Deadly Service (gxg)

Chapter Twenty- Six

Much to Erin's irritation and surprise, Matthew, the man whom she was positive had been the one to break her rib during the scuffle spent a significant amount of time observing her bruised torso. He'd promised that he would be able to fix her up if only she allowed him and after a few minutes of him being persistent, she did give in only because of her discomfort. He'd brought her ice wrapped in a towel to press against her side and a few painkillers to help numb the pain.

The men, again to her surprise kept their distance giving both her and Leia enough room to breathe. The only thing they didn't do was feed them, which made Erin angry. Keeping them hostage with plans on possibly having them murdered at the command of a dirty politician seeking revenge when it wasn't rightfully his was one thing, but starving them was another and Erin felt like that was cruelty to another level. They really intended for her to die on an empty stomach?

Her thoughts were nothing but her disapproval of the whole fiasco and how Leia and Joseph could've gotten away so smoothly if only Bucky didn't screw them over. She could've been on her merry way, taking on newer clients and doing her job yet she was there, kidnapped by the three stooges.

A few minutes went by after having the painkillers in her system and the ice packed against her side had started working to numb the pain, she allowed her eyes to travel along Leia's perturbed face— where dark circles began to form beneath her eyes.
She'd sat so quietly throughout the whole thing you'd think she was used to this after having spent years in it but truly she was just traumatized. Her world had shattered the moment her father had died and Erin was there to see the life within her amber eyes leave her body and float off into some dark and unknown abyss, never to return anytime soon. Peeking back into the depths of her own soul, Leia realized Erin had been looking over to her for the last few minutes. She saw pity and solicitude in her eyes and it made her sad. She didn't need the pity although it's what she'd grown accustomed too since coming into contact with her.

Leia didn't know what she wanted anymore because she felt like it was never going to be achieved.
To live a normal life again? It seemed so impossible and she knew that it was. The moment they'd arrived back home and within the governor's grotesque grip their lives: especially hers was going to be snatched from beneath her and truly she didn't mind. At this point all Leia wanted was to be at peace even if that peace meant hell away from there.

"I'm sorry," Erin whispers and her words caught Leia's attention. She blinked rapidly and a little bit of life seemed to glow low behind her golden orbs.

"Sorry for what?"

"For getting us caught. Usually, all the antics and the planning would work but I don't know, we just got unlucky I guess."

"Don't waste your apology, it wasn't your fault. You were just trying to help me." She whispers back, allowing her gaze to shift around the filthy room. Two of the guys could be seen laying around the room, while Matthew was somewhere unknown.

"I could've gone better and I'm sure of that."

"You've mentioned before that keeping someone safe wasn't in your line of work,"

"Doesn't mean that it's an excuse for me to be a fuck up,"

"You are not. You kept me alive this long."

"But what about Joseph?"

Leia sighs and so does Erin. They both knew what she said was a tad harsh but they didn't speak about it. In fact, they had stopped talking all together until Leia brings up something far more disturbing.

"I always knew I was going to die young,"

"No, you're not,"

"I've always felt it in my bones you know. Then when this whole thing started it became so clear why I was always so pessimistic. I felt the eerie tingle of it, the chilling calls."

"Please Leia, stop that. You're not going to get hurt,"

"So what, Mr Noon got us tracked down all the way here and taken just to invite us to a dinner party?"

Erin sighs. She knew Leia was right but she couldn't let her think like that. If they were lucky enough, Lucy or Jason were going to realize that they've gone missing and help might be sooner than they both could imagine.

"If he's going to get anyone killed it's going to be me,"

"Bullshit!" Leia whispers harshly and her annoyance caught Erin's attention. She looked her up and down. Her pale face due to the light was contorted by the rage flowing thick within her veins as her jaw flexes. Her throat wobbles while she swallowed but her eyes remained inanimate.

"It doesn't matter if you killed his stupid son, we're both despised by him anyway."

"That's true," Matthew says and out of nowhere, he appears with a beer in his hand. He pulled up a chair in front of both girls where Leia's nerves took over for a few seconds and she panicked. The grim look Matthew gave to her sent chills up her spine. Carefully sitting in the furniture, he sprawls taking a generous sip from his beer.

"Noon said you both played a hand in the murder of his son and Erin I'm certain is guilty but what did you do?"

"He never told you the truth did he?" Erin questions.

"I never care for the truth, just as long as the money's right— his money was perfect."

"His son, Ethan, was a sick fuck." She starts to say.

"Name someone who isn't?"

"He raped a woman at a party a few weeks ago and Leia's father, Joseph was unfortunate enough to have stumbled across it. Ethan tried to get him to keep his silence by offering a large sum of money which he refused. Long story short, he sent a lot of people after them. When Joseph eventually decided to take the money we were double-crossed and I wasn't going to let that asshole walk away unharmed."

"So you killed him, that's fair judging from what you do."

"Right," Erin replied stiffly.

"How can you still want to see us harmed after hearing that?" Leia asks and Matthew gazed at her for a while before chuckling. His sonorous voice drew her in for a bit until he stopped.

"Being around Erin has taught you nothing, has it?"

Matthew leans forward, glaring his dark beady eyes into Leia's making her shift in her seat from the discomfort.

"Money is money and it doesn't matter who it comes from. The problem between Noon and you two is your business, not mine. I got paid to take you home, not play the good Samaritan."

"That's exactly why you and I are not the same so don't ever compare what we do. I actually try to do some good while you meddle with the devil and all his filth."

"At least the devil pays well," Matthew chuckles again and continues to sip from his beer.

"Anyway," He gets up, squaring his shoulders and cracking a few knuckles as he pushes the chair away with his feet. It screeched as it dragged across the old wooden floor, making Leia flinch at the upsetting sound.

"You ladies should get some rest, the governor is flying us out in a few hours." He adds with a grin, showing his yellowing teeth that made Erin want to gag. She caught the sight of Leia casting worrisome eyes her way and honestly she felt like there was no getting out this. She'd failed both her and her father. She'd failed Nylah by not going through with keeping them safe and also she failed the unknown woman who was the reason for this whole thing.

Little did this woman know though, wherever she was that someone somewhere was trying to protect the only other person who knew of her situation if she was aware of it.