Chapter 15 - Toil & Trouble
The consequences are fucking terrible.
My father doesn't come to voice his displeasure never mind greeting me. Instead, I'm summoned to his office immediately and Cameron follows with a concerned look. His voice is a low muffle when he tells me to enter after I knock on his door.
"I'll be right here. Good luck." Cameron whispers as he leans against the wall with his arms crossed.
"If I don't come back out in at least fifteen minutes I want you to know that everything in my will goes to you and my dying wish is for you to swear at our parents until the sun comes down at my funeral." I state with a serious expression.
He rolls his eyes with a boyish smile. "Go."
"Fine...but I'm demanding that he covers mental health care at our next meeting." I mutter before sighing deeply.
"We're not his employees Marcie." Cameron chokes out as he stops himself from laughing loudly. "Shut up and go already."
I stick my tongue out at him childishly before stepping inside. My dad's eyes meet mine as he finishes the rest of his drink. He nods at me to come forward and I don't dare to take a seat knowing he's probably fuming on the inside.
"I'm going to cut to the chase...you're out of my inner circle. You seem to continuously prove that you're unworthy of staying at the top Marcella." He states which I expected but what he says next makes my blood boil. "You're on interrogation duty until I say otherwise."
If he wasn't so clever enough to station guards outside his office and demand no weapons then I would have shot him ten times already. Fucking smug old bastard knows me too well, I seethe to myself. Calm down, just count to ten. One...two – fuck it, imagine yourself strangling him until he's bloody blue in the face!
"Anything you'd like to say mija?" He smirks mockingly as he pours himself another drink.
"No." I grit out as I clench my fists behind my back.
"Good. We have a guy coming in fifteen minutes and you'll be needed down there. Five million worth of drugs disappeared in our F2-09 transit under his watch. Don't bother coming out until you've got answers." He grunts before waving me away. "Is that understood?"
"Yes." I nod but am barely able to contain my temper as my hands twitch to throw something at him or better yet, punch him.
"This is your last chance Marcella. I'm tired of you fucking up so your next mistake will end with a bullet in your head." His words make me freeze mid turn. "Leave."
I march out of the room and bump into Cameron whose eyes widen when he notices my enraged expression. He falls into step with me as I make my way towards my bedroom and I rant to him about our father. Pity flickers in his eyes once I tell him I've been demoted to interrogation duties, knowing they're my worst nightmare.
"He knows all the right buttons to push!" I snarl as I take two steps at a time to get to the living area.
"It's only for a short time Marcie. If you keep up the act you'll be back in the inner circle again and be able to provide intel to the team." Cameron reassures me and I feel the anger fade as he talks sense into me.
"Yeah, you're right." I huff and my eyes narrow when I see my mother heading my way but I brush past her as she tries to hug me.
"Marcie please..." She begs as she runs in front of me. "Please, just one hug. I've been so worried!"
"Move."
"Mom, just don't." Cameron sighs as he gently pulls her away from me.
"I have apologized countless times!" She sobs as she steps towards me. "I was miserable –"
"Being miserable never gives you the right to take it out on others!" I sneer harshly and her eyes widen when I get up close and personal. "If I ever have a child and end up in the same position as you I would rather die than not give them every ounce of my love. My misery wouldn't touch my child and that's exactly what you should've done!"
"Why can't we try now?" She whimpers and I chuckle humorlessly.
"We can." I reply smoothly and watch her eyes light up with hope. "If you divorce dad."
And just like that it shatters in front of me. Hesitation and panic seep into her eyes as she swallows harshly, not knowing what to do. She knows she'll lose all the money, properties and the life of luxury if they ever divorce. Her silence acts as an answer.
"Mom?" Cameron questions with furrowed brows and turns to look at me when I sigh. It's the first time he's seen her refuse to do it so I understand why he's confused. He catches on quickly though and scoffs before turning back to glare at her heatedly. "Wow! Why the hell do you try so hard when you're not ready to do whatever it takes?!"
