Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter 33

"London," Godfather replied, causing Jemima to snap her head towards him and leave her mouth agape.

"A mail would be sent out to you both regarding the details of the mission. Any objections you might have table it in the next mafia meeting. Looking forwards to seeing you there Vanessa," Godfather acknowledged before abruptly ending the call. Dimitri let out a heavy sigh as his shoulders visibly relaxed from the tension he had been feeling earlier.

"He's so cool!" Vanessa chimes in dreamily, her gaze still fixated on the blank screen.

"I can't go to London!" Jemima lamented, throwing her hands up in the air as she gesticulated dramatically.

"Bring your objections in the next mafia meeting," Jay simply said, his form tired as he ticked his hands in his pockets and stared at the ceiling momentarily.

"When is the meeting anyway?" Vanessa asked, her hands placed on either side of her hips as she carefully shifted her gaze from Dimitri to Jay and then finally resting on Jemima.

"Have you taught her nothing about how the mafia works cousin?" Jay asked, annoyance evident in his tone as he walked out of the emergency unit.

"The mafia meetings happen only once in two years. The godfather and every mafia boss, representing their mafia ring, attend the meeting," Dimitri explained, taking his seat on one of the high stools in the bar of the kitchen.

"Is that why Jay is acting all so worked up?" Vanessa asked, crossing her legs as she sat down on the chair. She cast a solemn glance at Jemima who had her head buried between her palms.

"Are you okay Jem?" Vanessa inquired, prompting Jemima to raise her head and cast her a tired glance with a pursed lip. Jemima's mind had traveled somewhere else and memories of Mission London clouded her thought process.

"I can't go on this mission with Jay, especially since it's London! I mean, what are the odds?" Jemima quizzed, shaking her head defiantly as the events from her past resurfaced.

“Well like Jay said, maybe you can raise a motion against it during the meeting,” Dimitri suggested, shrugging nonchalantly.

“I ask again; when exactly is the meeting?” Vanessa asked, her brows raised as he folded her hands across her chest.

“I already said it happens once in two years!” Dimitri reiterated, his voice laced with exasperation as he palmed his forehead.

“It doesn’t specify though,” Vanessa pressed on adamantly, determined to get her answer. Jem sat still, listening to their banter as she placed her head in between her hands.

“It’s tomorrow,” Jemima uttered finally, standing up and exiting the Emergency unit. She did not want to hear them bicker over irrelevant things anymore and she thought it best to leave them be.

Jemima got to her room and locked the door. She solemnly walked over to the window and gazed over the horizon that overlooked a vast and empty land filled with so much vegetation

It was then that Jemima eventually realized that there were no other buildings surrounding Jay’s house. She sighed heavily as she dreaded the meeting that was going to ensue the following day.

As the sun set, giving way for the moon to shine brightly and cast its glimmering glow through the opaque window of Jemima’s room, Jemima lay in her bed, her gaze unwavering and her stance still as she stared at the ceiling. She watched the fan twirl and listened to the distinct creaking of the crickets. The breeze blew by softly and anticipation twisted like a know in the lot of her stomach.

With a resigned sigh and knowing she couldn’t defeat her insomnia, Jemima got up and changed into something more comfortable. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, only to be met by the tall frame of Jay.

Slightly startled, Jemima muttered, “Oh!”

Jay smirked mischievously and took a sip of the coffee he was drinking before gazing at her to address her, “Took you long enough. Here you go,” Jay offered, handing her a cup of herbal tea.

“You were expecting me?” Jemima asked in a whisper, disbelief etched on the corners of her eyebrows as she grabbed a stool in the corner and sat on it.
Jay nodded his response, sipping his coffee and enjoying the tranquility that accompanied the night.

“Why?” Jemima queried, staring at the cup of tea placed before her. She did not trust him enough so she did not drink it, instead, she shoved it towards him as she leaned over the kitchen counter.

“Your insomnia is common knowledge by now Jem,” Jay pointed out, mirroring her actions as he also grabbed a stool as well across from her. Jemima rolled her eyes at his mimicry.

