Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter 34

“I will not go to London with Jay Black!”Jemima stated defiantly, looking at what she assumed to be Godfather’s eyes. She couldn’t tell exactly because he was clad in a black mask and a hoodie.
Gasps erupted from the people, filling up the room and cloaking the palpable tension.

Godfather stood up and observed her gently, he gritted his teeth in annoyance and clenched his fist. He was outraged that she would defy his others at the same time admired her courage.

“Then risk going into exile for two years with no interaction whatsoever with Jon or Alan or any other person in the mafia,” Godfather’s voice boomed, causing Jemima’s gaze to become heated as she continued to stare at him.

Jay reached out for her hand, causing her to turn her gaze to him. He shook his head gently, signaling that she should not engage in any more arguments.

“If that would be all, the meeting is adjourned and perpetrators should be dealt with immediately,” Godfather declared, exiting the building.

Outraged, Jemima stormed out of the building without waiting to greet anybody. She went into Jay’s car and folded her hands across her chest.

Jemima fumed, her heartbeat racing faster and her pulse rate increased. Perspiration formed on her brows and she angrily wiped them off as she took her hoodie.

“Why did you run off like that?” Jay asked as he entered the car, his brows etched in worry as he studied her expression solemnly.

“Why did you run after me?” Jemima retorted, not bothering to look in his direction as she smoothed her hair.
Jay sighed heavily as he opened the car door and sat on the driver’s side. A heavy silence fell upon them as they were both wrapped in their thoughts.

“Are we going to keep hating each other Jem?” Jay asked, his voice calm as he stared at Jemima. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the window sill.

“You had just told me you liked me, you had just asked me to be your girlfriend. You were not coerced or forced. You came to me and when I accepted, you went on to shove your tongue down another girl’s throat?” Jemima queried, irritation laced in her tone as she glared at him. It was obvious that she was hurt and she had no plan of forgiving Jay for every pain he had caused him.

Jay buried his head in his palms, ashamed of his actions and not knowing what to say to Jemima.

Jemima took his silence as her cue to continue, “You taunt me every day Jay! You blamed me for being raped! You blamed me for being kidnapped! Heck, you never showed any remorse, regardless of my condition. You didn’t care about me or that I could be dying. I mean nothing to you and you want me to just forget it and move past it?”

Tears had formed in Jemima's eyes now as she stared at him, the hurt and pain she felt had now become evident and for some reason, it made Jay's heart, ache as he stared at her. He had never seen her this vulnerable and he knew he was at fault but he didn’t know how to pacify her.

“Jem,” Jay drawled out her name. The tension in the air became palpable as they both gazed into each other's eyes. Feelings and emotions going unsaid.

“You’re not even remorseful about it!” Jen exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.

“Jem, I…” Jay began but was cut short by Jemima’s agonizing cry. She clutched her chest as he doubled over in pain and Jay stared, confused and petrified.

“Are you okay Jem?” Jay questioned, his eyes filled with terror as he glanced at her. He stretched out to touch her but even amid her pain, she shrugged off his pain.

Jemima wondered why she was feeling this searing pain in her chest. She shut her eyes momentarily and tried to steady her breathing.

“What’s wrong Jem?” Jay inquired, his voice quivering with worry as he stared at her place form.

“I’m fine!” Jemima muttered through gritted teeth, her hands still placed on her chest as the pain began to reduce. Her breathing returned to normal and her eyes fluttered open. And just like that, the pain had vanished. She felt very normal again and she stared at herself through the rearview mirror.

“Something’s not right!” Jemima announced as she tapped on her chin lightly, glancing at Jay.

“What the fuck just happened?” Jay quizzed, a skeptical glance still placed on Jemima.

“I don’t know. I felt a sudden sharp pain in my chest and it hurt a lot. Maybe something has happened to Alan, I need to call him!” Jemima declared, frantically searching for her phone in her pockets.

“Jem, all phones are at home remember? We don’t carry phones, guns, or knives to this meeting!” Jay reminded Jemima, causing her to curse out loud in profanities.

