A Cookie for the Big Boy

Chapter twenty-four

We are currently all sitting at the dinner table in nana's kitchen. Darmetir picked up the guys and returned minutes later with my bag of clothes. I told him to take the money as well. The envelope is now resting under the pillow in my old room.

"So, we lived here?" Leonard asks in disbelief. Nana just told him about the good old times before I was born. She nods and looks at Sean. Apparently he was about three when they left.
"I knew your face. But I never thought about this. I mean there is a homey atmosphere in here, but." He breaths out. He seems very stressed and disappointed with himself.
"Don't think about it too much. You were a toddler." Nana takes his hand. He smiles at her and continues eating.

"So tell me, what are you going to do with Ivan, Niki?" Nana asks him and he takes a sip of his water.
"We are going to make him tell us." He answers and Blondie snorts.
"Is there something you want to say?" Darmetir growls at him.
"Sean told me how you made him 'tell' you. There's no way you can talk to him anymore." He shakes his head. What?

"Why? What happened?" I ask him.
"I told you the reason why I never accompany Niki and Sean. He has his way to make people tell him." Blondie tells me and I frown.
"What did you do to him?" I turn to Darmetir. He just looks at me and shrugs, completely ignoring the look I throw him.

"Sean?" I turn to him. He looks between me and Darmetir. Darmetir gives him a look and he shrugs too, not answering. I scoff and stand up.
"Nana, the food was amazing. If you need me, I'm in my room." I say and leave the kitchen.

I can't believe they are keeping stuff from me. I thought we'd be a team from now on. But I shouldn't be surprised. All they care about is business, not me. I'm just a helper. After I helped them with everything I'm never going to see them again. It makes me feel different feelings in my stomach. I'm probably going to miss Blondie and Sean. Darmetir can go to hell if he wants.

Deep in my thoughts I didn't hear the door open and jump as nana comes to my side. She smiles at me and sits down on the bed, pulling me with her.
"They are just trying to protect you. I know it doesn't seem fair but you are a lady. God knows what he did to him. Just know that he tried to kill you and robbed the partnership." She tells me. She's right, I know but...I don't know what I want.
I nod and lay my head on her shoulder.

"You know what will make you feel better? A certain young boy that is dying to hear from you." She sighs. My eyes widen. Oh no, not-
"Jeffrey. I will invite him for dinner tomorrow. Yes! And then you can talk and whatsoever. I'm going to call him right now!" She says excitedly and I roll my eyes.

Jeffrey is like this annoying little brother that always follows you around. He is older than me but that doesn't mean anything. We grew up together. He was always in love with me or whatever. One time in school I opened my locker and got about a billion loveletters with his handwriting on them. Before I know it nana storms outside and calls him. I exhale loudly and drop my head on the pillow.

On the other hand, I haven't seen him in years. I'm kind of interested in how he looks. Last time I saw him, he was a skinny eighteen year old tall boy, who didn't know how to fight. Let's just hope he doesn't have any feelings for me anymore.

As I lay there in my dark old room on my old bed, I realize how much I miss this and how much I belong here. New York is amazing and I really like it but this, this is my home. I don't think I'll go back to New York, once this mission is over. I mean I am definitely going to miss Lacey, but other than that nothing keeps me in Chicago.

I pull the money out from under my pillow and start to count it. I find myself doing that quite often lately. I pull it out of the envelope and start counting. Somewhere between 7.000 and 7.040 I hear the door open. I am too concentrated to look up and see who it is. It's probably just nana, telling me to go to bed.

"Planning your second escape?" I hear Darmetir's velvet voice. My eyes widen and I stop counting and hurriedly put it back in the envelope. I shove it under the pillow and stand up, looking at him. He stands there, only in a pair of sweatpants with his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw tight. He takes a step closer.
"Do you have any idea what we went through?" He growls and I gulp.

"Cat got your tongue?" He steps closer. You know what? I'm not scared of him. At least I'm not alone with him anymore.
"No. I do not know what you went through. Do you know what I went through?" I step closer and put a finger on his bare chest. He seems surprised but remains silent.

"All I ever asked for was just a little bit of respect. You had it coming! It is your fault that I had to sell my watch and flee with the money. You treated me like a pet! No, you treated me like trash. I have rights, and instead of being thankful that I decided to help you, you play with me. Like I'm some sort of bone to chew on. So, no. I do not know what you went through!" I yell at him.

His eyes are dark by now and he looks at me with a murderous expression. He takes the finger that's currently touching his chest in his big hand and pushes me against the wall. I gulp as he cages me.