Growing Fires with Old Ashes

41 - Unexpected

Atlas.

I enter the all too familiar building. The noises already making their way into my ears. I walk into the main hall where many people are seated and talking. However, they quiet down immediately when I walk in, of course.

They all greet me and when I nod back, they go back to whatever they found themselves busy with.

Don, once again, called us together for a meeting. At 5 am.

5 am.

I didn't protest that much though, I didn't get much sleep anyways. Had too much to think about.

I sat down on the couch next to Mason, which was seated next to Tate. Dominic entered the room a few minutes later and also sat down on the same couch.

It almost didn't fit because Dom needed his 'well deserved' private space. And because he has a big ass.

My thoughts circled around last night. How I had that conversation with Samantha. It didn't go the way I planned, she-

"Alright you dick heads, eyes and ears to me." Antonio comes striking in with some men behind him, David included.

"Okay daddy" a guy shouts from the back with an imitated girl voice.

Antonio looks up from the set of papers he's holding and scans the audience. Once finally settled on a guy some meters away from me, he opened his mouth. "We accept you just the way you are Sam. The sight must be great once finally out of the closet, huh?"

Everyone turns around to the boy behind me, red creeping up his neck to his face. "I- I am not gay" he stammered.

This made Antonio smirk. "Then I probably should advise you to make a drastic change in your use of language." Everybody silently snickers and the boy pulls his hood over his head, trying to hide from the crowd. Dipshit.

"Ok, if y'all are done with fooling around, 'cause that's what it was," his eyes focusing on Sam. "I have a list of names that need to pack their suitcase and be ready in forty minutes." This caused a lot of reactions amongst the crowd.

I looked up at him to find him already looking at me, not a clear emotion visible on his face. Tate sat up, Mason crossed his arms and Dom put his elbows on his legs, paying attention.

Antonio broke the eye contact to start listing the names. "David, Atlas, Tate, Dominic, Samuel, Archer, Mason, Emma..." I eventually drowned him out. Too busy with the thoughts on my mind.

"You lied to me!

I'll kill you!

Are you insane?"

I sigh and rub my eyes. I am going crazy.

After finishing the twenty names, we were dismissed. I went straight home to pack. We were not given any information whatsoever about what we had to pack for. I just put some shorts, dress pants, jeans and sweatpants in. Now I was at least prepared for the weather, still no clue where we were going. Fuckers.

I got a message from Tony to meet him at the airport in 20 minutes. How quick do these people expect me to be?

I closed my suitcase and made my way outside, pausing to look at the apartment from Samantha.

''I did it for you!''

I shook my head and continued walking. For a prostitute she did a good job of living in my mind rent free.

I drove to the airport and made it in 17 minutes.

"Ah son," Antonio greets me, glancing at his watch. "You're on time, for once" I rolled my eyes at that.