Eleven

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Apparently, this hotel is affiliated with Von. He walks to the front desk with Kimori and me in tow and wordlessly receives a key from the receptionist. Once we're in the elevator he uses it to access his floor, his penthouse suite.

I immediately know it's his despite it lacking the necessary qualities to appear lived in. The pristine sheets are black silk and stretched over a King XL bed. Von walks towards it routinely, stretching and switching his shoes to slides.

Across the suite, I notice the oversized mini fridge and open bar are fully stocked. The square footage on this room is insane. I already know the bathtub is big enough to fit all three of us. My face warms up at that being my immediate thought.

Kimori is next to get adjusted as he plops down onto a black sectional in the living area. His starry eyes give him away before his words do. "I didn't think I'd get to see the inside so soon. Thanks for letting me come."

Bullets sometimes stay in this hotel as well it seems. Von doesn't allow time for elaborating as he quickly gets on the phone.

"Bro, where are you?" I hear him call. His stone expression reveals nothing to me from the other line. "Of course...we're at the towers. I don't know how Calamari ended up with us."

Von lets his older brother speak as he glares at Kimori and I. I make myself small on the bed. The police found us the day after I went to my father's funeral.

"Ah, that's good." Von relays over on the phone.

I find myself able to relax a bit at the sound of his deep voice. At the very least he's safe. I feel safe when I'm with him. He hangs up without another word and runs a fully tattooed hand through his black waves.

"Everyone else got split up into two groups. The police raided the house," he reveals.

I don't speak, I clutch the cold sheets on his bed. The room doesn't smell like him like it should. Yet, he has to have been here before. I just don't know how often or with whom.

"Where's my dad?" Kimori asks.

Von scoffs. When it comes to the younger I can never guess what Von is thinking. "Where's your daddy?"

"Where's your mommy?" Kimori asks.

"They're together actually," Von lets out a dry chuckle. "L is with them. Romero and Seven left together on foot."

"At least everyone's safe," Kimori says sincerely.

"Is it because of me?" I ask. I can't help it.

Thinking long and hard about it, I see exactly why the gang was initially so suspicious of me. They never trusted me.

I saw a small glimpse of their world, and somehow, I was still able to fuck that up. I wonder what else they own. I wonder how many nights Von spent here instead of home. I wonder how many times he sent me home because he was too afraid to let me in on the truth.

Von looks at me regretfully, it's gone in an instant, but I'll never forget it. Yeah, I'm sure he doesn't do this to anyone else.

"Everything bad that's been happening to us," his eyes are hard on me now. "It's because your dad had such a tight leash on you, and you were stupid enough not to take it off."

I'm still mourning my father. I've known him all my life. I thought I knew him. He always kept me so sheltered, I thought it was so he could keep me safe. Thinking he was just using me, to help his career of all things, doesn't feel right after his death. Nothing feels right after his death.

I can't even look at the gang the same after they let this happen to me. Before, I thought I could work to eventually be on their level. At least close enough to fight side by side.

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