BEHIND THE MASK- BOOK II

NINE: BROTHERHOOD?

NINE: BROTHERHOOD?

THREE WEEKS.

Three weeks have gone by since the prime minister's confession. Matt was back in his gym again with Marcus by his side. And ever since he came back, he couldn't help but feel the tension in the air. He could tell that something was up. Because there was no sign of Zayn. It was almost like he disappeared. No call, no text, nothing. And for some reason, he had a feeling it had to do with the situation involving Riley.

He was wearing a simple sweatpants and t-shirt, watching tv in his awfully quiet house. It wasn't the same without her. Since Riley moved out, it felt like the house lost its life. It was dull, empty. Along with his emotions fighting against each other, he saw the woman he vowed to love until his last breath be exposed as a traitor. All these years, she had gone. It honestly felt like he wasn't even married considering that she was gone throughout most of it.

He was about to change the channel not wanting to hear his heart shatter even more when the doorbell rang. Getting up from his seat, with a bottle beer in hand, he headed to the door and opened it.

"Hey man, you look like someone knocked the air out of your lungs," Marcus told him playfully.

Matt stepped back letting Marcus come inside, "Being a boxing legend and a businessman is stressful, bro."

"I can imagine. How about we go for a baseball game? The Angels are playing this weekend." Marcus suggested. "I got tickets."

"I'm down. It'll take my mind of things," he sighed.

Marcus' smile dropped as he brought Matt for a quick hug. "What's going on? Talk to me."

"I just found out Sylvia has a double-life in Spain," he revealed.

Marcus grimaced. "Jesus, for real?"

"Look," Matt then showed Marcus the news.

"I hate that you have to go through this, bro," Marcus sighed. "To think, the people you consider family would stab you in the back like this."

"What about you, though?" Matt asked. "I mean, you got caught up in this mess as well."

"I've been okay. I miss her around, you know?"

Matt ran his hand through his hair before he took a sip of his beer. "It kills me to know that my daughter can't be a normal teenage girl and live here with me because of who she is. All because of Rodney."

Just as Marcus was about to speak, the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it," Marcus told him.

As Marcus answered the door, his mood went south faster than light. Right in front of him, was a person he did not want to see at all.

"The hell are you doing here?" he asked coldly.

"I just came to drop something off, that's it," Zayn sighed.

"Give it to me, I'll—"

Matt joined Marcus at the door, "Zayn, long time no see, man. How's the family?"

Zayn gave him a small smile as Marcus glared at him. "They're good. How's everything? I hope nothing crazy has happened."

"Come on in, man. Have a beer with us."

Without a word, Marcus went into the kitchen which was next to the living room. He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of beer for himself and Zayn, although he wanted to dig the man's eyes out of their sockets. When Marcus came back into the living room, he tossed a bottle at Zayn.