Frantic, I drive straight to Mike’s. I don’t bother knocking, I have the key. Andrew my head is spinning to many thoughts to care about manners. The house is quiet. Until I walk into the living room and nearly collide with a half naked woman scrambling to cover herself with a bedsheet. She has a British accent and a smile that tells me maybe she thought I was someone else. “Where is Mike” I ask not interested in small talk or the way she was trying to adjust her bra. “I don’t know” she smirks. “He said he would be back home later…maybe you could keep me company instead. I turn around and leave. There is only one other place he might be. The club. The club is loud and bubbling with music. Cigarette smoke fills the air. Red and blue lights illuminate the room, bodies pressed against each other. I squeeze through. “Hey, my man” I hear from a distance. I give a thumbs up not ready for a conversation. I spot him in the vip section, surrounded by bouncers and a drunk woman. He h
Mikes POV The moment Donald’s slams the door on his way out, the silence in the room is deafening. I light another cigarette with shaky hands, the smoke doing nothing to calm the storm going on in my head. Those bastards. They stole the envelope. Kept the photos and I did not see it coming. I grab the envelope again and flip through its contents. Maybe Donald missed something. But no. The photos are gone. The only proof of that night vanished. My jaw clenches and my fist roll into a ball. I feel the burn in my chest.Someone ratted us out. Has to be, someone close to me. Someone around here and I have got a good damn idea who that might be. I storm out of the vip room, ignoring the girl waiting outside wearing a lace and red lipstick. She tries to touch my arm but I brush her off. The bouncers part like water when they see the look in my eyes.I head straight to the back where staffs and low life’s hang out. They stiffen when they see me coming. I like the sound of that. Good.
Donald’s POV Back home, I stand by the window, staring out into the dark like I would find answers. My phone feels heavy on my palms, no call from the blackmailers, no threats, no updates and I can’t reach them. Just silence. And silence is always worst. I pace back and forth. A hundred things running through my mind. I should have burned the envelope the day I got it. My eyes twitch. I open the safe again, the contents are still the same except for the envelope. And rebecca? I haven’t spoken to her in while Shit. I reach for my phone. Ten missed calls. I see messages. I move to my call log, my hand hovers over her name. I exhale and run a hand through my hair. What if Rebecca finds out? What if Delmont finds out? I place the phone on the table. I can’t drag Rebecca into this? She doesn’t know the kind of man I am. If she ever finds out this version of me she wouldn’t want to stay. My chest is heavy. I collapse into the chair. My head buried in
My eyes shift to my surrounding. I notice people staring. Marylin is using a hand to fan herself. She’s so dramatic. Donald has a wide grin on his face. I walk down to meet him. A sly smile on my face. “Is this your idea of an apology” I pluck a rose and sniff it. “ well, I was hoping you would forgive a clumsy gentleman like myself” he’s staring at me. “If this is for me to forgive you, it nighh be working” I say teasing him. “ I would like us to leave here ” I whisper “ people are staring. He chuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Hope in Madame. I promise not to bribe you with more flowers” “Like the way you just did?” I roll my eyesHe opens the car door for me like a perfect gentleman, of course he would and I slide in, trying to Steady my racing heart. He walks to the drivers seat and tosses the bouquet gently at the back seat. Before he starts the car there is a loud knock by my window that makes me jump. It’s Marylin. “Well?” She whispers. “Are you seriously going t
Donald’s POVRebecca had told me how famished she was, so we drove through McDonald’s and ordered takeout. two burgers, large fries, and milkshakes that were half melted by the time we parked. I drive to the beach, one of my favorite quiet spots, and we stay in the car with the windows rolled halfway, letting the evening breeze circulate. We eat with the wrappers spread out between us, taking large bites, talking with our mouths full, laughing whenever the sauce splurges from the burgers and lands somewhere it shouldn’t. Rebecca has ketchup on her chin at one point, and I reach out with a napkin, dabbing it off gently. She rolls her eyes but smiles.“This is so messy,” she says, holding up her hands in defeat.“You’re lucky you’re pretty,” I tease.She sticks her tongue out at me, then pops a fry into her mouth. “And you’re lucky I’m starving.”When we finish, I step out of the car and stretch. I walk around to the other side and open her door with a bow.“Madam,” I say dramatically.
