Lucky's (Mis)Fortune (MXMXMXM)

Lucky's (Mis)Fortune: CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

One hour, twenty-three minutes, and two seconds of nonstop driving. That's how long the drive to their warehouse was. It was in the middle of a forest, in the middle of nowhere and to get to the entrance, we had to stomp through wet grass and mud because those three wouldn't get the car through this even after they noticed my sour face when they told me I had to get out and walk almost a mile there.

I wasn't sure what to expect about this. The whole walk there, I kept trying to imagine what this place would look like but I couldn't get an image of it no matter how much I tried.

I guess never in life did I expect to come across a mafia. I never had to imagine what a mafia's workplace would look like.

Maybe that's why I was kind of excited to go inside, see this completely different world, something I have never seen before.

When we're in front of the building, which was pretty huge up close, Mr. Sawyer doesn't waste a moment to unlock the door and push the door open. The door seemed pretty heavy by how thick it was but he didn't seem to have a problem effortlessly opening it.

I blink continuously. "It's huge." That was the first thought, gaping at everything going on inside. 

"It's our main warehouse. The other ones are smaller," Aiden explains beside me, putting his arm around my shoulder. 

I observe everything going on inside. I could tell there was a system just by the first look. Weapons on the left front corner of the warehouse, drugs on the other side across, scary looking men with guns on their waists, talking on the phone in the middle. 

This wasn't even it. I could see at least three doors but I couldn't guess where they led to.

"Where do the doors lead?" I ask Aiden.

"That one," the one on the right at the back, "Is what we call the lab. You know, um... plants for you know... drugs." He rubs his nape.

I laugh. "You don't have to be so nervous, I swear it's okay. I want to be here, I'm okay with hearing what I will."

He sighs and rolls his eyes with a smile. "The other door," on the other side of the building, "Is a shooting range. Not our biggest since this is a general warehouse. The others focus on only one business. One for the drugs, one for the guns, and another for our hitmen."

"So four total?"

"Six. We have two for drugs, two for for guns, one shooting range, and our main. Our men are complaining about how unfair that is." He rolls his eyes, the topic extremely serious to him.

I wanted to ask more, how all of this started, wondering all of there roles in this business. Stories, maybe, of what has happened between these walls before. 

Instead of speaking, I followed after them.

"And this is Khael's office. Well, our office, but mostly his."

The office was quite big, enough space for a couch, a desk, two bookshelves, and a coffee station. There was a laptop on the desk, closed, with sticky notes on top. Besides that, the desk was empty. There wasn't much personality to the room but maybe that was the charm to it. 

"We'll be going on some runs after checking up on everyone. You wanna take a look around or chill out here?" Mr. Sawyer asks me, setting down an umbrella and black hoodie he had brought with him. 

I look around and realize that the three of them wore dark clothes except for me who was in a red hoodie and black cargo pants. 

"I'll come with you guys if that's okay," I answer.

By runs I could only guess that they would be delivering things. Drugs and weapons. I wondered who they would be taking these things to, the type of people that we will encounter, just how scary they would be. 

I look around the office once more. I notice a hole on the wall, I tilt my head, imagining the scenario that led to it. I couldn't tell if it had been a fist or if someone had tossed something heavy at it like a vase or simply a ball. By the bookshelf on the left wall there was a nail there. Had there been a picture there? Why did they take it off? The only possibility of an image there was is of them three. I imagined them younger, just a few years before, a candid imagine taken by one of the guys here or perhaps someone in their family. I smile at the possibility of ever meeting their family. They have never mentioned anyone, I realize, but I don't dwell on it. It's not like they have to share their personal lives. 

"You always think too much."

I gasp at the whisper beside my left ear, jumping slightly on the couch.

"Eliott." My voice is breathy but I can't control it, his face is too close to mine. One wrong move and our noses would be touching if I was lucky enough, our lips would touch.

But I've never been exactly lucky, right?

He smirks and leans back, his arms smugly spread on the couch. 

I've noticed he has been more comfortable ever since that night in my room. He has gone as far as sitting beside me during breakfast. Mr. Sawyer and Aiden never seemed to mind.

Sometimes, I think he even has fun around me. Even if we don't talk much. 

"Come on, we'll introduce you to some people." Mr. Sawyer's hand is extended towards me, a hand to help me up. As I take it, I wonder why I still call him Mr. Sawyer. 

Maybe it just feels a little strange to call him by his name since he pays me. Also, I don't know the last name of the other two. Unless they share a last name but in that case, I don't have any idea about that either. 

We step out of the room, the three of them surrounding me like some sort of body guards. Usually I would care, I would push past and scowl at them but you could say that I'm learning to let others do things for me. 

But it was also made me wonder if they were still scared that something would happen to me, even inside of their walls, their territory. 

Nerves fly through the gut of my stomach at the thought but I do my best to brush it off as we step towards someone. A woman, 5'10 at least, with beautiful caramel skin and a bob. She looked educated, smart, and I knew that had to be in more way than one--street smart and school smart. 

"This is Carmela, our supervisor one might say. She has a handle on the numbers around here and passes them onto us. The person we trust the most besides our family," Mr. Sawyer explains. 

The woman doesn't smile. She looks me up and down as if examining if I was worth something, whatever it was. 

"You're taking him on runs?"

"Yes, and?" Aiden intervenes, apparently hitting a spot no one should hit. 

"There's a possibility he'll get killed."

"What, you don't think we can protect him?" Eliott takes a step forward, clearly pissed. 

I do have an extreme trauma towards guns but that's it, I won't freeze up otherwise. I have been protecting myself for a while. She didn't know that though, she underestimated me based on my appearance. Well, what could I do.

She shrugs. "Not saying that but we all know that there's an X on his back."

"Still?" I frown.

I feel like a deer caught in headlights when they all look at me. 

"For whatever reason, they think that you're priced possession." She looks at the others. "Is he?"

No one answers. I take a step back. Why would anyone think that?