Hello. Just wanted to say that I wrote this chap real fast so i hope there isn't so many mistakes. hope you like it, vote if you do and comment so I'd know your opinion.
Joanna is a bit happy in this chap, so I linked a smiling Joanna on your right.
love youuuuu <3
“Fernando, Fernando!” Aldobrandeno called his loyal subordinate.
“Yes, boss?” Fernando came running to the living room.
“How was the deal yesterday? Any new development?” Aldo asked.
“Yes sir, very.” Fernando beamed as he stepped further inside the living room.
“Then why the hell didn’t you tell me?” Aldo yelled at him.
“Boss, it was late. You need to take care of your health!” Fernando said softly.
“That’s none of your damn business.” Aldo exasperated at him. “My granddaughter’s life is on line, and you want me to rest?” Aldo stood up angrily and Fernando begged him to sit down again.
He knew his health was taking a down road, but that didn’t mean he’d sit there and wait for nothing.
“So, tell me. What exactly happened?”
“Well, all you have to know is that the Rochester Family from New Jersey are on our side now.” Fernando said as he flopped down on the couch.
“Good.” Aldo said as he took one of his many medications.
“Now, Gambino, Lucchese and Rochester families are all at out side...” Fernando trailed off as he fell to deep sleep.
Aldo smiled at his long life loyal friend. Joanna was right, he was so fortunate to have Fernando in his life.
He grabbed a blanket and covered sleeping Fernando as he muttered, “Thank you, my friend.”
It was 9 in the morning; Fernando had been up all night.
Aldo hated being a prisoner in his own house after he spent twelve years in a real prison. He wanted to get a hold of Joanna, but he knew it was too risky to do so.
Those fucking Colombos were going to pay dearly.
“Hello?” Joanna said to the phone.
“Hello, cousin.” Mark’s voice came from the other side of the phone. “How’s life?”
“Still repelling.” Joanna chuckled.
“Wait, are you laughing? Is this laughing sound I hear?” Mark asked in disbelieve and Joanna laughed then. “Oh my God. I didn’t know you were even capable of that.” Mark continued.
“Shut up!” she told him between laughs.
“I miss you cousin.” Mark said.
“I miss you too, Mark. How’s.. Well, wherever you are, how is it?” Joanna said.
“Oh, I didn’t realize Sydney would be this awesome this time of year!” Mark said.
“You are in Australia?” Joanna exclaimed in excitement.
Mark chuckled. “Jo, when this is all over, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
Joanna smiled at that.
“So, how are you, Jo?” Mark asked and she knew he meant her previous crises at the ‘hole’. She looked back over her shoulder at Kevin and shot him a glare. She knew that he would tell Mark everything.
“I’m fine, Mark. Don’t worry.”
“How can I not?”
“Just don’t. I’m fine. I can take care of my self.”
Joanna could hear Mark exhale loudly. “Alright. I hope you are right.” He said.
“I am.” Joanna said, assuring him.
“Ok, I got to go. You take care of yourself in there. Alright?” Mark asked her.
“Ok, take care of yourself, Mark. And take a picture of the Harbor Bridge.”
“I can’t believe you actually know that!” Mark said surprisingly and Joanna laughed.
“Bye Mark.” She said when Kevin nudged her to finish the call.
“Alright, couz’. Take care.” Mark said finally and Joanna hanged up the phone.
“How’s he?” Kevin asked. It was weird, before he would have chastised her for making Mark’s life miserable.
“He’s fine.” She beamed. “Having the trip of his life.”
Kevin looked down at her, his expression not pleased.
“What?” Joanna asked.
“You want to tell me what happened in the food storage room yesterday with Drake?” He suddenly asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
“W… what do you mean?” Joanna laughed awkwardly, feeling the blood pooling in her cheeks. “You know how he is.” Joanna said, scratching her hair. “Don’t worry about it!” she said as she strode toward the door of the small office they usually come to, to make phone calls.
Kevin wasn’t convinced a bit, but he didn’t peruse the subject and took her to the shower rooms. It was shower room duty day.
“Hey, I’ve been waiting for you.” Julian said lazily once they reached there and Joanna felt her cheeks heat as she remembered last night in the food court.
“Why didn’t you start already.” She asked him, trying and failing to sound angry. Julian only smirked with his usual sleepy eyes at her and she had to look away from his piercing glassy blue eyes. This was going to be hard.
Kevin left her there, but nit before he eyed Julian warily, and she started cleaning at once, trying to avoid all eye contacts with Julian. Damn it, he made her feel like such a girl. Agh.
