White & Gray

prologue

A year and a half ago

Vince

"Okay. What will we do? Just knock? What will we say?" Jason asked as if I had the answer. I just stood there trying to come up with something to say.

Then out of a sudden to door bust opened. There she was, with her messy hair and dark circles around her eyes. She looked exactly the same. Cute and vulnerable. I've never liked the second one. Could easily be interpreted as weak. She is far from it.

I was so busy taking her in, I did not even realize her holding a gun. That made me smile. Regardless of her incompetence to take any action with that gun, my men stood behind, their hands in the air. Normally, they would not live anybody else breathes for another second with the gun in their hand.

But... we all know her. A lot of us already knew her, for the new ones she has been our mission.

"Vince?" she said, sounding relieved. She lowered the gun that did not make her look dangerous at all. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you too." I smiled and tried my best not to look stern. "Is this how you welcome your guests?"

"Sorry about that." She said looking at the men behind me, Saw Jason and Jamie "All squat is here and some new ones. Fancy." She pointed at my suit.

"This is how I dress now." Since she kept on standing at the door, I kind of pushed her away and walked in.

House was terrible. Not only because I have my cleaning issues, but it really was horrible. "Fancy." I copied her sarcastic tone.

She felt bad, obviously shown on her face. " Sorry for that. It must be killing you. It's just- things have been tough lately. Dad, he, actually I don't know if you knew-"

"I do," I said stopping her from going further with this because it's hard for her. "Where are your mom and brother?"

"She left as well."

That was interesting. When I did not say more "She said we need to stay away from all of these. Whatever fuck it means. I refused to go- I just- "

Then she stopped, her eyes got sharpened "If you are here to ask me about where my father is, I don't know Vince. I guess you are still doing your father's dirty job."

I just smiled. She did not know anything yet, but her intuitions were always on point.

"You have no idea," I said with approval. I do my dad's dirty jobs, it's all because of the shit your dad caused. I took some dishes with me to the kitchen because it was hard not to step on them. She followed me. "I thought you have been hiding," I confessed.

"Why would I?" she seemed confused. She seriously had no idea.

"I have my reasons to believe that."

"Well, if you could remember that I do not run or hide, you would find me here. The first place that you should have looked."

She was right. I forgot that. I need that back. "When are they coming back?"

"I don't know. It has been 2 months. I don't think they are coming." She looked like she just confessed it to herself.

Oh, but you are coming.

"Why are you here Vince? With your suit and your father's men?"

She is really mad at her father, the tone when she said father's men were condescending but these people were the ones that she grew up with.

"They are my men now." now it looked like I confessed it to myself. She kept on looking and that brought back all the memories we had together. "He is gone." I said, turning my back on her and trying to avoid looking.

It was the first time I am facing this. Everybody has my back but it was all for business. There was nothing she could do. She left for college while I was getting ready for this day.

Suddenly, she hugged me.

"I'm so sorry Vince." she said. I needed that sincerity.

Suddenly, she was not the girl that I have been following for these 3 months, assuming she will lead me to her father eventually. Now that, I think about it, she was the sad girl that I have been following around. She needed me as well. I should have seen it sooner.

"I know you have no reason to believe that," she continued as I was lost in my thoughts. "But I am. I wanted to be out of your dad's life, nor from him." without stopping hugging me she came in front of me, and that gesture made me smile. That's the second time I smile today in 2 years. "He was really classy, smart, and handsome. Thankfully, his legacy in these will remain here" she said.

I laughed out loud in... I don't even know how many years. I was here to strangle her for information, now I need her. I forgot that I always had her in my life. Some parts seemed missing.

"You are coming with me," I ordered.

"Excuse me?" she understood my seriousness. Good. She still knows me.

"You are coming with me. Do you wanna live here until you actually change it to a shithole? You will live with me."

"Excuse me?!" she sounded defensive.

I just showed around the room, it looked like somebody came here to look for something very important, so important that they went in the drawers.

"I have school." She was trying to come up with excuses.

"Which you are not going for a month and a half now." When she looked mad I continued "Yes, I have been tailing you for months now. I know your friends, your side job, and that stupid boyfriend of yours. From all above, you are not making really good decisions."

"You are here to say these? Now, you may leave."

"No, I was here to get information out of you. Now I've changed my mind. You are coming with me."

She just stood there, and my urge to kidnap her increased. "Look, I am trying to reason this with you. I don't have to Dia."

When I said Dia, instant flashbacks came to me. On the days that I was a kid and me, she and Sam were playing in the garden. Something changed in her eyes when I said Dia as well.

"I am not. What if-"Then she stopped looking down, her eyes were full. She assumes her dad will be back.

"I promise to you, if he comes back, I will be there to find it out. I will do you one better, I promise I will find him and bring him to you. He will beg for your forgiveness."

That made her meet my gaze. She needed that. I needed her.

"I will make sure that he begs." She smiled

"You don't have to."

"Oh, but I want to. We need each other Dia. I sure hell need you. You will need me when all the anger fades and you stay all alone here. Just come with me. I am alone in this big-ass crowded house, you are alone here. Let's be alone together. You can always come back."

"What about your fiancee?" she emphasized the fiancee part.

"What was that?" I smiled, for the third time in one day? "It was an arrangement. Convenient for families."

"Was?"

"She is gone too."

"I'm sorry," she said. This girl gets sad about everything. She can not handle my world. However, I need to be selfish.

"I don't see you packing."

"Can I have Violet's old room?"

So, they kept in touch? If she is moving into my house that needs to change. No one can link her to me. She can not be my weakness.

Two minutes later she was packed. "What? I don't have my clothes here." she assumed I was surprised that she was quick, but it was about the fact that it was actually happening.

"Hello, princess." Jason greeted her and took her bag.

I came here for a different mission but I felt like I accomplished more.