My Protector

Kayla's POV: Sitting on my bed doing my homework with my music turned up as loud as I can handle it. I have to do that in order to drown out the sounds of my parents fighting with each other. They seem to be doing that a lot lately anymore. I don't know what it is about and frankly, I just don't care. "Kayla!" I hear my sister Julianne yelling at me through the door. She's older than me by three years and she just turned 18 last month. Ever since then she thinks that she can do whatever she wants and act however she wants because she thinks that's how it works once you are an adult. Ever since then, she's been fighting with our parents over everything! I lean over and turn my music up in hopes that she thinks I couldn't hear her calling me. Now I probably have it loud enough to do some hearing damage but I don't care. I just want to be left alone so I can do my work. I really have to work hard to get good grades and I intend on doing so that way I can shoot for a scholarship to help out with college. Mom and dad aren't that well off and if I don't do something to help them out I won't be able to go. I want to be a nurse that works with babies but I can't seem to grasp Chemistry. Without that, I don't know how I will be able to get my degree. Plus it's so expensive to go to nursing school let alone to specialize in the maternity ward. I plan on getting a job as soon as I'm 16 so I can put money aside to help get me into college. "Kayla! Didn't you hear me calling you?" Julianne yells at me as she barges into my room so hard the door swings open and hits my dresser and knocks off one of the blown glass figurines I have down onto the wooden floor and shatters it. "Julie! Look what you did!" I shouted at her and got up off of my bed and ran over to see the damage done to the figurine. It was one of my favorite ones too. It was a ballerina dancing. "Are you even listening" She shouted at me again. "Yes! What do you want?" I yelled back at her and shot daggers at her with my eyes. "Mom and dad want you in the kitchen." She snaps at me. "And that means now Kayla, not after you pick up the pieces." She says to me in a bossy angry tone. "Whatever.' I tell her and roll my eyes in secret. "Ugh!" She shouts and slams the door shut rattling the walls in my room. Sometimes I wish we were younger again. She and I used to get along so much better than what we do now. I used to look up to her but now I can hardly stand her. Why can't she just move out? It's not like she wants anything with her life. She has no plans of going to college and has a basic restaurant job. She's always saying, 'what do I need college for when my husband is going to make all the money.' She's always saying that whenever my dad or mom tries to reason with her but she just won't listen. I couldn't pick up all the pieces of broken glass from the floor. I will have to come back in here later and sweep it up well so I don't get any of it in my feet. I set all the pieces on my upright dresser and walked out of my room to see what my parents wanted me for. I walk through the narrow hallway and could hear voices that weren't either of my parents or Julie. As soon as I walked into the kitchen I suddenly felt the worst feeling of fear I have ever felt. Seated at the table was an older gentleman about my father's age, maybe a little older, in a black suit. He was also wearing sunglasses even though he was inside the house. He had expensive rings on both of his hands and he was smoking a cigar. The entire kitchen was full of cigar smoke and it made it difficult not to cough my lungs up. My eyes then traveled to the younger gentleman who was sitting in the chair beside him. He was close to Julie's age, maybe a little older. She, of course, for some reason was sitting in the chair next to him. Maybe she noticed too that he looked wealthy. I don't really care what she does with her life, I am only interested in getting my career started. I would have to say, though, he didn't look too bad. I've seen men more handsome but he wasn't bad. He had sandy blonde-looking hair that was a tussled mess, a trimmed beard and I think he looked like he had brown eyes. To me, brown eyes and blondish hair weren't a good mixture. Other than that he wouldn't be too bad-looking. He was also dressed in a black suit like the older gentlemen. There were also three men standing behind them almost as if they were guarding the two sitting. They were in black suits as well as black sunglasses. The whole scene was giving me the coldest chills I've ever had in my life! "Kayla! Get over here!" I heard my father yell causing me to jump slightly out of my thoughts. "Yes, father," I told him softly and walked over to where he was sitting. My mother was sitting on the other side of him and Julie was on the other side of our mom. The older man sitting at the table leaned over to the other one and was whispering something into his ear. The younger man nodded his head and smiled an evil crooked smile. Something about this was giving me the most uneasy feeling in my gut and I didn't like it. Nothing about what was going on did I feel was going to be a good thing or end in a good outcome. "Mr. Wilson, as you know and your wife has just learned, you owe me a lot of money. Money that is past its date of p*****t. Now I like to think of myself as a reasonable businessman. You see, my son Jonah here is looking for a wife....." "Perfect timing! Daddy, I'm willing to sacrifice my future to help you pay off your debt by becoming his wife." Julianne said, cutting off the older gentleman which caused him to lower his sunglasses and glare at her. How could she possibly be so shallow and not think just a little about what it is she could be getting herself into! Is the only thing she cares about is money! Who knows what kind of man that son is. Look at his father and who is surrounding them! I highly doubt they are honest working people. I couldn't help but notice Jonah wasn't keeping his eyes off of me. He was making me feel very uncomfortable and I had to look away and step a little closer to my father. "Is this why you wanted to meet my girls! For your sick son's twisted fantasy of running off with one of them!" My father shouted and stood up from his chair. In that instant, all three of those men standing in the background pulled out their guns and pointed them at my father. I couldn't help but take a step back away from my father, whom they were pointing their guns at. My mother whimpered quietly in