"It's alright Cam." I shake my head with a sad smile before turning to her. "Leave me the fuck alone because I won't hesitate to beat you to death like you used to do to me."
"Marcella –"
"That's enough." Cameron interrupts quietly before taking my hand and pulling me out of the room.
We get to my bedroom and I have the quickest shower ever before getting changed. Cameron is typing away on his laptop when I exit the bathroom but pauses to send me a reassuring smile as I put my shoes on. I check my phone to see I have two minutes to get down to the cells which only elicits a heavy sigh.
"It'll be alright Mar." Cameron squeezes my shoulder as he gives me a side hug.
"Thanks." I smile weakly before he tells me that he needs to get to an impromptu meeting set by dad.
"I'll give you the details tomorrow. If you need me before then just shout." He grins boyishly before rushing out of the room when I nod.
I groan before putting Judah's clip back in my hair. I'm sure whoever is on listening duty is going to hate this. Steeling my nerves, I make my way down to the basement level where all the traitors are trapped in cells. Multiple men nod at me as I walk along the freezing cold floor before carrying on with their own duties.
A beast of a man killing a woman with a hammer to her head makes me flinch before I meet his warm brown eyes. He lets out a breathless chuckle as he stands and wipes his bloodied hands on a rag. Rodrigo Castillo.
He's the head interrogator and my father's most trusted man...well, that is until Cameron started training to takeover. Turns out Rodrigo hates my father's guts with a fiery passion after he took him forcefully from his family at the age of nineteen. He's twenty-five now and itching to leave this hellhole.
"I'm surprised you aren't six feet under Marcie girl!" He roars out a laugh as he pulls me into a hug.
"You and me both Rod." I snort before pulling away. "I'm sure you're already aware of my punishment."
His eyes flash with sympathy as he drapes an arm over my shoulders. "I've got you so don't worry. You'll be out of here soon."
"Thanks Rodrigo. Let's get on with it then...where's my guy?" I mutter and he guides me to a blindfolded man tied to a chair with a chuckle.
I quickly skim over his file before glancing at the tools and weapons laid out on the table. With an annoyed huff I crack my neck and fingers before nodding at Rodrigo to signal that I'm ready to start. He pulls off the blindfold and throws icy water at his face while I grab a sharpened knife. The man wakes up with a start and immediately splutters as he takes in his surroundings with panic. His dark blue eyes settle on me and then the knife before he starts bawling like a baby.
"P-Please...d-don't hurt me! I-I have c-children –"
"Save the dramatics idiota." I roll my eyes before digging the knife into his neck and making a line of blood race down his pristine white sweatshirt. "You gave away our drugs and expect us not to find you?"
"I didn't – ah! Maldita perra!" He snarls when I stab his thigh without hesitation. [You fucking bitch!]
"Hand me the pliers." I order Rodrigo with a sickening smile as I stare at the traitor. "Looks like this bird is going to take a while to sing."
"I didn't give away the drugs! I got into a crash and became unconscious – I don't know what happened! Please!" He sobs harder when I push the knife in deeper. "Please let me go!"
"You don't know what happened? You didn't see anything?"
"Nothing at all! You must believe me!" He perks up eagerly to plead his case.
"Then how did someone stop our shipment?!" I slam my hands onto the handles of his chair and sneer in his face. "Drugs worth millions of dollars don't vanish into thin air like that puta! You better start telling me the truth otherwise I'll cut off your fingers one by one." [Bitch]
As expected, he squares his shoulders and spits at me with newfound confidence. "Vete al demonio!" [Go to hell!]
I take the towel from Rodrigo and wipe my skin before dragging the knife further down his thigh then yanking it out completely. His roar of pain echoes in the room before a bloodcurdling scream escapes him as I chop off his thumb.
Fuck this dude for making my life ten times harder, I think as I drain myself of all emotions and humanity. Rodrigo whistles sharply as he grabs some tools for himself before smirking at the man who's literally shaking in fear. I hush him as I caress his cheek and he pants harshly as his eyes flicker between us chaotically. He cries out when I dig my nails into his skin hard enough to draw blood before Rodrigo knocks him out cold with a sickening punch.
