Love Between Wars

Episode Seven

After parking the car, she took the black folder and slipped it into her sando. Later, she walked in her direction to the living room. 'There's no one,' After Greg sent her off to the venue, he disappeared like a ghost without her knowing it. Her shoulder started to bleed, she had forced it to drive back home. Now she was all alone, except for the guards who were glued up like statues in every corner of the place. They didn't utter anything unless they spoke with the Dolciano. Jessy found it weird, looking at them as her legs busily walking in the pathway which leads to her room. 'I wonder if they have even blinked,' she muttered silently before cutting off her gaze. Her hands instinctively pressed the lock button after closing the door. She then threw the black folder onto her bed, hissing afterwards from the pain in her shoulder, aching non-stop. Carefully and slowly, she started to take off the leather jacket. Only to leave her grunting in subdued as it completely slipped through her arms. The flash of water in the sink had disturbed the quietness, she cut off the bandages which unfolded her bleeding wound. 'I missed the chance of seeing how the bullet was pulled out of my flesh,' Perspiration began to creep into her forehead while she kept wiping the blood with cotton balls. Later on, her wound was all clear. She looked at the replica of herself in the wide mirror, her eyes well-nigh glowed as her breath started to get heavy. Glimpsing the clean towel in the corner, her left arm instinctively reached out to it. Latterly, she found herself biting the cloth as her teeth gritted painfully. She just poured the whole bottle of alcohol into her wound, giving it a numb sensation in her skin.

"This is beyond my expectations. I never thought I could do this shit." Lastly, she placed the bandage patch which covers the bullet's damage on her shoulder. Heavy breathed, she stormed outside the bathroom and dropped her body on the bed. Curiosity began to creep into her mind when the black folder had caught her attention. Confidential?,' That's all she could read on the first page. The next page was covered with a transparent plastic envelope, her curiosity was shoving her to open the paper. But before she could, her eyes started to get lazy and soon they dozed off to sleep.' I'll read 'em later.'

"Did I disturb your - - geez your clothes were bleeding!" Teo dramatically exclaimed when he saw her sando, nearly covered with blood. She had forgotten to change it earlier, the unconsciousness took her before she could think of it.

"Oh. I cleaned up my wound earlier. It's just the stained blood now. What are you here for,?" She didn't know how long she had slept. But her whole system was getting better already.

"Right. You think you could help yourself to change clothes? Samantha isn't here yet, we need to go somewhere. Probably, meeting with the elders. Ugh. I hate visiting that place.," Her itinerant thoughts started to get curious. 'Elders,? He means the whole Dolciano Clan,? Heck.' The first thing she had in mind was to be able to leave the place alive. 'It's not like it's the first time death has offered me.' Furtively, she glanced at the man in front of him. She had no idea of what was waiting for her, aside from escaping, which was useless, going with the flow was her only option.

"I'll be there in a minute," he winked at her, which is his favorite thing to do before leaving. She then tried to relax her flustered system and began to search for a dress. 'What to wear?, Ugh. I wish Samantha had been here. She could probably help me.' She had no sense of fashion, her taste wasn't that dull but she goes where her body feels comfortable. And there's only one idea that pops right into her head. 'Let's get this done,' Another complication arrived. She had only hoped her wound wouldn't bleed that much. She wouldn't like it facing everyone with a blood stain on her shoulder.

"Okay, we'll definitely shut our mouth off and stay obedient until we can get out of that place, alive." She was talking foolishly with her own reflection in the mirror. Her guts were screaming in nervousness if she wouldn't zip her mouth. Sometimes she'd go blunt to everyone without realizing it. It's part of her. But the situation she was in now was different, everything could go wrong, with a tiny fault.

"Wow. You are really something, Lady. How'd you manage to pull it through your elbows?," She chuckled at Teo's expression. He was referring to the dress which she wore. The length reached her ankles, and the sleeves fit in her elbows. It was a caramel colored modern dress, yet, it looked perfectly fine to her. The new generation of women will probably laugh at her style. But it also looks elegant and eye-catching on her, especially with her different colors of eyes.

"I did manage it by myself, but it wasn't avoidable not to shriek subdued from my shoulder wound. Shall we?" Her pairs of eyes furtively searched the whole place, they were already in the garage. There's no shadow of Greg Dolciano to see.

"Hope in, gorgeous. We need to be there before the shitty dinner starts." Teo opened the door, she silently held her breath when she forgot her wound, the seat belt obliviously touched it. The alcohol she poured earlier had helped to numb the stinging pain. She didn't mind tying her hair, she'd make it free to cover her shoulders and face in well-balanced. She'll be facing grievous people again. Her impecunious hope for survival has been decreased.

"You think I will still be able to get out of the place alive,?" She had bit her bottom lips, her mouth instinctively uttering without informing her. Teo's menace but with joyful laughter filled her ears. The man had even slowed down the engine's speed as he continued to laugh.

" Dang it woman, you are unpredictable. "