Two knocks on my door make me finally open my eyes. I've been awake for a while but the headache is not letting me up. I have no idea what time it is. Struggling, I get off the bed and realize I am wearing the same clothes from the day before and I still have my make up on, fucking great. There's 2 more knocks on the door before I open it.
"Good morning Mrs. Holland, this is for you." She hands me a tray with fresh fruit, a pill and orange juice. "Mr. Holland said if you can go to his office when you have a chance."
"Yes thank you Mary." I say to the maid and she walks away. I close the door and walk back to my bed. I eat a little bit of the fruit before taking the pill, I hope it helps with the headache. I jump in the shower after removing my make up and get ready to go and see what my joyful husband wanted from me this time. I walk towards Tom's office and see the house is full of men. There even seems to be new faces? There is so much activity, I guess this is how a Monday is at a mafia house.
I knock the door of the office before opening it. Tom is sitting behind the desk and Harrison across from him, but when I walk in, he stands up and walks next to Tom.
"You called me?" I ask and he nods and points at the chair in front of him. I roll my eyes and sit down.
"How are you feeling?" He asks. How am I feeling? Horrible but why is he asking? "With the hangover?" He adds.
"I- I'm," I try to speak but I'm stuck. How does he know I got drunk last night? Damn you Jacob.. "How do yo-"
"How do I know you got drunk last night? First, nothing happens in this house without me knowing, second how do you think you made it to your room?"
"Walking?"
"Right," he chuckles. "I had to carry you, I put you bed, took off your shoes. So you're welcome." He says and I'm am sure my face turned completely red. How embarrassing.
"Well thank you dear Tom, you should've taken off my make up too since you were already doing charity." I sarcastically say earning a chuckle from Harrison and a glare from Tom.
"I called you here because I have a wedding gift for you." He says and I scoff. What present could he possibly have for me? My eyes open widely when I see him take my cellphone out from a drawer and places it on the desk in front of me.
"I'm getting back my phone?" I question with a little bit of excitement on my tone.
"No," he says firmly and all the happiness i felt for a second is gone. "You get to make one call." He adds.
"One call?"
He nods. "Just one."
"Why can't i keep it?" I question.
"Hope, I'm trying to be on good terms here please don't push it."
I grab the phone quickly before he chances his mind. I have lots of missed calls from my dad, Diego, Mar, my house number and even other number I don't recognize. I go to my contacts and choose a person to call.
"Hope oh my gosh," I hear Mar say before she starts bombing me with questions in Spanish. Tom takes the phone of my hand and puts it on speaker. And he mouths me the word "English" as in having Mar speak English since she keeps going off in Spanish.
"Mar," I try to cut her off but she continues. Tom has his eyes on me as I struggle to get my best friend to stay quiet. "Mar," I say one more time a little bit louder, doesn't work. "Mariana!" I finally yell at the phone and she stops.
"Que, qué pasó?" She says in Spanish and Tom mouths "English" one more time.
"Um, can you speak English?"
"Why?"
"Just.. please."
"Okay, okay. But you have some explaining to go Hope. I've been calling you for days, no answer. Your dad called me telling me you never made home that day after the restaurant. Where are you huh?" She asks and I look at Tom who gives me a small nod.
"I'm in England."
"In England?" She asks surprised.
What the hell are you doing in England?"
"I- I got married."
"What? You, you Hope Garcia got married? She asks and I don't say anything. I look at Tom who is looking straight at me. I hate him.
"Mar.."
"No, don't Mar me right now Hope. You're 20 years old and I know how you felt about marriage. We've been best friends since we were in diapers and you didn't even tell me you had a serious relationship with anyone and now you tell me you're married. Who is he?"
"It's a long story Mar I promise you I will tell you one day, just please don't be upset with me." I practically beg. Mariana and I are truly best friend since we were young. Our moms were best friends and got pregnant around the same time. When my mom passed during birth, Mariana's mom watched over me. Mar and I tell each other everything, literally everything, and I can totally understand why she is mad at me.
"Oh Hope, just tell me if you're ok?"
"I'm okay, I'm fine." I look at Tom who is doing a hand gesture letting me know to cut the call already.
"Mar, I have to go. I will call you soon yeah?"
"Please do. I'm worried about you."
"Don't be I'm fine. Can you please let Diego know I'm ok."
"I will. Take care Hope. I love you."
"I will, love you too." I last say before Tom grabs the phone and hangs it up. Putting it in his drawer again. The emotion of speaking with Mar and my anger towards Tom have me on the edge of tears, but before any of them can escape, Tom speaks up.
"I have a business meeting next weekend. It's at a club and you are coming with me." He says and I look at him confused. Is he taking me to a club? "Do you have something to wear? He adds and I shake my head no, he sighs looking annoyed.
"Hey don't tell me anything, tell your men." I say pointing to Harrison. "They didn't give me a chance to pack when they went to kidnapped me."
"Harrison can you arrange for some dresses to be brought to her from the closest boutiques." Tom.
"Sure." Nods Harrison as he moves away to speak on the phone.
"Umm Tom, why can't I go to the mall and get the dress myself?" I dare to ask.
"You think Im stupid? You think I forgot you tried to escape?"
