*Maisey's Pov*
Dumping myself down in the chair, Hank looked at me with his hands underneath his chin, a smile on his face.
"What's up, kiddo?" He asked.
"Nothing."
"You're a bad liar."
Why does everyone keep saying that?
I've hidden some of the darkest things from cops for years and they've never known about it. I'm not a bad liar at all. If they know something is wrong, it's because I want them to know that something is wrong.
The second I was about to get out my book from my bag, the buzzing of the gate sounded, putting Hank on edge. Grabbing his gun, he stood from his seat and tapped me on the shoulder, telling me to get down and away from the windows. Carefully opening the door, he checked on me one last time before he walked through it, his gun raised.
Antonio's facial expression was hard to read as Kage spoke. It's like he was guilty and ashamed of something.
Everyone turned to look at me as I stood in the doorway of Hank's office, tears filling my eyes at the sight of Kage and his team.
I wanted to run forward but Hank held me back, making me look up at him and then to Antonio.
"Why does she look upset?" Asked Kage as he walked past Jay and the others.
Antonio stepped into his path, their eyes connecting instantly and giving each other a certain look.
Something wasn't right, they were hiding something from me.
"You said it was too hot right now. Why are you lying to me?" I asked as I pushed past Hank who had tried to shield me from the situation.
"He's right, Kana. It is too hot right now," Said Kage as he winked at me with a small smirk playing on his lips. "You should really study instead." He said before he left.
The team turned to me, giving me a strange look when I retreated into Hank's office without argument.
I could say that they were correct and that I didn't care but that would be a lie. Instead, I went onto my phone and sent a text off to Derek, asking if he wanted to hang out.
Later in the day, I was done with all my homework and it was done to a good standard but like usual, Antonio didn't believe me.
"Can I go to Derek's?" I asked him as he read through my creative writing speech.
"No." He said as he squinted his eyes to concentrate. "What's this about?"
"Just a scenario we were given."
"I'm not going to ask again, what is this about?"
"A past experience."
"What happened?"
"Read it and find out. Also, I've already agreed to hang out with Derek. I don't want to keep him waiting."
"Do you not understand what being grounded entails?" He said as he slammed my laptop closed. "You wrote a creative writing piece about that night. You blame yourself?"
"Yeah. I do. I could've gone to the police when Frank first popped up in my life. I could've gone to the police when my home in Nashville made me uncomfortable but I didn't. Now there's fifteen officers dead. Six children without a dad or a mom. And that's on me."
"They chose to put their life on the line evry single day. They chose this job."
"And because of my choices, they're dead! You can try to convince me that it's not my fault but I won't believe a word you say. Because in my head, in my mind...I did that. I killed them."
"Maisey, it's not just your choices. If the police actually did their job, Frank wouldn't have reached out again. He would be rotting in jail for the first time."
That was my fault too but I didn't tell Antonio because he didn't need to know. Hank's plan was to get me out and shut down the rings. That was Kage's plan too but it was to also stop drug trafficking in Chicago.
Frank was never the target because of his abuse towards me, he was the target because of his other crimes. Deeper and darker crimes that only a few know about.
When Antonio finally agreed and dropped me to Derek's house, I could see it in his eyes. The deep regret of letting me out of his sight. But I was safe.
I'm always safe with Kage and his team.
Derek let out a sigh as he shut the door and watched Antonio drive away. Andrew didn't say anything apart from a small hello before he retreated to his office. He wanted to say something but he held his tongue and just walked away, shaking his head.
"Lying to a cop is such a bad idea. Have you seen Hank? If he finds out, I'm dead. I'm dead, Maisey." Panicked Derek.
"You'll be fine." Said Diaz, a harsh tone lacing his voice.
"Diaz." Warned Kage as he walked over to me, his arms out wide for a hug.
"Hey, I missed you." I said, relaxing into the hug.
"Shall we conduct business elsewhere?" Asked Maui as he grabbed his keys for the van.
The plan was for me to meet Frank to dicuss some more fights but I hadn't seen him since the incident. He went into hiding and Antonio kept me away from Kage and the boxing.
"So, when is this next fight?" I asked Kage as we began driving to the location.
"It's not for a while but it's called spooks fest."
"Three months before Halloween?" I asked.
"Yeah. Police are always alert around Halloween, so them throwing a fight night would be too risky. The good thing is, everyone has to dress up with a mask. Including the fighters. Meaning..."
"...you can look for the drugs." I said.
