DAVINA
"Are you crying."
It wasn't a question, yet I denied it.
"I have to go. " I said as soon as I received the rest of the money.
"I know you, Davina " Timmy gripped my arm gently but hard enough to make me stop and look at him.
" Your impression. I muttered, already regretting having asked for his help."
"I doubt."
"We were friends, remember? I know every part of you. " One of the guys who was passing by and overheard the last bit of the conversation, let go The lascivious laughter, whistling and joking. I get angry and pull the arm.
Without looking back, I leave Timmy talking to himself. Got enough shit in my truck to worry about your feelings today, who knows, never. I go down the slope running, almost tripping over half a dozen balls of plastic scattered across the floor, balancing me at the last second.
"It has to be Davina "one of the boys growls, I think it's the son of a bitch madam Sirilla, the grocery box where grandma buys most of her ingredients. I shoot him a look that should make him cry and run home, but it doesn't. Screw this. These kids are all covered in confidence and lack of pulse.
"Still." I say a little before tap dancing on top of the marbles and scattering them further." Thank me later." I blink at the second boy and a frown forms on his face.
"I was winning!" he protested sand shrug.
Oops.
"I went."
When I cross the front door, mom throws herself in my arms already with tears in my eyes and I almost lose my balance. Part of me wants to pretend I don't know anything, but the other part, the one that always wins, chooses to wipe the tears of the woman who gave her life and apologize.
She gives me a confused look, though. She runs the back of her hand across her cheeks and shakes her head from side to side.
"What are you talking about, Davina? Why this apology?"
"Mommy…"
"Look what I found!" dad comes out screaming from inside, swing, arm raised high while holding up an envelope." Your daughter's mindless had the courage to leave a letter!"shouts straight to his wife.
"Don't talk about her like that!" mom replies, earning a disapproving look from her, husband, who shakes his head with clear displeasure.
"The daughter is mine too, Christie." Its tone is quiet, but so bitter that it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. For a step to intervene, positioning myself between them without them noticing." Although I failed to create it." Dad speaks, and I'm the only one to hear the sadness in his words.
The last part was said guiltily, too.
"You always judged my girl."she declares in a voice choked with tears, resentment seeping into every word.
I push away the bad feeling that wants to dominate my chest and let out a sigh.
"Pryia is an adult, Christie. Her mistake was running her hand over her head when she needed a concealer.
Mum ignores him and grabs the paper from his hand before I have a chance to lighten the mood by discarding the envelope and unwrapping the letter, she whispers the words with an expression that goes from hope to pain very quickly.
"Mother." I try to approach, touching his shoulder cautiously. Her last tests showed nothing wrong with her health, but after years of fighting cancer, all I can do is feel the fear of losing her.
A reflection of the child Davina
"Baby."she touches my face." Your sister…" I don't allow it to end, I wrap my arms around his neck and I rub the palm of my hand on your backs.
"I am here." I talk.
Fluttering a string of curse words, Dad steps in and snatches the paper from her hands.
A long gap of time passes as he reads the words of Pryia, in fact, I get the feeling he's been reading and rereading and memorizing every line. When his eyes finally meet mine, there's nothing there.
No anger.
No heartache.
Anything.
And that just worries me more.
Then shovel father of Then evil and raspy laugh The Letter without saying a word.
"Edmund!"mom jumps out of my arms and lunges at him before I can contain it.
"No."he says, eyes locked on hers." As of today, we only have one daughter.
His statement is like drowning again, my breath is gone, and I can almost feel my lungs coming apart.
It turns out that my feet are still on the ground and no one will come to my rescue this time.
Then the worst happens, he finally sees me.
"Davina "I just scowled back." Don't let me down like your sister.
And so, with just one sentence, my father defeated all my dreams.
However, and l It is leaves before I can answer, leaving me alone with Mom. And his intense pain.
"Did someone start the third war?" Grandma appears beside me, sizing her up from head to toe." I bet it was those...
"Momeeee! M-My daughter left."
Out of the corner of her eye, Granny looks for help, but can't reason at the moment to explain the mess your eldest granddaughter made and how deeply she ruined my life.
"I am really sorry." I whisper before running as fast as possible, better run.
I run until I can't see the house where I grew up.
I run to, my feet hurt.
I run to leave the hill.
