Anima Vestra ◀ I° 🔫 James Valdez

Chapter 3 (Part I)

Dallas, Texas

Monday, 2 pm

It was a long and tiring night for me. I found it hard to deal with my inner conflict and fight with my demons all by myself in a silence of my dark office. The thought of going home didn't appeal to me in a slightest because it was the same way there. Dark, quiet and lonely.

Watching people getting wasted didn't ease enough of stress from my shoulders, and when I finally took a step out of my office, music seduced me into its embrace and in no time I joined the swarm of bodies. I wasted myself in the heat and beat that drummed in my ears, but I stayed away from boozy and other stimulants. I needed my head clean for today's meeting.

I ended my own party deep into the night, to get a shower and catch a little bit of sleep before the day. When I woke up, closer to 10 am, the club was empty, no music, no blasting lights. The only people that circled the place were stuff members that prepped the club for other night of parties. Cleaning the space, changing decorations and etc.

I broke my fast and got myself ready for the day. The club and my office for a long time served me as a home, of some kind. I lived here from time to time, though I had a beautiful house. I had everything I may need here.

To look presentable but not too obvious of my position I chose to wear a black pair of high-waist jeans and white chiffon wrap front blouse accompanied by a pair of black suede pumps. Simple and elegant. Something I always go for in situations like this. My makeup was simple and natural, a bit of light brown shadow to emphasize my eyes, mascara to make them look bigger, little amount of concealer to hide my dark circles and warm shade of pastel pink on my lips and cheeks.

Alisa was off for today, spending some quality time with her family and I busied myself with work for the time. I have chosen the most secluded area on the first level near the main entrance.

Only a few people strolled by me, rearranging and cleaning.

With tea in one of my hands and tablet on my knee I searched through information Alisa gathered for me, through numbers and names that I knew. Distribution was getting worse and I knew the reason for it, I knew the quality of product that was going around. I hated that I had to accept the lamest offers from the lames providers to compensate some of the inevitable loss that came my way this month.

Camila was the only possible way to level everything back in place, but I knew her situation wasn't the best now and it was a risk for me. A risk I am not ashamed to say, I dare to take. Whatever it takes to reach the end goal.

With another sip of tea from my mug, I put it on the table before me and at the same moment, one of my phones started to buzz with an income call.

I always had two or more phones on me. One was exclusively used for work, one for personal use and others were used for other necessities, usually, I got rid of each of them after a month of use, they were used for the most of illegal part of my job and didn't linger for long.3

As soon as I caught the name of the contact my face lit up with a bright smile.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Michi," small and cheerful voice sounded from the other line, making my smile stretch into a grin.

"Yes, Lambkin. Whats up?"

"Don't call me that," voice on the other line became sodden with sadness and for some reason, it made me let out a low laugh, because I knew how much he hated the nickname I gave him a few years ago.

"Why? I like it," I swear, I heard him let out a small growl on the other side along with a loud huff and I imagined him rolling his eyes with his hands locked on top of his chest. "Okay, sorry. So, what's up? Shouldn't you be at school, kid?"