Secured Sevenfold

Jacky’s POV
I couldn’t believe what I just heard, what was this all about?
Deal gone bad?
What deal?
And why didn’t they talk to us before?!

“Where is our Dad?” I looked at Matt, but his eyes were fixed on Joe.
I turned to my sister who was looking down on her hands, did she know about this?
Did she know about the deal that had been going on?
Our Dad wouldn’t do something illegal. He just wouldn’t, we know him better than that. I know him better than that… or?!

“Brian?” I turned towards him and saw some guilt in his eyes, as well as pity?
Oh no, he wouldn’t pity me, would he?
“Babe, I wanted to tell you… Wanted to let you know in which danger you are both in, but your father told us not to. He wanted to keep it a secret… but apparently he finally thought it would be necessary to let you know. And I am glad that you know it now.” Brian sighed and laid his arm around my shoulder, which I brushed of immediately.
“No.. That is not right. Tell us all, what else do you know? What else did you keep from us?” I stood up and demanded, looking at Matt, he wanted to be the leader all the time, why wasn’t he talking now?!

Matt finally took his eyes from my sister and met mine “I told you what we know… We have no real information what the deal was about. But your father knew that some guys might try to get to him… and that they could only achieve that when they would get one or both of you first. So your father hired us to keep an eye on you, that was why we were so persistent about keeping you safe, why everything had to be up to this level of security.”
“I need to think about this… we need to do something…” I tried to sort through my thoughts and turned around for the exit, opening the door with a loud bang, but before I could move out I felt Brian’s hand on my wrist.
“Wait Jacky, what do you want to do? There is nothing to do.. let’s talk about this…” He tried to sooth me but I didn’t want that right now, I needed to think.. needed to be alone.. at first.
I pulled my arm away from Brian and finally went out the door “Give me some time.” I told him with one last look before I vanished upstairs.

Joe’s POV
Jacky got out of Brian’s grip and left the office, leaving him with a hurt look on his face. I looked at him and saw his hurt turn to anger as he faced Matt.
“I told you we should tell them what’s going on! Look at what you have done now!” Brian’s voice got more angry by the word and he was already half way out of the door when he turned around on last time.
“Shit, Matt, you did this!”
Brian rushed out of the office without looking back, but slamming the door as he left.

Matt sighed and sat down next to me, grabbing my hands in his. I pulled them away from him immediately, I couldn’t stand him holding me, I couldn’t stand anyone touching me. I felt locked up in my own skin, everything I thought was true, everything I based my life on, appeared to be a lie.
How could my own dad…. The man that had trusted me with all his trades… How could he get in this situation, how could he not tell me?

“Joe? Talk to me?” Matt’s voice was soft and begging.
“No” I got up and walked for the door.
“Don’t walk away from me Joe, you don’t have to do this alone, I’m here for you” I felt his hand on my shoulders, his soft pull to get me to stay with him, but I couldn’t. I felt like I was jumping out of my skin if I stayed here, I could hardly breath.
“No, Matt, let me go”
I wiggled my way out of his hands and ran into the garden. I wanted to be alone, I needed to be alone, I needed to breath… I… I….
A silent sob escaped me and I sank to the floor, putting my head in my hands, as I felt the tears stream down my face, onto my hands.

I only noticed where I was, and Matt’s presence there, at the moment I saw him crouch before me, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were kind, making me feel even more bad and I averted my eyes, back to my fidgeting hands.
“Josephine, please talk to me, I’m hurt by having to look at you hurting, please let me help you”
I looked at him and couldn’t even find it in my heart to get mad at him, it wasn’t his fault.
“You should have told me sooner, you know me, you know how I handle things, you should have told me”
“I know” his face full of guilt caught me off guard and I moved my hand to his cheek.
“But it’s not your fault Matt, it isn’t”
“Then tell me what is going on in your head” He helped me up and pulled me against his body, putting a kiss on top of my head. I moved out of his embrace and stared at my feet as I felt the tears streaming down my face again.
“What should I say? I’m disappointed and I’m hurt. My dad has always been the example I live my life by, he was the man that founded an honest company, who earned his money by working hard and now he is involved with criminals all of a sudden? After my mom died I have always put my dad up on a pedestal, and now everything I believe in, everything I saw as the foundation of my life…… it’s gone Matt…. I don’t know how to handle this”
Matt’s soft touch on my face made me even sadder “Let me help you, Joe, please”
I got out of his hold and moved away from him, away from our spot.
“Joe!”
I turned around and saw the sad look on Matt’s face “No, please leave me alone, I need time to process this”
And with that I took big steps back to the house, I needed to do something, anything…. I didn’t know how to handle these feelings, so it was time for me to take action.