Via Rose St has always been the limit where we people without so many zeros in our bank accounts could pass. That was always a clear reminder with all the luxury stores and high-end buildings on the other side, but my sister and I used to break the rules and mingle growing up, we'd laugh and pretend we belonged to a rich family.
It never worked.
Our clothes were too plain, unbranded and almost always wrinkled.
Over the years I realized I couldn't pass for one of them and stopped going.
My sister never did, and I gave in to her petty actions, letting her carry on acting and pretending not to realize how far he was from his essence, from who he really was by an illusion.
Now she's gone, and I'll have to patch up all the gaps myself.
Like our parents' marriage.
I rub my hands on my thighs, massaging the muscles as I appreciate how far I am from home and the irony of running straight here. My lips are dry from overexertion, and I'm not even close to relieving the anger building up in my chest.
"How can she?"I shout, taking advantage of the little movement in the well-equipped square.
"And what did she do?" I jump back at the sound of the voice, accidentally bumping into its owner.
"Beloved father." I speak with my hand on my chest.
The guy arches an eyebrow.
"Are you religious?"question and snort.
"Religion is for the undecided, I have faith. Many." I speak, then realize I've just explained myself to a stranger and stop." Need to go."
"Will not you answer me?"
I stop my steps, then look over my shoulder and wait.
"What did she do?" he repeats, the interested tone bringing a strange comfort.
I appraise the guy from head to toe, slowly and appreciatively, until he clears his throat and blushes. His eyes remind me of a rainy day, gray and menacing, but the rest is like the ideal movie prince standard. Yuck.
"She left." I declare, and something changes in his expression.
Almost as if he was satisfied with the answer.
"I wish I had that choice." say, then turns around and walks away.
Surprise.
Surprise.
He enters the most luxurious building.
Cliche shit.
I walk to the nearest wooden bench and sit facing the horizon, when the sun disappears, I decide to go back home.
Bad choice. The weather is as bad as ever.
Mom still looks like she needs something strong to settle down, and Grandma looks ten years older. However, the only one who notices me is daddy, but he's no better than them, though try to demonstrate the opposite and fins pin who doesn't care,I can feel his broken soul in the way he quickly avoids my gaze for too long.
"Hey."I touch the shoulder of him with mine. " How is she?"
"Alive." is all he says before handing the glass of water and pill in my hand and walking out the same door I just came in. I don't think much about the drug's function before directing it at Mom and watching her drink it.
"My head hurts."she complains, not looking at the emptiness in front of you and then granny goes to the little suitcase we keep all the over-the-counter drugs in the pharmacy and takes out a box open.
"Give me that."grandma points to the half-full glass in Mom's hand, and I hand it to her.
"Isn't it amazing?" he asks when he sees two pills in his hand.
"These are weak." he mutters, swallowing the two round pills before I can protest and do something about it.
Almost ten minutes later, Mum still complains of a headache and repeats Pryia's name over and over while Grandma tells her to shut up.
I loved my sister, but I hated her right now. Hated how sad she made Mom.
Deep down, I knew that Pryia wasn't solely to blame for our family's unhappiness. It was his fault.
The ghost.
The boyfriend who didn't want to assume her and made her feel inferior. Anger burned through my veins along with the pounding of my heart, and I knew, somehow, that I needed revenge.
GUTEMBERG (Ghost) Every government has laws. Every crime has a purpose. Every society has rules. It's pure logic, we're just so obsessed with the idea of freedom that we don't see the obvious. We are still the same. Turns out it's so much more, It's easy to pretend there's no control. The laws in the criminal world are simple, but here there is a crown, a prickly and bloody, an ammo belt under the head, and each decision is minimally thought out to cause the smallest impact. Which also means that the king's orders must be obeyed. I clear my throat, scratching the back of my neck as Timmy cleans his pistol. As if last night never existed. "Are you well?"he asks with a smile provocative on the lips, glad enough to make me opine how many times has he participated in torture. Many must be the answer. For someone like Timmy, born and raised in the community, episodes of violence come naturally. But no for me. I try not to look like I'm about to puke just looking at all the blood al
GUTEMBERGI slide the gate bolt slowly, checking over my shoulder to see if any lights have come on since I locked the front door, when I realize they haven't, I let out a sigh of relief and look down. I stare at my bare, dirty feet, then scenes from last night explode inside my head and the smell of blood hits me.The blood is stuck to my clothes and skin, a clear note of what I've done.In my right hand, my phone vibrates non-stop.I crush the urge to answer the call and throw the device away, it hits the wall and falls to the floor.My parents have an important place in society, a place inherited from my father's family, a place my mother will never relinquish, a position I have never had the option of denying. To all the important people in San Diego, I am Gutemberg Ramsey, a promising lawyer with a penchant for dangerous sports, fast romances and a born activist. To the underprivileged part of West City, a place we call the Hill, I'm the right-hand man of the local drug dealer.Mi
DAVINAThe blanket I chose earlier today, the same one I've been using since I was thirteen and welcomed as a favorite after Grandma confessed that she sewed it herself, barely covers the bed, leaving a third of the mattress exposed. The thing is, I refuse to change the blanket and get a new one.Even with the bedroom door locked, I can hear my parents arguing, every day they find a new reason to fight, even if the reason is something silly like leaving the orange peel in the sink. It's nonsense, we all know that Mom blames Dad for Pryia's departure. Another piece of nonsense. My sister has always hated this place and was going to leave sooner or later, it just happened to be soon enough to drive Mom crazy.I throw myself back on the bed, drowning among the lined pillows. My sister used to tease me about this as a child, pointing out how strange I was for having so many pillows around me that there was no room left for me on the mattress.The memory makes me look away, at her empty, t
DAVINA'' Mrs. Carter? One minute, please.''I freeze in place, my breathing wavering when I hear his footsteps behind me.He shouldn't be talking to me here, not when we're alone. Someone might notice.'' What? '' I ask, but my voice is so low and hoarse that it's more like a grunt.Tom looks around before closing the distance between us, then when he's sure there's no one near, his fingers touch my cheek and lips.'' I missed you this weekend." His tone is sweet, so sweet that I want to smile, but I can't. He and I aren't going to happen anymore. It's not going to happen anymore.'' And your fiancée? '' a wrinkle appears between his eyebrows and his body tenses, but all he does is shake his head. I still hoped he would deny it.'' I don't love her.'''' She's expecting you, baby. '' I accuse, pulling away from his touch.'' Yes, she set me up. I'm going to marry her just to give my daughter a family. ''I wrinkle my nose.'' Fine, then go back to her and stay away from me.'''' No,
GUTEMBERGMy eyes flick towards Timmy and I focus on the tattoo on his neck, it's just a number, an eight, but he's never explained the meaning to anyone. The two of us are having yet another argument over it, his little protégé and my newest obsession.If he only knew what I know about his little darling."You're the one who keeps talking about her. "I reply, and his jaw clenches. He's one step away from hitting me in the face, the only thing stopping him is his weakened state.I was having fun with our little debate until he started talking about my other name, not the real one, the one no one here should hear."Shut the fuck up! There is no Phantom here, only Gutemberg." Remember that, no one can know about my other life.I'm sure he can see that he's crossed a line, but there will be no apologies. I can see in his eyes that he will do anything to get me away from Davina, including blackmailing me. Likewise, I need to think about all my future steps from here. I still want to make
DAVINA I shouldn't drink. At least, I shouldn't drink anything alcoholic before I was the right age. The thing is, I needed a drink. A lot. The conversation I had with Timmy three days ago in hospital both terrified me and created a certain hope, which is crazy, since he made me promise to stay away from Gutemberg Ramsey under threat, yes, Gutemberg Ramsey, I say his full name because he's not there, in fact, I've repeated his name countless times since I found out, and I don't intend to stop. He could also be a Ghost, considering I'd never seen him before that day in the hospital, and I've never been so scared in someone's presence. Scared and on all fours. I nearly had a heart attack when he opened the bedroom door and I fell to my knees on the floor in the most humiliating position. Urgh. Unbelievable. I rest my eyes on the three blinking dots on the cell phone Sissy has been typing on since I told her about my sister's ex leading a double life. I wasn't sure I was going to t
