Young Retribution

IV

"Wait," Jeremy held up his hand to pause Dominick's speech. He then smiled and turned towards me, "How much, do I have to pay you, to leave him?"

"E-excuse me?"

"You have an ordinary look to you, but your skin is flawless. And let's be honest," he chuckled, "If my man here traveled across this whole country to find you, and you look like you do, then you have to be a legitimate goddess in bed."

If I wasn't red in the face before, I definitely was now. I was never one to talk nonchalantly about sex, even when Dominick and I were together. This man's sexual talk was killing me, as were the two groups of girls making out on either side of Jeremy.

"Can we please just finish our business? Caliana and I have plans that we need to get to after this."

"You're such a bore Dominick, but fine. Fifty mil."

"Twenty."

"These are top quality, military grade weapons. Forty-five."

"Thirty. You're biggest money maker is my family. Would suck if I were to switch to a different seller for everything."

"Thirty-Five. I do need to make a profit."

"Like you haven't been making a profit from my family since I've been gone. Besides my brother and I, no one else really knows how to haggle prices with you, and those like you."

"I guess you're not wrong on that part."

"Thirty-Two. Final offer, Jeremy."

"Fine," he held out his hand, "You got yourself a deal." Dominick started to pull away when Jeremy suddenly tightened his grip. "But if you really want a sweet deal...," his eyes dropped onto me again, "Eighteen and the girl."

Dominick's arm relaxed. He turned towards me and then back towards Jeremy. With that single look, I felt my stomach drop. With the two men looking at each other, I shot a quick glance towards the door and noticed no one was standing in front of it. The closest bodyguard was a little over ten feet away. I was closer by a good three feet. If I moved quick enough, and grabbed the handle, the first time and at the right moment, I'd be able to get out. If I got out, I could scream for help and pray that someone who was not under the control of either of these men, would be within ear reach and willing to help.

Dominick's gaze found mine again. There was a cold pause that grew between us. A deep breath filled my lungs and then a second later I shot from my spot on the couch and straight for the door. I didn't think for a second as I felt the door pull open. My legs moved me across the hall at a speed that I'd never been able to reach before. Everything was numb as I flew down the corridor. All I could think about was the smiling faces that belonged to my parents. The thought of never being able to see them again tore through me like the bullet that Dominick had put in that man's skull all those years ago. It was like that day all over again. Seeing the dead man's face on the news, the scene stuck on repeat in my mind.

Every second that my feet continued to move, I felt the constriction of my heart getting tighter and tighter. Every breath I took was coming in shallower and shallower. It was like no matter how hard I tried to breathe, someone was taking my a small part of that breath away. Slowly, like a fresh growing storm, speckles of darkness began to trickle into my sight. I could hardly see the down button for the elevator as I jammed my finger against it. Everything was spinning as tears began to trickle down my cheeks. The soft ding of the elevator opening was the only thing that gave me strength to keep going. Gasping for air, I pushed myself into the elevator, collapsing to the ground the second I made it inside.

Everything came crashing in as the doors started to close. I dropped my head between my legs and wrapped my arms around my knees as the sobs that I knew had been coming, broke free. I cried, and I cried until the tears ran out. No longer was I shaking. The trembling that had been coursing throughout my body finally stopped, a cooling numbness wrapped around every inch of my limbs.