Atlas Black

Chapter 31

A T L A S  B L A C K

I wake up to the sharp throbbing pain in my head, last night after Llana's departure I had been excessively drinking. Not caring.

In bed, I lay my forearm in front of my face groaning, unable to get up. I massage my head when I'm remembering the fever dream I just had last night. Although it wasn't a dream, but a memory. One that had been locked away in the very back of my mind.

That memory, that day was the day everything fell apart. The day I opened my eyes up to the true realities. As I'm snapped out my thoughts I hear banging coming from my apartment door.

"Open up fucker! FBI's here!" Wait what?

I spring out of bed, dashing out my bedroom unlocking the front door when I'm met with a sarcastic, cocky face. I'm mid shutting the door in front of the bastards face when he stops it with his foot.

"Bro that wasn't fucking funny." I'm saying stepping back and making my way into the kitchen as Kai lets himself in.

"Well your dead-ass wasn't answering my calls." He shrugs taking a mug out of the top cupboards.

He pours us both a cup of coffee, getting in our energy for the day. I'm supposed to be hitting the gym soon, as my regular days consist of waking up 6am and burning myself for hours.

Luckily, I don't have any classes today, so I'm all set for the day. Finals are coming up and I couldn't give a shit. Not one professor has a favourable view of me and neither do I. Professor Douglas being the worst. All of them grading me lower for no absolute reason.

"Have you heard from Elias?" I ask him. Elias Martinez is Kai's cousin. 26 years old, Leader of the Spanish Mafia and probably one of the youngest.

"There's still no lead he says. The motherfucker is hiding well. It'll be a while before we snuff him out." There goes my hopes.

I was hopeful enough that there'd at least be another way for us to get a lead on Xander. But there hasn't, and each day I'm beginning to lose more and more faith in the fact that I'm going to have to use my final and last resort to get him out of hiding.

Liliana is my last resort.

But I don't think I could give up that easily. Give her up that easily. Because the more I'm spending time with her, the more I'm wanting to back out. Say no to this mission. Become a pussy. She's innocent, clueless and she doesn't deserved to be dragged into this but what other choice is there?

My entire fucking family is counting on me and I'm not about to screw this up. Kai senses my disdainful look as he sets his mug down and comes around the counter towards me, all his usual humour leaving his face as a frown instead creeps in.

He touches my shoulder with as much firmness, squeezing them for reassurance, letting me know I'm not alone in this fight.

"I'll keep contacting them, Atlas. I'll get in touch with them as much as I can. This isn't the end. It doesn't have to be." He takes a breath, "I know that look on your face and I know damn well you're thinking that there's not many options left. That eventually you're going to have to bring Llana into this."

He knows me so fucking well. "What do you want me to do then?" Because clearly I feel like there's no other solutions.

"How about we contact The Vitale's, bribe them or some shi. Form an unbreakable alliance we could use for our gain. That way we can easily access whatever knowledge they have and easily snuff out Xander Morozov and make him pay for what he did."