Chapter Five
1223 Words
Alexia
I walked in ten minutes early, my uniform freshly pressed in my bag, a lightness in my step as I reminisced on the audacity of the god-like man from last night.
Good radiance.
"Hey, Sal!" I called out, pushing through the staff entrance, "I can take the evening shift if you need—"
Sal, the manager who had known me since I was nineteen, didn't smile. He stood by the time clock, his arms crossed, blocking my path.
"You can't clock in, Lexi."
I paused, frowning. "What? Why? Did I mess up the schedule?"
"You're fired," he said, his voice flat. He wouldn't meet my eyes.
I blinked, a nervous laugh escaping me. "Good one, Sal. Seriously, I need to start prep."
"I'm serious, Alexia. Bobby said effective immediately. I'm sorry but you're done."
"Bobby?" I stepped back, confusion swirling. "Why will Bobby dismiss me? Sal, I've never been late and I work double shifts. You can't just fire me without cause!"
"I don't have a choice," he muttered, shoving a white envelope into my hand. "Here's your last check and the outstanding salaries, he took out some for damages, late coming and absence."
I stared at Sal, shock written all over me while he closed the door in my face, the lock clicking shut with a finality that made my stomach turn.
I stood in the alley, staring at the metal door. Fired. Just like that.
“It's okay,” I muttered to myself, clutching my bag. “I have whatever money Bobby paid, I can find a new job.”
I took a deep breath and headed home.
I just needed to sleep, I needed to reset.
But when I reached my building in Queens, the sidewalk was cluttered with boxes, cardboard boxes, overflowing with clothes, old books, and a lamp with a cracked shade.
Wait! That's my lamp.
I broke into a run, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"No," I whispered, dropping to my knees beside the pile of my belongings. "No, no, no."
I look up to see Mr. Henderson, my landlord standing in the doorway.
“What the f**k is this? My rent isn't even due yet!”
"I got a new offer, Ms. West, I already wired you the rest of the payment for the rent."
“Why? I don't understand?” I'm almost breaking down.
Mr. Henderson stood looking genuinely pained. "Management sent the order an hour ago. Immediate eviction."
"Eviction?" I screamed, standing up, my hands shaking. "My rent isn't due for two weeks! I paid last month! You can't do this without prior notice!"
"New owners," he said, holding up his hands helplessly. "They bought the building this afternoon. They want the unit cleared and changed the locks, Alexia. There's nothing I can do."
I stared at him, the world tilting on its axis. Fired and evicted in the span of two hours?
What in the universe is going on? What exactly is against me?
I sighed, picking up essentials.
“Can I at least put this luggage at your place until I get a new place?”
“Okay.” He replied before asking men standing around to help with my things. I forced a smile, thanked him and left.
I'll stay the night at the hospital with Leo, then think of something the next day.
I was walking off when my phone beeped. Nadia sent a message.
Nadia: “You probably didn't search to find what kind of a man you swapped keys to sleep with last night was…”
My heart stopped instantly. She knew.
Nadia: “...if you knew, you'd never reject his offer. I am only hoping now that your brother is safe.”
I halted at the last line.
I stood there, trembling, as reality began to sink in. This wasn't bad luck. This wasn't a coincidence.
Rafael.
The name whispered in my mind, terrifying and present.
Immediately, with my heart in my mouth, I flagged down a cab, my hands shaking so badly I could barely open the door. "St. Jude's Hospital," I choked out.
The sun was setting now, casting long, bloody shadows across the city. When I reached the ICU floor, my heart was hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
When I finally burst into the ICU waiting room, I didn't wait for permission, I ran past the nurses' station toward Bed 4.
"Leo!"
The bed was empty.
The sheets were stripped, the monitor turned off. A janitor was mopping the floor where my brother had been fighting for his life just this morning.
"Where is he?" I spun around, grabbing a passing nurse by the arm. "Where is my brother? Where is Leo West?"
The nurse pulled her arm away, looking at a clipboard.
"Mr. West? He was transferred."
"Transferred?" My knees gave out, and I grabbed the counter to stop from falling. "Transferred where? I didn't authorize a transfer! I'm his guardian!"
"The transfer was authorized by his new medical proxy," she said, her voice cool and detached. "He has been moved to a private facility."
"I am his proxy!" I screamed, tears finally spilling over, hot and angry. "You can't just take him! Tell me where he is!"
"We aren't authorized to disclose that information, Ma'am. Security!"
Two large men in uniform stepped forward, blocking my path.
"No!" I fought them, but I was weak, exhausted, and broken. "Give him back! Give me back my brother!"
They escorted me out, pushing me through the sliding glass doors into the cooling evening air.
I stumbled onto the sidewalk, gasping for breath. The city lights glared down at me, indifferent to my ruin.
I had nothing.
No job, no home and no brother.
My phone chose that moment to ring, the sound was jarring, loud in the silence of my despair. I stared at the screen through my tears.
Unknown Number.
I answered it, pressing the phone to my ear. I didn't speak, only listened to the silence on the other end—a heavy, arrogant silence.
"You look beautiful when you're angry."
The voice was a physical caress, low and dark and instantly, I recognized who it was.
I spun around, scanning the street to see if he was watching me.
"What do you want from me, Rafael?" I screamed into the phone, my voice cracking, sharp but trembling. "Haven't you done enough to make my life a misery? Where the f**k did you take my brother?"
On the other end, his voice was silk wrapped around steel. "You know what I want, mi vida. And you know I don't take no for an answer."
I could hear the smile in his voice, he was enjoying this.
My throat tightened, closing up. "I refuse.” I said with finality. “We had a deal, I don't owe you anything, Mr. Cruz. What happened last night ended there. Stop chasing me, I don't want to be yours and give me back my brother or I'll report to the police. I'm ending this call—"
A low, dangerous chuckle cut me off, it sent ice slithering down my spine.
"Go ahead, Alexia, end it."
His tone dropped to a whisper, lethal and intimate all at once.
"But remember… the moment you hang up, your brother's life ends with it.”
- Writer
