Ruined

Chapter 20

Aria…

I spent the rest of the day in my room, lounging about on my bed, or staring outside, watching Aiko as she supervised the guys as they carried her boxes into the house. Tony was roped in as well, although he made sure he popped his head into my room to check up on me. I could tell he was unhappy about what happened. He was on the fence. On the one side, the family was important to him, but I think we bonded over the time I was here, and somehow, I felt as though I too, was important to him. A few minutes ago, he brought me sweets and other snacks, while he marched through the house carrying Aiko’s things. I sucked on a candy stick and stood at the window, head resting against the wall.                                                                                                                                   “Ari?”.                                                                                                                                                               I turned my attention to the door and saw Joaquin. I turned my head back to the window.                                                                                                                                           “Come in”.                                                                                                                                “Can we talk?”. I nodded my head and sat next to him on the bed.                                                “Ari. I don’t understand what really happened, Damien says you betrayed him?”. I looked at him and swallowed hard. “I didn’t tell that agent anything, Joaquin, I swear. I didn’t even know he was with the FBI”. Joaquin frowned at me. “But that’s not what Dante has been saying…”. “What has he been saying?”. “Ari, look, we cross checked the information that the FBI has with an informant of ours. They know things only people in this house should be aware of – like the previous consignment of drugs, the date it was sent, received, where it was going, what kind of drug it was, even the damn payment for all the officials to look the other way”.

My heart felt as though it had been forced up to lodge itself in my throat. “And Damien thinks I told the FBI all that? Joaquin, I didn’t know anything about that deal, I still don’t – I know nothing!! You must believe me!”. Joaquin slowly nodded his head and took my hand in his, pressing his lips to my skin. “You need to get out of here, Ari. I will help you! I know someone that can help you escape, but if you leave from here, you cannot go back home, you cannot contact any family or friends or even your boss at the Diner, it’s too risky. You will need to take on a new identity. We can have a fake passport made for you and you can leave the country”.

I looked into Joaquin’s enlarged eyes. Was Joaquin working with the FBI? Was he the one that hid the phone in my room. I was about to open my mouth and ask him, when someone banged their fist against the door.                                           Both Joaquin and I looked to the door.                                                                          Damien stood there, glaring us down.                                                                                  “What the fuck, Joaquin!?”.                                                                                                      Damien entered the room looking like a raging bull. He gripped Joaquin at his throat and pinned him to the ground with his other hand.                                              “Damien, don’t!” I yelled and tried pulling Damien away from Joaquin.                                                     Damien elbowed me away and I fell back against the bed with the force of his anger. If there was anyone that could stop him, it was Tony. I jumped to my feet and then ran out of the room, in search of Tony.