smiling at me. His eyes are soulless, utterly evil.
Luca follows him in, his eyes anywhere but me as they talk between themselves.
The Jackal motions at me dismissively. "I found a private buyer, easier to offload her that way. I'd get more selling her through the Vulture but doing it privately, Johnny won't find her until she's dealt with and he'll finally get his head back. That's more important than money."
Luca nods carefully, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Where am I taking her, Boss? I'll do it now so we can get back to the Bay. Don't want to waste the entire night with this bullshit, do we?"
The Jackal chuckles under his breath and I can still only see the evil man, the smile is something out of my worst nightmares. I find myself praying it will be Luca who takes me because I'm starting to think that he won't really take me. The other men, they would try to hurt me, but Luca... I think he'd try to get me home safe.
I honestly think my luck is the worst in the world.
A phone rings and the Jackal pulls it out of his pocket to answer it, his face getting more and more evil. It's like watching the sunset, the darkness growing and growing until it's pitch black and you're swallowed by the blackness. I swallow back the fear that swells in my stomach.
“Something has come up. The Wolf has been threatened.”
Luca curses under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "The cartel? Or the mafia? I heard Giancomo was pissed about some of her work.”
The Jackal looks over at me. “She didn’t say who the threat was from.”
Clearly, he's guessing the wrong man.
Illi would never harm the Wolf… not ever.
He steps towards the bed and his eyes narrow at me. "Johnny knows about my interest in her but I never thought he’d interfere. He never has before. Do you think he'd betray me like that, over some little broken pussy? Hmm? Maybe I should try it out, see if it scrambles my brain the way it has the infamous Butcher’s."
Luca takes a deep breath, silently and where the man can't see it behind him. "He wouldn't do it, boss. He's lost his head but he's not fucking stupid, no one would do the Jackal of Mounts Bay like that. Besides, broken pussy? Not good enough for you."
The Jackal's eyes narrow at me even more, like he's thinking that through, testing how the words sound and deciding for himself if they fit his own narrative. He clearly thinks a lot of himself because the smirk slides back over his lips.
"I guess Giancomo has been making noise about her for a while… makes sense I guess. Fucking inconvenient timing. You're with me Luca, I'll leave the whore here for pick up. It's not like she can go anywhere chained to the bed like that... not unless she bites through her own fucking wrist. Maybe I'll leave a camera, just in case. That would be a sight to see."
My stomach drops, but at least he's leaving and taking his men with him. I... I don't think I could do that to myself but maybe...
Luca shakes his head at me, motioning for me to stay quiet. "I'll set one up for you, Boss. It would be something to see, right?"
They both laugh and the Jackal leaves, calling out to some of his other men as they all start to move around the house and collect their weapons. Luca helps clear the room then takes out a camera. Once the sounds of the other men have cleared he keeps his eyes on the open doorway and says, so quietly I have to stop breathing to hear it, "I'll send help. I don't know if they'll get here in time but... I'll try."
Tears start to stream down my face again, gratitude and relief that this man would even try. I have no doubt of what the Jackal would do to him if he found out... I need to keep that information close to my chest for now. Close enough to keep him safe the way he's tried to do for me.
It might all be for nothing.
But I can hold onto the hope blooming in my chest, I can take hold of it tightly to keep me going until I'm back in the arms of mon Monstre.
The loud bang of the front door closing again is a relief.