Mafia: Neo Zone ► Lucas Wong ◄

Chapter 2 - New Dream → Misfit ✔

"A car" was one way to put it..."A fancy black van the likes of which I'd seen celebrities exit at important events" would have been a more accurate description. I had no time to stop and stare, though, as Lucas opened one of the side doors and stepped aside for me to get in. Not for the first time since he'd appeared in my apartment, I felt uncertainty well within me as I climbed into the van.

Once I sat down, I looked up to find a tall man with shoulder length bleached hair sitting in the driver's seat and looking at me in the rearview mirror. He was wearing a black baseball cap which might have given him an intimidating appearance had he not given me a quick, encouraging smile. Lucas sat down beside me, and the driver looked between the two of us before directing his eyes toward the road.

"Let's roll." Lucas said, closing the door.

"What about Heidi?" The other man said, shifting the van into gear as he spoke.

"She'll catch up. It's Monsta X." Lucas said as if confirming some uncertainty.

"In that case, are you sure it was a good idea to leave her on her own?" The man said.

"I think she can take care of herself." Lucas said distractedly.

He reached across me as if to help me buckle, but I reached up and did it myself before he could. I felt uncomfortable being so close to him and having him that close to me at this moment...

"I wasn't worried about her being able to take care of herself." The other man said wryly. "Are you certain she won't 'accidentally' get caught or something?"

"She knows what she needs to do." Lucas replied, shifting back into his previous position although I could still feel his eyes on me.

"Oh, yeah, we don't doubt that." Another voice piped up from the back, startling me slightly, and I turned and looked over my shoulder to find a smaller man sitting behind me with a large gun resting nonchalantly on his thighs. "You know, last year..."

His words faded as a loud buzzing noise in my ears took over what little brain function I had remaining. I felt beyond uncomfortable surrounded by so many men, and the events of the morning had taxed my already tired mind considerably. A fierce pounding in my head was making it difficult to focus, and I pressed my fingers to my temples, massaging gently.

"You should try to get some sleep." Lucas leaned closer to me, speaking gently. "It's going to be a long drive."

I wanted to ignore him, to shut out the sound of his voice and give myself more space to think, but it was impossible. The scent of his cologne wafted into my nostrils, and it was so...familiar. How could he smell exactly the same even after all this time? In one sense, I could see the changes a decade had wrought on his person, but in another, he was still the same teenager who had stolen my heart with his big smile and fun-loving personality. Pressing my head to the chilly glass of the window beside me, I closed my eyes for a moment to try to rearrange my thoughts, but before I knew it, my exhaustion took control, and I drifted off to sleep.

I gradually became conscious as the choking feeling that I'd overslept washed over me. I must have forgotten to set my alarm, or I'd somehow pushed the snooze button, and now I was going to be fired, and the bills wouldn't be able to be paid, and Aaron and I would end up out on the streets...

My memory returned all in a rush the minute I opened my eyes. The van was still moving, but it must have stopped at some point, for the tall driver had switched places with the smaller man from the back seat. As I looked around, I realized with a blush that I was leaning against Lucas's arm...where I must have slept for hours, judging from the position of the sun. His head was laid back against the headrest, and his eyes were shut, but they opened quickly as I shifted upright.