Raekkuno Collection

Snake Charmer 14

A snake's poison

Rae prepared to leave for her mission.  She was in the middle of tying her hair into a bun when Sykkuno called her.

[Is it true?] His voice on the other line was weak which concerned Rae.

"Hi, Syk." She greeted him in delight. "How are you?" She asked, trying to divert the topic. She was afraid that he might scold her for being so reckless. Taking a back to back job with any breaks after a near death situation.

[Rae, I'm not angry.] He quickly caught on.

"I'll finish the job with John and Jodi." She felt awful that he couldn't finish the job they started with each other.

[Good luck then.] This was her first job in a year without him.

"Are you still healing?" Rae asked, as she continued tying her hair.

[The doctors had to sew my wounds.] Rae grimace after imagining the scene. [My wound is almost healed thanks to Betta Life's medications.] Betta life is a legal drug company that Ray owned and founded. [I'm doing alright, but Vivi's still asleep.]

"Vivi..." Rae was surprised to see Vivi throw herself in danger just to protect Sykkuno. Vivi did something that Rae wished she had done.

[Sykkuno?] A sweet but meek voice called out to him. [I have to go, Rae. Be careful.] Sykkuno ended the call without waiting for her reply.

Rae was stunned for a moment. "Sykkuno?" She called out to him to check if he really hung up on her.

A loud knock on her door snapped her out of her trance. "Rae?" Poki invited herself in. "Jodi and John are waiting for you outside." Rae looked at her phone once more. "Sykkuno called?" Poki asked. She became alert after seeing that disappointed look on her face.

"He hung up." Even Poki was stunned.

"Do you want me to visit them?" Rae nodded as she finally returned back to her old self.

"Vivi, woke up." Rae walked towards Poki, and together they exited her room.

"Okay." They met up with Scarra who was waiting outside of Rae's room. "Were you waiting long, Don Scarra?" Rae asked. She was afraid that the Don might scold her.

"Scarra's worried about you. He called me to rush home just so I can speak with you. What made you so distracted as to stare at the mirror for almost half an hour?" Poki teased the Don who of course glared at her in return. Scarra's not one to talk to his people but he does keep them in check. That is how he cares for them.

"I just don't get it." Rae started. "From the missions she had done. The first thing she did was to save her own skin, but today..." She trailed off as the scene of a bloody Vivi caressing Sykkuno's cheek replayed in her mind. "Today she threw her own life away in order to save him. She had that look in her eyes." Rae remembered it clear as day. She looked straight into his eyes as if she was asking him to accept her. Her eyes were tender and full of

"Love." Rae and Poki both turned to Scarra. "If she was ready to throw away her life for another, then that is a sacrifice out of love." Rae felt her heart clenched after hearing Scarra's opinion. "Peace is happening, after all." Poki covered Rae's ears the moment Scarra said that.

"Scarra, tell me you're not serious." Poki was not having it. Vivi's target was now Sykkuno, if she marries into the cartel then the leading cartels would form an alliance.