by S. S. Sahoo
“No! Let me go!” I screamed once I felt a man holding me by my wrist stopping me from running.
I thrashed against his hold and tried to punch him but another man interfered by holding my another arm.
“Let me go!” I screamed with tears pooling my eyes. I screamed and thrashed wanting to be set free.
“Why? Why? Why?” I sobbed but still didn’t stop wriggling and thrashing around to loosen their hold on me.
“Juliette!” I stopped more like froze on my spot when I saw Zachary walking towards me. But the only thing that I noticed was the gun that he was holding.
It was dark but the only thing which made us easier to see was the light from the house windows.
“No! Don’t come near me,” I cried and struggled to get myself free.
“Juliette!” he said but I screamed scared that he might hurt me now.
He raised his hand in which he was holding the gun. I thought that he was going to shoot me but when I screamed and literally begged to let me go I noticed something extraordinary in his eyes. He looked calm as always not even bothered by the surrounding or even the people that were holding me.
He gave the gun to a man standing near me and he took it and kept it back into his jacket.
“Juliett-” Zachary begun but I cut him off.
“N-No! S-Stay a-way fro-m me” I managed to utter and at this, I didn’t quite decipher his look.
He looked hurt, but then confused and all of a sudden determined.
“Juliette listen to m-” he said but yet again I cut him off.
“Let me go! Why are you doing all this to me? What did I ever do?” I screamed.
“I saw Avim Ben Gon. H-He was supposed to be dead but here he is. Is he your grandfather? What else is left to-” he stopped me when immediately he came forward and held my arm and snatched them from the people who were holding me beforehand.
“Leave!” he told them and in a second they were gone.
“Let me go!” I screamed and winced when he folded my arms on my back holding me in my place close go him. Being, this much close to him made me even more panicked than I already was which made me struggle to save my life from him.
“Calm down,” he said and I couldn’t believe him.
“Let me go” I struggled against his hold but all my actions were going into vain.
“Juli-”
“Damn you, Zachary! Let me g-” my words were cut in my throat when I felt his lips on mine.
26
Zachary
“Oh there they ar- Oh my!” I heard my mom.
Instantly, I pulled away from Juliette and looked behind her to find grandpa, mom and dad standing.
“Juliette?” my mom called.
I looked back at Juliette to see her standing like a statue. Shocked.
Her mouth was slightly open and she gazed towards nowhere in particular, lost. As much as I have noticed her, she does that whenever she is in shock or surprised. She would become a statue, and she wouldn’t even blink until someone calls for her.
She was screaming and struggling against me a few seconds ago and that is when I marked my family walking towards us. It would have been a trouble if they heard her so, the only way to shut her was to...
And then she witnessed me killing before her with her own eyes. It’s not like she has never witnessed something like this beforehand, so why is she all frightened up all of a sudden?
I had to kill the man because that man escaped from the cellar from underground and he was trying to climb through the pipeline towards the window of my room, to get Juliette. I didn’t know if Juliette was still in the room or not and the man managed to get a knife from somewhere. It was dangerous.
When I got back, I found my phone ringing and to attend that I walked towards the backyards and then I noticed the man climbing up towards the window.
It was shocking for me to see him there, and the only thought that came to my mind was Juliette. So, I pulled out my gun from my back and the next moment I heard the gunshot. I shot him in his ankle, he screamed in pain, the knife fell down from his mouth when he screamed.
I saw my men running towards us when they heard the gunshot.
“Boss!” one of them said.
“What were you doing? How did he get there?” I sneered.
He looked up and saw the man still holding the line, wincing in pain.
“I will deal with you later,” I said and aimed at the man for the second time. The bullet went piercing his thigh muscles and blood oozed out his skin and this time he lost his balance and he fell down just before me.
“How did you get out of there?” I asked as calmly as I could.
“Huh! I have my ways” the man snarled at me, even if he was the one on his knee before me.