She turned around when Julian chuckled and saw him sitting on one of the sinks as he held one of her books in one hand.
“What?” she demanded.
“Oh, nothing. It’s just that you look so cute when you try to avoid me. Don’ you know better by now.” He said and threw his devilish smile at her.
Joanna had to force her self to look up at his eyes instead of his wicked mouth. “I am just doing my work, unlike you.” She spat and turned to splash water at the spot she’d been blindly scrubbing for the past fifteen minutes.
“So honest.” Julian said sarcastically as he covered his mouth with one hand to hide his chuckle. Joanna rolled her eyes and continued working.
Suddenly Julian stepped away from the sink and walked to her until he was few inches apart from her back. She felt him immediately because she turned around quickly and waved her hands in front of her in protection.
“No way!” she hissed.
“Why, now?” Julian tilted his head to one side.
“Tom is right outside.” She whispered and pointed toward the showers door.
Julian rolled his eyes, ignoring her waving hands and stepped closer, leaning forward to place a quick kiss on her already red cheeks before he turned and went back to sit on the sink, opening his book and not looking and her.
Joanna froze right there. She wasn’t used to that kind of shock yet.
When they finished, they both went to the cells hall and claimed upstairs to Hank’s cell.
Hank was sitting there, reading a book when they finally arrived.
“Hey, you two.” He beamed at them.
“What are you reading?” Joanna asked as she looked at the book in his hand, her eyes enlarged and her body tensed suddenly.
“Oh, it’s one of your books. Pretty old though. The Count of Monte Cristo.” Hank said looking at the cover of the book, “I hope it’s ok.” He said hopefully and Joanna had to restrain herself from snatching her favorite book out of his grip.
“It’s fine.” She said quickly before she could change her mind. Hank’s smile broadened before he went back to reading the book.
“What the hell? You don’t let me touch that book!” Julian exclaimed childishly.
“Yeah well, you are not Hank.” She told him and smirked when she saw his eyes shining with what she thought was pure jealousy.
“I’m getting that book.” He said in determination, pointing at the book in Hank’s hand before he strode back to his cell.
“What’s up with him?” Hank asked, arching one brow.
“I don’t know.” Joanna chuckled.
“Wait, was that a laugh?” Hank looked at her with wide orbs and she had to roll her eyes. De Ja vu, it seemed because Mark told her the exact same thing that morning.
“Yeah, Hank. I laugh.” She said dramatically before she grabbed a book of her own, and sat on the disk’s chair.
They stayed like this for a few minutes before Julian stomped back to their cell and said, “Joan! Come to my cell, right now.” He ordered and left.
Joanna stared at the empty door, blinking a few times before she looked at Hank.
“I think you should go before you anger the beast.” Hank told her in mockery and Joanna grunted loudly as she snapped her book shut and walked to Julian’s cell.
“What is it?” she asked. Julian was sitting in the lower bed, which originally was Isaac’s. Joanna couldn’t help but feel sorry at how lonely Julian seemed right now.
“Come here.” He said and patted the empty space next to him. She folded her arms in front of her chest and looked at him in disbelieve before she gave up and sat there.
“Are you lonely.” She asked as he went back to read his, well her, book.
“Why would I be?” He said without looking at her.
“Because Isaac left?” she said it more like a question, still not sure if this man was capable of emotions.
“No, 'I’m fine.” Ofcoarse he’d say that.
She looked at him, waiting for more but decided to drop the subject.
“Tell me,” Julian suddenly said, still focusing on the book he was reading.
“Tell you... What?” she asked, confused.
“Well, let’s start about that book’s story and finish with why the hell are you in men's prison.”
Joanna gulped in surprise. She wasn’t sure if she should tell him anything; after all, she promised Mark that she’d guard her secret with her life.
“Ummm, well..” she said, not sure how to say anything really. But somehow, she felt trusting. This was Julian.
He stayed silent but he closed the book and looked at her, giving her all his attention. His expression dead serious. “The book?” He prompted.
“The book,” she decided to start, “was from my aunt. She’s dead now.” She said and Julian nodded, apparently expecting more.
“Ummm, remember my mom, well, this was her sister and she took me away from that house after…” Joanna trailed off.
“After your parents died.” Julian finished it for her and she nodded.
“Yeah.” She looked away, “I wasn’t a grateful child when it came to aunt Pam. I kept resenting her even though she tried to help me all the time. But two years later, when I finally was softening to her gestures, she died. In a car accident.” Joanna said the last part defendingly, even though she knew she wasn’t the reason her untie died, but still, she always had to remind her self of it.
