I sat in Damien's home office going through the underground office footage. There were a lot of things that I had seen that was just simply negligent on his employees part.
I was trying to figure out what Danielle's part was in the underground because she was in none of the older footage but she was in all of the recent footage, ranging from the past week or two. She didn't really contribute to anything. She didn't deal, she didn't cook nor measure, she wasn't a cleaner. She didn't know shit about the weapons department. She was just there. Like a disease that just wouldn't go away.
There were two monitors sitting in front of me; one showing old footage and one showing new footage.
When Damien said that I'd be reviewing what was going on in the underground, he meant behind the scenes, not up close and personal. Not that I was complaining because this gave me something to do.
Marcella was downstairs watching the twins. She was really here simply to keep the twins and I company while Damien was working. And I loved having her around and so did the twins.
I thought Marcella was Damien's mother's sister but come to find out she's his fathers sister and let's just say they don't look very much alike.
Earlier this morning she and I were talking about Charles being a dick. She said that "Charles has always had a few issues. Not saying it's right because I'd kick his ass if I could but Charles has been in competition with Damien since he was born. That's why once Damien was grown, his marriage to Lila didn't last. He wanted to sleep with as many women as his son did. Pitiful really."
Pitiful indeed.
Marcella also told me that I'd meet Dalia, Lila's sister. She also said that Dalia and Lila didn't get along, so, Lila's dislike for me wouldn't affect how Dalia treated me. But I truly didn't believe that.
Lila thought I was another one of Charles whores who helped tear apart their marriage but little did she know I didn't start feeling anything for Charles until their divorce was finalized. But regardless as long as Lila had a burning dislike for me because of her assumptions she'd never know the child growing inside me.
My parents on the other hand hadn't spoken to me in damn near Eight years because I had married Niko. Not that I cared because they were never really there anyways, their careers were too important.
As much as I wish my children had amazing grandparents, they probably never will.
"Aaliyah, Honey." Marcella knocked on the door.
"Yes mam." I answered.
"Lunch?" She asked as she walked into the room.
"You made some?" I asked as I leaned forward in my chair.
"Yes. Come on. I know your pregnant butt is hungry." She laughed.
I hurried from behind the desk and made my way to the kitchen behind her.
"Mommy, look!" Isa ran up to me shoving a piece of paper in my face.
"Oh okay. What is this?" I asked leaning back trying to get a hold of the paper she shoved into my chest so I could get a good look.
It was a rose. The detail was immaculate.
"Isabella, you drew this?" I asked
"Yeah, you like it?" She asked with wide eyes swimming with hope.
"I love it, baby. I'm going to frame it in my bedroom where I can see it always."
"Can I color it first?"
"Sure, honey." I leaned down and kissed her temple.
"I made southwestern eggrolls. Damien told me they were one of your favorites."
"Ohhhh Yeaaaahhhh..." I exclaimed.
Marcella laughed.
She placed 6 on my plate with a side of avocado ranch.
"Thank you, Miss.Marcella."
"Call me, Dia. And you're welcome." She winked.
You could tell Marcella was a people's person and that she loved taking care of folks.
"Isa, Kitai, come eat!" I yelled.
"We ain't hungry!" Kitai yelled back.
"Pause the game and come eat! Don't make me have to get up!"
I heard the pitter patter of feet instantly. Their little heads bounced as they ran past where I was seated at the bar.
"Thank you." I grinned.
They rolled their eyes.
I raised my brow in a warning.
"Sorry, mom." They said in unison.
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"Im home!" Damien yelled from downstairs.
I didn't respond because I knew Marcella was downstairs and she would tell him where to find me.
I had pretty much been in the home office all day except for when I ate lunch.
I was still watching some of the footage.
Something caught my eye.
Danielle was paying off one of the weapon guards. This was just two days ago.
"What The Hell is she up to?" I whispered.
"Gattino." Damien peeked his head though the door.
"Yeah." I stated as I continued to watch the footage. The guard handed her a case of what looked like Semi-Automatic rifles.
"What are you doing?" He asked as he walked over to the chair I was seated in.
"Still watching footage. This particular video is recent." I did not take my eyes off the screen.
Damien lifted me out of the chair and sat them sat me in his lap.
"Anything interesting?" He asked as he kissed my cheek.
"Danielle paying one of your guards to turn the other cheek so she can steal your weaponry." I mumbled.
"What?!" He exclaimed leaning forward to get a good look at the screen.
Damien watched quietly and rewinds it back to make sure he was seeing things correctly.
"I should've killed her when I had the chance." I mumbled.
"I'll handle it. I want to know why she's stealing from me." Damien uploaded the footage to a flash drive and slipped me off of his lap.
"You're going now?" I asked as I looked up at him.
"No. I'm mailing this overseas to Elijah. I need an extensive background check on her. Speaking for background checks, I need to talk to you about Niko."
"Niko? Why?"
"Give me a few minutes and I'll be right back."
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I didn't really know what to expect when Damien said he needed to talk to me about Niko but I should've known it was bad the way he sat on the foot of the bed.
"I meant to tell you this a while ago but there's been so much going on lately that it had slipped my mind. I did a background check on Niko and let's just say his past isn't picture perfect."
"What do you mean?" I sat up and crossed my legs. I knew Niko had a past because that's how we met.
"Do you know why he disappeared all those years ago?"
"Well my parents had a case bulit up against him and threated him to leave me alone. They struck a deal with him, if he left town then they would drop the case. He said he had gotten himself together out on the weat coast.
"Did you know he had siblings?"
"Niko is an only child..." I furrowed my brow.
"On his mothers side. Not on his fathers side."
