CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I was in deep shit, I can't help them.

I said I'm willing to help, but if father hears what I did, he will despise me.

I've been loyal since the day he took me under his wing, I stole pockets first, I was still a kid, I did errands, he sent me to school, gave me his name, and gave me a home, and I grew up loyal, and I stole cars for him, sold weed for him, and did my best...I was dirty to the core.

And then, one day, I discovered another side of him, he did some services to his friends...like accepting requests to kill.

The first time I knew it, I was sent to clean a house, and that's when I found Lola, I was nearly 17 years old, and she was three.

Father cleaned her family, and she became the reason to live for me, the center of my life.

And I worked hard to afford her clean money to grew up, and finally, she grew up a sweet young lady.

I think it's time for me to disappear from her life, I am so dirty that I feel ashamed to belong to her clean life.

So, to ensure her security, and help the others, I decided to betray the man who received me under his wing.

The man I called father.

GABRIEL POV

Rei was in shock, he was emotionally confused, he cried and laughed at the same time, and he thanked God repeatedly.

I know he always hated me, the cause of everything, and I am no angel.

I don't blame anyone.

He wanted to stay by his side, but I asked Viktoria to drive him back, and make sure that everything stay secret.

Dimitri refused to answer his phone, so I asked Viktoria to check on him and call me.

I think that he is more at ease with Viktoria than with me.

I decided to call the others for a BBQ, and like that, we can have at least a good time before the action start.

I will ask Viktoria to tell the squad, and I will tell Theo tomorrow so he can tell Tyler too.

I looked at the finished painting in front of me and was satisfied, so I covered it and went to check on Silas before going to sleep.

About nearly  two years ago, the day when it all happened, the day Sophia died and Silas was reported dead, with some miracle, his body got stolen, and his ring and watch with his jacket were switched with an other body, the fire deformed the bodies, Silas was recognized from his ring and watch, so he was declared dead.

But he was saved by none other than Lorenzo, the man though that Silas didn't made it after he brought him to a hospital, so he never checked back, but apparently, the hospital kept it a secret after Lorenzo's first request and since he paid them generously.

Viktoria found out accidentally, so, she brought him here.

To tell the truth, I felt so happy and relieved when Viktoria told me, but once he wakes up, what am I supposed to tell him about Sophia?

I went to my room, the bad was comforting, and I started to think about tomorrow, I have work, and Viktoria also have a work now, what should I do now.

I rolled to the other side, and suddenly remembered someone, so I sent them a text and waited for a reply.

Not a moment passed when my phone vibrated, I opened the text and was satisfied with the answer, so I turned off the lights and called it a night.

REI POV

Last night I collapsed from exhaustion, but also relief, I still can't believe what happened.

I prepared breakfast for me and my baby sister, we ate and then took my car and left for work.

Once in the garage, I spotted a Harley, my heart thumped faster than normal, and I parked the car and we exited it.

Entering our quarters, we found Abel by the big monitor working and sipping his coffee, Pachmina rushed to his side, greeted him and stole his mug of coffee and sipped half of it in a one go, she is a coffee addict, I restricted her from drinking too much, so she started this habit of steeling Abel's coffee every time she spotted a mug in his hand, and strangely, Abel never seemed bothered by her acts, and he smiles every time and watch her chug the coffee like water.

I walked to my office and prepared some work and then walked to the training area where I found Lila and Franc leaning by the boxing-fighting space watching Jeff challenging Viktoria.

-"Morning" I greeted.

They all turned to me, except Viktoria, she took that exact moment to flip Jeff up and put him face down on the ground while twisting his arms behind his back firmly.

-"Never turn your back to the enemy" she whispered by his ears, and he struggled hard to get free.

-"Let him be Viktoria" I said lazily.

-"Wanna switch places with him maybe?" She teased with a smirk and released Jeff who sprinted like a leopard away from her.

The four looked at me expecting an answer.

