VALENTINA, Brena, and Henry settle inside the luxurious jet after the air hostess directs them to their seats. The apprehensive party of three didn't have the time to take in the beauty of the aircraft. Brena takes a seat by the window, gazing at the blue floating clouds. Her mind was so jumbled that she didn't hear when Henry called her.
"I need a drink." Brena blurts out, disregarding Henry. "Excuse me? Miss?" She says loudly, waving her hand to get the attention of the air hostess.
"Can I have a bottle of Hennessy?"
The air hostess simply nods then spins around to go fetch Brena's drink.
"Brena, did you even hear a word of anything I just said?" Henry asks irritably.
Brena scoffs. "Yeah, I heard you loud and clear."
"Thank you." Brena kindly says to the air hostess when she returns with the bottle of liquor and a shot glass.
As Brena takes the bottle from her, she gently pushes the glass back at her. "No, no. I don't need a glass for this."
Brena pops the bottle open, then wraps her lips around it. When she tilts her head back, there's a sharp sting behind her throat as she brings her head forward, coughing as a reaction to the burn.
"Brena, slow down." Henry warns, staring at her worriedly.
"That's what someone should have said to Linda or Rita. Whatever the hell her name is." Brena replies sarcastically, going for another round of her drink.
"She cheats on my dad with Kevin's crazy ass, who's Lillian's father and the leader of one of the biggest Mafia gangs in the world." Her chest heaves up and down, chuckling at the ridiculous yet heartbreaking situation.
Henry and Valentina glance at each other at the same time with a similar hue of sympathy enveloping their eyes. Valentina's brows collapse pitifully as Brena continues her rant.
"Now that same man tried to kill me and my father when I was only 6 months old." Brena snorts. "And he failed miserably, thank God." She looks up, throwing a salute to what she believed was the heavens.
"He wasn't about to let me go down for the sin of a woman who calls herself my mother you know?" She looks at Henry and Valentina for a response but they hold blank expressions on their faces, not knowing how to answer the rhetorical question.
Brena continues to greedily shove down the alcohol into her system before muttering the rest of her words. "And she was pregnant with my little sister who happens to be my best friend and she didn't even bother to tell my fa-"
"Okay. That's enough." Henry stands up to take the bottle away from her. "Give it to me Brena. We can't have you drunk and passed out by the time we get there."
They struggle with the drink as Brena tightened her grip around the neck of the large brown bottle. "Yo, Henry back up." Brena hisses furiously.
Without moving an inch, Henry calmly responds. "Let go of it then. You're better than this. Come on."
Brena's grip reluctantly loosens before she hands the brown bottle over to him. "Just go." She whispers devastatingly, dropping her head low.
"Only God knows what we're going to face when we get there." He says, giving the drink back to air hostess.
He comes back to his seat and tries to change Brena's sour mood. "Like I was trying to tell you earlier, Tina and I were able to extract the information from the mainframe. We have what we need to bring him down." He looks over to Valentina delightfully.
Valentina bends down still being seated, reaching into her black leather tote for her space grey MacBook Air.
Brena crashes her back against the seat, stunned at Henry's remark. "How did y'all get into his building? That man doesn't even let Lillian enter his bedroom without his permission. I see why now." She mutters, mentally recalling the countless times Kevin would scream at Lillian for going into his bedroom, even when he was home.
"But how did y'all get away with it?" She stares at them quizzically.
Valentina digs her left hand into the side pocket of her bag to search for the flash drive. "Henry paid the pizza guy a 100 bucks to borrow his uniform. When he got in, I posed as one of the workers. I wore reading glasses, hair in a bun, a skirt suit. The whole shebang. I looked professional enough to blend in while he accidentally," she puts air quotes on the last syllable, darting her flirtatious blue eyes at Henry.
"Threw the pizza on top of the receptionist. While he distracted her, I swiped her keycard and went into the elevator. I was lowkey with it too." She gloats, flipping her hair with a smile on her face.
She was proud of her master skills.
"It took us about 45 minutes to get it done because I had to avoid being seen. Then Henry cut off the cameras after he entered the car. I waited for all the info to download right into this flash drive." She happily wiggles the grey flash drive in the air.
Valentina and Henry gave each other a high five, feeling proud of their achievements and contributions to the downfall of Kevin James.
"Brena," Valentina starts when she notices the shock on Brena's face. "That man killed my mother. He has to go down and he will."
The shallow breathing coming from Brena quickened. It felt as if the world was suddenly pulling at her from different directions. She slowly lifts her head, as her glossy eyes peered into Valentina's.
"Oh my God." Brena whispers cautiously with a tremble in her voice. "Aunty Katerina's dead?"
"He dumped her body in front of our house like she was just a piece of meat for the dogs to eat. The only thing keeping my mind straight is knowing we have everything on his ass."
