~32~
We had been flying for hours, now having around 30-15 minutes left until we arrive. Colby and I ended up falling asleep a little after getting pastries from the flight attendant. I got a doughnut, jelly-filled, and enjoyed it while Colby had a glazed, which I said was too boring for my taste; He then continued to tell me how I was also in the wrong for linking Vanilla ice cream without toppings. We had a lengthy discussion about that.
The guys woke up around an hour or two after our departure, slowly but surely joining Colby and I's conversation. Sam was the first to wake, not surprising me whatsoever. He had woken from a bad dream, then continued to tell us about it. Apparently, he was being chased by a dark figure that he kept losing but finding again. But he also said the figure was a little familiar, which he thought was strange but didn't think much of it.
My mind, of course, filled with the need to give everything meaning, broke it down, and analyzed it. Not saying it aloud, I thought to myself, "That figure is yourself, the part of yourself you don't like. You said it was familiar because it was you, or a part of you. The reason you kept losing it was because you chose to ignore it, but that doesn't last long because it always finds its way back to you."
Instead, I said, "Wow, scary."
Corey was next to wake up, having to use the bathroom and not being able to fall asleep after. He joined in our conversion about the universe and aliens. For what it's worth, he agrees with me that aliens do exist, while Colby and Sam don't.
Jake woke up with a groan, complaining we were talking too loud and he couldn't get his "Beauty sleep." Corey continued to pester him until he finally joined us, sitting on the seat across from the four of us and still cradling his pillow close to him, his chin snuggled into the soft and plush material.
"Oh, I've actually never asked y'all this." I began, the mention of police during our conversation about good movies bringing an interesting question to mine. "What what the thing you first got arrested for?"
Corey's chuckle escalated into a full-blown laugh, his hand covering his eyes in embarrassment as he leaned back and then sat back up, "Oh my god, I think I have the best reason." he laughed.
"Non-sense." Jake shook his head, "Mines better."
"My reasons boring. Caught smoking week under the bleachers," said Sam.
"That is because you are a boring person brother." Jake teased, Sam sticking his tongue out at him in return to his comment.
"Yeah yeah." Sam dismissed him, a smile hidden in his scowl.
"Corey?" I say.
He cleared his throat, "I mooned a cop." he smirked.
I laughed, "What? As in flashing your bosom?" I narrow my eyes.
He smiled proudly, nodding his head, "Oh yeah, was in a station cell for a full day and spent a week at juvie. Ah, good times." he grinned in reminiscence. I wouldn't say it's something to reminisce on, but I guess it could be a nice memory.
"Mooning a cop is not that crazy." Jake said in spite, "I spray painted my English teacher's car because she hated me for no reason, so I gave her one. Drew a detailed dick in our school colors." he pulled out his phone, showing off a picture of an old car with, as he said, a penis on the side of it. He laughed and stuffed it back in his pocket.
"So badass." Corey rolled his eyes. I giggled. These two loved to annoy eachother.
"That reminds me, a little someone drew a middle finger on our wall just a little while ago." Sam eyes me, a brow lifted, "Along with the words, Fuck you, written right under."
I blushed, remembering what I had done right before my attempted escape. At the time I didn't think I'd hear from them again, so it didn't matter. But now they know it was me and I have to face the embarrassment. What is it with me getting humiliated today?
"Yeah.." I trailed off, scratching the back of my neck, "Sorry about that."
"Don't you dare apologize! I loved it, and we all deserved it for not stepping in when Colby was being a dick." Jake said, Colby, wanting to step in but deciding against it knowing Jake was right. At least he's aware.
I shrug, "I mean I cleaned it up when I got back." I defend myself.
"That was you? I thought Maurice had done that?" Sam asked.
Shook my head, "I didn't want him straining his back trying to reach the high parts so I cleaned it myself. But he did grab me the supplies and we had a nice chat about a book I had recommended to him."
"I think you forget he is quite literally our butler and is paid to work for us," Corey says, not meaning it in a bad way.
I replied with, "And you forget he is human and can only do so much."
"Oh Colby, you just had to kidnap the most angel girl in the world ?" Jake's eyes landed on Colby, who had been quietly listening to us talk. His ears perked at the mention of his name again.
He sighed, looking at me, "I know, she sucks right?" he teased, but I took it to heart.
I narrow my eyes and cross my arms with attitude, "Okay, I'm not completely innocent, at least not anymore. Even before y'all took me I was sneaking out almost every night, going off on my own in the middle of the night. Now I've killed people and-" I look at Colby, thinking about what we had done a week prior in the pool and what I did at the beginning of the flight. He raised an eyebrow curiously, almost like he knew what I was thinking. I cleared my throat, "A-and other stuff." I sunk into my chair, almost embarrassed by my own thoughts.
"Hm, still a goody-two-shoes at heart," Jake said despite my counterstatement, "And what did you do when you snuck out? That's the real argument."
I shrug softly, "Explored around the town, ventured into the woods, things like that. But my guardians were very strict about the things I did so it was really one of my only forms of freedom. I even learned how to climb trees." I smile at that small accomplishment.
