Chapter 6
"Jay Black!" I spat out with intensity, the fury evident in every syllable.
He locked eyes with me, and I reciprocated the gaze with equal intensity, the tension thick in the air.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet The Jemima Valerian. Your beauty is captivating and I am completely enamoured by it," Dimitri acknowledged, attempting to ease the tension in the room and divert my attention from Jay. I barely acknowledged his words, my focus still fixed on Jay, noticing a vein pulsating in his neck. Memories of our past in London flooded my mind, but I pushed them away.
Vanessa shot Jay a sharp look, prompting a soft chuckle and a wink from him. She stormed off in annoyance, leaving us alone. Either Dimitri didn't compliment her enough or she was insecure or both, whichever it was, I did not care much for it.
"Sorry, excuse me," Dimitri apologized and hurried after her, leaving Jay and me in a silent standoff, locked in a battle of wills. Neither of us wanting to back down from the imaginary competition we had silently construed. My breath quickened, my heart racing, questioning the wisdom of this confrontation.
With a heavy exhale, I conceded the staring match. There was really no point in it, I thought to myself. Rolling my eyes, I headed to the refrigerator for some ice cream. Determined to ignore Jay, I remembered Vanessa mentioning the variety of flavors available, and she wasn't exaggerating. Conflicted on what to pick, I settled for my Davao rite flavour. I made my way out of the kitchen and back to my room, leaving Jay behind.
"How rude! You come into my house, enjoy my hospitality, occupy one of my rooms, and all I get is the cold shoulder," he remarked, his tone indignant. His remark made me halt abruptly in my tracks. I tried to even my breath to still my rising anger.
The nerve of this dude, I thought to myself, feeling the heat of the moment rising. I blamed Alan and Jon for landing me in this mess when I could have easily rented an apartment in any other part of Rome and not had to put up with this fellow. With a sigh of contempt, I rolled my eyes and kept walking towards my room, trying to shake off the tension and still not wanting to dignify Jay's remarks with a response.
"Never thought I would see the day that Jemima Valerian became dumb," his words pierced through the air, halting me in my tracks. Slowly, I turned to face him, my eyes meeting his with a fierce intensity, silently challenging him.
As he taunted me about my silence, my anger boiled within. I marched back to the kitchen, dropping the ice cream on the counter, forgotten for the moment as emotions ran high. I watched as the beads of melted ice dripped from its body.
"What happened to the smart mouth Jemima? The one who had a response or comment to every statement?" Jay's words stung, fueling my fury. It was really becoming challenging to keep my rage at bay.
"I was just proving that silence is the best answer for a fool. Nice seeing you again, you know what," I retorted with deceptive calm, the storm raging inside me. Taking a seat at the kitchen island, I opened my ice cream, stealing a glance at Jay's wicked smirk as he popped open a soda can.
"No offense pretty Jem, but it looks like you're the foolish one. If not, you would have just walked away," he needled, a hint of mockery in his tone. I looked away, feeling the sting of his words.
Touché, I acknowledged to myself, angrily scooping a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth, savoring its sweetness as I closed my eyes briefly, trying to find solace in the taste. Feeling a little bit calmer, I opened my eyes and locked my gaze with his.
"Let me make this crystal clear to you, Jay Black. I didn't earn the title of the most feared assassin by twiddling my thumbs. I won't hesitate to remind you of that," I asserted, my tone laced with a dangerous edge. The tension crackled in the air, threatening to ignite at any moment.
"Challenging me in my own turf, quite the daring move," Jay remarked casually, reaching into the fridge for a bunch of grapes, his actions deliberate. Placing them on the kitchen island, his eyes met mine, a silent battle of wills passing between us, each stare heavy with unspoken animosity.
"What do you mean by that?" I demanded, my anger simmering just below the surface.
"Weren't you the one who faltered by refusing to pull the trigger at the critical moment three years back, jeopardizing the entire operation? It would've been a catastrophe if I hadn't stepped in," Jay provoked, hitting a nerve. I took a bite of my ice cream, a feeble attempt to mask my rising unease.
"How was I supposed to know the target was a minor?" I retorted, frustration evident in my voice, my fist hitting the table in a burst of emotion.
"If you had bothered to review the briefing instead of unloading your emotional baggage on me, perhaps..." Jay began, his words trailing off as my intense glare met his steely gaze. The urge to strike him surged within me, my fists clenching in irritation.
"From someone who failed to assess the cost and losses that was going to be incurred by that same minor's removal, endangering us all as well. The reason Mission London is infamous? It's because I salvaged the aftermath of your shard ego," I muttered, my voice rising slightly in agitation.
"I have dyslexia!" Jay protested, tapping the table lightly.
