"I'll take him," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
I nodded, and together we lifted Jaimie away from me. But as soon as he was in Jasamina's arms, he started crying immediately, and it was like a punch to my gut. I felt a lump form in my throat as I watched Jasamina try to soothe him, her own tears spilling down her cheeks.
I tried to say something to her, to offer her some comfort, but my voice failed me. The only thing I knew was that I didn't want to leave. But I had to.
Xax finally walked up towards me, signaling for our departure. I murmured goodbye to Jasamina and turned towards the bus.
But before I could take more than a few steps towards it, I felt feminine arms wrapped around my middle from behind. I didn't need to turn to know that it was Jasamina, and I could hear the soft sniffles of her crying.
"Jasamina..." My voice was hoarse as I turned around, wrapping my arms around her in a tight embrace. I knew that leaving her would be hard, but I never thought it would be this hard.
"D-Do you really have to go?" she cried softly, her voice a mere whisper.
Hell, I thought to myself. I didn't want to leave her either, but I knew that I had to. I pulled back slightly from her embrace, looking her in the eye.
"You know I have to go, baby," I whispered, my voice filled with emotion. "But this isn't goodbye. You don't say goodbye if you're not leaving forever. You say... so long."
She looked at me, her eyes searching mine for some sort of reassurance. "So long," she parroted back to me, dazed.
"That's right," I said, nodding in agreement. "And don't forget the promise we made, because I won't. I will come back for you, baby."
Her eyes lit up at the sound of my promise. "And I will wait for you," she said, determination in her voice.
"I know you will," I said, giving her a tender kiss on her forehead. "So long, Jasamina."
"So long, Tann," she whispered back
"We have to go, Tann." Xax said gently beside me and I nodded. Jasamina pulled away from me, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
We turned and stepped into the bus, and it closed behind us because we're the last passengers.
As the bus moved, I stared at Jasamina and the baby through the window. She and Anya waved at us.
Xax and I waved right back.
Little Jaimie stared straight at me, his baby blue eyes staring at me.
I waved at him, my chest tightening again.
"So long, Jasamina. So long, Jaimie. We will meet again." I whispered when the bus moved so far and they were finally out of sight.
.
.
6. THE RETRIBUTION AND REPERCUSSION.
Three days later
TANNER
As we stood at the door of Billionaire Baron's office, I took one last look at Xazix before he nodded and kicked the door open. I followed closely behind him, my face hard with determination. I was ready to confront the man who had done unspeakable things to Jasamina.
This bastard had turned an innocent woman into his own personal punching bag and twisted playground.
As I laid eyes on him, my lips curled in disgust. With all the tales of his evil deeds swirling in my mind, I expected to see something more sinister.
But instead, I saw a short, stocky, and potbellied man who looked younger than he should thanks to his wealth.
Xazix blocked my view, and I moved to stand beside him as we came face to face with the son of a bitch. Every time I looked at him, I was reminded of everything Jasamina had endured at his hands. Each moment made my blood boil with rage.
"The bounty hunter. I'm glad you're here. Where is my wife?" The man frantically searched the room with his eyes.
"If it ain't the Billionaire Baron," Xazix said with a smile as he walked toward him. Meanwhile, I circled around and stood behind him.
The tension in the room was palpable, and I could see the man begin to sweat. He knew we meant business.
I slouched in a chair, and I could feel his heart pounding from where I sat.
"What-what are you doing right now? Where is my wife? Do you know how many times I've tried to reach you on the phone?" He directed his gaze at Xax. Then he added, "And who is your bearded friend? Tell him to get away from my personal space!"
He tried to sound bold, but his voice betrayed him.
Motherfucker.
"You see, sir," Xazix began, pulling up a chair while I leaned against the one he was sitting on. He turned to look at me, and even his face disgusted me.
I didn't know why Xax wanted to talk. If it were up to me, I'd start reconstructing the man's face with my fists.