"I better get to my room and call Cole. He's not a patient man." I head in the direction of my room and lock the door.

Walking into my room I pull my phone out of pocket and call Cole. After a couple of rings he answers it.

Cole: Hey, Julia.

Me: Hey, I'm in my room now. No one will hear our conversation.

Cole: Good. There's a few things we need to talk about.

Me: I know. Can I ask you something?

Cole: sure, but you're not the type of person that would ask if you can say something. Has something happened at Knox's that makes you think you need to ask permission to talk?

Me: I was talking to a guy named Vance who had contacts at your cousin's family.

Cole: oh, what did he hear?

Me: that the family wants you back. Is that true?

Cole: uh, the family are talking about getting me back. I have told them that it's not going to happen, but someday there might be a chance I can't deny them any further.

Me: do whatever you have to, Cole. I know you'll do everything in your power to keep me safe.

Cole: I'm glad you think that. The next thing I want to talk to you about is your brothers.

Me: Amalia, found out it's true. That they're behind Midnight Export, but I think there's someone hiding in the background and we're not supposed to know who it is.

Cole: I agree. Liam and Antwon aren't smart enough to do it. Sometimes I wonder how Liam managed to run the business before I helped save the shop. After I brought it I tried to give him back the responsibilities, but he's not interested. I have to go through the books and make sure that everything is right.

Me: If you need another person to look at it, give me a call and I'll help out.

Cole: Thanks. He's silent for a moment before saying. Riker wants to talk to you.

Me: Okay, but I'm not going to be any help with the information he needs.

Riker: I just need information about your brothers and uncle. Like have they visited New York in the last ten years? Where they visited and who they've been in contact with?

Me: For the four years I lived in New York my uncle was the only person to visit and it was to see me. Uh,

How am I going to tell him the rest? Like when I saw him dress someone like me and beat them. I still can't believe he'd do something like that.

After all I did see it with my own eyes.

Riker: Whatever it is you can tell me.

Me: My uncle dressed girls like me and beat them. I think they were hookers because of the clothes they wore.

Riker: Shit! That's not good. Is there anything you tell me about your brothers?

Me: They never visited me in New York. So, I wouldn't have a clue if they were there or not. After I graduated from university I was pretty much bound to Nova Island. Where I stayed until a couple weeks ago. I'm sorry I'm not of any help to you, Riker.

Riker: That's fine. I'll use what you told me. You should get my cousin to bring you home next time.

Me: We'll see, Riker. It was nice talking to you.

Riker: You, too.

Me: Thanks for sending your cousin to help me out today. You didn't have to do that.

Riker: Yes, I did. Cole, wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I didn't. I don't have time to listen to my cousin yell at me for not helping him out. Cole is getting impatient now. He really wants to talk to you. Bye, Julia.

Me: Bye, Riker.

The phone is handed back to Cole and I hear him say. "You can leave the room now, Riker."

"Okay, I'm going. Just don't do what I did when I was away from you Irina."

That's too much information for me.

The bedroom door closes and I hear breathing coming from the other end of the phone.

Cole: Sorry, about my cousin. He's being a perv at the moment.

I laugh.

Me: He seems like a nice guy.

Cole: he's not. Riker, can charm the pants off any lady and get all the information he needs. He'll toss you to the side like a discarded tissue. For his immediate family he's a different story.

Me: He cares about you as much as you do him.

I yawn into the phone and Cole says.

Cole: You should go to sleep. I don't want to hear from Bo telling me how you fell asleep while you were at the park with his wife.

Me: how do you know where I'm going?

Cole: Before Bo left Braelynn called and told me where got we're going. That way I can get people to follow you in case those who went after you yesterday are still around.

Me: that's sweet, Cole. Goodnight.

Cole: night.

I hang up the phone and walk over to my suitcase. Pulling out my pajamas that consists of shorts and a singlet. I put them on before climbing into bed.

There's a knock on the door and I say. "Come in." The door opens and Amalia walks into the room.

She walks over to bed and sits on it. "What time are we meeting your friend?"

"10am at Hudson's oval."

A smile spreads across her face. "That's the place I want to take my daughter. She's love it there instead of being in Miami with her father."

"You should bring her next time. I'm sure there's heaps of people that would love to meet her."

She nods. "I have two sets of cousins that would like to meet her, but I'm afraid if my husband leaves Miami that my family will fall apart."

"It's not going to fall apart without your family being home for a couple of days. If it does. Cole and the rest of the families will sort it out."

She hugs me. "You seem to know the right things to say to people like me."

"I'm trying to be a friend. I hope that's alright with you?"

"I've never had a true friend before, but the way you talk to me makes me wish I had this a lot sooner."

"You're a good person, Amalia. You just have a lot of responsibilities that no one except your family understands. When you go back home and need someone to talk to you can call me."

"Okay," she's silent for a moment before adding. "Would you think about coming to Miami to visit?"

"I would love that. I'll be able to organize something during the school holidays as it's the only time I have off."

"You're a teacher?"

"Yes, I'm starting the job on Monday. It's the place you'll be spending sometime while I work and you protect me from the assholes that tried to kill me today."

She places her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry we had to meet under those circumstances, Julia."