Rivals

CHAPTER 27:

Rebecca

I couldn't sleep. Not for a while at least.

I waited for him, for hours and hours, until my eyes couldn't stay open.

It wasn't until about five in the morning when I woke up startled by my cell phone.

I turned over and rubbed my eyes before I checked the caller ID. It was an unknown number.

"Hello..." I trailed out in a soft, groggy voice.

I heard breathing on the other side, I knew someone was there, but they weren't speaking.

I was about to hang up, but then I heard a heavily disguised voice.

"It's so nice to hear your voice Rebecca," a man's distorted voice spoke slowly.

"Who is this!" I demanded as I heard him laugh.

"You might not know my name, but you do know my gang," he says.

"The Lions," I trailed out in a whisper.

"I'm so glad you know about us my dear. And you will be, mine, soon enough," he trails out as I let out an uneven breath.

"Listen you son of a bitch—," I start as he laughs.

"Oh! You're brave!" He laughs. "Let's see how fucking brave you are then—I sent someone to keep an eye on Killian. Shall I tell him to engage?" He antagonized as my breath was caught in my throat.

"You wouldn't," I stuttered as he laughed.

"Would you like to find out?" He laughed as I grew silent. "Do you truly know why we do what we do?" He asks sadistically.

"No," I breathed out as he snickered.

"I guess Dante hasn't broken his habits," he laughs. "Still covering up the truth with lies," he trails on.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked in a shaky voice, trying to figure out if this man was lying or not.

"Oh dear, you don't even know the half of it," he vaguely says.

"Tell me!" I demand as he laughs.

"There's that bravery again—how about we make a little deal Rebecca," he offers swiftly as I take a deep breath. "Do you want to know everything your father left out? What Killian can't fill in because he doesn't know himself? This is bigger than any of you, and Dante has kept this a secret for a long time."

"What do you want?"

"Mm. That sounds promising. I'll tell you what—tell anyone we had this conversation and you won't be seeing your boyfriend anytime soon," he threatens. "I will contact you soon about everything."

"How do I know I can trust you?" I asked suddenly.

"Well, what would you like to know?" The voice asks patiently.

I hesitated for a moment.

Could I trust this man?

No, it would be stupid of me.

Right?

Actually, I don't know. I should go to my father but maybe this man is right, my father does lie and I don't know if I can trust him either.

I was stuck in my own thoughts while he started speaking again.

"Our gangs were close—so close that we were practically family. You were too little to remember anything that happened."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I proposed as he fell silent. "What is that supposed to mean!" I retorted as he laughed quietly.

"Goodbye Rebecca—looking forward to seeing you soon," he adds before he hangs up.

I threw my phone across the room and started pacing back and forth.

I ran my hand through my hair as my breathing picked up.

More secrets and lies. Or was that a lie?

I paced for hours and hours and didn't realize it until the sun started to shine through the window.

How is it that a gang that once was like family to us, is now trying to destroy us?

What's the game?

My legs were getting sore so I sat at the foot of the bed on the floor and stared up at the ceiling.

Why did he call me?

Out of all the people in my family, why me?

"Rebecca, are you alright in there?" I heard a soft knock at the door before the door opened.

It was Ruslan.

"Just fine Ruslan," I say as confidently as I can. "Has Killian come back yet?" I ask.

"Not yet. He has business to take care of, but he'll be back in a few days," he reassured. "Are you hungry? I can get you some food," he offered.

"I'm not feeling the greatest, I think I might skip breakfast to settle my stomach," I told him as I heard him sigh.

"Just let me know if you need anything," he offered before he turned around and shut the door softly behind him.

I let out a shaky breath before grabbing my phone from the floor and then I crawled into bed.

I kept staring at my phone, waiting for it to go off, and it never did.

I was in and out of sleep for most of the day. When I would wake up, I checked my phone but I would stare at a blank screen.

The suspense was killing me. And it continued to kill me for the next three days.

That was three days of me getting coffee and some food before laying in bed for the rest of the day, just laying there and waiting for my phone to ring.

Anna and Morgan tried to get me to do something, anything, but I wouldn't leave the bed. I was too worried about the things I didn't know, and when I was going to get another call.

I was so caught up in my own head that I hardly noticed Killian's absence.

Ruslan said he would be out a few days but I assumed he would have stayed here.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" Morgan's soft voice asked from outside the door.

"Yes," I answered softly.

Morgan walked in the room and stared at me with a concerned expression.

"What's wrong with you?" He says more sarcastically than serious.

"Nothing—uh, just haven't felt the greatest," I stuttered as he brushed it off. "Sick to my stomach really," I say to myself before laying back down.

"Ruslan told me you haven't been feeling well for the past few days. You're not pregnant are you?" Morgan asked as my eyes went wide.

"He'll no I'm not pregnant!" I shouted as he chuckled.

"Just teasing you Bex," he chuckled as I rolled my eyes. "If I brought you some soup, would you stop wallowing and being sick?" He playfully added as he cocked his head to the side.

"Bring some crackers with it and I'll think about leaving this room," I told him as he rolled his eyes and left the room.

I only waited a few minutes before Morgan brought in a bowl of soup and crackers for me.

"Thanks Morgan," I said and offered a small smile.

"You're welcome."

Suddenly, Reese shot in the room and shut the door quickly.

"Please don't let Anna near me!" He loudly whispered as he boarded up the door with his body.

"What happened?" I asked with concern in my voice.

"She nearly kidnapped me to take me shopping!" He revealed as he breathed heavily.

"That's it? Shopping?" Morgan asked sarcastically.

"You wanna go?" Reese threatened as Morgan put his hands up in defense.