Chapter 6

 I was staring out the window when Tommy stormed into my room. He practically slammed the door open and I thought it was going to break off the hinges.

 I watched him startled and finally regained my composer.

 “Can I help you, oh great Mafia Lord?”

 “Watch your mouth, little girl. I’m not Justin; you don’t have me wrapped around your little finger. I’ll fucking kill you if I want to so show some goddamn respect.”

 Wow. That drew me back and scared the shit out of me. I just looked at him and nodded. Eep, how the mighty me had fallen.

 “Anyway. You need to come downstairs because we are about to call you’re Uncle Eduardo and you need to be present to tell him you’re okay.” Tommy stated to me.

 “Fine.”

 We walked to his huge office. It looked like Tony Montana’s Office from Scarface. It had the black marble on the walls and the gold trim to everything.

 Tommy ordered me to sit on a black leather chair as he sat down at his desk.  Justin and JC were standing in the back of the room with huge guns in their hands.  I especially didn’t want to fuck with JC because I knew given the chance he would probably blow my brains out.

 Tommy dialed a number on speakerphone and when I heard my Uncle’s voice, I perked up and listened.

 “Hello Eduardo.” Tommy said coldly.

 “Thomas… please… I’m trying to get the money as fast as I can.” Eduardo said through the speaker.

 “That’s not fast enough Eduardo. You have two fucking weeks. You hear me? Two fucking weeks to get the money or I’ll kill the little bitch.” Tommy hissed and I bit my lip nervously.

 “Tommy, please, can’t I pay you in payments… it’s a lot of money…” My Uncle was begging him.

 “I don’t fucking care. You should have thought about that when you tried to slip out of paying me you fuck. NO ONE FUCKS OVER TOMMY RYAN! NO ONE!” Tommy screamed, he was staring at the phone almost like he was staring at my Uncle.

 “Alright Tommy… I’ll get you the money… But don’t hurt Natalia, please.”

 My hands started to shake a little as I heard all of this occur. Tommy would definitely kill me. I wouldn’t put it past him not to.

 I shivered a little, and tried to keep myself from crying.

 “I won’t… here she is now…” Tommy looked at me and I stayed quiet. “Go the fuck ahead and talk.”

 “Tio Eduardo?” I said, my voice was quivering with fear and sadness.

 “Aye Natalia… Mija I’m sorry… I didn’t want to get you or tu hermano involved in this.”

 “I know… but just save me Tio. I’m in Florida in a really big house!! Tio please!! Tio I want to go home! GET THE COPS TO HELP ME TIO!” I was almost screaming now. JC came up behind me and put his hand over my mouth and a gun to my head.

 “Shut the fuck up.” JC stated. I just swallowed deeply and nodded. The salty warm tears were falling from my eyes and were showing no signs of stopping.

 “You call the cops, Eduardo, and I will kill her. I’ll send her body back to so decapitated that you won’t even be able to identify it.” Tommy sneered; he took a sip from his glass of courvoisier and set it back down on the desk. “But if you get the money I will send her back. You have two weeks, you son of a bitch. Two fucking weeks.”

 Tommy hung up the phone and stared at me menacingly. JC let go of me and I just looked at him.

 “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, huh? You want me to have to kill you?”

 “No… I’m sorry…”

 “Yeah, don’t try something like that again. Your stay here can be pleasant or it can be hell. You make the choice.”  Tommy stated and I just nodded.

 I was too scared to give a smart-ass remark or even look at him now. I stared at the floor until Tommy finally dismissed me.

 Justin took me out into the garden to calm me down. I was barely able to keep myself together.

 He tried to talk to me and calm me down but I was barely able to look at him, let alone talk. Tommy had really shaken me up. I wanted my Uncle to get me out of here. I didn’t want to be nice to anyone; I didn’t want to play nice anymore. I just wanted to go home.

 I don’t think I would have even minded the cold either. I hate winter but I would rather be in freezing cold NYC than any place else.

 “Natalia? Are you alright?”

 “Do I look like I’m alright?” I snapped at him. He didn’t answer me so I continued. “I was just threatened numerous times that I was going to be killed. I JUST WANT TO BE IN MY FUCKING HOUSE! I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE!!!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs and fell to my feet onto the ground.

 I hit the ground with my fist and looked down at the concrete. My hand was throbbing but I didn’t even care. Nothing mattered other than getting the fuck out of here.

 Justin knelt down next to me and ran his hands through my hair. I hiccupped from crying so hard and finally calmed myself down.

 “I just want to go home…” I whispered.

 “I know… and you will. You just have to be strong for a little while.”

 “I don’t want to be strong. I want to be home.”

 “I’m sorry, Natalia.” He leaned over and hugged me tightly. “Do you want me to take you somewhere? We can go eat something and you can calm down a little…”

 “Somewhere as in out of this Fort?” I asked and Justin laughed.

 “Yeah, not too far but there’s a diner close by that Tommy owns.”

