I kept saying it over and over again.
Pa grabbed me up again.
“Jia, you seriously don’t know who sent him? Who is he working for? Fucking tell me, tell me now, tell me what you know.”
“I don’t know anything.” It felt like a mantra now. I repeated it five more times. Pa released me and I staggered backwards.
He held a hand up to stop the man below and the switch went off again.
Pa pointed at me one more time.
“His death will be on your head girl. You say you don’t know anything. I feel you do.I feel you do! But it’s okay, you’ve done your part.” He looked to Armand. “Armand take her!”
Armand came for me and took hold of my arm. I tried to wrench free because of the tightness in his grasp but he held on tighter.
“Jia, you will do as you are told. I mean that,” Pa reminded.
“You evil bastard!” I whimpered. “You tell me you love me but you do this. How do you expect me to love you after this?”
Pa got up close in my face. “My dear I no longer care. I do what I have to, to keep our family safe. It doesn’t matter if you like it or not. It’s shit to me. I have no place for emotion, not from you or from me.”
I shook as he dealt me his words. “Papa what happened to you? I can’t believe this is really you. I can’t believe you could be so wicked. Just let him go. Doesn’t the fact that I love him mean anything to you? You saw him yesterday. You saw us. Can’t you find it in your heart to stop this?” I don’t know why I bothered.
It must have been desperation talking. One last attempt.
Pa held up his hand in answer to my question, signaling the man to switch on the electricity again. Xander screamed.
I shook my head in pure disbelief. Pa really was going to kill him.
Yesterday wasn’t goodbye.
This was it.
I wrenched my arm free of Armand’s hold and rushed to the barrier.
“I love you,” I shouted out to Xander.
Armand got me though. Pulling me away from the balcony barrier at the same time Xander looked at me.
His eyes. Even past the blood that washed over his face. I saw his answer.
I saw it and felt it.
Saw his lips moving mouthing the words back.
He loved me too.
That was the last thing I saw before Armand pulled me away.
Chapter 19
Xander
I couldn’t talk.
I’d just managed that last time, when I shouted to leave Jia alone.
That was my strength gone.
