BLOODHOUNDS #3: THE MALICE

Chapter 10 - CONSIDER

Leila Morrow

"I don't understand." Jaz has been crying for 10 minutes. She's been complaining about not being able to get a job. Poppy also complained, but she was still recovering, so she wasn't fussing like Jaz.

I could not tell them what happened because I didn't want them to hate me, but I knew I had to do something with this. I have to make a deal with Ares.

"What do you know about Ares Young?" I asked, completely out of nowhere. Poppy turned to me, looking at me suspiciously. Jaz suddenly got a call, and she excused herself. Her parents called her.

After Jaz left, Poppy looked at you, demanding an explanation for my question.

"I know you're hiding something. You've been silent since Jaz rambling about her inability to get a job."

"I-" I sighed before I could do something.

"Tell me."

"I'm sorry." I grabbed her hand, and she looked confused. "Why are you sorry? I know you will never do something out of the box, but tell me... what did you do, Leila?"

"Ares ruined my camera, tripped me, and I gave him a lesson by throwing two cups of cokes to his face." Poppy's jaw dropped to the floor.

"You did not."

"I did." I threw my body back to her bed, and she pinched me.

"Do you know who he is?" She raised her voice, and she never raised her voice, which made me turn to her.

"You told me that your brother is Luke Morrow, right?" She's the only person who knew about it because I accidentally told her when we were drunk. I nodded, and she took an intense breath.

"Well, he's your brother's enemy." What? Did I hear it right?

"What? What do you mean? I-" I was speechless. I can't even talk.

"Ares Young is one of the members of The Bloodhounds. Your brother is in The Ravens, so... if they're not friends, they're enemies." How come I didn't know this? "How come you don't know about it?"

"How am I supposed to know? I'm busy working and never really look at the news." Poppy wanted to smack my head so bad. She would if her legs weren't bandaid.

"That's why he wasn't afraid when I brought my brother's name. He told me that I'll lose my job along with all my team." Poppy sighed, "That explains why we can't get a new job."

"I'm so sorry. I'm going to fix it, I swear."

"How?"

"Don't worry, I'll find a way." After taking care of Poppy, I tried texting Ares, and it's been five days since he told me about sleeping with other women.

He turned silent.

Which I finally got some peace.

Leila: I want to discuss how I can't get a job.

I let out a long sigh, hoping that he would answer my text as fast as usual. Should I be grateful that he's no longer bothering me? Why am I so annoyed that he's not replying to me as fast or even...

Why am I saying?

I walked back to my apartment and decided to make myself lunch. I made an instant noodle with runny eggs. I kept looking at my phone every second. After eating, I decided to look his name up on the internet. There's nothing in particular, and there are press photos of him at critical events with the government. Besides that, there's nothing.

I found the Bloodhounds' website, and when I got into it. It gave me a clue what they do. They have created technology, made weapons, and traded. I tried to find all of the members but couldn't find any.

I reached out to Poppy again.

"Do you know the other members' names?"

"Uhmmm, I only know three. I think Clyde Nielsen and Kayden Grant. Kayden got married recently to a Princess."

"Okay."

"What are you planning?" She asked in a suspicious tone.

"You'll see." I ended the call and looked at Kayden Grant's profile. There's not a lot of information about him and his wife, but the internet wrote a lot about Tatiana Grant, who happened to be the Princess of the UK who had just surrendered her title.

I saw the news that she will attend a charity ball tonight. If she will be there, then her husband will also be there.

I decided to call my friend Erin.

"Hello."

"I need you to do me a favor. You owed me once." She did. I covered her shit once, and she had no other choice than help me.

I got ready for tonight and took out my only red dress. Jaz gave me last year for my birthday, and I never got the chance to wear it. It's a beautiful long red dress with a low cut on the front, showing my cleavage perfectly. I curled my hair and put on my red lipstick to finish up my makeup. I put on my black heels and ready to go.

I took a taxi to the venue, and Erin was already waiting near the back entrance. She gave me the invitation, and I thanked her. She wished me good luck, and I walked towards the front door into the ballroom.

I was 10 minutes late, and the place was filled with people from the upper class. I'm here for one thing and one thing only. My eyes scanned the room to find Tatiana Grant, and I should be able to find her.

I walked towards the right side of the ballroom when I found Tatiana with her husband. I was about to walk over to her, and two more men joined them.

Ares and a blonde-haired man.

Ared was talking to Tatiana, causing her husband to glare at him. Tatiana was busy giggling, but my eyes were set on Ares. As if he knew I was looking, his eyes met mine. He didn't give any reaction after seeing my presence, but his friend turned to me.

I walked towards him.

"I need to talk to you," I said, straight to the point.

"And what exactly do you want to talk about, wildcat?" He raised his eyebrows; his friends' attention was on me, but I couldn't care less.

"I want you to give me and my friends' jobs back." There's a long pause from him. His eyes never left mine, and his poker face made me want to smack him.

"Kneel and beg, then I'll consider it, wildcat."