At the Bottom of the Swimming Pool

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19-FOUR FOR THE FUN

Nicky had knocked over the lamp when she screamed after seeing J outside. She hadn't yelled that loud but enough for Jessica to hear because the rooms were close. She watched a man drag J outside and threw him onto the concrete before kicking him at least twice. Nicky had no idea if Jessica was okay and she was fearful to even leave the room.

J had been getting beat by Javi's men and Nicky couldn't watch it anymore. She hadn't heard any commotion going on so she was hoping everything was alright. Backing up to Craig's closet, she slowly stuck herself inside behind his clothes.

"Tell me kid, is anyone else in the house?" Javi asked him before sending the men inside.

J had been lying on his back holding his stomach wondering if his ribs were broken or not. His first concern was Nicky and Jessica being in the house because all of the guys had guns and he couldn't get off of the ground. Javi had bent down and grabbed him around the jaw tight. "I asked you a question..."

Taking a breath, he tried getting out of his grasp. "No...It's just me"

Looking up towards his guys, he nodded towards the kitchen and started making their way into the house. "Make sure no one else is inside, tear up anything and everything. We'll get the money tonight but make sure we don't have anyone hiding inside"

Slamming his head down, J had groaned in pain and Javi stood back up. He had ordered his other guy to come forward and keep his eye on the youngest Cody.

There had been a variety of different memories that were floating through Javi's head the second he stepped into the backyard to do this. Smurf had been a Mother figure to him when his Dad had hung around her. The second he was murdered, she had threw him out of the house without a second thought. The betrayal was what ate him alive not only at Smurf, but the rest of the family.

Even though he dated Jessica many years later, it was a constant reminder that he was still not part of the family like he had thought he was. Dating her made him feel that he could get back at Smurf and he would be included back in. The moment she went to rehab, they had broken up and Javi never saw her again.

Once Jessica stepped outside of the bedroom and into the hallway, she saw two guys step inside making her quickly back inside of the room. With the men standing in the kitchen, she had to cross through it in order to get to Craig's room. Listening for the footsteps, she ducked behind the bedroom door trying to figure out exactly where they were looking.

One of the men had peered into the room and she watched them through the crack between the wall and door. They really hadn't been checking the place thoroughly and had already focused their attention to the living room hallway. That gave Jessica the opportunity to run out and she made a break for the kitchen, ducking between the sink and kitchen island.

Turning around the corner, Jessica gazed out the patio door way and saw J on the ground with Javi and a random guy standing over him. Sighing heavily, she made a dash to Craig's room and stood next to the doorway in the room. "Nicky?" She whispered quietly making sure that the girl was in the room.

"Jessica?" She answered back with a shaky voice and cracked the closet door faintly. "Who are they? What's going on?"

Before Jessica could answer, she heard footsteps and ducked again. She hoped that Craig's bed was tall enough to fit underneath but Jessica was a slim girl so it was an easy fit for her. She threw her arm out from under the bed to tell Nicky to close the door which she did before the two guys stepped inside.