By the time Avery regained consciousness, her back was flat against a soft bouncy bed, a woolen quilt drawn to her chin. Lavender and citrus wafted into her nose, the air, cool against her skin. Eyes closed, she relished the strange environment with a growing smile on her face, drawing as much of the celestial scent into her lungs as she could. She was not home, that much was certain. Her bed at home was hard as rock. She'd wake up on with stiff neck and a string of expletives, potent enough to burn the poor bed to ashes. But this right here, sure feels like heaven. She splayed her hands and legs beneath the quilt, sinking deeper into the bed. While she was making herself comfortable on the strange bed, a clatter from somewhere downstairs broke into her fantasy. Her brows creased into a frown. When did her father's bungalow become a story building? The house doesn't have a basement either. Then it hit her like a freight train. She was dragged into a dark alley by some men...s
Peeling his eyes open, Michael groaned awake on the sofa in the living room. He blinked the haze out of his eyes, as a splitting pain wracked through his skull. Gradually, the 62 inches Samsung LED TV zoomed into focus, as well as the pretty lady wearing his black pajamas sitting on the centre table across from him- the same hot-headed lady he saved her from lowlifes, who thought it was okay to pay him back with a bat to his skull. His head hurts really badly. Wincing, he made to touch his head, but he couldn't. What the hell? Did she just... He jerked fully awake, grounding his teeth, "Why am I tied up like a fucking criminal in my own house?" As if the bashing was not enough, Avery had him tied on the sofa with cords he didn't know he had. His hands and legs were tied behind him in the most uncomfortable position as possible. His shoulders ached and his lungs protested terribly. He'd be needing his pills, or else, he's fucked. The bat beside her, propped against the glass
More than ever, Michael resolutely stood his ground. Avery needed his protection, and he would protect her with the very essence of his life. With Nicki on the prowl, and Shawn's unexpected return to Empire City, Michael wanted her out of their prying eyes as far as possible. Nicki, he could deal with, but Shawn... A dark cloud loomed over Shawn. He came for revenge prepared. The trumpet of war wailed loudly in his ears. Blood and regret littered the battlefield. He might not be able to stop Shawn from raining hell on his universe, but he'd do everything within him to protect Avery from his volcanic touch. Bundled up like pieces of firewood waiting to be stoked, Michael lay on his side, waiting for her response. Her watched her face morphed from helpless to anger. She stood to her feet, balling her hands into fists, her hair falling over her face. "No!" Michael rolled his eyes and groaned, bored with the whole back and forth. He was almost done untying the knots. Just one t
Michael went upstairs to his room to make true to his end of the deal. Avery's scent wafted into his lungs, soothing his grazing nerves. Sitting on his desk, he pulled the telephone closer and punched in the hospital number. On know who he was, the flabbergasted receptionist referred him to the head physician. On connecting, he stated his business in a formal tone, saying who he was and why he called, of course, excluding details of his deal with Avery. A bank account was sent to his mail, to which he responded in tow. He went down to the kitchen to inform Avery the deal was done. She released a sigh, but the calmness flew out the window immediately it set in, when she was hell bent on going to the hospital to be with her mother. Michael held her back and convinced her to , at least, change into something more lady-like, if she didn't want people asking questions. He coaxed her into having breakfast, unwilling to let her leave on empty stomach. It was eleven a.m. with grey clou
"Can we not go out in your car?" Avery shifted on her feet, her hands parked into the front pouch of the grey hoodie she was wearing. She was afraid of being spotted in public with Michael, after his fake engagement with Nicki that half of Empire City probably knew about now. "I have a very bad idea about this." Despite herself, she could not stop gawking at Michael's luxury home. He has a good taste for the good things of life. The villa was furnished to first class standard, shimmering with modernity and high tech electronics. His garage was another wonder in itself. Wider than her father's bungalow, it housed a row of exotic cars that could embarrass the Mayor's entourage. The striking thing about him was that the cars where all painted in black. From the Boxster Convertible to a sleek Lamborghini Aventador to the Toyota Urban Cruiser. Her mouth rounded in awe when her eyes settled on a black shiny car behind the SUV. Sweet Mary... Is that a Grand Tourer?! She knew Michael wa
Three years... Three agonizing years of waiting and watching her mother on the hospital bed, fighting for her life. She'd prayed, cried, and kissed the rosary on her neck more times than she could count. It was her mother's gift to her, a potent charm she'd held unto for most part of her life. When a year passed with no obvious progress, she kissed the rosary and returned it to her mother's neck. Hopefully, a miracle would bring her back someday. Today happened to be the day. "Mom?" Avery stiffened, staring at her mother's pale face, jade oasis beaming under the fluorescent light, reflecting life and home . "You're awake?" Avery was stunned all right, but that Michael and Dr Tancredi both had a look of bewilderment on their faces. Brows creased, Michael observed the touching scene play out, as Dr Tancredi skirted past him to Dianne's side, plugging the earpiece of her stethoscope to her ears. "Are you alright, Mrs Sallow? Can you hear me? Do you feel pains in any part of
