OoO (Josie) OoO
After our eventful shower, Riker and I met up with Milo in the massive dinning hall.
"Finally you two are here," he said once we walked up to his place at the bar. "They wouldn't give me a table being by myself and they don't serve the menu here at the bar."
"Well then. Find a table and let's eat." I said gesturing towards an open table.
I followed the guys' lead when my phone began to ring. Excusing myself I stepped into a parlor off of the dining room. The number was blocked but the uneasy feeling I got told me I would know who would be on the other end.
"Chloé," I answered barely above a growl.
"Oh damn. Don't tell me I've lost the element of surprise already?"
"What do you want?"
"An exchange. Everything from the security box for your little beats boy."
"What is going on Chloé? Why are you so adamant to have everything?"
"C'mon now J. Surely you can recognize greed when you see it."
"Why? We weren't brought up like this. Da and Mam raised us to value quality not quantity. When did you become such a materialistic bitch."
"Don't you dare bring them into this. This is between you and me."
"What is?"
"You! You destroyed me! Always had me under your thumb. I never had a life."
"Always under my thumb are you kidding me?! Damn it Chloé. I was making sure you had everything. If anyone destroyed you it was your fucking self. I worked my ass off to make sure you had everything you could ever need. Made sure you got an education and opportunity to go to college. You fought me every step of the way."
"I didn't want that life but you wouldn't listen."
"I was fulfilling mam's wish. I had to be the grown up. I was robbed of opportunity and I'd been damned if I was going to let you take the same path as me. I stopped going to school and worked all the time to keep a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food on the table. Do you know how many times I went without just to make sure you didn't have to? Resent me all you want but I did my best by you."
"Your best. Yeah right. You took it upon yourself to be Queen Bitch. Even after you joined Mac Tíre I had no choice but to follow you. I knew you wouldn't let me do anything different. You robbed me of what I could've been."
"I never once forced Mac Tíre on to you!...*sigh* So now what? I supposedly robbed you of making every cliché teen mistake and now you're punishing me? Going to rob me of our family's riches just to say you came out on top. Do you understand how fucking immature that sounds? You took a fucking hostage Chloé. An innocent bystander that doesn't even come close to being involved with this. You're fucking mental. Stop all these games and let us deal with this ourselves, nobody else needs to be involved. Free Ryland and deal with me."
"You'd love that wouldn't you? Well no deal. I need what you've found and in exchange you get the boy back. Don't make me wait any longer Josalynn or he's going to start coming back in pieces."
*click*
"Son of a bitch!"
I locked my phone and returned to the others in a huff, slamming the door as I went. Chloé was being impossible, she won't listen to reason. I don't want it come down to her life or mine but she's hell bent on it. If only I could trust Declan to help, surely he understands how all this will end if Chloé continues. Granted I know my life probably means nothing to him, but he has to be concerned for Chloé's. I sat down staring at the table lost in my thoughts when I felt eyes on me, no longer being able to ignore them I looked up. Along with the two sets of eyes I knew were watching me the whole dinning hall had their attention on me. 'Just great.' I stood up and cleared my throat.
"Ladies and Gentlemen I apologize for disturbing your dinner. If any of you have siblings surely you can sympathize with how difficult they can be." I explained chuckling in order to lighten the tension.
The majority of the room laughed along with my explanation where as the snooty bunch took it upon themselves to turn their nose up at me and begin to whisper and gossip in a not so discrete fashion. I rolled my eyes before sitting down once again and grabbing the menu.
"Are you ok sweetie?" Riker asked reaching over and gripping my hand.
"I'm fucking peachy," I grumbled back, keep my eyes on the menu.
Riker squeezed my hand reassuringly before leaving me be. A moment later our server appeared timidly, obviously he had heard my spat as well. He took the other's orders before turning to me.
"*Feicfidh mé ag an chrusta Faoi uaineoil le taobh an cál ceannann."
He nodded once and turned to leave.
"*Fan," I said stopping him. "Agus Carraigín Moss Blancmange do gach duine chomh maith. "
"Aye," he nodded and headed for the kitchen.
I turned back to others to find them smiling at me.
"What?" I asked confused.
"Just enjoying hearing you speak your native tongue." Riker explained eyes shining with amusement and pride.
"Oh geez."
"Hey don't get embarrassed Jos. I go through the same thing when I decide to speak Italian." Milo assured.
"Yeah whatever," I muttered back.
I caught the attention of our waiter once again and ordered the strongest whiskey the bar had.
"So what happened?" Riker asked cautiously.
"Ugh. Chloé is off her damn rocker. She wants to play a game of exchange for Ryland. Says I ruined her life and now she needs everything for her emotional distress, or something like that. Riker I'm so sorry your brother is wrapped up in this."
"It'll be ok. Just don't let Ry end up like Connor."
"Not going to happen."
"How is this exchange suppose to work?" Milo asked.
"I have no idea. We started yelling and she hung up on me. *sigh* I was thinking about trying to talk to Declan."
"Are you insane?!"
"Riker calm down."
