Chapter 26
CASSANDRA
“So, what do you want to talk to me about?” Julian asks as we sit inside one of the VIP lounges at the strip club together.
“I’m here.” Frank runs inside the lounge, panting like he just ran a twenty-four hours’ marathon, “I asked someone I trust to watch over the counter for me.” He continues and I nod. “But what did you want to tell us? Why haven’t you been visiting the bar like before too? Also, why did you disappear into thin air?” He asks. I guess Julian hasn’t explained everything to him, well it’s a good thing since I’m about to tell them the truth.
“I will answer all your questions with what I have to say anyways, so calm down.” I say and they nod.
I sigh, wondering how to start talking about it because no matter what I angle I look at it from, I feel they’ll hate me or be disappointed in me, which I won’t blame them for. “What I want to say now, might sound stupid and you guys will most likely think I’m a terrible and selfish person after this but I just don’t know anyone else to talk to.” I say.
“Calm down, it’s not like you killed someone.” Frank jokes, making all the color drain from my face, and he stops laughing seeing as Julian and I aren’t laughing along. “Okay let’s hear it… the reason why you refused to laugh at my jokes.” Frank jokes again, and Julian elbows him before he keeps quiet and they both look at me.
“So this happened few weeks ago, the night you were searching for me to be precise.” I start, looking at Frank, who frowns because he knew something was off that night. “I met Victoria Rodriguez and her bodyguard, Mac.” I say and Julian laughs.
“How will you say that kind of thing when you are not high?” She laughs, before adding, “I mean, you’re telling me the rich business woman, Victoria Rodriguez, came to this bar? Nah! I ain’t buying it…” She trails when she sees I’m being serious about what I’m saying.
“Yes! She did, I’m not lying about it, and she had a job for me. She knew everything about me and my work guys. Every single detail, she knew it. She then gave me a picture of Nicholas Bennett and told me to kill him.” I stop, watching their faces for their reactions. Frank looks calm and signals for me to continue while Julian is deep in thought as if trying to figure something out, suddenly her eyes widen.
“Fuck! Don’t tell me the rich handsome guy you fell in love with is Nicholas Bennett?” Julian yells but Frank shuts her up so I can continue talking. I sigh, and then continue speaking.
“And I took the job and I was given half the payment, with which I used to pay the mortgage officers and send Cole to a better University.
“And that’s why you quit your job right before your pay.” She finishes for me and I nod, glad they’re taking it in well and not yet screaming at me.
“This all makes sense. So, they paid you half before the job and will pay you the rest after you succeed in killing Nicholas Bennett, which I know you cannot do.” Frank adds and I nod again, sighing.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
“But Cassy, you know you cannot kill someone but you still took the job anyways.” Frank says.
“She needed the money, what else could it be? But she fell for Nick in the process and now she can’t kill him and let me guess… you are getting threats from Victoria.” She says, and I nod again, finding myself smiling at how they already know what I’m going through without me having to say it.
“What a bitch! If I have been thinking very highly of her, now, I just think she is a big fat bully and a devil. How dare she do that? Does Nick know now, since you guys are together?” She asks.
“Not really.” I mutter before looking down.
“Not really… You didn’t tell Nick, did you? You should have told him.” She says.
“Oh! So I should go tell my boyfriend who I just had sex with last night… I’m not even sure if we’re dating, but you don’t possibly expect me to tell him I lied to him about who I am to get into his house and kill him, and now I can’t because I love him.” I say.
“Oooh! So, you guys did it?” Julian says with gleaming eyes.
“Yes, but that’s not the point.”
“You taking the job in the first place doesn’t make sense especially when you knew you wouldn’t do it, but Frank and I accepted you and don’t think any less of you. Anyways, now that you told us, you should tell Nick too, he would understand, especially if he loves you, and besides you can’t fight this battle alone Cassy, you won’t win.” She says truthfully.
“You are right; I should tell him. I will tell him.” I lie, because how can I tell Nick that I am an assassin sent to end his life? I can’t imagine the kind of hurt he will feel if he hears it? What if he decides that he doesn’t love me anymore? “Thank you guys, I should get home and maybe prepare myself to tell Nick.” I get up and grab my things.
“I hate to leave you guys but my shift starts in a few minutes. We’ll talk later Cassy.” Julian says.
“I need to get back to the counter too.” Frank says and then gets up.
Julian yells a bye-bye and leaves us for the changing room. Frank and I walk out of the lounge together, talking about life, and then he goes back to the bar, and I wave bye to him, before exiting the club. Everywhere is so silent as I walk out the club, and down the road, trying to look for a cab when a black minivan rolls over and parks in front of me. What the fuck? Crazy drivers everywhere. The door suddenly opens and three masked guys get out of the minivan and block my path.
“Grab her.” One of the masked guys says and the other two grab my hands, my bag falling to the ground. I yell and keep struggling to break free as they try their best to put me inside the van.
I keep screaming and kicking as we near the entrance of the van. I bite the arm of one of them and the other stabs me in my arm out of anger. I wince in pain and try to hold it but I can’t because the masked guys are already holding me tight but that doesn’t stop me from yelling.
I already know who sent them, she had warned me earlier this morning, she has told me that if I keep acting like this or if I don’t keep to my promise, I will die and Nick will still die. Why do I feel so hurt in my heart than in my hand where I have been stabbed? I realize that I can’t get free from them so I stop fighting to get free and allow them to take me when the sounds of sirens from afar, and the hope that has died in me is reignited, and I start to struggle harder while screaming as loud as I can.
“We should go; the police are coming.” One of the guys in the mask says leaving my stabbed hand, making it harder for me to fight back.
“If we don’t bring her, we’ll get killed.” The other argues.
“But you will be thrown in jail if they catch us, so get in or I’ll leave you.” The driver says and they toss me on the floor and enter the van before it speeds off. I hiss out in pain and hold my arm which is bleeding so bad, I start to wonder if they stabbed a vein.
“Are you okay young woman?” I look up to see a middle aged man holding a phone playing the tune of the police siren. That’s when it hit me that the police weren’t around, the sound was coming from this man’s phone. How genius. He probably knew he couldn’t save me by himself and would perhaps get killed if he tried.
“I’m fine, thank you very much sir.” I say and he helps me up. I hiss in pain again and touch my hand.
“You were stabbed. You need to go to the hospital to have it checked.” He says with a worried look.
“I am fine; you don’t need to worry about it.”
After the man helps me to the road, he stops a taxi for me and pays as well. I thank him and get into the taxi, telling him my address before he starts to drive. I have to tell Nick the truth.