By the time I pull up in-front of Rebecca’s house the sky is almost black. She leans in kisses me softly and says “I don’t like that worried look on your face, call me if you need anything”. I nod, faking a smile, I watch her walk up the porch, the mood cast a light against her sleek figure. She pauses for a second and glanced back at me before she disappears into the house. The moment the door closes I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. Mikes message flashes right in front of me. I dial, it’s rings once, rings twice and on the third ring, he picks. “You alone?” Mikes voice is sharp and deep over the phone. “Yeah” I say trying to focus on the streets. “We have a guy they call Theo, Leon gave me a lead on him, but he isn’t giving me anything tangible” “Where is he?” My chest tightens. “He’s at the safe house” “And?” I say already feeling angry “He keeps saying he is innocent. Says he doesn’t know anything. We knocked him around a little. Nothing too serious, he’s s
She’s Smiling, she looks relaxed. probably taken long before any of this mess began.Mike notices the change in my expression. His brows draw together.“What?” he asks, looking over my shoulder.Then he sees the picture too.“What?” He asks again. I can sense the frustration in his voice. A long silence stretches between us.“She…she’s his daughter?,” I whisper.“Yes, any problem?” “It’s her, it’s Rebecca. The girl IMet at the bar” I say. My hands are trembling slightly. Mike draws a breath and steps closer. “You are kidding me.”I shake my head slowly, still staring at the picture like maybe if I look long enough it will change.There is a long silence between us. My legs suddenly feel weak. I slowly sit down on the step. Mike is watching me. “You alright?” He asks. I don’t answer. I am thinking of Rebecca. Her soft brown eyes staring back at me from the photo. That easy, careless smile. Her lips i have kissed a dozen times.“Donald?”I drag my eyes away from the picture and
Rebecca’s POVThe drive to my mothers house feels longer than usual. Maybe because I keep second guessing myself. I tap the steering wheel out of habit. There is a sickening feeling in my stomach. I don’t know why I am even going. Things haven’t really been easy between us lately. Not since she told me about the affair. My mind flashed back to that evening. She had called me while I was at work in tears saying there was something she needed to tell me. I had dropped everything I was doing and rushed to her house. It still felt like a movie, except this is real life. My mother, the woman I grew up thinking was unbreakable and perfect sitting across from me at her kitchen table her eyes wet with Shame, telling me she hadn’t been loyal to my father. That years ago she has found comfort in someone else. Someone my father despised. His then rival. “I didn’t know what to do, I was lonely” I remember her say, with wistful tears. It was t just an affair. It was a betrayal that would ha
Donald’s POV I knew something was off the moment I stepped in. Delmont was already seated at the far end of the boardroom table, a fresh cup of black coffee is placed in front of him. The room is too quiet. No board members, no assistant just him. “You’re early,” I say. “So are you,” he replied without looking up. “I told them to take their time.” My chest palpitates a bit. “Why?” “Because I wanted a few minutes with you,” he said, finally meeting my gaze. “One on one.” I move towards my seat, cautiously and slowly. I pull back a seat and relax into it. “We could’ve scheduled that.” “But then it wouldn’t be spontaneous,” he says scribbling something into a note. “And spontaneity reveals things.” I stare at him confused. He is seated at the end of the table. He’s fingers are laced together. He just keeps looking at the papers in front of him. He finally looks up. His tone is sharp. “What the hell were you thinking, making that move without telling me?” “What do you me
Mikes POV I pull up in front of my penthouse. The place is quiet. Too quiet. I have a splitting headache. The type that starts from the back of your head and migrates to the front. Where you can literally feel your head pounding. I had been thinking a lot. Everything is weighing heavy on my head. From the mess with the envelope, Donald’s woman who happens to be Delmonts daughter. If only Donald had listened to me. All this would have been over by now, and Theo is not talking. I might have to release him. He obviously knows nothing about what has happened. And to top it all up a shipment came in late. One of the new boys almost got followed. Stupid move, very Careless. That’s how you get the cops on your back. That’s how people end up dead. I move drugs. Pills. Coke. Stuff that makes people forget, stuff that makes them feel better for a while. I am not proud of it, but it’s what I do. And tonight, everything felt off.It’s like everything is just coming down at once. I slam the c
Rebecca’s POVThe drive to my mothers house feels longer than usual. Maybe because I keep second guessing myself. I tap the steering wheel out of habit. There is a sickening feeling in my stomach. I don’t know why I am even going. Things haven’t really been easy between us lately. Not since she told me about the affair. My mind flashed back to that evening. She had called me while I was at work in tears saying there was something she needed to tell me. I had dropped everything I was doing and rushed to her house. It still felt like a movie, except this is real life. My mother, the woman I grew up thinking was unbreakable and perfect sitting across from me at her kitchen table her eyes wet with Shame, telling me she hadn’t been loyal to my father. That years ago she has found comfort in someone else. Someone my father despised. His then rival. “I didn’t know what to do, I was lonely” I remember her say, with wistful tears. It was t just an affair. It was a betrayal that would ha
