Plain Sight

chapter twenty

Juliette
-

it's the next day, I'm gonna meet with my dad today. Last night Mia and I ordered food for dinner, and Tom texted me.

He asked me to come see him today and that he would send a driver to come get me if I wanted. But I just can't deal with seeing my father and him on the same day. That guilt is just too much for me right now.

So I told him maybe tomorrow.

I'm laying here trying to think of any excuse to get out of going today. None come to my mind and I just need to get this over with already.

Get over this and I can see Tom.

I slipped my shoes on and grabbed my keys from the counter. Mia walked up and just hugged me. She knows how difficult this is for me.

"Everything's gonna be okay Juliette." She says and let's go, and sends me the sweetest smile. "I'll be home as soon as I can." I say and smile at her. She nods and I leave towards the door.

I sit in my car and stay there for at least 5 minutes. I hate this.

-

I unlock the front door with my key and step inside. That cold bitter air from this house is already too much for me.

This is a home where I was supposed to feel safe and have a great childhood. But I grew up here locked away and hidden from the world.

I open the door to his office but he's not there. "Dad?" I call out.

Nothing happens and nobody comes out of the room. I hear nothing. His car is in the garage so he's here.

I walk all over the house and he's not there. Finally, I walk to the backyard, and there he is. Playing golf.

I walk down the steps and go to him, "What are you doing out here?" I ask. He turns around startled. "Jesus Juliette! Don't you announce yourself?" He says with a hand on his heart.

"I literally just did when I asked you what you were doing out here. Maybe if you weren't such an old man you wouldn't be on the brink of a heart attack. Jesus Dad." I say and take a seat on the white sofa.

Why have such expensive sofas outside?

"Let's get started, shall we?" He takes a seat across from me.

"First, how did you find us in Italy? I never sent you the address?" I ask. I need a fucking answer and if he tries to bullshit im getting up and leaving. I don't have time for this.

"I have friends in Italy Juliette. It's not gonna be quiet when Tom and his gang show up suddenly in Italy." He answers.

"And why did you shoot up the villa knowing I was inside?"

"For business Juliette. And look, you're fine. Were you shot? Were you injured? Were you hurt in any way? No. You're fine. Quit being so dramatic Juliette." He says, taking a sip from his glass.

How could he just assume I was fine?

"I was fucking kidnapped because of you! I was shot at multiple times and almost killed. I was poisoned with chemicals for information. All because of you! So don't sit here and tell me I'm fine when you have no idea what happened to me!" I scream at him.

His face drops. He had no idea. And he knows I was right, this is all his fault.

I'm angry now. My breathing is uneven and my heart feels like it might just explode.

"Yet here you are. Safe and unharmed." He says.

What?

I don't know what to feel right now. This is my father saying this to me. He doesn't give a shit that I almost died.

I almost want to cry. I'm not gonna do that in front of him. He doesn't deserve that. He doesn't deserve to see me at all. After all he's done.

"How would you know?" I say.

He folds his arms.

"I have another proposition for you." He says, changing the subject completely. What the fuck could this be now?

"What?" I say. There's no way it could be any worse than the deal he has me doing right now.

"As you may know, zion reeves is dead. Tom killed him. That stirred things up in the mafia world, I don't think you're aware of the damages he's done," he begins, and takes a breath, "I owed people money, and Zion was spotting me with the money in exchange for information on Tom. That's why you're doing what you're doing spying on Tom. But now, since he's dead, I owe people money that I don't have." He spoke.

No.

No no no.

The only reason I was a part of this deal to spy on Tom was for my dad to give that information to Zion Reeves, so that Zion would continue to pay my dad's debts.

And with Zion dead and nobody to pay my dad's debts, this could only mean one thing. Another deal for me. My life is over.

"So this was never for you to kill Tom, but for Zion to kill him?" I say. "No, it was for me as well. I want Tom and his gang dead." He answered.

"The proposition I mentioned, was you have 2 months. 2 more months, and Tom and his gang will be taken out with or without your help. After those two months, and after they are dead, you and I will move across the country under new identities, for our safety." He says with a straight face.

I don't think he's asking me to throw away my entire life. All of this trouble is just because he owes money. He doesn't know the first thing about being in the mafia. If he did, we wouldn't be in this mess.

"No," I say plain and simple, "I'm not going with you."

He looks at me confused.

"Juliette." He says with a stern expression.

"No. I want out. I don't want to be a part of the mess you created anymore. I'm done with spying on Tom. I'm done with all of it." I say and he looks at me and sighs.

"And what? You think I'm just gonna give you permission?" He says, raising an eyebrow like I'm a little kid. I'm an adult.

"I wasn't asking your permission. I'm done. You can have the fucking apartment back, I don't want anything from you." I say and stand up and start walking away.

He follows me.

"Don't tell me you think those people are your friends Juliette."

"This has nothing to do with that. I'm not gonna just risk my life and throw it away because you don't know how to run a fucking business."

He stops in his tracks, I keep walking. I don't even bother looking back at him, I don't wanna see his face.

"You don't know what you're doing Juliette. I promise you, if you leave and drop this deal, I'll cut you off. The money. The apartment, the car. All of it, it's gone."

"That's supposed to make me want to stay? You're fucking twisted." I turn around and throw the car keys at him.

"Then fucking take it." I say and turn back around and keep walking. I don't exactly know how I'm going to get home, but that's the least of my worries right now.

This time, my father doesn't follow me.

After I walk out of this house, I officially cut ties with my father. I have nowhere to go, and no money. I'd rather have nothing than live by my dad's rules.

I'm gonna figure this out, the deal is over. I'm not spying on Tom anymore, and I owe nothing to my father.

My father is only gonna be coming after Tom and the others even more now, only this time, he's coming after me too.

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