“That book,” she jerked her head significantly at the side, “she gave it to me two days before she died, so it’s might seems silly, but I feel like it represent a part of her, somehow.” She said before she laughed softly without any humor. Julian must thought she was an idiot.
“That must’ve been hard.” Julian said and Joanna looked up at his eyes, and noticed how cleared they looked.
“Yeah, well, it was.” She flustered. “Look, all my life stories are either sad or horrible or filled with wrong choices, so if your plan was to get bored to death, then you are in the right path.” She laughed, trying to divert the subject. Never in her life had she talked bout her past openly like this, but she had a feeling if she opened the door, then it’ll never close.
“Continue.” Julian ordered, ignoring her previous remark. She searched his eyes for an outing but she didn’t see anything but dead serious.
“Okay, then. Bored to death it is.” She laughed awkwardly.
“I tried to kill myself once. When my aunt died.” She decided to throw the heavy things at him; maybe he’ll get scared off and close the subject.
Julian’s eyes softened and he extended his hand to stroke her knees in a comforting gesture.
“Big Aldo is my grandfather, but you already knew that. Funny thing is, we both only knew about it last month.” She continued, finding it hard to stop.
“My head is wanted by one of the biggest mafia gangs in the world. And I’m a girl in men prison.” She didn’t realize her heart was pounding and her breath was quickening.
“It’s alright.” Julian said soothingly as he stroked her shoulder now for more support. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.” He told her.
“Why not?” Joanna exclaimed, fighting to hold the tears that were threatening to stream out of her already hard eyeballs.
“For once in my whole life, I feel something special about a guy, and I can’t be with him more than few months, because he have to stay for another twelve years.” Joanna couldn’t help it when one of the tears escaped her eye.
“Shhhh. Now.” Julian said, his expression pained in responds to her last statement. “I’m really sorry.” He whispered.
“Why are you sorry?” Joanna asked in confusion.
“I wish that I could be with you all the time, but if we have a few months then we’ll have to relish every moment.” He told her and leaned to kiss her forehead softly. “I’m here now.” He said and before she could respond, the lunch buzz rang and she started wiping away the tears, and bringing up her mental walls back again.
Lunch went by quickly and the three of them got out to the yard. Julian would touch Joanna every chance he got and she’d giggle like a ‘girl’ whenever he did.
“What’s the matter with you two?” Hank asked in frustration when he saw Joanna pushing Julian aside while she laughed.
“What do you mean?” Joanna asked innocently.
Mark shot a glare toward Julian who shoved his hands on his pockets and smirked lazily.
The three of them looked to the right when they heard a very cheering sound. “How about we play some basket ball?” Julian asked, looking down at Joanna.
She looked at him with a worried look raising her hand to touch the side of his mouth that was still bruised from the previous day fight.
“Are you sure?” she asked before she immediately retreated her hand and looked at Hank who was gaping at them both.
“What?” she asked defendantly and Hank raised his brows.
“So, Basket ball it is.” Julian said, cutting through the awkward atmosphere as he strode toward the basketball field with Joanna following him.
Hank looked at the two of them in disbelieve before he followed them.
“Oh, it’s my two favorite players.” Uncle Sam said when he saw them approaching.
Julian nodded at him in greeting. “Can we play?” He asked.
“Of coarse!” Sam beamed at him. “Right after this match.” He said.
“Actually,” Julian and Sam turned to look at the man who said, “I’d like to be your opponent today!” Gerry the puppeteer said.
“Oh, hi Gerry.” Sam’s smile broadened at the black man.
Julian and Gerry exchanged hateful looks before Gerry’s eyes switched to look at the small figure that was standing behind Julian.
“Hello, Cage.” Gerry said, smiling wickedly at her.
Joanna only nodded and looked away, this man always creep her out.
“Then it’s settled.” Sam announced cheerfully, “Cage and Drake in one team, Gerry and Stefan on the other.” He explained. “I know this would get interesting.” Sam muttered under his breath before he left them and started gathering bets from the roaring men.
“What’re you going to do with your cute puppet, Gerry?” Julian mocked and Gerry shot him a glare.
“Funk will not play with us.” He snarled at Julian who laughed at the ‘socks’ name.
“Ok, Funk. You cheer loud ok, so we can hear you.” Julian mocked again, directing his speech to the sock that covered Gerry’s right arm.
Joanna snorted a laugh as she stopped her self from bursting with it, but she couldn’t help but notice the worried glance Julian gave when Gerry proposed the duel.
She hoped she saw wrong.
