Life in the Underworld

34

The day I met Kalina, I was mortified of the girl that stood before me. A mousy little thing that hid behind the safety of her older brother, a girl traumatised by men and society for year; underserving of the abuse she sustained.

The more time I spent with her, I watched her grow into a confident, beautiful woman. Sadly, there were others who noticed her beauty as well. For months we all fought tooth and nail to keep away the idiots and dickheads that tried to have any form of relationship with our girl.

Till she demanded we allow her to make her own decisions.

"Spencer Gatwick."

As I returned to the lounge of the bar, I heard Aidan confess the secret I hoped Kalina would never hear. I knew the second she heard of his return, all this confidence and new character she built would crumble. All the progress she made through the years would be on edge.

"W-what." Almost instantly I heard the quake in her voice, her eyes glazing over with tears as she looked up at me. "Ace."

Opening my arms, I wrapped them around her within seconds, bringing her into one of few embraces that calms her in this state of panic. It took some time but I managed to soothe her shaking frame into little quivers, easing her back into reality.

"He's back?" Her timid voice whispered through the silence.

All I could do was nod as her crystal eyes stared up at me. I couldn't speak the words she so highly feared, I couldn't be the one to drag her back into a world of pain and misery.

The world had dragged her back itself.

"I want to know everything." Kalina said after a pregnant pause.

The thing you've got to know about Kalina is, when it's a serious situation, she doesn't ask. It's simply do as she demands and you'll live to see the end. We've all learnt in our time with her that she will get the answers she wants one way or another, and it's better to give her the information instead of her doing it all alone.

Aidan got up from the booth and collected the files from the safe behind the bar. Kalina and I sat in booth which he joined us in, passing her the thin pile of papers.

"He was last seen in Chicago, talking to the Dutch mafia; about what we do not know." Aidan began, "Have you met or seen anyone you can confirm is Dutch in the recent months?"

I thought back to all my time since I was arrested and sentenced, when I was secure and protected against Spencer Gatwick. Then it hit me-

"On Christopher's jet here from England. The flight attendant was a young Dutch boy." I told him.

Ace grabbed the laptop on the table beside him, and pulled out a USB stick. He began loading up the laptop while Aidan carried on talking.

"We've had our guys trailing him for the past few weeks, but we lost him in a private air strip. Six flights left that day, we have no idea which one he was on. However, we have our people scanning the areas of which those planes landed, and thankfully none arrived directly here in L.A."

"And when was this?" I questioned, staring blankly at the photo of the man.

His dark blonde hair was brush back away from his dark, empty eyes. His tattooed tan skin was flawless as it has always been, a slight stubble growing on his sharp jaw. He was stood, six-foot-one, wearing his tight fitting black T-shirt and black jeans, his biceps bulging beneath the material of his top.

To any ordinary woman, he is a dream man who's beyond gorgeous. To those who know him, he's their greatest nightmare.

I know him.

The torment I had to endure was indescribable. And thanks to my fucked up upbringing and my twat of a mother, I thought it was love. The narcissism and manipulation I confused with care and compassion. The obsession and violence I misunderstood for protectiveness and teaching.

I thought I had finally found someone to love me for me, not a body to fuck. But a person with feelings and a personality. And my knowledge of the protectiveness the club would have at me dating a known criminal prevented me from telling them I knew him.

It wasn't until they saved me did I realise what kind of man Spencer Gatwick is. It wasn't until Spencer took the person who means the most to me in this world did I realise what I had loved was a lie.

"Two days ago." Aidan answered.

It was as if Ace knew my next question, and he answered it instantly. "No Kalina, he wasn't with him."

I felt the tears leave my eyes, as I tried not to have a full break down. Aidan seemed confused by Ace's statement, but said nothing about it.

I spent the next half an hour looking at photos wired into the USB of Dutch boys under twenty five, trying to find out which one I had met on the plane. When we discover who the boy is, we know who to torture for information on Spencer.

"You told Christopher everything didn't you?" I asked Ace once I had identified the boy.

"No Kalina, not everything. Just what he immediately needed to know." Ace answered, a solemn look on his face. "It's not my place to tell your family about him."

Ace brought me into his arms once again, letting my head rest on his chest. As I stood in the comfort of my protector's arms -my brother's arms- I broke down.

"I miss him Ace." I sobbed out.

"I miss him too." Ace sighed, his own tears falling down his cheeks.

Once again, sorry for the long wait. I'm a busy person. But I'll update more now it's the holidays and I'm off work!!!

Also, who do you think 'he' is???