Arrangement : with the gang leader

58

"It's a Matilda" says one of my hounds. 

So the hounds are like my mentor's errand boys or like lower-level guys if that makes any sense. I met my mentor during my relationship with Vitsky. We met at a rogues underground gathering and him and I just hit it off. I was a tad bit intimidated by him at first but soon after he felt more like a father figure than anything else and it made so much more sense as to why later on in life and you'll find out why too at some point. 

I haven't seen my mentor in a while but within reason. He is a ghost himself as Damien likes to call Vitsky. He is definitely higher ranking than Vitsky. The only difference is that not even the people that work for him know how he looks and most people don't know him by any name. 

The day we met, he was at the gathering because he intended on meeting someone there personally in order to unite something or someone. I don't really know the full story because I never cared to ask but it was something big because shortly after that there was a mass killing in his territory. And when I say mass, I mean MASS. It was about 230 people killed during this time. Of which about 60 died on the same day at the same place, same time. They were burnt alive in a castle-like house. 

When I questioned him about it, he said I shouldn't ask questions I am not ready to receive an answer to and I just shut my mouth. He later just showed me the ropes and taught me most of what I know today outside of what I have been trained by Vitsky and his father. 

He knew somewhat of what was going on between Vitsky and I. I never told him it was forced so he just thought it was one of those situations that are normal in the rogue community. As time went on and I got to attend more events with Vitsky and met some of the other rogue girlfriends or wives, I learnt that the way in which Vitsky and his dad went about relationships and marriage was nothing out of the ordinary for people in this community. 

It scared me that there were so many girls who were in forced relationships and it was being made seem normal in this community of outcasts. At some point I tried to make friends with one of the girlfriends and we got really close since we were almost the same age. She was 2 years younger than me and I was 17 at the time. 

We became besties and planned on escaping that life together so we got some more girls to join because we thought we were going to be superheroes or something and advocate for all these girls without voices blah blah blah and boyyyyyy did we play ourselves. Vitsky found out - well his dad did. I got the beating of my life and even got controlled electrocution on some chair. And bestie? She was killed in front of me by her man. 

Her man thought he was teaching me a lesson too by doing that so as to make an example for all the other girls who ever tried to do that after us to know that there would be consequences. Vistky allowed it to happen, only for him to kill the man right after for thinking he could treat me like that. According to him, only he had the right to inflict any kind of pain on me. 

So I get why my mentor thought it was normal and didn't interfere with it. I never asked for help from him because he was part of the community and he just never brought it up. It was taboo. He did give me a cryptic message though at some point, telling me that I could come to him for anything at any given point in time and he would help me. He was the only nice person aside from my late best friend who I had met from the rogue community. 

Vitsky won't admit it but he fears him. They don't know each other personally but I remember when Vitsky saw me talk to him he got so mad and thought I would leave him for my mentor but when he saw that my mentor and I got along well and we weren't romantically interested in each other he got excited off the idea that I would be his ticket into his life. 

He had apparently tried to make ties with my mentor and work with him but like I said, my mentor doesn't necessarily work WITH people. He has people working FOR him. That never worked. And when my mentor noticed I was being used to get to him that's when he told me that he would disappear and put some distance between us because he was never going to make ties with anyone. 

From there on I only saw him when he decided to just pop up or I would just randomly get a text or letter from him from the hounds. I know that the mentor could help me since he is definitely stronger and smarter than Vitsky but I don't want to involve him in my problems. What if he dies too? I wouldn't be able to live with myself. 

But back to what the hound just said - Matilda? Ke mang Matilda? 

"Matilda who? What connection do I have with her?" I ask. 

 Now, another thing I will mention is that these are my hounds. I'm the one who trained them they aren't as good as my second in command that I got from my mentor. I don't like talking to my second in command, especially about personal things unless I REALLY have to because he just runs his mouth to the mentor. So he just travels with my mentor for now until I text him and tell him to come. 

I'm pretty sure he isn't with the mentor like he said he was and he was probably keeping tabs on me. My mentor likes for me to grow at my own pace. He believes that your life experiences make you who you are and if he were to be there to prevent everything bad from happening that he wouldn't be allowing me to grow. 

That's also another reason why I haven't mentioned my situation with Vitsky to him because what if he already knows how dire this situation is and how I don't want to be with him and he just belives that I should handle this myself or worse - what if he believes that I should be with Vistky and that I should be submissive and that other bullshit that Vitsky tried to train me into becoming. 

"Ma'am, all we could find is the name Matilda. We are searching for more but it all leads to dead ends," he says and I can hear how nervous he is from the phone. 

"I need results. You have 24 hours." I say before hanging up the phone. 

When I turn to my side, Damien is standing by the door observing me. I jump up from the bed in shock. How long has he been standing there? 

"Who the fuck are you?" he says, with a cold face. 

He doesn't look angry or anything, no. He looks emotionless. 

"What do you mean? I'm Lerato." I try to maintain steady breathing. I don't know why but he really intimidates me sometimes yet I feel most safe when I'm around him. Isn't that just weird. 

"Where's Ade Lerato?" he asks and my eyes bulge out of their sockets. 

___________________________

Hey! Guys please don't forget to vote. Those votes really go a long way so pleaaassseeee vote and if there's parts you haven't voted on, please take your time whenever you've got extra time to spare to just go back and vote. 

That will be very much appreciated and to those that have already done so, enkosi. Love you guys to the moon and over! 

Love and peace 

miss kay