Julian shrugged of the top of his suit and tied the sleeves at his waist, then looked at Joanna who was stretching her arm in preparation for the match. Gerry did the same as he did with his suit, exposing his well-inflated arm muscles. He also took of his puppet, handing it to one of his men and exposing his disfigured hand that was covered with tattoos and only had four fingers on it.
He was worried because Gerry never really participated in these things. He definitely wouldn’t remove the ‘puppet’ out of his right hand with no serious reason.
Julian could only conclude one thing: Gerry was up to something.
Julian and Joanna positioned themselves in the middle of the small playing field with Gerry and Stefan on the opposite side. Stefan was in front of Julian, his face was brutally scared and Julian remembered how skillful in fighting he was, Gerry wouldn’t let a weakling his partner. When Gerry stood in front of Joanna. Julian wanted to switch places with her, worried that she’d have to deal with Gerry, but before he could,
“GAME!” the game started.
Julian had the ball and started lunching toward the goal, but was distracted because Gerry wasn’t running after him. He was attacking Joanna.
Julian dropped the ball to get to Joanna who was doing everything to defend herself from the powerful blows Gerry was throwing at her.
Stefan got the ball but didn’t proceed to the goal; instead he jumped in front of Julian to stop him from getting closer to his boss. Julian tried to hit the man but he was too big and too strong, and yet that never meant that Julia would easily give up.
So, instead of struggling, he swiftly snatched the ball from Stefan and ran toward the goal. If they finished this game quickly, then he’d get Joanna out of this problem faster.
“Shit.” Gerry muttered after he successfully socked Joanna in her right shoulder, sending her flying back. He was mad because Stefan didn’t give him enough time to ‘investigate’.
Round two started and Julian now jumped in front of Gerry to block him away from Joanna.
“What the hell are you doing?” Julian yelled at him.
“I’m just enjoying a good game.” Gerry said innocently as he failed to step around Julian.
“That’s bullshit.” Julian hissed and tried to punch the man in the face but Gerry dodged it. Julian knew that he used to be a champion in boxing. So this was going to be hard.
“If you try and hurt him again, I’ll chop ‘Funk’s’ home.” Julian whispered angrily referring to Gerry’s right hand.
Just then, Joanna was able to sneak her way around Stefan’s large figure and throw the ball, hitting the target.
The crowd cheered, announcing the end of the game.
Julian backed away from Gerry and went back to Joanna, never losing eye contacts with Gerry until he and Joanna get out of the wall of men who surrounded the field.
“What was that?” Joanna said, still trying to catch her breath.
“Are you alright?” Julian asked as he touched her shoulder that was hit to make sure it wasn’t dislocated.
“I’m fine, Julian. What’s wrong with you?” she frowned at him.
“Hey, Joan! Are you ok?” Joanna turned at the voice of Hank who came after them. “Hank!” she said cheerfully. “It’s alright,” she said, rubbing her shoulder, “did it look that bad?” she asked them.
Julian’s eyes narrowed in frustration when Joanna ignored him with Hank.
“Come here!” He ordered angrily and grabbed her arm forcefully.
“Hey, stop!” Joanna exclaimed. “What are you doing?” She asked, trying to jerk away but his grip was solid as steel.
“We need to check on your shoulder.” He muttered, not really convincing. He glanced back at Hank who stood their, shaking his head at him disapprovingly and Julian smirked deviously at him before her continued pulling Joanna further from his enraged friend.
“What is wrong with you?” Joanna asked as he pushed her to sit on one of the scattered wooden chairs.
Julian remained silent and kneeled in front of her as he started to examine her shoulder.
“I told you I’m fine!” she exclaimed, her cheeks burning red.
“I need to make sure.” Julian muttered quietly and started rotating her arm.
“Stop!” she pushed his hand away from her arm. “it hurts when you do that, damn it!”
Julian looked at her face for a few long moment before he looked away and said, “Fuck.”
“What?” she asked worriedly, rubbing her shoulder.
“Why do you keep turning to Hank whenever something happened?”
Joanna looked at Julian, surprised. It was true, Julian Drake was jealous.
“Pffffft.” Joanna pursed into laughter.
“Hey, what the fuck are you laughing about?” Julian stood up.
“You are ‘jealous’.” Joanna whispered dramatically before she burst into laughter again.
“Well, obviously!” Julian exclaimed and Joanna laughed harder.
“My god, you make me feel like a girl!” Joanna said trying to gasp in breath.
Julian gave her a knowing look and leaned forward until his nose brushed her forehead. “If you don’t stop now,” he breathed, “I’ll kiss you in front of everyone right now.”
Joanna clapped her hand over her mouth, defending her self while her eyes gone wide with shock. This was Julian, he might actually do it.
