COOKIE - CHAPTER 37&38
🍪 RISKS/ HIDDEN SECRET 🍪
“If you harm my blood, blood will rain,” she said immediately she picked up letting her words sink into him.
Big Daddy’s voice was smooth, almost mocking.
“Meet me. We need to talk.” he ordered cruelly.
She could literally test his cruelty through his spoken words but she wasn’t given in I his demands also, this was her sister that they are speaking of and she will stop at nothing until she gets Juliet back.
Cookie’s grip on the phone tightened, her jaw clenching.
“Where?” she asked, her voice cold and void of emotions
“I’ll send you the address,” he replied calmly.
But even with his calm voice, she new he was far from gently let alone calm, this was big Daddy and he’s not one to mess around.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” he added
The line went dead, leaving Cookie standing in the empty room, her heart pounding.
She knew this was a trap, but she had no choice. If there was even a chance of getting Juliet back, she had to go.
>>
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
The night air was thick with the scent of saltwater as Cookie stepped out of her car, her eyes fixed on the dark silhouette of the sea pit.
The waves crashed violently against the rocky shore, their roar almost drowning out the thoughts racing through her mind.
She knew this was a trap. Every instinct screamed for her to turn back, but she was consumed with rage, a fury that clouded her judgment and fueled her steps forward.
The only light came from the dim, flickering lamps scattered around the area, casting long shadows that danced ominously on the ground.
Big Daddy stood near the edge of the pit, his broad frame illuminated by the weak glow. His presence exuded a cold, unyielding power, and as Cookie approached, she could see the smirk on his face, a twisted smile that sent a chill down her spine.
“So, you finally came,” Big Daddy said, his voice low and dripping with malice.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up.”
Cookie’s fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
“Where’s Juliet?” she demanded, her voice trembling with barely contained anger.
Big Daddy chuckled, a sound devoid of any warmth.
“Safe… for now. But I’ve made a decision. Since you’ve proven to be such a thorn in my side, Juliet will take your place. She’ll be much easier to control.” he replied coldly.
Rage surged through Cookie, her vision blurring as she took a step forward.
“If you touch her, I swear…”
“You’re in no position to make thr_@ts,” Big Daddy interrupted, raising his hand.
In an instant, his men stepped out from the shadows, surrounding Cookie. Their faces were hard, devoid of any emotion, and she knew they were trained to obey without question.
She was one of them.
Cookie’s heart pounded in her chest as the reality of the situation set in.
But she wouldn’t go down without a fîght. She took a deep breath, her muscles tensing, ready to spring into action.
Big Daddy’s smile faded as he gave a nod.
“Take her down.” he ordered.
The men moved as one, closing in on Cookie. The first one lunged at her, but she was quicker.
She sidestepped, grabbing his arm and twisting it with all her strength, hearing the satisfying snap of bone.
He cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground, but there was no time to savor the small victory.
Another man charged at her from the side, swinging a baton aimed at her head. Cookie ducked just in time, the baton whistling past her ear.
She retaliated with a swift kick to his knee, sending him stumbling backward.
She followed up with a punch to his throat, cutting off his breath and sending him crumpling to the ground.
But there were too many of them. A third man grabbed her from behind, his arm snaking around her neck in a chokehold.
Cookie struggled, gasping for air as she clawed at his arm, her vision starting to darken.
Desperation fueled her as she stomped hard on his foot, making him loosen his grip just enough for her to slip free.
She spun around, delivering a sharp elbow to his jaw, feeling the crack of bone beneath her strike.
She was breathing hard now, her body aching from the hits she’d taken. But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. Not when Juliet’s life was on the line.
Her life was already ruined and she won’t let Juliet pass through the same torture, no, not when she’s still alive
Big Daddy watched the scene unfold, his expression unreadable.
“You’re tougher than I thought,” he remarked, almost sounding impressed.
“But it ends here.” With a snap of his fingers, the last man stepped forward, larger and more imposing than the others.
His fists were clenched, and his eyes were cold, devoid of any humanity.
Cookie braced herself, every muscle in her body screaming in protest.
He came at her like a freight train, his fist aimed at her face. Cookie barely had time to react, dodging to the side, but she wasn’t fast enough.
His punch glanced off her shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through her arm. She gritted her teeth, refusing to give in to the pain.
She needed to finish this.
Drawing on the last reserves of her strength, Cookie feigned a retreat, letting him think he had the upper hand.
He advanced, a cruel smile tugging at his lips, but just as he moved in for the final blow, Cookie spun on her heel, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to the side of his head.
The impact sent him reeling, and before he could recover, she struck again, this time aiming for his temple.
He dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Breathing heavily, Cookie looked up at Big Daddy, who was no longer smiling.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and her body was bruised and battered, but she stood tall, defiant.
“This isn’t over,” she spat, her voice filled with venom.
“I’ll find Juliet, and I’ll end you.” she said her tone laced with promise
Big Daddy’s eyes narrowed, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze. But it was quickly replaced by a steely resolve.
