In The Dark

26. Pair offs?

Lie. A three letter word which can cause troubles in all relationships. It is a quality despised by most individuals, yet practised by many. People put years into building trust and loyalty and with one false statement everything shatters within seconds.

My phone screen was covered with a DNA test result filled with biological terms that went a top of my head. 'MATCH' was written in bold capital letters at the end of the online test report. I could never imagine things could possibly take yet another turn to make my current situation even worse and tricky. I was angry, obviously. How could the one person that broke off your walls, fool you? It was what I experienced but didn't know the answer to.

"Who the hell are you?" My suprisingly calm voiced snapped at him.

"I am just who you think I am, believe me," he stared into my unforgiving, brown orbs.

"Believe you and not these valid, credible and reliable DNA tests which were practised on your blood in a biological laboratory?" I glared at his guilty face.

Before he started to talk, I continued, "Tell me what more lies have you fed me? Was anything you ever said even true?"

He immediately straightened and sternly replied, "Except my name everything I ever told you was real, I swear."

I humourlessly chuckled and muttered, "When I found out about my identity, you were the first person I told, remember that."

I played the audio file sent to me and heard two manly voices conversing, one belonging to the receiver of my hardened stare.

The audio was proof of how Christopher Gray is no son of Damien, in fact, the very own missing Burns' heir, Ethan Burns. The boy sitting in front of me was kidnapped when he was a young child, and was sold to Damien Gray as the man required a heir for his underworld throne. I could now make sense of the loopholes I always noticed but, always brushed off. No record of a female parental figure, no good relations with Damien, willingness to kill the underworld don and even the silence when Ethan's dissappearing was discussed. It all made sense now. I was so blinded by my attraction towards Chris- oh I'm sorry- Ethan that I completely shrugged these doubts off. I was blinded by my feelings of trust and loyalty. The first time I let myself be open to emotions when on a mission, I get smacked in the face so hard that it is imprinted into my mind forever.

The now suffocating van was filled with deadly silence with everyone looking deep in thought. The guilt in Ethan's face was painfully obvious and I was just blinded by rage to even feel pitiful towards him.

Now that I come to think of it my entire life was a fake bubble, lies about identity, lies about employment and lies about relationships. My life consisted of liars, my family, my employers and lastly my love interest.

I was better off emotionless.

I would have never judged Ethan, ever. After all, I did have a similar situation minus the confrontation. I just wish I would trust more trustworthy people, after all, everybody does think that lying is the best resolute.

"How long have you known?" I heard Lucas ask.

"Almost a year," the guilty individual answered shooting me an apologetic look I wasn't buying. I just wish he would've trusted me enough to share this piece of information, the biggest bit of his past, with me.

I had never been well expressed, always seemed neutral, when in reality I had an array of emotions creating havoc in my mind. This boy, had made so well expressed that people could easily communicate with me without verbals. I had become an open book and unlike me, he was a dangerous yet, mysterious box.

Curiosity kills the cat, I know, I have heard but, no one ever completes the saying. It originally said, 'Curiosity kills the cat but, satisfaction bought it back.' I would have behaved so much different if I had the satisfaction of knowing this secretive person.

A question was gnawing at my mind though, who was Hailey? Damien had no off springs, Burns didn't have a daughter and no one else's sibling or family member was lost in early stages of life. I did not intend on asking this question and freeing my mind of its cage of lack of knowledge, I couldn't bring myself to look into the eyes of the person who I thought I was falling for.

"How long will this take?" I asked, agitated with my current position.

"He doesn't seem to stop anytime soon," Ethan gave me a pointed look and I glared at him.

"I don't think you are reliable and also I directed the question at Alex," the van was dead silent and no one made a move to interrupt the death stare contest taking place.

"I am telling you the truth and I need you to believe me," he stated. Why do I feel as if we have greatly gotten off topic?

"I don't think I can do that since you did everything you promised you wouldn't." I averted my brown eyes from his intense gaze.

Lucas cleared his throat to overcome the painful awkwardness in the tense atmosphere and I felt remorse for placing the others in such a situation. Valentina thought it was best for her to keep quiet and gaze out the window and Alex just focused on handling the vehicle. I didn't really know whether Alex knew about Chris- ahem, Ethan's situation but, once again, I did not plan on asking.

"Do we have a strategy or a plan, perhaps? I don't think it will be our best judgement to barge in without a plan?" Anna seemed unaffected or maybe she was trying not to get us all killed as we are a bunch of idiots who don't know something as basic as groundwork.

"Yeah, we should probably think about that," Lucas shrugged.

"Well, we don't have a blueprint of the building but at least we should discuss basics," I agreed, trying to keep my emotions at bay and not let them cloud my judgement.

"Yeah, well we know Damien enough to draw out the conclusion that he isn't too smart, which is why I am sure he is taking them to a creepy, old abandoned warehouse," Lucas rolled his eyes and muttered.

I just stared at him and nodded, "You aren't an idiot after all, blondie."

"Well, then we also know a warehouse has at least three enterances, according to that we can pair off," Alex suggested and we all shrugged, it minding the plan.

"Okay, then Alex and I go by the back door, Lucas and Anna use the rooftop because there has to be one and Chris- oh, uhm- Ethan and Ash- no,wait- Kiara go through the front entrance," Valentina stayed and I jumped up at her suggestion.

"No, I'll go alone but not with him," I glared at the handsome boy and he sighed.

"Well, it'll be stupid of you to go alone," Lucas smirked at me and shot him a dirty look.

"Look Kiara, I've paired us all based on the familiarity of our partner's tactics, you've always worked with Ethan before, therefore you two know each other's skills. Besides, both of you are his main and most important targets, if you two go in there first, he will think you guys are alone and he is bound to do something stupid which will give us an opportunity to catch him off guard," Valentina explined as if I was a stubborn child.

Well, technically she had a point, I knew his tricks and moves and he knew mine, we could even communicate through our eyes and it was easier to plan abrupt things out for us that way. Even though I wasn't happy with the pairs, I just tried of being mature and let it go, accepting the plan.

"So, now is everyone clear with our strategy. Our plan is to follow the plan," Lucas stated with determination and I snorted, "That didn't even make sense, please refrain from talking such nonsense."

Lucas glared at me and I have him a bored expression, he finally sighed in defeat, knowing I was at the peak of my sarcasm right now which will destroy his little bit of respect. Everyone chose not to say anything further, maintaining the silence in the van, thoughtful and dazed expressions on their faces. I think we were all thinking and hoping for the same thing, for things to go as planned and this to be over as soon as possible.