"What – what are you doing here?" I panicked. "How did – did you get in?" I questioned as I stepped back. Joe chuckled and folded his hand over his chest.
"Why are you asking too many questions, Char – Char?" he asked calmly with a sinner smile on his face. "You are not afraid, are you?" he chuckled.
Yes – yes, I was afraid but, I wasn't afraid for myself but, for Kathie – who was sleeping in the next room. I gulped and raised my chin high to fake some confidence. "Why would I be afraid of you?" I replied to a question. "Now, answer my question," I said. "How did you get here?" I asked again.
He laughed and sat on the bed with a thud, "You see, Char – Char it is never too difficult to invade someone's property when you have your men in the security department." Joe wiggled his brows.
I frowned, "What?"
"I said it is never too difficult to invade someone's –" Joe repeated with a smirk on his face but, I interjected.
"I know what you said." I gritted out. "What do you mean you have your men in Silas's security team?" I asked him.
Joe chuckled and shook his head, "You see Char – Char, Silas, and Marcus thinks that they are smart but, they are not." He said. "Now, let's get to the real reason why I am here. As you see Char – Char, I am on a run and I don't have much time." He said.
I gulped and quietly listened to him while even moving a bit. I was still stunned by the fact that Joe had his men working in Silas's security team – is that why my father was able to get in? Is he a part of Joe's evil scheme as well? I was tangled in my thoughts but, Joe's voice dragged me back to reality.
"As you know that I stole Samson's documents with which you helped – thank you for that by the way." He sneered.
I gritted my teeth, "You tricked me." I spat.
"Ah – yes, yes – I did. It was very easy by the way." He mocked me. "You know, when I first saw you at Marcus's penthouse at the dinner – I knew that you would be the perfect person to accomplish my plans. You are naive, stupid, and worse of all – you trust easily." He mocked. I clenched my fist by my sides and glanced towards my phone that was lying on the bed. I cursed internally for being so far from my cell phone. Joe followed the gaze and smiled before walking backward and picking my cell phone from the bed. "Oh – you want to call someone?" he asked with a sly smile on his face – I never thought that I would ever hate him as much as I hate him now. "Your lover boy, perhaps?" he tried to tease me. "You know when we were a thing or whatever." He rolled his eyes, "I knew – I knew you liked Marcus. I knew it!" he laughed. "I wanted you two to get pathetically involved with each other so, I can work on my plan easily but, my stupid cousin just wouldn't make a move – I swear, if I was at his place – we would have been a thing. But pity, I never really liked you. You were never my type – you are just too plain." He insulted me.
I narrowed my eyes at him, "Why are you here, Joe? What do you want?" I pressed.
He sighed and smiled before his lips drew back in the snarl and threw my phone on the wall just beside me with full force. I squealed and hid my face as my cell phone crashed just beside my head and broke into two pieces. For a second air knocked out of my lungs as I thought he was going to hit me. I gulped and with widened eyes looked at my broken phone lying on the ground. I lifted my head to look at him smirking at me, "Are you out of your mind?!" I yelled at him and walked further to slap him when he did the unexpected.
He took a gun from his behind and held it against my head. I gaped as I looked at Joe with horror, "Wha –?" I couldn't speak – I was too shocked.
"Where is it?" he gritted out. "Where are the documents?" he asked. My knees wobbled – he was holding a gun against my head – I was scared – beyond scared.
I looked away from the gun and knitted my brows, "What are you talking about?" I asked him bewilderedly.
He twisted his mouth, "Don't play with me Charlotte. Tell me, where are they?" he questioned again.
"I don't know what you are talking about," I said. "You stole it – you have it!" I exclaimed.
"No, I don't," he said. "I hid it in your apartment but, when I went there – it was gone so, tell me!" he yelled. I was shocked by his confession – so, that means that it was Joe who trashed my house.
I startled by his loud booming voice and gulped, "You – you trashed my apartment?" I asked as my voice wobbled. Tears filled in my eyes but, I didn't let them fall.
He chuckled sourly, "Of course I did. I didn't only come once but twice! But the first time guards were surrounding your apartment." He said and walked around me while holding the gun against my head, "I had to shoot a guard – he is alive?" he tsk mockingly. I looked away from him – when he didn't get an answer from me he continued, "So, I came the second time and still I couldn't find those documents so, tell me where are they now?" he asked.
I gulped and tried to calm my wrecking nerves, "Listen, Joe, I – I swear – I don't have it." I said but before he could say anything I heard Kathie's loud cry from the baby monitor that was still resting at the side of the bathtub. My eyes widened and I looked at Joe nervously as he narrowed his eyes before an evil smirk lit on his face.
"Ah – I see, Kathryn is here as well." He said as the sound of Kathie's cries increased second by second – she was awake and in danger. "Well, what kind of an uncle would I be if I won't pay a visit to my beautiful niece, right?" he said – knocking air off my lungs. He chuckled as he saw the horror on my face, "She must be feeling lonely with her daddy and wanna-be-mommy, right? I should play with her, no?" he smirked.
Tears finally fell from my eyes and I shook my head, "No – no – no – no." I whispered as I saw him slowly walking back towards the bedroom's door. "Please no Joe, no!" I said and tried to walk further but, Joe lifted the gun and signaled me to stay quiet by putting his finger on his lips. I sobbed and shook my head as I saw him reaching for the door's knob. I couldn't let him hurt Kathie – I don't care about anyone right now – not even about myself – I just want Kathie safe.
