Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter 28

"He is going to be okay right?" Jemima queried, placing her hand against her forehead while she questioned Vanessa who had just gotten out of Jay's room.

Jemima could not quite understand why she was worried about Jay all of a sudden when all she wanted to do prior was figure out ways to punish him.

"Yes, he will. He's sleeping now and he just needs to rest," Vanessa muttered professionally while she held onto Jemima's hand.

Dimitri burst out of the room, a grim expression plastered across his face. Jemima did not know what to think of him.

"Are you alright, Dimitri?" Jemima questioned, her eyebrows furrowed with concern while she pursed her lips. She glanced at Dimitri who just closed his eyes and inhaled slowly before exhaling.

"I am fine," Dimitri answered, leaving Jemima's presence. Jemima glanced at Vanessa who shook her head in an attempt to tell her not to worry about it.

"Don't worry about it too much," Vanessa assured, patting Jemima on her shoulder.

"I certainly hope he's not pissed at me though," Jemima remarked, tucking her hands into her pocket as she followed Vanessa out of the house and into the garden. Their feet echoed loudly in the house.

In the garden, they meet Lilith, Jay's younger sister, playing with some flowers which evoked a smile from Jemima.

"Do you think you can get past your hatred for Jay?" Vanessa asked, staring solemnly into Jemima's eyes.
The incident in London replayed in Jemima's head, and the snide and insensitive comment by Jay about her being stubborn also replayed in her head, which caused her to grimace and shake her head negatively.

"I can't," Jemima whispered, shaking her head vigorously. The emotions welled up inside her as she recounted the events and the pain attached to them that Jay had caused her.

They sat together in silence, the sun burning down at its peak as the breeze blew over, tousling the wisp of their hair.

"Don't you miss your siblings?" Jemima asked, her question piercing the silence that had settled between them as she maintained her gaze on Lilith.
Jemima wondered how Lilith had coped with Jay as a sibling.

"Besides Zora, I don't think I miss the rest of them," Vanessa muttered. Having a rough childhood with siblings who could not understand her left her traumatized.
Wanting to know more, Jemima probed, " Who is Zora? I mean I only know of Christopher and Robert, your brothers."

Jemima stared at Vanessa expectantly, causing Vanessa to exhale softly.

"Zora is my younger sister," she confirmed, eliciting a nod of comprehension from Jemima.

"So..." Jemima began but was cut short by Vanessa standing up.

"I do not want to talk about my family, Jem, and now, if you'll excuse me," Vanessa stated defiantly, leaving Jemima to ponder alone.

Jemima sighed deeply, closing her eyes and throwing her head backward to face the sun. She absorbed the warmth of the sun.

"Don't even think about it," Jemima uttered, with her eyes closed. As she opened them, she saw Lilith trying to take the dagger that was tucked into her trousers from her.

Lilith chuckled nervously, wondering how Jemima had sensed her coming even with her eyes closed.

"How did you even see me? You didn’t have your eyes opened,” Lilith queried with a tiny voice, her little hands folded across her chest with a loose wisp of her hair sticking out of her face. Jemima chuckled at her innocence and patted the bench beside her, indicating for her to have a seat

"Let’s just say that I have a sixth sense,” Jemima replied, with a smile across her face. She may be the most feared assassin but she would forever have a soft spot for children.

Absentmindedly, Jemima stroked Lilith’s hair. Her gaze stared into space and her mind wandered far. Life has been very unkind to her and she hoped Lilith had a better life than she did.

“Why do you hate my brother so much?” Lilith’s inquiry pierced through the silent air, causing Jemima to snap her head towards Lilith, the question taking her slightly aback.

“He’s an unemotional piece of shit that hurts people with no regard,” Jemima replied with a nonchalant shrug, not caring that she was speaking with a child.

“You hurt people too,” Lilith reasoned, causing Jemima to sigh heavily.

“Only because they deserve it,” Jemima murmured, running her fingers through her hair.

“What if my brother hurt you because you deserved it too or to protect you,” Lilith suggested, eliciting a dry chuckle from Jemima.

“How do you hurt to protect? Do you know he blamed me for my kidnap and torture?” Jemima questioned incredulously, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes as the memory resurfaced in her head.

