Page 18

Seventeen

I walked through the towering glass doors of my creation. I barely registered the flicker of recognition from all of my employees that I walked past. There was an intruder inside of my office. Monster called and told me that his guards alerted him and asked me what the next step was. I could’ve had his guards kill whoever it was that felt so bold to just pop up and demand to see me.

Instead, I had Monster meet me at “Meet Me” headquarters to see exactly who it was. I had a feeling that it was Angel, I hadn’t watched her in a couple of days. I became quite disturbed with the obsession that I had with her. She wanted answers, and I haven’t given her a clue or even popped up on her in the middle of the night while she was sleeping.

Chrome and concrete was everywhere that I turned on all levels of ‘Meet Me’ operations. I moved through the lobby with authority. I could hear the quiet hum and pulse of over a thousand AI servers, my babies. It took me years to study and create a legacy that will run for generations far and wide. I designed them to mimic the very essence of human emotion, even though my own heart and emotions were untouchable and distant to anyone trying to get close enough.

The elevator door slid open with a low hiss, Monster and I stepped in and I stared at my reflection. As the elevator ascended, I looked over at Monster and noticed that he wasn’t dressed in all black like he normally wore. His clothes were always weathered looking but black. Today he rocked navy blue Levi boot cut jeans with a crisp white shirt. My brows went up when I saw a thick Cuban gold chain tucked under his Polo white shirt.

“Monster?” I asked just as the doors opened.

“You have a new wardrobe?”

“I do, my…Natavi, she’s going out tonight. I’m meeting her friend.” He kept his words short.

“Meet her friend? You? Why is that?” I asked confused.

“You like her?” I fired off another question.

I had been around Monster for years; he took the women that I sent to him but never had this type of reaction. I sent him Natavi because I knew that she was Angel’s only close friend. I wanted the women apart because I only needed a good month to have my fun with her then dispose of her. I didn’t need him getting close to her, because when it was all said and done and Angel was gone, I was going to end Natavi and everyone else attached to Angel, including her father. I didn’t give a damn what Impurity stated.

“She’s beautiful,” Monster said as he clenched his teeth, I caught on to the irritation and smirked over at him.

“There are millions of beautiful women out in the world, Monster. Natavi is a casualty in all of this, watch your emotions.” I warned him.

“I have none, she’s just beautiful and different. That’s all.”

“She’s Angel best friend. Angel is on borrowed time and yet you’re going to meet her and—” I paused as I realized something else.

Angel was out with Natavi right now, so who the fuck was in my office?

“We will talk more about this later on.” I stated with my jaw clenched tight.

I turned and noticed my team of employees staring at me and Monster. Some of them looked petrified while others had their eyes glued to their computer screens. I offered them a curt nod and passed by them without another word. Monster and I turned several corners including the massive space that I held meetings in.

At the end of the hallway stood two burly guards as I looked up above them and read the words above my office door.

“Meet Me” The perfect algorithm, the perfect love match.”

People in today’s society were desperate to not only find love but have all of their life interests practically handed to them. The people of America were lazy, they depended on technology to meet all of their needs. It made me into a self-made millionaire with the help of Impurity’s money getting me started.

One of the guards dressed in all black opened up my office door. I stepped in with Monster right behind me. He took a step-in front of me but I stopped him from taking action.

“It’s just a woman, I’m fine,” I told him.

He looked over at me and nodded his head. Monster easily faded into the background as I took deliberate steps toward the woman that had her back facing me like a mannequin. Her head was tilted slightly downwards, strands of silver-streaked hair mixed with blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders.

“All of this, belongs to me.” She stuck her hand out, then cracked her knuckle with the top of her thumb.

Frozen mid-stride, I looked at her back stunned. That voice, I knew it anywhere, even if it had been over a decade since I last laid eyes on her. For a moment, I traveled back in time. A time when she turned her back on me, never showing any type of concern for me, her son.

“None of this belongs to you,” I gritted as I felt my temper rise up inside of me.

She probably felt like this was Impurity’s creation when it wasn’t. I put blood, sweat, and sleepless nights into ‘Meet Me’.

“Ohhhh, but it is, and it will be mine. Very soon, Detavio.”

She sounded sweet, her voice was melodic, I could hear the hate that lingered in each word that she spoke. My fists clenched as my chest heaved with years of anger that tried to claw up out of me. I struggled for decades to get over this woman, when she was nothing more but a ghost to my memories.

“Why now, Jalissa?” I barked.

“Why the fuck would you show your face, NOW!” My eyes snapped to Monster. He stepped from the shadows of the room.

I locked eyes with him and shook my head ‘no’. Something passed over his dark eyes, but my focus wasn’t on trying to figure out what his pained expression was trying to tell me. She didn’t have the decency to even face me. The weight of her presence after so long was like a weight that felt unbearable to carry.

“Have a seat, son.” Her sweet, soft voice was void of any emotion.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Monster shift uneasily. My gut twisted up in knots. I trusted no one. I unbuttoned my suit jacket and pulled my Glock out. I swallowed down my emotions from the past and walked past her seat and sat down behind my desk.

The view was better. Monster was a few inches behind Jalissa. I would rather have them both facing me, then one standing behind me. The energy in the room shifted, something wasn’t right. Monster always followed every order that I gave him. He never stepped out of the shadows unless I asked him to.

“I’m not your enemy, Detavio. I’m just confused.”

Monster stepped closer but stopped as I aimed my gun in his direction.

“You take another step, and I’ll blow your fuckin’ face off,” I told Monster, almost not believing that I had to come at him like this.

“First, you meet up with me here, dressed all spectacular and bright…which is very odd of you. I study everyone that I’m surrounded by, and something has shifted, Monster.” I gritted through clenched teeth.

“Next, this bitch pops up at my company and is able to weave her way past your men. Soon as you heard her voice, your energy shifted. What the fuck is going on!” I yelled, frustrated that I felt like I was being ambushed.

Jalissa giggled. Seconds later, her face turned red as a full belly laugh escaped her thin ass lips. She readjusted herself and that’s when I noticed the expensive threads of clothes attached to her slim frame.

“Still on drugs and alcohol, I see.” I sneered over at her.

I took in her Jalissa’s features and minus the gray hair, she was still angelic looking. Her almond shaped eyes looked innocent. If it weren’t for the silver strands of hair, Jalissa could’ve passed for being in her early thirties. She had a couple of lines on her face that revealed her age. I took a wild guess and assumed that she was in her late fifties like Impurity.

“I’m not on drugs, nor alcohol. I had to rely on those substances living in Arkville with your sick and twisted father.” She turned in her seat to look at Monster.

She looked back at me and her gaze pierced mine. When I was a kid, her eyes held warmth whenever she looked at my younger brother Octavio. Now, there was no warmth at all, just coldness and calculating menace that burnt in her orbs. The light itself would recoil in her presence. I saw the same dark thunderous clouds hoovering above her like I did with Impurity.

“Where is Octavio?—”

“I thought you said that he was nothing like Impurity. Look at this devil! Pointing a gun at his own mother and brother!” She spat with so much venom that she shook from it.

I pointed my gun back at Monster and aimed at his arm then fired off one shot. He looked down at his arm nonchalantly as I pointed the gun down at his right leg and fired another shot. I ignored the sound of Jalissa’s laughter.

“You set me up?” I stated, loud enough for Monster to hear me.

“He’s my brother?” He gritted and growled like a wild beast that was getting ready to pounce on anything moving. I didn’t believe nothing that came from Jalissa’s mouth. This was all a fucking set up, but Monster always carried a gun…What was stopping him from pulling it?

The second shot that I fired to his leg had knocked his big ass off of his feet. His wounds bled out but there was no emotion on Monster’s face. He sat up with a low grunt. He looked down at his big shaky hands and grabbed at his chest.

“He’s having an attack, let him ride it out or die. I don’t care. Whichever one it is, he didn’t do what was asked of him after I saved him along with his manhood. I’m here to give you a chance to join forces with me. I’m going to show Impurity that in the end, I got the last laugh.” She smirked evilly.