her seat and Julianne slowly sat back in her seat and no longer looked like she wanted to speak out without being called upon. In fact, she didn't look like she wanted to be the chosen one anymore. Does she really think I did? "Mr. Wilson, I suggest you sit back down before your family witnesses your brains getting blown out the back of your head and all over the kitchen wall behind you." The older man said in a low scary tone. My father did as he was told and slowly took his seat. I don't think I have ever seen my father scared before until now. I believe in front of us, in our kitchen is the mafia and honestly, they are much scarier in person than what they look on TV. You can just feel the coldness of them just by having them a few feet from you. They make the whole room feel like you are in a dungeon with a swaying dim light flickering every few seconds while they drilled you with questions. "And what's your name my dear?" I suddenly heard a softer-toned voice coming from that same man that just threatened my father. He was looking right at me. Didn't he already hear my father call me by my name when I first walked in here? Why is it he can remember how much someone owes him but can't remember my name that was just said not even ten minutes ago! "Kayla," I said softly to answer his question. I wasn't about to ignore him because I didn't want to be the cause of him losing his temper again and someone getting hurt. I also really didn't want to be the one at the other end of the barrel of those guns. The son leaned over and whispered something into his ear causing him to smile before asking me the next question. "How old are you Kayla?" He asked me again as gently as what he was probably capable of doing. "15 sir," I answered him, hoping that once they knew how young I was that I would no longer be on the list of prospective wives. Just then Jonah leaned forward and said something into the man's ear again. When he was done whispering he leaned back in his chair and a devilish grin appeared on his face showing his perfect white teeth. Instead of making him more handsome, it just made him look like he was planning someone's murder and got enjoyment out of it. The grin caused me to swallow hard because something about the way he was smiling at me was giving me the creeps. "Kayla my dear, you just granted your father a four-year extension to pay back what he owes me." The older man said with a smile which showed he had perfect teeth too except one tooth was capped in gold. "Sir, may I ask a question?" I asked in a trembling voice. I could feel my palms getting clammy and my heart was racing at top speed just from asking that simple question. "Sure." He said continuing his smile and looking over at me. I glanced quickly at Jonah who was still leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest still with that same evil grin on his face. I looked over at Julie who looked scared and glad that they weren't talking to her but at the same time, I saw jealousy. She was still wanting him even though she was deathly scared of them and was jealous because they weren't interested in her! "You don't have to be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you." He said again and I looked back over at him. I could feel my body heating up in fear as I tried to form the words for my question. The question I don't think I actually wanted to know the answer to. "W-What if.....um....we can't....ah pay you....before the four years.....is up?" I finally spit out. I glared over at Julie who was snickering to herself over my lack of speech and I couldn't help but glare her down. Not that she was looking at me anyway. I saw Jonah's smile increase which caused my knees to shake. I looked back over at the older man sitting at our table the moment words started to flow from his lips. "In four years, if the 300 thousand isn't paid in full then you Kayla, my dear, will pay it in full with your marriage to Jonah." He said calmly and coolly as if this was an ordinary agreement between two families. "No!" My mother shouted and stood up from her chair. "I will not allow you to take my daughter, either of them you sick bastard! Your son can screw some whore..." She continued to yell when suddenly the older gentleman waved his hand and all I heard was the loud thundering sound of a gun being fired. I covered my ears and shut my eyes instantly to protect them from the sound. I looked up quickly at the sounds of screaming and crying from Julie and my father who was leaning over my mother. She had been shot in the head. Gone from this world just like that in that single instant of bad judgment. I just stood there, frozen in my place. My hand was over my mouth in shock and the tears were starting to well up in my eyes. "If you so dare to break this agreement, try to get us for her murder, or try to run, you will be hunted down and you will be killed." The man threatened my father who was still weeping on the floor next to my mother's dead body. That man felt no remorse, no regret over what he just commanded his men to do. He didn't care that a mother, a wife was just murdered over a few words that shouldn't have been said. That was said out of fear and grief for her family. He was a heartless man and I do not doubt in my mind that the son next to him is just like him. Once my eyes were full the tears fell quickly down my face as I stared at her with her eyes wide open. I couldn't take my eyes off her. All I could think of was what just happened? How did this happen? Why did this happen? Could this have been prevented? The men stood up and started to walk out the door. Thinking they were finally out of the house I let out the breath I was holding in when suddenly I felt warm breath on the side of my neck causing all the little hairs to stand up. I jumped a little when I felt his hand cup my waist and it caused me to whimper in fear. "Four years baby and you will be mine." I heard Jonah speak for the first time in his deepened voice. My eyes widened in fear. I let out a soft cry when I felt his warm lips graze over my neck. He kissed my neck one time before pulling away and walking out the door. I quickly wiped my neck frantically, trying to remove his scent from my body. I couldn't stop the tears now. Tears of fear, pain, and humiliation. I felt disgusting because of what just happened. I walked over to my father and knelt down beside him and put my arm over his back and leaned on him and cried heavily with my family over the death of my mother.