"Like a monkey?" Corey questioned.
I curl my lips inward and sigh at his childish mind, "Yes Corey, like a monkey."
"How can you know how to climb a tree but not know how to swim? I feel like that should be flipped." Sam said.
"I was provided more trees than pools I guess," I reply.
"Hm, well, I don't count climbing trees as badass. So you are still an angel." He concluded, the guys nodding in agreement.
"Okay? Just because I don't have a criminal record doesn't mean I am not badass. Colby doesn't have one and you all seem to treat him like the most dangerous being in the world."
"Not the only one, but, yeah I kind of am," Colby spoke up, "And no criminal record is an accomplishment in this business. It just proves how good I am at what I do." He smiled cockily, "And who even told you that? I don't remember ever mentioning it."
I think back to when Colby told me about the whole Toxicity business and how right after he told me I would need to learn self-defense Reggie told me what he knew about Colby which wasn't a lot. It seemed like no one really knew him, maybe Sam, but even Jake and Corey seem more clueless than him. I believe they know about a major event that happened but maybe not all of it, and Sam is the one who told them so who knows how much he spilled. He could have withheld information for the sake of Colby's privacy.
I still had so much to learn about him, and that made me wonder if he would also want to learn about me.
"Reggie." I finally respond.
He seemed to find that funny, "Reggie? When the hell did you find time to chat with mister computer geek?"
"Hey, be nice." He huffed humorously, "After you educated me on the whole Toxicity thing. I left you alone for a while after you told me I needed to learn self-defense and he showed me the restroom. I asked him about you."
He nodded, "Well he knows almost nothing about me, so I'm guessing you didn't learn much."
Shaking my head I responded, "Nope. But finding out you didn't have a record was very shocking."
He purses his lips in false hurt, "Aw, do you doubt my skills?"
I would say doubt, but everyone makes mistakes. Even him. "No, but with what you do I expected something. Ever gotten close?"
He leaned his head back in though, fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair as he picked deep into his brain for a time he almost got caught by the police. His eyes lit up when his head sprung back up. "Yes actually! But I got out of it pretty well."
"And why haven't we heard of this? You're pretty keen on making sure everyone knows about how good you are what you do." Corey said, surprised.
Colby's eyes slid back to me, "Well Livia asked oh so very nicely." I smiled cheekily, "And you guys never asked if I've ever gotten close, so I've never mentioned."
"That's bull shit!" Sam huffed, "I've known you for 10 years and I know for a fact I've asked you that."
"Eh, guess it just hadn't happened yet when you asked. But stop interrupting me, the lady asked a question." He politely smiled. He was in a good mood today I've noticed. More playful and smiley than his usual stoic self. I wondered why.
I sat comfy in my chair, waiting for him to continue.
"I was on a personal assignment, had to get information from this guy who knew about a recent Robert that went down at my client's business. 500,000 dollars were stolen." Shit, that's a lot of money, "I, well, beat the information out of him. But it turns out he had contacted the police about meeting me and allowed them to lock me up, since he promised them I was involved in the crime business." I felt like I was reading one of my badass mystery novels and the hero was telling a story about one of his most dangerous tales.
"The palace was raided, I had to escape but all the exits were blocked so I was forced onto the roof. The boys knew where I was, but I didn't have time to call them because of how fast everything was moving. They wouldn't have been able to make it on time. I had to improvise, and fuck did I do that."
I was getting into this story. My mind envisioning Colby's frantic but calm expression as he stood on top of a roof while the wind blew through his dark locks. The image was so clear in my mind.
"I surrendered." He admitted.
"What!" The 4 of us all yelled at the same time. Shocked wasn't even the word to even come close to how we all were feeling.
Colby wouldn't just surrender. In my mind, the vision I had of Colby paused as he said that. I couldn't process Colby Brock turning to face the police, hands in the air, and just giving himself up. There was going to be a turn-in here, I just knew it.
"Stop with the long pause of suspense you fucker!" Jake exclaimed.
Colby laughed, "Sorry. I was escorted down the building handcuffed and put in a police car. They asked me questions but I refused to answer. Turns out the guy didn't want to give my name Incase it related to him somehow, which it does. They planned on taking me in for questioning, but I wasn't going to do that."
"I dislocated my thumbs and got out of the handcuffs-"
"Fuck no!" Corey yelled, eyes wide, "You did not!"
"I did."
"Shush!" I yell at Corey.
"Thank you, Livia. I dislocated my thumbs, Corey." Corey pretended to gag, "and got out of the handcuffs with ease. Then I popped them back into place, which was more painful if I'm being honest. My hand was numb for a good minute. Anyways, I planned the perfect time to jump out of the car, which was right near a sewage drain. Quickly, I launched myself out of the vehicle and rolled on the hard ground, crawling and quite literally diving in through the opening on the side of the road, landing with a plop and a crack of my left arm."
Ouch.
