The Price of Protection

Chapter 21~ I'm Sorry (Part 1)

I had been hiding in the bathroom of this smoky bar for over an hour. Every time the door opened I waited to see if I'd been found by a member of the Gray empire. I was beginning to believe that my life was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. None of this seemed like it could really be happening. And yet, I'm on the run from a criminal overlord- I really need to figure out what to call him- after being kidnapped by his rival who... I couldn't stomach the thoughts again, not now anyway.

The bar I'd made it to was decorated in an older style. Red and mahogany stain everywhere. There was a low stage with large velvet curtains at the back for live performers and specially hired guests. Tonight a snappy jazz band had been playing, but were currently on a break which made the bar feel too quiet and I was even more uneasy than before. Every clink of silverware and swing of the door put me more on edge.

I had run through my exhaustion and cold-warped lungs until I was sure I had gone in a direction that they weren't sure to follow. The first thing I had done was borrow a stranger's phone to get ahold of Quinn. I'm pretty sure that he had pitied my sad, sunken-faced, dirty self. I didn't really care why he'd let me borrow his phone, I was just glad he did.

The authorities may have been the more logical choice, but I'm pretty sure that one of the current crime lords in the city may have some sway there and thus I would be getting into either bad hands or worse hands by reaching out to them. Even though I trust her, I didn't give Quinn the whole story when I'd called her either, I just told her that I needed her now and she couldn't tell anybody.

Every few minutes I was peeking out the door hoping to see Quinn walk through and finally, I saw her concerned face appear as she stepped uneasily into the run-down bar.

"Quinn!" I whisper-yelled, calling her over.

I had only been able to call Quinn for a minute before the stranger I had borrowed from wanted his phone back so I wasn't sure if she'd understood where to find me or if she'd even understood that it was me due to whispering and my voice which had been shaking violently from a mixture of fear and shock. I could barely speak when I heard her familiar voice on the other side of the line.

She ran toward me now, "C!"

"Shhh!" I held a shaking finger up to my mouth and tried to keep tears of relief from flooding out. She threw her arms around me, tackling me back into the bathroom and I clung to her as we stood in the shadowy corner. She stroked my hair and shushed me as the tears released and I was gasping in quiet sobs.

"Céline," she said gently through her own tears when I had finally calmed, "What happened? Where have you been?"

"There was..." I stopped as a knot formed in my throat. I didn't even know what to say, "I... I was taken. I was being held by gangsters or something, I guess, and they wanted me to help them but I said 'no' and they... " I shook my head as tears began to fall again, "I want to go home."

She nodded, "Your house... It's still a crime scene, we have to tell the police and I can get you some of your clothes." She paused, biting her lip before continuing, "C, your dad..." She paused again as her silent tears for me continued down her face.

I nodded, biting my bottom lip so hard I thought it may bleed, "I know," I rasp whispering through the constant flow of tears.

She took a deep breath trying to ward off more tears and put her arm around my shoulder, "C'mon, we've got to go somewhere else," she whispered urgently.

I hesitated, wondering if I would be found if I left this room but Quinn gently nudged me and gave me the courage to put one foot in front of the other heading out of the bathroom, "Okay, but we can't go to the police."