Cloud of Light (Beatles Fanfiction)

Chapter 8

"Please John!  Just listen to me!  It's...complicated." Audrey said with tears in her eyes.  "If you confront Robert...my sister will most likely be hurt, if not worse.  Please.  I'll explain everything if you will just let me." She said. "Just...come and sit.  Please?" Audrey begged. 

John sighed frustrated and went to sit on the bed.  He was obviously still very worked up, but Audrey needed to keep him from confronting Robert about what he had done.  Grace's life was on the line...and so was both of their lives. 

Audrey fastened her robe as she sat next to John.  She looked at him, tears in her eyes.  John's face softened.  

"I'm so sorry, John." Audrey said after a few seconds.  

"Just talk to me...tell me what is going on." John responded with a gentle tone.  "Who are you? And what is it you want with me?  I mean I'd never met you before that day in the train...had I?"

"No.  We had never met."

"Who is Frank?  Why do you think he's going to kill me?  And who is Grace?" 

"Grace is my younger sister. She's 17. She has nothing to do with this, but Frank is using her as a way to...to get me to do what he wants." Audrey confessed. 

"What does he want you to do with me?" John asked apprehensively. 

Audrey looked up meekly. "Seduce you." 

"Seduce me?" John chuckled nervously.  "Now why in the bloody hell would he want you to do that?"

"I don't...exactly know why." Audrey responded. 

"Who is Frank?" John repeated.  "How did you get involved in this whole thing?" 

"I met Frank when I was 16...my parents had just gotten a divorce. I was heartbroken, distraught...and he showed up to make everything better.  But it wasn't better...I mean at first it was.  He would take me out to dinners, buy me gifts, take me on trips...it took me away from my reality and transported me into his.  But his reality was based on lies and manipulation...violence...exploitation...coercion  It wasn't exactly where I thought I would be when I left home...and this is definitely not what I thought I'd be doing now."

There was a short pause before Audrey continued. 

"Frank is part of an underground organized crime group in London. Not really someone you want to cross." 

"What?  Audrey! Are you telling me you're involved with the fuckin' mob?"

"Yes." she said softly. 

John got up and looked around the room.  

"Where's that bloody bottle when you need it?" He asked as he paced around the room. 

"I thought I had gotten out...I bought myself out of it...but Frank found me again...he came looking for me when...when you were the target." she finished. 

"I'm a fuckin' target?  What does he want with me? What does that mean? I don't even know him!" John raised his voice. "What does he plan to do to me?" he continued as he sat across from Audrey again. 

"I don't know.  He didn't tell me."

John sighed with frustration.  "So what are you doing here?  How exactly are you involved in all of this? What's you role with...the mob?" John questioned, hesitating a bit at the end. 

The truth was that Audrey had never spoken aloud about what she used to do while she worked for Frank.  It was something she had tried to forget and somehow talking about it made it so much more real.