Lockdown

"You here to finish me off, sweetheart?"

| Valencia |

"You took your time" I said
"I had to get here" Adonis said simply
I looked at him as he walked towards me
He wasn't looking me in the eyes, he was tense in his shoulders
Something was wrong
"What's the matter?" I asked

"What?" He asked suddenly
"Your face. It's doing that thing when you're all tense and angry" I said
"Nothings wrong, who is it we're seeing?" He asked

"You're changing the subject" I pointed out
"I'm focusing on the job" he said
"Always do don't you?" I said, chucking my cigarette to the floor

He grabbed my arm when I began to walk to the building
Pulling me back to his chest
"I'm sorry" he said, catching me off guard
"What?" I asked
"The other night. I'm sorry" he said

He was... serious?

"You're sorry" I repeated
"Yes. I should have... I didn't mean to..."
I smiled at him
"You suck at this" I said
"Yeah" he sighed, letting me go
"Let's just... let's get this done" he said, stepping back.

He waited for me. So I closed the step between us, and kissed his cheek
Surprising him
"What are you doing?" He asked
"Annoying you" I answered, before walking towards my target once again

I got inside the building, to the elevator, before Adonis quickly caught up with me, standing in silence together
"Who is this guy?" He asked after a moment
"This woman is a highly respected doctor. And my management" I explained

"Your management?" He questioned
"Yes, she deals me the jobs" I said, before the elevator opened
"She's been looking for me. So, we'll pay her a visit" I said, stopping at her office door

I opened it, finding her at her desk
She looked up with a smile, her face dropping when she saw us
I closed the door, leaving Adonis stood guard by it as I sat down opposite her

She pulled a gun out quickly, pointing it at me
"I haven't even told you why I'm here, and you point that at me? A little presumptuous don't you think?" I asked

"I've been calling you. You little shit. Went round your house. You weren't there. What the fuck are you playing at 709?" She asked, irritated
"709?" Adonis echoed
"And why have you brought him huh? Why are you knocking around with his security? Why isn't he dead?" She snapped

"Put the gun down" I said
"Answer me" she said
I sighed, quickly flipping it out of her hand and into mine
"I'm a little more experienced than you now don't you think?" I asked bored

Her face hardened
"I mean when were you last in the field eh? Twenty... four years ago?" I asked
"Tell me what you want you little bi-"
"Ah, no need for that now... I always imagined how it would feel to hold a gun to your head" I laughed

"And?" She asked, cocking her head
"And it's rather boring when you're not crying, begging, pleading for your life" I said
"I don't beg" she said
"Then tell me what I need to know and we can all live to see another day" I said sweetly

"Which is?" She asked reluctantly
"Who ordered the hit on Enzo Vitali?" I asked
"Oh, you're working for him now, is that it? How fucking disappointing of you" she said

"I don't work for anyone. I just need to know" I said

| Adonis |

"So tell me. Pretty please" she asked
She amazed me sometimes
How she so easily flipped a gun from someone else's hands into her own
How she sat before what I assumed was her boss and demanded answers.

"I don't know. Ciro deals with the contacts. You know that" she said
She's mentioned Ciro before
"Yes, I also know you're an interfering cow. So who ordered it? You must know, you die to know things" she went on

This woman looked at her, then at me
"He looks trained" she commented
Valencia refused to take her eyes off this woman
"He's only here to make sure I don't make too much mess. Enzo doesn't want noise connected to him. So tell me something quickly, or I'm afraid you'll have shot yourself in your little old chair at work" She said, feigning sadness

She thought for a while, her jaw ticking over
"Fine. All I know is that it was someone close to him" she said
"Close to him?" I asked, receiving a warning glare from Valencia

"Yes. Now can you fuck off?" She asked
"I need something more than that" I said
"Well that's all I have" she said
"Is it?" Valencia asked, crouching down to see her eyes
Straight in the eyes. To see if she was lying or not

| Valencia |

She was lying
I stood back up
"Thankyou, fucking ridiculo-"
I silenced her, shooting her in the neck as she crashed back into her chair, grasping at her throat
"Let's go" I said.
"Fucking hell" Adonis let out.

