Loyalties - Ike Koffin (OC)

• Seven •

The security system proved easy to disarm, offering us undisturbed entry into the premises. We entered the building slowly, cautiously even. "Where's the office?" Ike asks Beth with hand resting on the small of my back, keeping me close to his side in a manner intended to be respectful.

"At the end of the hall," she answers with fingers gripping the piece of paper in her hand.

Ike nods, allowing his gaze to flick from her and onto me briefly. Then, with gun in his other hand, he gestures for her to lead the way, which she does.

"Why do you need the money?" I can't help but ask, especially after his earlier behaviour when realising that he currently didn't have enough. "Didn't you guys just rob a bank?"

His gaze again flicks to me with lips pulling tightly together, unimpressed with the question posed. "That's family business." He mutters with hand tensing against my back, leaving me frowning and nodding. I sense my tone had insinuated judgement on my part when in reality I was simply curious of his reasons for needing such a large sum of money.

"I wasn't judging, Ike." I clarify with head tilting up to look at the side of his face as he stares ahead with hard eyes. "I'm sorry if you thought I was." I lift my hands to wring them, unable to resist my nervous habit even with his body warmth offering the comfort it somehow did.

"We got played." He mumbles after a long beat of silence, causing my frown to deepen and my heart to skip a beat. He's being honest with me. "We had a guy working with us on the robbery but he screwed us over and took the money. Johnny got shot in the process." He explains with hand tightening around his pistol and eyes shifting with new hatred and guilt. "I brought that bastard in because I trusted him and he left us with nothing but the police on our ass."

That explains the trust issues.

"So, the police shot Johnny?" I ask as gently as possible, trying to get the full picture.

"Yeah," he nods with head turning and eyes connecting with my own sympathetic ones. "I didn't know what to do. The police were patrolling the roads and Johnny was bleeding out. So, I went home to Mama." He explains with a sigh, his head shaking in frustration with himself.

"You must have been scared," I murmur, causing his eyes to snap back to meet mine while his brows dip in thought and his head tilts to the side.

He stares into my green depths, thinking deeply with lips pulled into a thin line. I can see the deep yearning behind his gaze, along with the many emotions clashing within his chocolate pools.

If I were to make an assumption, it would be that no one really considered his feelings when things happened. He was the oldest son - the older brother. So, for his family, he was the support. He was the guiding light for his younger siblings and the backup for his mother. If something went wrong, he was blamed, regardless of his part in it.

He was never asked about his thoughts and feelings. He was never comforted or supported the way the younger siblings were. He had to be tough and smart. He had to be everything his siblings weren't. So, naturally my words had struck a deep and vulnerable cord in him, one he couldn't shake off as his gaze visibly softened upon me.

"We all were," he whispers before Beth interrupts us by opening the office door with more force that necessary.

Way to be subtle, Beth.

"In here." She directs with eyes hard and focused on me.

"Right," Ike nods with gaze lingering on me for a beat longer before he removes his hand from the small of my back and moves into the office. Meanwhile, I share a tense moment of eye contact with Beth, unable to ignore the disappointment she exudes.