JOSI

Now Josi sits in the penthouse with the TV at high volume. It's been four days since the failed attempt at her life. It's been three days since Dami left to find Domenico Ontario. To counter any more assassination attempts, she's taken it upon herself to remain confined. She will lock herself away within the safety of Idris's home until further notices.

How ironic the situation has become. Staying locked up was Idris's attempt at controlling her, but now it seems she's made the decision all on her own. In a sense, it makes him seem like the victor. Like he's somehow won. Like he's finally gotten his way. It pains her to give him this sense of satisfaction. What's worse is the uncertainty of it all. It could be weeks, or even months before the target on her head wears off. It could even be a lifetime. What happens then?

Still, this is the best option available. Stepping foot outside could solidify her death. Who knows where else the Toulours have their agents hidden. They could gun her down in the middle of the street. A sniper attack. They could even infiltrate a bar and have her drink poisoned. So many possibilities. So little countermeasures.

And yet, she refrains from letting Idris in on this misfortune. If he finds out she's been made a target, he will up the security around her. And security is not what Josi needs from Idris. Because they will get in the way of her plans. So she will survive this predicament all on her own. She's made it this far already. She has to see it through.

While it seems she has things all figured out, Josi still can't help but be outraged. She's been stunted once again. If it isn't Idris and his house arrests, it's some guard who overheard her secret. If it isn't Eavesdropper, it's a rival family with some vendetta against Idris. Now she's been roped into that same vendetta. It seems she's constantly walking on eggshells, because a step forward always leads to a couple more steps backwards.

A hair's breadth. The skin of her teeth. So close she'd been to witnessing her own death. It was pure luck Dami was there that day. Otherwise, she'd be six feet under. Deceased. Worm food. Dead.

Josi shivers and increases the TV's volume, as if it were equipped with the power to drown out that possibility. It's blaringly loud, but that's the purpose behind it. Josi wants the apartment swarmed. No silence welcomed, because silence has not been good to Josi. All thoughts and more thoughts. Nothing good from those thoughts.

Only when she receives a call does she turn the volume down. Not by much, but when she sees the caller, she decreases it down to zero. It's her mother on the caller ID, but the voice that greets her is her little sister's.

"Penny?" Josi smiles. "You're on mom's phone again?"

"Ssh, don't tell her I stole her phone." Aspen says. "I wanted to talk to you. I missed you."

Josi's smile stretches. How long has it been since she last heard her sister? "I missed you too."

Aspen audibly sighs. "Something horrible happened, Josi."

This gets Josi's heartbeat going. Something horrible. Could the Toulours have pursued her family all the way out in Virginia? Would they really go so far? She stands from her seat, but realizes she's grown weak in the knees and takes a seat once again. At the rate she's trembling, she may just collapse.

"Penny . . ." She gathers more strength. "Penny, what happened?"

"Daddy found the sweets I hid in my closet. He's mad, so he won't let me eat any for a while. This is prosperous!"

Josi blinks a few times and takes a second to absolve the information. The relief is so great, she has to lean back against the couch to regain her energy. "You mean preposterous? Why does dad keep teaching you these words anyway?"

"He says it's for my future." Aspen answers. "But I think he just wants to show me how many big words he knows."

Josi laughs. "How's school going?"

"Great! I made a new friend; Alexa. We're gonna have a sleepover this weekend at her house. Her mom makes the best cookies and she always gives them to me as gifts. Her dad took us to the movies last weekend. Daddy was there too, but he started using confusing words so we all ignored him. Oh! Mrs. Sanchez said I had the highest grade in the class on a quiz!"

Josi only sits and listens. From their chat, it seems Aspen received a pet as a reward for her academic success. A hamster she calls Lulu. Apparently, she wanted a bunny, but for reasons Josi thinks has to do with responsibility, she'd received the hamster instead, which she still loves. Then the conversation meets a dead end.

"What time are you arriving on Friday?"

Friday. The weekend of Josi's visit. Except there will be no visit because she's restricted herself from the outside. Embarking on the trip might not be a good idea. Worse case scenario, she'll be tailed all the way home, right to where her family is. And not only will the Toulours put an end to her life, but her family's. Josi can't take the chance. She'll skip out on this month's visit, though it kills her to do so.

"Penny, I'm not coming."

Silence follows. Josi patiently waits for her sister's reply that only delays as the seconds pass by.

"But I haven't seen you in months."

"I know. I know, but . . . my boss is a real piece of work, you see." She even laughs, hoping it will brighten the mood. But it fails to fulfill its purpose. Aspen keeps her silence over the phone. "Penny . . ."

"I hate your job."

Josi sighs. "I hate my job, too."

"Then quit and come back, Josi."

If only it were that easy. If only the solution to this madness was a simple breakup. But she knows the kind of man Idris is. He will let her go only in death, and even then his ghost will come haunting her. He'll keep her as close as he possibly can and limit her movements for the sake of 'protection'. And if she resists or even thinks of escaping, he will retaliate.

"I can't quit yet, Penny. Not yet." There is still more work left to be done.

The conversation soon draws its conclusion, and as it does so, the elevator opens and out walks Idris, the culprit behind all of Josi's problems. Josi greets her sister goodbye as he approaches, but he's already picked up on the remnants of the conversation.

"Who was that?"

"My sister." Josi says. "I told her I won't be making it on Friday."

Idris is clearly delighted at this news. He slips his suit off and heads for the kitchen. Probably for another glass of whiskey. "You made the better choice not going home this weekend."

Immediately, Josi is infuriated. He makes it seem like she would rather spend time in that hellhole than be home with her family. He has no idea he's the reason behind her troubled life. He has no idea she's hiding in fear because of his very influence. She can't tell him he's practically at fault for her inability to travel back home, but she'll be damned if she allows him the chance to boast about it.

"Just because you're basically an orphan doesn't mean there aren't people out there who don't love their family."

The breezy demeanor Idris once had instantly drops, and now he's agitated. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Josi holds his glare. "You care about no one else but yourself and that's why you're able to make such passive comments. You're a heartless man who doesn't have the capability to sympathize with others."

For a second, there's no reply from Idris, and Josi begins to think she may have gone a bit far. That is, until he drops his shoulders and begins laughing. Except there's no humor to it. Cold and dry. "You think I'm heartless? Look at you! You kill a man for the first time in your life and the first thing you do after that is ask for a gun."

"What about you?" Josi shoots back. "I ask you for a gun and you just give it to me. I shot one of your men and you didn't even bat an eye!"

Idris scoffs. "What the hell was I supposed to do, Josita? Avenge him?"

"That's not it!" Josi stands from her seat. "You want to know how I felt when I shot that man? I felt nothing! I went to sleep like nothing happened! That's not normal, Idris. That's not how normal people react to murder!"

Idris just studies her, perhaps calculating. Or looking for his next argument bullet point. Then he sighs and runs his hands over his face, exhausted. "That's just it then. We're both insane now." He grabs his coat off the table, and with a sarcastic smile, says, "Welcome to the club."

Josi watches him head for the bedroom. And now she's alone, in that same silence she'd tried expelling minutes ago. The one that brings her agony. The one she can't stand. If Josi doesn't fall prey to the Toulours, then she certainly will to her own mind.

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