Conquered by the Mafia Boss

I don’t know what to tell him. The words won’t come. Nothing will dispel the torment raging inside, so I just let him hug me.

“Go, Beatrice. We’ve been here too long.”

“Okay.”

We break away and he shoves his hands deep in his pockets.

“Bye.”

“Safe trip, Beatrice.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

A crooked smile tugs at his lips as he gives me a wink, and I turn around, forcing my legs to walk. It’s as though they’re filled with lead, because this doesn’t feel right. Everything inside me screams to run back into Jack’s arms. I walk across the pavement to the pay stations. A glance over my shoulder. He’s still there, watching me with that sweet smile. I never thought he’d be gentle with me. I turn around.

A loud crack makes me duck and a large spark explodes over the metal ticket dispenser. What the hell? Did it short-circuit? A man’s voice screams behind me, and I turn around violently. A sharp, intense pain slices my hip. I feel it like a searing-hot brand sizzling my skin, and then I see Jack ducked behind his car door, his arm extended.

CRACK. CRACK.

The ground explodes a foot away from where I’m standing and Jack screams over the noise.

“BEATRICE, RUN!”

I get up and leave my suitcase behind, barreling past the ticket machines into the station. A wet feeling at my hip distracts me, and I look down.

A wave of dizziness strikes my head and I brace my palm on the wall.

Blood.

Dark red spreads over my pink t-shirt. Then the pain starts to throb sharply. Oh God, I don’t want to look. My brain can’t process what’s happening. All of it is like the striking visuals of an action movie. Jack, firing his gun in the middle of broad daylight. The explosions and sparks at my feet. The blood spreading over my hip.

Am I shot?

“He’s got a gun!”

I look up, heart racing, and I see Jack sprinting toward me. He bellows like a wounded animal when he sees the wound at my side.

“Jack, what’s going on?”

I’m surprised at the calm in my voice.

He ignores my question and lifts my shirt. I feel the fabric unsticking from my wound. “You got grazed. You’ll be fine,” he says in a quick, hurried voice.

He yanks me to my feet so quickly that I have vertigo. “We need to get the fuck out of here before the cops get here. Come on.”

Numbly I follow Jack back outside, noticing the crowd of huddled people. There’s a body near Jack’s car. My horrified gasp catches Jack’s attention.

“Come on!”

He opens the car door and yanks me inside. I don’t feel like any of this is actually happening to me. It’s too bizarre-must be a dream. I hiss in pain when I try to sit up. Jack’s head snaps to me, anguish all over his face. Feelings return and I realize how fast I’m breathing. The sound is sharp in the car. Fear trickles in as he starts the car and guns the engine.

“They shot me.”

“THAT SON OF A BITCH!”

I jump in my seat as he beats the dashboard with his fist. The radio screen smashes and pieces of plastic stick into his knuckles.

“JOHNNY!” he screams, spittle flying from his mouth. “He sent those guys after us. He wants us fucking gone, so I’m going to fucking kill him.”

It’s all confused. I can’t think straight as Jack drives like a maniac down the streets and flies through downtown Montreal. He screeches to a halt outside a bar, and then within seconds he’s dragging me out of the passenger seat.

“What are you- Where are we going?”

“I’ve got to leave you here.”

“Leave me? Are you fucking kidding?” My voice rises to a shriek in the sidewalk as he drags me by my arm.

“I’ve got to end this. I’ve got to get rid of him.”

Patrons in the bar stare as we burst through the door. They swing their heads around and Jack drags me to the back rooms, where Sal sits at a table, counting stacks of money. Two other guys hang nearby.

He looks up. “Jack-Beatrice! What the fuck happened?”

“Johnny happened!”

Jack’s voice trembles the ceiling as he releases my arm.

“He went after her-both of us! He’s fucking dead, Sal. I’m finding him and I’m putting an end to this bullshit!”

Sal rises to his feet. “Jesus Christ, Jack. Have you lost your fucking mind?”

My heart races as he rounds on Sal, fists raised. “He sent Ricardo and Ben after me-I KNOW HE DID. I’m done. He’s dead. He came after my wife!”

Without waiting for Sal to speak, he turns to me. I flinch when he grabs my shoulders.

“Stay fucking put. Do not leave Sal’s sight.”

Sal raises a beefy arm. “Jack, we need to talk to the other bosses-the commission-”

Muscles rippling, Jack seizes an empty bottle of wine from the table and smashes it against the wall, shattering it into thousands of pieces. Then he takes the jagged neck and grabs the closest man, digging the broken glass into his neck.

“Jack!”

“If you lay a hand on my wife, I’ll rip open your insides while you’re still alive.”

“Jesus, Jack!”

Then he flings the broken glass to the floor and gives Sal a cold glare. “Watch her.”

JACK