CHAPTER SEVEN
He’s been dismissing each message the Don sends him, and I know we’re running out of time. I can tell by his increasing agitation with the outside world, and his increasing tenderness with me, our time is almost up. I’ve come to terms with what I feel for the man, but I’m certain he would not feel the same. Not with the hopelessness of our situation. I’m sitting in his lap, head pressed against his chest when the phone rings. He growls under his breath, grabbing the offending device and drawing it towards his ear.
“What do you want, Paulie?” He demands bitterly. Bile begins to rise in the back of my throat. I’ve begun to know that name all too well. It’s the guard who will be next in line to have me, if Justin is to comply. Justin remains silent as Paulie speaks on the other line, and I bury my face in the crook of his neck. He wraps an arm around me, gently tousling my hair as he listens to the other man. “I’ve told you, and I’ve told the Don a dozen times. You’ll get her in due time. I think you’re forgetting who did all the work in this set up, P.” Justin growls, and though it is still a punch in the gut to think that this is the man that killed my family, I have long forgiven him. I hear a raised voice on the other end of the phone line, and Justin rolls his eyes, slamming the handset back into his cradle. I remain silent, giving him time to gather his thoughts. He continues to methodically stroke my hair, tapping his foot in irritation.
“I don’t want to leave.” I say, for what must be the thousandth time. He tenses beneath me, and I expect him to shout. Instead, he sags in the chair, wrapping both arms firmly around me.
“I don’t want to lose you.” He admits. My heart pounds in my chest, and our eyes lock as I take in the gravity of his words. It’s as much as a confession as I’ll ever get from him, and I hesitate for a moment before drawing his lips towards my own. Kissing is an act of intimacy that I’ve never experienced with Justin, it felt as if it would be crossing some unacceptable line. However, that thought melts away as our lips meet and he gently take my lower lip between both of his own. He flicks his tongue to my lip, sucking gently before shifting to explore my mouth more fully. I give no resistance, would allow him to suck my very soul out were that what he wanted. I tilt my head, mewling into the kiss as he tenses a hand in my hair. All at once, it’s over, and he pulls away. I turn melancholy eyes upon him, and he frowns as if anticipating what I’m going to say.
“Is there any way… is there some way that we can just… run away together? I know it sounds so silly, but…” I trail off, laughing bitterly. Tears pool in my eyes, and his silence stings the already intense ache in my heart. He reaches out, cupping my cheek to force our eyes together once more.
“Would you think me utterly insane if I agreed to that idea?” He inquires with a hesitant smile. My eyes widen in shock, and I search his eyes for any indication that he’s playing a trick on me. “Let’s do it. Let’s run away. We’ll go so far we won’t ever have to think about Don Avery again. We’ll get a big house on the ocean, and we’ll--” He begins, quickly getting swept up in the plan. I press our lips together again, in a searing kiss. He moans against me, shifting his grip on me to fully support me as he stands.
“It would take a lot of careful planning. We’d have to be quick.” I murmur against his lips, and he nods his head in agreement.
“I have a private server. I’ll see about booking a flight far away from here, one where we can’t be tracked.” He replies, and I’m struck by the severity of what we’re doing. If anyone in the Gillett family were to find out what we’re planning, we would be gunned down just as carelessly as my family had been. I know that I can’t imagine my life without this man at my side, however, and the idea of dying with him sounds better than living a tortured life without him.
“You decide on a flight, and I’ll help cover our tracks. We’re really doing this?” I inquire uncertainly, and he smiles, brushing his thumb to my lips.
“We’re really doing this, Jodie.” He murmurs. He gently sets me on the ground, and we’re starting in the direction of his bedroom when the doorbell rings. He pauses, the color draining from his face. I glance in the direction of the door, and the bell rings again, somehow more insistently though it’s the same tone. He curses loudly, and I fall into step beside him as he steps towards the door. He grabs my leash out of habit and clips it onto my collar before pulling the door open. An unfamiliar man waits on the other side, and he shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. Justin narrows his eyes, and the man looks ready to piss himself on the spot.
“Justin Tanner?” He inquires, and Justin’s lip curls in a snarl. I take him by the arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“Yeah. Who’s asking?” He demands. The man on the other side of the door looks almost ready to faint, but shakes his head to dissolve any lightheadedness before speaking again.
“I’ve been explicitly hired to invite you and… miss Walsh? To a party at the Gillett mansion. The master of the house insists that you bring miss Walsh along.” The man stutters. Justin looks entirely ready to whip out his gun and blow the man away, but I recognize him as a civilian who had likely been sent to draw us out of our foxhole.
“We’ll be there.” I say quickly. I exchange a look with Justin, and he hesitates before nodding his head.
“Yeah. You tell Don Avery that we’ll be there with bells and whistles.” He says coolly. The man nods fervently, looking relieved to have kept his life. He quickly flees the scene without another word, and Justin breathes a weary sigh. “I guess we aint got no choice in the matter.” He admits. I chuckle awkwardly, and we step back into the house, pulling the door shut behind us.
“We just have to keep the act up for a little longer. If you can convince him to let me stay, even for one more night…” I offer, and he nods, looking me over.
“I just gotta seal one more night, and then we’ll be outta here.” He murmurs, as if reassuring himself. I smile uncertainly, resting a hand against his cheek. I wouldn’t blame him for rethinking the entire situation. At this point, I wouldn’t even blame him for surrendering me. I simply want to know that he’ll be okay, in the end. Before I can assure him of that, he’s speaking again. “Here’s to a whole new life together.” He smiles, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Now I suppose we better get dressed for this party.” He says reluctantly. I nod, and together we slip into our now-shared bedroom.