The Kingpin

•29•

February, 1987
Oakland

Amelia

  Amelia forces her limbs to stretch out with a groan before sitting up on the couch. She looks around slowly, taking in her surroundings. The last few days had been so surreal that this was a part of her routine now. Rafael had been gone for a while and she knew this wouldn't be happening if he was home.

  She got chills instantly and wrapped the throw blanket around her entire body, drawing her knees up to her chest. Truthfully, she was beyond exhausted.

  "Sleep okay?" His voice is soft from somewhere behind her. The sound of his approaching footsteps not at all intimidating like they were before. "I'm sorry about the cold. I-"

  "Yeah, and no, it's okay. Do you need to get anything done today?" Her eyes quickly pass over his standing form to make sure he didn't sneak anything after waking up.

  "Probably but none of it is important enough for me to care about right now."

  Amelia allows herself to chuckle softly, "I guess that's acceptable." He gives a dashing smile. "I'm gonna sleep through today then if you don't mind."

  "I don't want you on the couch if those are your plans."

  "Daveed, it's fine. I have no problem getting comfortable here."

  He rolls his eyes almost immediately. They had been having this debate back and forth for days. "I have a guest room. You're my guest."

  "The couch is okay," She makes herself look at him from where he is across the space. "Promise."

  "What if I swore to stay out here and you could sleep in the guest room for as long as you wanted?"

  "Somehow I don't trust that will go as planned."

  He allows himself a laugh but winces when the ache in his ribs hits sharper than he remembered.

  "You need to rest too."

  Daveed held on to every word she spoke, for her voice softened when she said this. He nodded and knew that he would. "I'll take the couch though."

  Amelia groans. "Diggs, I swear to god."

  He shrugged and sat down beside her, slouching down and crossing his arms over his chest. "My house, kid. Plus you're here because I'm pathetic- lemme at least give you a comfy bed for a bit."

  She fell asleep shortly after this, head tilted near his shoulder with mouth parted slightly. He picked her up then and laid her down gently into the guest bed before tucking her in.

  Daveed hated himself because there was a day when he could carry her no problem. But now? He was out of breath and laid out on the couch.

                                            ••••

Rafael

  He hated this. He hated these people and having to speak to them as if he wasn't cheating them out of their product every deal he made. He hated being away from her most of all.

  Emmi had stepped his game up a lot recently, taking on more and more responsibility with the less Rafa was around to micromanage. He was starting to get the hang of it but the fear of screwing up was ever present.

  "Almost done for the night, sir," He said while unloading one of the last crates in the shipment into a truck. "Sir?"

Emmanuel glanced over to where Rafael had been sitting after silence spoke back to him. He saw his boss drenched in sweat and skin pale, with his eyes closed. Rushing over, he shakes him. "Casal? Hey! Casal, wake the hell up."