The Mafia's Contract

Chapter 13

DERRICK'S POV

I sat at the edge of my bed, smoking a blunt. I let the smoke fill my lungs, hoping it would calm me down. My mind was filled with the thoughts of the d*******l I had to make with the Mexicans that evening. The particular Mexican family I wanted to deal with weren't easy people to deal with. The stakes were high. In fact, the potential for disaster was even higher. I could feel the thoughts of it pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe, hard to think clearly.

I needed to get my mind off the deal, to find some way to relax. I thought smoking would help but I had smoked like two blunts already. I needed an activity to distract me. I grabbed the intercom and summoned Miss Sullivan to my room. I had the perfect idea.

In a few seconds, Miss Sullivan knocked on the door.

"Come in" I said.

She entered with her usual smile on her face.

"What can I do for you, Sir Derrick?" she asked me.

“Prepare the horses,” I said.

She nodded then left. I thought about it. Horse riding seemed like the perfect activity to take my mind off things. With the wind in my hair as I raced, my mind would be free, if only for a moment. I loved the thrill of horse riding. I sent a quick text to Irene to inform her about my activity. I was sure she'd like to join me.

I headed to the bathroom, deciding that a shower would help clear my head. The water was hot, almost burning, but it felt good against my skin. I stood under the spray, letting it wash away some of the tension.

As I stayed there, my thoughts drifted to Joan. I saw her image in my mind - the curve of her lips, her body in that uniform her eyes, the way she moved. I couldn’t help but think about the last time she touched me. I liked the feeling of her hands on me. I shook my head, trying to banish the thoughts. I shouldn't be thinking about her.

I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, lost in thoughts of Joan, but eventually, I forced myself to turn off the water and step out of the shower. The steam filled the room. The hazy view of the mirror made it hard for me to see my own reflection. I started to get dressed in my room. I was reaching for a shirt when my door burst open.

Miss Sullivan rushed in. Her face was flushed and her chest heaved up and down as she tried to catch her breath. She was pointing outside.

“What is it?” I asked.

It was unlike her to be so flustered. Something was definitely wrong.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “One of the horses,” she said. “It’s run wild with a maid.”

The words didn’t make sense at first. I stared at her, trying to piece together what she was saying. A horse? A maid? Why was she so upset?

“Joan,” she finally managed to get out. “It’s Joan. She’s on the horse.”

Everything snapped into focus in an instant. Joan. She was in danger.

I didn’t stop to think. I didn’t grab a shirt or even finish drying off. I bolted out of the room. My feet barely touched the ground as I sprinted down the hall and out the door. Instantly, I saw a horse running at a fast speed with a figure clinging desperately to its back. The horse was wild.

“Joan!” I shouted.

I reached the stable and grabbed the reins of the nearest horse. I swung myself up into the saddle and urged the horse forward. The world around me blurred as I pushed the animal to its limits. The only thought on my mind was reaching Joan before it was too late.

The wild horse was ahead, kicking up dust. I could see Joan’s terrified face. I urged my horse to move faster.

“Hold on!” I shouted, though I wasn’t sure if she could hear me over the noise.

I closed the distance between us. I thought of how to get her off safely. I knew I had to be careful. One wrong move, and she could be thrown off or trampled on. It was obvious that she had no riding experience, and the horse she was on—my best, but also the most dangerous.

"Joan, you need to pull on the reins!" I shouted, trying to give her instructions that might help. "Pull back hard and sit up straight!"

She glanced at me. I could see her eyes were filled with terror. I realized she was too afraid to follow my instructions. Her body was rigid with fear. Every muscle of hers strained just to stay on. I looked ahead and felt my stomach drop. There was a cliff in front of us. If I didn’t stop that horse soon, it would either jump over the edge, taking Joan with it, or stop abruptly and send her flying over.

I pushed my horse harder, urging it to close the gap. "Joan, listen to me! You have to pull the reins back! Do it now!"

But she was frozen, unable to do anything but hold on for dear life. I had no choice. I had to get her off that horse myself. I maneuvered my horse closer, trying to match the wild horse's moves. The ground was a blur beneath us.

As we drew closer to the cliff's edge, I took a deep breath. This had to work. I couldn’t let anything happen to her. I positioned myself, preparing to jump. Timing was everything. If I missed, we would both go over the cliff

I launched myself from my horse with my arms outstretched. With a quick jump, I leaped off my horse and got on top of hers. I landed behind her. Immediately, I grabbed the reins of her horse. The impact hit me heavily, nearly knocking the breath from my lungs, but I held on.

“Hang on, Joan!” I shouted, struggling to steady myself.

The horse bucked and reared, but I held the reins tight, pulling with all my strength. Slowly, painfully, the horse began to slow, then finally it stopped. It got to a halt just as we reached the edge of th ecliff.

I looked down as I breathed heavily. We were inches from the drop-off. The ground crumbled beneath the horse's hooves.

"Joan," I said "You have no idea how lucky you are"

She didn't answer me. I looked at her in confusion.

"Joan?"

That was when I noticed that her body was limp against mine. Her eyes were closed and her skin was pale.

She had passed out.