I grab a water bucket before turning to them with a scowl. Rodrigo's eyes are filled with amusement as he watches me wake him up before slashing at his chest with a serrated knife. He can tell I'm getting annoyed every time this motherfucker screams like a banshee. Kicking the bucket away, I take a seat before him after grabbing some throwing stars.
"Last one will be thrown at your dick if you don't start talking." I warn before waiting to see if he tells me anything.
"I didn't see anything!" He groans in pain as he thrashes in his chair.
"Pendejo!" Rodrigo's body shakes with laughter as he lights up a cigarette. [Dumbass]
I grit my teeth so hard it feels like they'll break under the pressure. The traitor gulps harshly but refuses to tell me the truth. I spring off my chair lightening quick and sink the star into his already wounded cheek. Backhanding his other cheek when he screams, I cut him off midway before pushing another star into a gash on his chest.
Rodrigo joins in and we work on breaking him down for two whole hours before he finally tells us what he did. I don't even flinch when Rodrigo shoots him in the head afterwards. I watch his blood run down the sink as I wash my hands before feeling him stand behind me.
"Thank you." I mumble tiredly, referring to him shooting the man for me.
"I got you kid." He kisses my temple as I move to the side to dry my hands.
"I'm literally the same age as you Castillo." I deadpan while kicking his shin playfully.
He only chuckles in response before catching the towel I throw at him. "Did you have dinner yet?"
"Are you asking me out?" I gasp mockingly only to squeal when he shoves me away. Rodrigo's in a secret relationship with one of the other supervisors on the transportation team and hates it when I flirt with him. "No, I didn't. You?"
"No so let's finish this report quickly and get going. I'm fucking starving!" He waves at me to follow him to his office a floor above this one while we pass the workers coming in to take care of the body.
"Is Ben meeting us there?" I ask as I write quickly just to get out of here as fast as possible. Ben is his boyfriend of two years.
"I think he's working late tonight. We've got a larger shipment of guns going out and boss is going to be overseeing everyone." He explains and I pout sadly.
"I'm sorry. It's all because of me."
"As I've said every other time you've gotten into trouble...which is a lot by the way...it's fine." He grins boyishly and I shake my head with a laugh in response. "Truly Marcella...I'm glad you're okay."
"Thanks Rod." I murmur with a grateful smile.
We finish up the report in fifteen minutes before dropping it at my dad's office on our way to the kitchen. He briefs me on when I'm needed in there tomorrow and we talk about when I'll realistically be back in dad's inner circle again. After the evening I just had it's no surprise to me that I'm barely able to finish my food. Rodrigo takes my leftovers eagerly before I bid him goodbye and head to bed.
"Eight a.m. sharp Marcie girl! Don't forget!" He calls after me and I tilt my head back with a groan.
I enter my room only to see Eleanor sitting on my bed with a multitude of snacks and Netflix on the screen ready to go. She meets my tired and annoyed gaze head on with her narrowed eyes. Just as I open my mouth to protest she cuts me off.
"Hurry up bitch! We've got some catching up to do!" She snaps her fingers before throwing a towel, a top and sweatpants at me.
"Give me thirty."
"Too bad because you've got fifteen! Now shoo!" She waves me off and I shake my head with a smile before taking yet another quick shower for the second time today to rid my body of all the blood and sweat.
"What are we watching?" I ask once I exit and turn off the audio recording feature of the clip before placing it in my bedside drawer.
"Some irrelevant show that will serve as our background noise." She states before pulling me onto my bed and throwing my favorite snacks at me. "Tell. Me. Everything!"
It's times like these when I realize how much I miss my best friend after being away on assignments. I constantly check my room for bugs and cameras that my father may have put in here and knowing that it's safe I do just that and recall everything that happened. She practically crawls onto me with wide, curious eyes but once I mention Judah though a creepy smile slips onto her lips before she lets out an ear-splitting squeal.
"Elenora!" I snap when she starts shaking me excitedly.
