Mobster Boy

6

Pic of Marcus on the side >>> 

The day's events have me pretty shaken up. But a hot shower and new, clean clothes helped ground me, and by the time Hideyoshi invited me to have dinner with the gang again, I'd stopped shaking. If anything, when Ash passes me a dinner roll, I feel sort of...radiant. 'At least I picked the right gang to get kidnapped by...guess that guy was right, I am sort of lucky.' "Did you take my car out for a spin today?" I look up sharply when Chance grunts in the affirmative. The lawyer gives a hefty sigh. "You left a scratch on it, right on the passenger door." 'Of course it was.'

"Must've been Moore." I gawk at him.

"What? I wasn't the one driving recklessly." I argue pointedly.

"I never scratch Marcus's cars, that's why he let's me borrow them. Had to have been you." I'm about to argue with him some more when he leans back in his chair, narrowing his eyes at me in a satisfied smile. 'He's teasing me.'

"Either way, you're covering the bill to get it buffed." Marcus furrowed his brows.

"Of course. It won't happen again." I shake my head slightly so no one will notice.

"Look at him, lying through his teeth. Cool as a cucumber, too. I wonder sometimes if you even have a pulse." Phaedra jokes, an easy smile crossing her face.

"He'd better. If he's dead, I'm out of a job." I almost laugh outright at Ash, but clear my throat instead. Tonight, dinner's not as rowdy, no alcohol flowing to loosen everyone's tie. Once it's over, they all return to their rooms. When I'm about to return to the living room to see if I can catch some TV, Chance stops me.

"Work's not over yet. Come on, let's see if you can transcribe those numbers."

'Oh...right.' "Of course." I nod and follow him to wherever he plans to take me.

~~

We spend about an hour in the library. It's my first time in there so I want to snoop around, but Chance keeps me on track. Before long, I've written down everything relevant and then some. "Your handwriting is so neat." He looks up from the documents, speaking in all seriousness. "You're like my personal photocopier." 'I can't tell if that last part was a compliment, but I'll accept it.'

"Thank you." I felt off taking a compliment from him, so I sound nervous even to myself.

"No." He rolls the papers up into a cylinder, bopping me on the head. I frown at him, wondering if I said the wrong thing. "You're the one who deserves thanks." 'He's like a completely different person when he's in a good mood. That temper of his is a real problem, though.' I smile at him and discard the thought for now.

"I...went ahead and wrote down everything else I remember that could be useful. If anything sticks out to you as important, point it out and I'll see if it jogs my memory for anything related to it." 'I feel like this is all child's play, but it's definitely not a game.'

"What about your parents' friends?" 'I need his help if I'm going to find my parents...and it won't bother me one bit to get revenge on some of their associates that deserve it. Just one problem...'

"I'm not sure exactly what kind of people you're looking for." I tap my finger against the pen, something I do when I'm thinking.

"Business associates, mostly." 'Now THAT'S helpful...just calm down. You both don't really know what you're looking for.'

"My parents made business with all kinds of people." I sigh.

"Anybody who specifically dealt with a lot of money?" I purse my lips and lace my fingers together under my chin.