Chapter 2 Chapter Two
Arvin's POV
“Here you go,” Alicia handed me a new phone as she stepped into my house.
“The text was from a burner but we are trying to track down where it was bought. I have a team looking for the man you saw watching you yesterday,”
“Someone knows,” I panted, pacing back and forth.
“It could be one of my father's lieutenants. What if they found me?”
“We will keep you safe,”
“Safe?” I retorted fiercely. “This is America. Mafia and gangsters walk the streets untouched, nowhere is safe,”
“I understand your worry,” she spoke sincerely.
“But I am working relentlessly on this. I have a team canvassing the area, the house will be secure before we leave. Just live your life,”
“I am trying to live my life!” I snapped. “But… this… all of this isn't life. It's a cage, I'm stuck in a fucking cage,”
“Calm down, Arvin,” she approached. “Other than that, is there any problem?”
“Plumbing,” I murmured.
“What?”
“My sink,” I replied. “My sink is faulty. I don't have any connection to a plumber here. I can't keep living like this for the next twelve months, can't they just move it forward?”
“Your father ran drugs and weapons around the world,” she said. “Huge cartels were his minions and with him going down, so will they. We need to sweep clean and thoroughly. That means no rush jobs,”
“What am I doing?” My hands swept across my face. I couldn't recognize myself anymore. A different name, different hair and I even had to suppress my southern accent to blend in.
“The right thing,” she assured me. “No going to work today, you will—”
Her words were interrupted by a knock on the door. My fists instinctively clenched as she drew her weapon.
“Who's there?”
“Pardon,” his voice replied smoothly. “I'm here to see Arvin,”
“The hot neighbor?” she asked in a low tone.
“Yes,” I muttered.
I opened the door and he was standing out front with a to-go bag.
“Hii,”
“Hey,” Asher smiled back. “I saw your car upfront and decided to bring you lunch since you didn't go in for work,”
“Yeah,” I said, clearing my throat. “Not feeling too well, maybe it's the weather,”
“Good thing I bought soup,” he handed me the bag. His gaze shifted to Alicia who stood behind me with an awkward grin.
“Thank you for taking care of her,”
“My pleasure,”
“I don't have your number,” he pulled out his phone and on his knuckles was the same tattoo I saw on his back. It appeared vague as well, fading away.
“Laser removal?” I gestured as I inputted my new contact.
“Yeah,” he reacted. “I had it when I was in high school. Bad decisions and all,”
“I understand,” I replied.
“Also, I have two tickets to see The Punisher today. I don't know if you might be interested,”
“Maybe,” I exhaled. “Do you always ask out your neighbors?”
“Only the fascinating ones,”
“Uhmm… I'm not sure,” I turned to Alicia who gestured with a thumbs up.
“I do have something to—”
“No, she doesn't,” Alicia cut in abruptly, causing Asher to chuckle.
“She's lonely, I'm pretty sure that's why she's sick,”
“No, I'm not,”
“I will pick you up by eight,” he said. “And I will have something delivered to you by six,”
“Okay,” I sighed.
“Take care of yourself, Arvin,”
He walked back to his place, leaving my imagination to wander off with him.
“Congratulations, you have a date,” Alicia celebrated discreetly.
“I can't have a date, there's someone out there who wants to get me,”
“You will be safe,” she replied.
“And we need to scan the house for bugs. You being out of the place will allow us to work,”
“Okay,”
“Damn,” she remarked. “He is really hot,”
Just like clockwork, my doorbell rang by six. I stepped out to find a box by my door and inside was a complete outfit.
A Saint Laurent dress, classy heels and a jewelry set.
This was the only thing I enjoyed in my old life. The finances to buy whatever I wanted. I loved luxury, I just didn't enjoy knowing people had to die for us to achieve that.
There was something off with the jewelry set. It didn't look new but it did appear expensive and there was no necklace with it. My paranoia had always picked out the little things.
I got ready and by precisely eight, he did come to pick me up.
“Why aren't you wearing the dress I sent?” he asked as I stepped out.
“What are you going to do next? Change my lingerie drawer?” I shot back as he appeared fascinated.
The movie theater was in the main city region. Other than work and fast food restaurants, I had no business there.
During our conversation, it was fascinating how we liked the same things. Same movie preference, same vacation city, same choice of clothing brand.
“You are telling me you have never dated?” Asher confirmed as we walked out of the theater after the movie.
“Like never,”
“I have done some things secretly,” I answered while admiring how fascinated he was.
“My father wasn't a simple man. Guys always ran scared or just simply disappeared, it was terrifying,”
“You make it sound like he was some sort of warlord,”
“He kind of was,” I responded. I realized we were walking the opposite direction of where his car was.
“Where are we headed?”
“I figured we could take a stroll before heading back home,” he said.
“We literally do live together, so…”
“You mentioned your dad didn't like you,” I noted. “The house, is it his?”
“No, my sister's,” he answered.
“It's weird I'm living in my sister's house, right?”
“It's alright,” I chuckled.
“Hold on,” he tucked my hair back. “That's better,”
I let out a brief smile, steadily controlling my heartbeat. He was up close and his scent was the only thing I could sense. His build swallowed mine as he gazed into my eyes.
“You are really pretty,”
“You are only saying that because you want to kiss me,” I shot back with a fierce glare.
“Can I?” he asked.
“No,” I placed my hand on his broad chest, creating space between us.
“Fair,” he reacted as we continued our stroll. He grabbed my hand while we walked the street and in that spontaneous second, I felt a gaze fixated on me.
I turned and it was the person watching me the other day.
“It's him,” I blurted out.
“It's who?”
“Who are you?” I pulled my grip away from Asher as I approached the stranger.
“Leave me alone. Stop following me!”
“Hey… hey!” Asher advanced as well. “What do you want?”
“I know who you are,” the man uttered and we both froze.
“Wait, I—” he didn't give me the chance to finish before he bolted.
At that point I was certain. I had been made and it was just a matter of time before my father's people found me.
