****
"Viv, what do we do" I whispered to her
"I dunno, this has never happened to me" I kinda expected her to pull off some Jakie Chan stunt.
"Shit"
"Don't worry, your dad will be here in any sec…"
"Hands above your head, of course, guns on the ground" Shawn said, and I dropped my gun down immediately. Viv wondered why I did that and soon enough, she got shot; I did not expect that.
"Viv!" I shouted getting to her as she crumbled on the ground holding her arm in pain, thankfully it was just her arm, I badly wanted to yell 'You moron' but I sucked it in holding Vivian
"She was wasting time; I was about to give you a reward, you know, for letting Trisha get to you first, but I see you sent her to Jesus" Shawn said smirking, of course, Trisha's life meant nothing to any of us here, except the man I caught creasing his brow not trying to conceal his displeasure; It must've hurt, in her next life she would avoid the mafia, I would too.
"But now, the games are over, what shall I do with you," he said, and fear the friend I betrayed a couple of minutes ago came back to rest upon me, moreover, Vivian was losing blood, she was grunting lightly and I whipped out Shawn's blind fold to tie her arm with the hoodie sleeve, if I lost Vivian today, I'd marry Shawn and be one demon of a wife.
Thankfully, all the thoughts stopped because soon, on the other side, the men with guns slowly dropped their weapons down, I noticed how subtly other men cornered them with guns to their necks; my father's men, relief washed down my spine.
"You might want to shut up," I said to Shawn and he frowned, I picked up the gun from the floor and pointed it at him.
"I see you want to die," he said
"No, you want to die" My father's voice cut the air "The stunt you pulled was quite foolish" He said coming from behind Shawn and patting his shoulder, and all that was in my mind was 'Dad kill Shawn' to me if he did that, everything would be over, but he did not, instead he walked to me and as silly as it was I ran into his arms, I was safe now.
"Men, take Vivian to the hospital before she faints" He ordered and people took her away immediately, in his arms he ran his hand through my hair, I was glad, today could've gone haywire but it turned out okay
"I pulled the stunt just to show you if I wanted to I could end everything with the Waterson" Shawn bragged to my father "But instead, I like playing with my food"
"Keep it up" my father said nonchalantly, swerving through Shawn's implying threat like it was noise, but in my mind, I thought, if everyone were like me, I'd kill before we talk about a next time or a game, I am not one interested in mind or body torture, I was the kind of cat who didn't play with her food, I believed in eating it then and getting over it, hence my rule no. 3 if you shoot, kill.
Deep down, this stunt Shawn pulled got me, the Diablos were getting out of hand, but since my dad was at peace, I decided to bank on it, there was no need to be more worried than the clan head. Just like that, I was rescued from a kidnap, I assumed an all-out war didn't start because there would only be unplanned carnage, and everyone quietly agreed against it.
As my dad took me away, I turned back just in time to see Shawn release his clenched fist with a wicked smile, what a pain in the ass, curse the day Hope told me about this idiot.
****
"What a day" I sighed as someone shut the back of the car; the sun was coming down at this point and the evening wind blew; my dad was beside me.
"I've put you through so many messes, I heard you shot someone, when did you start to kill"
"Well, that's just the second person I've murdered, I promise," I said
The first was a pervert who hid beside Lazy Body because he was pursued by a group of people, unfortunately for him that evening, I knew of his crimes, so, as I was walking out I caught him and decided to kill him; Vivian caught me in my act.
At first, she looked at me amused then she helped me hide the body, and that's when we became friends, as much as I found it weird that she wasn't fazed, I was jittery because this was a first for me, giving out justice… thankfully after then I didn't get any superhero complex just nightmares.
"That's the first time I met Vivian, she was so weird, I panicked when she suddenly came out of the back door, but she was like 'It's okay, I'll help you' till today, I've been scared to ask her body count"
"I'm wondering if I should take you to a therapist, handing Justice?" My dad said and scoffed, I felt the irony; I mean we were the mafia.
"Don't worry I'm fine, I haven't killed anyone, I just wanted to be sure I had no hesitance when it came to saving my butt, that's the least I should learn right?"
"I want you out of this mess, and all you do is try to get in; I heard you tried to seduce Shawn," My dad said, and although he didn't show it; it felt irritating, that wasn't my proudest moment, I cringed.
"Please don't mention that Dad," I said with a marred face "I'm not a stripper, I am studying medicine and surgery now" At that point, I wasn't sure if I was being delusional, so I started rethinking my life decisions.
