Undercover

Chapter 33

<RECAP>

My fingertips unconsciously traced the bottom part of the tatoo when my mind registered something familiar about it.

The top part of the tatoo was occupied by the bullet wound and the scarf. Yet, something seemed vaguely familiar about it.

My eyebrows furrowed for the umpteenth time today as I took in the lines and the shape of the tatoo.

My mind froze in realization and my eyes widened in horror. My fingertips came to an abrupt halt, still lingering on the tattooed bicep as my blood ran cold making my face turn a pale white.

It was a dragon tattoo.

And not just any dragon tattoo, it was the Mafia's dragon tattoo.
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I stared at it as my heart throbbed in pain.

I felt betrayed.

Has this been an act all along?

No! No! I don't want to think about it.

Tears clung on to my eyeballs dearly with a flicker of hope.

With hope that it might be a coincidence.

With hope that he wouldn't be the reason for my parents' death.

But who was I kidding?

I of all people knew better.

My eyes welled up with tears again, this time rolling mercilessly down my pale white cheeks.

Tears of anger, frustration, hurt and pain, all mixed together, gave out a bitter taste to my buds as the fat crystal beads landed on my rosy red lips.

Can tears even taste bitter?

Trust me, they do now.

Next rolled the tears that came with a sting of betrayal and the feel of an empty heart with a huge hole in it, with its pieces lost forever in one of those huge never ending oceans.

I looked up to see Cayden looking at me worriedly. His eyes softened when he realized that I was crying.

"Hey", he whispered softly.

I involuntarily flinched as I saw his hand moving towards my face to rub the tears away, making his hand freeze in mid air.

"I've got to go, remember?", I choked out and managed to give him a small fake smile.

I quickly stood up from my crouched position, cutting him off as he opened his mouth to say something. He nodded at me as his eyes showed memories of the phone call. Before he could ask anything else, I hurriedly trotted out of the restaurant and unlocked my car.

I raced it out of the parking lot as tears cascaded down my cheeks like a waterfall, racking my whole body into uncontrollable sobs.

***
HALF AN HOUR LATER

I knocked on the wooden door and barged into the conference room, not bothering to wait for a reply.

The heads that were put together in a small round table conference whispering to each other, looked up in surprise at the sudden interference.

"Miss. Parker-"

"What happened?", I demanded aloud cutting Director Williams off in the middle of whatever he was planning to say.

"Come sit, Emma", Martin spoke to me softly like a mother who would speak to her pissed off kid.

I eyed him dangerously as he fidgeted under my gaze. I felt my shoulder being patted reassuringly. I glanced over to see  Director Williams smiling sadly at me.