"Yep. The place they have picked is an old warehouse with plenty of back routes and underground passages, meaning there has to be an under ground meeting room. The place was busted over 25 years ago for being a gang's drug den."
Kage pulled the van into an alley, three minutes away from the meeting point. Frank had planned to meet with me at a diner because he was hungry, like always. But knowing him, it was probably for his safety as well as mine so the cops wouldn't find us suspicious if they were to drive past.
As I got out of the van, I could see the dark fearful line in each of their faces, creased into worry.
Without saying another word, I walked towards the diner, looking around me in case police were following.
The place we were in made my skin crawl because it wasn't a beautiful American diner that you'd often see, filled with families laughing and people randomly dancing to the Jukebox in the corner of the room. The red and white colours seemed to cry out in pain, their lungs filled with dust from centuries before.
Three men were huddled up in the corner, doing something shady to the smaller guy of the group. Walking over to them, I tried to intervene but Frank grabbed my hand and roughly pulled me towards the table. Protesting against him, I smacked his hands away as he dragged me into the seat.
As we were ordering some food, even though it looked very suspect, it started to lightly rain and then become heavier as the hour went on. Carefully trailing my finger on the window, I gazed up at the street lights that were creating a dim safe spot in the storm.
A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips when I remembered a past memory of my dad and I on a rainy day. Once again, it was ruined by the monster lurking in the corner of my mind, her lips pulled into a mischievous smile as she stared at me and then the gap of where my dad used to be.
"So, how have you been?"
"Why didn't you tell me it was her?" I asked as he scrunched his eyebrows. "You left me on those steps, knowing it was her. I thought you'd want to see it, I thought you'd take pleasure in the pain, like usual."
"Her? Who's her?" He asked before taking a breath. "You deserve the pain I give you. Look how far you've come. You just needed to be disciplined."
"The boss. My mom. The woman that left me as a child. Why didn't you tell me?" I said, raising my voice as I grabbed my fork, anger filling my body.
"Maisey, I didn't know. I...I've never met the boss. It's a need to know basis kind of thing. I only meet the boss if you say yes to her offer."
"I nearly died."
"I know and that's why I said if. I don't need to meet her, nor do I want to. She'll probably poach you from me and I need you. We make a great team. I was so scared when you got stabbed, I thought you were really gone. Not to mention, you stabbed yourself. Why? Why would you do that?"
"It was to make him think that he had won. He let his guard down, meaning I could trick him."
"It worked and it was great but don't, don't ever do that again. I know you think I don't care but you're my fighter, Maisey. I still need to look after you."
"Cut the crap, Frank. We both know you don't mean it. I bring you the money you need and that's it. It's not some father daughter relationship shit. You're just my coach."
"Anyway," He said as the lady placed our food down. "Where did you go?"
"To a firehouse. I was being chased and I knew they had medical staff. So I ran in there. What about you?"
"One of the doctors let me out the side door."
Diaz.
Diaz let him out so he didn't get arrested and I'm not mad about it. We've been working towards taking down the boxing rings as well as the drug trafficking that comes in with the new fighters. That was our first aim and no one else knows, not even Antonio.
I hate lying to him but it's not like I'm the only one doing it. He said I couldn't see Kage because it was too hot right now.
It's not.
The news died down weeks ago.
When I got back in the car, I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was go back to the apartment and eat pizza with the guys but I was supposed to be at Derek's. On the way to his house, the drive was quiet but Kage kept looking over to me, knowing I wanted to say something.
With a huff, I turned my face to look at him before rolling my eyes towards him. "What? You keep looking at me, Kage. What is it?"
"You want to talk about her but at the same time, you don't. We're here to listen, Kana." Said Diaz as he grabbed my hand.
"Can we take her down?"
"She's not our target." Said Kage.
"I know. I know she isn't but she's here. Here in Chicago. You want to take down the rings, right? We go after her."
"It's too risky. She knew us, meaning she probably knows Frank's drug business. She'll sweep it all under the rug."
"Please, Kage. Please." I begged as Derek opened the door to his house and stood in the warmth, looking out at us.
"Maisey," He said and I closed my eyes, knowing the change in tone and the change of my name. It's the way he tries to have authority over me but other times, he'll just shout at me. "She's not our target."
"She left me, when I was a child. She left me with a dad that was flakey. She knew what he was like. She knew that he wouldn't live the longest if he kept fighting. She knew all of that and she still left. She said she cares about me. She even called me a miracle. How does a miracle, an angel, a blessing, go to a monster, a despicable human that she can't even look at. How does that work?"
