Javi stared at Andre for a moment- realizing that he was dead.
It was a shock- a huge shock. She'd downright panicked. Javi took a deep breath- had she really just killed a man for knowing more than he should?
Javi jumped back- he moved.
"Oh my god." She mumbled, running to his side.
He wasn't dead, he was not dead.
She quickly searched the wound, realizing she'd grazed his side but the wound was not deep and for the first time, Javi was glad she was not an expert shot.
Andre was very still- it was obvious he was in shock.
"It's okay. You're okay." Javi muttered, opening the shirt and wiping the cut clean. Her fingers trembled- she couldn't believe what she'd almost done.
Javi stood and looked around- it was quiet. She quickly ran towards her things, she needed to leave as quickly as possible.
Then it hit her- a gun shot was fired.
Where was Andre's staff coming to help?
"Everyone's gone." She turned as she heard the words and found Andre standing in front of her, ready to lunge.
"You weren't ever going to let me leave, were you?" Javi asked, taking a step back.
"Now you understand." Andre said, jumping at Javi and managing to knock her over.
Javi grunted, feeling a little pain in her wrist as Andre tried to wrap his hands around her throat.
But she jolted forward, hitting him hard and fast against the head with her own. Andre stumbled back and Javi lay dazed for a second before climbing to her feef as he lunged at her again.
Still-she managed to jump up and land a kick on his chest, sending him back against the wall... But not for long. Andre charged again, punching left and right but Javi moved quickly, remembering this was her greatest strength- she was fast.
In vain, Andre jumped again and again until Javi reached out to block his punch and this time tripped him with a low kick that sent him flying to the floor. She watched as he looked like he might get back up, but easily kicked him again in the face.
He was still.
Javi looked around the room, catching her breath before she finally walked over to her gun which sat on the far corner. She picked it up holding it in her hand before pointing it to her side without turning, where Andre was already getting up.
"One more step and I promise I won't miss." She said without moving.
"I'll kill you, you stupid little..." He began moving towards her nonetheless.
Again the gun went off- this time right between his eyes
----
Jack drove as quickly as he could into Telchac- driving towards the beach. He'd been told the house would be easy to spot but he still wasn't sure what to expect... Then he saw her.
She was walking along, her bag over her shoulder, her hair pulled into a messy bun and her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
"Javi!!!" He called, pulling the car close to where she walked.
Javi was still, the bright lights of the car scaring her for a second before she realized it was him- Jack. He'd actually come for her.
Before she could react he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, pressing her tightly against him.
"Oh god- are you okay?" He asked, setting her down and looking her over. Javi didn't speak, she only stared at him, dazed.
"Javi... Answer me." He insisted.
"I'm okay." She said, taking a deep breath.
"Thank God. When Matteo and I realized who Andre was, I came as soon as I could." Jack said, moving to pull her close but she took a step back.
"He killed my parents because my parents killed his mother." Javi said, putting her hand on her head for a second and scratching her scalp.
"He told you?" Jack asked and Javi shook her head.
"No, I just remembered, the same way I just remembered how to walk back to the town." She muttered. "It's bits and pieces floating around- I still can't make sense of it all."
"I'm sure You'll get it all in time." Jack said, noticing the blood on her dress.
"He's dead." Javi said after a few minutes. "I killed him."
"Don't worry- we'll get someone over to clean it up." Jack said. Javi chuckled.
"You have a plan for everything, don't you Jack?" She replied bitterly. Jack stared at her for a moment.
"Like the plan for Monaco... Tell me, exactly when did Matteo tell you to let me get caught- that's what happened, right? You told Max to warn Marco? It was another test?" She said.
"Javi- look..." He began moving towards her but Javi jumped back.
"Tell me when." She said.
"We were in Monaco." Jack said.
"I see." Javi said, "before or after you fucked me?"
"Javi, stop. I need you to listen to me." Jack said but Javi shook her head.
"Answer me." She said softly.
"The morning after we went out on the yacht." He said. Javi nodded and sighed.
"You were gone when I woke up." She said.
"He was concerned about what he learned about you. It's Matteo's job to look after a lot of people. He needs to be sure of everyone." Jack said.
"Ok. I get it- and you agreed, understandable." She said softly. "I suppose you had no choice, I suppose our loyalty to Matteo should come before our loyalty to each other."
"Javi- I tried to stop it. I swear I changed my mind and ran to you. I couldn't stand to hear them torture you." Jack said moving towards her but again she stepped back.
"Stop. Just stop. Whatever the case is- I can understand. I can, I can even forgive it... But I'm not sure I can forget it." Javi said. "I flew over here thinking that when it came to you, My loyalty to Matteo would be second place. I thought that because I thought we were in this together... It was dumb."