“Where the fuck is Vanessa and Dimitri? Let’s fucking go already!” Jemima ordered, agitated. She needed to call Alan and make sure he was okay. The gut feeling she had was really strong and she needed to find out why.

“Would you relax and tell me what is going on?” Jay demanded to know, his muscles tensed as his eyes widened with worry.

“Let’s just go!” Jemima muttered but Jay ignored her and stared out of the window as he waited for Vanessa and Dimitri.

Shortly, Vanessa and Dimitri joined them, “My goodness! Everyone is so cool and there’s a lot of things I didn’t know that could happen!” Vanessa mused in exhilaration, her smile splayed widely across her face as Dimitri opened the door for her, allowing her to get into the car.

“Drive!” Jemima barked out again, not wanting to hear about Vanessa’s first experience in the Mafia meeting. The excitement on Vanessa’s face vanished as she sensed the palpable tension hanging above them. Her brows were etched in worry as she turned to stare at Dimitri who just shrugged in ignorance.

“What’s going on?” Dimitri asked, wrapping a seatbelt around his waist as his gaze shifted from Dimitri to Vanessa.
Jay sighed heavily as he revved up the engine and began driving.

“Jem thinks something is wrong with Alan because she felt a sharp pain in her chest,” Jay explained the situation as he swerved onto the road and began his journey home.

Vanessa chuckled lightly, causing Jemima to snap her head towards her.

“You think this is funny?” Jemima inquired, her gaze locked with Vanessa’s through the rearview mirror.

“Sorry!” Vanessa murmured with a solemn shrug and tried to conceal another laugh. Jemima had a temper and she was not willing to become a prey to her anger.

The rest of the drive was silent except for the excited chatters of Dimitri and Vanessa in the back seat. Jemima leaned her head against the window sill and gazed out of the window, her mind reeling with so much thought.
The last time she had felt this kind of pain was when she was just ten years old. She felt it and the next morning when she woke up, Marcus was gone.

“Jem?” Jay called out, snapping her out of her thoughts as she opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. She didn’t realize she had dozed off on her way back to the house.

“What?” Jemima replied, rubbing the sleep off from her eyes. She stifled a yawn and looked around her surroundings.

“We’re home!” Jay stated, causing her to cringe at his choice of words. This was not her home, she thought to herself before alighting from the car.

She rushed to the house and up to her room, in search of her phone. After finding it, she dialed Alan swiftly. Jemima threw herself on the bed as she heard the phone ring. She closed her eyes and hoped he’d pick up.

“Jem?” Alan said as soon as he picked up the phone, his voice sounded groggy and Jemima could detect a weariness in his tone.

“Alan! Are you okay?” Jemima asked frantically, her voice quivering with fear as she listened to him yawn.

“Yes Jem, I’m fine!” Alan replied from the other end, stifling another yawn. A momentary pause passed between them before Alan spoke up, “What’s wrong Jem?”

“I sensed something Alan and I thought something terrible happened to you,” Jemima confessed, sighing in relief as she listened to him talk.

“Everything is fine Jem, nothing to worry about. How was the Mafia meeting?” Alan inquired, deflecting from the initial conversation.

“It went well. Jon didn’t show up. He always showed up, why didn’t he show up? I had to proxy for him. I was looking forward to seeing him. I’ve missed him. How is he?” Jemima rambled on, prompting Alan to rub his forehead in an attempt to still the increasing migraine.

“He’s fine…” Alan began but was interrupted by the piercing cough of Jon. Jemima furrowed her brows as she heard the cough in the background.

“What was that?” Jemima queried, her voice becoming frantic as she listened intently again.

“What was what?” Alan asked trying to downplay it. Jon coughed again, this time calling Alan’s name more distinctively.

“Don’t play games with me, Alan! Talk to me and tell me what’s going on?” Jemima demanded through gritted teeth as her agitation became palpable. She began pacing the room as she listened to the soft breathing erupting from Alan.

“He’s dying Jem!”