“Oh really?” I asked sarcastically rotating the gun from its barrel.
“Where is Willi?” I asked my man and they all looked at each other.
“He is with Seth,” one of the men answered.
“All this time?” I asked and he nodded.
“Wait! Willi? Willi Simmel? He is with you?” the man before me on his knees questioned with difficulty.
“Surprise!” I said sarcastically.
“That traitor!” he took a fistful of grass and pulled it out in anger ad annoyance.
So Willi didn’t help him out. Interesting. That means there is someone else within my territory, backstabbing me?
“What is your plan?” I asked and saw as his expression turned to that of a murderous one before he smirked at me.
“Nothing! Just to kill your pretty wif-” he fell on the ground limp when I shot him directly on his forehead and it was when we heard a scream. I jerked up towards the direction and I narrowed my eyes to find it none other than Juliette.
She was hiding inside a bush and as soon as she saw me she dashed towards the other way.
“Get her!” I commanded my boys.
“Boss, you killed him” one of the men who stayed behind said looking at the body before us.
“It’s okay. He is no use to us now. Get rid of the body” I said and walked towards the way where Juliette was.
“What was she even doing there?” I thought.
I have been dealing with a woman, who was sarcastic, who would argue with me, who had the nerve to glare at me, who would faint if trapped inside a room, who was happy at one moment and sad in the other, who was strong enough to deal with all these situation where she was today. But never had I saw her this frightened.
The fact that she was frightened by me, somehow made me feel hurt.
Why the hell was I even feeling hurt when she flinched away from my touch?
Was I expecting that maybe she was the one who would look at me as if I am even with all of the people? As if I am not someone out of the place as if I do have a heart as if I’m just a normal person?
Why?
Why was I even expecting all these from her from all of the other people?
How was she different?
Just because she argued with me, glared at me, wrapped her arms around mine whenever I scoop her up in my arms doesn’t mean she sees me as a normal person. I can never be a normal person.
I am ‘The mafia Boss’ after all. Cold, ruthless, arrogant is what people call me. I am the one who is to be avoided to mess with or even be avoided even if I wanted to talk because in their language, my talking is not normal but a hint that they are my prey or a hint that stay away from me.
So how is Juliette different?
We both know that we are not even close to all that husband and wife word. We both know how we got married. Then why?
“Why do you expect something from her Zachary?” my inner-self questioned me.
I could have just muffled her mouth using my hand or should have warned her or maybe threatened her to shut up when I saw my family coming our way.
But did I kiss her?
“Are you angry Zachary? Because she didn’t live up to your expectations?
Is this why you kissed her?” my inner-self asked.
I looked back at Juliette still standing there like a statue.
“What is wrong with her? It’s just a kiss” I thought.
“I thought she was in a relationship with that Nicholas. Although it was fake from his side, but I thought..”
“Why are you clenching your fist Udolf?” I heard my grandfather and I looked down to find my palms clenched in a tight fist.
“So now Juliette kissing someone else affects you?” my inner-self mocked me.
“Oh no! It’s nothing,” I said and gazed back at Juliette.
“Let’s get inside dear,” my mom asked Juliette who was still standing there like a statue.
I found my hands reaching towards her. As soon as I touched her she jerked out of her thoughts and looked up at me blinking her eyes few times.
“You alright?” mom asked looking worried.
She genuinely liked Juliette. I have never seen her acting so warmly towards any other woman near me. Even Cosmina never saw her warmest side. Is she kind towards Juliette because of me?
Does she expect what I certainly expect from Juliette?
Why?
“Yeah! Y-Yeah!” Juliette said clearing her throat.
“So let’s get inside?” mom asked and I saw Juliette nodding.
Mom held her arms and all of them walked back towards the house.
“Is everything alright between you two Udolf?” grandfather asked looking between us.
“Y-Yeah! It’s good to see you after so many days grandpa,” I said and hugged him.
He laughed and hugged me back patting my back.
