Episode 72

I sat down quite, my back pressed against the Mexican wooden chair in the small diner. I kept looking out for Ric. He was supposed to meet me a minute ago? Wasn't he gonna come? Did he hate me already do doing what i did to him?
Calm down, calm down, I'm just over thinking things. He's just a minute late. He'll be here in no time.
After a while, I started counting numbers. It was something I did when I'm nervous but right now I wanna think that I'm doing it to do away with the time.
I needed to get this over with so i can be on my way to italy. I needed to do this.
When I saw his car pull pu front through the diner's glass walls, I felt my heart leap into the bottom of my stomach. I looked away immediately as he looked up. No strings attached, talk and leave.
Yes, I can do it.
I heard the door push open and he walked in towards me. He drew out a chair and sat himself down, my eyes still fixed on my hands on the table.
"Ashley," he called and I looked up at him "are you alright?" He placed a hand comfortingly over mine but I drew it away.
"I have something to tell you, Ric"
"You didn't pick or return any of my calls, Ashley. I've been on edge since that fight and I'm completely sorry, I was an asshole. I shouldn't have said all I said"
Don't let his words get into you. . . It'll only stop you. . . .
"I'm leaving, Ric" I told him straightforwardly.
He stops talking and watched me for a second before saying " leaving? What do you mean?"
"I mean. . . I'm quitting my job, Ric. I can't work for you anymore?"
"You're quitting?"
"I'm sorry. I got another job"
"Ashley, we had a little fight and you quit your job and wanna leave?" The pain in his voice hurt me even more. I didn't know how much longer I could bear to sit here with him.
"Ashley, if this is what you want then I'll apologise, I swear"
"You didn't do anything wrong, Ric"
"And you just wanna leave? I was gonna ask you to stop working for me cause I love you Ashley and I did not want you. . . "
"Can you just stop going over the love phrase please? Don't make this any harder for me"
"I'll make it as hard as I can for you, Ashley. What about us? Are we supposed to just throw us away?"
"I shouldn't have. . . "
"Don't. Do not say it. I do not know why you're being like this but please you need to stop already"
"I'm doing all of this for you, Ric"
"What do you mean you're doing this for me, Ashley? I don't understand a word you say"
"I'm sorry but I have to leave" I started rising up to my feet but he holds me back by the arm. I glanced up at him and said "let go"
"I. . . I'm sorry, okay? About all I said to you at my place and. . . . And. . . . "
I wished he'd stop doing that, stopped making me feel worse than I already feel. Making up my mind, I cut out of his grip and hurried out before I cried in his front, before I shed the tears I've been holding up even before he walked into the diner. I felt like crap. I needed to cry. I quickly hailed a taxi and asked to be taken to the airport. I already had my bags driven up there. My flight to italy leaves in a few minutes and the closer we got to the airport, the more thoughts swam through my mind.
I am doing this and there's not turning back.
Just as I got off the taxi, my phone started ringing and I checked to see frenchie calling. I picked it up.
"Hello Frenchie"
"Are you still coming?" He asked.
"Yes"
"Okay, once you come off at the airport, a car would be waiting for you. He'd bring you straight to us"
"And victoria?" I asked cautiously.
"And victoria" he replied before disconnecting the call.
I didn't want any eerie feeling to stop me from keeping to my promise so I got onto the plane before I stopped myself.
Getting to italy was a completely long ride and at some point I slept off on the plane. When we arrived, it was completely a new day, a bright morning to be precise.
I went off with my bag and looked around for any which looked like it was waiting to pick me up. Frenchie should have been more specific. I stood for a while before a black SUV drove up to me. It came to a stop in a way that the driver's window was turned to me. The window went down, revealing a black haired young man wearing black suits and black shades on his eyes. He turns to me and said "Get in"
Okay, there goes my ride. Creepy much?
I walked over to sit at the back before he drove out of the airport and into the roads of italy. He drove along the beautiful, busy streets. I admired everything I saw and it reminded me of. . . . .
'let's go to italy after all this is over'
. . . . . Ric's words. Asking me to go to italy with him on a vacation after leaving London. It was like I heard his voice as he said that again and I smiled. I did the right thing, I thought before focusing my eyes to the front again.
The car continued until it came to a stop towards a dark alley. The place was filled with the typical Mexican ghetto houses. A place where you'd find tattoo houses and cheap pubs. The suit guy walks out and opens my door. I stepped out, feeling the chills on my neck and arms.
