Refuge

Chapter 36

*Josh*

I felt every second an hour, every minute a day and every hour a year. Time was slowing down, the world was shrinking and I was losing it all.

The last time I felt this type of pain was when my mother fell to the ground in front of my eyes, dead.
I didn't want this, I wanted it to stop. All these feelings and thoughts, I couldn't handle.
Do I kill her?
Do I kill myself?

I told her everything within my heart and it fucking frightens me that I was drawing my dreams for a blind woman, describing my feelings to a deaf woman and writing my pain to a clueless woman.

She made me weak, she created a weakness that I never had.

"Josh-"

"Nicolas" I cut him off. "I don't have time"

"Sylvester is sealing the deal tonight at 2:30"

"Nicolas-"

"It's at your penthouse" Nicolas walked into my office "Where the homeless kids took over"

I frowned "Why'd he chose my penthouse to drug deal?"

Nicolas shrugged "All I know is that the man we're dealing with is dodgy, he could set anything up"

"Tell Sylvester I want to rearrange"

"I figured you'd say that, so I already told him. He said it's his way or nothing"

I sighed. Fucking dickhead, always having me regret doing business with him.
"Find a way to keep the kids inside their apartments, tell their nannies or something"

"I also figured you'd say that, and already warned them to stay inside for some quick insect sprinkle spray around the building"

"Insect sprinkle spray?"

Nicolas sighed "I'm a dirty businessman, I don't know what you call the insect people"

"Pest control-"

"Yeah, whatever" Nicolas cut me off "I might have to pest control your ass if you keep leaving your mess behind for me to clean"

"All I did was have you talk to Sylvester and you're acting as if I had you ship over 5.5kgs of coke and weapons"

Nicolas sighed once more and rolled him eyes.
I grabbed my coat from by the door and made my way out, towards my penthouse.

***

As the elevator buzzed and the doors opened, a child and a teenager walked in before the elevator continued up to my penthouse.

"Hey, I'm Katie" the little girl turned around and looked at me through her lashes.

I smiled weakly, and looked blankly ahead.

"Hi Katie, I'm Nick, this is Josh" Nicolas bent down to shake her little hand that wrapped maybe two of his fingers.

"Katie" the teenager hissed, pulling Katie away from Nicolas.

"Nick" Nicolas let out a hand.
The teenager ignored and pulled Katie close to him, turning away.
"So much for rudeness" Nicolas added.