American Oxygen

Nine

RIHANNA POV
Fenty Residence
Calabasas, California
5pm PST
I crawled into bed with Chris' letter after I read it. Aubrey came back with my snack and drink, but I pretended to be sleep so he would leave.

I didn't dislike Aubrey I don't think I ever really could, but there was just too much going on in my life. I could tell him or anyone else about it. It would put them in danger.

I was still furious with my parents when I heard then come home.

I'd cried for days, for years even, waiting for Chris to call or write to me. My mom had been by my side the entire time. If she thought for even a second that my father had been the reason for my pain, she should have told me, but she didn't.

I shuffled out to the hall and down the stairs after I heard by father head into his office.

"Momma."

"Dinner will be ready shortly honey." She responded happily.

"Momma, my letters, where are they?" I asked.

"Your father said Aubrey brought your mail-"

"No, momma you know what I'm talking about. My letters to Chris, did daddy hide them?"

She frowned, as if desperately trying to search her memory for them. "I'm sorry honey, I don't know anything about any letters."

"In the car, you made it sound like Daddy took them so Chris wouldn't get them. Please tell me the truth." I begged.

"Honestly honey, I don't remember anything about those letters."

"You held me while I cried."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry sweetie, you know I'm getting old now. I just don't remember that."

I smiled and kissed her forehead before heading back upstairs.

She wasn't my enemy. She was just another pawn in my father's game.

"I can't believe you did that to her." I yelled pushing into his office, slamming the door behind me.

His office was sound proof the Keepers demanded those kinds of precautions. I could scream at him about any and everything and Momma would never hear it.

"SSA Fenty-" He was talking to some of the higher ups over his secured line.

"DAD."

He quickly hung up and turned towards me. "This is an intrus-"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed. "You watched me cry for years over him. Are you really that cold?"

He shook his head. "Robyn, that boy was beneath you. He still clearly is. I stand by my decision."

"No daddy, he loved me. He still loves me. He protected me and he always looked out for me."

"He beat you Robyn!"

"You betrayed me in a way I never thought you could."

"That boy was never right for you, looking at what became of him now, I do not regret what I did. Homecoming night, I tracked you to his home. I know what happened Robyn." He looked through his keys as he spoke, then opened a drawer in his desk. "If you were to procreate with someone like him, the future of our family in the order would end."

"D-"

"HE WAS BENEATH YOU ROBYN!" He yelled throwing a stack of letters at my feet. "I could not allow you to love a boy of his caliber. You were made to be of your strength and of your knowledge. I could not allow you to consort with someone who relies only on animalistic instinct. He had no logical rational!"

"Made? I'm your child. I'm not some scientific experiment and I'm not your damn property!" I laughed out of anger.

"I did what I had to do to protect our family and to protect the order. You are the property of the order." He hissed back at me. "I provided you with a clean cut from that boy. You left him with feelings of abandonment and betrayal. I made sure of that one the day of that... that dance."

"I hate you." I'd never said that to my father before.

My father brushed it off. "You belong to the order Robyn and the order believes that it would be in your best interest to procreate with Aubrey. A true prodigy would lie on a progeny of that caliber. A son twice blessed by the order. It-it has never been- ... Robyn, anyone but Aubrey would lead to a lackluster progeny."

"My right to-to procreate is mine alone. The Order, you, none of you are entitled to my children and you aren't entitled to decide who it is I choose to love and choose to have a family with. If mom knew-"

"She can never know, Robyn." He said sternly. "It concerns the order."

I shook my head in pure anger, gathering the letters. "I hope you can offer her a real explanation for why she'll never see me again." I growled storming out the door.

I had so many questions. But I'd never be able to get the answers not from my father and definitely not from the order. And I'm pretty sure Aubrey knew less than I did about our "intended procreation."

I just needed to find Chris. He was the only one I could trust.

CHRIS POV
The Boss' Warehouse
Los Angeles, California
6pm PST
There was a lot on my mind. I hated lying to Robyn, but I had too. She would hunt me down and kill me if she knew that I was still up to my old shit. I'd made her a promise.

But it as all I could do to protect Mijo and Mel.

Angie ended up going back to DC with King. She was supposed to move out here at the end of the week, but I wasn't sure if she was coming back. She and Michael hadn't talk since we dropped Robyn off.

"What you got for me CB?"

"Hey Boss." He still didn't trust me enough to give me his name.

I had to tell him everything, even about Robyn. I didn't give him her name though, he sort of respected that.

"It's good. Ain't a penny out of place." I continued.

He had me counting money for now. I didn't know anything about any other people and he wasn't allowing me any direct knowledge of the business. I figured it would be this way until I was trusted.

"Michael said you sent that girl of yours a note." The Boss stated. "You have to tell me about shit like that, you know that. Being secretive with your bitch makes you look suspect. She a fed too."

"I was gonna tell you Boss. You know I'm not rat."

"That shit don't mean she didn't flip you. There's no telling what you told that girl." He continued.

"Boss, I love her. It's just that simple. I want her to give us a chance and I know that shit sounds dumb, but she wants to be with me. There's just something..."

I looked up, but the Boss was already out of the room.

As long as I still reach out to Robyn, I don't the the Boss will ever truly trust me, even after all I've done. Another part of me just thought he didn't give a damn about my personal life.

If he tried to make me choose between Robyn and the game, I'd choose her every time, even if that meant death. And I knew damn sure knew that's what it would mean.