The Nation's Jackpot Girl (BWWM)

Chapter 84

MARCEL'S POV

I swerved to the right, nearly losing control and driving into the boundary by the roadside. I immediately stop and close my eyes while trying to catch my breath.

The noise in my head was too much to contain, and while I tried to quiet the noise in my head, I heard a whimper beside me and turned to see Jocelyn sobbing beside me.

Fuck!

Once again, I had let my demons take hold of me. I touch her, and she flinches from my grip immediately. "Don't touch me!"

I retract my hand before I continue driving, and while doing that, I focus more on the road than on Celyn, who is perfectly still.

"Celyn-"

"Don't." She says in a firm voice. There are traces of anger and fear in her voice, and it's all my fault. I nearly drive my fist into the steering wheel, but when I remember that I would be doing us both harm, I stop myself.

We get to the restaurant, and before I open the door, she steps out of the car and waits for me.

"Celyn, I am sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me," I facepalm, and when I look down at her, she's eerily still, arms folded like she is waiting for me to continue speaking.

   "Is that all you have to say?"

   I frown in confusion. "What else am I supposed to say, Celyn? I feel bad for yelling at you, and I believe I should have handled the situation better,"

   "Who are we meeting and why? I remember you saying something about putting them six feet under. What did that mean? Because..." She laughs to herself. "That did not sound like you were going to kidnap them and keep them there for a few days just to remind them of what they did to you in the past. Is that so hard?"

   And once again, I feel my anger return. She isn't getting it. Not at all! And it annoys the hell out of me. I want her to be on my side, but she seems to be on their side.

   "Tell me, Celyn," I ask as I draw close to her. "Who are you supporting? Me or them?"

   "I- wou- I don't know!" She closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Don't put this on me. I know what they did was wrong to you, and I fully support you have to pay back but not by killing them!"

   "You do not understand, Jocelyn. They killed my parents!"

   "They did not!" She fires back.

   I scoff. "You are in support of them. There's nothing you tell me that would make me believe you."

   "Can you listen to yourself for once, Marcel? I can't watch you kill four men just because you want revenge. They didn't kill your parents. They only locked you in their closet, which is good because you would have died with your parents!"

—

JOCELYN'S POV

"What did you just say?"

I take a few steps back. How he looks at me puts so much fear in my body, and I don't know what's on his mind. His eyes are cold and murderous, like he wants to kill me, too.

"You heard me, Marcel, and I know you aren't in the right state of mind, but trust me, I am right. I sympathize with you, but let's not ignore that you wouldn't have been alive to revenge but not this way. Not by killing them!"

"Fuck you!" He snaps and stands dangerously close to me. My heart thumps against my chest as fear washes over me. "Know what? You're going to come in with me, and you are going to help me do this,"

   I take a step back. "You're being scary now, Marcel. This isn't the you I was introduced to, and I will have none of it! I can't follow you-"

Whack!

I feel a terrible tingling on my cheeks as I stagger backward. Looking up at him in sheer, unbelievable shock, all I wish for right now is that this is a dream—a dream I so want to wake up from.

   But this is real life. I can feel the imprint of his fingers on my cheek, and the only word that comes into my head is;

   Beast.

   "Are you coming in with me, or do you want to be thrown back into the roads?"

   I gasped in shock, and my eyes brimmed with tears. Is this happening? "Marcel! What are you doing? This isn't you! What's going on!"

   He laughs. "This is me you didn't see. This is me. I managed to hide from you because I didn't want you bailing, but you don't seem to understand. I just had to show you this side of me. So are you coming in with me or not?"

   He's no different from the other four. Maybe worse.

   At least Julian fully accepts that he is a shitty person. It's worse than being with someone who has had to act so caring and friendly only for them to bring out their beast when you don't do it according to their wishes.

   "Why didn't I see this a long time ago?" I mutter to myself as I walk into the restaurant with him.

   I hate that I am hopeless! I hadn't even worked an entire month with him, and I am experiencing this! If I had worked for a month or two with my salaries, maybe I wouldn't be following him into the restaurant to meet someone who he wanted to plan four killings with.

   I would have rented a rickety apartment, but it's better than living under the same roof as this man. There was no escape for me.

   "Can I go to the restroom? I need to cover these marks with my concealer. It's in my purse."

   He turns to me, his face sullen with sadness, but I will not be deceived by it any longer.

   "Celyn..."

   "I'll be back soon," I say and hurry off, not wanting to hear another word from him