Chapter 14 Lincoln
Iwoke up around 5 PM with her curled into me. She smelled like the cocoa butter body wash I had bought her. She looked content and peaceful while she slept. I felt guilty for touching her the way I did last night. I shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t stop myself. There is this part of me that wants her more than anything, but only when she is ready. She may never be ready, and I will have to be okay with that.
I leaned over and checked my phone.
J.C: Hey fruit loop, someone tried to hack into your security system last night. I blocked the attempt but wanted you to know.
Interesting. Now, I wasn’t sure if this was related to the drug problem I was having or if someone was trying to break in for Laynie. The latter made my jaw clench. I wanted to take her out tonight. Enjoy the fresh air and do something she liked to do. She would be safe with me.
I kissed her cheek a few times until I saw her eyes flutter open. Panic was her immediate response. I saw it in her eyes. It took her a full 30 seconds to remember where she was and I watched the realization wash away her fears.
“Come on, we’re going out tonight.” I pulled the covers back.
“Where are we going?” she asked in a raspy voice.
“Anywhere you want to go.”
“What was your favorite thing to do…before?” I studied her as she thought.
“What if someone recognizes me? Like the police?”
“Then you’ll be rescued, I guess? Worst-case scenario is not really the worst.”
She studied me for a moment, probably trying to see if I was kidding. I wasn’t worried about the police recognizing her. New York City was full of millions of people and her case was cold. She could run away and turn herself in, but I had a strong feeling she wouldn’t.
“Italian pizza. Broadway. Starbucks.” She sounded like she was making a shopping list.
I laughed. “Sounds like you have been planning this day for a long time. Let’s do it.”
“Really?” I could hear the excitement rise in her voice.
“Yes. Really.” I got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans.
She jumped up and went through the clothes I had bought her yesterday. She picked a pair of jeans and a black shirt. It was hard to look at her body when it was naked. Bruises covered every inch, some old, some new. It made my blood boil.
It was about 40 degrees out so I also bought her a Columbia jacket to keep warm. She slipped that on as well. I saw her looking at it closely, rubbing her hands over the fabric.
“This is nice,” she said.
“Yeah, I like it,” I said casually.
Leaving the apartment seemed hard for her. I could feel the tension and resistance.
“I will not let anything happen to you,” I said, right before we stepped into the elevator. She nodded and moved an inch closer to me. I wrapped my arm around her as we waited to go to the 1st floor.
The icy breeze was killer today, but she didn’t seem to care. She looked fascinated with the world. Like it was her first time seeing it.
“There is a place on 12th st. It has the best Italian Pizza.” I said while we walked towards the subway.
“Ribalta?”
“Yeah, you know it?”
“It was me and Charlie’s favorite,” her voice sounded sad.
“Let’s go enjoy it, baby.”
The train was packed today. It was almost rush hour since we had slept all day. I made sure my body was behind her. It was clear she was panicking and attempting to regulate her breathing. “I’m right here,” I whispered in her ear a few times during the ride.
We got to the restaurant and didn’t have to wait since I knew the owner and spoke fluent Italian. I could see her surprise when she saw me speak.
“So you’re Italian? Or do you just speak random languages?”
“My mother is Italian. She only spoke to me in Italian growing up and still refuses to speak English unless she has to. She’s stubborn.”
She smiled. “I like that.”
We sat at a small table in the restaurant’s corner. It was near the front window so we could see the snow that was falling.
I ordered for both of us. I couldn’t imagine eating pizza without wine, but she wanted a coke. It came in an old school bottle and she drank it before the food even came.
“It tastes so good,” she smiled.
She looked like a little girl sometimes. Savoring such simple moments.
“What was it like growing up in Tennessee?” I asked.
She paused for a moment. “My parents own a farm and I used to wake up at 6 AM before school, feeding all the animals. I miss that so much, but at the time I hated it. It was such a small town and everyone knew everyone’s business. I hated that, too. I wanted to blend into a crowd and meet new people. That’s why I came to NYC and I was obsessed with Broadway. I took all the acting and singing classes that my hometown offered. I was even Dorothy in the school play The Wizard of Oz.” She paused. “What about you? Did you grow up here?”
