STEAM & SMOKE | 18+

CHAPTER | 33 |

THE FLIGHT BACK was in silence. Not a word spoken. I sat in my seat, unsure what was going on or what to do after Ghost had sent me back to New York more confused than when I left. The director sat across from me, the weight of his eyes forcing me to look down.

I felt like I couldn't breathe properly.

Unprepared, I was dragged out of that reality and thrown into my old one where I would have to answer for my actions. I bit my lip nervously, begging the universe to swallow me whole or show me a way to get out of this.

Malia, what have you done?

Security followed me at they took me from the plane to a car and then to HQ. Everyone watched me as if I was going to run which sounded tempting if I wasn't certain they'd catch me immediately. I entered the elevator as instructed followed by only the director. I coughed trying to ease the tension in the small enclosed space.

He glanced at me and I met his eyes.

What I saw there told me all I needed to know. My fate was already decided.

"You're off the case."

Despite me already predicting the outcome, I still pleaded. "Please, give me one more chance. I messed up but I can fix this-"

"Malia. Sleeping with a criminal on the job isn't you messing up, you f*cked up."

My argument died immediately.

"How did you know?"

The elevator pinged as the doors opened. "Ghost told me. I should fire you on the spot but there'll be a meeting deciding what to do with you." He looked back at me briefly as we walked to his office. "You have so much potential so I'll be honest, I'm incredibly disappointed."

"I know," I whispered. "Give a week. A day even. I swear."

"No." He held open the door to his office, gesturing for me to go through. I did so and saw a file on his desk. The director opened it then slid it towards me with a pen.  "Sign it."

"What it is?"

"An NDA and and a statement saying you'll leave the case alone."

Shaking my head, I pushed it back. "I'm not signing this."

He sighed. "I thought you might say that so here's your other option. I'll fire you right now for being an accomplice to murder, extortion, hacking and fraud. I'll get security and you'll be in a cell in the next 10 minutes. Your choice."

"I guess I'll sign it."

*****

Rain bounced off the glass of my car as I sat, my eyes closed. I was so close.

Ghost was playing a game that we didn't understand and it was clearly fuelled by revenge. All I needed was his name. My fist clenched in anger. Anger at the director, anger at Ghost but mostly anger at myself for getting trapped in a spiral of feelings for someone who could never care for me.

A tap on my window pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see Duke holding an umbrella. I came out of the car and he pulled me towards him to shelter me from the rain but shame caused me to avoid his gaze.

"I didn't know you were back from your work trip," Duke said, smiling softly.

"I came back today," I answered quietly.

"Why are you outside my apartment? You could've called."

I took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm breaking up with you."

A long pause passed between us, my words heavy in the air making it harder to breathe. He blinked at me, confusion settling on his features as he laughed in disbelief. "What are you talking about Mahlia?"

"I... In Vegas, I..."

"You cheated," he finished, no question in his voice. Duke took a step back exposing me to the weather, putting more distance as he stared at me in almost disgust.

The guilt made tears threaten to fall from my eyes and join the raindrops that ran down my face. "I cheated," I repeated back to him. "I'm so sorry, Duke. I didn't mean to-"

"To what?" He spat at me. "Don't give me that bullsh*t. I trusted you. You told me to f*cking trust you."

"I know-" I pleaded as the weather poured, drenching me almost as punishment.

"You're a b*tch, you know that? F*ck you."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm f*cking sorry for ever thinking that you deserved my trust. Why? What did I possibly do to deserve this?"

"You didn't do anything, I swear."

"I hope I never see you again. F*ck you." Duke turned and walked away without looking back.

I stood there, in the cold as I felt everything fall apart.

"When the time comes, you will. You'll risk your job, your little boyfriend and your life for me. But I won't care, Malia. At all."

F*ck you, Ghost.

I still had my life so he wasn't completely right. I was trying to convince myself that everything I did was worth it and it wasn't working. It couldn't end like this and that rage made me drive back to HQ. If Ghost wanted to send me back then I'd finish the job no matter what. As I strode into the building, hair dripping wet with my clothes soaked, people looked at me apprehensively.

Once I reached my office, I pulled up Ghost's file which only had his court documents and a photo of him.

SELY STATE PRISON

NAME: UNKNOWN

NICKNAME: GHOST

AGE: UNKNOWN

ASSOCIATES: SANTAN NICK (BROTHER), LUCIO NICK (FATHER)

No other information was provided so I looked up the prison and called them. Twenty minutes later I had a list of every one who was in the prison when Ghost was there and as it turns out Tim Kroft as well as Isaiah were with him. Two men who were killed months ago for knowing something they shouldn't and the only thing I could think of was his name which obviously they couldn't tell me.

I was grasping at straws. He was dead according to him which meant I spent another 2 hours going through records to find a family that died on the same day. It amounted to nothing as I had no clue how old he was so there were various names. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration.

"I don't exist so I have fake identities and one of my favourite is Ares who will buy it."

Ares. My eyes scanned my computer screen.  The amount of information I was processing was making me dizzy and I was slowly losing the will to continue until I found a newspaper article.

"Ares Romano, 37, found dead alongside his wife, Sofia while his son, Adonis Romano, was found critically injured. This tragic incident occurred in Nevada, Las Vegas-"

Adonis Romano.