean, who else can go out and make us a grand in one hit, if not, a couple of hours? You? They?" I challenged.
"It's risky, Jane. Especially in small towns such as this one. We're liable to get pinched."
"We need money, Dominic."
"Why don't we try a bigger town?. . .A city?" Justin suggested.
"Does this state even have a big city?" Josh sassed.
"Are you assholes fucking serious?!" Jonah spat. "We're talking about prostituting my sister here. Doesn't that fucking bug any of you?"
"It's like Jane said, man, we need the money." Josh retorted, casually.
"Oh, yeah," Jonah said calming his rage. "Then what's stopping you then?"
"Come again?"
"You heard me."
"No. I didn't."
"Jonah, please." I pleaded 'cause I knew exactly where he was headed. But Jonah just ignored me, and instead crossed to Josh as he was putting out the butt end to his cigarette on the palm of his hand. And I believe Josh did that on a more subconscious level, as a means to letting Jonah know that pain didn't bother him, or perhaps it was just a form of intimidation?
"You have an ass and a hole and I'm pretty sure a decent size dick." And instead of Josh getting insulted over Jonah's ballsy innuendo, he just shook his head and merely smirked. And it wasn't a good sign.
"Are you suggesting I go stand on the corner of a street with that remark?"
"What I'm suggesting. . .Josh. . .is that you put a dress and some heels on and go out and stand on a corner instead."
It didn't take anymore than that offensive remark for Josh to slug Jonah in the face. And it didn't take long for Justin and Dominic to take a piece of the action which left Marx with no other choice to defend Jonah.
The fight was like an all out bar fight; you couldn't tell who was slugging who. All you saw and heard were fists flying and bouts of cursing. And unfortunately this particular fight was expected. Dominic, Justin and Josh, along with Jonah and Marx. . .they were all like ticking time bombs around one another since St. Louis. I guess when you have a huge amount of testosterone trying to all dominate the same Lion's den, it was hard not to rip into one another.