Page 19 of Chains: Unchain My Heart

Moreover, her undeniable beauty made his thoughts wander to the possibilities their relationship could bring. Not wanting to seem too eager about the box, he casually said, “You probably wouldn’t even remember it,” trying to downplay its importance, even though it supposedly held a special place in his grandmother’s heart.

Juliette furrowed her brow, hesitant to reveal her ownership of the box just yet. She didn’t want to part with it, so she was torn between telling him she had it and potentially giving it away or keeping silent and keeping the box. She knew that, due to her compassionate nature, she would eventually have to part with it, but she barely knew him and wanted to ensure his story wasn’t just a fabrication to get the box back. She remembered who she bought it from – a woman in New Orleans who was clearly a drug addict.

“Tell me about your grandmother,” she said, her gaze fixed on him. His eyes widened momentarily, betraying his surprise at the question, which made her a bit wary of his story.

He spent the next few minutes weaving a tale of the grandmother he never had, trying to make Juliette believe that he was the devoted grandson seeking to recover a precious family heirloom.

“So your grandmother was the last person to have this item?” Juliette asked, her eyes searching his face for any hint of deception.

He shook his head, careful not to reveal too much. “No, unfortunately, it was stolen from my grandmother just before she died. She was heartbroken when she found out it had been taken, and I’ve been searching for it ever since. She passed away before I could find it, and it was only recently, after tracing it from one person to the next, that I discovered a drug addict in New Orleans had stolen it and sold it on.”

He could see his story was working as Juliette’s face softened, and her eyes filled with empathy for the pain of someone passing away with a broken heart.

Julia didn’t want to make a decision immediately because she still had to rifle through all of her possessions to find this box, and she wanted to check it out first to see why something like that could be so important to someone else. She knew that it was locked but there was no key with it when she got it, and even though she had shaken it at the time, it didn’t sound like there was much inside. Maybe she would just try to get inside of it first to have a look at what secrets it held before deciding whether or not to give it to him.

“If you would leave your contact details,” she said, “I will have a look through my belongings and see if I have anything that seems similar to what you have described. I have so much stuff here, and there are a lot of things that are similar to one another, that I can’t honestly say right now whether what you are talking about is still in my possession. I buy and sell things, so it could have been an item that I have sold on recently, among other things.”

He didn’t believe that, but he had to play along with her story just as he hoped she would play along with his story.

He nodded and smiled, “Sure, that would be great,” he said. He took out a cell phone and asked for her number to swap contact details.

Instead of taking out her own phone, Juliette said, “If you don’t mind waiting out here for a minute, I’ll be right back,” and stepped into the house while he waited, wondering what was going on.

He cast his eyes around, trying to get a better look inside the house. “What the hell,” he muttered to himself, noticing the sheer number of items stacked against the walls. It didn’t seem like she sold any of it. He realized that his thought of her being a hoarder still stood. At least if she was, the box would still be there. When she returned, she noticed him scouting the place, which made her feel a bit uneasy. But she wasn’t surprised that anyone who came there would be curious about the state of the insides.

She held a pad and pen in her hand and said, “Give me your number, and I’ll give you a call after I’ve had a look.”

He obliged, understanding that she didn’t want to share her phone number just yet. “That’s great, thanks. I really appreciate it,” he said, giving her his number.

“Tell me,” he said. “Do you know of anywhere in town where I could stay? I just arrived today, and it might take you a while to see whether you have the box or not.”

She felt a little embarrassed that he would have to stay somewhere and wait for her to find out whether she had it, but she needed time. “Yes, there’s a nice homestay just outside of town. I can get the address and number for you if you like.”

“That would be great,” he said, appreciating her help. When she walked back into the house to get the details of the homestay, he started to wander in, and she could hear his footsteps inside. She spun around with an anxious look on her face and said, “If you don’t mind just waiting outside, please, I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Oh, yes, sorry. I wasn’t even thinking,” he said, trying to be extra polite. He didn’t want her to be concerned with his presence or wonder anything else about him that would stop him from getting what he wanted.

She hurried into one of the rooms and came back, handing him a card with the homestay’s information. “Here it is,” she said. He looked it over and thanked her once again, flashing a charming smile, hoping she would warm up to him a bit more.

“Anyway, I best be going. You’ve probably got a lot to do,” he said.

“Yes,” she replied, “I do have a very busy day, but I will be in touch if I find anything.”

“I really hope you do,” he said. “It would mean so much to me, and I know my grandmother would be looking down upon me now, praying that you are the person who finally brings this home. Goodbye, Juliette. I hope you have a lovely day.”

With that, he went back to his bike and rode slowly out of her property. She stood on her porch, watching him leave until the sound of his Harley faded into the distance, leaving only the crickets and the sound of her mind ticking over.

11

Juliette had always been perceptive when it came to reading people, but there was something about Zaiden she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Despite his seemingly genuine story, he made her feel uneasy. She knew that a call to Chains would help ease her mind.

She called and asked if he knew someone named Zaiden fitting the description of the man she had been talking to. Chains admitted it was possible, but he couldn’t recall anyone off the top of his head. He had met many people throughout his life, especially during his youth when he moved from one foster home to another, and recently as a member of the Jokers. Many of his interactions with others had been brief, so they might remember him even if he couldn’t recall them.

Juliette recounted the story Zaiden had told her. Chains agreed it sounded genuine, but if she felt uneasy, he would be more than happy to be there when she invited Zaiden back to her house. He told her that he’d be able to tell whether or not he knew Zaiden, and if not, he could potentially find out whether Zaiden was mistaken or not. Chains found it odd that Zaiden would show up claiming to know him, considering he and Juliette had only recently met.

He suggested that when he came over later, they should take a look at the box Zaiden wanted…if she had it.

Juliette confessed that she did have the box and remembered getting it from the woman Zaiden said had stolen it.

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