"Bullet..........head.........don't know..."
"Never seen him before""They are searching........"
Neal doesn't know what these people are talking about. But he continued his morning routine, jogging.Neal liked running since he was a child. It helped him to maintain a good lean body. But that's not the reason he liked run, he simply loves it.Neal stopped dead in his track when he noticed a group of people surrounding something in front of the medical shop near his clinic.There were police also, searching here and there and asking questions to Mr. Ford, the medical shop owner. Neal walked further to take in the scene before him.
There was a expensive car which is now destroyed and its all glasses were shattered. What made him shocked was the man leaned towards the steering wheel. It wasn't a man resting from tiredness. It's a dead body!The man looked about 53, wearing a black suit which is now covered in blood. He was shot in the head. His face covered in blood. Neal shivered and looked away. Violence is not his thing."Find anything else?" Neal looked to his left to see two detectives deep in conversation."Nothing sir. We checked the CCTV footage but the murderer covered it before the incident. And we found a pistol in his car. His phone is missing, and....."Neal didn't stay to hear further as he continued to run. He was passing his clinic but something caught his eyes. He stopped and walked to the bushes in front of the building. He crouched down see the silver thing between the bushes. He took it in his hands to get a better look. It was beautiful and.... weird.Maybe someone dropped it?Neal shrugged and put the chain in his pocket.
"Good morning Mrs. Harper" He greeted the slightly chubby lady who was watering her precious plants, with a smile."Good morning darling. Have a nice weekend" The lady said with a warm smile. Mrs. Harper is his neighbour. She runs a foster home. A well respected woman in that neighborhood. Neal always considered her as a mother.A big ' achoo ' was the first thing he heard when Neal enterd the house."You are late." The person sitting on the couch said followed by a sneeze.Neal hummed and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took a bottle of water."You look like shit." Neal said approaching his best friend after drinking the water. A sneeze was the reply to his comment. He sit beside Arjun, his half Indian best friend. He leaned back with a sigh.Arjun was cocooned by a blanket typing something in his laptop. There were tissues on the floor where he sat. His face and naturally tanned skin was flushed from the fever."Achooo"Neal tilted his head to look at his friend."Have you take the medicine?" He asked.Arjun nodded in answer avoiding his friend's narrowing eyes.He took a tissue after another sneeze."I'm so gonna kill her." Arjun said with a groan. Neal chuckled."Why are you blaming her? It's not her fault that you showed up out of the blue in her house." He said.Arjun glared at his friend. "It was your idea."Neal looked at him in disbelieve."I told you to call and talk to her, not go to her house with a bunch of flowers.""Achoo... Whatever...If I didn't go..achoo... I would never know."He said and cursed reaching for tissues.Neal felt pity for his friend.The thing was that, Arjun had this undying love for his colleague Rhaya for the past two years. He never seen her with anyone and hundred percent sure that she was single. He liked her kind and quiet nature.When he told this to Neal, he said ‛go for it’, and that's why he decided to confess his feelings for her, two days ago. But Rhaya caught a fever and didn't show up at work. Neal said him to call her and be the nice, caring lover. But Arjun showed up at Rhaya's house only to find out that she is seeing someone for a while and that someone is a girl!They spend some time together talking and laughing along with Rhaya's girlfriend, Amy.He returned home with a broken heart and a cold which turned into a fever."You really liked her, didn't you?" Neal smiled warmly at his friend. Arjun shrugged focusing on his laptop."I did. But it's fine. She is happy with Amy. We should be with the person we love and cherish..no matter what gender they