“I know that. I mean, why were you expecting me?” Jemima inquired, her curiosity piqued as she propped her elbow against the kitchen island and rested her jaw against her palms.

“Because you always come down every night for a drink,” Jay replied nonchalantly, taking a sip of his coffee again as he studied Jemima carefully.

They both sat in comfortable silence, each of them lost in their thoughts until Jay’s comment pierced through the air, shattering the tranquility that they once enjoyed, “Jem, about London…”

“Save your breath. I don’t want to hear it,” Jemima ordered, interrupting Jay from saying anything further.

“The earlier we address the elephant in the room, the better. Especially now that we could be working on a mission again!” Jay tried to reason, causing Jemima to scoff as she got up and returned to her room.

She slammed the door shut and slipped to the ground, bringing up her knees to her chin. Jemima did not feel emotionally and mentally ready to have that type of conversation with Jay and she didn’t want to address it just yet.

Jemima remained crouched in that same position for so long that she lost track of time. When she raised her head again, she could feel the warmth from the morning sun and wondered if she had dozed off momentarily for time to slip by so quickly without her notice.

She decided the get ready for the meeting, realizing the importance of being tardy. One could be punished for being a minute tardy and the punishment in the Mafia for tardiness was very grave.

An hour later, Jay drove them all to the meeting that was being held in a heavily secluded area.

“Password!” A doorman called through the peephole, looking at all three of them.

“Esquire’s noble!” Jay and Jemima chorused, prompting the doorman to open the door to them. Jay led them through a flight of stairs until they reached an open room that was dimly lit. The table was arranged in one huge square that had Godfather in the center of it all.

He had his face bowed and his hoodie over his head.

“What’s going on?” Vanessa whispered, causing heads to turn to look at her. She cringed with embarrassment as she momentarily forgot that no one was allowed to talk unless otherwise told to do so.

Everyone sat in silence, waiting. The room was silent and they waited for Godfather as the tension in the air became palpable.

A bell banged loudly, causing Godfather to raise his head as he slowly turned to look at everyone until the sound of the bell stopped.

No one could see his face behind the mask he had but Jemima wondered what he looked like beneath all that facade.

“I would like to hear a report from all of you over the past two years,” Godfather boomed behind a microphone, his voice deep and guttural.

This was a routine. Everyone comes out to give a report and if you are found lagging in your task, you’re killed; no questions asked.

Only Mafia leaders were allowed to speak at these meetings and they usually go alphabetically by the last names, hence- boring Jemima in the process because she was always the last to go.

“Jon Ross?” Godfather called as he looked at his roll call sheet.

“He’s absent but I am proxying for him,” Jemima replied, standing up as a sign of respect towards him.

“Permission to demur godfather, Jon Ross can only be proxied by a mafia person,” a leader of the Mafia ring in Japan objected.

“So what is your point?” Jemima retorted the echoes of her voice bouncing off the walls of the room. The entire leaders of the foreign mafias were always against her.

“You are an assassin and not part of the mafia,” the Japanese Mafia leader pointed out, causing Jemima to scoff.

“She is actually,” another Mafia leader objected. He was recently crowned leader of the African clan.

“When did she become one?” Another asked.

And just like that, an eruption of murmurs ensued, causing Jemima to sit down back and cross her legs.

“How do you always do this?” Jay whispered as he leaned into her ear.

“Do what?” Jemima questioned ignorantly, shrugging innocently as the murmurs of people grew distinct.

“Stir up drama! Every damn time!” Jay mused. He was impressed. Jemima only chuckled in response and said nothing.

“Enough!” Godfather barely whispered and the whole room fell silent. Soft breathing was heard from different corners of the room.

“Proxy for Jon Ross, you may proceed,” Godfather ordered, hushing the rest of the people.

An hour later, the meeting was over.

“Any more demurs?” Godfather asked, twirling in his seat as he slowly looked at the rest of the team.

“I will not go to London with Jay Black!”