It's a Small World

Chapter Twenty One - Fragile Promises

"Does someone want to fill me in?" Michael spoke with annoyance growing in every word. I continued to look at Breaker. At the man who had just confirmed everything I feared. 

"Listen, you gotta get out of this city. I can't protect you." Breaker said, more gently than I had ever thought he was capable of. I didn't move. Didn't blink. I don't think I was even breathing.

"You don't need to worry about that-" Michael started but was cut off.

"Zip it, you. If you were doing your job properly, I doubt this would have happened in the first place."  

"Why do you care so much? I should hand you over to the cops myself. I'm sure they would pay to have you under lock and key." Michael growled but before Breaker could retort I breathed "Stop it." They both whipped their heads to me. 

"Just- stop." I looked between the two men in my living room. Michael - the man hired to protect me from any harm. Breaker - the man hired to cause that harm. "I think you two should talk. Breaker, you need to tell Michael everything. Do not leave a single detail out." My voice was stronger than I felt. I looked at them with steel in my eyes. "No one is going to the police. Not until we have a plan in place." 

The two men looked at each other, the reluctance to work together oozing out of every pore. Michael was the first to agree after a moment of contemplation, thrusting his large hand towards Breaker to seal the agreement. Breaker studied his hand as if it somehow had a direct link to the police and touching it would seal his fate instead. He flicked his eyes to meet mine briefly before returning them to the man looming behind the sofa. He took a sharp breath and grasped Michael's hand tightly. 

"Maybe a change of career won't be such a bad thing." Breaker smirked. Without paying any attention to his attempt at humour, Michael gestured for him to join him at the small dining table in my kitchenette where they would talk. I rested my head back and breathed slowly, trying to come to terms with what it all meant. 

And yet it all made sense. Maxwell James had made a call at the casino after realising I was there, then shortly after my home got broken into. He was also desperately trying to talk to me at West Bank before I laid eyes on my father. He was in the room when I woke up and watched Devin walk out. He knew I would go and find Devin at the strip club. All the pieces were falling into place. 

Of course it was him... But why? Why would he want all of this to happen? After I left California he had no reason to ever see me again, and yet when we finally meet after all those years, he wants me hurt? I always knew my father was a piece of shit. But Max- How much had my father poisoned his mind against me? 

I swallowed hard to try and stop the tears escaping me. Except I wasn't upset - I was furious. This was my shit. Under no circumstances should Devin have ever been involved. If my cousin really wanted to get to me, then he shouldn't have been such a coward and got other people to do his dirty work. My father had clearly taught him to keep his hands clean, maybe he did have a stronger influence on Max than I thought.  

***

We pulled up outside the casino where I was first sent to work for Devin. Well, work was the polite word for it. The knot in my stomach twanged when Michael turned off the engine and got out. We had all agreed that it would be best for me not to stay at my apartment as Max knew where I lived and knew where to send more of his cronies to finish the job. So I was to stay in the room Devin had allocated me all those months ago until we could figure out the next step. Or until Devin eventually was brought out of his medically induced coma. I had learned that little bit of information on the journey over here. Annabelle had phoned to let me know that Devin was making little progress and needed to be put in a medically induced coma to protect his brain and allow it to recover from the knock he had taken.