are." Arjun said still typing.Neal raised his brows in surprise."When did you become so wise?""I am always." Arjun scoffed.Neal was going to say something but interrupted when Arjun's phone began to ring.Arjun cursed and picked up the phone."Hello Mr. Grant.""Yes, Mr. Grant..........yes..... I'm working on it.""I know.... I apologize.""I will tell him.""Okay. Yes....yeah, I will.""Okay. Bye Mr. Grant.""Asshole." Arjun said with a groan tossing his phone beside him."What happened? Was that Chief?""Yes. He wants the murder case information. Peter is in leave and he knows it. He is purposely giving me a hard time." Arjun complained with a pout.Arjun is working for a local newspaper. Actually he is a photographer but his partner is in leave, so he had to do his work also.When the word 'murder' caught his attention, Neal remembered something."You know Mr. Ford?""The medical shop guy? Yeah I know him. Why? Something happened?" Arjun asked closing his laptop and leaning back to the couch."No. Not to him. There was a car accident in front of his shop. But the man was shot in the head, "Neal pointed to his forehead, "There were police and all." Neal described what he saw earlier."Oh shit. Why didn't anyone inform me." Arjun cursed and sat up taking his phone."Do you know who was that?" Arjun asked typing in his phone."How would I know?" Neal scowled at his friend and stood up."I'm gonna take a shower.""Wait! What is that?" Neal looked where Arjun pointed."Oh. This. It was in front of my clinic. I think someone lost it." Neal said pulling out the silver chain which was half hanging from his pocket.Arjun's eyes widened when his gaze landed on the pendant. His shivering hand clenched on the phone."Where the hell did you get that?" He shout with panic.Neal frowned looking at the object in his hand. "I told you. It was between the bushes. I think Mr. Dante lost it when he brought his dog other day. Look at this,only he can afford it. I must return it." He said."Dante my ass. Do you have any idea what the hell is this. And you dumbo picked it from a crime scene. Are you crazy?" Arjun stood up looking at the chain in utter horror."What are you talking about?" Neal looked at his pacing friend confusingly.Arjun felt like the world is spinning. He grabbed the chain and turned the pendant. There it is!He felt like crying. Arjun placed the chain in the corner of the couch and grabbed a pillow placing it above the chain like it will solve all their problems."What are you―""Sit down."Neal frowned but did as his friend said."Did anyone see you while taking it?" Arjun asked pointing towards the chain which is now under the pillow. Neal looked towards it before shaking his head.Arjun let out a sigh of relief."Listen to me carefully okay? It is not a simple chain like you think. Did you see the pendant?," Neal nodded." Turn it and look behind it" Arjun said.
Neal turn the pendant looking close. A small capital 'R' with beautiful calligraphy stare back at Neal. He was surprised that he didn't noticed it until now."It's not a design Jay, it's a symbol. Also, it's not belong to Mr. Dante. It belongs to the Rendells, one of the powerful mafia in America."Arjun said with so much seriousness that Neal had no choice but believe.________________"M―Mafia? Here?" Neal asked nervously. Arjun nodded, taking a tissue. He sneezed and coughed before turning to his friend again. "Yes. And not only them, there are more gangs but you can say Rendells are number one on the top five list. They are known for their cruel way of punishments actually. Do you know what they do to their preys?" Arjun asked leaning forward. Neal shook his head no. "Let me tell you, it is better to get killed on the spot than being just thirty minutes in their custody and getting tortured. They won't kill you easily. They will torture you until they get what they want from you." Arjun thought for a moment before continuing,"I once heard they burned a man alive. I don't know why. They pulled his all teeth and nails before pouring wax all over his body and tortured so many times before setting him on fire. And his―" "Okay that's enough. I think you are exaggerating." He shivered at the thought.
