Chaotic Order // Rio fic

Chapter 9

The next couple of days had me consumed with stress, with the gang member in my hospital and my brother being a dropkick as per usual it left me with an insane amount of pieces to pick up.

I'd gotten Candace to check the office's messages almost every hour, praying that Rio had called to collect his boy but each hour I was equal parts disappointed and irritated. After visiting the boy, who's now revealed himself as Eddie, a newer recruit in Rio's enterprise.

To my surprise, however, he'd let me in on some juicy intel about Rio and the gang as a whole. He'd told me all about just how successful the business really was and how desperate Rio was to merge with me. I still had no intentions to, especially after being told that Rio had an apparent 'fixation' on me. That only spelled trouble.

My phone dinged with a notification and I glanced down, hoping that it was Rio finally ready to take Eddie away. I breathed a sigh of relief when I read the content of the message.

Kept ya waitin long enough darlin, I'll be over soon ;)

I almost scoffed at the casualty of the sentence, as if he'd left a puppy with me to babysit.

Sooner rather than later, some of us have an empire to run

My fingers type the snarky remarks before I have the time to process them, already hitting send.

No need for the attitude sweetheart, I know you've missed me.

I decided to leave his text message unanswered, finding a better use for my time. I demand everyone prepare for Rio's arrival just in case he got any ideas to try anything stupid.

Taking it upon myself I visit Eddie, his wounds were healing well just as I'd expected. I only hire the best after all.

"Look's like daddy's finally coming to pick you up from daycare," I state with a small smile, catching his attention.

"That's funny, only a week ago we were discussing how long it would take for you to start calling him that, gotta say I definitely thought you were more of a 'sir' kinda girl. But each to their own I guess." My eyes went wide in realization and I couldn't stop the blush creeping up my cheeks.

"You're revolting." He only chuckled in response.

"You thought any more about his deal?" I shake my head. "You'd be crazy not to, I'm telling you right now but it's not my business." He glances down to his wound and back to me. "Thanks for this though, I mean you could've just left me on the street I guess, or killed me out of spite for Rio." I gave him a small smile in recognition before I get another text, this time from Sadie.

They did it again :(

I feel a frown take over my face before an idea pops into my mind, risky but worth it. "You wanna know how you can repay me for it?" I ask and he nods, eager to repay his debt. I give him the details of Sadie's ordeal and ask him to scare the shit out of the kids doing it to her, a smirk plays on his lips as he contemplates it.

"Done and done." He replies with amusement and I shoot Sadie a text back.

Don't worry, they won't be doing it for long. I've got it covered x ;)

"Thank you, Eddie, maybe having a gang at my beck and call could be a good thing." I laugh lightly and he joins in. My phone rings in the middle of my conversation so I answer it without glancing at the caller ID, assuming it's Rio. "We're waiting, Rio, did you need time to fix your hair?" I tease but the sniffling on the other line has me second guessing who I'm talking to.

"Vi? It's Beth." My eyes widen and I walk slightly further away from Eddie who looked immensely confused.

"Beth? Sorry I wasn't paying attention. What's wrong you sound like you've been crying." I question with concern.

"It's Dean." She replies, breaking into a sob.

"What has the slob done this time? I barely want to even hear his name with what happened the other night-" I begin to ramble before she cuts me off.

"He's got cancer, Vi." I hear her words but don't process their meaning, they hover on my chest, compressing it as they squeeze tears out of my eyes. I tighten my grip on the phone, praying that somehow this is some sick joke.

"No, he doesn't." I deny immediately, refusing to believe that my brother had been diagnosed with such a terrifying disease. "I saw him a couple of days ago, he's fine," I explain, the tears streaming lightly down my cheeks but I wipe them with the back of my left hand.

"Vi, I wish I was joking. He just told me." I feel my knees weaken slightly as I stumble to a chair, finding it hard to breathe.

"No, he would've told me. H-He w-would've s-said something." I feebly state.

"He said that you were upset when you last spoke so he didn't want to tell you." At this point, I let a sob from my throat, the thought that I'd made my own brother feel as if he couldn't tell me about something so important made my insides twist.

"I- I need to go." I quickly hung up the phone but remained in the seat staring at the white wall as I began to understand just what was happening. Dean had cancer, Dean could die, my only family left could leave me. The longer I stared at the wall the more tears fell from my eyes, I held my head in my hands and let out small sobs.

"Boss? Are you okay?" I feel a nurse touch my shoulder but I flinch from him, shaking my head slightly.

"I just need to go to my office for a bit, if Rio shows up stall him until I come back down," I muttered, brushing past him to the elevator, clicking it and riding it directly to where I needed to be.

Stepping into my office I let the words fully sink in, I can't go through this again.

I let my hands curl into fists and my shoulders tense, my mind overcome with such a sudden wave of sadness that I'm left in utter confusion as to how to act. Before I'm able to think anything through I've swiped all of my paperwork and pens off my desk letting an agonizing scream.

I'd driven away my only family and now he could leave me for good, how could I be so immature and stupid. I threw my phone at the war, hearing it shatter into pieces and flipping the chair that Rio had sat in only a week or so ago.

Why the fuck is Rio on my mind? It's also where my brother sat. Where are my priorities?

I slumped to my knees and cried, I knew that it was too late to tell just how serious his cancer was but if it was anything like my parents it would end in months of false hope before a grave would be dug and I'd be left as the only blood Boland left.

A soft knock resounded through the office and I quickly wiped my tears, straightening my clothes as I stood back up to answer it. "Boss? He's here." I nodded wordlessly, taking a deep breath before feebly running a hand through my now matted hair.

"Let's get this over with so I can finally just cry in peace." Candace looks concerned but I give her a small smile.

~~~

So the bomb has dropped hm?

This should be interesting.