I didn’t hug him because I was affectionate all of a sudden or anything but because I was avoiding his eye contact for he would have noticed my discomfort and uneasiness because he was called the ‘General’ after all. He was expert in reading people’s mind.
I didn’t want him to find out.
“If I would have known that not meeting you for some years would affect you and you would hug me then I would have considered going away from you from the beginning,” he chuckled.
“Grandpa!” I chuckled pulling away from me.
“Let’s get inside first. I have a lot to share with you and I am eager to meet your wife” he said and I nodded.
“You go first! I am coming. I have an important phone call to make,” I said pulling my phone out of my pocket.
“You sure?” he asked and I nodded smiling.
“Okay! Don’t take too long,” he said and walked back towards the house.
I looked at his retreating back and pushed the phone back into my pant pocket.
“I wish you would have taught how to deal with all these thoughts and emotions that I am feeling right now grandpa,” I muttered to myself as I turned around shoving my hands back into the pant pockets.
I sighed and lowered my head thinking.
“I know why I kissed you” I whispered to myself.
“Only to shut you. Nothing else” I said and nodded to myself thinking if ever she argued upon why I kissed her then I would tell her the truth, the reason for kissing her was “Because I was angr-”
“No!” I rubbed my palm on my face.
Because… the act was meant to shut her. Nothing else! I nodded satisfied at the line.
27
Juliette
“Ah! So finally we are meeting” Zachary’s grandfather laughed sitting before me on the dining table. Zachary chose to sit next to me and mom on my next. Dad was sitting beside to Zachary’s grandfather and Cosmina was too joining us for the dinner and she was sitting next to dad.
“U-” I was cut off when I felt Zachary’s hand on mine.
Why did he kiss me?
It’s strange, but immediately my cheeks burned and I felt myself blushing recalling the incident that just happened a few minutes ago.
“Of course to shut you” my subconscious mocked at me.
"I don’t think so” I retorted back.
No matter how strange it felt, my heart didn’t agree on the fact that he kissed me just to shut me. I felt anger and frustration when he kissed me.
But what did I do?
Was it because I intervened in the middle of his work?
Maybe..
But why am I meeting his grandfather? I couldn’t even deny when he asked me to join him for the dinner. He wanted to talk to me. What does he want to talk to me? To me? What did I do? Don’t tell me that he want to use me as a human bomb or some spy or something like that..peculiar.
Damn it!
What are you doing Juliette? Sitting so quietly and stiffly? Just get up and run. He is a danger. Scream or call the police.
“I don’t have a phone,” I said out loud which resulted on Zachary squeezing my hand tightly.
“Uh?” Zachary’s grandfather asked looking puzzled.
“Phone?” he questioned.
I glanced to my right to find Zachary already glaring at me. I gave out a nervous laugh and looked back at everyone who was looking at me as if I had two horns on my head.
Why are you so stupid?
“I- uh- Yeah! I lost my phone back there. Yes, I lost my phone. I can’t find it. So I was telling to Zachary that I lost my phone” I nodded and looked back at Zachary who narrowed his eyes at me “I lost my phone” I told him and he gave out a forced smile to me.
“Oh! Phone. Don’t worry I will gift a new phone to my daughter-in-law” he said smiling at me. His smile was not that evil or that mocking one that we usually see in movies or pictures, but a genuine warm one. He looked as if he was a normal person enjoying a supper with his family. I would have been so comfortable if only I didn’t know his true identity.
Who knows if he is masking his mafia facade.
“No! N-No!” It’s alright. You don’t need to” I told him laughing nervously. I felt sweats forming at the forehead and neck out of nervousness.
What sin did I do to end up like a family like this? God help me! Please! I swear I will be donating my blood every six months and will be donating necessities to the poor if only you help me survive and walk out alive out of this family.
“My wife will be joining us next week,” he said and I felt Zachary removing his hands from mine. Immediately, I felt myself shamelessly missing his warmth.