Something is wrong

Imaani

"No! No, you're not going to cut me out of your life right when I'm just getting involved in it. No! Jax" tears are rolling down my eyes profusely but I don't care

"Stop it Imaani, don't make this harder than it is. I already have a lot to deal with, I need space." He has to be joking

"How long?" God, I sound pathetic

"What do you mean how long? I dunno I just don't want to be with you anymore. Jesus!"

"Why? What did I do?"

"Nothing! I'm just tired from everything... I miss being single. There I said it. You suffocate me. This relationship is suffocating I was just supposed to fuck you and then leave but you found a way to weasel yourself in permanently, and I don't want that, not anymore"

"I suffocate you?"

"Yes Imaani you do, Immensely! And I'm fucking sick and tired of it"

"So this is it huh? This is how we end?"

He pauses "Yes, Imaani. This is it."

I sniff and wipe my tears "I didn't even get to tell you, I l-"

He cuts me off "Don't Imaani, I don't want to hear it. It won't change anything."

I inhale deeply trying to calm my uneven tone "Okay" it sounds more like a squeak

"Take care"

"Mhm" is all I could utter before ending the call and falling back unto the couch beside Sarah

"Hey," Sarah said calmly

"He broke up with me Sarah, and I didn't even get to let him know how I feel about him"

"Hey it's okay, don't cry please." She hugs me tightly

"It.. it hurts so much, is it supposed to hurt like this? I hate this" I clean my tears and the trail of snot with a tissue

"It's okay baby, he's not worth your tears"

"God! I'm ugly when I cry" I clean my face

"No baby. Don't think that way, you're beautiful either way. He's not worth it"

"No. Something is wrong Sarah, I know it"

"No baby. You're hurt you're just-

"I know what I'm talking about Sarah, please just come with me to his place and if everything is okay we can come back home, please"

She sighs "Stop it, you had me at the first, please. Let's go" She gets up before picking up her hoodie and pocket knife

"What's that for?" I ask referring to the knife

"What? Don't look at me like that. One can never be too prepared there are a lot of creepy men everywhere"

I just nod and make my way outside with Sarah behind me.

The ride to his house has my mind reeling profusely. Where did we go wrong? We were good for one moment and now we're breaking up.

"We're here" Sarah informs me after she parked the car in front of his house

I breathe deeply "Let's go" I can feel tears coming to my eyes as I think of the fact that I might get up there and see him

I don't think I'm ready for that.

We make our way up his place.

Why am I not surprised to find the door slightly ajar?

I go to push it open but Sarah's hand on my arm stops me "We should call the police" she whispers to me

I shake my head and push it open "No" I look back at her to see her bring out her pocket knife and an extra. I only saw her with one. I raise my brows at her "What? You need one too" she replied as if it was normal to have a pocket knife and an extra.

I collect the knife and push it into my boot before I push the door wide open so we can see inside clearly before going in "Clear" Sarah says. I stifle a laugh and walk behind her.

Only we would make a joke out of something serious

Jax's house is a mess. His chairs are upside down, there are two knives on the floor. The signs of struggle are very obvious.

Sarah and I take careful steps around.

I walk towards the kitchen and there's blood, lots of blood all over the island and the sink There's a handprint of blood on the fridge leading to the wall.

I hear a loud gasp behind me "Oh my God!" Sarah covers her mouth her eyes dancing around the room "Imaani we have to call the cops. I'm calling them!" She brought out her phone and started dialing before I grabbed it out of her hand

"No! No cops Sarah." I inhale deeply trying to collect myself and think "Call Mateo" I rush out when the idea comes to me

"What?!"