"Good, if I get you in a strip club again I'll break your legs, at least let one of us keep a good legacy somehow, be good" he patted my hair.
"Will Vivian be okay? From the moment she helped me cover up the murder, put on the whole baddie persona, and tackled me to the ground, I should've known she was something different" My father's face turned grave.
"She tackled you to the ground?"
"Just some girl's play," I said smiling, she shouldn't be in trouble cause of my big mouth "Can she just be my friend and not be a bodyguard anymore?"
"Vivian knows your personal life like a book, unless you're ready to let another person like that into your life, she's staying"
"Okay," I'll just stay out of trouble henceforth… which is a lie, poor Vivian.
My dad sighed, he looked worried.
"I met a guy in Lazy Body," I said and a little uninterested my dad inquired.
"Who?"
"His name is Christian Crest" As I said this my dad glanced at me
"Christian crest?" he said "First son of the Crest family, how did you meet him?"
"Who is he?"
"An important businessman, but he doesn't live here in Angelus. Don't tell me you were pole dancing when you met him"
"It is a lucrative job, Dad," I said, and he sighed, he just implied that Christian had lost all self-respect for me; my dad was very judgemental.
****
It has been three months after the incident and I was not permitted to go outside even if it was to campus, at the first month I had given up on my resumption, and on the third month I had given up on education, I couldn't have possibly been thinking of my university while everything at home was haywire, there were gang wars almost every day and the mortality rate was more than I had ever seen, maybe it had always been like this but I was always concealed from it.
In the past few days, I felt useless, the mansion was guarded even harder than before, and even when Vivian was in recovery, she was still sent on crazy errands now and then and we barely spoke.
It was in the middle of the night, Vivian was out and Hope had just given me a clean update on what had transpired, everything she said put fear in my being, in my pink pajamas on my cozy bed, the way Hope conveyed her message sounded like she was telling a bedtime horror story.
"Half of the men are dead, Your dad is running in debt and the insides of the company are against him, rumours say there's a rat in our gang, relaying our every move, we had to torture a few suspects of our men to get the rat out, but then no one has been caught, also we can't keep hurting them considering our manpower is lessening compared to the El Diablos" she was whispering because the walls had ears; if that saying was just a tale in other peoples lives, it was a commandment over here; shut up!
"This is crazy, the more you talk the more it sounds like there's no way out" I whisper back to her.
"There has always been a way, but if it can't be found then we are considerably fucked, the mansion isn't even safe anymore, if there's a mole the food might even be poisoned" When Hope said that I looked at the mug in my hand filled with warm chocolate, I couldn't sip on anymore, I felt sick to my stomach.
I sighed dropping the mug on my bed "Get going before they see you"
"Okay," She said leaving like a crook; she'd fit to be a sneaky link
Getting to bed that night was impossible, I rolled from side to side in my mantra that everything would be alright, but then I remembered what people said, if you were truly safe you wouldn't manifest safety, if you had something there was no need to manifest it. Thinking of the poisoning, I figured my dad would be up late and would want a late-night tea, having no trust for anyone around me nor the kitchen staff I got up immediately heading to the kitchen.
On my way, I passed to the living room, I heard my dad's voice and Mr. Reuben my father's assistant, they were talking deep things.
"They've kidnapped Zita, I can't find her, and there's no way to track her, do you think they've trafficked my daughter?"
"You'll have to calm down Reuben, we will do all it takes to get her back, in the meantime the rest of you will have to travel out, you're gonna take Nathaniel and Valerie out of the country, I don't think Ines is safe here too so she will leave too"
Has it gotten that serious? I thought leaving the premises, Zita was a person I spoke to once in a blue moon, a tough and sassy girl, the kind of spoilt child for shopping sprees, she was in the entertainment industry as a fashion model, a devilish creature in the making; going to the kitchen I made a cup of lavender tea for calming effects, as I stirred the tea I wished I could pour the tea on the situation making everywhere chill.
Walking into the living room my father was alone, sitting on the couch, Reuben had left.