“Yes, I grew up in Harlem. My mom immigrated here with her parents when she was 16.”
“What do you do for work?”
I knew this question would come up, and I wasn’t sure how to answer it because I didn’t want to lie to her. “A lot of things. I own some rental properties and a few other businesses.” I couldn’t be sure, once she was freed, how much talking she would do, and I had to protect myself.
She took a bite of her pizza, wincing a little as the sauce touched her tongue. “You know, I have been dreaming of this pizza.”
“Here I am, making dreams come true.” I winked at her.
“A real prince charming.” She giggled.
“What about J.C.? She’s your sister?”
“Yeah, we have the same dad but not mom. She’s 6 years younger than me, but we didn’t grow up in the same house.”
“I like her,” she said.
“Me too…sometimes.”
“Do you think she will come back over? It was nice having her there.”
“Yeah, I can’t get rid of her.” I am glad that she connected with J.C. She needed that.
“What does J.C. stand for, anyway?”
“Well, if you ask her, she will say Jesus Christ, but it’s Jamie Christine. She has always gone by J.C. though.”
She smirked, “She really looks like a Jesus Christ. I probably would have believed her.”
“Yeah, she gets that a lot.”
Once we finished eating, we made our way to an Off Broadway show. I had never heard of it, but they had last-minute tickets. Laynie said she would see anything, which I truly believed.
The show was interesting, but I couldn’t keep my mind focused. I just kept looking at Laynie. Making sure she was comfortable and felt safe. She clung to my arm, that I rested on her thigh, the entire show.
When the show ended, I listened to her talk about it the next hour as we walked to Starbucks and then to the train. She was so animated and bright. I could see the inner glow inside of her coming out. A glow that darkness had dimmed. I had to think of something to get her out of there. I contemplated handing over my business and contacts for her release. Alek would be intrigued, I believe, and the value of the business was greater than what Laynie could earn in her entire life. I needed to set up a meeting with Alek soon. I was already on day 3 with Laynie.
The train was emptier than before, leaving us places to sit but not together. Instead of splitting up, I pulled her onto my lap. “Did you have a good date, baby?”
“It was the best date,” she smiled, and I could see her dimples. I wanted to kiss her so bad. I wanted to suck on those pink plump lips, but I fought the urge and smiled back.
She didn’t seem nervous on the ride home like she did before. She seemed content and relaxed in my lap.
I spotted a man at the front of the train staring unusually hard at us. With the same focus, I stared back, and he quickly glanced at the floor. I didn’t want to alarm Laynie, so I pretended everything was fine.
Our stop arrived, and we left the platform, but of course that fucking guy got off as well. I had my gun tucked on my side, so I wasn’t worried, just annoyed. I wanted Laynie to have a problem free night.
We entered the south exit and when he followed, I turned around abruptly. “Can I help you?” I said with aggression.
Laynie turned around startled, making eye contact with the man who was following us. I could see the immediate recognition in her eyes and then fear. She moved her body behind me. I gave her my arm to hang onto.
The man eyed her. “Laynie?”
She didn’t respond. She just squeezed my arm tighter and pressed her face into my back.
The man started laughing and backing away. “I thought that was you. What the hell is this? They are allowing this? Wait until I tell Eddie.”
A small gasp left Laynie’s lips.
Before I could even respond to the man, he took off in the other direction. Chasing him would mean leaving Laynie alone on the street, and I sure as fuck wasn’t doing that.
I turned back around to her. She was having a panic attack.
“Baby, calm down. It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“You don’t understand,” she gasped. “I will pay for this.”
“You aren’t paying for shit.”
I walked her back to the apartment with her body clinging to my side. She was scared and sobbing.
Once we got back, we both changed and laid on the couch. I held her, reassuring her that everything would be fine, but I could tell she didn’t believe me. She kept saying I didn’t understand.
“Who was he?” I finally asked.
“He’s a…customer.”
I understood and didn’t want to ask anymore. The rage in my chest couldn’t take it.
We fell asleep wrapped around each other on the couch. Every hour Laynie either woke up in a panic or I could feel her body jerking. Neither of us got much sleep.