Mr. Good Bad Guy

43 - The Truth

I rolled my eyes. "You ever heard of people hugging?" I asked. "This is what that is."

Ezra's face contorted into a look of disgust. "I don't care. Jovani, get out. Stay away from my woman."

Jovani's eyes flickered between us. "Alright," he muttered, slowly stepping away from me.

I stepped between him and Ezra. "He isn't going anywhere. I love him."

The silence that followed was deafening. Ezra's face cased into a mask of fury, and his hands balled into fists at his sides. Jovani looked like he wanted to disappear. I held my breath, waiting for Ezra to explode, but he didn't. Instead, he seemed to struggle to control his anger. After a long moment, he finally spoke.

"Fine. You want to act like that, then I'll make you listen." He turned around and called out to someone else. "Let's see if Mrs. Melendez wants to talk. While you're at it, pick up Paris. I'm sure she's hungry."

I knew he didn't mean what I thought it was supposed to mean. I looked back at Jovani for help, hoping he would be able to stop Ezra, but he wasn't looking at me. I didn't want anyone to suffer, because Ezra wasn't getting what he wanted. There was no telling what he would do to Paris. He was already disrespecting Klara and her culture. I knew he'd go further than that, if he really wanted to.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. Jovani put a hand on my shoulder. I sighed. "Fine. I'll listen. Jovani...go do your job. I'll handle him."

Ezra smirked. "That's what I like to hear, Irene."

I glared at him. "I'm not doing this, because I'm afraid of you. Don't touch them. Don't torture them. They have nothing to do with my decisions, Ezra."

He laughed. "Oh, really? They're just innocent bystanders? They're not involved in this at all?"

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my anger in check. "They're not part of anything, so they shouldn't be hurt because of me. Just leave them alone."

Ezra's smile grew more menacing. "What do I get in return?" he asked, stepping closer to me. "You want to make a deal?"

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words. "I just want this to end," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Let the police find us. Let them take us in. You can't win this, Ezra."

He laughed again, a cold, mocking sound. "Oh, you think I'm stupid? You think I haven't planned for this? No, Irene. I'm not going down like that."

I stared at him, feeling a chill run down my spine. He was right. I didn't know anything about his plans. "Just leave them out of it," I repeated, more quietly this time. "You don't have to hurt them."

Ezra shrugged. "Fine with me." He paused, then reached out to grab my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "But if I find out you've been talking to him, or anyone else, behind my back...let's just say I won't be gentle next time." He released me, stepping back with a satisfied smile. "Jovani."

Jovani nodded. "Yes, sir?"

"You know what to do." Ezra turned back to me, his expression hard. "And if either of you try anything funny...I'll make sure they suffer."

I felt my blood run cold as he walked away, leaving Jovani and me alone. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. All I could do was hope that Ezra would keep his word and not hurt them.

"Are you okay?" Jovani whispered.

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. "Yeah...I'm okay. Just...just make sure they're really safe. Please." Jovani nodded, his expression somber.

"I'll come see you tonight, okay?"

"Okay."

He left me alone in the room, my thoughts racing. I couldn't shake the image of Ezra's cold, hard eyes or the fear that he might hurt any of the girls. I tried to focus on something else, anything else, but my mind kept coming back to the same terrible thoughts. The hours ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity.