The Stranger

"How is Leo?" Kaiden asked Hunter as he entered his office.

"Fine. Good." Hunter replied massaging his temples. Drake entered the room. His friends turned to him.

"Did you find it?" Hunter asked his friend who is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and one feet touching the wall, in a cold voice.

"No." Drake breathed out.

"For God's sake Drake, when are going to stop dropping your chain?" Hunter explode frustrated. Drake didn't answer and looked down.

Kaiden looked between his friends. Before he could speak, his phone rang.

Drake and Hunter turned towards him. Kaiden picked up the phone humming in answer to whoever was on the other side, and hang up.

"Found it." He said looking at his friends.

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Neal sat on his seat, taping his fingers on the steering wheel. The whole place was clear, no police or any trace of the event happened yesterday. There were only few people passing by, some walking with their dogs and some doing their morning exercise.

Neal looked at his watch 7.30 am. He left home at 7, without waking up Arjun, leaving a note for him. He has been sitting there for the last fifteen minutes. The chain sitting perfectly inside his pant's pocket. He can't waste time. Neal took a deep breath before opening the car's door and stepping out with his bag. His eyes scanned the area before walking to his destination.

He stopped in front of his clinic and glanced at the spot he picked up the chain. His hands felt sweaty. He shoved his shivering hand in his left pocket, grabbing the chain tightly in his fist. Before he can throw that between the bushes a voice called out.

"Mr. Knight!"

Neal gasped and his hand froze in his pocket. He exhaled and took his hand from his pocket. Although he was nervous, he tried to act nonchalant, giving the woman a sweet smile.

"Oh! Mrs. Torres. Good morning. It's been a while."

The forty year old lady smiled showing her all teeth, her eyes already raping Neal's delicious body.

Neal always felt uncomfortable when he get that looks from both men and women. He felt like they are stripping him with their eyes. A little whimper snapped him and he looked at Mrs.Torres's hands.

"Aw..what happened to little Vinny?" Neal asked as he took out the key from his right pocket opening the clinic. Mrs. Torres snap out of her trance suddenly remembering why she was there.

"Oh! Poor little Vinny here ate something bad." She said giving gentle pats on the little puppy's head.

"I see. Get inside." He said and walked inside, Mrs. Torres following behind.

He checked the puppy gently touching its stomach here and there. The door opened and Dylan, Neal's assistant entered. Dylan froze when he noticed Mrs. Torres. He gave her a fake smile before walking towards Neal.

Dylan despised that woman. That lady can have sex with whatever with a penis. He didn't like the way she looked at his boss.

Neal noticed the tension in the air. He quickly prescribed the medicine giving it to Dylan.

"Don't worry. He will be fine." Neal said giving her a small smile stroking Vinny's little head.

"Thank you Mr. Knight." She gave him a smile taking the medicine from Dylan.

"You are welcome."

She left closing the door behind. Neal and Dylan let out a sigh.

"I don't like her." Dylan said with a scowl. Neal chuckled shaking his head. "Yeah. Me neither. How is Eva?" He asked Dylan who took some days off to be with his pregnant wife.

"She is good, and the baby too. Oh God! Neal.. I'm going to be a dad. Just three more weeks and I will be a father." Dylan jumped with excitement.

"I think Eva had to take care of two babies from next month." He said with a sigh.

Dylan playfully glared at his boss before become serious.

"I heard someone died here yesterday."

Neal's smile vanished, his hand unconsciously sliding over the chain.

"Yeah. He was shot." He said with a nod.

Before Dylan could speak anything, a female voice interrupted.

"Excuse me."

Both turned to look at the beautiful girl who is holding a ball of fur. Neal's eyes widened and the girl's expression mirrored his.

"Jay?"

"H-Hi Erika." Neal stood up awkwardly as he looked at his first and last girlfriend.

She has changed. Her once long blonde hair now cut short at her shoulders. She become more beautiful with that tanned skin and looked taller. One thing that didn't change is her sparkling blue eyes that always held warmth when she looks at him.

"I didn't know this is your clinic."

She said with a genuine smile. Neal returned the smile." What are you doing in LA? I thought you went back to France." He asked.