Valentina shudders in remembrance of the horrific day. She flips her curls to her right side and a cold grimace spreads across her plum heart-shaped-lips.
"You see Brena, it's not just you. Like Henry said, there's more but we're saving it for your mother."
"Which one? I got like five of them." Brena forms a fist on her left hand and rests it underneath her jaw.
"That's not fair. I'm talking about Victoria." Valentina replies, taken aback.
When the awkward silence became unbearable for Brena, she lazily stood up. "This is too much. I'm going to sleep." Brena announces drowsily.
She walks further inside the back of the jet and lays down on the available couch that was by the window, near the cockpit.
As Brena lazily walks to the couch, Valentina turns to Henry. "She's been through a lot." Valentina says.
Henry sighs in agreement. "We all have. I can't imagine what you're going through as well."
"You shouldn't. I truly hope you don't have to. Be glad you have your parents." Valentina's shoulders slouched, gazing downward.
"I am. Trust me." Henry replies.
Valentina's eyebrows go up curiously. "Were you born here or?"
Barely making eye contact, Henry responds calmly. "Yes I was but my family's originally from Saudi Arabia."
"Oh yeah, I remember." She rolls her eyes. "That's when you used to talk to me."
"I still do." Henry quickly challenges.
"Stop lying." Valentina stands up to take a seat across from him. "When was the last time we even sat down like this?" She places her elbows on her lap with her fingers intertwined.
Henry stays quiet now realizing that there was truth to what she was saying. He was surprised that she took note of the way they communicated.
"Exactly my point." Valentina says with narrowed eyes, turning her body away from Henry.
"I guess it has been a while." He murmurs factually, not understanding why it was a problem.
"Ya think?" She replies disappointedly with her brows arched.
Henry exhales sharply and peels his back off the chair. "Okay, Tina really what's up with you?" He says gazing into her captivating eyes.
"Dude, can't you see that I like you?" Valentina confesses angrily.
Henry's mouth opens slightly in surprise, speechless at her unexpected confession. He stays quiet and watches as she explains how she truly feels.
"Whenever my mother would say she was on her way to Ms. Victoria's office, I'd tag along just to see you. I try to flirt with you all the time but you don't pay me any mind."
Henry's face softens in realization and tries to clarify his unawareness. "Tina... I had-"
Valentina raises her right hand in midair to cut him off with her eyes closed, trying to calm herself down.
"Bullshit. It's either you suck at knowing how to read in between the lines or you're just not into me and that's fine I'm not chasing a guy that isn't-"
Henry grabs her by the hand and pulls her closer to him. The anger in her eyes dissolves quickly when they stare at each other attentively.
"I did like you but you were too young so I had to call myself to order." Henry reasons out calmly.
This isn't what Valentina was hoping to hear so she pulls her hand away vexedly. "And what's your excuse now? You're 25 and I'm already 20. And," she looks down at her fingers nervously. "I know you have a crush on Lillian."
Henry chuckles amusedly. "I had a crush on Lillian yes but now I just tease her about it. It's not compared to the way I feel about you."
Valentina blushes at his statement and she glances at him with fulfillment in her eyes. "Feel? I thought you said you liked? As in past tense."
"I started to like you when you were 17. I always thought you were beautiful when I started working for Victoria but that was when you really caught my eye and I couldn't say much because I was only 22. It was wrong so I put my feelings on hold."
"And moved on to Lillian." Valentina chimes in.
Henry immediately shakes his head in disagreement. "No, it's not like that."
"I knew I annoyed Lillian so it was just for fun. Nothing serious and she's with someone right now who truly cares for her and I can see she's happy." He expresses honestly.
"So, what about now?" She purrs, not breaking eye contact.
Valentina places her hand on top of his knee, as Henry sits still, frozen like a sculpture in a museum.
As their eyes battle with each other flirtatiously, Henry feels both excited and nervous. Romance isn't his field of play. Though he is a good-looking young man, women as beautiful as Valentina never made the first move and he in return never made the first move.
Henry's love life is as dry as a desert. If not even drier. This is a shame because he has so much to offer but everyone has a type and for the first time, he happens to be someone's type.
Valentina's.
"You're definitely not a minor anymore so you're free to date whom you choose." He replies.
Valentina slowly stands up to her feet. "I think I have someone in mind."
"Oh?" Henry whispers with his eyes fixated on her body movement.
"Uh-huh." Valentina nods seductively, placing both her hands on Henry's armrest.
As their warm breath mingles, Henry's breathing is paused the moment their lips meet. His arms encircle her as she swings her feet over his seat, straddling him. Their lips touch and the ignited heat between the two of them increases.
Henry's brain sparks a passion that spreads warmth throughout his entire body.
