FEAR

51

•KEEGAN•

A week has passed since Rowan was killed. The totality of the drug industry now belongs to one woman. Verena Montego. 5' something with 6'2 attitude. The minute Simon was released from the hospital she chased us for about an hour with throwing knives. I blamed Simon for teaching her. She was relentless and if it wasn't for pure luck, skill, and experience we would have been stabbed or possibly killed. After she was done chasing us she comforted Issa, getting details about Simon's capture. Simon saves her and Verena isn't happy about it. I don't think she was jealous but prideful and stubborn. Then she stopped talking to us completely. It was like she shut down, I don't know what exactly I was expecting but that wasn't it. She accepted no help and exchanged no words. Marcus couldn't even talk to her. There was no anger just blank it was unnerving.

This time I wasn't going to stand and let her suffer in silence. This morning we saw her for breakfast then she left with her friends Solana, Stacy, and Horangi. I didn't mind them or even notice them half of the time, König didn't either. My only focus was on her. Ghost hated them he claimed they were out to get Verena especially Stacy. The French woman. He said 'I accepted you two ugly fucks I will not accept more people especially that French woman I will kill her.'

My only thought was I'm not ugly. Because this was petty there was no way Verena had feelings for any of them, maybe an attraction the thought of that pissed me off. I had to agree with Ghost that I wouldn't be happy to see her with anyone else. I don't care whether they're a woman, I'll watch him kill her. I'm sure they collectively knew she was already more than occupied, despite what she feels was unspoken but it was very well known I wouldn't stand for it.

"You should eat," I said to her. She has been working out, and training in different ways with Horangi. She burns up a lot of energy but I haven't seen her eat enough. She just came back from working out, lunchtime and she didn't have a big breakfast so she needed to eat.

"You should mind your own." Her eyes flicker up to me, but it doesn't last long and she looks away putting the milk back into the fridge. I sighed pushing all my anger and impulsiveness away.

"What's on your mind?" She glanced back at me, I swear every time she did it felt like I was being stripped away from my life like she was taking a piece of me every time she looked at me. It didn't matter in what way she did all I know is that even if she'll never belong to me I'll belong to her. "Why haven't you talked to us? Why aren't you eating enough? You're having nightmares."

The corner of her lip twitched in irritation. "Why are you still here? Go back to your family and your baby's mother." She turned around and I threw my hands up in a silent prayer. Patience. She could easily dissipate the patience that I have. I was a Marine sniper my patience was top-tier when I met her. But her mouth, if she was anyone else-

"Look," I said after a pause. "Eat your food, then we can talk about this."

"Talk about what?" She snapped. I was internally screaming, the same way a teenager screams after they get into an argument with their parents.

"Why do I even try? You don't care. You don't care to learn our struggle and you continually treat us like shit." I stepped forward and leaned down grabbing her shoulder. She was pissed off but still beautiful, the type of beauty men would start wars over. I'll accept defeat if she'll be happier if I left; "I'll leave, but only after you eat." She wasn't wrong about Jennifer and the child. I should go see them. She turned around and quickly opened the fridge and grabbed a salad bowl, she opened it and chucked it toward me. It landed inches away from me. The contents spilled over and the dressing splashed onto my pants. These are expensive but fuck me I guess. I frowned looking up at her and she grabbed another container throwing it out onto the floor. Thank god Esperanza wasn't here.