"What's up, Pedro?" Michael asked, sitting on a bench in the corridor, tapping his foot agaisnt the tiled floor. The nauseating smell of antiseptics and tablets filled his nose. He scrunched his nose, willing his mind to veer away from the thought of puking on the hospital floor. "Is Beatrice going into labor?"Pedro grunted, and Michael chuckled. He could imagine Pedro rolling his eyes from the other end of the line. "Fuck, no. She's barely into her third trimester. You'll understand better when you have a wife to worry about.""There you go again," It was Michael's turn to groan. Pedro had always wanted him to get married, but he was not ready to commit himself to some special woman. As long as Khalid was on the loose, a woman in his life would be a distraction. "I know this is not a social call, so what's up?" he asked, diverting from the topic.Pedro was not the sociable type. He'd rather send a text than put a call across. He didn't want any part of their conversation fleeting in
They stepped out of the ward to the waiting area. Families and friends dotted the area, representing one patient in the hospital. Due to the state of things, the front row benches were jammed with people. Michael, being the charmer that he was, found a spot for them beside an old lady, facing the parking area. She spotted his bike in no time where he parked it in the morning.The hospital was as busy as it was in the morning, with nurses and doctors going about their businesses in a haste.It was dark already outside, as street lamps and car lights illuminated the busy road yards away from the hospital. The moon hung behind a cushion of grey clouds, serenaded by a host of twinkling stars, adding a milky sheen to the alluring night life of Empire City. If it were another time, Avery would have admired the beauty. In spite of Michael's constant assurance, Avery could barely hold it together. She was either mumbling to herself or biting her fingernails. Her side was glued to Michael's a
Shawn opened the mini refrigerator and took out a bottle for Aubrey, a new product, home to Cleveland. Avery decided she'd not accept the wine if he offered her a glass. She could not trust someone who threatened to harm a pregnant woman and her unborn child. He pressed his thumb on the glove compartment and it slid inward, revealing four sets of wine glasses. Taking out two glasses, he filled them halfway and presented a glass to Avery. Avery shook her head, withdrawing farther from him. She'd be damned to take the cup.When he saw Avery would not accept the drink, he took a sip from both cups and swallowed. "If I wanted to hurt you, I'd do it to your face," he shrugged. "So, are you gonna take the drink or not?""No, thanks." Avery remained adamant. "I'm good.""Suit yourself." Shawn mumbled. He emptied her glass in one full swig, gulping noisily. "Hmmm. An exquisite taste from the vines of Empires own winery. I misjudged the drink by the bottle," he raised the wine bottle to his
"I'm not sure he's coming," Avery sighed, her hopes sinking to the bottom of the ocean. "He's still mad at me."Avery was worried now. Three hours had passed, yet, Michael's number was unreachable. She dialed his phone the umpteenth time, tapping her foot against the floor. Switched off...again.'Ahhh!' she screamed internally. At a point, she thought of going to the office. Most people occupy themselves with work to manage stress and trauma. She caused him both; she was to blame for everything."He'll come around," Beatrice assured. They finished cooking two hours ago. After packing up her mother's ration in a stainless food flask, she stuffed a bigger flask with Michael's portion portion. Avery refused to taste the meal until she saw or heard from Michael. She finally managed to take a bite as Beatrice would not let her step out of the house on an empty stomach. "He's probably caught up in a meeting. Relax and keep a positive mind." Avery and Beatrice sat in the living room, wait
Michael summoned the rest of the team to the basement. The meeting was impromptu, but a potential threat had invaded his space, and he couldn't sit back and watch his city burn to the ground. After what the thug told him and Zephyr, standing by would be disastrous. "I sincerely hope you didn't pull me out of work to plan a surprise party. I had to bribe Craig with my lunch to cover up for me again." Pedro feigned annoyance, taking the chair behind the line of computers. He never jokes with his lunch, especially the ones made by Beatrice. Michael learned that the hard way. "Who am I tracking?" "You're not tracking anybody," Michael sighed, peeling an apple with a switch knife. Belinda stood beside the monitors, imitating a no nonsense shield agent. Michael gave her a curt nod to acknowledge her presence. "At least not yet." "Where's Zephyr," Belinda asked. "Is he on an official assignment?" Michael sliced through the apple and popped a quarter into his mouth. "Kinda. Remember t