"But Niko doesn't know his father..."
"Is that what he told you?"
"Yeah, he said his father left when he was young."
"He lied. You actually did business with his father, Leon Jackson, DT, and his brother, Gabriel Jackson, Kilo. "
"Where are you going with this?"
"You killed Kilo 8 years ago. Niko popped back in your life 6 months later."
"Damien, what are you trying to say?" I asked. I knew but I asked anyways. My hands began to shake and my heart started to pound. I think I was about to faint.
"I think Niko wants revenge on you for killing his brother."
"I didn't know that was his brother."
"I know and so does he. But let's be honest, had you known Kilo was his brother would that have changed anything?"
"I don't know. Possibly."
"Niko is going to continue to try to hurt you emotionally and physically."
"What do you suggest I do?"
"Kill him." Damien shrugged.
My jaw damn near hit the floor.
"Kill him?!" I screeched
"Yes."
"He's the father of my kids."
"Yeah, well, he doesn't treat you like the mother of his. Elijah told me that he'd seen Niko sneaking around the New York Estate. Gattino, if this man harms you or our children that includes the twins because they're my kids too then I will kill him."
Damien stood and walked off.
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I had fueled up Damien's Jet and went back to New York about an hour after he left for the office. Dia Marcella didn't know I had left to go back to the states. I simply told her I needed some air.
I was now landing in N.Y. I knew I only had a few hours before Damien figured out where i had gone.
I had called up an old mentor of mine, Celine James. She had taught me hand to hand combat when I was 14. Then when Cane died and I became the Almighty Queenpin, she volunteered to be my personal bodyguard.
Today, I wanted her to warm me up, so, I could beat Niko's ass. I hadn't fought hand to hand in years; I didn't really need to because my specialty was guns.
"Daniels."
"James." I spoke without looking up from lacing up my shoes. I knew it was Celine. I could recognize her voice anywhere.
"Long time no see." She stood in front of me.
"How have you been, James?" I asked as I looked up finishing my shoelaces.
"Good. You?" She smiled.
"Lovely." I flashed a smile.
"If that were true then I would've never gotten a call from you." She raised her brow.
"Well, I need a little refresher from my training."
"Why?"
"Niko." I stated simply.
"What about him?"
Celine never really formed an opinion on Niko, so, she could never really approve or disapprove of him.
"We got divorced 2 years ago. There's a lot to the story. Just know he's been plotting against me for about 8 years."
"What?!" She yelled.
"Yep. My current fiance will kill him if he comes near me or the kids. So, I need to hurt him. Hurt him enough to get the hint to stay away; a warning."
"A warning?" She asked dumbfounded.
"He's the father of my kids. I can't kill him."
"Why is he plotting against you, Liyah?"
"I killed his brother a 8 years ago."
"Niko has siblings?"
"Apparently and I just found out last night."
"So, you didn't know the man you killed was his brother?"
"No. I don't even remember the guy, Celine."
"Well, we did do a lot of jobs back then. You more so considering you were a hands on boss."
"Regardless, Niko should've come to me directly. Instead of getting involved with me and contributing to the making of children. They're literally in the middle of everything and it sucks because I want them to have a relationship with him but they don't want anything to do with him. And I know he loves them so them siding with their mother that he hates just makes that hate stronger."
"Well, even if you'd known the guy was Niko's brother, would that have changed anything?"
"I don't know."
And I truly didn't know. Honestly, I lost my soul a long time ago, so, No I don't think it would've changed anything but I loved Niko before he'd even left to go live on the West Coast. I fell in love with Niko when I was 15 and we were doing drops together. So, maybe I would've spared his brother out of my love for him but I'll never know.
Celine and I practiced for hours; practicing different MMA combinations.
I heaved trying to catch my breath. Celine was always a beast at hand to hand. I was decent but Celine was the MASTER...
"Is that all you got, Daniels?" She taunted with a smirk.
"Hell yeah! I haven't fought hand to hand in 7 years. You teach this for a living."
"That's not why you're slow and that's not why you're holding back."
"How'd you know I was holding back?"
"All the times we've fought, girl, I know you. You've never held back, so, why are you holding back now?"
"I'm pregnant." I mumbled.
"What?!" She shrieked. She looked at me like I had lost my mind.
"Yeah. I didn't say anything because I knew you would've sent me home."
"You damn skippy! Why the hell are you trying to fight Niko while pregnant?"
"Trust if I could've gotten my weapons through customs, I would not be fighting hand to hand."
"You should let me handle Niko." She stated as she looked down at my flat stomach.
"You know me better than that, Celine. I always handle my own problems."
"I know but you shouldn't, not in this condition. The best why for you to keep that baby safe is to let me handle Niko."
It wasn't that I didn't think Celine couldn't handle Niko but more so the fact that I didn't want her to get hurt because of me. I knew she wanted to do it because she saw me as her own and she wanted to keep me safe. Celine was another mother figure to me. I met Celine when I was 13 and she had a daughter that was my age. Sadly, Lily was raped and beaten to death by some low life. Celine took me under her wing after that. I guess loving me soothed her pain. I welcomed Celine as a mother figure because my mother was too obsessed with her career. Even when she was home, she was emotionally detached but I love her anyways because she's my mom.
Celine gave me the love I never knew I needed or wanted. Celine and I were a lot alike and that's why I looked up to her.
"Fine. But I want to be nearby, watching; just in case something goes wrong. Deal?"
"Deal. Now take your pregnant ass home and rest. Please." She smiled.
"I hardly tell people this but I love you,Celine. You have a heart of Gold. I thank you." I smiled and hugged her.
Her arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace.
"I love you too. Like you are my own."