DAVINA I'm so immersed in the conversation with Sissy that I only notice the confusion around me when it's too late. My mom yells at my dad, defending Pryia and blaming him, again, the chaotic news is that he responds with the same intensity. I almost reach for my headphones before she sends him away from the house screaming.In an instant, I jump out of bed and hurry into the living room to avoid a bigger disaster.I'm also reaching my limit with them, it's like my parents have been replaced by beings from another planet. Before Priya left, I don't remember witnessing fights between them, in fact, they barely communicated beyond what was necessary. I think their marriage wasn't going well and my sister's sudden departure was the trigger."What are you doing?" All the neighbors will hear it!"Stay out of it, Davina. My father grumbled, looking disoriented. As I approached him, I realized why. He was drunk, something that was becoming more and more frequent."Your father lost all
GUTEMBERGI ran my finger down the page of the book one last time, memorizing the final sentence and reflecting on it for a second before saying goodbye to the story.If anyone asks me, I don't like books. A lie I've invented and reinvented several times to erase the memory of an altruistic and loving mother who no longer exists. For the gossip sites, I'm the stripped-down and adventurous heir. For the members and brothers of the faction I'm part of, I'm the shadow, the blade, the Ghost. Most of them don't know where I came from or what my real role is, but they all look for me.But in my room, I'm a lover of contemporary novels. It all started with biographies, then adventure and mystery books, then somehow I stumbled across novels.I rest my head on the pillow and retrieve my cell phone from between the sheets. As soon as it lights up, Midnight's name appears. He wants me to go back to the Hill and deal with his new pet, Aaron Taylor. I say a huge no, because I'm not a bloody babysit
GUTEMBERGI feel KJ's hands squeezing mine, pulling them away from his neck as he coughs up blood, the hoarse noise cutting through the air. It's not the first time I've seen a man in despair, but that doesn't stop me from feeling a sadistic satisfaction at seeing him there, choking on his own rot. But KJ's security guards are already pulling me, trying to get me away from him, and confusion takes over the scene. They don't know whether to hit me or just keep quiet. Their fear is evident on their faces.Our gazes meet, and the tension is palpable. I feel my body heat up with rage as I stare at the bastard, with a fury that threatens to spill over, but I need to keep control. I've already made a mistake, I know that. I'm putting Davina at risk. I know that, but the anger still controls me, and the words come out impulsively.“Stupid kid,” KJ coughs with a dirty smile, trying to provoke me. “What the hell are you doin
GUTEMBERGWhile I was trying to organize my thoughts, one of the security guards entered the room. He leaned over to KJ and whispered something in his ear, quickly, too low for me to pick up. KJ frowned, but his expression soon changed to something that was a mixture of fury and excitement."Excuse me, Gutemberg. Something seems to require my immediate attention." He stood up, straightening his suit, and left the room with firm steps.I watched his every move, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. I had no idea what had happened, but KJ's reaction told me it was something big. Maybe it was my chance to do something there, but the security guard who remained in the room stared at me, his eyes analyzing me as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.I took a deep breath, controlling my racing pulse. My mind raced, considering options. I could take the photo album with me. If I had access to the girls' families, I might be able to help them. But that would put me directl
GUTEMBERGStill holding the photo album, I felt a tremor run through my body. Each page turned was a punch in the gut, a raw and revolting demonstration of the monstrosity that surrounded me. The faces of the girls, some so young they could have been in high school, stared at me with empty expressions, as if every spark of hope had already been ripped out of them.It was unbearable.“The best on the market, Gutemberg. We hand-picked them,” said KJ, with a disgusting smile and eyes shining with an enthusiasm that made my blood boil.The words hit me like a slap. I clutched the album so hard that my knuckles turned white. Every inch of me was screaming to explode, but I remained seated, forcing myself to keep a neutral expression. Morgana. My mind went back to my younger sister. She's the age of most of these girls; it could be her there, portrayed so brutally, reduced to a worthless piece of meat.“Premium product, you see. Nothing less. And that's the fun of it: customers pay a fortun