While the sound of their smooches whisper small noises inside the aircraft, the pilot announces that they're expected to land in 10 minutes. When the chiming sound interrupts their long-awaited moment, they separate instantly as Valentina returns to her original sitting position.
The two glance over at each other sheepishly with an utmost satisfied grin on Valentina's face. Henry smiles wryly hoping she enjoyed it. As the flight prepares to land, Henry stands up to wake Brena up, who wasn't even asleep the whole time. She was up the entire time, charging her phone while listening to music to ease her negative thoughts.
It felt as if her mind was playing a game of fill in the blank. This whole time she suspected that Victoria could be alive but she never anticipated this. Any of this. It felt like she lost control of her life and there was a conspiracy to annihilate any atom of happiness in her life.
How am I suppose to go from best friend to sister? She pounders inwardly until Henry gently wiggles her right leg.
"Oh, I thought you were sleeping." Henry says when Brena turns her head around.
She takes out her AirPods one by one while slowly sitting up straight. "If you woke up from a coma to find out you have a new mother and your best friend is your sister, wouldn't it be hard to?"
Not knowing how to respond, Henry stays silent.
"That's what I thought. Thanks though Henry, I appreciate all your help." Brena says.
"Not a problem Brena. I'm happy doing it." He smiles, taking a seat next to her. "Sean said that there's going to be a car waiting for us and I texted Victoria but she's not responding so Valentina is tracking her phone right now."
Brena's ringing tone temporarily interrupts them as Henry spoke. Her phone was turned over so she picks it up to see who the caller was.
"Is that Desmond?" Henry asks.
"No." Her brows sweep up confusedly, shaking her head slowly.
She turns the phone's screen to face Henry, showing him the caller ID.
"Lillian?" Henry whispers suspiciously. He shifts his body to his left-hand side and calls out for Valentina. "Tina!" He shouts.
"Get over here and bring the laptop with you."
Brena's heart starts racing nervously, fearing what would be said between her and Lillian.
"Brena answer it." Henry instructs, moving closer to give Valentina room to sit.
"What's going on?" Valentina whispers cautiously, as she sits down next to Henry.
Henry gives Brena one end of the USB cord while he inserts the other side into the laptop. "Take this and insert it into your phone."
Clicking on the green button, Brena quickly puts the call on speaker as she prepares to speak. "LJ?" She says nervously, hoping to hear Lillian's voice.
"Try again sweetheart." Kevin cheerfully says into the phone.
Valentina, Henry, and Brena, all look at each other as their heart sinks to the pit of the stomach at the same time.
"Kevin." Brena responses rigidly, through gritted teeth.
He cackles at her reaction, feeling satisfied that he was able to frighten her. "Ah, ah, ah. It's Mr.James to you darling." He corrects with seriousness, glazing his tone.
Though Brena hasn't eaten, her meal from the previous day felt the sudden urge to spill out. "It's Brena to you motherfucker. I'm not your darling."
"You've always been a firecracker." A devious laugh dances around Kevin's lips. "I love that but you're going to watch your fucking mouth when you talk to me."
Brena pushes her hair back worryingly. "Why are you calling me from Lillian's phone. Where is she?"
"Oh, she's right here." Kevin gazes at an exhausted frail looking Lillian over his shoulder. "Say hi to your friend il mio amore."
Shouting through the thick cloth that's tied around her mouth, Lillian struggles to speak until Kevin lowers it for her so she could speak.
"Brena, whatever he says do not do it please." Lillian cries out hysterically with hot tears streaming down her reddened face.
A loud slap echoes through the phone, causing Brena to flinch where she was seated.
"Silly little girl." Kevin screams, roughly tugging on Lillian's hair. "What did I tell you? What is it with women and not listening?"
With glassy eyes, Brena's voice trembles when her mouth opens. "What the fuck? Stop it! What kind of father are you?"
"A good one." He takes a sip out of his cold beer. "I need you to come to your house with that bitch Victoria. Yes, I know she's alive but if you alert the police, you can kiss your little friend goodbye."
Brena's brows furrowed in confusion and sadness at Kevin's absurd actions. "You need to get help. She's your daughter."
"Yes I'm aware of that anyway," Kevin says boringly. "See you and Victoria tonight. Remember come alone or you're all dead." He warns in a deep tone, roughly.
The line beeps suddenly, indicating that Kevin has cut off the line.
"Did you get all of that?" Brena questions Valentina whose head is buried in her laptop.
"We did and we tracked the phone and he's actually at your house. He wasn't bluffing." Henry answers, groaning angrily.
"Oh God!" Brena gasps. "The note and the phone that you gave me." She rakes her hand through her tight curls. "Shit!"
"I doubt that he's seen it. Lillian was always at your place. I'm sure she hid it for you. I hope she did." Henry replies.