"Kana-"
"No. She doesn't get to call me all these names when she left me! She left her own daughter to die. Then she has the guts to show up here, flaunting her money, her rich husband and her job. The life that she tried to get away from. I was that life! It was never about the boxing. It was about me. She didn't hate the life, she hated me. Me! I was eight years old when she left. I was alone. She hated when I saw the dark realities of the world but she pushed me into it. She left me alone in the dark."
"After we take down Frank, she's next. I promise."
"Don't promise things you can't keep. I've stopped believing it. I used to trust you and I used to trust Antonio but everyone keeps lying to me. You were the ones that weren't supposed to lie."
"Kana-" Said Maui.
"No. You lied to my face. You lied right now. How the hell am I supposed to trust a thing you say?"
"Kana, please. Just think about this."
"Think about what?"
"We'll get her."
*Antonio's Pov*
Just as I was about to leave work, a new notification flashed up on our main screen. The screen that was keeping tabs on Frank and telling us where he was and who he was meeting with.
Kim looked down at the screen and then to Kevin who had also seen it. Her eyes flashed up to meet mine before she pulled them away again, fear in her eyes.
"Kim?" I asked as I went to look at the screen but she tilted it away from.
"Antonio, I don't think you want to see this."
Moving away from the desk, Kim cowered back, scared of what I might do. Jay joined me by the computer as a small brunette girl stared right at the camera, fear in her eyes as she hugged her stomach.
The diner was old and in the middle of a dark gloomy street, hidden away from the prying eyes.
Getting in my car, I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel, anger racing through me. Putting my head back on the headrest, I let out a deep breath before I turned the key and started driving to Derek's but didn't get very far when a message popped up on my phone.
I'm at home.
Home.
When she talked about her younger years, she'd talk about a house, not a home. She didn't feel comfortable in the house because it wasn't a home. It was just walls and beams. There was no love, no warmth. Just an area of brown, boring bricks.
However, when I got home, she was no where to be seen. Her bag was draped messily over the couch and her keys lay on the kitchen island.
As I searched the whole place, top to bottom, I let out a frustrated sigh when I couldn't find her. Had he done something?
Small sniffles soon erupted into loud, painful cries, coming from Maisey's room.
Opening the door, I looked around slowly, properly scanning the bedroom for any traces of her. The oak cupboard was open slightly, just about hiding her but the brown strands of hair seeped through the gap.
Crouching down, I sat against the closed door as she sniffled, trying to keep her sobs in.
"Hey." I said softly, not planning to bring up the whole thing about Frank.
Just as I thought, she didn't say anything back. Instead she just sobbed more and began hitting her hands on the solid material.
"Hey, hey. It's okay. Talk to me."
"She...she's ruining my life."
"How? How is she ruining it? You're still here with me, are you not?"
"She wasn't supposed to be back. She was dead to me. My mom was dead."
"Do you see her as a mom?"
"What?"
"Do you see her as a mom?"
"No."
"Then your mom is still dead. That woman you saw that night, that wasn't her. She doesn't get that title, not when she abandoned the one thing in her life that should've meant the most to her."
"Da-" Started Maisey before she burst into tears.
Throwing the door open, I pulled her out of the closet and into my arms. There was so much force behind it that we both fell onto her bed, her crying in my arms as I kissed her head.
"I'm sorry." She sobbed and attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes but they just kept flowing.
"I know we haven't gotten off to the best start-"
"You're trying to protect me and I'm so sorry I've been pushing you away. No one has ever cared this much. Not even Kage. Everything you said, you meant it."
"So does Kage."
"No. He says he'll find her but he's lying. I know he's lying."
"No, sweetie. He's not. We are working together to take her down. I promise."
"No. The promise, the lies, they need to stop. I can't keep having people lie to me and then pretend to be my friend the next."
"Okay. I'll stop with the promises. But you need to trust me and vice versa."
"I will. Will you?"
"Yeah. Si prometo."
"My Spanish is a little rusty from middle school but I know the first bit was a yes. What was the other word?"
"Don't worry about it for now. Get dressed for bed and I'll be in, in a minute. We'll watch a movie together and I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."
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A/N: I know you guys have been waiting but College is a lot busier than school, especially when you're learning brand new things and you have tests in March and May.
I'd like to Thank You all for the votes and the reads, it means so much to me that you guys are loving this book. I will try my best to get more chapters published.
- K