Chapter 11

• Jenny’s POV
• I was laying on my bed, watching a Turkish series I saw on Netflix on my phone when we were locked for three days before my father died. And I became addicted to it. They had different kinds of drama than the Americans. And their language really sounded so appealing, I even picked up a few words. What really lured me into Turkish series was the depth of love they showed in their emotions. Not just between a man and a woman, but between family too. They had very strong attachments and loyalty to each other. Something I would never know as I was only loyal to my mother, out of the whole family.
• I was hooked into one of the episodes, when a knock on our front door caused me to panic all of a sudden, I don’t know why, but a guest this late at night cannot come bearing good news.
• I paused the episode and walked towards my room door.
• “Call Jennifer into the living room, I want to speak with her” I heard my uncle’s strict voice as he walked inside the house.
• My heart began to pound loudly in my chest when he asked to speak with me.
• Did he find out that I lied about witnessing the man who killed my father?
• I heard my mom’s footsteps getting closer to my room, so I opened the door wider and stepped out.
• Before she could tell me anything, I stalked past her and went to the living room.
• I had a bad feeling about this late night visit, a very fucking bad feeling.
• I went inside without bothering to greet him and sat on the couch on his left hand side.
• My mom followed me inside and sat next to me.
• It took him a while to speak, which only added to my already building anxiety.
• While he struggled with whatever he wanted to say to me, I gave him a once over.
• He hasn’t really changed that much over the years. He was in his early fifties, with black grayish short hair and the same empty hollow green eyes. He looked like another version of my father and I could not stand to look at him directly for more than two minutes before my stomach twists in knots.
• I cannot wait to get rid of them all.
• He was younger than my father by a few years, but he always looked like the older brother to me. Perhaps it was because of the thick wooden cane he has been using for the past five years to help him with walking. The walking cane goes back to when he got shot in one of his legs during a smuggling raid on town. Ever since then, he was unable to walk properly and needed the assistance of a cane.
• My train of thoughts gets interrupted as he begins speaking to me in a harsh stern voice. It wasn’t something I wasn’t used to, as he and his brother never change their tones with anyone, it’s their default settings.
• “Alex Snow just called me on the phone and asked for a peace offering with the Walkers”
• “Okay?” I said hesitantly.
• Why is he coming to tell me this when he never bothered to look at me my entire life?
• “He knows that I don’t have full control over the clan and he refuses to shake hands peacefully without insurance that no Walker can ever harm a Snow again”
• “What kind of insurance?“ I asked tightly, vaguely aware of where this conversation was headed but refusing to fully register it, not until he says it.
• “You marry him tomorrow morning in the town church, become his legal wife, and move in to his family house to live with him. That way, no Walker will dare to make a move on them because then you will be the one to suffer the consequences. No one will step out of line again Jennifer, the clan had so much respect and loyalty for your father they would never endanger your life on purpose, that is the only way to regain the peace in this town”
• I am panting breathlessly at that moment, unable to believe what my ears just heard.
• Who the hell came up with that twisted, wretched idea? My mom speaks my thoughts out loud.
• “Did Alex Snow ask for Jennifer specifically or any Walker? And doesn’t he have a fiancée already?”
• “I don’t have a clue about his fiancée, but he asked for her by name. He won’t take someone else, it has to be her or they kill every last one of us. They already injured more than half of our men, there is no other way”
• I look at him sharply as the ice settling in the pit of my stomach gets replaced by an exploding boiling volcano.
• I stand up and almost shout at him as I lose control over my mouth and speak my true thoughts directly “You can all go rot in hell for all I care. I’m not your fucking scapegoat that you can sell to the highest bidder. I’m not a fucking smuggled product that you can bargain with! What made you think I’ll agree to this twisted joke?!”
• He stands up too, his face red, his nostrils flaring, and his terrifying eyes shining in utter rage. If I wasn’t already out of control, I’d probably do the wise thing and back away from him right about now, but I was completely lost in my own turmoil of emotions.
• “You will agree to this because I told him you would. You have no other choice. I’m responsible for you and your mother now and I will do whatever I see is right. You have no fucking say in this. You’re getting married tomorrow and I suggest you don’t argue with me any further because you will not like the extreme length I will go to, to make this happen”
• I take a step closer to him and speak in a deadly low voice “Over my dead body… uncle”
• As soon as I said the last word, the palm of his hand landed on the side of my cheek in a very loud slap, causing me to gasp unexpectedly.
• I heard my mom gasp as well behind me in horror.
• He doesn’t give me anytime to register the pain as he takes a handful of my hair and drags me in the direction of my room.
• I try to fight him off and push him away, but he just yanks me harder, almost pulling half my hair out of my scalp. I could hear my mom screaming at him to let me go.
• He throws me inside my room and double locks the door from the inside, with my mom banging loudly and crying outside it. I land on the floor painfully, on my side.
• He turns to me with his eyes shining in anger. He looked like a replica of my father at that moment. It was hard to distinguish between them as he looked down at me with the same disgusting green eyes.
• “You will marry Alex Snow tomorrow” he said in a low cold voice.