“We’ll see about that,” he said coldly, before turning and walking away, his footsteps echoing in the night.
Cookie stood alone by the sea pit, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks the only thing breaking the silence.
She’d won the battle, but the war was far from over.
Cookie’s chest heaved as she fought to steady her breath, the adrenaline coursing through her veins making her body tremble.
She knew this wasn’t the end, Big Daddy’s retreat wasn’t a sign of surrender, but a tactical move.
He was the type to play the long game, and tonight was just one more move on his chessboard.
The salt-laden breeze stung her cuts and bruises, but the pain was nothing compared to the storm raging inside her.
She had to find Juliet before Big Daddy made his next move. There was no way she’d let him use her sister as a pawn in his twisted game.
Turning on her heel, Cookie scanned the area, her eyes darting between the shadows.
She didn’t trust that he’d left her alone completely, and every rustle of the wind made her tense, ready to fight again. But there was nothing, just the empty vastness of the sea pit and the echo of her footsteps on the gravel as she headed back to her car.
As she slid into the driver’s seat, her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
The engine roared to life, and without a second thought, she sped off, the tires kicking up dirt and pebbles in her wake.
She didn’t have a plan, not yet, but she knew she couldn’t afford to stop moving. Stopping meant giving in to the fear that had been clawing at the edges of her mind since this nightmare began.
Juliet’s face flashed in her mind, and Cookie’s resolve hardened. She couldn’t lose her. Not to Big Daddy, not to anyone.
She drove through the night, the city lights blurring as her thoughts raced.
The streets were eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that made every shadow seem darker, every corner more sinister. But Cookie didn’t care. She had one goal “to save Juliet”
Finally, she pulled up in her apartment, the first light of dawn was beginning to creep over the horizon.
The exhaustion weighed heavy on her, but she pushed it aside, forcing herself to stay alert.
As she made her way inside, she checked every window, every door, ensuring they were locked tight.
Ryan and Regina wasn’t home but she did care about them, her mind ran to Blue and she remembered she’d left with Collins.
She couldn’t do this alone. Reaching for her phone, she scrolled through her contacts, her finger hovering over Lucius name.
He wasn’t someone she could trust completely, no one was aside Blue but he had connections, and right now, she needed every resource she could get.
After a moment’s hesitation, she pressed the call button.
The phone rang twice before Lucius picked up, his voice groggy but alert.
“Cookie? What’s going on?” he asked upon picking up.
“Big Daddy’s got Juliet,” she said without preamble, her voice raw with urgency.
“He’s planning something, and I need your help to stop him.” she said not waiting or delaying the words
There was a pause on the other end, and Cookie could almost hear Lucius mind working, weighing his options.
Finally, he spoke, his tone serious.
“I guess he wants to replace you cos you seem incompetent these days,” he said teasing her.
“This is no time for jokes,” she said seriously.
She had him chuckle
“If you’re home then I’m on my way to your place,” he replied.
The line went dead, and Cookie let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
She wasn’t sure if Lucius would help her or use this as an opportunity for his own gain, but she didn’t have a choice. She needed to act fast.
As she got up to change out of her bloodied clothes, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
Her reflection was almost unrecognizable, bruised, battered, and hardened by the events of the night.
But there was also a fire in her eyes, a determination that hadn’t been there before.
Big Daddy had made this personal, and that was his biggest mistake.
She would find Juliet, and when she did, there would be no mercy. A soft knock came in the door and she glanced towards it.
She decided to leave it but it came again but this time she couldn’t ignore it.
She forced herself to walk to the door, she found Lucius standing there, his face unreadable, his eyes dark with something she couldn’t quite place.
“Lucius?” she breathed out, both surprised and wary.
How did he get here so fast?
He stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, the air between them heavy with tension.
She shut the door behind him, feeling a knot form in her stomach.
He turned to face her, his gaze piercing.
“You need to break up with Collins,” he said flatly, no emotion, just a cold, hard fact laid out before her.
Her eyes widened, shock rendering her speechless. Of all the things he could’ve said, this was the last thing she expected.
How did he even know she was dating Collins?
“What…? Why?” she finally managed to stammer, the words feeling foreign in her mouth.
Lucius didn’t soften, his expression remaining stern.
“If you want my help with Big Daddy, you need to end things with Collins. It’s not negotiable.” he said, standing in her living room.
Her mind spun, trying to process what he was saying.
“But… what does Collins have to do with any of this?” She could hear the desperation in her own voice, the disbelief.
Lucius took a step closer, his presence overwhelming.
“Big Daddy isn’t someone I can fîght without knowing where everyone stands. If you’re with Collins, that complicates things. I can’t afford complications, Cookie. You want to take him down? This is the price.” he replied.
Cookie’s throat tightened, her emotions swirling like a storm.
“How do you even know about Collins and I?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, the idea that Lucius had been keeping tabs on her life both infuriating and terrifying.