She’s Smiling, she looks relaxed. probably taken long before any of this mess began.Mike notices the change in my expression. His brows draw together.“What?” he asks, looking over my shoulder.Then he sees the picture too.“What?” He asks again. I can sense the frustration in his voice. A long silence stretches between us.“She…she’s his daughter?,” I whisper.“Yes, any problem?” “It’s her, it’s Rebecca. The girl IMet at the bar” I say. My hands are trembling slightly. Mike draws a breath and steps closer. “You are kidding me.”I shake my head slowly, still staring at the picture like maybe if I look long enough it will change.There is a long silence between us. My legs suddenly feel weak. I slowly sit down on the step. Mike is watching me. “You alright?” He asks. I don’t answer. I am thinking of Rebecca. Her soft brown eyes staring back at me from the photo. That easy, careless smile. Her lips i have kissed a dozen times.“Donald?”I drag my eyes away from the picture and
By the time I pull up in-front of Rebecca’s house the sky is almost black. She leans in kisses me softly and says “I don’t like that worried look on your face, call me if you need anything”. I nod, faking a smile, I watch her walk up the porch, the mood cast a light against her sleek figure. She pauses for a second and glanced back at me before she disappears into the house. The moment the door closes I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. Mikes message flashes right in front of me. I dial, it’s rings once, rings twice and on the third ring, he picks. “You alone?” Mikes voice is sharp and deep over the phone. “Yeah” I say trying to focus on the streets. “We have a guy they call Theo, Leon gave me a lead on him, but he isn’t giving me anything tangible” “Where is he?” My chest tightens. “He’s at the safe house” “And?” I say already feeling angry “He keeps saying he is innocent. Says he doesn’t know anything. We knocked him around a little. Nothing too serious, he’s s
Donald’s POVRebecca had told me how famished she was, so we drove through McDonald’s and ordered takeout. two burgers, large fries, and milkshakes that were half melted by the time we parked. I drive to the beach, one of my favorite quiet spots, and we stay in the car with the windows rolled halfway, letting the evening breeze circulate. We eat with the wrappers spread out between us, taking large bites, talking with our mouths full, laughing whenever the sauce splurges from the burgers and lands somewhere it shouldn’t. Rebecca has ketchup on her chin at one point, and I reach out with a napkin, dabbing it off gently. She rolls her eyes but smiles.“This is so messy,” she says, holding up her hands in defeat.“You’re lucky you’re pretty,” I tease.She sticks her tongue out at me, then pops a fry into her mouth. “And you’re lucky I’m starving.”When we finish, I step out of the car and stretch. I walk around to the other side and open her door with a bow.“Madam,” I say dramatically.
My eyes shift to my surrounding. I notice people staring. Marylin is using a hand to fan herself. She’s so dramatic. Donald has a wide grin on his face. I walk down to meet him. A sly smile on my face. “Is this your idea of an apology” I pluck a rose and sniff it. “ well, I was hoping you would forgive a clumsy gentleman like myself” he’s staring at me. “If this is for me to forgive you, it nighh be working” I say teasing him. “ I would like us to leave here ” I whisper “ people are staring. He chuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Hope in Madame. I promise not to bribe you with more flowers” “Like the way you just did?” I roll my eyesHe opens the car door for me like a perfect gentleman, of course he would and I slide in, trying to Steady my racing heart. He walks to the drivers seat and tosses the bouquet gently at the back seat. Before he starts the car there is a loud knock by my window that makes me jump. It’s Marylin. “Well?” She whispers. “Are you seriously going t
Donald’s POV Back home, I stand by the window, staring out into the dark like I would find answers. My phone feels heavy on my palms, no call from the blackmailers, no threats, no updates and I can’t reach them. Just silence. And silence is always worst. I pace back and forth. A hundred things running through my mind. I should have burned the envelope the day I got it. My eyes twitch. I open the safe again, the contents are still the same except for the envelope. And rebecca? I haven’t spoken to her in while Shit. I reach for my phone. Ten missed calls. I see messages. I move to my call log, my hand hovers over her name. I exhale and run a hand through my hair. What if Rebecca finds out? What if Delmont finds out? I place the phone on the table. I can’t drag Rebecca into this? She doesn’t know the kind of man I am. If she ever finds out this version of me she wouldn’t want to stay. My chest is heavy. I collapse into the chair. My head buried in
Mikes POV The moment Donald’s slams the door on his way out, the silence in the room is deafening. I light another cigarette with shaky hands, the smoke doing nothing to calm the storm going on in my head. Those bastards. They stole the envelope. Kept the photos and I did not see it coming. I grab the envelope again and flip through its contents. Maybe Donald missed something. But no. The photos are gone. The only proof of that night vanished. My jaw clenches and my fist roll into a ball. I feel the burn in my chest.Someone ratted us out. Has to be, someone close to me. Someone around here and I have got a good damn idea who that might be. I storm out of the vip room, ignoring the girl waiting outside wearing a lace and red lipstick. She tries to touch my arm but I brush her off. The bouncers part like water when they see the look in my eyes.I head straight to the back where staffs and low life’s hang out. They stiffen when they see me coming. I like the sound of that. Good.