Venom's Alliance: Loyalty's Fracture

Chapter 30

Jay's POV

"Come on, man, just let me go," the skinny dude begged, his voice strained with pain as Xander landed another solid punch.

"You should've thought twice before acting like a complete idiot," I said with a smirk, giving Xander a pat on the shoulder. It was time to switch gears. The girls were heading out, and our main goal was to make sure they were safe.

Xander glanced at his phone and nodded. "They're at the nearby park," he said, his eyes scanning the area to make sure no one was watching us.

"Let's get moving, then," I said, ready to follow Xander to the park.

My focus stayed on Kalia and Sofia, while Xander kept an eye on Aira and Sienna. Tonight, this guy had really messed up. If Aira hadn't stepped in, I'm sure Kalia would've taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget. She's got spirit, but she could use some more practice in fighting. She's quick and knows where to hit—definitely a good start.

We walked in silence, my mind busy with thoughts of moving in with Kalia tomorrow and making sure the surprise for her was perfect.

"I need a favor," Xander said, breaking the silence.

"What kind of favor?" I asked, keeping an eye on our surroundings.

"I need you to bid for a painting at Aira's new art gallery opening," Xander said through clenched teeth. His obsession with this one artist was obvious. He always outbid everyone to get her paintings, no matter the cost.

"Let me guess, the mysterious artist's work will be there?" I teased, knowing how obsessed Xander was with this anonymous figure. The artist didn't have a face or a name, just a nickname, which I couldn't be bothered to remember. We all enjoyed teasing Xander about his theory that it was a woman. But honestly, the chances were slim; a woman painting a woman's body with such intricate details was pretty rare.

"Yes," Xander replied bitterly, clearly frustrated. "Her painting will be there. I had someone confirm it."

"Why do you need me?" I asked, confused. "It's your sister's gallery—she could just give it to you."

"Aira won't let me have it; she will probably want everyone to have a fair chance. Cecilia will be there, and I don't need to give her a reason to mess with the artist just because I'm interested in her work," Xander said, clearly frustrated.

Confused by his response, I asked, "How does Cecilia know the artist?"

"Aira knows her; she only works with Aira. Aira follows her mom around like a lost puppy. If Cecilia asks, Aira would give her mom anything, even her last breath," Xander explained, his hatred for Cecilia obvious.

"Alright, but I need your help with something important," I said firmly, making it clear I wasn't backing down. Xander caught on, meeting my gaze with a knowing smile.

"You want me to train Kalia," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You don't seem surprised," I noted.

"Because I'm not. Also, I just won a bet, so that's 500k in my pocket from James and Jake," he said cheerfully, lightening the mood from the previous topic.

"Bet?" I spoke through gritted teeth, to which Xander nodded with a smile. "I told them that Kalia will always get what she wants when it comes to you, and they said that you will never risk having her in danger and you will back down— 250k each. Besides, you can't train her because you would go easy on her; the same with Jake, and James is already too busy. So, no, I'm not surprised." He winked, and I struggled to not punch the idiot.