The Lawyer

48 Negotiations

A/N
Posting tomorrow's a day early because I don't think I'll have time tomorrow. Remember to read 47 before 48 thanks.

Sophie POV

Being kidnapped is way less dramatic than on TV.

I'm not tied to a chair, I'm not woken by buckets of ice cold water.

It's been a lot of sitting and waiting. It's been two days, or five sandwiches since the photos/ videos were taken. After that the interactions returned to food delivery and bathroom breaks.

I'm still scared every time the lock on the door clicks. Scared that something has happened and this time it won't be a food delivery.

I twist my hands at an awkward angle to press against the pain in my stomach as I lay on the mattress. Trying to convince myself that this is nothing to worry about. Just a pulled muscle. A cramp.

But I know something isn't right. I don't feel very good. My head hurts and I feel so tired, even being sat up is hard. I feel light headed.

I want to tell someone that I should see a Doctor, but nobody has been in today. I doubt they'd help if they had. I can hear movement and muffled voices so I know they're here. I can feel my eyelids start to droop but I try to fight it. Waiting for them to visit.

"SOPHIE?!"

My eyes spring open. Was that?... It can't be. I must have fallen asleep.

"SOPHIE?!" 

This time I'm sure. Matt is here! I stagger to my feet dragging myself across the floor and rattling the door handle.

"Matt?!" I cry through the door hitting the wood with the side of my fist. "Matt I'm up here!" I continue pounding on the door but I don't hear him again.

My entire body shakes as I lean my head against the door and start to sob. I heard him! I know I heard him!

I hear the doors lock click and I quickly back up, cradling my bump. Worried what kind of punishment awaits me for making a fuss.

The door opens inwards framing Matt in the doorway. If anything this makes me cry harder.

We're safe. Matt found us.

I sway on my feet still dizzy but Matt's arms wrap tight around me, his face buried in my wild hair, my tears soaking his shirt.

All the emotions I have been trying to suppress come flooding out of me in one, leaving me gasping for air.

Matt helps me to kneel on the floor, and just when I feel like I couldn't love Matt more. He pulls my inhaler from his pocket, bringing it to my lips.

Once my breathing settles I turn to face him, needing to reassure myself that it really is him, this is real. Matt's face is wet with his own tears, his relief evident.

"Are you both ok?" He asks quietly, his arms surrounding me again. I want to say yes, but this isn't just about me. We need to get the baby checked on.

"I don't feel very well." I admit, "can we go?" Matt nods kissing my head and nuzzling into my hair.

"Police are on their way" he breathes into my ear so I can barely hear, clearly keeping it from the man observing us at the door. He helps me to my feet and down the stairs where I see Marco waiting through a doorway.

Matt leads us into the room, his body wrapped infinitely close to mine as if to shield me from something.

Entering the room I'm not surprised to see the French guy and his Orange lady friend. What does shock me is Mia.

"Seriously?" I ask bitterly, looking at Mia "all this was because a boy you fancied picked me over you?" So cliché.

"I never fancied Matt" Mia laughs airily, "I needed to get rid of you because you were becoming his go-to lawyer. Our aim was always to get the ownership documents. You would have flagged the paperwork. We were never in competition for him to choose. You were just an obstacle."

I look up at Matt who looks as surprised as I am.

"We were working on this for years. Then you bumble in clueless and ruin everything" she continues starting to shout at me. Matt's grip tightens around me almost painfully.

"Just take the files. We're going." He scowls.

"No." I object snatching the file from Marco's hands. Taking everyone by surprise.

"Sophie, I don't care about these" Matt assures me.

"I care! They're stealing from my family!" I insist, "if you give them what you want you're telling everyone that threatening me or our baby will get them what they want. Our baby will always be in danger"

Matt watches me frowning, but I see Marco to his side nod in agreement.

"She's right, it's showing the family's weakness. It sets like a standard"

"A precedent" I agree. "If the files are what it takes I'm staying" I bluff, stalling for time. How far are the police?

"Should I go back to my room while you renegotiate?" I ask stubbornly.

"Sophie" Matt warns, reaching for the files. But Marco beats him to them.

"I never wanted to hand them over anyway. So I'll just hang on to these" Marco says smugly. I'm not sure if he really means that or if he has worked out that I'm stalling. I'd like to think it's the latter.

"For such a smart lawyer, you make really dumb choices." The French guy says, drawing a gun. My heart starts beating in my ears. "You obviously don't know your little boyfriend and his brother have no way to protect you. No phones or weapons. You have nothing to negotiate with, and that means you are no longer useful."

My only advantage right now is my poker face. Inside my head I'm screaming and crying in fear, but I won't let that show on my face.

"Andre, she was never going to negotiate with you" Marco interrupts. "I never planned to hand anything over, I might as well tell you Sophie, these are fake" Marco says. Holding up the files.

"You're bluffing" The orange lady says.

"Try me" everyone's attention is on the files. But mine is on Marco's other hand. He's twiddling his thumb…

They're right he's bluffing, he has the same tell as Matt. Right on cue the air around us is filled with the sound of sirens.

"Seriously! The fucking cops!" Mia screams.

"Yeah" Marco smirks at her furious face.

It feels like time moves in slow motion. I see what is going to happen before it does.

Mia snatches the gun from Andre spinning to aim it at Marco. I throw myself forward to push Marco out of the way and with a deafening bang, everything goes dark.