"Janelle! Janelle! Jay, where the hell are you!"
I heard my name being called out from the grand hallway. The clicking sound from her stilettos moving closer and closer to the bathroom.
Fuck.
They finally realized I'm missing.
"Janelle!"
It was no use. I know they will find me regardless. I stood up from sitting on the covered toilet. I smoothed out my royal blue curve hugging dress, pulling the dress back down to where it belongs ; my knees. I took a deep needed breath, and unlocked the bathroom door.
"I'm in here, Keisha," I finally responded.
She opened the bathroom door, and I moved out of the way. She closed the door behind her, and looked me over.
"Girl, what are you doing in here? Everyone's waiting for you downstairs. Especially your husband to be."
I looked in the mirror at myself. The ends of my freshly straightened hair looked terribly knotted. A lot like how my stomach was feeling. I used my fingers as a comb to fix the ends of my long hair.
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Marrying Moses?"
She started to rub my back. I placed my hands on each side of the sink and hunched over. I couldn't breathe again.
Keisha took both of her hands and pulled my hair back behind my shoulders. Probably because she was afraid that surf and turf I had earlier would reappear again.
"Janelle, you've been with the guy since you were 18. "
"Yeah, and he was probably faithful for only two years of this relationship."
"Jay, you are being paranoid. He would never cheat on you. That man loves you, and wants to make you his wife. It can't get any better than that. It's probably just cold feet. I mean, it's understandable. There will be about 500 people at the wedding tomorrow."
I pushed myself upright and turned to my best friend.
"Yeah.. Yeah. You're probably right."
"I know I'm right. Let's clean you up, and get you back downstairs."
I pulled her into a hug, and I opened my silver clutch. I pulled out my powdered foundation and my Mac mascara.
Keisha was right behind me as I came back downstairs. My mother's eyes found me no sooner as I reached the final step. She excused herself from talking to my Aunt Mae and strolled over to Keisha and I.
"Where have you been, sweetheart?"
"Oh, it was just time for a touch up."
My mom smiled at me, and pulled my hair in front of my shoulders.
"You are your mother's daughter. Come on, your grandparents are finally here," she interlocked her arm with mine and pulled me forward.
I didn't move my feet, making her look at me.
"I'll meet you over there. I just want to talk to Moses real quick. Have you seen him?"
"Yeah, he's outside with a few of his buddies. But hurry back, sweetheart."
I nodded, and exited the formal engagement party. I pushed on the lever of the wooden door to the outside. I leaned against it, and enjoyed that beautiful sound I haven't heard since I got engaged. Silence.
I closed my eyes and smiled for a second.
The cool night air felt good against my skin.
There was so many bodies inside, you couldn't move without bumping into someone. All the family and friends pulling on me, saying how happy they are for me. Asking me when will we bring children into the picture. I mean, can't I just focus on one milestone at a time?
All of the sudden, I heard some noise coming from the side of the building, ripping me out of the endless thoughts in my mind.
"Look man, I warned you that this would happen if you didn't come through."
I followed the sound of the threatening voice.
Once I reached the side of the building, I peaked my head around the corner.
Moses was with his two friends, Terrance and Mark.
Terrance and Mark had a crying man on his knees, and Moses had a gun pointed at his head.
"Moses, please give me one more day."
"Mr. Marks gave you three days. I'm just following orders."
"Plea.."
Moses fired his weapon, and blood splattered on the ally wall.
I moved away from the wall, and covered my mouth. As if tonight wasn't already eventful.
My fiance is a murderer.
I tried moving my legs quickly to get me away from that horrific scene that I had just witnessed.
But, I couldn't no matter how hard I tried.
It felt like cement blocks were tied at my ankles.
I opened my silver clutch, and took out my car keys.
I unactivated the alarm, and got in the driver's seat .
I put the key in the ignition, and moved the stick shift in drive.
I tore out of the parking lot, and broke probably every traffic law imaginable to get home.
How long has he been working with August Marks?
How long has he been killing men, maybe even women under Marks's order for?
The ring on my right hand felt heavy. How did he buy this ring? With the money Marks pays him when he gets rid of the so called " collateral damage"?
I looked in the rearview mirror to see if any familar looking car was following me.
Nothing. Good. Hopefully, it stays that way.
As I put the car in park, my cell phone began to ring from my clutch. My heart moved up into my throat. What if it's Moses asking where I am? What if one of his friends spotted me from around that wall's corner?
I reached in the middle console, and opened my clutch with shaky and incredibly clamy hands.
I pulled my cell out, and looked at the screen.
Mom.
I breathed a little easier, and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Janelle, where are you?"
"Mom, I.. I went home?"
"What, why? "
"Mom, tomorrow's a big day. I need all the rest I can get."
"Okay. That makes sense. Did you at least enjoy the party?"
"Of course. Mom, I'm going to go. Love you, bye."
I tossed the phone in the middle console and headed to the front door.
I lifted the plant's pot by the welcome mat, and picked up the spare key off the front step.
As soon as I got into our home, I sprinted to the bedroom.
I fell to my knees and pulled out the suitcase from underneath the bed.
I placed it on top of the bed we share together.
I unzipped the suitcase and started to cry.