"You said that to him?!" Beatrice exclaimed, holding a rolling pin. "Oh girl, that's not a way to talk to someone who has been so kind to you." Avery leaned against the kitchen island. She and Beatrice were in aprons, making brown bread and oyster soup. Her mother had requested she brought her favorite to her when next she came visiting. As fate would have it, she found a bag of oysters in the deep freezer, Beatrice had bought out of necessity. Coincidentally, she knew someone who loved the same food. She recalled their days in his office when they enjoyed relative peace. He fought her over ownership of her food, and gobbled them, smacking his lips...and her ass. Her countenance fell as she chopped the rosemary leaves. Her eyes were heavy from lack of sleep. She couldn't sleep a wink all night. It was cold and empty within empty- the same Michael she almost went rogue for. Funny how, ironically, she pushed him out of her room like he meant nothing to her. While thinking of how
"Fuck!" The thugs screamed. "You broke my good wrist! What kind of a monster are you?"Avery's hatred for him had set an untamed monster loose. When pushed against a hard surface, holding back would be a miracle."A monster on the prowl, thirsty for blood."Michael sent another knuckle-duster punch across his face, tearing both flesh and bone. His hands and singlet were stained in blood. Sprinkles of blood dotted his face. Two, out of the thugs, were dead, ready for cremation.They burn the bodies of their dead prisoners to erase evidences that might give them away. For five years, they have been able to run a clean operation, devoid of mistakes. Zephyr took care of the burning process, turning all evidence to ash.However, a new police detective just arrived in town. Rumours had it that he was diligent in his job, leaving no stone unturned. The astute rookie posed a great threat to the team. A minor mistake could expose their clandestine operations and permanently shut them down.For
Michael and patience cannot be put in the same sentence. As the rain torrented, firing bullets of water against the windows, he grew restive. Dr Tancredi left him and Dianne in the ward to attend to another patient. He paced the floor, praying fervently for the rain to stop. He didn't remember when he prayed last. Sister Martha told them in the orphanage that no matter how far a person is from God, God is never far from them. All it takes is a genuine call to Him, and he'd answer. Facing the window, he strung few words he recalled from Sister Martha's prayers during devotion. He didn't ask for much. He asked that Avery be safe, and that the rain hold its peace, because it was stopping him from getting to Avery. Ever since he confirmed Dianne's health status, he had been itching to leave the hospital. Frustrated, he brought out his phone from his pocket. If he expected God to overlook his imperfections, he had it coming. He gave up waiting for a miracle and chose to dial Avery's
Eight hours ago...Michael stepped out of the Italian restaurant. Above him was a bed of heavy grey clouds, floating with a promise of a heavy downpour. Taking in a long pull of the fresh air, he sauntered to his bobber. The air was cooler, compared to the compressed one inside the restaurant. The restaurant would get a one star review from him. They were misinformed that they were coming to a brothel. Though, Michael would never pass off a good opportunity to release some fluid, Clara rubbed off on him the wrong way. Bad customer service. Repulsive attendant behavior. Dirty party tricks... It officially marked the end of his visit to the restaurant.Dismissing his anger, he returned to the distress at hand."How do I get in undetected?" The mission may appear simple to an ignorant spectator- confirm Dianne is safe. What skipped their mind was that there was neither a simple or difficult mission. Anything could go wrong at any fucking time, which meant roughly fifteen year minimum
"Nooo!" Avery jerked with a start, covered in a reservoir of sweat. The top of her plain tee was soaking wet, despite the cool weather. It was raining cats and dogs, the stone drops pelting down in torrents. It took her a while to recall where she was. Lighthouse Hospital... the Italian restaurant... Pedro... Nicki and Shawn... Pedro's house. She was sleeping in the guest room, until a bloody nightmare ruined her sleep, scaring the shit out of her."Michael!" Her chest heaved, rising and falling at a fast pace. It was pitch black outside. Thunder clapped, ripping through the rain drops followed by a sheet of lighting highlighting the naked street. Taking her mind away from the rain, she spotted the bedside clock on the nightstand, ticking rhythmically. 2. a. m.The first thing that came to her mind was to call Michael. Her hands and lips trembled, like a junkie needing a fix. She rolled the quilt aside and moved to the edge of the bed, turning on the lampshade to find her bearing
Pedro's house is what you would describe as simple and cozy. Surrounded by a white picket fence and a garden on both sides of the walkway, the bungalow resembled a humble abode curled out from the countryside. Light poured from the porch, illuminating the step and the door. Being a gentleman, Pedro opened the door and ushered her into his house."Babe, are you home?" Pedro called from the foyer, as he pulled his shoes, dragging his suitcase with him. Avery got rid of her sneakers and followed Pedro into a warm living room filled the aroma of curry and fried chicken. A glass center table stood in the middle of the main area, surrounded by a collection of black leather cushions. The TV was on; but not too loud. The host was talking about some natural disaster happening in the Middle East. "I'm in the kitchen!" That would be Pedro's wife."Babe, meet Avery, Michael's..." Pedro zoned out, unsure of the right term to describe her and Michael's relationship."Secretary," she waved at the