CHAPTER TWO

Luna winced when Miles massaged her swollen left leg. The hustle and bustle sound was drowned by the quietness of the secluded room he had brought her to.

Miles was Luna's brother, the only family she had left.

"Brother I-" she winced, but he shut her up and continued rubbing her leg.

"I will kill that murderer. I will kill him for this!" Miles swore seriously. He pressed softly, while adding pressure at the pained region.

"How did you find me?" Luna changed the topic, the rage of her brother was something she had been avoiding, ever since she was a kid.

Miles looked everywhere except for her after letting go of her leg. "It should be better now, you need rest."

Luna sighed and leaned down on the armrest, refusing to think of what could have happened if her brother was even a second late. Of course, Jess would have handed her over to the police and that would have been the end of her. She doubted there was anything that would have been able to prove her innocence.

"How did you find me?" Luna asked again, this time, hoping he provides an answer to that.

"You told me you were at Jess's apartment over the phone." He simply said.

He wasn't telling her the full story and Luna was too bothered to probe him further.

Miles itched his brow, a habit he had whenever he wanted to say something unpleasant.

"I'm pretty sure you can tell this is an underground club." He started saying.

"Illegal." Luna chirped in and he nodded in affirmation.

"If so, I trust you can get me a shot, please." Nothing to drown the mind like alcohol or a good dose of morphine.

Though it had gotten costly in the medical market.

Miles shrugged dismissively. "That's beside the issue at hand. You're not safe here either, if anything, your presence could potentially disclose the activities of this club."

Luna clenched her jaw, clearly understanding what he was trying to say.

"Now what?"

"I'm taking you to where I stay."

For the first time since the day started, a smile danced across her lips.

It was on rare occasions she spent quality time with her brother, this was an opportunity, though the circumstances were not pleasing.

After their father's death, her brother disappeared for a good number of days. Something told her he was up to no decent job, just like her.

Luna shot up to a sitting position, she grabbed Miles' palm and eagerly nodded.

"You've never even let me know where you live. I'm excited for this brother."

But, Miles was wearing the opposite of her expression, his face was dull as if he dreaded the idea he was proposing.

"Something is wrong right?" Luna questioned the glint in her eyes, visibly dwindling.

Miles intertwined their fingers and sighed.

"Alexander," He murmured like a taboo that wasn't to be said out loud. "I work for him."

"Alexander?" Luna asked, with furrowed brows. She was confused.

"Yeah, the man with no last name, well even if he does, no one knows."

Luna knew him, everyone did. She forced her fingers out of his grip with wide eyes.

Alexander! Alexander! She chanted in her head.

The man with no last name, who was pretty famous and well known for his ruthless and merciless lifestyle. He was said to command fear, obedience and silence wherever he went.

The bullet in his gun hardly sat still and he killed without a blink of his eyes.

He was cold and the textbook definition of a mafia.

The rumors of him were scary, they made Luna shudder involuntarily.

"Alexander?" Luna called again, as if she was making sure that it was really him.

"You're part of a mafia, brother!" She snapped and rose to her feet wobbling slightly. Her guess was right! He really was up to no decent job.

Miles sat, unmoving. He expected the reaction from her.

"Do you know how dangerous it is!" Luna inquired, at the top of her voice.

More dangerous than roaming any crowded area and stealing from careless unsuspecting individuals.

"We promised not to follow in our father's footsteps! He wouldn't want you to!" She added, and stared at him with fire blazing in her eyes.

Luna's father was a gangster, a renowned man who was shot in an oppression. Luna was only 12 then, but she could recall the sorrow that overtook them like it happened the day before.

"That's beside the point Luna-" miles started saying, but Luna's hard glare stopped him.

"No brother. You're part of the mafia, a dangerous organization."

"So is everyone in this club." miles gave her a causal shrug, and laid back a little.

Miles raised his voice higher than hers and that seemed to shut her up.

"So is everyone here Luna!" He repeated in a calmer tone. "-and the only place you can be safe, is in his mansion. Alexander's mansion."

Miles stood up and grabbed her still shoulder firmly. He gazed at her saucer sized eyes. "Yes, I work for the mafia and yes it's dangerous. All the rumors you heard about Alexander are true. But I-I can try my luck, perhaps he might let you stay. Don't think too much into it, please." Miles pleaded with his stubborn sister, while staring into her eyes, ones that were dancing with curiousity.

Luna heard the uncertainty, even her brother was scared of the thought of approaching Alexander.

Luna thought at that instant, and she instantly dreaded meeting this ruthless mafia.

"Brother..."

"Stay here, I will come back and get you." Miles suddenly said, and he left almost immediately.

Luna had a lot to say, a lot to complain about, but words seemed to desert her. She watched her brother exit the room against her will.

Oddly, she wanted to meet the supposed Alexander, maybe she felt a bit of fear, but she admired how untouchable he was. Even the cops dared not trespass into his community.

"Alexander..." Luna murmured, testing the name.

She couldn't wait to see him.

*******

Luna didn't know where she found the comfort to sleep. Her mind was heavy and unsettled, thoughts bothered her, but it weighed her to sleep still.

"Hey!" Miles' soothing voice stirred her, she rubbed her eyes tiredly while pulling herself into a sitting position. Luna glanced at her brother who was looking exhausted, she saw the stress in his eyes.

"You must be hungry." miles studied her face for a few seconds, and walked forward.

It was then, she noticed the polythene bag in his large palms, her mouth watered and her stomach grumbled greedily. She wasted no time snatching the bag and fishing out the burger in it.

"Thank you." Luna appreciated in between bites. Miles nodded as he sat next to her, he smiled slightly at his sister's huge appetite.

"So, I-" He hesitated, snapping his fingers nervously. "I- we will leave after you're done eating."

With her mouth full of the vegetables squashed between the burgers, she paused. "Leave? Where do you stay?" Luna inquired excitedly. Nothing brought her happiness like getting to spend time with her brother. He was all she had and it devastated her all the times he wasn't physically there.

"Sort of." He silently said, determined to avoid her eye contact at all costs.

A pause.

Silence.

Luna swallowed patiently, waiting for him to further elaborate. His reply was too vague.

"The mansion. It's like a community, I stay there but... It's Alexander's," he said again. His voice sounded so strained, and Luna could tell that he was finding it hard to open up to her.

Right, their conversation earlier came rushing.

"I didn't get to see him, not everyone does, but I was able to see his right hand man and you can stay there for a while." Miles explained looking everywhere but her.

"So..he doesn't know? You didn't get his approval?" Luna whispered, slight disappointment lacing her tone.

"He doesn't trust easily! He's gonna kill me if he finds out!"

The half eaten burger slid out of her grasp and landed softly on the hard floor.

"If you can prove your innocence, he will let you stay." Miles tried comforting, but in Luna's hysterical condition she didn't hear him whisper "maybe."

There was so much she wanted to say, so much.

"They say he kills at the slightest sign of dishonesty..." She trailed uncertainty.

Miles scooted to where she was, he wrapped an arm around her rigid form and patted her back twice.

"I won't let him. Even if it means rebelling against him, I will protect you, you're all I have." He swore with determination.

But, Luna wasn't even listening. She was picturing what Alexander looked like and the excitement brewed in her again.

She couldn't wait to see what he looked like.