The coldness in his eyes when he killed that man.
That's not the man I agreed to spend the rest of my life with.
I refuse to be with a monster. Pull it together, Janelle. Pull it together.
I wiped my tears, and walked over to my closet.
I ripped my clothes off the hangers, and threw them in my bag, not giving a shit if they were folded.
I grabbed the last of my clothes when the front door opened.
I panicked and closed my suitcase, hiding it in the closet.
I moved away from the closet doors, and listened as the footsteps grew closer to the bedroom.
Moses walked in, and saw me sitting on the bed.
"Hey baby, why'd you take off? Is everything okay?"
"Mhm, yeah. Everything's fine. I.. I just needed to get away from the party. I was just feeling overwhelmed."
"I understand. "
He took my hands in his, and had me stand to my feet. He moved his hand underneath my chin, making me look at him.
"Jay, I love you. You know that, don't you?"
"Of course I know that. "
"Do you love me?"
"Yes."
"Then, why is all your things packed?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
He looked at the closet doors. I turned around and saw what he was seeing.
The doors were slightly opened, and he saw empty hangers on my side of the closet.
"Moses, I.."
He grabbed my arm, and slammed me against the closest wall.
His other hand moved to my neck, his fingers digging in my neck.
"You think you can just leave me? I give you everything you ask for! Are you fucking someone else, you whore!"
He threw me to the bedroom floor, and got on top of me. I couldn't find it in my lungs to scream. I was terrified.
I looked down at his dress pants pocket. In a twisted way, I smiled to myself. This item will be my way out of this.
The pocket knife he always carries was ready to fall out of the pocket.
I got a hold of it, and pushed the button on the handle.
The blade shot out, and I stabbed Moses in the shoulder.
He cried out and fell onto his back.
I stood to my feet quickly, bringing myself back over to the closet.
I opened the doors fully and grabbed my suitcase.
Moses was on his feet again, bleeding heavily onto the bedroom tile.
I ran down the hall with him right on my heels.
I made it to the door.
My hand reach for the doorknob.
He grabbed me by the back of my hair.
"Moses! Let me go!", I tried grabbing at his hands.
"You're not leaving me, Jay."
I turned myself around, even though his hand will wind tighter in my hair. I pushed onto his bleeding shoulder with my thumb.
He screamed, and he back slapped me in response.
I stumbled, trying to regain my footing.
Moses had let go of my hair, and he was clutching at his shoulder.
"Yes, I am. I refuse to spend my life with a heartless murderer."
I picked up my suitcase off of the floor, and quickly made it out of the house.
I looked back, and he wasn't following me.
I threw my bag in the backseat of the car, and shut the door.
I got in the driver's seat, and started the car, driving off.
I had no idea where I was going to go, but I know it had to be out of Moses's reach.
I looked up in the mirror, and saw a thick gash on my cheek from the slap he delivered.
YOU ARE NOW LEAVING CHARMING
I could not express how happy I was when I read that sign.
Even though I have only been driving for twenty eight minutes, I felt safe.
I was away from him.
I seemed to have spoke too soon.
There were headlights blaring in my back window.
"Shit."
I pressed my foot on the gas pedal with more force.
The truck drove up alongside my side of the car.
Moses rolled down his window, and raised the same gun he killed that man with at me.
He moved the gun from being aimed at me, to the back window, shooting out the glass.
I jumped, and I swerved the car.
He hit the side of my car with his, making my car crash into a power line pole.
The airbag hit me hard in the face.
My vision went blurry, and my head felt unusally heavy.
My door was opened and I was pulled out of the car.
As I was thrown onto the side of the road, My knees and chin got scraped from the fall.
He pulled me up by the hair.
"Get on your knees."
I did what I was told.
My eyes didn't produce any tears.
I looked up at him, the gun inches away from my face.
"Go ahead, you piece of shit. Kill me. "
"With pleasure. "
He moved in front of me.
Moses lifted his foot and kicked me in the chest.
I fell onto my back, already knowing it was pointless to fight back at this point.
I had so much I wanted to do.
Now, it's gone because of the man I thought I knew standing in front of me.
He fired six shots in my chest and stomach.
For the first time, his hand shook while he fired a weapon.
He looked down at his now dead fiance.
She was his center.
The love of his life.
Yeah, he cheated on her plenty of times.
But, she was the only one he loved and wanted at the end of the day.
The Next Morning:
"Sophia, you did a great job in here."
Sophia smiled as she turned and looked at Jax.
"I can't take all of the credit. Gem helped me."
"She did, huh?"
She nodded.
" Yeah. I was afraid to refuse. She fucking scares me."
"I think she has that effect on everyone."
There was a knock on the massage room door.
"You can come in."
Wayne Unser opened the door.
"Hey Wayne, what's up?," Sophia asked.
"It's your sister, sweetheart."
"Janelle? What's wrong?"
"A couple found her in the woods about a 15 minutes ago while they were hiking. Shot and left for dead."
"Holy shit," Jax's eyes widened and looked at Sophia.
"Please tell me she's okay," she pleaded as tears rolled down her face.
"She's in surgery at St. Thomas. I can take you."
"It's okay. I can take her," Jax offered.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. She's your family."