GUTEMBERGI passed the bouncers without hesitation, but the weight of the stares on my back was palpable. Inside the nightclub, the bass music pulsed, almost drowned out by the walls. The air was thick with smoke and tension. Whatever was waiting for me, it didn't look good.I walked through the nightclub with firm but unhurried steps. My gaze went from one side to the other, registering every face, every action, every detail that might be useful to me later. The men in suits stood out, scattered strategically between the gaming tables and the bar. Most of them were accompanied by women in minimal clothing, some without tops. They circulated around the room carrying trays of filled glasses. The smell of booze, cigarettes and a slight hint of metal hung in the air, making the atmosphere stifling.Poker tables and casino machines glittered in one corner, attracting groups of patrons looking for luck or distraction. It was obvious that the money kept flowing in. Everything was calculated
GUTEMBERGMy fingers skimmed across the page in a hurry, a habit I picked up as soon as I started reading physical books - that's another thing about me, I prefer real books to e-books. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, a book resting in my hands. The low light from the lamp highlighted the shadows on the walls, creating an atmosphere of calm. The novel I was reading was one full of twists and turns and tragedy, my favorite kind, especially if the main character is the hero and the villain at the same time. I was at an important moment in the story, Carl Pickett has just discovered that he has a brain tumor and only a few months to live, so he catches his girlfriend and his best friend in bed and decides he's going to do whatever he wants. His first act, to take his friend's wife. I keep my passion for romance a secret for one reason: vulnerability.The high-pitched sound of the phone vibrating on the side table interrupted the silence. I blinked, letting my finger mark the page,
AARON MILLERKJ left us at a table with a calculated smile before disappearing into the VIP wing. The heavy door closed behind him with a slam, isolating us from whatever was going on inside. I knew that the game had hidden layers. It always had. But that didn't matter. That night, I couldn't lose.The first game was easy. Chips slid towards me while the other players gave me suspicious looks. A second quick win turned the stares into something more aggressive. When I won the third round in a row, the atmosphere became as tense as a steel wire about to snap."There's something wrong here," one of the guys muttered, throwing his cards on the table. He had broad shoulders and a scar that cut across his eyebrow. "You're stealing, kid.""Stealing?" I raised my hands, trying to sound calm, but feeling the adrenaline rise. "I didn't know luck was a crime."Davina, next to me, gasped softly, her expression vacillating between concern and fear. I could feel the panic starting to take hold of
AARON MILLERThe music in the nightclub vibrated like a deaf drum in my ears, but the only thing I could feel clearly was Davina. My hand rested on her waist, and the warmth of her skin felt like an instant addiction. Every curve fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, an overwhelming, suffocating sensation that told me she should be there, with me.We started walking towards the entrance and she shivered. I squeezed her waist and leaned in, pressing my lips against her shoulder."It's okay,” I whispered, my voice low enough not to be heard by anyone else, even though there was no one close enough.Davina turned her face to me, her eyes burning with that fire that only she had, and even without a word, I knew she believed me. I smiled at her, as if everything was under control, even though inside me the adrenaline was rushing like lightning.When I got to the door, the security guard stared at me. He was bald, with a thick red beard. A tattoo of scratches covered the left side of his fa
DAVINAI rolled my eyes, a mixture of frustration and exasperation, trying to ignore the way he seemed to be amused by my reaction. Silly muscles."Hurry up and get dressed, Aaron," I replied, trying to stay focused and play the indifferent one. No woman needs to boost a man's ego. "We don't have much time."He patted my shoulder, more as a gesture of mockery than comfort. I ignored him and turned away, trying to stay calm, but I knew he was doing something. When I turned back, he was ready.What I didn't expect was the impact his appearance would have on me. Aaron was dressed completely in black. Black top, black pants, black sneakers. The outfit highlighted everything I tried not to notice. What really caught my eye was how the black highlighted his gray hair, making him look darker and more handsome, almost as if he wasn't from this world. I found myself staring longer than I should have, an uncomfortable but undeniable sensation sprea
DAVINADAVINA"I don't." His voice came out harsher than he probably intended. "My parents blocked my account. They don't trust me with money, not until I..." He paused, his eyes avoiding mine."Until you what?" My brow furrowed.Aaron shrugged, as if it wasn't important. But I could smell it—it was important, at least to him."It's too long and twisted a story for now."He walked back into the kitchen, and I watched him, feeling the desperation growing inside me. I knew I was asking for something big, but I also knew that Aaron was one of the few people who could help me."I need your help, Aaron. Please." My voice almost broke at the end.He stopped and stared at me, the anger gradually softening, replaced by something that seemed closer to pain."I'll manage, Davina," he finally said, his tone serious and definitive. "But I'm not going to let you face this alone."I wanted to believe him, but doubt still lingered in my heart.My father could die in a few hours if I didn't get the m