"Javi- I..." Jack began but Javi sighed.
"When I look at you, I see a man who would hurt me. Don't deny it- you would and I can't hold it against you but I can't trust you." Javi said, " and I can't go back with you."
Jack didn't say anything, instead he walked to the car and opened the back door, taking out his bag.
"Take the car- and go. I'll get this mess cleaned up." Jack said, looking away.
Javi looked at him and then without another word, she ran around the car and drove away.
----
Several weeks later
----
"Come in." Matteo said, not looking up from his desk.
"Mr. Peroni."
Matteo smiled, recognizing the voice and looking up at Javi who stood dressed in her black on black- her bike helmet under her arm- her arm cast free.
"Javi- I thought I told you to call me Matteo. How are you?" Matteo asked, walking around the desk and leaning.
"I'm okay- and you? How is Mrs. Peroni?" Javi asked, her lips in a tight line as she put her helmet down on a nearby chair.
"She's good and she asks for you often." Matteo said.
"Please send her my regards." Javi said, her voice cold.
"I have a job for you." Matteo said.
"I figured that's why you called me." Javi replied. Matteo's brow twitched- she was using a rather rude tone but he chose to ignore it.
"It's a long job- a year or more in Italy." He said, signaling to the folder at the end of the desk.
Javi's eyes darted towards it but she didn't move.
"I'm glad to see your arm healed ip nicely- anymore problems?" He asked, trying to break the strange silence.
Javi looked down as if trying to hold something back but then she smiled, holding her hand up in front of her face and opening and closing it several times.
"Yeah- in fact, I've been dying to try it out." She said, suddenly moving forward and hitting Matteo across his face as hard as she could.
Matteo stumbled back, his hand immediately coming up to his cheek.
"Do you want to explain what the FUCK that was?" He said angrily, turning to look at Javi and seeing the fury in her eyes.
"That was for not telling me who I was- for hiding my past from me, even after the job was over." She said, making his face soften. Matteo nodded.
"Okay- I might have deserved that but-" Matteo started but another hard blow to the face stopped him from talking.
"What the fuck!?!?" He repeated, this time cleaning a little bit of blood from his lip. "I swear, I will ..."
"What? You'll send me into another trap? That was for setting me up." She said, taking a step closer to him. "For deliberately putting me in danger with the intention of me getting hurt. For demanding my loyalty without giving me yours."
Matteo stared at her angrily but then he sighed.
"Okay." He rubbed his jaw. "I deserved that one too- please tell me that's it."
Of course that wasn't it. A blow to his lower left side knocked the wind out of him, making him stumble away for a second.
"That one is for involving the person I loved the most in a plan to hurt me and for making it impossible for me to ever trust him." Javiera said, wiping the solitary tear the rolled down her cheek.
Matteo didn't say a word and although part of him wanted to reach out and show her who was in charge, another part of him knew he deserved it.
"Is that all?" He asked, straightening himself out. Javi pulled the sunglasses back over her fave and moved to the folder on the edge of the desk.
She didn't say anything, she only read the notes in silence.
"What do you think?" Matteo asked, watching her.
"I'll take the job." She said, although they both knew it was a given that she would take it.
"Good." Matteo said, moving back towards the desk and leaning against it.
"I'll be in touch then." Javi said, straightening herself out. "Is that all?"
"Yes- you can go." Matteo muttered as she grabbed her helmet and quickly disappeared behind his office door.
With the click, Matteo released his breath and let out a groan. That girl could really hit hard.
He wondered if his chest would bruise- he was sure his face would.
A few minutes later, the familiar sound of clicking heels down the hall made him look up as Viviana walked through the door, Davide in the stroller.
"Hey..." She said, turning to look at him with a smile after closing the door behind her but this quickly faded.
"Oh god... What happened?" She asked, rushing over to him and looking at his face. Matteo winced as she lightly touched it with her fingertips.
"Disgruntled employee." He muttered. Viviana lifted her brow- Matteo would never let one of the men hit him.
"What did you do?" She asked, reaching for the kleenex on the edge of the desk to wipe the blood on his face away.
"Why does it have to be something I did?" He said, again wincing as she began to clean.
"Because no one is crazy enough to lift a finger against you unless your deserve it." She muttered. Matteo sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.
"You're right- I deserved it." He said, putting his forehead against hers. Viviana wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh dear- and tell me, did this solve the situation?" She asked.
"I'm afraid that even this doesn't quite make us even, I still owe her." Matteo said. Viviana's eyes twinkled.
"So... Then what are you going do to make it up to her?" Viviana asked.