Shadows.

•12•

"Ugh, Danté sent you?" I asked, an unpleasant look took homage on my face.

The man kept a good distance from me, picking up a fruit and inspecting it as though he was interested in purchasing it. My eyes scanned the supermarket as I walked ahead, my acquaintance a few feet behind.

"I'd answer, but you already know what I would say." he rebutted. I stepped to the right as an elderly man slipped past.

Pushing my shopping cart, I stopped to grab some eggs and cubed meat from the frozen food department. The man now stood in front of my cart, I slammed the refrigerator's door closed, resulting in a loud unpleasant sound which drew the attention of some customers and staffs.

"Calm the fuc-"

"What the fuck do you want?" I cut him off, glaring as I threw the meat in the cart and grab some eggs.

"We need to talk." he deadpanned. 

"We don't need to do shit!" I grunted out, my teeth clenched and when his eyes alarmingly looked to my hands, I realized I had unknowingly reached for my pocketknife. 

"Your father wishes to speak with you." his hands reached towards the coiled device tucked neatly into his ears, he pauses for a hot minute "he's outside; in the parking lot. Wrap this up." Tarick gestured to my shopping cart; he quickly disappeared out of the store.

Deliberately taking my time to complete my shopping, I paid for and packed my groceries in my car. Not once did I glance to the blacked-out car parked next to mine. I slammed my trunk shut and entered my car. Quickly, I grabbed my gun, my silencer already in place before I took a deep breath and lowered my blacked-out window. 

"Took you long enough." he greeted, a scowl on his face. I adjusted my sunglasses.

"How can I be of service today, Sir?" I had other things I needed to do. Like find my mother and put a shiny new bullet in Anastasia. 

"I have a job for you," I turned to him, Dante hands me a black folder. "Tonight." he finished.

"Anything else?" I asked, Tarick glanced at me from his position behind the wheel. He sent me a look, one I couldn't decipher.

Dante shifted his eyes to mine. His eyes cold and deadly. "Anastasia's in town. We're going to have a little chat." he finished. 

He wanted to send me on a job, while he and her husband go on a damn meet and greet with her? No way. I won't allow it.

"Dante, you can't go! You'll blow your cover, they'll kill you the moment you step out of that car." I shouted. 

Tarick shifted. "They won't harm him. I will have him back home in no time." he added.

My eyes remained on my dad's. "Don't try to convince me not to, my decision has been made and I will not allow you to get into my head this time." he snapped.

"Dante! You can't do this without me!" I shouted, my fist connecting with my steering wheel.

"Nathaniel is your partner tonight," he continued to land another blow, I opened my mouth to respond, "that's an order." and with that, Tarick peeled out of the parking lot.

***

It took me approximately three hours to calm down. Only for my rage to refuel itself when the MGK looking-ass showed up in his flashy heavily-tinted race car.

I kissed my teeth in annoyance, that would attract eyes and raise suspicion in the small neighborhood we were currently in. Did he not know what a low profile was? He scanned his surroundings, not once turning his eyes to my parked, blacked-out car.

"Nice to see you again, Avari." He chuckles, bringing his fingers up to adjust his coiled device.

Keegan must've hooked him up too.

"Do not call me that!" I huffed.

"You've got a sniper aimed at your head." He clipped.

Snapping my eyes down, I forced myself to remain calm and collected. Whoever had a sniper aimed at my head, had to be posted on a rooftop in order to see me coming. This person either knew me or somebody sent them.

Nathaniel kept quiet after that for the most part, I avoided making any sudden moves due to the fact that someone behind a sniper held my life in their hands. Just one twitch of a finger and I was finished.

Nathaniel got into his car and drove away.

"Don't freak, I've got it covered." He admitted, a few seconds I didn't hear another word emitting from his own device.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Nathaniel's car appeared besides mine, he rolls his window down and I mirrored his action.

"Your problem has been taking care of." Nathaniel nods,
he points in the direction of an apartment building, but as I trail my eyes up the building, I see a figure, hanging upside down. The person was dead, even though it was night, I could tell the cause of death was strangulation.

"Nice work." I applauded.

"That's nothing, wait until you see what I have planned for Errika Wilson."he chuckles.

Sighing, I prepared myself to work alongside the man I would so love to put a knife in. Danté wouldn't appreciate me destroying his boy toy tonight.

I stepped out of my car, strapped and ready to perform my job. My eyes floated to the sky as thunder clapped.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" I began strutting towards our appointed destination.

"After you, Ava."