"Wait, what about you, don't you have classes to attend?" She started as we made our way inside the food court inside the mall. We decided to eat here so we could have a lot of options and also, we thought eating here would be fast.
"Nah, I was just one of the University's sponsors that's why I was there at your first day. I also have some undercover students there."
"Oh"
We got our food and walked over to one of the free table after I paid. We still fought over who should pay. She decided we should settle it in a Rock, Paper, Scissors fight but I won. I memorized her choices. At the first round she would always choose a rock, next, a scissor, then finally, a paper. I won 3-0 and she insisted I was cheating. She's accusing me of being a mind reader on our way to the table.
No, baby, I'm not a mind reader, I just know you all too well.
"I swear there's no way you could've won three times against me" she got pissed. "I swear you should let me pay one day."
"This is the least I can do. This doesn't even fix a lil' bit of what I've ruined." I hung my head low.
"You know I don't want to talk about it." She stated firmly.
"I know, Andrea. But this is what it is, we eventually have to discuss this. Not now but when?"
"Cai, there's no reasonable explanation about what you did. You did what you did, you can't give me lame excuses. What, your dick slipped in someone else's pussy? Even if you explain now, it won't change a thing."
If only I was brave enough to tell you. Even if I was brave enough to tell you, would you even believe such bullshit to happen to me? I'm just afraid you'll get disgusted by me and completely neglect me.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up." I ended the conversation and we ate silently. We never talked, never said a word to each other as she opened her bottle of water, as she stood up and washed her hands to the powder room, never said a word as she let me open the car door for her and fasten her seatbelt because she forgot to fasten it herself. Never said a word as I drove her to her University and wished her to be safe. Never spoke to me when I passed by her walking to the headquarters and told her to get in my car. Never spoke to me as I let her connect her phone to my car, and never spoke to me as she played our favorite song. The never ending cycle of her not talking to me whenever I bring up the topic. It's like a film I've seen before and I didn't like the ending.
Tell me, sunshine, how am I supposed to explain?
As we arrived at the headquarters, a lot of people were gathered in the foyer holding and sipping some alcoholic drinks. I forgot there was a party for Ian's arrival. Andrea and I parted ways as I walked up to Ian to tell him I forgot about his arrival and couldn't join the party because I had to do a raid tonight. I excused myself and went to meet the other gang members who'll join me on the raid.
I hid my knife in my suit and grabbed a gun. We went to crash a party, well not exactly a party. The party was just a cover up for the illegal transaction they're doing. They were selling ladies and even children, human trafficking or as we call it: skin. Normally, we wouldn't indulge in other's business because you do you here but in this case, they got some of our people and their children and we're here to take back what's ours. They knew they're in trouble the moment they took my people and decided to sell them. They knew better than to take what's mine. They should expect the worst to come.
One of my people hacked the security footage. Some lit up fireworks, loud ones to cover up the gun shots so we wouldn't attract the police or any person's attention. Even if we would, the police would just let us pay for disturbing the peace. Everyone knew better than to get the police involved. The police, politics, and the government were just as corrupted.
The rest of us forced our way inside the party and shot everyone who got in the way. The other's who were not occupied, escorted our people and the children to one of our rescue vehicle while I covered them up. I shot everyone who dared to stop me in the head effortlessly. There were too many of the victims, there were too many men to shoot. I ran inside of what looked like a private room and saw my greatest enemy, the leader of our rival gang. As he saw me, he ordered his bodyguards to go outside. I shot them while they were not looking and James laughed at me.
"You really think this would stop me" he laughed, standing up.
"I'm not trying to stop you, anciano" I dropped my gun too far away for both of us to reach.
"I'm here to take back what's mine and remind you never to do the same silly mistake again" I took my knife from my suit and launched at him.
I didn't expect him to just stand there and let me and yet he did, which made things easier for me, made it faster for me to wrap up the night and console my people. I stabbed him on his sternum and took the knife out so he'd bleed out. I smiled.
"You're still the same since she left. How is she by the way. Her and Henry I mean. I heard from Henry that they're happy." He stated breathlessly, coughing blood, trying to get a reaction from me.
"Yeah, there's that. I got a lot of bitch to fuck" I stab him on his shoulder, then his chest, repeatedly until his eyes closed. I'm sure Henry was no good news. And I'm sure as fuck Henry's involved with this thug I had just killed. He seemed to be so sure I'd get affected by his words. I needed at least one of his gang to be alive for interrogation. I called over one of the guys to look for one man who could still be saved for interrogation. We ended up rescuing one but the victims; the women and children were in a separate vehicle with the thug we caught. I didn't want to trigger them. They've already been traumatized enough.
We headed to the headquarters and my men brought the thug to get his wounds tended. As of now he was still unconscious. Our doctor told me he'd be conscious enough tomorrow for interrogation. I nodded and went to check up on the women and the children. They were tested for drugs and then sent to rest in their rooms. I went to my room after monitoring everything to wash up.
After taking a shower and cleansing Jame's blood off my hands, I decided to go to Andrea and settle things. I've been thinking about her all the damn time, everything seems to remind me of her. The raid. The whole time I was thinking of her. I remembered why we don't do skin anymore. She was the reason we were less evil compared to the other gangs.
Everybody adored her, well, excluding her dad, she was the most precious thing to everybody, to me. Her grandpa loved her too much he did everything to give her the perfect life. He asked me to take care of her, to make her happy, if he was alive, he'd probably be disappointed at me. Everything worked her way. The one and only time he got kidnapped and the thugs demanded to give them a billion dollar and the women Andrea's daddy were selling for ransom. Her grandpa got infuriated, and threatened Andrea's dad that he won't be giving him the business if he won't bring her back. Her dad gave all the women and, well 10% of the billion dollar 'cause Andrea was too smart she managed to get out of there. Once she got out, she asked her grandpa to stop the skin business. She explained it in a way her grandpa would be guilty. "If I was one of them which I was" "this will fire back, what if I'm the one they'll sell" with time eventually, her grandpa stopped the skin business. Her dad's anger towards her just grew claiming she's bad for business, that her grandpa's becoming soft for her little Princess. Her grandpa dismissed his dad and officially ended the skin business as soon as Andrea drifted to sleep the night she was rescued. She was safe when her grandpa was alive, she was happy, contented, I wanted to keep it that way until his dad got in the way.
I knocked on her door.
And another.
Until she opened the door with a puffy, glittery eyes and mascara ruined, hair a mess.
She's a fucking mess.
A mess I wanted, a mess I want.
"What do you want" she asked with a husky voice as if she was crying. I knew she was crying. If she was having sex, she wouldn't ruin her mascara. Hell she'd do everything to keep it perfect.
You're always perfect.
"I just may like to have a conversation." I smiled and asked her if I can get inside. She welcomed me to her neat room which smelled like vanilla, smelled like her. I sat on her bed.
"Start talking, you've hurt me enough. I'll listen to you, know that." She stated furiously trying to keep regulate her breathing and stop her hiccups from coming.