Is he part of this? Will he truly help her? Did he know about her sister? Many thoughts ran through her mind but she has no answer to them.
Lucius didn’t answer that. Instead, he simply watched her, waiting. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.
Finally, he spoke again, his voice lower, almost gentle, but with a hard edge.
“You have to decide, Cookie. Call me after you’ve made your choice.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and left, leaving her standing in the middle of the room, stunned and alone.
The door clicked shut behind him, the finality of it echoing in her ears.
Cookie stood there for what felt like an eternity, the weight of his words pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.
She couldn’t wrap her head around it. How could she choose between Collins and taking down Big Daddy? Both options felt like a betrayal, both carried consequences she wasn’t ready to face.
But then again her sister….
•
A BUILDING IN VARGAS
The door to the small, modest house creaked open, and Mr. Gregory stepped inside.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles in his neck bulged.
The air was thick with the kind of tension that only comes when a man is pushed to his absolute limit.
His eyes, usually calm and kind, were now stormy with a mix of pain and fury.
In the living room, his younger brother, Adam, was sprawled on the couch, a beer in hand, and the TV playing some meaningless show.
He didn’t hear Gregory at first, too engrossed in his drink and the mindless chatter of the television. But the sound of heavy footsteps approaching caught his attention.
He glanced up, the relaxed smile on his face fading as he saw the look in Gregory’s eyes.
“Greg…” Adam started, but the words were cut off as Gregory lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him off the couch with a force that sent the beer can clattering to the floor.
“Why?!” Gregory’s voice was a low, dangerous growl, filled with a rage that made Adam’s blood run cold.
“How could you do this to me? To her?” he yelled, shaking his younger brother vióléntly
Adam stumbled, trying to regain his footing, but Gregory didn’t give him the chance.
His fist connected with Adam’s jaw, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his entire body. The taste of blood filled Adam’s mouth as he staggered backward, crashing into the coffee table and knocking over the few items that were on it.
The sound of shattering glass filled the room.
“Greg, wait!” Adam pleaded, holding up his hands in a feeble attempt to protect himself. But Gregory was beyond reason, his vision clouded by the bétrayal that had shattered his world.
“You slept with my wife!” Gregory shouted, his voice breaking as he threw another punch.
This one landed squarely on Adam’s cheekbone, and he felt something crack under the force.
“ARGH!!! “Adam cried out, collapsing to the floor, but Gregory didn’t stop.
He couldn’t stop.
The pain of his wife’s confession boiled over as he grabbed Adam by the shirt, lifting him off the ground only to throw him back down.
Adam’s back hit the floor with a dull thud, knocking the wind out of him.
He gasped for air, panic flooding his mind as he realized just how far his brother had been pushed.
“Greg, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for it to happen!” Adam’s voice was hoarse, desperate, but it only fueled Gregory’s anger further.
“Sorry?” Gregory spat the word like it was poison.
“You bétrayed me! You destroyed my marriage! Do you even understand what you’ve done?” He landed a kick to Adam’s ribs, the force of it making Adam curl into himself, clutching his side in agony.
The pain was unbearable, but it was nothing compared to the guilt and shame that now hung heavy in the air.
How did his brother find out? Bethany couldn’t have told him so who did? Wait… Could it be…
Gregory’s chest heaved with each breath, the raw emotion of the moment overwhelming him.
He stood over Adam, fists clenched, his whole body trembling with the effort to control the tidal wave of fury that had consumed him.
The sight of his younger brother lying on the floor, beaten and broken, did little to soothe the storm inside him.
“Get up,” Gregory snarled, his voice icy and filled with disgust.
“Get up and face what you’ve done.” he bellowed.
Adam didn’t move, his body wracked with pain. Tears of regret mixed with the blood on his face as he finally looked up at Gregory, the reality of the situation crashing down on him like a ton of bricks.
“I’m sorry, Greg,” Adam whispered, his voice barely audible.
“I wasn’t myself, I was driven by the fear that your daughter Jennifer might told you that I slept with her…”
Gregory grasped his collar, pulling him closer with only one thought in mind “To Kîll Him”
“I didn’t do it! I swear!” He quickly let out, doing the swear sign.
He still didn’t believe.
“I got drunk that day and work up to see Jennifer lying beside me náked, I was shocked and didn’t know what happened. She said we did it but I didn’t know. Few days later she came and asked me to seduce her mother,” he took in a deep breath, shaking his head sideways.
“Look man I didn’t want to but she said she was gonna tell you I râped her and call the cops on me so I had to do it,” Adam said weakly, wishing his elder brother would just believe him.
But there was no forgiveness in Gregory’s eyes. Just a deep, hollow pain that words couldn’t touch.
He stared down at his brother, the man who had betrayed him in the worst possible way, and for the first time in his life, he felt nothing but contempt.
“Where is she?” Gregory asked coldly
“Who?”
“Jennifer!”