Jacky’s POV
I tried to contact my Dad, but of course he wouldn’t pick up and sending a mail always got me to an error in the contact address.
I figured that much would happen. I just wanted to talk to him, hear his voice, hear him say that he was okay, that all this was a big misunderstanding… that’s all that I wanted nothing more… and nothing less.
Brian had knocked on my door a couple of times, but I send him away, I felt a little sorry but I couldn’t deal with him now, I had enough to deal with this on my own.
I knew he didn’t want to do any harm, but when we talked about not having secrets from each other, this would have been his chance to come clean about it… about all this.
Another thought struck me thinking about this, my sister had been awfully quiet about all this. Does she know about the deal?
She knew better than anyone else what my Dad and his business was doing.
I should talk to her find out how much she really knew.

I hopped of my bed and made my way towards the door, as soon as I opened it, I saw Brian walking from his room to mine “Babe, can we please talk?”
“Later. I have someone else to talk to first.”
“Just… are you mad? I didn’t mean to-”
“Later, Brian.. please.” I brushed past him and let him stand in the corridor, his head hanging low, but I would talk everything through with him later, now I had to find my sister.
I walked towards the office, the first place of course where I thought I could find her and as soon as I opened the door, Matt’s head snapped up and his eyes looked disappointed when he saw me, not… her?
“Where is Joe?” I asked and Matt shrugged his shoulders.
“Last time I saw her, she was in the garden.” Matt pointed outside the window, but the garden was empty.
“Thanks” I turned around and was about to climb the stairs towards Joe’s room when I heard her voice coming from somewhere else.
“Arin, can’t you find out from where he sent that Mail?” Joe asked and I frowned.
Why didn’t I get that idea… Arin!
“I’m trying… but it seems like the Mail address has been deleted right after creation, let me try something else.” Arin said and I saw the door only ajar, so I walked in seeing Arin on his laptop, Joe leaning over his shoulder.
“Joe, I think we need to talk”

Joe’s POV
I hadn’t heard Jacky’s approach but her voice had more intensity than I mostly heard my sister talk with.
She hard fire in her eyes and sadly that fire was directed at me right now, for whatever reason.
“I am working here, can you come back later?”
“I know what you are working on.” Jacky walked inside closing the door behind her closing us in together with Arin in his room.
“Hey Arin.” She smiled at him who returned the smile with a nod.
“So, what do you want?” I asked not really in the mood or in any way able to deal with my sister right now.
“Tell me about the deal, Joe.” Jacky demanded and I raised my eyebrow at her.
“I know nothing about that deal, and you know that. Don’t accuse me of that.” I narrowed my eyes on her but she wouldn’t back down.
She was here for a fight as far as I knew and she would get it if she wanted to.
“You are aware of Daddy’s business, you always talked to him about it. Don’t deny that.”
“I am, but he never told me about this. And he never did something illegal… until… now.” I let the last words slip out of my mouth, all the disappointed I felt clearly hearable.
“You really don’t know?” Jacky looked astonished, how could she think I had something to do with all this?!
“Do you think if I had known, I would have dealt with this entire bodyguard thing and everything?” I asked her and she reluctantly shook her head.

“I.. just.. Joe.. what did he do?”
“I don’t know, I wished he talked to me about it”
Jacky stood next to me and put her hand on my arm.
“Okay, I believe you. But you know.. .couldn’t you or your company have loaned him the money”
I thought about it for a bit, she was right, it wouldn’t have been a big deal… so why didn’t he ask me?
Jacky seemed to be lost in thought for a few minutes when she spoke up again
“I just want to know if he is okay, wherever he might be”
Arin’s fingers started moving over the keyboard at the speed of light and I heard him curse once in a while “Arin?”
He held up his hand as he continue typing with the other. I looked at Jacky, but she shrugged.
After a few minutes Arin took a deep sigh and looked up to us.
“I’m sorry, I was trying to find the IP address of the computer he worked on, but it’s rerouting so many times that I can’t seem to get a hold on it. I’m sorry.”
Jacky put her hand on his shoulder and softly kissed his cheek “It doesn’t matter”
Arin looked disappointed, he was a good kid, always to the rescue.
He looked at his screen again and I saw him clicking on something blinking like crazy.
“Hmmm, okay, I’m not a 100% sure, but I think I can say with a 90% certainty your dad is still in the United States.”
I felt a smile come upon my face and I hugged Arin.
“That certainly is something Arin, thank you”

Suddenly Brian stood in the door opening, he looked worried and his jaw was clenched as if he was trying to contain himself. His look shot over to me and Jacky, sitting on Arin’s bed, with Arin in the middle and for a moment I had to smile. That guy really was crazy about my sister, I could see he was trying so hard not to grab her and drag her away from here, but just be supportive. I hope my sister wouldn’t ruin a good thing.
The minute Brian stepped into the room to walk over to Jacky, I was confronted with my own good thing, guilt on his face, question in his eyes. I slightly shook my head, now was not the time.
“You wanna lay down for a bit?” Brian asked Jacky quietly, receiving a slight nod from her and they left the room.
I was still sitting down next to Arin, Matt leaning against the doorpost, waiting… for me… for someone to say something…. I just didn’t know what I wanted right now.

On the one hand I wanted to do this alone, like I always had. On the other hand I wanted to take him up on his offer, rely on him, not be the strong one for once… Could I?

Notes

Gooooodddddmornnningggggg

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