"She would have never let us leave Adonis, you know that. Don't be weak" I said

"I'm not" he said, stopping me from leaving
This man grabbed me far too much for someone who wasn't interested
"But do you really think killing her is a good idea?" He asked

I looked back at her, gasping and holding her neck as it gushed blood
"Yeah" I said honestly
What was his problem?

"Now let's go" I said

| Enzo |

"She's her daughter?" Kian asked surprised
"You need to tell her" Alora demanded
"No. I don't want to upset her, and I don't want her in danger either. We know nothing about this woman. We can't risk her bringing all of her shit to our door" I said

"Enzo. Do you know how long she's been looking for her daughter? Do you know how much pain she's in when her birthday comes around every year? It's in a few weeks. You're honestly going to stand there and watch her blow out another set of candles knowing who she is?" Alora asked angrily

"This is my decision Alora" I said
"Always is isn't it? It's your decisions that have cost us all someone!" She shouted
"But you never seem to lose" she went on

"I lost Leon too" I defended
He was my closest friend
My oldest friend
And a piece of me died with him that day when he saved my life.

"This is wrong" Kian said
"This is the decision" I said sternly
"And it's fucking wrong" he seethed
"Athena deserves better" he said
"Both of you just keep it to yourselves. I'll tell her soon. I just want my family safe" I said

Valencia got in and out of our house easily
The company she's with must be able to too.
And I couldn't predict how she would even react when she finds out Athena is her mother
Would she be angry?

"Does anyone else know?" Kian asked
"Adonis" I said, making Alora scoff
"And you think he'll keep it a secret? He respects Athena, unlike you! He's hanging around with that fucking assassin. You think he'll keep his mouth shut?" She laughed bitterly

"Just keep quiet. I'll deal with it" I brushed off
She shook her head at me, storming out
"Go after her" I told Kian
"Athena will hate you for this" he said
"Fine. But at least she'll be alive" I said

At least my kids will be alive.
I won't have Valencia's baggage putting my family in danger.

He also shook his head
"Fucking idiot" he mumbled, heading for the door
"What?" I asked
"I said you're a fucking idiot. This is why people come after you, because you have no regard for anyone who isn't your own" he said louder, leaving.

| Adonis |

The drive back to the house was tense, silent
She wouldn't say a word. And I had no fucking clue what to say.

When the car came to a stop, she immediately got out, heading for the house
"Valencia" I tried, but she ignored me
She really was annoyed about that... date.

"Valencia" I said again, following her through the hallways
"Enzo" she shouted
"Enzo!" She shouted again, looking for him
"Did our meeting prove beneficial?" He asked, appearing in the doorway to the living room

She pushed past him, standing in the middle of the living room where Athena and Alora sat
I felt... guilty around them both
Guilty for knowing and saying nothing
And the look on Alora's face as she stared at me told me she knew too.

She knew. Who else knew?

"Well?" Enzo asked
"Alright, transparency. But you won't like it" she started
"What happened?" He asked, looking to me
"I killed someone I work for. My ties are well and truly severed. Which doesn't effect you until..."

"Until?" Athena asked
"Until they send another agent to complete the job I didn't" she said
They'll send someone else to kill him.

"How long will it be before that happens?" Enzo asked
She shrugged
"Few days" she said
Days? Fuck.

"And she told me, that whoever ordered your death knows you. She said it's family, a friend. Someone close" she informed him, his eyes found mine again and I nodded once. Everything she said was true.

"Alora. I want the house on lockdown" he said
She rolled her eyes, standing up
"Fine" she grumbled. She was clearly angry at him. Angry for his fucking lies

I was angry at myself for not telling Athena
Not telling Valencia
The way she spoke about a mother, it tore at my chest

"Lockdown? We can't go into lockdown" Athena said
"We can and we will. No one gets in. No one gets out. We can't trust anyone" he said

"Then Valencia should stay too. She's just as much at risk as us now" I argued
"Of course-"
"No it's fine, I don't really do... family, sticking together, hiding away" she reeled off

"That's settled then" Enzo said
"Enzo" I warned
"If she doesn't want to stay, we can't make her" he said, warning me back with his eyes

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