Chapter 22 - Joyce

I have learned so much over the last couple of weeks. I know that Anton trusts me and so does Tasha. I wanted to use my expertise and skills to assist. Entering Tasha’s office, I saw most of the family was present.

Tasha was talking to Abram and Anton. I waited and listened. I needed to find the right time to offer my assistance. Mila was with Alexandr across the room, and I couldn’t hear what they were talking about.

Turning back to the three closest to me, I heard Tasha explaining what had to be done. “I have located a warehouse that might hold information on Jason’s connection to the enemy Bratva groups. I will need you to take a couple of the men and retrieve them for us.”

I stepped closer as Abram and Anton agreed. Clearing my throat, I drew their attention before speaking. “I could assist as I helped get the details. I know what to look for. That is, if it is, okay?”

Mila spoke up behind me, causing me to jump a little. I had not heard her coming over. “That’s fine, I don’t see why not. Just listen to Anton and make sure you stick close to them.”

Anton smiled at me, but Abram didn’t look pleased. Anton's phone rang on our way to the van, and he stepped away to take the call. Once Anton was out of earshot, Abram turned to me. “You shouldn’t be here; you have no idea what you’re doing,” he huffed. I could see that he had more he wanted to say, but Anton returned, and he kept quiet.

Not wanting to cause friction between them, I decided to keep it to myself. I drove with Anton and four guards to the address Tasha gave us. Abram and four more guards followed us in another van. The place looked deserted, as everything was dark and quiet.

We stopped half a block down the street and walked up. One of the guards cut off the fence, and we all piled through the hole. We had barely taken two steps when we were hit with a flood of light and gunfire.

Everyone jumped in different directions, taking cover. Two of the guards just stood there like statues. “Hey guys,” I said, approaching them.

“Joyce, get back!” Abram shouted at me as he came towards them from the other side.

I could see the two men panicking; they weren’t sure what to do. Ignoring Abram, I lightly touched their shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay,” I breathed out, glad they ended up standing behind a large tree. “Take a slow, deep breath, guys,” I continued as Abram reached us.

“You are strong, brave, and I know you got this,” I encouraged them. The two slowly turned to me. I could feel them calming down as I held their shoulders. “That’s it. Focus on me and slowly go down on your haunches.”

The two guards nodded, and for a moment, they looked like robots. Once I had them properly ducked down, I continued to condition them. “Now that we are safe, I want you to focus on the men shooting at us. I need your help to take them out. Can you do that?”

Glancing at each other, I could see their minds registering. Pulling their guns, they joined the fight. I saw Anton smiling at me. Abram had moved back to his side and was shooting with the guards at the enemy.

As the gunfire started calming, we moved forward as a group. I stayed behind the two young guards as we entered the building. “Maybe I was a bit quick to judge,” Abram whispered as he moved past me with his men.

The inside of the building was as dark and quiet as the outside. Taking out our torches, I directed them on where to go. After searching through a couple of offices, we found the filing room.

I searched through the files and handed the ones we needed to Anton and Abram. I found several files that mentioned Jason. These were the connections Mila said we needed. Just before I closed the last drawer, a name caught my eye. The tag on the file said ‘JAX.’

Glancing over my shoulder, I checked to see if Anton or Abram was keeping an eye on me. They were checking with the men, so I quickly opened the file, needing to know what was in it. But it was empty.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed the drawer, making a mental note of it. I had to find out why his name was in there and what he had to do with these people.

As we moved out, we met another couple of men. These didn’t have guns, so the fight was silent. I tried staying behind the guards but got shoved back during the fighting. As I staggered back, I felt a hand close around my arm. Before I could see who, it was, a gunshot rang through the place.

Hot liquid splattered on the side of my face, and I stood stunned. Abram came closer, locking eyes with me. “We have to move,” he huffed. “This is what you will experience being part of us.”

Feeling my anger rising, I wiped my cheek, following the guards out. I wasn’t about to let him get the better of me.

Anton handed me a cloth as we got into the van to clean my face with. The drive back to the office was quiet.

We could make a proper list once we had worked through the files. I took the remaining ones and walked to the closet where Tasha kept boxes of files. “I’m done and ready to go home. How about you guys?” I asked, placing the last folder into the box.

“Yeah,” Tasha said, waving.

“We’ve got a couple of last things to check,” Mila replied, handing some papers to Alexandr.

Anton came closer as he spoke. “You go ahead; the guard will take you, doll. Get some rest, and I’ll see you in a bit.” He gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the forehead before turning back to Abram.

Feeling content and happy, I followed the guard to the car. We hadn’t gone far when he stopped and pulled over. “What’s going on? Why did we stop?” I asked as he opened his door.

“Just stay in the car, miss, something feels loose. I’m just going to check the wheels,” he responded, closing his door.

He was beside my door when I heard a metallic sound, and then he went down. There was someone outside my door. Shifting on the seat backward to the other door, I felt my heart racing as my breathing became difficult.

I instantly thought I was going to be kidnapped again. I got ready to scramble out the other side and scream as loud as my lungs could when the door swung open. “Joyce,” a man’s voice echoed through my mind.

My skin was wet and cold as fear had taken control. Blinking rapidly, I studied the face that came closer. “Jax!” I spat. I was stunned to see him there beside me.

“What are you...” Jax placed a finger over my mouth before I could finish.

He appeared slightly frantic as he kept looking around. “You’re not safe, Joyce,” he replied softly.

“What do you mean I’m not safe? You are the one who just knocked out my guard.” I replied, feeling frustrated and confused.

“No,” Jax spat at me angrily. “That is not what I meant. Anton is dangerous. He is bad news. Please just trust me.”

He glanced around quickly. “Believe me, I am only looking out for you,” he pleaded.

I didn’t understand how he could possibly know about Anton. I had not seen Jax or had any form of contact with him for a century. “Jax,” I spat. “What the…,”

“I don’t have time for this, Joyce,” he rudely interrupted me. “I have to go before more arrive. But I promise I will contact you again.”

Jax gave me a weak smile before turning and disappearing into the night. Sitting back, I tried to come to terms with what had just happened. I was brought out of my thoughts as I heard the driver coughing outside.

Moving quickly, I got out and helped him up. “Are you okay, miss?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.

“Yes, are you?” I asked.

“I’m fine. Please get back in and let me take you home.”

Nodding, I got back in the car. The driver shook his head as he sat down behind the wheel. “I’m so sorry,” he said, pulling away.

I had no intention of sharing what had happened with anyone and hoped the driver wouldn’t either.