"Joe, No!!" I yelled out as he opened the door and tried to step out but, I ran towards him and jumped on him – tackling him on the floor. He groaned and tried to push me off him. When his hand came up with the gun – I bit his wrist. He growled and kicked me off him – I fell on the floor beside him while he hurriedly stood up on his feet and pointed the gun on me, "I didn't want to hurt you, Charlotte. But, you left me no choice." He said and pulled the hammer of the gun. I closed my eyes as tears fell from my eyes freely – I was ready – ready to die. He was going to kill me.
But before he could shoot me I heard mixed voices, "What are doing, Joe?!" "No, stop it!" I opened my eyes to see Elizabeth and Ben standing behind Joe – both were staring at us with horror. I looked at Elizabeth but, she looking at Joe. "Joe, what are you doing?! Drop the gun, Joe – please." Ben pleaded.
I saw Elizabeth was standing just beside the door of the room, "Kathie! Elizabeth, Kathie! Save her!" I yelled out while I was still on the floor but, I soon realize that I made a mistake.
Joe glanced at me before he pointed the gun at Ben and without even blinking he opened the fire at him – causing us to scream our lungs out. "Ben!!" Elizabeth and I screamed at the same time. I hastily got up and tried to get to Ben who was lying on the floor with blooding oozing out of his shoulder. "No!" I yelled as I saw Joe hitting Elizabeth on the head with the gun – knocking her unconscious. He smirked at me and opened the door of the room where Kathie was in. "No!!" I cried and ran towards him – again trying to push him down but, he was fast. In just a matter of seconds, he was standing beside Kathie – who was crying while he was pointing the gun towards her. "No – no – no, please don't – I beg you – please," I begged him. I felt like I was going to pass out. I was so scared that my head was spinning.
"Tell me Char – Char, where the file is?" he asked.
"I don't know – please, believe me – I don't know. Please lower your gun, Joe – she is just a child keep her away from all this – please – I will do anything but, please keep her out of it." I pleaded to him.
He narrowed his eyes and glanced at Kathie who was crying out loud, "Hmm – baby, why are you crying? Aren't you happy to see your uncle Joe?" he talked to Kathie but, she did stop crying.
"Joe, please!" I pleaded again.
He looked at me and smirked, "Hand over me the file or I will hurt her. You don't want that, do you?" he questioned.
"Joe, I am not lying! I swear – I swear I don't know – I don't know where it is." I told him the truth, "Now, please – please lower the gun!" I said to him. "Why are you doing this, Joe? Please don't hurt her – please." I begged.
He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw, "Why am I doing this?!" he repeated my words angrily. "I am doing this because I fucking hate this family!" he yelled out – causing Kathie to cry even louder. "My father – my father worked his ass off for Harrison's company! And when he was in jail – our beloved uncle didn't even save him and left him to die all alone!" he shouted. I could see the anger in his eyes. "He destroyed my childhood! I had to grow up without a mother and a father!" he added. "When I grew up – I thought that maybe – just maybe – I will forgive him and his oh-so-good sons if he will give the part of the company's share that I deserve! But, what did I get? Nothing!" he said loudly causing me to flinch. "He sent me and brother to work in Los Angeles – like we were his fucking servants. I don't know how that fucking brother of mine is so loyal to these bastards!" He looked towards his brother who was still lying on the floor just outside the room – how could he be so heartless. "I am not their servant – I am Harrison as well! I want the respect and money I deserve!" he said.
"When I came to know about Diego – I saw an opportunity to destroy this family. I thought that if they won't give me what I deserve then I won't let them have anything at all. I just want to destroy their peace – especially Marcus's – who thinks mighty of himself – that son of a bitch – always calling me stupid! I will show them what this stupid can do! He is not even a real Harrison and yet he acts like he is." he gritted his teeth while looking at Kathie. He was acting and talking like a manic but, I didn't stop him – I don't want him to hurt Kathie. "I went to Diego and promised him to help him destroy the family of Owen Harrison. He wanted revenge for his son from Marcus and I wanted revenge for my father from the whole family so, we worked together. And look how far we have come!" he said. His gaze hardened, "Storytime is over now, tell me where those documents are?" He questioned again.
Before I could answer him – I heard gunshots from inside the house. Joe looked at the cursed loudly. He looked here and there before his eyes went on the window at our left. I could hear the footsteps rushing upstairs. Joe looked and me, "This isn't over." He said and ran towards the window before jumping out of it. I gasped as I heard the thud. But, I didn't care for him – I rushed towards Kathie who was still crying and embraced her in my arms.
"Oh-oh – I am sorry, baby – I am sorry," I whispered in her ear while rocking back and forth. Kathie's cries decreased as I heard people rushing into the room. I turned around to see Silas walking into the room with a gun in his hand while Marcus rushing in with tears in his eyes. He looked at us and sighed in relief before rushing towards us. Owen was kneeling beside Elizabeth and Ben while two of Marcus's guards entered the room as well. They hid their guns as soon as they saw Kathie.
"Oh – you are okay. You are okay." He whispered as he took Kathie in his arms and hugged his daughter.
Kathie put his arms around his neck, "Da-Da." He cried causing my heart to break in the pieces.
"Da-Da is here, baby. Da-Da is here – I promise, Da-Da will never leave you again." He whispered in his ear before kissing his head. He looked at me with guilt in his eyes. "Da-Da will never leave you again." He averted his gaze towards his daughter. A lot was happening around me but, I couldn't process properly.
"He ran away," Silas said angrily. "Miguel, I want to know how he entered my house!" Silas scolded the guard. "I want you to send men to search for Joe!" Silas said to the man. He was saying something else as well but, it was getting hard for me to understand his words. I blinked rapidly as everything was getting blurry. All of a sudden I felt my throat getting dry and my knees wobbled. My feet couldn't hold my weight and I fell on the floor.
"Charlotte!" someone called my name before I passed out.