Leah's POV
"Please! Please don't hurt me! I'll tell you everything! Please!" The short man shouted as the soldiers shoved him into the car.
"Jalin, don't hurt him..." I walked out of the restaurant with Jalin and said.
"Go back and enjoy some pizza with your lover boy, Leah. Don't let this minor incident ruin your lunch date." Jalin said. He was smiling, but there wasn't a slight hint of happiness in his eyes.
Our conversation was cut short because of the short man's desperate pleading, "A man gave me 300 bucks to jam your car. I swear to the Moon Goddess! I didn't lie! I have never met that man and I don't know who he is! I'm working at Mechanic World on 10th Street!"
"Shut up and get into the car!" A soldier pressed his head into the car and said.
"Let him talk," I said.
"Leah, this doesn't concern you," Jalin said.
"If someone wants to kill me, I would like to know who he is," I said. "Let him talk!"
Jalin took a glance at the soldiers and nodded slightly. They immediately let go of that short man.
I approached him and said in a firm, steady voice, "Tell me what happened. This is your last chance to speak the truth. If you lied to me, even one word, you wouldn't get a second chance."
That short man arranged his disarrayed clothes and said, "Yes! I will tell you everything, Lady! I'm a mechanic who's working at Mechanic World. My name is Chip. Last month, I was working in the shop. A tall, dark man approached me and asked me to repair his Ford. I took a look at his car and told him that his car was beyond repair. But then, he started asking me weird questions about car accidents. He told me that he wanted me to create a car accident. He said the owner of the car owed him some money. So he wanted to create an accident and scare her. He told me that he would pay me 300 bucks as a deposit, and when the deed was done, I would get another 3000 bucks as a reward."
"What does the man look like? Anything identifiable about his look?" I asked.
Chip mumbled, "He's just a guy, you know, tall, dark..."
"Think harder," Jalin kicked Chip on the butt.
"Sorry, Sir! I remember now!" Chip whimpered and covered his butt. "He's got a scar on his forehead... And a tattoo! A tattoo shaped like an eagle on the back of his hand. He was wearing long sleeves, so I couldn't see it clearly. But when he handed the money to me, I saw it! It's definitely an eagle!"
Eagle? My mind raced fast. I had never known anyone with a scar and an eagle tattoo. The most ridiculous thing was, I had never owed anyone money in my life.
"And then what happened? We don't have all day here! Spill the beans!" Jalin shouted at Chip.
Chip looked terrified and said, "Well, my wife is pregnant right now and I could use some money. So I said yes and took the money. He then took my number and walked away. Then, a few days ago, I got a call and he told me to show up at a Café in town. He then showed me the make and plate of the car. Then, I saw the Lamborghini Huracán on the side of the road. He asked me to tamper with the brake. I did it and walked away. A few days later, he came to the shop to tell me that I jammed the wrong car. He needed me to do it again. I told him that I didn't want to do it again and asked him to leave. He left without saying anything. Then, later that day, he called me to tell me that he had abducted my wife. If I didn't do it again, he would kill my pregnant wife! That's what happened! I swear I didn't lie!"
I took a glance at Chip, who was weeping like a melting candle. I knew he was telling the truth.
So I said to Jalin, "Please take good care of this man and help him to look for his wife. When you find the man who's behind this, I want to talk to him."
"That man is trying to kill you, Leah. There's no reason I will let him stay alive when I find him," Jalin said in a plain voice.
"I want to talk to him, Jalin. End of the conversation. Now go ahead. You've got a pregnant woman to rescue and I've got a lunch date with my mate," I said.
Jalin sighed, looked above my shoulder, and said to Finn, who was standing behind me, "What are you looking at, lover boy? Leah is upset right now. Take her back to the restaurant and make her happy. Do not upset her, you've heard me?!"
"Yes, Sir," Finn said. He immediately rushed forward and grabbed my hands. His hands were freezing cold.
"I'm sorry, Leah. Let's just go, please," Finn whispered to my ear.
I didn't move.
"Please," Finn added in a soft voice, squeezing my arm in secret. Then, he almost dragged me back into the restaurant.
On that day, I was so bothered that my favorite pizza became hard to chew.
Finn barely touched his food. He must have noticed my anxiety, so he said in a low voice, "I'm sorry for having shouted at you, Leah. I didn't mean anything that I had said. Mr. Cleary asked me to make a scene, so I did it. I didn't have a choice."
"You always have a choice, Finn. Jalin isn't known for his patience, but he's a good man and all he wants to do is to protect me. You don't need to be afraid of him..."
"I don't have a choice, Leah," Finn repeated. He looked numb.
"Finn, has Jalin hurt you before?" I frowned and asked.
Finn shook his head and said, "No, Leah. Mr. Cleary has always been kind to me."
"So why are you so afraid when he's around?"
Finn didn't answer me. I knew he was hiding something from me.
"If you don't tell me, I'll have to ask Jalin about it," I said.
Finn panicked. He looked up at me and said, "No! Please, Leah. Don't say anything to Mr. Cleary! I'll do everything you want to make you happy!"
"Finn, you're my mate. That means I can feel whatever you feel. You can't hide your feelings from me. So tell me, why are you so afraid of Jalin? Why are you so afraid of the soldiers? Who wants to kill you?"
Finn covered his head and said, "No... Please, Leah... Please stop asking me questions. I don't know... I can't..."
I wrapped my arms around Finn and said, "Finn, it's OK. If you don't want to talk about it, it's totally OK. Take your time..."
Finn's body was shivering like a sift. Then, he stretched out his arms and held me tightly against his chest.
He lowered his head and whispered to my ear, "Leah, I'm sorry that I'm backward and I can never do things right. But please... Don't lose hope in me. You can teach me. I'll do my best to learn to be with you. I'll do everything that you want me to do. Please don't abandon me for being stupid..."
I lifted my head and pressed my finger on his lips to stop him.
"Finn, please don't say anything like that. You're not stupid. You've been through traumatic experiences, and that's why your mind is shielding you from your past to protect you. You're in great pain right now and you're trying your best. Finn, I wish you could understand how much I wanted to help you because I'm deeply attached to you. I'm here with you, Finn. I'm not going anywhere. I will never ever leave you..."
Finn calmed down a bit. He leaned forward and lowered his head. Just as I thought he was about to kiss me, a familiar voice appeared -
"Take your fucking paws off my wife, you stupid male whore."