𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄

19

My father is some sort of crime lord. And I've been looped into his business with my other newfound siblings. Might as well call him my father.

Jarvis is an ugly ass name anyways.

"I like this one on you," Amina squealed. "Maybe I finally have someone to share clothes with. We're similar in size." She looked behind me, "Maybe not in non-stretchy bottoms though."

I was blanked out, and worse, I hadn't had any 'painkillers' in days. Was I addicted?

Weeks had went by, and Ali had been relaying information between my father and I. Honestly, it's mostly been one-sided. Arrangements had to be made to make sure I had people watching me at all times from my house to the club, and I needed to know what not to tell Dieson, I needed to know what info to fish for.

"Courtlynn?"

I look up and Amina's holding another boring blouse on her arm, a look of concern on her face.

She didn't worry about having to be involved in all this stuff, she was like some untouchable kid. Yeah, discarded and forgotten about, but at least she hadn't watched someone get killed.

At least she wasn't going to get somebody killed.

"I'm fine," I stand up, not caring that I wore no bra or top. I had only on pajama bottoms, something Hadassa always frowned at when I was forced to eat breakfast with them and any other meal.

"Amina, I-

Ali covered his eyes as he entered the room.

"Let me guess, you forgot Courtlynn was in here," Amina rolled her eyes, "Keep forgetting about her existence, and I'll start to believe you burst in to see some titties."

"Ew, gross, we're like half-related bro," he choked out, but I could still see him peeking. I went to the bed and threw a pillow at him, knowing that if it had been a boulder or a bowling ball or some shit, my throw would've knocked his head off his shoulders.

"Father wants to see you, Courtlynn. That's all," he leaves the room, loud laughter behind the door from his side. I grumble the entire time I get dressed, ultimately a second version of Amina when I'm done.

She gushes over me and tells me how cute I am, but I'm over it and ready to get this Dieson mission done. How'd I go from a stripper to like a secret agent?

I'm led to my father's study, two guards flanking in front of me and behind me in pairs as we move.

They're silent and so am I.

Even if Amina and I have shared a laugh during these few weeks here and there, and I kind of know the layout of this place, I don't forget that I'm being held here against my will. And while perhaps Dieson wouldn't have been able to find me if I moved away to Canada and didn't pay off his debt in the past, I know that my father could find me anywhere if I don't do what he asks.

"Courtlynn!"

I don't give him a smile in return as the study doors are closed behind me. "What do you need?"

He gestures to a chair in front of his desk and I fold my arms as I sit.

"Ah. What a way to greet your pops," he waves that off, "Anyways. I've assigned your brother to watch over you at the club. He'll be around if you need him. He's highly trained and skilled in combat with weaponry and hands-on. Other people of mine will be dispersed across the club, but he will be there for two factors: To intimidate Dieson because he knows who Ali is, and so that you recognize at least one of the people there to protect you. You will never know who works for me or not, for the protection of this operation."

"If Dieson sees Ali following me around then it'll blow our cover," I state. How couldn't he see that?

"Ali will be visiting different private rooms and throwing money at different dancers so that a connection between you and him won't be seen. He'll be asking them questions and drugging them so that they can't give Dieson any information on what he's asking about." My arm itches at the thought of them being drugged.

"So I waltz in and say that I want him?"

"You waltz in, and you go back to dancing. Say that you couldn't get enough of him."

"I won't dance again," I stand up, hands planted on the desk as I stare across at him.

"Go to that shelf, Courtlynn," my father instructs me quietly. I huff and go in the direction that he points. He tells me a title and I pick up the book. It's old and smells stale. "What's this for?"

"Is it heavy?" he asks me.

"Yes," I answer cautiously.

"It'll be upside your head if you don't do as I say."

He stands, taking in a deep breath and picking up a mug of something on his desk. "Come here, daughter."

I slowly walk his way, after putting the book back. I stand back in front of his desk and he yanks my hand. My fingers are shoved into steaming hot liquid and I scream out. He holds them in there for a second longer before throwing the glass cup across the study, causing it to shatter. Regaining his composure almost instaneously, he chuckles, "I think you believe that your mother's death didn't affect me. That I just moved on and built myself a family."

"I do," I say, clutching my hand to my chest.

He comes around the desk, tapping his fingers to a song that I can't hear until he stands inches away from me. "Your mother's death broke me. You reminded me too much of her and I couldn't take care of us both." He goes over to the shelving area I left, and picks up the book he told me to get. "I was supposed to come back a year later to get you. I was going to build this empire, and make money and give you everything that you didn't have before and more. Everything that your mother and I couldn't even give you. But then Hadassa came to me and told me she was pregnant, and I had to see the children I never knew of, and I fell in love with this little family as I built this empire."

"And you forgot about me."

"And I forgot. I forgot my promise. And then it felt like it was too late to come back into your life. And I didn't want to snatch you out of the relationship you had built with your aunt."

"You could have," I say quietly.

But would I have wanted to be here? With a crazy man like him anyways? All this time I had thought that this is where I wanted to be...but now...not so much.

"I will do this for you daughter. This favor, I suppose," he chuckled a little to himself, "You will have your freedoms, but you will get this job done. I sense that Dieson is a bit loose with his money," he rubs his fingers together carefully, "the root of this entire problem anyways, correct? You will come to him wanting to be his secretary and wrap him around your finger," he tells me slowly. "You are a Cerbey. You know how to get what you want."

I don't say anything as I leave the study, my fists clenched.

I'll get what I want, Dad. Damn right, I will.