“Monster is my brother?” I asked out loud, more to myself as a million thoughts roamed through my head.

“He’s my first born, my first heartbreak. Impurity took one look at him and shipped him off when he was just one day old. When Octavio and I were kicked out of Arkville, I used my resources and made my way to Thailand. Monster was a sex slave, held in illegal underage sex brothels. Before he got sold to the brothels, he was trained to fight and assassinate. I thought he would be useful over the years so I made a plan to help him escape. I succeeded and made him promise to help me get to Impurity. It’s been years, and all he does is have these little girl attacks like the one that he’s having now and make excuses to why he can’t get close to Impurity. He tells me that you’re nothing like Impurity, but I find that hard to believe.” Jalissa turned to look over at Monster.

She shook her head in disgust as Monster continued to shake violently. He foamed at the mouth then fell back with a loud thud.

“You betrayed him when he was born, and now you betray him as an adult.”

“You both are just like?—”

“Him? That’s what you think when all three of us came from the both of you! I might be like Impurity, I’ll take that over being like you. Impurity embraces being the villain, he’s never faked nor tried to appear to be anything better than just that. You…you’re a devil in disguise. You manipulate and fuck things up then play victim! You only ever loved Octavio and probably raised him to be just like you…if he’s anything like you, then I don’t even want to see?—”

“He’s better than the both of you!” She shook in anger. Jalissa slowly turned red in the cheeks.

“You will not speak of my son in any ill manner!” She stood up abruptly, knocking her seat down to the floor. Jalissa’s entire calm demeaner evaporated. Her tone was no longer sweet and melodic sounding. Every word dripped with venom.

I rested my gun on top of my oakwood desk, never taking my hand off of it. With my free hand, I picked up my office phone and dialed Mr. Herringbone’s number. Soon as he answered, I got right to what I was calling him for.

“I need Dr. Osby and his team to come and retrieve Monster from my office at ‘Meet Me’. Take him to my house and have them care for his wounds, now!” I slammed the phone down and looked up at Jalissa with the center of my head throbbing.

“Impurity cursed my baby boy! He’s dying! Apologize for disrespecting my baby!” I looked up at Jalissa and grinned. Her well put together demeanor from when I first walked in had evaporated.

Her face was crimson red, all of her veins had popped out of her neck and face as tears of anger fell down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide and wild. They darted around my office erratically. Jalissa’s breathing came in ragged as she gasped and struggled to steady herself, which only made her chest rise and fall in frantic jerks.

“Jalissa, if I see you again…I’ll kill you. If you want to get back at Impurity, you’ll do it alone. I will tell him all about today. While I despise him for my upbringing, he never turned his back on me. Don’t bother Monster again and…” My chest grew tight, I wanted to go stand next to Monster.

For the first time in my life, I wanted to apologize to him. I shot him because I thought he had betrayed me in the worse way. Although he came in my life under disguise, it dawned on me when Jalissa opened her mouth to speak that she manipulated him to. She took her ass to Thailand to act like a super mom that saved her long-lost son, when in reality, she only wanted to use him as a tool to get back at Impurity.

I couldn’t fathom the life that he had to live by the hands of Impurity and Jalissa. I saw all his scars in a new light, which caused me to grow sick in the stomach. He spent years battling rejection, hurt, and pain. While I had one crazy parent to raise me, he had no one. My fingers itched to pick up the gun and kill Jalissa, but something inside, stopped me.

Me not being able to shoot her like I shot Monster made me even angrier. What was holding me back? I couldn’t answer that question as I watched her have a manic episode right in front of my desk. Monster’s gunshot wounds bled out into my carpet. He stopped shaking, and panic settled inside of my gut then eased away once I noticed his chest still rose and fell.

“There is a lot about Impurity that you don’t know! Your loyalty resides with the wrong fucking person! That motherfucker broke me down into nothing! You all owe me! Octavio is dying and when he takes his last breath, you all will regret it. You go ahead and warn Impurity, let him know that I’m coming with a vengeance so strong that it’ll force him down to his knees and do what he’s never done before…”

“And what’s that?”

“Pray.”