Chapter Fourty Four

Chapter 44

“Am I interrupting?” The shrill voice of Marcus shattered the romantic ambiance that Jemima and Jay shared, startling them in the process.
Jemima grunted slowly, causing Jay to smirk mischievously.

“Yes you are,” Jay replied, standing up to face Marcus. There was a conflict of interest now as he did not know how to address Marcus any longer. He was still the Godfather but he was also Jemima's twin.

“Can I have a word with Jemima alone?” Marcus requested, causing Jay to cross his hands across his chest defiantly as she stared at Marcus skeptically. He glanced at Jemima who only nodded her head, signifying that it was okay.

“Call me if you need me,” Marcus offered before hesitantly excusing himself. He did not know what went down between Jemima and Marcus but he was determined to protect the interest of Jemima at all cost.

Jemima exhaled deeply as she got up, pacing the balcony while Marcus sat down. He allowed her to process everything. She grabbed her drink but discovered that the bottle was empty.

“Here!” Marcus muttered, offering her a fresh bottle of whiskey. She eyed him skeptically before grabbing it from his grasp.

“Why are you here Marcus?” Jemima inquired finally, throwing her hands up in the air as she indignantly gestured.

“To see you Jem!” Marcus responded casually, drinking his beer as he gazed up at her. Jemima observed him closely, noting his features. They were not identical twins but the resemblance was prominent. They had the same black hair and honey-colored eyes.

“After all these years Marcus? You left!” Jemima exclaimed, taking another swig of her whiskey. She felt so many emotions at once and she just wanted to not feel anything anymore, she just wanted to feel numb.

“Is that the lies they fed you?” Marcus queried, taking his fingers through his hair.

“Well you weren’t there, were you?” Jemima retorted, craning her neck in an attempt to dispel the soreness she felt. She exhaled deeply before returning to where she was sitting.

“I just have so many questions!” Jemima exclaimed as she buried her head in beret her palms. The migraine she was feeling earlier became more prominent and she wished she could just sleep.

“Ask me anything please, I want us to be how we were thirteen years ago,” Marcus pleaded, a sense of longing engulfing him as he stared at Jemima. The statement caused Jemima to chuckle dryly.

“It’s too late for that, don’t you think?” Jemima rhetorically inquired as she gazed into space, swirling the bottle of whiskey she had in her hand. She took a quick chug of the content and winced as the golden liquid burned her throat.

“I was drowned…” Marcus began, his deep voice quivering as he drew the attention of Jemima. Jemima’s head whipped towards him as she furrowed her brows and anticipated more from him.

“That fateful day while you were sleeping at night, Diane and Damien Valerian came to our room but you were fast asleep. They muffled my mouth, preventing me from screaming, and carried me out. I kicked and struggled but what could a ten-year-old possibly do against two grown adults,” Marcus narrated, shifting uncomfortably in his position as he faced Jemima. Jemima rested her head against her knees as she listened intently to Marcus’s story.

“During the chaos, Ava came out. I cried out to her for help but Damien reprimanded her for coming out of her room. She ran back to her room while I was whisked away. They chained my hands and taped my mouth as they put me in the boot of the car, driving straight to the bridge,” Marcus recounted the horrible experience he faced at the hands of his supposed parents, causing Jemima to scoot over to him.

“They brought me out of the car and told me I was a burden to them. They told me you would someday leave me and wouldn’t care about me anymore. They said I either run away from you right there on the bridge to wherever, as long as I never came back or they’d throw me overboard. I was so frightened Jemima. I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t run away because I would have come back for you and they knew that so they didn’t allow me to choose, they threw me over the bridge and into the river,” Marcus narrated, causing Jemima to gasp in disbelief.

Tears had formed at the corner of her eyes and she couldn’t have imagined what he must have gone through. She took his hands in hers, finally holding him close as she attempted to send some sort of solace to him.

“God I’m so sorry!” Jemima apologized, eliciting a nod of gratitude from Marcus.
He gazed into the sky, pinching the bridge of his nose as he continued narrating his ordeal;

“My hands were chained and my mouth was taped which made swimming difficult. I was trying to not drown but there was only little I could do. The water was freezing and my fingers were turning blue as I struggled to stay afloat. I couldn’t swim much with the minimal energy left in me so I tried to stay afloat, accepting my fate and hoping you’d be fine until a ship saw me. I didn’t know where the tides had carried me, I didn’t know where I was. I was barely conscious at that time and I was suffering from hypothermia,” Marcus paused allowing his words to sink in.

“I was saved by a sailor who was going to Switzerland. He tried to question me but I didn’t reply. I didn’t know he was a mafia leader in Switzerland at the time. He took me in and taught me everything I knew today. I was indicted as the Godfather when I turned nineteen, making me the youngest inducted Godfather. I tried looking for you. I tried so hard with all the resources and wealth I had acquired. I went back to the house but you weren’t there. None of our parents were there. I didn’t know where you were or if you were okay until it was time for your induction ceremony to become a licensed and trained assassin. At first, I was skeptical if it was you but the birthmark on your wrist gave you away. I wanted to tell you everything! I wanted to walk up to you right there and then but I was afraid of how you were going to react,” Marcus paused again, taking a deep breath as he inhaled slowly.

“I am sorry Jem,” Marcus apologized, wiping off the tears that had streamed down her face but she shook her head negatively.

“I am sorry you had to go through all that. I did not know! They told me you didn’t want to be associated with me anymore and left,” Jemima sobbed, telling her side of the story.

“I would never! They’ve always treated us like shit for reasons only known to them,” Marcus explained, wiping off the tears from Jemima’s eyes.

“Ever since that night, I have had insomnia. I had developed this mindset that if I somehow stayed awake you’d return and it had blended into my lifestyle and it had just felt like I had forgotten how to sleep. Even when I feel so overwhelmed and exhausted, sleep eludes me still,” Jemima revealed, causing Marcus to sigh deeply.

They had both been traumatized by people they called parents and the worst part was that they didn’t know why. They were both betrayed by their own.

“How did you end up with Jon and Alan?” Marcus queried, seeking clarity.

“I was raped Marcus, by Damien! I was sold to Jon by Diane and Ava watched as everything happened. She didn’t try to stop or help me. I was…” Jemima trailed off as she sobbed heavily, her heart becoming heavy as the flashes from that day flooded through her memory, causing her to break down.

“Fucking hell!” Marcus cursed, his hands still intertwined with hers. Jemima did not feel the need to hide her emotions anymore. She had carried so much weight for so long and now she felt like she was finally talking to someone who understood her.

“What did we ever do to them?” Marcus mused, hurt evident in his eyes as she gazed up at the sky. A lone tear escaped from his eyes. His fist clenched as the thought of what Jemima must have gone through engulfed his thoughts.

Jemima stood up, walking into the distance as the crisp night sent shivers throughout her body, eliciting goosebumps to appear on her skin. Marcus walked up to her and wrapped his coat around her body. She turned to face him and for the first time in forever, she embraced her twin brother.

They were locked in each other’s embrace, enjoying each other’s company in silence as the wind blew around them. The distance and pains of the past disappeared at that moment as they held each other close.

Jemima closed her eyes and allowed the tears to fall freely as she placed her head against his chest while she listened to the rhythmic beating of his chest. Marcus stroked her head softly as he inhaled the scent that came out from her hair. They had missed years apart but he was determined to make the most of the time they had now.

“We will find them, I promise,” Marcus vowed to find their parents and get the closure that they deserved.