Page 9

T here used to be dull ache in the middle of her chest. Right above where her heart pounded wildly against her ribs. Now however, it was replaced by a cool feeling of the glass pressing against her skin as she leaned down to tie her shoelaces. It was unfamiliar, having something that belonged to someone else. Holding a part of them so close to one’s heart.

It was… different.

“When are they getting here?” Noah’s question drew her out of her reverie. Ray let go of her laces and got to her feet, pulling the sleeves of her beige hoodie down. She didn’t really pay attention to the conversation that followed. Instead, just stood between the twins and fished her phone out of her back pocket.

She’d had it changed the minute she’d gotten back and had shared her number with Angel last night as well.

Now as she opened his chat, she found the list of sites they had to visit waiting for her. Ray breathed out as she scoured the places, trying to figure out where each was. They seemed as though–

She shook her head. She’d have to plan this out carefully. Slowly. And now, she knew should focus on Kyle and Vera, but she couldn’t help this nagging feeling in the her back of her mind. Which was why she took a step back from the twins and said in a low voice, “I need to go do something.” Ray said and looked up to see those dark pair of eyes staring back at her in equal amounts of surprise and questioning. They were standing in the lobby of opposite building .

Neera had a place here, but their true place was where they’d gathered before.

This building was taller, was much more expensive than the penthouse Akash owned. It attracted more attention as well. And served well as a diversion.

“Do you need help?” Sorin began but Ray only shook her head, taking another step back as she looked at the five sites again.

“Just ask Neera to get a map.” She said and saw Noah’s brows scrunch,

“A map?”

“A map.”

She turned an apologetic look on Sorin, “Get them upstairs. I’ll help you out then.” she said and barely saw him nod as she turned on her heels. Ciera Wilson, their special security personnel, smiled as Ray passed by her. Ray returned the gesture and ran to the elevator.

The house here was on the top floor as well. Even the elevator was extravagant when she stepped in, wrapped with a red carpet and golden souvenirs. She tapped her finger on her phone impatiently, waiting for her floor. Her thoughts drifted to Angel, wondered what he was up to when the elevator dinged and stopped. Ray breathed a silent breath of relief and stepped out, immediately greeted by a huge door.

She tapped in the password on the digital lock and watched as the doors swung open dramatically.

Christ she hadn’t been here in a while.

The place was just as beautiful as they’d left it. She strode through the small hallway and entered the large living area with glass windows surrounding it .

Large white curtains draped over them, masking the sunlight as it cast a golden sort of glow on the crème sofas.

She looked to her right, saw the stairs that headed up to the rooms they hadn’t used in years now and decided to work here itself. The wall on the sofa’s left was empty and large. The perfect place to start planning. All she needed was a–

Beep. Beep.

“I’ve got it!” came Myra’s loud voice, followed by Irene’s deadpan,

“I haven’t been here in a while.”

“Bloody love this place.” Neera continued in a content voice. Ray turned to find the three girls step through, one of them holding a large map in her hand. Myra grinned over the large piece and Ray moved, smiling back ruefully as she grabbed the map out of her hands and turned to the empty wall,

“What are you– oh okay,” Irene said and paused as Ray dropped the map to the ground and grabbed the pins from Irene’s hand. The three of them stood quietly behind her as Ray took a chair and silently worked to get the map up on the wall. Was about to step down to get the hammer when a cool metal pressed against her back, making her jump in surprise.

Ray turned to find Neera staring at her with a mischievous smile and glared back as she grabbed the hammer out of her hands and nailed the map to the wall.

“Now,” Irene started as Ray jumped off the chair and grabbed her phone, “What’s up?”

Ray didn’t reply. Just grabbed the pins and began pinning them on the addresses Angel had sent her. She placed one on the top left, one on the top right and another on either of the bottom ends .

The last one came right in the middle of the four.

“That’s five.” Neera breathed out as Ray threw her phone on the sofa and heaved a breath, the odd feeling still twisting her stomach. It seemed weird, having these five sites in hand just like that. And she wasn’t the only one who was feeling it, Irene also took a step forward and placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder.

“It’s odd.” She mumbled and Ray turned to her, her expressions betraying some sort of fear. Irene had her gaze planted ahead, her other hand playing with the hem of her t-shirt as she eyed the map, “These places are all spread out in the countryside. But aren’t spread across the world.”

“Where are we right now?” Myra asked from behind them, and Ray pointed it out. They were currently a few miles below the five points. They’d all have to head up north, but it only led to the outskirts of the city.

“Do any of these places seem familiar?” Neera asked and Ray shook her head. Not even close.

Ray’s brows scrunched, a sudden thought hitting her.

“Do any of you have thread?” she asked and extended her hand as Neera nodded. All three of them stood back as she wound the thread around the first pin and waited. Wondered if it was a rectangle with a cross inside or something else completely.

And decided, to hell with it.

Ray twisted the thread around the bottom left pin and took it diagonally across to the middle one and to the top right. And she knew she shouldn’t break the thread, but an odd sense of déjà vu was hitting her.

“Scissors?” she asked softly and murmured a thank you as Irene placed it in her hands .

Ray repeated the process with the other diagonal end and took a step back, eyeing the–

“A multiplication sign?” Myra asked incredulously and Ray shrugged,

“Doesn’t it look a bit familiar?”

They didn’t really have time to respond because the door behind them beeped again and all four of them whirled to see Sorin and Noah walk in. Ray blinked and crossed her arms as Kyle trudged in behind him, his face withdrawn as a completely opposite Vera strode in confidently.

Her eyes widened when she saw Ray, a cheeky smile spreading across her lips as she pointed in her direction, “You.”

Ray scoffed and eyed the other girl. Vera was dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, ones that hugged every inch of her body as her extended hand moved so it was pointing at the map behind her.

“What’s that?” she asked but Ray waved a hand in air, dismissing her as she saw Sorin grab Kyle’s hand and haul him up the stairs. Noah winced as Sorin walked past him, with Kyle looking awfully dead behind him.

Ray turned to face the map and took a photo of the wall, breathing out as she looked at the sign again. It was there somewhere, lurking in the back of her mind as it remained out of her grasp. Ray swallowed a groan and watched as Vera neared her and peered up at the map,

“Why do you have that symbol up there?”

Ray froze, her eyes widening as she turned to Vera, “You know what that is?” she asked and Vera hummed, crossing her arms,

“It’s familiar. Doesn’t it resemble that one gang that Angel De Santos was known to have destroyed a while back?”

And it clicked .

Ray made sure to keep the surprise off her face as she turned to Neera. Shot her a discreet look as she veered Vera’s attention elsewhere, “So,” she said and led the girl back to the sofa, “How was your flight?”

Neera and Myra moved fast behind her as Vera flopped down on the sofa, completely unbothered, “What?” she asked, “Not going to ask me how I knew about you?”

Ray’s mind was too caught up to answer her question. Which is why she patted her shoulder impatiently, “Uhuh,” she said and smiled at Vera, “Why don’t you tell me without wasting anymore time?”

“I pieced it together when I saw Cameron step out of your room.”

Ray blinked and slammed back to reality, “You knew since then?” she almost screeched and Vera shrugged,

“I just assumed you were involved in something else.”

“So why didn’t you say anything to Kyle or Maya?”

A dark look shifted in her eyes, “I was going to,” she began, and her hold on the sofa tightened, “But then I saw how she handled that young girl and how you stepped in between and I,” her voice caught, and Ray saw the first glimpse of feeling in the girl’s expression, “I couldn’t say anything after that.”

A rare sort of sympathy rose in Ray’s chest at the sight of this girl. Vera seemed to notice her expression because she waved her off and continued, “I knew that wherever you were involved, Akash would be too, so that was another incentive to keep my mouth shut.”

“Aww,” Ray coddled playfully and laughed as Vera shot her a deathly glare, “You big softy–”

Vera slapped her hand away and mumbled under her breath, “I couldn’t have it getting back to me. ”

Ray hummed and patted Vera’s hair, “You big selfish softy,” she cooed and barely felt the sting as Vera slapped her hand away again and let out an outrageous sound.

Ray’s gaze lifted to the stairs, her mind stalling at the silence that spread through the upper floor. Wondered if she should go upstairs and make sure Sorin was alright.

“Are you fucking serious–”

Ray’s attention snapped up, her eyes going wide as she saw Kyle storm out of the room on the top of the stairs. His blonde hair was a mess as looked back at Sorin, who had followed him and was now sighing. Ray’s head tilted at the life that had now returned in Kyle’s stance as he angrily pointed at something down the stairs.

Someone.

Ray frowned when she realized it was her he was pointing at and crossed her arms as Kyle threw his hands in the air dramatically and started yelling. Again.

“She tried to kill me!” he said, sounding awfully annoyed by the fact as Sorin took a few steps forward, “And now you want me to what? Protect this miserable–”

His yells cut off as Sorin grabbed onto Kyle’s t-shirt and hauled him closer. Ray couldn’t really believe her eyes but knew what she was seeing was true when Noah groaned and turned away from the scene. Sorin Hassan was kissing Kyle fucking Larsen.

“Oh.” Irene said, not looking away as she said to Myra, “He’s really going at it, isn’t he?”

Sorin just raised his middle finger without breaking the kiss.

“ Yeah, Sorin!” Neera yelled and Ray saw Sorin pull away. She cackled when Myra whooped from her side and Noah shuddered.

She saw Sorin look directly into Kyle’s eyes, his height giving him the power to support poor Kyle’s weight as he swayed deliriously.

Ray grinned when she heard him say,

“Okay?”

She’d never seen Kyle nod this quickly in his life.

“Okay.”

“Wow.” Irene said loudly and turned to Ray, “Think that’ll work on Angel?”

Ray scoffed as Vera made her presence clear by coughing violently, “It will.” She said a bit proudly, and smirked at Irene who shot her a rare grin, “And I won’t even have to kiss him.”

“That confidence,” Neera said as Myra whistled in response, “You make me sick.” She added with a venomous smile.

“Wait,” Vera choked from the sofa, attracting their attention. Ray blinked down at her, surprised to find a morbid expression on her face, “You and Angel De Santos?”

She didn’t really give a response. Just continued staring at her until she understood she wasn’t going to get an answer.

“I can’t–” Vera took a sharp breath, trying to process the situation as she rubbed her brows rigorously, “ Why?”

That might’ve been the most offensive thing she’d ever heard. Offensive and logical, but offensive, nonetheless. Ray scoffed and glared down at her.

“He’ll keep his mouth shut. ”

Sorin’s voice drifted through their conversation and Ray turned to see him and Kyle step down from the dais, their hands entangled. Ray arched a brow as Kyle shot her a nasty look,

“I’m not apologizing.” She stated as he continued glaring. Kyle’s shoulders stiffened, his green eyes turning sharp behind his glasses as he removed his hand from Sorin’s and straightened them,

“What are you going to do about my parents?”

“You’re not getting your life back Larsen,” Neera said instead, and Ray felt a twinge of pity when his entire composure seemed to weaken. But Neera kept her eyes on her nails, inspecting them as Myra continued in her steed, sounding a bit more sympathetic,

“Your parents will be punished fairly,” she said, her pink braids falling forward as she spoke in faint cheer, “Any time you break Sorin’s heart though, you’ll be joining them.”

Ray blinked at the blatant threat but wasn’t really surprised at it. Myra had always been like this. Cheerful on the outside, deadly on the inside. It was why her ex-boyfriend hadn’t seen what was coming when he’d crossed her. It was why Ray had saved her ass back then and would do the same any day. She looked at the girl now, standing taller and stronger than she ever had. Especially after she’d had to give up on her dream.

Had to give up her career for Lia.

They’d all sacrificed a part of themselves before getting involved in this mission. Had given up on their lives to make some people pay for mistakes they didn’t even know they’d made. Her friendship with Myra was easy. But with Myra came Irene. Their relationship had started rocky. Irene used to own a business back when she was still in school .

Ray had pulled some strings back then to get her out of the ditch she’d fallen in with a few investors, and there had been a time when Irene had hated her for it.

She got used to the hatred though.

Cameron and Neera had come hand-in-hand.

Cameron had been a survivor of a dangerous family back home. Had met Neera while she’d been employed by his family. And both of them had left together, both wanting out from a world they were born in.

That was of course, until the repercussions of their actions had followed them all the way back here, where they’d met Akash. Where he had saved both of them from a family that was hell-bent on killing them.

Noah and Sorin were a simple business relationship in the beginning. She’d struck a deal with them before embarking on the mission, and somehow it had transcended into something more friendly. More personal. Maybe because they knew Lia, or because they shared the same fate of loss with her. But it had become far greater than any deals.

And Akash, the boy who was sitting back at his place, watching over Ira and Micah, was her one rock. Was the one who had been with her since the beginning. He might’ve been a bit foolish in the beginning but had changed with her. Had become more like a brother and a friend she hadn’t asked for, but knew she needed.

“I don’t plan to,” Kyle responded, drawing her out of her daze. Ray followed his line of sight, and saw him staring out the windows without a hint of emotion in his gaze, “I’ve had enough of this life as it is.” He murmured quietly.

“There will be a day,” Ray said then, something sharp prickling her conscience as Kyle turned to look back at her ,

“When you will want to see them. When a part of you will want to forgive them. Will want to forgive yourself.”

Kyle’s body stiffened, his hands balling into tight fists as Sorin sidled close to him. Ray had the sharp urge to leave this place and go in search of a certain someone as she continued.

“Remember why you made this choice then.” She said and saw him gulp, “Know that it wasn’t because of Sorin, or because anyone made you.”

A breath, a sigh and she said the words she’d wanted to say the first time she’d seen Kyle Larsen, “It was because you didn’t belong in a place that didn’t see you for who you are.”

“You aren’t a person who stands in shadows, Kyle,” Ray continued and something in his eyes shifted. Something deep like realization swam in his gaze as he took a step closer to Sorin as well. Ray saw their hands brush, saw the poise and the gentleness they regarded each other with, “You’re a leader. Become one that doesn’t represent fear.

Be one that is different from how the world perceives one to be.”

Ray breathed out when she finished, a sudden urge to leave rushing through her bones as she took a step back. Her eyes darted around in search of her phone and she grabbed it from the sofa. Not waiting for either of their responses, Ray ran a hand through her hair and took another breath, moving so she was heading out the door,

“We begin tomorrow.” She said in a low voice, “And we end it, once and for all.”

She didn’t hear them murmur their agreement.

Just strode out the doors with her fingers tight around the glass shard on her neck.

* *

Angel flopped back on his bed with a muted groan. Judging by the amount of work and trust he’d have to regain with his father, he would probably have to spend the night. Martin and Miranda had stepped out for the night, saying they would spend their time elsewhere for the time being while Angel got the mess sorted out. A stupid decision considering it was pouring outside.

He could still hear that wretched conversation clear as day.

“Where have you been?” Martin’s voice was thunderous through the large dining room, “I know you left that island two days back.”

“Keeping tabs on me now, father?” Angel retorted, his feet tapping impatiently on the floor as he heard the faint murmurs of the conversation Mia was having with Miranda.

“What have you found out up until now?” Martin asked instead, returning the question with a calmer voice. The man was poised on the chair with his back erect, his suit ironed to perfection as he eyed his son.

Typical for him to get tested while Martin obviously knew everything.

“After Noah’s death,”

“Unfortunate.” Martin mumbled and Angel resisted his urge to roll his eyes,

“The Lions seemed to have crumbled. Raylene Walker is in a hospital, her situation still looking a bit dicey.” He thought about it, maybe it was a good idea to throw someone under the bus as well, “On another note, Kyle Larsen is missing. There’s been rumors.”

“Rumors?” Martin demanded, “What rumors?”

Rumors he was making up just to mess with his father’s mind.

“Rumors that Kyle Larsen might be behind all this,” sorry Kyle, “And that he might’ve orchestrated this entire thing to abandon the alliance. ”

Martin’s brows crinkled, “But Akash Smith was behind the attack.” He said and Angel nodded,

“They might be working together. Especially considering what happened last year between you and the Smiths, it’s possible they might’ve banded together.”

Your fault, a part of him wanted to spit at him, all this was your fucking fault.

“I knew Kyle was a fool,” Martin spat instead, “But never considered Akash to be one as well.” He paused, “Well, I suppose you could handle it from here.”

“I need you to work on something as well.” Angel began. Something that would take you far away from here, “I need you to maintain our businesses abroad. Talk to people and make them believe that we’re holding our ground as we always have.”

Shine in a place that will forever remain in the dark.

Martin’s eyes glimmered in the sunlight, something like satisfaction passing through them as he rubbed his chin, “Very well.” He said and a wave of relief washed over him, “But we begin tomorrow. Me and Miranda are heading out to spend a calm night elsewhere.”

And they continued by discussing some logistics. Some measures they’d have to uphold while Jack and Christina had walked in to chime in the conversation. Martin had taken some of their suggestions, satisfied by the fact that he was given his time to shine and display himself to the world like a bloody trophy in Jack’s words.

Luke had stuck by Mia upon Angel’s orders. They’d managed to calm Miranda long enough for her to walk out the doors with Martin and with a small, gentle smile .

Angel groaned out loud again, his hands going over his head as he thought back on the day. God, he missed Ray. Having her close was like a comfort he hadn’t had in a long time. It was something he hadn’t known to miss long enough. He murmured a soft prayer in Spanish, a rare slip of the tongue as he recalled her being close, her fruit scent, and her wide eyes. And it was completely her fault that he didn’t hear the faint rustling of the windows being pulled open.

Not until a soft tap, tap, tap drew him out of his daze.

Angel shot up, his hands going to the gun resting in the waistband of his jeans as he heard the tap, tap, tap of the window again. His brows furrowed as he shot forward, a nudging feeling in his chest as he grabbed the curtains to haul them open and stopped short when he saw what was outside.

Or rather who was outside.

Holy shit.

Angel had never moved this quickly in his life. He pulled the windows open with a disbelieving laugh and grabbed onto her arms. Raylene Walker grinned back at him as he pulled her into his room and wrapped a careful hand around her waist as he moved to close the window behind her.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered furiously, not really believing his eyes as he saw Ray take a step away from him to look at his room, “What if someone saw you come in–”

She shot him a deadpan look that said really?

“Right.” He laughed.

She wasn’t wearing the damned hoodie anymore. Instead, was wearing a soft pink t-shirt that clung to her body as she shivered in his room. He frowned .

“Why are your clothes drenched?” he asked a bit stupidly, in a low voice and saw her turn on her heels, a pout on her lips,

“It drizzled.” She mumbled, “And I might’ve run here.”

Angel’s eyes widened, “ Are you crazy?” he almost yelled, and she jumped in surprise, grinning as she shushed him. He moved quickly past her, grabbing the first shirt he could see from his cupboard, and shoved it into her arms,

“Wear this.” He stated furiously and began pushing her through the open doors of his washroom. Ray moved with his movements and paused only to turn on her heels to face him as he opened the doors of the washroom.

“Say that again,” she said with a smirk, and a look in her eyes he couldn’t really believe, “I have to say that it was insanely sexy of you to–”

“Christ,” he laughed again and shoved her through his washroom, “Just get changed, you insane woman.”

And closed the doors.

Still not really believing that Raylene Walker was in his room.