Chasing Jupiter ✔️

Twenty Seven

I jolt awake gasping from the worst nightmare ever. Quickly rolling over in my bed trying to find Archer. He wasn't there, he must have slept in the guest room instead of sneaking into mine like usual. Looking around my room I realize that I wasn't in it. I was in a completely different room, one I'd never seen before. I was in a concrete basement of some sort with a single mattress on the floor, and a set of stairs going up to somewhere.
It wasn't a dream. I was actually kidnapped.

This was really happening. I thought I just had a nightmare. A new wave of tears began falling, and I could feel myself hyperventilating. "Fuck fuck fuck!" I threw the closest object next to me, a stupid pillow. It didn't make nearly enough of a crashing sound as I would have liked. But I supposed that was in my favor as I needed to get my shit together and get the hell out of here. Maybe just a few more minutes of wallowing in my self pity.

I ultimately decided to get my shit together and find a way out. I was not going to be one of those dumb bitches in a scary movie who got herself killed. I needed to get back to Archer. Taking off my boots I tiptoe up the stairs. When I try to open the door I find it locked. Dammit.

Think Jupiter think!

I shove my hands to my hair, a nervous habit of mine that I'm suddenly thankful for. Grabbing a bobby pin from my hair I begin to pick the lock. I hope this works like it does in the movies. Hearing the latch click I let out a huge sigh of relief. I open the door just enough to slip out. Recognition hits my face, I was in a kitchen. I've been in this kitchen before. It's not just any kitchen. It's my mothers kitchen. I may have only seen it once before but the memory of it was still there.

She had really lost her marbles if she thought that her only way of getting me was kidnapping me. Who the hell does that bitch think she is! I just wanted to find her and throttle the bitch. No time to dwell on this. I had to get out, I remind myself. I shake my head before tiptoeing through the house. I could hear voices to my left. I freeze up knowing I'd been caught.

When nobody grabs me I glance over to see a door that is shut. That must be where the voice is coming from. My hand was on the front door now, when I heard my name from behind the closed door. I know I shouldn't be nosy at a time like this. I really shouldn't. But curiosity got the better of me. If I could hear what they had to say about me I could use it to my advantage. So I did what any dumb bitch in a horror movie would do. I left the freedoms of the front door and walked to the closed door.

I pressed my ear against the wooden door in attempt to better hear the conversation. The door suddenly gave way and I went tumbling into the unknown room. "Fuck!" I groan hitting the ground in a loud thud. "Ah Jupiter I'm glad you could join us." I hear her sneer. I looked up to see none other than Veronica Cromwell, used to be Veronica Miller. My mother.

I'll give it to her, this is the one time she's left me speechless.

*****

"Let me go you fat shit!" I scream at the same asshole who kidnapped me and was currently trying me to a chair. He smacks me across the face, my head flying to the side. I bit my tongue, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of my cry. Instead I slowly turn my head back straight and look him dead in the eye "You hit like a bitch!" I spit in his face.

"Why you little..." He raised his hand to hit me again. I close my eyes waiting for the smack that never comes. A small, quiet pop and loud thud causes me to open them. Asshole number one laid in front of me with a bullet hole in the side of his head.

I'm going to be sick.

"Nobody hits my daughter." My mother growls. I turn my head to see her holding a smoking gun with a silencer on it. At least I think it's a silencer, that's what they look like in the movies. Not able to hold in my sick I turn my head and throw up on the floor. After I finish I spit on the floor, trying to get the vomit taste from my mouth. "You quite finished now?" My mother- no Veronica asks me. "Why are you doing this?" I plead. "It's simple really. I want to ruin your father's life. Your father ruined you from a young age, always going on and on about cars this, and racing that. Quite pathetic really, he was on a path leading nowhere and dragging you down with him. So I left, and when I offered you to come with me. To an amazing life full of anything you could ever want. You turned me away." Is this bitch crazy?! "So all of this is about cars?!" I snort, not fully believing her psychotic story. "No Jupiter, it's much more than that. Your father ruined my life. Stuck in a dead end town, with a dead end job, with three brats who didn't love me. It was always dad this and dad that. None of you cared-"

"But you had Addi! Addi came with you on her own free will! Wasn't she enough for you!" I cut her off fighting the restraints on my wrists as she stomped over to me. "Don't you ever speak about Addison again. She was weak, she couldn't handle the things that Robert and I gave her. We offered her everything and she turned it away, not wanting to follow simple requests." She forcefully grabs my chin making me look at her. "But you on the other hand. Daddy's little girl. You're perfect for what I need." She sneers at me. "Whatever it is you want-"

"It's not about what I want. It's about what you need pumpkin. And you need a mother's love sweetheart." She drops my chin. "You need someone who can take care of you. A mother and a father, who love you unconditionally. Not a dead end loser who only cares about race cars." She has gone completely insane. I didn't even know what she was talking about anymore. "You're being delusional! I literally have no idea what you are talking about anymore! Why am I really here?!" I kept fighting the restraints to no avail. "You're here because I need your help and you clearly need mine. As a mother all I want in life is for my kids to grow up in a safe and happy home. To get married and give me grand children, and you-" She grabs my chin again. "-Jupiter, are going to do just that."

Is she nuts? How do we go from race cars to marriage? I'm so lost. "Wait I'm confused. So you're planning on ruining dads life by making me get married?" She laughs at me. "Pumpkin, I'm not making you do anything. You'll accept Andrew's proposal willingly. By combining bloodlines it will help our family business grow stronger. And you can live a happy, lavish life together when you take over after Robert and I retire."

"Hell no! No way! Why would I ever accept your psychotic deal? Just let me go home!" Angry tears were spilling down my face at this point, and I was thrashing so hard in the chair I'm sure I'd have rope burns for weeks. "I was really hoping it didn't come to this sweetheart. But you will accept Andrew's proposal and you will marry him-" I spit in her face. "Or what? You'll kill me? Go ahead, in fact look me in the eyes when you do it." She wipes the spit from her face leaning in glaring at me. "Or I'll kill that slut friend of yours. Laci is it? And that unborn bastard child of hers. Do you really want more blood on your hands. You remember what happened to that Archer boy do you?"

"How did you..." I trail off. "How did I know? I have eyes and ears everywhere. I've been collecting information for years, waiting for the right time to get you to come home and fulfill your purpose in this family." She was fucking insane! How did she know all of these things? Why was she doing this to me? What did I ever do to her! I won't do it, I'd rather die than marry a stranger for my psychotic mother's sake. I opened my mouth to promptly tell her to go fuck herself. But I couldn't. Laci's smiling face as I kiss her belly repeatedly flashing through my mind. It wasn't just me who was in danger. Fresh tears fell from my eyes, but I held my glare strong.

"F-fine. I'll do it."

For Laci...