"You met the love of your life?!" She whisper yells with a dreamy look. "What does he look like? Did you fuck him yet? When are you getting married? Do you think you'll have cute babies?"
I roll my eyes before describing him and she all but fangirls over a guy she's never seen or met. I anticipated this since she's a romantic person and her room is overflowing with romance novels.
"Did you do the dirty?" She smirks cheekily as I shove her off me. "You did, didn't you?!"
"We did –"
"Ooh! What's his si-"
"Fuck off Elenora!" I mutter and wince when she swats the side of my head.
"Stop calling me that!" She pouts before flopping back down beside me. "Is it serious? Does he know about your dad and everything?"
"Yes to both." I nod before digging into the snacks with a sigh.
"Do you miss him?"
"I do." I reply while feeling my heart ache for Judah.
"How are you guys going to make this work though?" She frowns in confusion.
I tell her how I've signed a contract to take my father down. I trust Elenora with my whole heart and she's proved her loyalty to me countless times. She wants nothing more than to leave this place so I know she won't betray me. Her eyes widen after I'm done before she inhales sharply.
"Bitch what?!" She exclaims before ripping open yet another packet of chips. "Start from the top!"
I chuckle before spending the rest of the night telling her everything. After tuning into a few episodes of our favorite show we end up falling asleep in the early hours of the morning.
***
Two Weeks Later.
I sprint through the densely packed woods with numerous masculine yells echoing in the distance behind me. The erratic beat of my heart matches my harsh panting as I push myself to go faster. I can hear them following me as their feet pound on the soft yet damp soil of the forest floor. I can't let them catch up to me otherwise it'll all be over. I'm thirty minutes away from main base and need to get back in at least twenty minutes if not fifteen.
Me and Cameron have been working with the Falcon team to facilitate our first plan of dismantling the Quintana empire. Judah's also been a great asset because of his experience with operating systems and hacking. I felt proud yet sad at the same time, sad because I miss him so much.
After successfully helping sex trafficking victims escape and getting them onto a truck that will safely take them back to their families the power of the site was shut down so that I could make a break for the woods. They had disabled all cameras and audio recordings too before I broke in and Cameron is now waiting for me at an underground tunnel as planned which will take us back to the house. He had it recently constructed in secret for us to have a getaway just in case which is quite clever.
I breathe deeply as I get to the top of a hill which sounds more like wheezing before letting myself drop. Rolling down the steep and grassy hill I make it to the base before taking a right as instructed. Just as I get to the cover of the large trees I peek from behind the trunk to see the men trudge up the hill tiredly. With a smug smirk I jog towards the three large trees where the entrance sits under a cover of fake grass.
"Quickly now." Cameron murmurs as he helps me into the tunnel before closing the metal door above us.
I hop into the car and he speeds through the tunnel while I get changed in the back seat. I crawl over to the front beside him and bring him up to date on what happened before we reach the part that connects the tunnel to his bedroom.
"Too many fucking stairs!" I huff as we race up them.
"You're just unfit!" He laughs as he takes them two at a time with ease.
"Fuck...you!" I pant as I stumble through the exit and flop onto his bed. "You could've put in a lift!"
"We don't need too much power being drained from the main house Mar." He closes the door before taking off his shoes.
"Still...we should've gone with my plans."
"If we did that we may as well have put up a sign telling dad where it is. You wanted a food trunk in there!" He exclaims incredulously as he turns the television on.
"Well, if we ever get stuck down there and die of starvation I'll happily blame you!" I stick my tongue out before grabbing a blanket and claiming my spot by the wall on the bed.
Before he can reply the door opens and Elenora strides in with Ben, Rodrigo's boyfriend. They toss us the dinner we had ordered before changing in the bathroom. I unwrap everything and dig in while they brief us. Me and Cameron had sent them dressed as us to get our food while we slipped away to help the victims escape so nobody becomes suspicious even if they watch any footage of us four.
"Your dad is coming down to get you Cam. He knows about the escape and wants you working on the footage." Ellie explains which only makes Cameron groan in displeasure.
