The Son-In-Law’s Revenge

19

Jacob and Mia walk out of the store with bright faces. Jacob has let his guard down and is finally feeling free after such a long period of running, hiding, and feeling inadequate. Here, he is not the man who is unlawfully accused of taking out people's organs for sale to rich capitalist thieves. Here, he is not the man who was married to a lady who thought she and her father could put a leash on him and use him for their devious activities. He is not on the run nor is he wanted. He is Jacob and when Mia makes a very lame joke about the salad and ketchup, he laughs louder than necessary. Not because of the lame joke but because he is finally getting bits and pieces of himself back.

"Are you okay?" Mia asks, looking straight into Jacob's eyes. Her face bore a countenance of worry. Her hand is on the steering wheel and her other hand is on the key in the ignition. He stares back at her, her round face makes her look young and beautiful. She could pass for a seventeen-year-old. She makes him think of new beginnings. He wants to shake his head and say no, he is not okay. He does not know how long he is going to be in Mafia Lord Rodriguez' care. How long would he be wanted by the police? How long would he be a special guard or assassin? He nods instead.

"I am fine, Mia. Let's go."

"Aye aye, captain. Next stop, the Rodriguez family home." She speaks with a glint in her eyes and humor lacing her words. He recognizes the look in her eyes. It is the high feeling he had right at the supermarket. Reality crept through the backdoor of his mind and now he is completely sober.

They reach the house and she parks the car in the garage. Before they step out, she places her hand on the top of Jacob's hand. He is stunned by this act so he almost jerks back in response, his eyes going wide.

"Calm down, Jacob. I am not going to bite." She smiles at him, tilting her head towards him to have a better look. 

"You have been quiet through the ride. And uneasy too. What is wrong, Jacob?" 

He can see she is genuinely worried for him. It has been such a long time since someone genuinely just cared for his well-being. Half his life had been spent working with people who did something for him in return for another thing. He did not know what to do with this. So, he blocked her out. It was safer that way.

"I said I was fine. My duty is to protect you and there is nothing else I would like to get into aside from my duty. I would exit the car first and survey visually for any signs of danger." He steps down from the car without waiting for her response but he hears her scoff.

It is all for the best, he tells himself mentally.  After he looks around carefully through the vast expanse of land, he walks to the driver's side of the car and opens Mia's door. She looks away from him immediately she steps out and proceeds to walk in.

"Mia," Jacob calls after her.

"What!" She responds with a defiant look and eyes that could shoot piercing arrows. 

"We're still friends, right? Things are just… You know how things should be." Jacob is trying to explain and mend the mess he has made of his only real friendship.

"Oh, I know how things should be alright. Your sole duty is to protect me and make sure I am not shot or thrown a knife at. Thank you so much, kind sir." Mia's words are dripping rich with sarcasm and her glassy eyes betray her emotions. She walks hurriedly into the house. He walks after her.

She meets Alfonso and one of the recruits hurdled close to the living room table playing chess.

"Hey, Mia. How's it going?" Alfonso greets her. Mia walks hurriedly past them too and mutters "It is going just great."

Jacob watches all of this with his hand holding the door halfway open. When the sound of Mia's footsteps climbing the staircase can be heard, he carefully shuts the door. The sound of the locks clicking distracts Alfonso from his game and he notices Jacob.

"Oh, pretty boy. It is you. What did you say to Mia, huh." His words come out slow, he is probably tipsy this clear afternoon.

"Mind your chess game, mullet guy."

Jacob walks straight into his room, takes off his clothes, and goes into the shower. He sits in the tub for almost an hour, thinking about how the day seemed so promising and he completely messed it up. He would do something to regain her trust, anything that would not make Rodriguez or the boys have other ideas about the nature of their relationship.

He washed up his body and stepped out of the bathroom. He would do better, he had to.

Mia sits in front of her mirror, wondering how the day had gone wrong and even why she cares about what Jacob had said. In one perspective, he had said just the truth. He had been assigned to protect her by her father. But her hurt is because she thought they had gone past the former rigidity of their friendship and were back to being buddies. Then, all of a sudden he blocked her out again with the excuse of duty and she did not why.

"Talking about duty and whatnot. I will show you what duty is all about." She mutters to her reflection in the mirror while she runs a hand through her hair.

Unknown to her, Jacob is standing right in front of her door with an apology waiting at the tip of his tongue. The door is slightly ajar. He hears her muttering and sighs. She would not want anything to do with his apology, he thinks.