“Hold on a second. Why do you think Jin supplied drugs to your father’s gang?” Tillie turns to me, blocking Logan’s path with her hands on her hips.
“Because I used to see Jin come visit the house I grew up in,” I reply, thinking back to my hiding spot on the staircase whenever my father hadguestscome over.
“I want this product on the streets and sold within two days. All of it.” A man in an expensive suit stands in the middle of our living room with his back turned towards me.
Even I knew he was loaded, probably had so much money he didn’t know what to do with it. His shoes shone, pressed suit without a wrinkle, and slicked back hair. This man didn’t belong in our rundown house. At twelve years old, I could feel the tension coming off him that told me he was dangerous. His wide shoulders were relaxed while he stared down my father as if he didn’t fear anything because he was the thing to fear.
“That’s not enough time. I can’t—” My dad rubbed at his mustache, a sign he did when he was nervous.
It wasn’t often my dad became nervous, he usually instilled fear into people. But with this guy, he was sweating and glancing around so he didn’t have to look into the man’s eyes.
“You can or I will find someone else to run my drugs.” The stranger said, his voice deep and threatening that had me leaning farther into the staircase so he couldn’t see me.
“Of course. I won’t disappoint you, Jin.” My dad cleared his throat, taking a step back as Jin stepped towards him.
“See that you don’t,” Jin said, waiting a few seconds in silence before turning towards the front door.
His almond-shaped, brown eyes flicked up at my hiding spot as if he knew I was there the whole time. He stared at me with a grin as he walked by, his face smooth and young looking compared to my dad. Though he had a streak of grey hair near his temple, telling me he wasn’t young by any means. Appearances are deceiving, I knew that. A snake could hold still, staring you right in the eye, trying to distract you by the beautiful scales that glistened in the sun and never giving you a warning it was going to attack you until it was too late. That’s what this Jin man reminded me of.
A snake.
“If you’re saying what I think you are…” Nicky speaks up, never taking his gaze off Logan, who stares right back at him.
“We’ve been lied to. Everything I was taught to hate, to destroy was all for nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Logan whispers, walking away to go stare out the window with his back turned towards us.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Tillie glances around at all of us, looking for answers that’s about to shatter their reality.
“Jin came for Franco when he was at his weakest, planting a seed in his mind,” I reply, clearing my throat when it becomes too thick to speak.
“I wonder if Franco knows.” Dalton sits there in stunned silence, his gaze staring off into space.
“Knows what?!” Frustration is clear in Tillie’s voice as we try to skirt around from actually saying it out loud.
“If it’s true, that means when Franco was undercover looking into the drugs that came from Jin all along… Dom’s father could have been set up. The possibility that it’s been Jin this whole time,” Dalton explains aloud, shaking his head as if he can’t wrap his mind around it.
It took me a lot of time to come to that conclusion too. Many years, a whisper in the back of my head telling me nothing was adding up. It wasn’t until the money started flowing, inviting myself to social events to watch the people that put on an act and are completely different behind closed doors that my path led me straight to Jin after so many years. It’s like the puzzle pieces came all together, clicking into place as memories flooded my senses.
“My dad wasn’t a good man by any means but he wouldn’t have killed a woman who had a child waiting for her at home. Family meant something to him,” I mutter out loud, almost startled when Tillie palms my cheek as I got lost in my thoughts.
“What does this mean?” Tillie questions, seeing right through all the hurt and anger that’s been locked inside me for so many years.
“Jin,” Nicky says flatly, getting up from the bed to stand behind Logan. “It’s possible that he could be the one responsible for your mother’s death. A set up from the beginning.”
Tillie gasps, her eyes going wide as she finally sees it. Her red eyes flood with tears as she leans down to kiss my forehead. My eyes drift closed, absorbing the way she’s healing me inside and out. It’s like she’s taking all my pain whether I want her to or not. Finally, after so many years, the truth is coming to the surface and I won’t be fighting my battles alone anymore.
My Queen.
She pulls back with a sad smile and crosses the room to Logan, stopping at his side while glancing out the window without saying a word. She only reaches for his hand, offering her support.
“You're not going to that auction, both of you. I’ll slaughter anyone from limb to limb who stands in my way,” Tey says seriously. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen him without a grin on his face.
“What choice do we have?” Nicky continues to stare at the back of Logan’s head with stiff shoulders.
I can understand where he’s coming from. A weight bigger than he can handle now rests on Nicky’s shoulders. One of his best friends finds out his father is responsible for killing Helen… The guilt starts eating you alive even though you didn’t pull the trigger.
“We can’t run. We all have too many responsibilities and people counting on us,” Dalton growls out, resting his head in his hands.
He’s right. Each of us has someone counting on us. The families that stand before our ruling, putting food on their tables and a roof over their heads.