"We'll see you guys later." Ben waves as he opens the door to the tunnel before helping Elenora down. There's another door down there leading to Els' room.
"Thank you!" I whisper with a grateful smile to both before they disappear. "Cam! Eat with your mouth closed!"
"Sorry! I need to hurry!" He mumbles through mouthfuls of food before gulping down his drink.
Not even two minutes later our dad comes in without knocking. He's so respectful of privacy like that. His eyes narrow on me for an uncomfortable amount of time. I see Cameron bite his lip to stop his laughter when he notices me staring at dad with a bored look while chewing my food.
"Marcella."
"Father." I reply with a nod of acknowledgement before facing the television.
"Where were you this past hour?"
"Out getting food with Cam." I gesture to the takeaway boxes. "Why?"
He ignores me and turns to his favorite child instead. "Come with me Cameron. An...incident happened and I need you on it."
"Sure." He nods before getting up and putting his shoes on.
"Marcella..." Dad starts as his eyes flicker between me and my food. "Have you finished the reports?"
I glance at my phone to see that it's eight o'clock. "I'll have them to you by eleven tonight as requested."
"I'm going to be busy then. Get them done in thirty minutes." He orders and I clench my jaw tightly.
"It's eight reports –" I start to protest but he cuts me off.
"Are you disobeying –"
"I wouldn't dream of it, father! Let me just forget about my nutrition and go type up the answers to your burning questions instead!" I mock before grabbing my dinner and marching out of the room.
"Twenty minutes!" He snarls behind me and I curse him to the deepest pits of hell. "I will cut that fucking tongue of yours one day mija!"
Rodrigo snickers as I slam open the door to his office. "What did he do now?"
"Fucker wants all my reports in thirty...sorry, twenty minutes." I seethe as I multitask in eating my food and getting the files out.
"How'd it get down to twenty?"
"I mocked him." I mumble quietly which makes him burst out laughing.
"I'm not even surprised." He grins before standing and pulling me to sit in his seat instead. "Here...I've done five of them so you better hurry."
"Marry me." I state seriously and he rolls his eyes in amusement.
"You know I would if I swung that way sweetheart." He smiles before opening the door. "I'll be back in an hour and you should be out of here by then."
"Yes sir!" I salute to which he just shakes his head in response before leaving. I stare at the word documents before me for a minute then let out a loud groan of frustration. "Fuck me!"
With a heavy sigh I get started on finishing the reports as quickly as I can. I fly through each one and answer the questions asked by my father about every individual. It feels like I'm back in university when I'm proof reading everything before hitting send. I stretch before relaxing in the chair and watching another episode of a show on Netflix.
I'm instantly spooked when the screen goes black in the middle of a suspense filled scene. Making a noise of confusion I tap the keyboard a few times but nothing works. Then it turns into what looks like a command prompt screen but not quite.
"What the hell is going on?" I mumble with a frown before squealing when a sentence pops up on the screen in green letters.
You're only going to be marrying me little dove.
My jaw drops as I scoot closer to the laptop. Tears brim my eyes and I become overwhelmed very quickly because of my mixed emotions. "Judah? Oh my god – how?"
Judah? I type with a sniffle as tears slip down my cheeks.
The one and only ;) Don't cry my love.
I laugh at that as I remember the audio of the clip is still on. I wipe away my tears with the sleeve of my top before typing quickly knowing that we don't have much time.
I miss you so much. Are you okay and safe?
I miss you too Macy, so fucking much. Don't worry, I'm good and we're in another safehouse. How are you? Good job today! He replies and I smile so wide as extreme happiness courses through me.
Thank you and you too! You did great in helping us! I type back before pausing with a frown. Has my dad sent any more men after you? Are they close?
They got too close at the third safehouse so we've moved. We're safe now. Honestly Macy, don't worry about me at all. I have the team. There was a pause before his second sentence showed up. You just have Cameron and a few trusted people from what I can hear. I'm worried about you. This is taking too long!