"Have this lavender tea" I gave him "It will help you get calm"
After he got it I whispered in his ear
"There's a cliche way of catching a mole"
"Who is giving you this information?" He whispered back
"Doesn't matter, just give someone a fake secret, if it leaks his the mole"
"Even if I do that, everybody would know and it would point at nobody"
"Start by telling Reuben, I don't know cook up a way, don't tell anyone about this, if you want to confide in someone I'm here, it will be okay," I said and kissed his cheek "Drink this tea, calm down and think, also I don't want to travel out"
"It's not safe anymore, you'd have to relocate, study somewhere else, I'm thinking of Rayburn, I'll send you to a friend of mine" I looked at him and tears lined the rim of my eyes
"I hate to see you so stressed"
"It's fine." he said patting my head "It's fine, go to bed sleep well, I'll always be here to protect you I promise," He said, and his confidence was like a mental shield from the nightmares, I felt at ease, it was all okay.
"Go to bed," he said urging me out with an empty cup, and I got up and went out "Hello Reuben…" he said after a while, passing the living room I didn't hear anything he said anymore, once I reached my room I feel asleep immediately, the sleep didn't last long as I felt someone tap on my shoulder softly in the middle of the night and I woke up.
"Vivian? Is that you?"
"Is my name the first you call out when you don't know who is around" she whispered.
"Huh?" I didn't hear her mumble, my brain was disoriented "What is it?" I whispered back
"I've packed your things we are leaving for Rayburn"
"Already?" I quizzed, my heart suddenly heavy "Can't we stay a little longer" my voice breaking
"Unfortunately no, I've already gotten what we need, the car is outside, and you have a relative in RayBurn already waiting for you, we will have to start a new life, it's getting unsafe here," Vivian said patting my hair, and her gesture made me wonder if I was dreaming
"Why are you touching my hair like that"
"I can't help it, you look like you're about to cry"
"Oh," I said sniffing in and wiping a single tear "How about dad?"
"A sailor should die with his ship, let's go, I've gotten everything there's not much you'll need any more"
"Can I die with him? Can't I do something, I'm smart" I said, my eyes were hot, and my heart was beating, I was now fully awake thinking about my father, she left my hair and held my hand leading me up and out of my room a single backpack with her and she put our phones in my hands.
"You're a major part of every plan, so your safety is a priority, shh" she shushed me to say nothing further, with tiger steps we reached the sports car, outside the whole mansion was dark and only my dad's study light was on and the room was bright, he was at the window looking at us, and I couldn't help but stare at him in worry, I felt he must be lonely.
Getting in the car, Vivian on the wheels, she drove off into the dark, with no guard around, and no security, I wondered where everyone was at
"This is a secret mission right, seeing as no one is around"
"Yeah, to make it unsusceptible, we sent half the guards to safely evacuate Mr. Reuben and his wife and daughters well the rest are tracking Zita, nobody knows you are evacuating this night" It sounded like a bulletproof plan that worked because at intervals I looked back wondering if there was anyone following us this night, but then we were all good and safe, my heart was black, I felt seriously depressed this evening, I felt scared and sad, I wondered what was on Vivian's mind cause she looked a lot stronger, soon we arrived at a private airport.
"Your dad didn't use his private airport, this is from a secret organization that aids eloping, we put a lot in consideration so no one would know of this plan, it's only Hope, me, and you that know of it"
"That's right, Hope will keep my dad company," I said and Vivian scoffed
"If the old man was not satisfied with the company the mafia gave him, he could've re-married"
"His last wife was a nut-job"
"You do know you're talking about your mum"
"I'm quite aware," I said as we alighted the car and walked in the plane taking our seats, I for one sat close to Vivian staying in her embrace and crying my soul out.
I loved how the flight attendants didn't offer any edibles or drinks, they probably understood that the people to who they offered services didn't trust anybody when it came to food.
"Viv, you're so strong"
"Well, I think it will be okay, so don't cry hmm"
"I can't help but feel scared," I said and sniffed "Gosh, his so lonely, suddenly I feel regretful for killing that Trisha girl, I mean, she was a life too and people who loved her probably would miss her"
"I don't think so, people rarely miss people in our field of work, if I'm gone no one would know"
"I would, I'd die instantly," I said, Vivian was just too important to me, and did I mention she was my only companion "Don't say that shit again, we will be fine, and my dad will be fine" my anxiety emphasized the delusion in my heart, but I chose instead to believe, the words you speak out to the universe was what would happen.
I slept lying beside Vivian on her torso, it was about 9:00 am when the plane descended and we were in Rayburn, getting into a car we stopped on the streets and took a cab to my aunt's place, who this aunt was; I had no idea, but Vivian made sure to tell me that we weren't staying more than three days; we had to rent immediately.