IceyHot (Season 1)

Chapter 6

   'Shall we?' Mariano beckoned to the table.
   We all went to get seated. I waited for everyone to sit down before I picked the first open spot I could find. It just so happened to be next to Isabelle.
   'Gloria went all out tonight, father,' said Isabelle, smiling at the table.
   'It's as if she knew we were celebrating!' Mariano replied laughing. I was surprised to see Richard by the table too. Wasn't he just some head of security?
   'Kai, I admit that I was skeptical about making you join us. You seemed way too cocky for your own good and I wanted to see what else those popoes taught you.' Mariana raised a glass. 'This isn't just a dinner to celebrate my son coming home. I want to welcome you into the family. I don't easily adopt children, but so far I have and none of them have disappointed me so far. Just like them, you have a talent and that's what I want in my children.'
   He said it. The word adopt.
   'I'm sorry, you want me to be your what?' I had to ask, just to see if I was hearing him correctly.
   'I want you to be a part of the family Kai. I can only imagine the look on Steven Grant's face when he finds out I made you one of my own. What do you say? You could be one of the lower ranks, but someone with your talent surely deserves a position of higher authority and I want you close to me.'
   My head was spinning right now. Luckily, the lady I assumed named Gloria, entered and placed a glass of wine in front of me. I happily chugged on the drink. I didn't even know what to say to him, but in that moment it had me thinking.
   He just met me and he was so eager in making me his own son? Was this how he adopted his other three children? Did he just pick them up off the streets to join his gang?
   He didn't even hide that he was exploiting the  fact that he only intended on using me to get back at the chief. It was all just a big game to him. He had children only to use them to his own benefit.
   It had me thinking what if one of those children got adopted over a decade ago? What if one of them was a young boy, who was innocently playing hide and seek in the woods and suddenly got taken away from his home by a big hooded man? What if that boy was my brother and sitting right here at this table?
   Could it be Mario? No, Isabelle confirmed that he was Mariano's biological son which only left Richard...
   I looked at Richard and noticed that everyone was staring at me the whole time. Oh, right. They were waiting for my answer.
   'Will you stop sending me on suicide missions as collateral then?' I then asked, humouring him.
   Mariano laughed. 'Of course not! That is not how I treat my favourites!' I caught Richard glaring at me.
   'Then, I accept. I want to be a part of the family.'
   Mariano couldn't be more pleased by my answer, but not as pleased as I was over the fact that he just chose to blindly trust me. I knew getting into the gang wouldn't be easy, but luck was on my side and I got closer than I ever hoped I would.
   'Let Gloria serve the food!' said Mariano. 'Unfortunately, the wolf couldn't join us tonight as he is overseas away on business!'
   'Who's the wolf?' I asked Mario.
   'Dad's favourite. The little brat.' Mario grumbled and began digging in.
    He was talking about the other adopted son. I was so close. If Nizan really was alive, then that changed everything. I had to call the chief and inform him as soon as possible.

After dinner was over, I decided to stay behind and clear out the table. I did use the excuse of me just wanting to stay up late and drink, but that deep good side of me that was raised so well by my mother just couldn't stand around and let an exhausted Gloria clean up after my mess.
I was actually smiling stupidly at myself thinking about the time my mom would throw her slippers at me whenever I forgot to clean up after myself back at the coffee shop whenever I went over for lunch.
I tried hard not to, but I felt bad for lying to her and putting her through all of this. The chief promised that he would keep a close eye on her. I was sitting there looking at her number on my screen, wondering if I should call or not, but I then put my phone away and continued to pile up the plates so all Gloria had to do was carry the things away.
'Have your wounds healed?' Isabelle walked in.
I looked at her, surprised she wasn't already asleep. 'Ms Lawyer. Aren't you sleeping?'
'My name's Isabelle and no, I don't sleep,' she said, in a matter of fact type of way. 'Just two days ago you got a hot smack from your mother for disgracing her and now you're helping Gloria tidy up the table.'
'Don't look so surprised. Even I can be a gentleman. Only ladies get to see it though.'
She raised an eyebrow. 'Excuse me? And what does that make me?'
I looked at her before walking to her, looming over her. I was surprised to see that she was shorter only to notice that she didn't have her stilettos on. 'Normally a bitch.'
Isabelle chuckled, amused by my response. I found that weird and saw her grabbing the wine bottle from the dining table and pour herself a glass full.
'My dad might send you on a job soon.'
'Yeah, he doesn't waste time that one...' I mumbled already annoyed by the old fart. If I could count the many times I wanted to strangle him every time I looked at his face. 'I wonder what being his son would feel like.'
'Believe it or not, but my father actually does have a caring side to him. He rarely shows it, but he does take care of his own.'
'Judging by how you go all lawyer on me whenever I speak his name, I can see that.'
'Meaning?'
'Exactly what I just said.' I chugged some more of the drink, till me glass was empty. The bottle looked empty too. 'How did you get adopted?'
'Eh...' her face suddenly changed and for glimpse of a second I saw something. 'It's a long story.'
'I have time.' I held her hand because I wanted to listen. I wanted to know through what great lengths Mariano had to go through to have her.
'It was years ago. He found me in a trafficking ring just when I was being auctioned off. He won the auction. I was little and so confused, I didn't exactly understand what was happening to me. Years later he told me and I realised that he actually saved me. If anyone else bought me, you could only imagine what would have happened to me. Mariano took me in and taught me that I could be strong and have control over my own life. And that no men would ever harm me because he will always be there to protect me...'
Hearing this, I was speechless. This was Isabelle's story and now I could see where her loyalty came from. That thing I saw in her eyes...I saw vulnerability. But it faded as quickly as I saw it and then she also emptied her glass.
'My father is not as heartless as people claim him to be. Her cares for his own and for his people. The so called justice system doesn't see that. All they care about are those people at higher places...If you don't have clean blood and if you're not some daughter of a rich politician, you're nothing.'
'You have a point,' I said, because part of what she said was true. But not everyone in the justice system was like that. There were good people, like the chief.
'You know, I actually just remembered I have an appointment tomorrow. You should rest up, you'll be going on a job with Richard. Goodnight.'
'Eh goodnight...' I watched her leave the room. I used to think she was borderline bitchy, but the way I looked at her now entirely changed. Maybe she wasn't like him. Maybe she was another victim.
I sure as hell wasn't going to believe that Mariano adopted her out of the goodness of his heart and to save her from a sex trafficking ring. I mean, he literally turned her into his family lawyer...that was not a coincidence.
I saw Gloria enter the room surprised to find all the plates and dirty dishes neatly stacked on one side of the table. I winked at her before also making my exit.