"Then how would he know that my mother is alive?" She hesitates to say the word mother.
"That's why he killed Katerina." Henry explains. "He already knows she's alive but he needed proof that's why he has been searching for you so you could take him to her."
"Poor Lillian." Valentina says somberly.
"Henry. I can't let anything happen to Lillian. Can you call my-" Brena says while Henry nods knowing what she was trying to say.
"Thanks." She says curtly.
"Ladies, gentleman, welcome to New York City." The pilot says through the intercom.
"Alright. I'm going to keep calling Victoria while we go to your place." Henry says, standing up.
"Valentina, while we're on our way there, you're going to go down to the police station and give in the evidence. Send me the copies you made just to be safe because a guy like Kevin I wouldn't be surprised to know he has someone on the inside."
"What if they dismiss it?" Valentina suggests.
"Then, I'll anonymously send it to the press. That's one hell of a story they'd love to air." Henry shrugs not caring what happened to Kevin.
Brena's thumb is in between her teeth, while her mind becomes foggy with worse case scenarios.
"Bren?" Valentina calls out, shaking her arm to gain her attention.
"I just hope Lillian is okay. I really do think he has issues." She grumbles broken-heartedly, massaging her aching chest.
"He's a sociopath. They have no emotions and could care less about anything. They don't feel guilt." Valentina informs them.
"Agreed because what father holds his daughter hostage? It's sickening." Brena adds with disgust and hatred garnishing her hoarse voice.
"I second that motion." Valentina raises her left hand.
"We'll tell the driver to drop you at the precinct, then me and Brena will go." Henry raises his hand to stroke his jaw.
"Got it." Valentina responds.
Henry holds out his index finger while bringing out his phone from his pocket. "Wait. Victoria's calling."
A worry line quickly descended on Brena's forehead.
"Hello. Victoria." Henry answers as delight rang warm in his voice.
Though he was aware Brena wasn't a fan of Victoria at the moment, he was thankful that Victoria was okay.
"Hey, Henry. Sorry, we just got to Brooklyn. Where are you?" She demands in a soothing voice.
"I'm with Valentina and Brena." He replies.
Victoria gulps apprehensively at the mention of Brena's name. "You've told her haven't you?"
"Yeah." Henry winces, sympathizing with Victoria. She's not ready to talk to you." He whispers the last part.
"Just put me on speaker." Victoria sighs heavily.
Henry pulls the phone away from his ear and puts it on speaker as he was advised to.
"Brena, baby." Victoria cries out. "I'm sorry but there's so much you don't know but once all of this is over I'll tell everything you need to."
Brena looks away from the phone as she responds. "Kevin called and he has Lillian which you already know and he wants you to come with me then we meet him at my house."
Victoria's body stiffens at the information. "That bastard." She growls.
"He said if we don't come alone, he will kill her." Brena's voice shivers with fury. "You better have a plan because I'm sick of all of these secrets and lies. So help me God if anything happens to Lillian, I'm never speaking to any of you."
A warm tear runs down her face like a speeding bowling ball. She quickly wipes it off with the sleeve of her sweater.
"That includes him too." Brena adds, referring to Steven who's quiet in the background. "I know he can hear me."
"Brena please-" Victoria's voice croaks apologetically.
Her guilt could be felt through the electronic device. Although she wasn't the one to blame, she couldn't help how she felt knowing that she inflicted a generous amount to Brena's pain.
"What is your plan?" Brena inquires, cutting Victoria off not wanting to hear her apology.
"We're by New Lots right now so we'll wait for you. Meet us here and we'll go together." Victoria responds defeatedly.
Brena however, doesn't respond.
"Lillian will be fine. We all will." Victoria says but there's still silence in the background. "Hello? Are you there?" She asks.
"We're here aunty." Valentina answers merrily.
A small smile forms on Victoria's teary face. "Okay darling. See you all soon."
"Alright." Henry rubs his hands together after hanging up the call. "Everyone understands the plan right?"
"Yeah." Valentina and Brena say in unison but Brena shrugs, seeming exhausted from all the information she learned.
"Cool. It's now or never you guys. Let's go."
They gather their things and get out of the jet. They enter the black Escalade that's parked outside in front in the middle of the runway. On their way to meet Victoria, Brena's stomach fumbles into a tight knot. Knowing she's about to meet her father in minutes has her mind skating in circles.
She always wondered about her birth parents and how different her life would have been if she knew who they were. However, it didn't bother her much because of the bond she and Victoria had. Victoria has shown her unexplainable love that not many can testify to.
Which was one of the reasons she accepted the fact that she indeed was her mother.
"It's going to be alright Brena." Henry says assuringly, giving her an encouraging squeeze on her right shoulder.
"I hope so." She mumbles worryingly, gazing out the window continuing with her thoughts.
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10.10.2020