Neal stepped out of the bathroom in his boxers, rubbing his damped hair with a small towel. He went straight to his closet. He picked out his favorite navy blue t-shirt and white sweatpants.Hearing the notification, he walked towards the table beside his bed. It was a message from Reksha, Arjun's mother.Reksha : Please be safe on your way. See you afternoon guys. Take care of Arjun. I bet he didn't take the medicine. Just check under his pillow. Love you..Neal : I will. See you. Love you too.. :)Neal connected the charger to his phone. Leaving it on the table, he walked out of his room going straight to Arjun's bedroom. He walked to the bed and searched under the pillow. There it is!Just in time Arjun's sneeze came from the living room. Neal shook his head taking the medicines and exit the room.He went to kitchen to m
"How is Leo?" Kaiden asked Hunter as he entered his office. "Fine. Good." Hunter replied massaging his temples. Drake entered the room. His friends turned to him. "Did you find it?" Hunter asked his friend who is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and one feet touching the wall, in a cold voice. "No." Drake breathed out. "For God's sake Drake, when are going to stop dropping your chain?" Hunter explode frustrated. Drake didn't answer and looked down. Kaiden looked between his friends. Before he could speak, his phone rang. Drake and Hunter turned towards him. Kaiden picked up the phone humming in answer to whoever was on the other side, and hang up. "Found it
"Dylan, I need you to do something for me." Neal said walking towards his desk. Dylan, who was pacing back and forth stopped when Neal entered. "What? What happened? Who is that dude?" "I will tell you later. I need to go now. It's urgent. I will tell you when I come back."IfI come back, Neal thought. "What is it boss? You are scaring me." Dylan asked in frustration. Whoever the man is, he looked so scary and Dylan didn't trust him at all. Neal give him a forced smile. "Don't worry. Look, I have to go to a place. So I'm leaving clinic to you. You already have a key, don't you?, " At Dylan's nod Neal continued, "Okay. When you close, go to my place and tell
Lub dub lub dub lub dubIt's all Neal can hear now. He felt like his heart is going to explode. Is this the feeling when a normal person meet a mob? He doesn't know. He was breathing hard. His nails dug into his palms as he fisted them.Hunter's cold eyes scanned Neal up and down and moved forward causing Neal to step back. The back of his thighs touched the armrest of the couch. Neal startled from the sudden contact, he let out a squeal before falling back. But before he fall Hunter caught his left arm and pulled Neal to his chest.Neal's eyes widened from the closeness. Their faces were inches apart. If he isn't wrong, the man's heart is beating like crazy just like his. He can feel it under his palm which rested on Hunter's left pec.Being this close, Neal started to notice every single thing on the man's face. Hunter's thick black brows knitted together, his slightly parted red lips and the very small mole on the left side of h
Neal rubbed his cheeks with his palms. He is doing it since Hunter walked out of the room. Not only his face and ears are red as tomato but his whole body too. He felt so hot. A man kissed him. A man!Neal doesn't know what to feel. No one ever kissed him like that other than Erika. Neal wouldn't say he is straight because gender didn't matter to him. This is his first experience with a guy. It would be lie if he said he didn't felt tingly inside.Neal touched his lips thinking about Hunter's soft lips and sweet kiss he gave him. Although Neal feared the man, his presence and touch brought goosebumps all over his skin."This is what you need to do from now on. What did he meant by that? Should I kiss everyone in this house from now on? Isn't that sexual harassment?" Neal talked to himself.He looked at his watch, 6.15 pm."What the hell?" He is sitting there for hours and no one came to check upon him. He is hungry. He
16 months ago"Don't panic Hazel, stay calm. Please.." Hunter whispered as he squeezed his sister's hand as they neared to the labour room. Her face showed how much pain she is in. She gripped the edge of the stretcher with the other hand."Hunter..." She called out when the nurse said Hunter to wait outside. They stopped. Hunter leaned down to hear his sister whatever she is going to tell."If....If I don't make it, p-please give my child a normal life. I don't....i don't want my child to have a life we lived. I don't want these chaos in my baby's life, do you hear me?" She asked through pain but her voice was firm. Hunter's eyes welled up, but he blinked them back and nod with a hoarse 'yeah'."Promise me." She breathed out squeezing his hand."I promise. Don't worry." He said and squeezed her hand back. Hazel smiled at her little brother."Take care. I love you." She said with a smile."Lov
"WATCH OUT!"August steadied his best friend who tripped for the fourth time on the steps.They were celebrating the return of Ryan after a whole month of business trip. And now August is trying so hard to take care of his drunken friend."I'm ok..I think I need one more drink." Ryan slurred trying to get back inside the bar."You had enough." August scolded his friend dragging Ryan with him."I won't talk to you. W-Whenever we go out you only drink soda. IT'S NOT FAIR!!" Ryan whined loudly earning few glances from the passing people, embarrassing his friend even more."Hold still man! We both know our alcohol tolerance, so shut up. I don't think you can drive like this." August hold his friend close with one arm and took out his phone."NO! I can. I will call you tomorrow. BYE!"Ryan shoved his friend slightly and bid farewell to hi