ONE

HOLLIS

Whoever brought up the idea of carving that awful looking image of Einstein must either be so dumb or extremely stupid because they made a whole mess of the image and also made it so obvious that the faux wall really had to be a door. Bloody hand raised, I waited for Rocco to hand me a reloaded gun. The cold feel of a semi-automatic grazed my fingers and I smiled.

"There's nobody inside Boss. Aside from the few securities we've already taken care of, the house is clean." Rocco, my right hand man reported, but I smiled knowing that my suspicion might be true then.

I simply shifted my gaze to him. Today was just the f*ck*ng day I've been looking forward to. A good day to teach Velcro and his stupid brother some hard lessons and knock some senses into them while at it, if they survive anyway.

"Nero, stay out here with the rest of the men and be alert. I'll notify you if we need more men."

​Nero nodded and dished out inaudible orders to the rest of the men with his fingers while I started heading towards the image of Einstein with Rocco following right behind.

"Boss, shouldn't we take more men, we don't know what we would meet where we are headed." He asked worriedly, and got me p*ss*d off.

"If you're going to whine and not hold your gun firmly, then you'd better get back there and let Nero take your place. Should I send for him?" I asked, stopping abruptly.

"No, no Boss." He replied. "But are you sure....."

"We'll be fine Rocco. Let's examine what we're up against first before involving our men." As I finished my statement, I started shooting right through the funny carved image and he joined immediately.

Neither Rocco nor I stopped, not even when the horrible thing started giving away in bits and pieces and became unrecognizable before crumbling to the ground. The wooden door behind blew apart bit by f*ck*ng bit too, until it bounced open. When it released, I made to step in, but Rocco stood in my way.

"Let me go first Boss. We don't know what we might face down there." I looked at him in stark amazement, yet to understand why he was hell bent on being a pain in my god-damned *ss.

"If you don't step aside, I will f*ck*ng put a chaotic bullet in your head." I swore under my breath. But the annoying human stood there staring at me, trying to gauge the possibility of me carrying out the threat.

He took a deep breath and stepped aside. I stepped into a narrow opening that seemed to be a passageway, gun in hand. We pushed open a door and there stood the rats, all down and panicky. My eyes met Velcro's brother, whatever his name was. He looked white as a sheet, then there were two of his wounded men, trying their best to stop the bleeding in their arms.

"What's that name of yours, boy?" I asked him, shooting the two struggling guards to put them out of their misery. Rocco was right behind me, gun pulled and pointed at the boy.

"Ralph. Goddamn it, you shot my men. What did we do to you, we've never trespassed."

"Ralph," I called calmly, "where the f*ck is your brother?" He shifted uneasily, cursing under his breath.

"You've killed my men." He muttered.

"Which of them? These ones that don't know a thing about Safety 101." I asked scanning the room, noting the possible places Velcro might be hiding.

The next trigger I pulled sent a bullet right through Ralph's left thigh and he screamed in tears. "Your brother, boy. Where is he?"

"I don't know," he cried. "I don't f*ck*ng know."

"Wrong answer." The second bullet went through his right thigh.

"Jesus!" The boy screamed and almost had me rolling on the floor with laughter.

Who would have thought he knew Jesus, even as a petty killer. I would have sent Nero and the boys to take care of this sh*t. But when I finally got the news that they were the fools that almost killed Ugo Chike, I was beyond furious. If that girl was going to die, then I have to be the one to kill her. Not some petty fools that know absolutely nothing about that fragile girl that I've dedicated a lot of time to know and understand.

"Where is your brother?" I repeated the question and he pointed to a closed door, his tears now uncontrollable.

Rocco moved over and pulled the scared piece of sh*t out of his hiding spot. I smiled at how terrified he looked.

"Welcome to the party." I cheered him, turning my gun toward him, while watching Ralph from the corners of my eyes. "Tell me, was it f*ck*ng you, sweetheart," I asked, looking him dead in the eyes, now calm as ever, yet ready to empty my gun in his dead *ss body.

That sounds more like it anyway. I can't remember the last time I spared any m*th*rf*ck*r that double-crossed me. I spare no one, I take what I want, when I want it, and get killed to get the job done.

"Boss, I swear, I didn't want to do it. I was blackmailed."

He was sweating profusely, the emotions in his eyes didn't match the one he was forcing in his voice. He was a f*ck*ng liar. There is more to the whole drama and I was ready to hear it all. I turned to Rocco.

"Take him, let's get the f*ck out of here." Rocco nodded and led the way.

I was about to leave when I heard the tiny whimpers from the boy on the floor. I bent down and cut out a few pieces of fabric from his shirt and threw them at him. I guess a day will always come for one to break their own rule. I started it with Ugo Chike, now I'm extending it to this Ralph boy. Lucky day for him.

"Tie up those legs if you don't want to become an amputee and call for help fast." I told him and left.

That was me being kind. I didn't kill him and I helped him too. Not everybody can get such kindness from me.

As I entered the back seat of the Audi, I felt a lot at ease knowing that I have done some good and I had the idiot that stepped on my toe.

"What's the update?" I asked Rocco who was seated beside me with an expressionless face.

"Miss. Ugo has arrived at Lilycity, Boss. She arrived yesterday and was seen having an early morning run today."

He pushed a picture toward me. I smirked, lifting the picture of one of the cutest and brave girls I've known.

"She must have missed her morning runs." I murmured taking a closer look at her arm to be sure the bruises she sustained from the last attempt on her life were now faded.

"I believe so, Boss."

"Yes, is there more?"

"Boss Maxine said to tell you that everything is under control and he's handling it well from his end. He said that if the Queen fails to visit, that he will visit her and he will forward a signal to you when your presence is needed." He said.

I nodded. Having my brother down at Lilycity was not such a hard request. He had turned into an advocate for the girl even before I explained everything to him. He was in support of literally anything I suggested as long as it was going to keep the young girl safe. I trusted him enough to carry out his part to perfection. I brought the picture up again and stared. Brown eyes, dark brown hair with highlight tips, and charming lips.

"Ugo Amber Chike." I murmured rubbing off an invisible stain from her cheeks through the picture.

Rocco cleared his throat and I turned to him. "Yes?"

"A message came in from your father, Boss."

"And?"

"He's requesting your presence over the weekend."

"What about?" I asked, putting the picture away and wishing to hear something else aside from my whining father and his irritable self.

"Dinner, a family dinner. Miss Elsa would be there."

"Tell him I'll be out of town. I don't care what else you have to say, but make sure he doesn't insist that I come for that miserable gathering."

I couldn't imagine myself seated beside Don Pedro's daughter. She was a pretty lady of course, but the match-making our parents seem hell-bent on, wasn't going to work for me. I didn't like the girl, one bit. And although the union would strengthen both empires, I still didn't find that enough reason to wallow in marital misery for the rest of my life.