I know but it'll be over soon :) I reply and just as I'm typing my next sentence he types back.
I wish I could see you.
My lips quiver and I wipe away a traitorous tear before replying. Me too.
Don't talk back to Quintana too much like you did earlier. I'll kill him if he hurts you.
I roll my eyes playfully as a soft chuckle escapes. He wouldn't hurt me too much. Cameron told me he's getting panicked and mentioned getting me on the ground earlier than planned which is great!
Have you lost your mind woman?! That's even more dangerous!
Great for our plan silly! I reply with an amused smile.
I know but I just hate the thought of you unsafe. I hate this. It's going to be months before we see each other isn't it?
That makes me deflate and my heart aches painfully at the thought of not seeing Judah for a long time. I knew deep down that this is how it's going to go but I kept pushing it to the back of my mind until now. I start typing again with a sad sigh. Yeah. I don't like this either but think of the bigger picture Jude. You'll be safe by the end of this!
Then I'll take you on our second date.
That makes me giggle and I almost want to slap myself. Yes, our much awaited second date.
And we'll have mind-blowing sex afterwards.
Judah! I type back quickly as my cheeks burn.
Thankfully he changes the topic and we talk about our time after we parted ways. He tells me how he's been listening to my recordings and comforts me about being on interrogation duty, knowing how much I hate this side of my life. I smile happily when he recalls crossing paths at the airport with his friends Kenzo and Aiden while they were all switching safehouses and that they were able to get twenty minutes together.
He then asks me about the people he's been hearing here such as Cameron, Elenora, Rodrigo and Ben. Unfortunately, he heard my mother too and I end up elaborating on my strained relationship with her. Throughout it all he's reassuring, comforting, and encouraging which helps me so much. It also makes me cry several times as I wish I was in his arms this very moment, safe from the world.
I hear someone coming. I type as I pick up on heavy footsteps making their way up towards the office which can only be Rodrigo's. I think Rodrigo is back :(
Alright, I'll find a way to talk to you again Mace. Stay safe and out of trouble. I adore you.
I adore you too Judah. I type back with a soft yet sad smile.
More than Rodrigo?
A quiet chuckle escapes me. More than Rodrigo, yes.
Good. Dream of me my sweet dove.
Always. Stay safe! Bye Judah. I reply sadly before slouching in the chair.
I watch as he erases everything before the screen returns to the episode that's almost over. Rodrigo opens the door and walks in with a deep scowl before it switches to one of surprise. I quickly realize I should have left by now and wave sheepishly.
"I started watching a show." I point to the screen before exiting out of my Netflix account.
"You sent the reports on time though right?"
"Yep!" I reply before standing and stretching. "When do I have to be here by tomorrow?"
"Six a.m."
"Rodrigo!" I whine and he chuckles before pushing me towards the door. "Why though?"
"Fresh meat coming in from Canada. Boss thinks they've leaked something to the police so we need to get them to talk. Their flight is going to land soon." He explains as he takes off his jacket.
"Fuck him." I mutter as I clean up my mess. "Fuck everyone in fact – except my favorite people though which includes you of course."
"Go get your beauty sleep." He chuckles and gently pushes me out of his office. "It's already ten so way past your bedtime Marcie girl."
"Hey! I'll have you know I've stayed up much later than this just to binge watch shows!" I exclaim as I turn back to him.
"Go now, you annoying pest!" He laughs as he shoves me away which makes me grin. "I need some time away from you before you start bothering me at the crack of dawn tomorrow!"
"See you bright and early then!" I sing before turning the corner with a wave.
My smile drops to a sad frown as I make my way back to my room. I get ready for bed in almost a trance while my mind is occupied with bringing up memories of Judah. It's only been two weeks and I don't know if we'll be able to see each other again before this ends.
I slip under the covers with a sigh. Tomorrow's a new day and I'll just have to dig deep to bring out my determination to see Judah again. The only way I can make it happen is if I'm given an out of country assignment again so that's what I'll work towards alongside the bigger picture. I'm not going too many months without seeing Judah.
Fuck that.
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