"I ran from there, maxing through the sewage pipes until finally climbing out of one and calling a local I knew to come pick me up. They looked for me of course, but couldn't find me. I think they arrested the other guy though for something else and I felt with nothing but a broken arm. So it turned out alright."
"Wait." Sam interrupted, thinking he was done, "Josh fucking Mason? That dead beat guy who sold us drugs all the time?"
Colby nodded, "Yeah, him. What a prick he was. But my brass knuckle left a good dent on his face."
"Ew." I grimace.
"Sick." Jake disagreed.
I shook my head, "Not sick, at least not the definition you're thinking of. But I'm just going to ignore that last part. Uh, how did they not see you roll into the sewer? And why the fuck did you choose a sewer, of all places." I scrunch my nose in disgust just imagining the smell of those old pipes and the stench it must have left on him.
"I mean it was the closest thing and I had to act fast. And how they didn't see me go down there is a mystery to me, but, it doesn't matter. Two years later and here I am, still no record and going strong." He grinned egotistically.
"Brave." Corey began to clap, the 3 of us joining in. I may not be here for the whole breaking laws thing, but, I had to admit what he did was smart. And he thought of it so quickly, very impressive. I had to applaud him.
"Livia, would you ever roll into a sewer if you had to escape the cops?" Jake decided to ask as if he didn't know the answer.
I shook my head, lips folding in "I'd rather turn myself in than roll in old dirty water full of disease thank you."
"You think she'll ever get herself into a predicament where cops are chasing her?" Sam said, knowing the answer was no. I knew it was no. I don't break laws, we're not counting the people I killed out of self-defense, so I don't see why I would ever be running from the police.
"True, what about just an enemy in general. What's the farthest you would go? No killing included." Jake rephrased his question when hearing Sam's point.
I thought for a moment. How far would I be willing to go?
"Uh.. anything but jumping into water. I'd for sure die, but anything else I'm sure I could figure out." I shrug, not putting too much thought into it. It won't ever happen unless I'm forced into it so I don't think I'll ever have to make that decision on my own.
"Mm, good answer." He nodded, the guys agreeing with some sort of gesture.
A few more minutes pass before finally we're told to buckle our seatbelts for we would be landing soon. Finally, that flight took forever and I really needed to stretch my legs. They felt like jelly, not to mention my sore bottom. Aching from sitting down so long. But the guys kept good company and I couldn't say it was a boring flight.
"No that's my bag," Jake argued, pointing to the black bag that sat in Sam's hand. He looked at Jake with a look of unbelief.
"No, this is mine. Yours is the other black bag." He pointed over to the bin, where a bag almost identical to his was leaning against the rim.
Finally, we're on the ground and Colby was contacting our driver while Jake and Sam argue over the luggage, Corey watching in amusement. Sometimes I forget they help run one of the most dangerous businesses out there because of how childish they could act. I see their serious sides a lot, but I actually haven't in a while because I've been busy with a lot of things. I wonder if I'll see their business-induced personality show like they did when I first met them.
How they were so serious during the sapphire trade-off and thought quickly, figuring out how to get over every obstacle.
There were two sides to all of them. Though Colby usually kept his work face on even when he was at home. That brick wall he builds to shield himself from emotion. It was weird, but yet to be brought up in fear it wasn't the right time.
I was scared it wasn't the right time.
I've seen what he gets like when I pry and I don't know if I'll ever get to a point in time where he will be open about anything to me. Whatever that anything was. I was still mostly clueless except for a few names that have been thrown around here and there. But even then it's just a last name and the pronouns "she"
And "she" was still a mystery to me.
"Rides here." Colby finally announced after a few minutes of sitting on the vacant landing strip, where he insisted we get picked up.
We all funneled into the car and then began our adventure in Virginia. I had never been, but so far it's beautiful. Clear skies, beautiful scenery, and nice buildings. Very different from LA and Indiana.
"We have a few hours to rest until we need to start getting ready, we'll till Livia should start getting ready." I roll my eyes, "And then we should be set to leave at 8." Colby reminded us.
"Can we get McDonald's on the way to the hotel? I'm in dire need of a Big Mac." Jake whined, rubbing his stomach.
"Sure." Colby sighed.
"Why not Taco Bell? It's 10 times better than McDonald's." Corey decides to argue. And this created the argument whether McDonald's' was better than Taco Bell. It actually got pretty heated, which was strange, but not that unexpected. Colby and I gave each other looks throughout their conversation, not participating and subtlety giving small reactions to their either well-made points or poorly explained reasons.
It was very entertaining.
The drive was long, about 45 minutes or so. I fell asleep 10 minutes in, waking up to feel my head leaning on Colby's shoulder. It was not purposeful, but I still apologized. He shrugged it off, saying "It's all good," and then helping me out of the car. Very gentlemanly of him.
When I caught sight of the hotel we were staying at, I was shocked, to say the least.
"Colby why the fuck do you have to flaunt your money." I audibly groan.
***
A/n:
Cute chapter, kind of a filler but fun to write:)
We're #1 in the samandcolby category! Thanks for the votes!!!😇