"I moved here two weeks ago. It's nice to see you again." Neal smiled and looked at the cutie in her hands. "Is that your cat?"

"Yes. She got hit by a car. I think her leg is broken. Can you check her?" She asked.

"Of course. Dylan, help me."

Dylan helped his boss in treating the cat's wound and leg, occasionally glancing at Neal's blushing face as he made small conversations with Erika.

"Bye Neal. Thank you, see you around." Erika smiled warmly taking her cat back.

"Who was she?" Dylan asked as soon as Erika exit.

"Uh..." Neal scratched the back of his head."She....she was my girlfriend in college." He said in small voice. Dylan whistled.

"It was just for three weeks okay? Nothing big." Neal squeaked out.

"What happened? Didn't work out?" He asked curiously.

Neal sighed and sit down, spinning in his chair.

"It's not her. It's me. I... I wasn't a good boyfriend Dyl. She was rich, beautiful, smart and not the type of girl who sleep around. I don't know what she saw in me. When she asked me out I said yes," Neal recalled the past, and Dylan listened intently. "We hang out....went on dates. Kissed...She was a nice company and funny too."

"Did you two hooked up?" Dylan asked eagerly. Neal turned red and covered his face with a groan. Dylan laughed out loud.

"What happened? You didn't liked it?"

"I did. But honestly Dylan, I... I didn't know what to do. I did some research beforehand. I wanted to make her feel comfortable, but she was the one who made me feel at ease. She said she liked it too. As time passed we both become so close. But we liked it more when we just hang out as friends. I was always nervous around her when we go out as couple. At last she said if I don't feel comfortable with what we had, we can just be friends. She is one of girls I respect Dyl. She is awesome." Neal said with a smile.

Dylan smiled back. "Yeah. She is a good girl. I can see that. Is she working too?"

Neal nodded. "She is a fashion designer, runs her own company." He said with a proud smile.

"Wow!"

"Wait, why is everyone calling you by your middle name?" Dylan always wanted to ask that to his boss.

"My dad used to call me by my middle name. When he died, i missed it. I won't even respond when someone calls me by my first name. Then mom started to call me Jay. Arjun followed. Then everyone in college started to call me that when they heard Arjun. Even my teachers forgot my first name. So they still call me Jay."

"Oh! So you don't like when you called Neal?"

"No. It's not like that. I like it too. I'm comfortable when they call me Jay. But I feel special when people call me by my first name." Neal shrugged.

"Aww... aren't you a cutie?" Dylan said in a baby voice pulling at Neal's cheeks. Neal glared at him slapping his hands away and caressed his cheeks with a pout.

The door opened and a handsome young man enterd. He was tall, reddish brown hair and slightly tanned skin. You don't need to be an expert to know what his body is like under that tight fitted black jeans and balck t-shirt and jacket. His bright brown eyes scanned the room before stopping at Neal. The man glanced at Dylan before walking towards Neal with not so innocent smile.

"Can I talk to you? Alone." The man asked without any introduction.

"Um...I'm sorry, who are you?" Dylan asked noticing the man didn't come with any animals.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm Tony. I want to talk to you doctor." The man said with the same smile.

Neal gulped down and nodded his head before standing up and followed the man outside. "Wait here." Neal said when Dylan moved to follow them. Dylan nodded reluctantly.

"What is it?" Neal asked nervously when they were outside.

"I want you to come with me doc." The man said shoving his hands in his pockets of the jeans.

Neal froze. "Who....who are you?" He asked in a whisper.

"You don't need to know that. There is something in your hand that is important to us." The man said still smiling.

"What is it? I... I can give it to you." Neal said hoping the man would comply.

"Come with me doctor, if you don't want that guy's head on your table." The man said smiling, it actually terrified Neal. He knows the man is referring to Dylan.

"C-Can I talk to him for a bit?" He asked praying the man named Tony to agree.

The young man thought for a moment before nodding his head. "You have five minutes." Neal let out a breath before rushing back to the clinic.

"Doc," Neal froze and turned. "Don't do or think anything stupid." For once, the man's smile vanished. Neal gulped and nodded before entering inside the clinic.

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