Thin Lines

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Ryder

"I don't have it" a man begs, hit knees on the floor and his face bloody.

I pull my pistol out, cocking and aiming it at his head. "That's not my problem." I growl at him. "I gave you a month extension, that's already breaking too many of my rules for you"

"Please!" He begs when my finger slips into the trigger of the gun. Without another word I pull the trigger, looking away as his body collapses.

Nobody dared to stop me, not now. I was pissed after Mia filled me in on what had happened with her and Xela two days ago. The poor man in front of me just got the bad end of my anger.

"Clean it up." I say on my way out of the room, taking off my bloodied shirt and tossing it into a trash can. I go up a set of stairs and push the doors open to reveal my gangs warehouse. People are scattered like ants doing different jobs throughout the warehouse.

Triston falls into step with me, holding a computer. "I got the report you wanted" he tells me. I find a chair and sit down, looking at the computer when Triston set it on my lap.

"No siblings, her dad left before she was 9." He starts to talk as I scroll and take in all the information.

"Her mom started drugs in 2011, hasn't stopped. That's the most probable reason her father left."

"Her mom just got remarried, and they moved here from Westlake at the start of the school year."

"Westlake?" I repeated, remembering that's where my father had been killed.

"Who is her father" I ask, disgusted at how a man can leave his daughter with a mom like that.

"Nothing." He says. I shut the computer, "There is never 'nothing' on a person. He exists doesn't he?!" I raised my voice. Triston gives me a look, "I'll keep looking" he says before walking away.

"You're too hard on him" Mia approaches me. I roll my eyes, not in the mood to talk to her right now.

"You really like this girl huh?" She nudges me, smiling.

I ignore her, standing up and placing the computer on the table next to me.

"Do you have anything work-related to talk to me about?" I ask her.

She thinks for a moment, "Oh um Aiden wants to have a meeting with you?" She says.

I'm not surprised, of course he wants to meet and apologize for the other night then try and make business again.

"Tell him to go fuck himself" I start to walk away. I know she wants to protest that, but nobody would ever dare to say anything to me.

It looks like my afternoon is cleared up, leaving me with one last thing I've been dying to do.

I didn't think of how Xela would react, just about how good it would feel once I was done.

I parked my car on the side of the road, rolling up my sleeves as I approached the house. Not even bothering to knock, I just walked right in to the unlocked home.

I spotted him immediately, in the kitchen. "What the fu-

I cut him off with a punch to the face, followed by ten more.

By the time I got home it was already dark out.

Blake Xela and Denny all went to a movie, I like that they all get along so well.

I'm glad they weren't home since I arrived with a blood stained shirt and swollen knuckles.

"Don't tell me you got into another fight?" A voice shocks me. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Did you not miss me?" Nikos laughs, embracing me into a hug.

"You just surprised me. I though you were coming home later?"

He shrugged, "I figured you boys have been alone too long" he said, "now explain why you are covered in blood."

"I just got back from the warehouse." I say, not wanting to have this talk with him.

"I need to tell you something." I change the subject, knowing I have to warn him that we have a guest staying with us.

He eyes me warily, "Okay?" He says, waiting for me to tell him.

"There is this girl who has been staying here."

I can't read his face, he looks confused but angry, mostly confused. "What?!"

"I found out her parents were hurting her, so I offered her to stay here." I say straightforward, hoping he just says 'okay' and drops it.

"How long has she been here?"

I have to take a second to think about it, "Like two weeks."

"So you have kept this from me for two weeks?!"

"You would have freaked out and came home!

He pinches his temple, not responding. "So she can stay?" I ask after a few seconds of silence had passed. I mean how can he say no? What's he going to do force her to go back to her abusive family? 

I'm lucky Nikos wants to avoid cops as much as I do, so he knows taking her there isn't an option.

"Until we figure something else out, fine." He sighs.

"Now you explain to me why you care so much about this girl" he smiles at me, making me frown. "I don't know what you're talking about." I say.

He raises an eyebrow at me, "Come on, you've never shown interest in a girl before. This is fun for me."

I can hear the front door open from the foyer and Nikos and I make eye contact.

"Don't be stupid." I mumble to him seconds before Blake and Denny enter the room. They look shocked to see Nikos, also not expecting him to have come home early.

"Where is Xela?" I ask since she isn't with them. "She's just slow" Denny jokes.

Just seconds later Xela walks into the room. Her eyes flicker from me to Nikos. Total utter shock is stuck on her face.