The Streets

23. The Good Boys Bad Act

Cole's POV

I looked around the corner at the building I was trying to get to. It was a tall building made out of white brick and the entrance looked like one of a palace. I had been planning to do this for weeks but I kept losing my nerve. I decided today was the day I would go in and get what I wanted. The thought of getting arrested, which was a possibility, made me stop in my tracks.

The facts I learned about The Raiders kept coming up in my mind. They didn't seem like much but the way Zeke looked at Trish and kept mocking her made me think otherwise. I wanted to punch him for mocking her which wouldn't have helped the situation but it would've made me feel much better. As for the rest of them, I didn't know how to put my finger on them.

I shook my head, focusing on the mission I was on. I sighed and walked the rest of the street before opening the door and walking up to the reception desk. There was a middle aged woman sitting behind it and she smiled at me."Welcome To Los Angeles city hall, how may I help you?"

I gulped back my fear and gave her a shaky smile before answering."Do you know where Ms. Pupal's office is?"

"Up on the fifteenth floor, fourth door on the right." She replied before going back to her computer.

I walked away happy she didn't ask questions.

"Excuse me. Sir?" She called. I spoke too soon.

" You do have an appointment right?" She asked.

I smiled again. "Of course."

I closed the elevator door and got off on the correct floor. It looked like the outside, white brick and palace look alike doors. I walked to the fourth door on the right, checking to see if it was locked and it wasn't. I opened the door slowly, checking to see if Ms.Pupal was there and she wasn't. Her office was a normal size, as was her desk which read 'Ms. Pupal Adoption." I went to the back of the office where her filing cabinets were and started going through it. The topic of birthdays came up one day and I wrote down Paul's as a plan formed in my mind. I found his birth year, 1997, and took the folder out. There were hundreds of people adopted this year and I inwardly cursed myself. It would take hours for me to find their records. I had been in here long enough, I took the whole folder and stuffed it under my shirt, closing the cabinet and exiting the office.

I turned away to leave, only to bump into someone. The woman was dressed in a business like manner, wore lots of makeup and had jewelry on. I recognized her because I had been looking up information and came across her.

It was Ms. Pupal. Head of adoption.

"What are you doing coming from my office?" She asked sternly in an accent I couldn't place.

Not knowing what to do, I grabbed her arm and pulled her through her office door.

"Excuse me Sir. If you don't tell me what you were doing in my office I'm going to call security." She huffed.

I reached into my jean pockets and pulled out a wad of cash. It was my share of the money from the shipment we did for Reeker. Almost six hundred dollars.

" It's all yours if you don't say anything about what you saw." I offered. I held my breath as she seemed to think this over before she snatched the money out of my hands.

"Go before I change my mind." She hissed.

I left her office and the building. It wasn't until I was safely out of bounds of city hall before I sprinted until I was out of breath.

<~>

Three hours.

That's how long it took me to find Jacobs and Paul's adoption records. I was tired for looking through them but knew I should go and give them their records.

Thayer and Theo were boxing, the girls were lounging around as I saw The Twins lying on the couch. I walked towards them and threw the folder, landing on Jacob's lap.

"What's this?" He asked in a bored voice before he read the folder title.

"Shit Cole. Where the hell did you get this?" He asked, only looking at the file. Too afraid to open it.

Paul took the folder from his brother and opened it.

"Agreed. Where the hell'd you get this?" Paul asked, as he opened it.

"Got it from city hall." I answered.

"Impossible. You can't access adoption records unless you're family or have a specific reason." Dakota approached us.

"There's nothing money can't do." I grinned.

"You used the money you got from the shipment to get these?" Trish asked slowly.

I frowned."Yes why? I thought it was up to me on how to use the money."

She snorted, " It is, I'm just surprised is all."

"Why are you surprised?"

"I didn't expect you to bribe someone." She gave me a small smile.

I glanced at Paul to see he was reading through. Jacob was leaning over his shoulders in curiosity even if he was angered when I asked about his parents.

"So you stole these?" Dakota asked, coming up beside me.

"More or less." I answered as she smacked me on the head.

"What was that for?" I asked rubbing my head. She could hit pretty hard.

"It's a very nice thing you did for The Twins but do you have any idea how much trouble you could get in?" She scolded me.

Of course I knew how much trouble I could get in. Not only with the law but my father as well.

"I was just trying to help!"

"You did help." Jacob spoke up. "We know who our birth parents are and where they live."