Chapter 22

Kevin's eyes followed Alice’s. This was not the time for him to have an encounter with Khan, so he had to act fast. Kevin looked at Alice and continued

“Think deeper Alice. Why are you trusting someone who killed everyone in the orphanage? He is using you. Wake up.” Kevin took a step forward not missing the confusion in Alice’s eyes. He reached out toward her hand. Alice's eyes widened. She felt baffled about what she wanted to do. Her body stood frozen as she watched him motionless. She looked stunned down at the crumbled-up paper he pressed into her hand. The warmth of his hand lingered a bit longer on hers before he pulled away.

“It is up to you to figure out everything. I will always be here for you Alice. I never stopped loving you.” Kevin stared into her eyes saying nothing further. The genuine

in his eyes telling her more than words ever could. She noticed him lifting his arm reaching toward her face but hesitantly stopped. He lowered his head then turned around and walked away, leaving her staring behind watching his back disappear around the corner. Why was it that she was always the one to be left behind to watch him walk away? The anxiety she felt inside increased every time. She then realized the thought of his absence made the loss she felt inside worse. Alice stood frozen staring into space.

Khan rounded the corner.

"There you are. What are you doing here?” Khan asked as he looked around puzzled.

He scrunched his nose at the smell that lingered around them. Alice tightened her hand around the piece of paper ignoring his gaze.

“Nothing.”

She walked past him letting her arms brush against his.

Khan inhaled and glared out in front of him. Fully aware that Alice was lying to him.

Having struggled with Insomnia from a young age Alice had gotten used to the little sleep. Tonight, was the worse. Every time she closed her eyes, Kevin’s eyes appeared in front of her. She tossed and turned around in bed the whole night and eventually gave up. Kevin’s words constantly echoed through her mind. Alice leaned over toward her bedside table and switched on the light and then grabbed her phone. She searched through her contacts and dialed the number.

The phone rang a few times before the person answered.

“Alice, it’s way too early for a booty call, and I am anyway not in the mood.” He said groggily.

“Stop dreaming Jackson.”

“Alice. You are aware that it’s three o'clock in the morning. I know you don’t sleep but I do!”

“I have a proposition for you.”

“Could it not have waited until tomorrow morning?”

“Jackson!”

“Okay - Okay. I owe you Alice so if I do this, we are square.”

“No. It’s not a one-time thing.”

A minute of silence passed.

“I am listening.”

“Someone wants me dead…”

“Pft. That is not new. We all know with the life we chose we will die sooner or later.”

“I did not choose this live Jackson. Life dealt me shitty cards, but I am not going to sit and wait for them to take me out. I would rather have fun in the process.”

Jackson kept silent waiting for her to continue.

“I can’t trust anyone around me. I want you to gather people who we can trust. I am going to eliminate everyone who ever betrayed me.”

“How do you know I will not be one of them or be the one who betrays you in the end?”

“I will just have to take my chances, but just know, I will kill every last one who ever crossed me, but I will protect those with my life who stand beside me.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I need you to investigate what happened to the orphanage that I grew up in. Then I want to know everything about Kevin Rodriguez.” Alice went more into detail explaining everything he needed to know.

“How long do I have?” He inquired.

“Two days. Will that be enough?” Alice asked.

“Yes.”

“We will randevu at the old abandon salt factory at ten o'clock the morning, in two days.”

“Okay. I will see you then.”

Khan or Kevin. One of them was talking the truth. Alice knew she already knew the answer in her heart, but she did not want to believe it. She wanted solid evidence. She gasped for air every time she thought of the possibility that Kevin Rodriguez could be her Kevin. She lay awake through the night thinking about her past. Her mind raced through everyone she killed. Some were bad people, and some were just at the wrong place at the wrong time, but unfortunately, when Adriano gave orders to kill, she had no choice but to abide. Everyone knew the rule, kill or be the one to be killed. Things were not supposed to turn out this way. This was not her plan. How could Kevin ever love her when he learned the things she had done? She had gotten used to her heart being as cold as ice. How would she be able to give him the love he deserves? She also did not want to think about him being with or loving anyone else. She was not foolish. She knew how much his family hated hers. They would never accept her as one of them. They lived in the same world but inwardly it felt like they lived two worlds apart. No one wanted a messed-up woman. She felt the hope for them ever being together lost.