"Please just trust me, Sarah, call him"

She stares at me for a few minutes "When all this is over you have some serious explaining to do" She collects her phone and calls him

A few minutes later after serious arguing and promising not like I was eavesdropping or anything. "He's on his way, he should be here in" she checks her watch "maybe in the next twenty-"

Footsteps coming through the door cut her off and we both hide behind the kitchen island. "Come out. Next time don't walk so loud if you're going to hide from someone" Mateo's voice makes me relax and we both walk out to meet him

"Hey Mateo, I didn't expect you so soon" I stare at him and I find his eyes linger on Sarah for a while and she doesn't even glance at him

He gives her one last lingering look "Funny she thinks I'd let her go anywhere on her own" he states boldly, smirking at Sarah, who raised her head at that statement "How are you doing Imaani?"

"He's gonna be okay right?" I just need to know he'll be fine

Mateo nods "He knew you'd call me, he forgot to mention how beautiful you are, only talking about your brains. I must say he was right"

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked the question on my mind

"You think your boyfriend would let himself get taken without a plan?"

"He knew he was going to get kidnapped? By who!" God I was going to kill them, every one of them, if they hurt him

"I'm too lost to ask for an explanation so I'll just sit here and listen hoping that when all this is over, someone fills me in," Sarah said defeatedly

"We're going to need your help a lot, princess," Mateo tells Sarah.

I give her a look because of the nickname, Princess huh?

"For what?" Am I missing something here, are they fighting?

"Jax said he was going to have to do something. That would make Imaani come to his place and call either me or Micheal, what he did, I have no idea" He looks at Sarah and then at me

"He broke up with me" I close my eyes and look away to stop the tears. "Excuse me, God I'm pathetic." I Clear my throat "Continue Mateo, please" Sarah walks close to me and rubs my back slowly

"Why did you call me instead?" Mateo asks

"To be honest, I have no idea why I called you"

He nods"He didn't mean it, you know," he said referring to our break up

I chuckled dryly " I'm pretty sure he did"

"Trust me.. he didn't. Veronica is working with someone against Jax, but he never found out who"

"Veronica? That bitch"

"Veronica is the ex, right? Doesn't she get tired of being such a dumbass?" Sarah says angrily

Mateo smiles at her proudly "He had a mole that was working with her, I dunno who it is and I have no idea if Jax found out before he was taken. Their demand was for him to hand over one and a half percent of his company shares.... and break up with you"

"The breakup part is obviously for Veronica, but why? And she's working with someone, the only thing she'll be able to do is to run the company under the ground, I don't even think she's that smart. God I can't believe I was once nice to that bitch" I massage my temple slowly

Mateo laughs "You and Jax are alike in so many ways, it's alarming"

"So what's the plan?" Sarah asks Mateo

"I'm glad you asked. He always puts a chip in all of his shoes, so I just gotta find which one is active and we've got their location"

"Sounds too easy" I'm scared. Very scared, I just hope he's okay

"Sarah, Can you hack into this building's cameras?" Mateo asks

"What do you take me for? Of course I can" I go to Jax's room and search for his laptop, thankfully it's there. I walk back and hand it over to Sarah

"Good. Now both of you leave this area and let me work" Sarah said sternly before going to sit down

Mateo and I move away "Do you have any idea who she might be working with?"

"No, I'm still trying to figure it out

My eyes widen due to realization "What about her husband? It could be him!"

Mateo laughs "Jax found out, she's never been married a day in her life. That's how he knew something like this was going to happen"

"Why didn't he tell me? About the plan, Veronica's lie, everything" it felt like I could hear my own heart breaking all over again. I thought we were closer, I thought we were past all these secrets

"That's something you'll have to find out from him when we find him"

I scoff "Did he have to break up with me? We could have worked it out together"

"He's trying to protect you, Imaani"

"Oh really, by keeping me out of it?"

"They threatened your daughter and father. I'm sorry, he didn't want you to know"

I was about to say something "I've got it!" Sarah yells bringing our focus back to her

"Got what?" Mateo asks. As we walk to where she was seated

"Their location," Sarah says and I stop moving

"Time to go get your man," Mateo says.