PECULIAR (✓)

21. His Side

Cassius POV of Arguments

Regrets is something I know the most in life but I won't let the way Alettra and I left things the other night be another regret on my long list.

But, I know that's not the end of us. Truthfully, I have never a believer in soulmates until I met her. I've never anyone who could melt me so easily like her, she calmed the storms within me.

I try to take my mind of Alettra for a bit to let things cool down, it was an very intense moment last night, so I can understand why she walked off. We both needed time to cool off.

Deciding to get ready early to meet the gang that got my brother hooked on drugs, I was going over my plan. I was going to make them all pay. The sooner I can end this, the sooner I can tell Alettra, she was right that night. I was hiding something big from her.

James. That's my alias for this operation, the police are involved and know what I'm doing but these people are immensely dangerous, so the police have little involvement, so nothing seems suspicious. I have to be careful. That night I got stabbed, it was when Victor and I got jumped by a rival gang at night, after I had left Alettra alone in bed. I hate lying to Alettra, but I know she would be worried, and I don't want her involved at all, these people are worse than scum.

Victor rings me in the evening telling me to meet him at his nightclub so I can finally meet his boss for the first time, the guy who supposedly got my brother in the game.

Making sure I look the part I look in the mirror quickly, pausing to look at my tired features caused by my inability to sleep due to my nightmares, and Alettra keeping me up.

Looking in the mirror, my reflection disgusts me... James. He was like them.

I've been undercover for 9 months and was tired of this facade but it was to get justice for Cyrus.

All those things Alettra told me the night she woke me from my nightmare replays in my mind, I hope it was true. I hope Cyrus didn't hate me and forgave me.

I had been in the VIP section of the club for an hour, the bright neon lights giving me a headache. It didn't add to the atmosphere, as Victor put it, but just made people too tired to leave.  Girls were surrounding me as usual, part of the VIP treatment I suppose. Normally, I would play up the extra attention to look the part, but since Alettra has come in my life I can't bring myself to do it, especially not now while we're fighting.

No one can even come close to making me feel as good as she does.

Her smile is enough to make everything okay.

Suddenly, knocking out of my train of thought about Alettra, a tall older man sits in front of me. "So James is it, Victor's told me all about you, my name is Robert." As the conversation carries on I can't help but roll my eyes at how desperate this guy is for me to join his stupid gang. He doesn't even hide it.

Victor shouts out to say hi to me but I brush him off.

But then Robert says something that peeks my interest.

"You know Victor hasn't brought me someone worthwhile since that young kid, Cyrus or something."

Wait, what.

Before I can question Robert further, I see something that stuns me.

The prettiest girl in the world, her tied up black locks framing her sad intense expression as she grips a book.

The book I got her.

Alettra. God, why did it have to happen like this.

I try to keep calm and remember what's important right now. I have to keep my cover. So I smile back at Robert, and carry on the conversation.