"What are we doing here?" I asked him as he grabbed my arm.
"Meeting her" he replied in a robotic voice.
"Who's her?" I demanded as he dragged me towards a certain small, shaded building.
"You'll see" he replied.
He lets go of my arm as we stepped into the room. The room was dark, you'd actually think it was night time outside. A bulb light hung on the low ceiling just after the door, a pool table at the right side of the light. Two men dressed in black shirts and pants stood over the pool table, only looking up to see me as we walked in.
The room reeked of cigarettes and alcohol, that's when I saw the men seated around a circular table at my left side. They had cigarettes between their lips and fingers, bottles and glasses of alcohol sitting on the table in front of them .
I looked forward to see a brightly lit area, the bar presumably. The room was suffocating enough as it was jam-packed with men and it reeked seriously. Up front at the bar side sat a woman with her back turned to me. She sat on one of the four bar stools, drinking.
The man stops just before the woman who's face is still unveiled to me, and I stopped too. She definitely wasn't victoria. Given the circumstances, I was beginning to have a bad feeling about being here.
The woman turns around, revealing her face to me, a smile on her lips.
I felt pang of. . . . Realization hit me as I stared back at the face of Rebecca. What was she doing here? She worked with. . . . Them? With Victoria? I thought. . . . . . .
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Love" she said, setting down the tumbler in her hand "I'm sorry I couldn't come pick you up myself"
"Rebecca? You have been working with Victoria all these while?"
"Oh, what makes you say that?"
"Isn't it obvious enough?" I gestured my hands towards the surrounding, at the mafia men standing around.
"Well you are right about that, for sure. But you see, Ashley, Ric would never understand why Victoria is doing what she's doing unless we make him realize that"
"Realize what? What do you mean by that?"
"You my dear, are gonna get Ric here to us"
"What?" I felt the suit man quick grab hold of my arms from behind.
"How could you do this, Rebecca? He's your brother"
"He left me alone, Ashley. This is the only way I can pay Victoria for doing what she did for me"
"Why are you doing this? Don't you see? Don't you see that she's just using you against your brother?"
"We have a long way to go, Ashley. I'd recommend you save your breath"
That said , she stands up and walked towards the exit. Suit man walks me out after her. Outside, there's a different car waiting.
Then suddenly, there's something going over my head and blocking my vision, rendering me into total blackness. Then I heard the car door being open and me being hauled gently into it.
That's when regret washed over me.
Now I'm gonna put Ric in danger. He should never come here for me. I felt two other masculine bodies sit beside me from both side and cars shutting close before the car pulled away.
I looked forward to see a brightly lit area, the bar presumably. The room was suffocating enough as it was jam-packed with men and it reeked seriously. Up front at the bar side sat a woman with her back turned to me. She sat on one of the four bar stools, drinking.
The man stops just before the woman who's face is still unveiled to me, and I stopped too. She definitely wasn't victoria. Given the circumstances, I was beginning to have a bad feeling about being here.
The woman turns around, revealing her face to me, a smile on her lips.
I felt pang of. . . . Realization hit me as I stared back at the face of Rebecca. What was she doing here? She worked with. . . . Them? With Victoria? I thought. . . . . . .
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Love" she said, setting down the tumbler in her hand "I'm sorry I couldn't come pick you up myself"
"Rebecca? You have been working with Victoria all these while?"
"Oh, what makes you say that?"
"Isn't it obvious enough?" I gestured my hands towards the surrounding, at the mafia men standing around.
"Well you are right about that, for sure. But you see, Ashley, Ric would never understand why Victoria is doing what she's doing unless we make him realize that"
"Realize what? What do you mean by that?"
"You my dear, are gonna get Ric here to us"
"What?" I felt the suit man quick grab hold of my arms from behind.
"How could you do this, Rebecca? He's your brother"
"He left me alone, Ashley. This is the only way I can pay Victoria for doing what she did for me"
"Why are you doing this? Don't you see? Don't you see that she's just using you against your brother?"
"We have a long way to go, Ashley. I'd recommend you save your breath"
That said , she stands up and walked towards the exit. Suit man walks me out after her. Outside, there's a different car waiting.
Then suddenly, there's something going over my head and blocking my vision, rendering me into total blackness. Then I heard the car door being open and me being hauled gently into it.
That's when regret washed over me.
Now I'm gonna put Ric in danger. He should never come here for me. I felt two other masculine bodies sit beside me from both side and cars shutting close before the car pulled away.