"And I was raped by my father. Get over yourself and stop playing the victim card!" I exclaimed, my breath catching as tears threatened to spill over. The weight of our shared history hung heavy in the air, the unspoken truths echoing between us. I glanced away, gritting my teeth furiously. I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to brush off the tempest of emotions that had swelled in me.
Jay cleared his throat softly, diverting my attention back to him. His expression softened, causing my heart race to pick up its pace.
"You have certainly become more fierce, and that too as a woman. Again, my mistake for underestimating you," Jay remarked, eyeing me with a mix of surprise and respect.
I seethed with anger, the fire in my eyes matching the intensity of my emotions. Jay's condescending attitude grated on my nerves, his words a stark reminder of the challenges I faced as a woman in this field.
"Anyway, meet me tomorrow at 7:00 pm in my room, I want to give you a drill of Dennis's movement," Jay suggested casually as he made his way out of the kitchen.
My frustration boiled over, refusing to accept his terms. "I'll be damned if I do that. We work in your study or right here in the kitchen," I declared firmly, storming off without waiting for his response.
Back in the solitude of my room, anger pulsed through my veins, each heartbeat echoing my indignation. I paced the floor, the weight of his arrogance heavy on my shoulders. The audacity of his presumptions left me trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief.
As I gyrated with rage, I attempted to quell the storm that brewed within me. I sought solace in distractions. Reading failed to soothe my frayed nerves, TV offering no respite. The encroaching migraine signaled the need to find peace amidst the brewing tempest of emotions.
Feeling devastated, I decided to call the only person I knew that could quell my anger - Alan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh Fuck!" I groaned, my head throbbing as the sun's rays pierced through my window. The ache in my head was unbearable, I needed a shower, some food, and maybe an Advil for this migraine later.
While in the shower, thoughts of the exhilarating call with Alan last night kept replaying in my mind, a smile refusing to leave my face.
I mentally noted to call him later as I finished up and got dressed, ready to step out, but suddenly, Vanessa burst in, catching me off guard.
I could have sworn I locked the door.
"How long have you been up?" she questioned, pretending to be angry, which only irritated me further.
"Why do you even care?" I shot back, taking a seat on the bed.
"I don't," she yelled, surprising me with her outburst. Her emotions seemed all over the place.
"Enough with the drama. Just spit it out, what do you want?" I said, my irritation evident.
"How rude!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.
"What is up with the attitude?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to make sense of her behavior.
"What happened to you? You used to be the nicest person I know," she commented, leaving me shrugging in response.
“What are you even yapping about?” I mused aloud. She was the one that barged into my room.
"I could not care less about our past. I just want us to reconnect and get reacquainted,” Vanessa suggested, her gaze unwavering.
"So, what do you propose?" I inquired, giving her a thoughtful look, clasping my hands together. I watched as she fidgeted a little bit, a telltale sign of anxiety, causing me to patiently wait.
"Why don't we grab some ice cream this afternoon and catch up?" She proposed.
"Alright," I agreed with a nod. It sounded like a decent idea.
"Is that all?" She probed, seeking more from me. I have her a curious glance, wondering what wise she could possibly want from me.
“You wanted me to object?” I inquired, surprised evident in my tone.
“Not exactly…” she trailed off, causing me to furrow my brows in contemplation.
“Well I am famished and do need to eat. So if you could be a lamb and grab me something to eat, I would really love that,” I muttered as sweet as possible, eliciting a huge grin from her.
"Sure thing!" She eagerly acquiesced, rushing out of the room, leaving me to wonder about her sudden enthusiasm and her earlier actions. I shrugged it off and glanced at my phone, wanting to call Alan.
Minutes later, she returned with a tray of food. I greeted her with a warm smile as she placed it down, excusing herself from the room.
As soon as she left, the sound of an engine's cough caught my attention. Curiosity piqued, I approached the window, and what I saw made my heart race. His jet-black hair cascading over his shoulders, his chiseled chest straining against his shirt, his striking tattoo, and impeccably groomed beard. Jay Black was headed out and seeing him leave made me seethe with rage. I had no fears, I had no limits and I certainly did not have any excuses, I was going to be death of Jay fucking Black!
My mind raced as I paced the room, formulating a plan. I couldn't ignore him any longer; gaining his trust was paramount for the success of my scheme.
Seated on the bed with my journal and food, I meticulously outlined strategies to outmaneuver Jay. Recognizing his weakness for family, I plotted to exploit this vulnerability. Jay's focus and intellect made him a formidable opponent, earning him the title of the most respected Mafia figure.
A mischievous grin crept across my face as I gazed at the blueprint of my scheme, confident in my ability to outwit the cunning Jay Black.
Being a rushed blueprint, it still had some loopholes that could cause some dire consequences for me. But for now I had to act fast in putting the plan into motion.
I had to take the first step in making the scene work- to create a rift between Dimitri and Jay.