-"She won against the three of us, she started with Lola, me and then finished with Jeff as you see" Franc said with a pout.

-"Should I save your honor then?" I said with a smirk and the the three of them nodded their heads vigorously.

-"Well, I think that I don't have a choice" I said and took off my jacket, staying with my black jeans and black wife beater.

Viktoria crossed her arms to her chest and lifted an eyebrow at me.

I took off my shoes and entered the battlefield!

I took a step towards her, but she walked back, I swung my foot to knock her off her feet but she did a backflip gracefully and then crossed her arms again.

I smiled at her and lunged at her full speed, I saw her panic at first, but then she came to me too, we exchanged fists and avoided them swiftly, dodged all the attacks skillfully, it was as if we were looking into a mirror, we both mirrored each other's attacks, but then, I grabbed her wrist and brought her to me, she struggled in my hold, her back to my chest, her arm twisted behind her back, and the other was blocked by my other hand.

I was going to smile when suddenly a ringing went on full force in my head, and I lost contact with my surroundings, I felt myself flipped, and then my back touched a solid surface, the ringing was so high, my sight faded and I closed my eyes, the headache was going to split my head in two, I groaned from paint, after a moment, it started to get tolerable, and I could open my eyes, and I was surprised.

I found myself on the ground, Viktoria leaning over me and looked worried and she was talking to me, I couldn't hear what she was saying, so I looked behind her and spotted the whole squad looking worriedly at me.

-"...I,REI!" I heard just as a slap hit my right cheek.

I looked at Viktoria and she stopped suddenly.

-"Can you hear me?" She asked, and I groaned and flipped the other side.

Mother ****er of a headache.

I lifted myself on my elbow and stared at Viktoria.

-"Yes! I can hear you! Sorry to frighten you guys! I'm okay now, my bad! You can go shower and change back and rest for a bit" I said and watched them all get out of the room, except my sister, so I gave her a reassuring smile and she left.

-"What was that?" Viktoria asked seriously, and I stood up and started walking to the door too.

-"Just a headache, sorry to make you worry" I said and continued walking, and I heard her following me.

I walked to my office and went into the personal bathroom there, and she followed me too inside.

-"That happened the other day too in my room" she said and she crossed her arms over her chest.

-"It's nothing serious" I said and flipped on the hot water button on the shower.

-"Really!" She said mockingly and put her hands on her hips daringly.

-"Really" I confirmed and took off my black wife beater waiting for her to get out of the bathroom.

She didn't.

-"Listen to me! Don't forget that I am the queen piece of your chess game now, I left Gabriel's side to help here because I felt needed! And it was my choice to do, so let me help you" she finished with a whisper.

I turned to her, and she was giving me a look, I couldn't understand it, I walked to her, and she looked down angrily.

-"Hey! Look at me" I said and lifted  her head.

-"We were dead worried about you" she said sadly and angrily at the same time.

-"I'm sorry" I whispered.

-"Since when are you getting those headaches?" She asked.

-"It's the aftermath of the accident" I said after a few moments of silence.

I watched as she gasped and hide her mouth with both hands and a look of horror on her face.

-"REI! Oh my God! I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!" She said with sincere regret.

-"It's okay" I said.

-"No! It's not!" She said firmly.

I just stayed silent.

-"I was the one who asked Dimitri to save me and Gabriel that time, but I didn't know what he was going to do, but we took you all out of the car, I thought you were doing well except your injuries" she said.

-"It's going to be okay, I got the best queen to protect me" I said with a smile.

-"Of cours you got the best" she said, finally smiling.

-"So, unless you wanna join me, I won't take off my pants, I'm not doing a free striptease" I said with a smirk and observed her face heated until it was flushed, as if she just came to realize that we were in a bathroom and I was half naked.

-"In your dreams" she huffed and went off closing the door behind her.

Yeah, in my dreams...but they said that dreams sometimes become true!