CHAPTER 6: The enemy of my enemy…
2275 Words
LIAM
I am having lunch with my agent Quinn as she tears me a new one about my drinking bender when I see a pair of legs walk down the sidewalk in pink heels.
“Olivia?” She has dark hair still but I could pull her double D’s from a line up.
“Liam!” She turns her direction to me. “OMG hi!” She opens her arms to give me a hug so I stand and leave my table to receive it.
“Wow,” I cannot believe it really is her. “What are you doing in Paris?” I give my agent a gesture to give me a second.
Despite our rocky history, it is nice to see a familiar face after so long.
“Ah you know me, any excuse to go shopping.” She tugs at her sunglasses before looking around. “What about you? Last I heard, you were Rookie of the year. Congratulations.”
“Ah you know me, any excuse to bounce a ball.” I shove my hands into my pockets and watch her carefully. “Is everything good? You look a little jumpy.”
“I am just checking if Vecker is close so I can make a run for it,” she laughs without humour. “I am not that fast in heels and I still need to take a picture in this outfit.”
I drop my hands.
“You do not have to worry. Odessa is not here,” that keeps Olivia’s eyes on me so I add, “we sort of broke up.”
“Sort of?” Of course, she notices my choice of words.
“She disappeared on me and it has been what? Two weeks. I haven’t heard anything which means I got ghosted,” again.
“Liam, I am so sorry.” Olivia pushes her sunglasses up to show the empathy in her brown eyes. “I know how much she means to you.”
No, she does not have a clue because no one, not even Odessa herself knows but,
“I am okay.” It is my turn to laugh without humour. “I am sadly used to her making me feel like this.” Like I am the most unimportant thing in her life.
“Liam,” Olivia winces like my words struck her. “Do you want a drink? On me of course,” she suggests but Quinn makes a clicking sound.
“How about food instead? I am in enough trouble with drinking.” I smirk at Quinn to show her words are truly law. “How long are you in town? I have been meaning to try the McDonald’s here.”
“For a while but here is my new number, call me and I will gladly buy you a big Mac and anything you want.” She gives me her card before hugging me, “it really was nice seeing you again Liam.”
“You too Fisher,” I pat her back.
I return to my meeting but as Quinn drones on about whatever it is she is saying. I find my mind drifting back to Olivia which is weird because she has never crossed my mind once before.
Is hanging out with her a good idea? She is the one person Odessa doesn’t tolerate but that is what Kai is for me too.
Plus, this is not about Odessa anymore. I am allowed to reconnect with friends if she can play for assholes on global stages after ghosting me.
“Okay, this is a fancy ass McDonald’s.” Olivia sits down with a tray full of food. “Why does no one talk about this?”
“Maybe because that attention hogging Eiffel Tower is hard to compete with,” I go for the chicken nuggets and sauce first.
“True but I am so glad I overdressed, can you imagine the pictures.” She removes the gloves that match her all white Dior outfit.
She is even wearing platform heels with the largest heel I have ever seen on a woman and has styled her hair and fully done makeup.
“You definitely are dressed for pictures.” I look down at my simple denim on denim outfit. “But tell me, how can an aspiring interior designer from Arkansas afford Dior and to shop in Paris.”
“You remembered my major and where I was from?” Olivia does not hide her surprise as her cheeks turn a bit pink.
“Come on, I wasn’t that bad of a first date.”
My reputation was bad but I know I wasn’t even before the catfish scandal, I treated girls nice which is why they always came back.
“No, you were the best.” Olivia opens her burger to add, “I won a s****l lawsuit against this company I was interning for. I am rich now and I have always loved Paris, it is to me what New York is to many people.”
I stop eating.
“I’m sorry that happened to you Fisher.”
It might have led to a huge pay-out but no woman deserves to go through that, especially at a place she needs to feel safe.
“Thank you, I think you are the first man that actually means that. Even my lawyer thought I brought it on to myself because of how I dress but luckily his boss is woman.” Olivia’s voice drops an octave so I hold her hand to show I am here. “Relax Liam, he just groped me and sent provocative messages.”
“Still, I am sorry.” I rub her hand and she exhales.
I know it looks bad considering my head space but like I said, this is not about Odessa anymore and I could really use a friend right now.
Even if it is Fisher.
ODESSA
“Teacher?” I look at the uniform Miyo just gave me.
I did not even get a chance to see Ivan before flying across the hemisphere to a literal island where Kook Academy is. Worst of all, it is like a prison and I mean that in the literal sense because the rooms look like cells.
I spent all weekend locked up alone and now this.
“You are one of the top ranked hires in the world. You took down a man with your body tied to a chair and you lived in plain sight for 6years undetected. We have nothing to teach you here but its seems our students could use a trainer like you.”