"Yeah from here, not from the mall." I argue.
"It's not happening. The dresses are coming to you."
"Why not? please, look you can send me with two men, maybe Jacob and some-"
"I said no Hope." He says slamming his pen on his desk raising his voice. "End of discussion." He adds.
"End of conversation." I say getting up and walking out the office but not without slamming the door on my way out. If he thinks I'm going to sit here and listen to him yell at me he's wrong.
***
I spent the whole week complaining and rejecting all the dresses that were brought to me. Too short, too tight, ugly color, uncomfortable material. Even though some of the dresses were absolutely beautiful, I had Hope in me Tom would get tired and would let me go to mall. It never happened. The weekend arrived and I had to choose a dress from the last bunch that was brought to me today. I ended up going with a gold glitter sparkle dress. I straighten my hair and did my make up. I hadn't got ready in a long time so I really took my time, was I excited about going to the club with Tom? No. Was I excited about getting out of the house? Absolutely.
I walked out of my room to the living room where I found everyone waiting around. All the security men, including Sam, Harry, and Jacob were wearing black suits. Harrison was just wearing a navy blue button up shirt, no suit. When I get closer the men notice me and they all look my way. Have they not seen a girl before?
"Hope you look great." Jacob approaches me to say hi.
"Thank you Jacob."
"Don't let my brother hear you say that Jacob." Harry playfully adds and Jacob rolls his eyes."But you do look good." He adds and I smile.
"We'll see how Tom feels about the dress." Harrison says standing in the back.
"What's wrong with my dress?" I questions looking at myself in the living mirror.
"There's nothing wrong with it, ignore him." Sam says approaching me as well. "It looks good on you that's what matters."
"Thank you Sam, but don't think that with this compliment I'm forgetting you put a gun to my head." I joke making everyone laugh.
"Oh I was hoping you wouldn't remember that." He jokes back making me laugh. The laughter dies out when he hear steps coming down the stairs. I turn around just to be met by Tom. He, just as Harrison, is not wearing a suit, just a button up black shirt. He looks at me and opens his eyes widely.
"Everyone wait outside." He says as he walks in front of me. Everyone walks out without hesitation leaving us alone in the living room.
"What are you wearing?" He asks.
"A dress." I reply.
"That dress is too short Hope. Go change." He says moving out the door and pointing towards the hallway.
"No, I'm not changing." I say and he looks at me confused. "In my entire, life not once I was told how to dress. If my father never prohibited me to wear certain clothes, im definitely not having it from you. I'm wearing this dress or I'm not going." Tom keeps the eye contact with me until he walks away leaving me behind. I take a big breath and walk after him, leaving the house, and jumping in to the black SUV that will be driving us to the club.
When we arrive at the club, from the outside you could tell it was busy. There was also a big line to enter m. This is insane. We walk towards the door and enter without question. Tom and Harrison walk ahead of me and I follow with Sam and Harry behind me. We walk in to the club and I can smell the alcohol and cigarette smoke as soon as I step in. Harrison and Tom are met by a man who whispers something to Harrison and he nods before walking back to the other Hollands behind me. Tom walks back as well and grabs me by my wrists and makes me follow him. We follow the guy who takes us to the back of the club to a much quieter area. There is a big dark hallway leading to a metal door at the end. My hands are sweating, I feel my heat pounding so hard. Why are we here? And alone. What if they hurt us? I look back and see Harrison, Harry and Sam are coming too. I feel a little bit of relief after seeing them. The door opens and there is a table with 3 men sitting down, they all stand up as we walk in. Tom walks up to the older guy, letting go of my wrist and I stand on my spot. After having a small conversation Tom comes to get me, he places his hand on my back and pushes me to walk towards the man.
"Let me introduce you Dante, my wife, Hope Holland." He says and I feel my face turn red. I smile at the man who reaches out his hand for me to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Holland." He says.
"Likewise." I nervously say back.
"If you excuse us, I will show my wife the way to the bar." Tom says taking me away from the room. As he said, he walks me to the bar and sits me in a stool.
"Stay here, don't even think of going anywhere. You know the place is full of my men and the order is to-"
"To shoot me." I cut him off. "I know."
"Hey mate," he says to the bartender. "Whatever she gets it's on me ok?" He says and the man nods. He looks at me one more time before leaving back to the room.
Minutes have passed and I'm on my third mix drink. I play with the straw on my drink as one man sits on the stool next to me.
"Why so sad?" He asks.
"I'm sorry?" I ask unsure if he was talking to me.
"I asked why are you so sad." He repeats.
"Oh I'm not sad." I chuckle.
"Whats a pretty girl like you doing here alone? And you can say you aren't because I'm seeing you." He says getting closer to me.
"I'm not alone, I'm here with my husband. He is in the bathroom." I lie.
"Well let me introduce myself before he comes, Alfonso Santos, nice to meet you." He says stretching his hand to me.
"Hope, Hope Garcia. Nice to meet you too." I shake his hand. There is no way I'm saying the other last name.
I go back to my drink and take a sip. From the side view, I see the man be on his phone but I don't get to see what he is doing, and i don't care either. As I take another sip from my drink, the shooting and screaming start.