Chapter One - Scarlett!

Scarlett

I woke to the sound of my alarm, it was only six a.m., but I don’t mind the early mornings. I have always been a morning person. I switched it off before sitting up and stretching. I checked my phone, seeing a text from an unknown number. I had no idea who it was because anyone who has my number I have theirs. There was only one way to find out, isn’t there? I opened the text, and as soon as I read it, I felt sick to my stomach. I knew straight away who it was, a person I hoped that I would never have to hear from ever again.

Remember, you owe me and now is the time to pay your debt back. We need to meet. PJ

How did you get my number? I thought we were done!! S

I need another something completed PJ X

You said I was done S

Things change! You either meet me where I tell you too, or I will show up at your door. PJ

How does he know where I live? I already had to move because he found me the last time. It looks like it is the same again. I shouldn’t be surprised, though; he is a powerful man with many allies. I don’t believe that I will ever get away from him, not truly.

After five minutes of sitting in complete shock, I jump up, flip my head upside down, put my hair up in a messy bun, and quickly get my work clothes on and head for the front door. I want out of the house quicker than ever today as I do not know where PJ is. He could be outside waiting for me for all I know. I’m out the door and in my car within minutes. I lock the doors and look around me before I start up and head to the hospital to start my shift. I was a nervous wreck by the time I got there.

I sat in my car and took a moment, closing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths and trying to pull myself together. I haven’t heard from him or seen him in a year. I did everything he asked, and the deal was I would be free after that, but then again, you should never trust a man that lies for a living.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on my window, fear taking over me once again. My first thought being, it was him. He had followed me here. I never wanted to open my eyes until I hear a familiar voice.

“Scarlett, what are you doing?” I hear my colleague, Ben, chuckles.

As I open my eyes, I see him standing laughing so hard that it makes me smile and laugh slightly. I grab my stuff from the car that I need and get out, lock the door and head over to the staff canteen as we don’t start shift for another forty minutes, so we sit with a coffee and have a catch-up. I put the recent texts to the back of my mind and act like nothing is wrong. Luckily, I was good at hiding how I really felt in front of the people in my life.

We sat there until about ten minutes before our shifts and headed to the locker rooms to get ourselves changed into our work clothes. We headed our separate ways, Ben going to one ambulance that was going to deal with a suspected heart attack, while I headed to the one that was going to deal with a road collision. I hated road collisions because you never truly know the impact it has caused until you get there.

                                                                      ***

I was in the shower at work after a long day since I never had one this morning. I was exhausted and ready for home after my twelve-hour shift; it was constant the entire day as much as I wanted to go home and climb into my bed, a part of me never because I don’t know what to expect when I get there. I never had a choice, though; I need my rest because I have another twelve-hour shift ahead of me tomorrow. I sighed, hesitantly getting out of the shower, dried and dressed, grabbed my things, and headed out to my car.

I pull up into my driveway and have a little look around before I get out just to make sure that no one is around; after a few minutes, I get my house keys ready, so I can just go straight into the house. My door opens with ease, and I look down as I see something white lying on my floor. The post has been today, so I pick it all up, shut and lock the door and dump the mail on a kitchen counter as I get a wine glass out. Wine is what I need after the long day I have had. I get my wine and mail and go to the living room to relax.

As I went through my mail, something caught my eyes, something that I was familiar with, on the large white envelope, there was a stamp of a tiger. I froze for a moment; it was from PJ; there was no doubt in my head about it. It was his marking to let his “people” know that he needed them, and he had a job for them. I never wanted to open it. I wanted to rip it up and toss it in the trash, but that wouldn’t help matters, as he would show up at my door anyway.

I downed my entire glass of wine in a matter of seconds, trying to calm my nerves. I reached for the envelope with my shaky hands, ripping it open. I waited a moment before taking the sheet of paper that was inside. The document read, in big, bold letter.

FRIDAY, 11 AM, SHANTER PARK. DON’T BE LATE. COME ALONE. DO NOT MENTION IT TO ANYONE, OR YOU WILL REGRET IT!!!! PJ

I go back to the kitchen to get the rest of the wine; I don’t usually drink an entire bottle in one night, but after the day I have had, it’s understandable why I need it. My nerves are in tatters; if I hear a noise, I instantly jump, which isn’t like me at all. Hearing from PJ has brought back so many awful memories that I tried so hard to forget.

Taking my glass of wine with me, I walk around to make sure all the windows are closed and locked, same with the doors. My room is the last place I check. Everything was locked, so I head into my wardrobe and down the bottom is my safe, which I unlock and bring out my handgun and bullets. Sitting on my bed, I get it loaded and place it under my pillow just in case of an emergency. I had no bother handling guns; it wasn’t the first time I have done this. I haven’t had to look at the gun for over a year now, but at times like these, it is needed.

I needed to sleep, but I knew that it wouldn’t come that easily. The best thing for me to do was grab a book and read; that always calmed me, and hopefully, it will help me fall asleep without worrying. I chose one of my favourite books, Persuasion by Jane Austin. I have read it a hundred times, but that doesn’t make me love it any less. I pushed all the bad thoughts aside, getting lost in it, and soon I feel myself drifting off, wishing this is nothing but a bad dream.