"No Jos I agree with Riker. You can't be serious to reach out to him after everything he's done."
"Look. Chloé keeps calling me on blocked numbers. I can't trace them, I can't call back, I can't do anything but wait. If Declan still has his phone I can get this shit sorted out and get Ryland home. I thought that was the whole purpose here, is it not?"
I looked between the two of them. Neither one would look at me and both looked guilty.
"I just don't see why you have to talk to him," Riker finally said.
"I'm just trying to get Ryland back."
"But this is like making a deal with the devil."
"I told you I'd do whatever I had to. I don't know what else to do. Chloé is so far gone I'm afraid she'll go after Ryland sooner rather than later. I'm just trying to do the right thing." I said flopping my napkin on to the table. "Seems like I'm always in the wrong no matter what the fuck I do."
I stood and left the dining hall with Riker calling after me. I bypassed the elevator and headed for the front doors. 'This needs to end now.'
OoO (Riker) OoO
Josie just stormed out. I tried to follow her but Milo advice me to let her cool off. 'Damn it I hate this.' I reluctantly sat there watching Josie walk away knowing I couldn't do anything to better the situation.
"What…What if I dealt with Declan instead of her?" I asked turning towards Milo.
"I honestly don't know Lynch. This is going to be a bad deal any way we go about it."
"We have to do something."
"And we will."
Our food arrived and Josie's chair remained empty.
"Is the lady returning?"
*sigh* "No I don't think so."
"Would you like to wait or for me to take the plate back?"
"Take it and enjoy. No sense in wasting a perfectly good plate."
"Aye sure thing."
We ate in silence but I had lost me appetite. I picked at my plate and watched the dining hall doors, but Josie never returned. A few minutes later a whole kitchen delivered this custard type desserts to the whole dining room.
"Excuse but we didn't order this," a man beside us announced to the wait staff.
"Compliments of Ms. Hagen for disturbing your meal earlier. Please enjoy," the waiter announced to the room.
I watched in amazement. Even with everything going on Josie still surprises me. I caught Milo's gaze, his reaction mirroring mine. He smiled and shook his head in disbelief trying the dessert. Shortly after we returned to our room. Josie was still nowhere to be found and I started kicking myself for listening to him. 'I should've went after her.' Not having any idea where she was or where to even go I forced myself to ready for bed without her.
I woke the next morning to a knock at the door and the bed empty. There weren't any signs that Josie had returned last night and my heart sank. I hurried to answer the door and found a hotel member standing on the other side with a card.
"Mr. Lynch?"
"Yes?"
"For you," he said handing me the card.
"Uh thanks."
He left back down the hall and I closed the door while staring down at the card.
'Good morning réalta rac , I'm in the dining hall join me for breakfast. I love you.'
"At least she's back," I muttered walking towards the shower.
I showered and hurried downstairs. In the dining hall I found Josie sitting at a table alone.
"And how exactly did you manage to get a table on your own? I thought that was against the rules Ms. McGrath." I whispered teasingly in her ear.
Josie smiled up at me and I kissed her gently on the lips before taking a seat beside her.
"Money talks Mr. Lynch," she answered once I was seated.
"Yeah you sure have been acting all Ms. Money bags lately." I commented absent minded.
"Gee thanks."
"Sorry that came out wrong. Just I've never seen you like this."
"Well *ahem* guess I'm just trying to get out of my old ways. I'd hate to be responsible for ruining someone else's life. Besides it's not like I can't afford it."
"Hey you did not ruin anyone's life. Chloé isn't in her right mind and you know that. I didn't mean for my comment to sound like that. You do whatever you want I'll support you."
"Ok."
"So where have you been?"
"I'm sorry I just left. I just…there's so many people counting on this all to work out just right. I had to try getting a plan formed and I know, I know you don't want me to deal with Declan but I couldn't think of any other way."
I sighed heavily. Agitation setting in I tried to stay calm. I leaned back in my chair, chin propped up by my fist and my right leg bobbing up and down rapidly. I stared at the menu on the table until the black words on the white page blurred to gray.
"So what plans did the two of you make?" I asked, my voice had an edge I tried to mask but it was obvious.
"Can we just enjoy breakfast first. It's been a long night and I just want to spend a few minutes of normality with you. Please?"
I shifted my gaze to Josie. Worry lines were etched around her mouth and her eyes were tired and lifeless. She looked like she was moments away from breaking. Instantly my mood changed. I reached for Josie and pulled her into my lap. She buried her head in my chest mumbling sorry over and over.
"Shh. You don't need to be sorry ok? You're doing everything you can. I'm sorry. I love you so much and I just don't want you to get hurt anymore."
"People are staring," she sniffled.
"Let them. It's just me and you, nobody else."
OoO OoO OoO
* Feicfidh mé ag an chrusta Faoi uaineoil le taobh an cál ceannann- I'll have the crusty roasted lamb with a side of ceannann
*Fan- wait
*Agus Carraigín Moss Blancmange do gach duine chomh maith- and Carraigín Moss Blancmange for everyone also