Julian snorted a laugh at the look in her face before he arched his spine tilting his head back as he burst in laughter and Joanna scowled.
The dinner buzz rang then and they waved for Hank who was sulking far away from them.
“I turned to Hank all the time because he was an amazing friend from the start.” Joanna told Julian.
“And because I was a jerk from the start.” Julian mumbled under his breath.
Hank was behind them short after and the three of them walked to the food hall.
“How cute.” Gerry the puppet master said as he watched the back of Joan, Julian and Hank walking toward the food hall.
He chuckled darkly and looked at his puppet, “Our ticket out just got confirmed, Funk.” He said and walked with the crowd of men.
“Hey, prison chic!” one of the prisoners who was sitting in a table in the food hall called at Joanna who was holding her tray and walking toward the table that had Hank on it.
Joanna froze at the phrase. The other men laughed at her shocked look, so she changed it into a cowl.
“Yeah, he looks so much like a prison bitch.” Another one bellowed and the hall was filled with harsh laughter.
Joanna tried to ignore them, they couldn’t know. This must be one of the bullying schemes those men loved to threw at her.
“Well,” someone said and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. “He is my prison chic.” Julian said cheekily to her ear loud enough for everyone to hear and for her to boil with anger. Men were woowing and laughing stupidly. What a crazy lot, she thought as she elbowed Julian in his chest, making him release his grip immediately and walked toward Hank’s table.
“Asshole.” She muttered to her self, hearing him chuckle behind her, before her lips twitched in a small smile.
After dinner they went back they in their cells and Hank went to Julian’s cell before lights out.
“I know you two are together.” He said to Julian looking away.
“Was it that obvious?” Julian said comically.
“Yeah, man, it was. You two should tone it down a little.”
“Well, that’s going to be hard. You see, the sexual tension between us is like volcano!” Julian chuckled at his friend’s disgusted look.
“Are you trying to make me mad?” Hank asked in exasperation.
“Maybe.” Julian said as he slipped out of his Jump suit and went to the sink to brush his teeth.
“Well, I am going to tell her today that I know.” Hank said in a low voice, and Julian looked back at him quickly with worried eyes.
“Relax Lian, she apparently got the hots for you.” Hank said in defeat. “She’d been like this for a very long time.” He said finally and left the cell.
Julian wanted to shout ‘how come?” but his mouth was filled with toothpaste bubbles that he had to spit first.
“You KNOW?” Joanna exclaimed when hank told her everything.
“Shhhhhhhh.” Hank shushed her, placing his index finger against his lips in a significant gesture.
“Since when?” Joanna whispered, her brows wrinkling in a worried look.
“long enough.” Hank said.
“Oh, my God!” Joanna said shutting her eyes and rubbing her forehead with her fingers. “I’m sorry Hank.” She said.
“Why?” Hank asked.
“Well, you are my best friend here, and I should’ve told you…”
“You never had to tell me.” Hank told her reassuringly.
“But…”
“I understand.” Hank told her. “but you have to be more careful now.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Joanna sighed.
“Thanks Hank.” She smiled at him.
“For what?”
“For… everything.” She told him as she claimed up her bed and tried to ignore the very close roof.
“Good night Joan.” Hank said softly.
Joanna blushed when hank called her now, because this time she knew that he was aware that she was a girl.
Three days later:
A guard led Gerry to the visiting area. Once he got there, he saw the tall, hot lady that was sitting at the far end table, waiting for him.
“Hello, Mr. Carter.” Chelsea said when he sat down at the chair opposite to her.
“Yeah, Hi.” He said quickly.
“So, did you make sure of it?” She asked discreetly.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about. Julian Drake will follow that girl to the end of the earth if he had too.” Gerry told her with full confidant.
Chelsea grinned and sighed in relieve. “Good.” She said and stood up.
“Three days from now.” She announced and Gerry knew what she was hinting to.
“Looking forward to it!” Gerry said, as he slumped back at his chair, smirking up at her.
And with that, Chelsea nodded her goodbye and left the visiting rooms.
The plan was on.
P.S. to readers:
What’s up what’s uuup? Miss you people. So I now this chap has really turned into cheesy romance, but I promise you next chapter would be epically actioned. LOL. “{Actioned}, is that even a word?”
So anyways,
What’d you think about it. Julian is getting cute, huh? Joanna is getting Cheeky, no? And hank oh Hank, is getting manly, don’t you think?
Gerry and Chelsea are plotting something big, which is>>>>>> look forward to it ;p
Like always, comment and vote and spread your love!
Love,
Red.