“Jay killed our father,” Lilith declared, causing Jemima to snap her head towards him in disbelief.

“What?” Jemima questioned in disbelief, her eyes widening in shock.

“The man molested me but I never told anyone about it. Until one day, Jay got back home from work and caught him. In a fit of rage, he killed our father to protect me,” Lilith stated, bringing up her knees beneath her chin. Jemima’s expression softened as she stared at the little girl.

Girls being molested by their fathers were never talked about enough and oftentimes overlooked. Jemima was a victim of that and she could very well understand what Lilith must have gone through.

“Well, why did you tell me this?” Jemima asked, instinctively stroking Lilith’s hair as she sighed softly.

“Jay hurt our father to protect me so maybe Jay blamed you for your kidnap to protect you,” Lilith stated, standing up from the bench in the garden as she made her way back into the house, leaving Jemima to ponder in solitude.

Jemima sat there for a long while, staring into space and allowing the breeze to blow softly across her face. Her lips pursed and her expression grim. Her mind wandered off to that fateful day and she imagined what her life would have turned out to be if things went differently that day.

“Daddy please!” The voice of twelve-year-old Jemima echoed across her mind. She closed her eyes tightly, tears dripping from her face as she tried to dispel the thought from her mind.

“Jem!” Vanessa’s call pierced through the personal turmoil Jemima was facing. Jemima hurriedly wiped off the tears from her eyes and looked at Vanessa.

“Yes?” Jemima replied, casting a quizzical look at Vanessa. Vanessa approached Jemima with deliberate steps, leaves crunching beneath the soles of her feet. Concern etched the corners of her face as soon as she sighted Jemima’s tear-streaked face.

“Are you alright? You’ve been out here for so long,” Vanessa queried, her expression solemn as she stared into Jemima’s eyes.

“I’m fine. Just really considering your offer of seeing a therapist,” Jemima blurted out the fabrication in haste. She hadn’t thought much of seeing a therapist but she knew it was going to get Vanessa to not delve further into why she was out in the garden for so long.

“I have a couple of cards I could give to you if you like,” Vanessa suggested with a shrug, a smile splayed across her face which prompted a nod of acquiescence from Jemima.

“So why are you here?” Jemima asked, curiosity creeping inside her as gazed at Vanessa in contemplation.

“Dimitri asked me to come get you,” Vanessa replied, prompting Jemima to stand up and follow her into the house.

“Why? Is Jay okay now?” Jemima questioned, anticipation building in her stomach as she looked at Vanessa, eager for answers.

“Ah Yes, he’s fine but that’s not why Dimitri wants to see you,” Vanessa answered with a soft chuckle as they entered the house. Jemima swept her gaze across the living room as her mind wondered what could be going on.

“Ah, Jem there you are!” Dimitri called out with a grin splashed across his face, causing Jemima to raise her eyebrow in confusion. She locked her eyes with Jay and noticed that he looked relatively pale, causing her to hide the hint of a smirk that threatened to display on her face.

“What’s going on?” Jemima quizzed, her expression neutral as she pursed her lips while tucking her hands in either side of her pockets.

“I think we’ve been cooped up in this house for too long and I suggest that we all go out for a fun time as friends. Let’s try to expel some of the tension that has surrounded us these past few weeks,” Dimitri announced, stating the reason why he summoned them.

“Is this why you called me?” Jay asked in disbelief as he turned to look at Dimitri who had his hands crossed behind his back.

“Yes,” Dimitri replied simply, glaring at Jay who scoffed in disagreement.

“You want me to go out and have fun with someone who tried to murder me?” Jay asked, his consternation palpable as he shifted his glance from Dimitri to Jay.

“Oh please, it was just a little ginger. Next time I’ll force-feed you with it!” Jemima retorted sharply, her anger rising to the surface as she folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

“There is no way I’d acquiesce to that,” Jay uttered angrily, walking away and leaving the rest of them in a stunned silence. His feet echoed loudly into the distance, piercing the thick tension that had grown.

“Me neither,” Jemima adamantly admitted, walking out of them as well, leaving Dimitri and Vanessa stunned.

“I have an idea!”