“I am not a Choi.” I bare my wrist to show I don’t have their mark. “I won’t share my training with people that could potentially be gunning for us someday.”
They have literally attacked us in the past and failed. They are the reason we got kidnapped so much when we were younger and why my brother and I are scarred for life.
“Nobody is asking you to trade family secrets Odessa but you need to pay your dues. Orientation starts at 8am Miss Vecker.” She throws my file on my empty desk and storms out.
Vecker?
I open the file and of course I am still using my alias Odessa Vecker. Most of the students at Kook Academy do not have the security clearance to know my true identity which is why making me a teacher is a bad idea.
“Miscellaneous Activity & Family History?” I storm into Kudo’s office because is this a joke? “I don’t even know who is currently leading the 7 main families, how am I supposed to teach family history?”
Did everyone collectively forget that I am inactive and a graduated music major because wearing a uniform at 20years old is tasteless, even for a cover.
“Miyo chose it Odessa, take it up with her.” He doesn’t even bother to look at the syllabus they gave me which is bigger than the Oxford Dictionary,
“No! What the hell is up with having your enemy train your people huh? Aren’t you scared I’ll sabotage your entire clan or something?”
I had his baby brother on a choke hold just last week and now he wants me to teach their recruits.
Again, are they kidding?
“Okay seriously, we are not enemies. We are all following instructions because your grandfather is still in charge which means till Rosanna is caught, we are on the same side.”
I scoff and he rolls his eyes to show me he is not giving in either.
“Fine. I will wear the stupid uniform and hide at the reformed prison you call a school. But I am not f*****g teaching.” I storm out when he opens his mouth.
I am pissed. First I have to spend lockdown isolated from my family and now the Choi’s want to take advantage of me.
I knew it was too good to be true.
Trust Rosanna to show up and mess up our lives again. There has to be a reason she chose to come back the same time both Ivan and Felix are to wed which means something bigger is at play here and it is time someone finds out what it is.
By someone, I mean me.
(2weeks later)
“Miss Vecker, I just passed by your class and found it without a teacher.” Miyo interrupts my path back to my room. “You should know, we do not accept tardiness here at the academy.”
“It can’t be tardiness if I don’t show up,” I exhale because she will not let me pass. “I am not a teacher and I know nothing about mob history.”
Even if I did, there was no way I was giving it up to a potential enemy.
“This institute has rules and according to your students, you have been breaking them since day one. Missing classes, missing your chaperone dinner shifts and missing training with Kiyoko. You are leading by a bad example and that will not be accepted.”
I scoff because she can’t be serious, can she? Miyo has to know this is not really a school but as I look into her eyes, I do not think she does.
“It looks like you will have to get a lesson first-hand about the consequences of breaking our rules.” She tilts her head and two large men come from nowhere just like the first time I made Kai.
I am pulled to a room down in the basement where I suspect the walls are sound proof.
“Is this the part where you kill me?” My hands are locked into metal cuffs that make me hang from the low roof.
“You will wish you were dead,” Miyo tilts her head and the men step back into the shadows as Miyo removes her blazer.
Wait is she—
“You are not special here.” Miyo strikes me across the face and for a woman who looks like she barely eats, she is stronger than I expected.
She really is hitting me.
“You are nothing here!” She strikes me again and this time I taste blood. “You are worthless here!”
I realize she is wearing a knuckle ring which would explain the sting I am feeling on my face on the third hit. If fragments of Vecker were left in me, they are definitely gone now because Miyo Choi just woke the hurricane in me.
“I told you she was the devil,” Saya gives me an icepack.
Upside of being stroked 6times with a knuckle ring across the face. I get to miss Kook Academy activities for two weeks while I heal because I have a giant bruise covering half of my face.
Honestly, it does not hurt as much as it looks but no one needs to know that because “that b***h has to go.”
Kook Academy is bad enough, I am not returning back home bruised or abused.
I still need to find out what Rosanna is up to and the Choi’s keep all their archives in the island. I know they have information on her because she used to be part of the Dominaka mob and once upon a time, we were their origin story.
“Funny,” Saya sits on my bed. “But I have already ordered the green concealer to hide the bruises, it’ll be here in the morning.”
I drop the icepack. “I’m serious Saya,” my eyes darken as I stare at my reflection.
It was clear Miyo has been waiting to make a point with me. I might dislike her but Saya completely hates her which means she vital to the plan.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
“Odessa, remember this is Kook Academy. Women are lower than the dirt on your boots, especially to the Choi’s.”
“Saya, remember I am a Dominaka heiress, one of the highest ranked in the world despite being inactive. If I was lower than dirt, they would have never gone through this much trouble of protecting me.” I return the icepack to cheek. “Miyo is going down.”
I know just what to do because Kai is returning to Kook Academy. Despite what he thinks, him and I are not done yet.
- Writer
