Family Business: Anarchy (Book II)

Chapter 5.

Orlando is asleep when I visit him again. I take a moment to watch him sleep. His right hand grips the pillow by his head, his left hand by his side. His breathing is steady, the monitors beeping around him as he rests from his injury. I grab a notepad from the bedside table, leaving him a note.

Lan,

Dropped by to check-in but you were asleep. I hope that you're feeling better and your stitches heal soon. I'll try to drop by when you are awake next time :')

Aria aka your baby mama!

PS- you still SNORE

I fold the note, angling it so that it will be the first thing he sees when he wakes. I refill the pitcher of water and his glass, making sure that he can reach both from his angle on the bed. Then, I fix his blankets, covering his torso before leaving his room.

Sierra is with Nicole and Cassius tonight which frees me up to go to the bonfire that Amanda has planned. I walk down Main Street, checking-in with a few vendors as I walk. While I am not as personable as Sebastian is, I do make an attempt to engage with people outside of my immediate circle. Almost everyone knows who I am even if I do not know who they are, especially now that it has been over a year since the formal establishment of the XAR movement.

I walk to 117th street, going immediately to the trailer that she now lives in. I knock but walk in without waiting for her answer. She is at her vanity, straightening her hair. "Aria!" She grins, looking at me from her mirror.

I wave, collapsing on the couch. "What's up, girl? Your hair looks so good."

"Amara found my color dye in someone's bag two weeks ago and kind of stole it so Juliana bleached my hair and touched up my color!" She grins, combing her hair out before applying the straightener. "I am in heaven!"

"She did an amazing job," I nod, looking over as James comes out of Amanda's room, shirtless. I guess they are back together again. The two are so on and off that it is impossible to ever keep up with their relationship status.

He tosses me a beer, "You coming into town with us, Ri?"

Before I can open my mouth to object, Amanda pipes in. "She is. I finally found a fake ID for her. We are smuggling her out tonight and you have no say, Aria!"

I open the beer, smirking. "You guys get to deal with the Council then if I get caught."

Amanda grins, "Let me at 'em. I have a lot I've been bottling up because of them."

James throws his head back laughing, plopping down next to me, his arm going around my shoulders. "She has," He agrees."

"I copied her ID a week ago," She says, standing as she finishes her hair.

I lean into James's touch, taking a sip of my beer. "When did you two get back together?" I ask, before pressing my cold beverage against his bare nipple.

James yells and dodges away, cursing me under his breath. "Like last week," Amanda grins, ruffling his hair as he moves to hide behind her, clutching his chest with one hand, flipping me off with the other.

I smirk, raising my drink at him as he ducks back into her room, I assume to put on a shirt. "And it's a... fun thing, or a together-together thing?" I ask for clarification.

"No idea," Amanda shrugs. "But we always gravitate back to each other. So, you in for tonight? I promise it'll be fun."

"Yeah, I'm in," I agree.

James comes back in a fitted gray shirt that shows off his muscles. Amanda and I both fan ourselves, "Wow, James!" She crows.

"Okay, James!" I laugh. "Carlos has been putting you to work!"