 “Anything is better than being here.” I forced a smile and Justin grabbed my hand and pulled me back inside. I wanted to hide behind him as we came back into contact with Tommy, but at the same time I wanted to show that I wasn’t scared, even though that was a lie.

 “Tommy is it okay if I take her to Angels Diner?”

 Tommy looked at the both of us for a second and smirked. He was holding Hope so I figured he wouldn’t be a dick in front of her.

 “Alright… but take JC with you.” Tommy said and walked over to us. He left Hope staring at us with a smile. “And if you try anything… like escaping… don’t think there won’t be repercussions.” He whispered to me and I just defiantly stared back at him.

 I knew that since JC was going to be there, there was going to be no way of me getting away. I would just have to suffer with the both of them.

 This was going to be the longest two weeks of my life.

**

 We hopped into JC’s red Mercedes convertible. I of course, sat in the back while Justin and JC rode in the front. JC turned on “My Plague” by Slipknot. I loved that song so I just smiled to myself.

 Even though he was a complete psycho, he had good taste in music.

 We drove down this little dirt road with the top down. I wanted to get up and scream along with the lyrics. I KNOW WHY YOU BLAME ME!! I KNOW WHY YOU PLAGUE ME!!!!

 I was taking the blame for my Uncles mistakes. He got involved with the Mafia; he wasn’t able to pay back the money he owed. This was his problem. But I was paying for it.

 Though I couldn’t say I had been treated badly. In fact I felt like a princess, living in a huge house, and being pampered beyond belief. But I wanted to go home to. I wanted to feel that safety of my home.

 But no, I was in hell with the devil himself aka Tommy Ryan and his loyal minions.

 JC drove the car to this cute little diner. He parked the car in the parking lot and literally jumped out of the car. Justin got out as well and then he helped me out.

 “Tommy probably told you this already… but no funny stuff. I’m serious.” JC said to me. I just nodded and followed him and Justin into the diner.

 We sat towards the back in this small booth. Almost instantaneously, I started looking through the jukebox. I smirked to myself at the cheesy but great music. I loved how it was filled with music from the 80’s and early 90’s. The best music ever was made in those time periods.

 I grabbed 50 cents from Justin and turned on “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis. I love that song so much, I remember listening to it when I was younger and crying to the lyrics.

 I always wanted to find someone to love and feel that way about. Of course, I had boyfriends, I was 19 years old. But I didn’t love anyone.

 Love is just this phrase that gets thrown around too easy. I loved my family and friends, but romantically I had never really loved anyone.

 I had sex before, sure. My boyfriend, Dylan and I were together for 2 years so of course we did the deed. But it was just sex. I wanted to know what it was like and he was there.

 Sometimes I regret it, but then again it was fun, so I just say fuck it.

 “Hey y’all. I’m Savannah you’re waitress. Are you ready to order?” This brunette girl said. She was very pretty, tall and by the look on JC’s face he was definitely attracted to her.

 “Hey there Savannah… “ JC smirked, he obviously knew her from somewhere before. Savannah fake smiled at him and rolled her eyes.

 “Joshua… don’t you ever leave me alone?”

 “Not until you go on a date with me… come on… we’ll have fun…”

 “Yeah okay!” Savannah laughed in his face. JC looked annoyed and I just pretended not to hear anything. “So are you ready to order or not?”

 Justin found this all very funny and was desperately trying not to laugh.

 “No… but would you like to join us to eat? Maybe we could go for a ride in my car and then maybe you could ride something else later on.”

 “No that’s okay.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take you’re order.”

 Savannah turned and walked away, her small black waitress outfit left nothing to the imagination and JC was drooling at that.

 I found this funny; I mean, JC the killer liked someone. He had feelings? To make it funnier was that he couldn’t even get the girl he liked.

 “I’m glad you find this amusing.” JC sneered at me. I looked at him and just smirked.

 “I can’t help it. You have no idea how to talk to a woman.”

 He raised an eyebrow at me and laughed bitterly. “Wow, Natalia, you must know a lot then… seeing how you must be a lesbian.”

 Justin stuck up his middle finger at JC. I just smiled and kissed Justin’s cheek.

 “Whatever, but yeah… here’s a piece of advice, don’t try to get in her pants the minute you see her. It’s a real turn off. Oh and quit staring at her rack, that’s great that you like them and all but look at her face.” I said to JC with my head leaning on my hand.

 “I was NOT staring at her chest.”

 “Man, don’t lie you so were!” Justin said and laughed. I joined in and giggled while JC shook his head.

 “So what if I stared? I couldn’t help it, she’s fucking hot!”

 “But if you wanna get her, that’s not the way to do it.” I explained to him.

 JC didn’t say anything, but the look he gave me was enough. I just dropped the subject and actually stayed quiet.

 Eventually Savannah came back and took our orders and such, JC took my advice. I felt proud!

 Other than that I was hoping a cop or something would come into the restaurant. Of course I had no luck, and even worse a bunch of guys that worked for Tommy were all over the place. Great. No chance to run, I’d be shot if I even tried.

 2 weeks. That’s all I kept telling myself. 2 weeks.