The Escort

20 - Despair

Laura continued to cry, safely wrapped between Michael's arms. His t-shirt was soaked with her tears and stained with mascara, but he didn't loosen his grip. After the initial shock, Michael gently led her out of the party and helped her sit down on some steps right next to the salon's entrance, on the sidewalk.

She slowly raised her face to meet his worried eyes. "Aren't you c-cold?" She sniffled, he quickly shook his head as he ran his thumb down her cheek to wipe some tears away. "Are you?"
She didn't answer and proceeded to lay her head on his chest again, closing her eyes and calming down, her sobs slowly subsiding.

The feeling of his hand softly stroking her hair and his heartbeat were incredibly soothing, but her conflicted feelings began to surface. She couldn't put her finger on what she was experiencing, whether she was happy that he located Adriana, nervous that Juliette could find out, scared that she was so easily reachable... She was a mess.

"Did you tell her about me?" Laura asked in a whisper and felt Michael's jaw clenching on top of her head. She pulled away a little and stared at him. His expression was serious and his eyes were dark. "She wasn't what I expected, Laura. I don't know how to tell you about it without hurting you."

"Just... Tell me. Don't sugar coat it, just talk."

He licked his lips and kissed her before wrapping his arms around her shoulders, and as he looked deeply into her beautiful eyes, he shared every single detail of the meeting with her.

***
"You don't have to go back, Laura. Think about it, Juliette's threats were empty."

The girl's bloodshot eyes shifted between her hands, she wasn't expecting what he told her at all, it was pretty much the opposite of what she was made to believe all those years.
Adriana knew everything that what was going on and did nothing?
After all she sacrificed, all she was put through... And it was for the sake of a lie. She even denied the fact that their brother was murdered! How could she?

Michael described a cold-hearted monster, someone that was totally different from the sister she remembered. It couldn't be... He must've heard wrong, he must've misinterpreted her.

"Laura, baby... Stay with me, let's figure this out together... Please." His shaky whisper brought her out of her hazy thoughts and she looked up at his beautiful face, he was full of hope, eager to take her away from her dark reality.

A car pulled over in front of them, tires screeching. Gunther and the driver quickly descended and started to walk hurriedly towards them.
Laura and Michael stood up with a jump and he instinctively pushed her behind him, a menacing, furious look in his eyes.

"What the fuck u want?!" He snarled, walking backward, with his palm on Laura's arm behind him, making sure she was there.

"Mr. Jackson, please step away from my employee. She's needed back at La Maison, urgently." The german calmly stated, looking intensely at the young man before him.
Michael took a quick look at his side, measuring the distance to the front gate of the venue and grasped his girl's arm securely before licking his lips and glaring at Gunther. "Sorry, but no."

He quickly sprinted to the salon's entrance, pulling Laura with him as Gunther and the other man ran close behind them.

They made way through the heavily crowded party, frantically looking around for any available exit. They ran into Jensen and Joshua and desperately explained they were being followed. Joshua decided to call security and have the men kicked out while Jensen led his friends through the kitchen and to the service back door.

"Take my car." He said handing Michael the key before shifting his gaze to Laura "Call me when you're safe, please." She nodded, fear coming out of her every pore.