My Queen; The Onyx

Chapter 3: Meeting The Boss

Mikayla left the bar after tidying herself up. She left early as she was excused by the manager. She lost. It might not be the first time, but it blew her pride now. The reputation she held felt like being stomped.

“Mik.” Mikayla stopped on her track and looked back to find Victor catching up with her.

“Victor,” she greeted him and started to continue walking to her destination, which was home. She had a hoodie on, paired with loose long pants and a puffer jacket. She wore a double-double because the weather had started to feel chilly.

“Don’t worry too much.” Mikayla’s head was being patted over the hood she was wearing. Victor could see that she was sad about losing the fight because she needed the money.

“I don’t know, Vic. I might just end up in the black market or prostitution.” Mikayla shrugged her shoulders in defeat. There was nothing much she could do either at this point, and just had to accept her fate of being sold to the loan shark.

“Going home already?” Victor asked, walking beside her and matching her pace. Since he was free today, he decided to spend it with Mikayla, as he knew she was having a match today. So, he came to support her. But watching her fall in the ring hurt.

“Yes,” she replied plainly. She was all covered up, from hair to toes, and only her face showed.

“Wanna go grab something to eat first? I need a friend, and you’re all I have,” Victor said, glancing at her even though all he saw was her covered head. He couldn’t see her face clearly, and he had not seen how badly she was injured.

“Sure.” Victor smiled even though she didn’t see it.

They changed route and walked to a fast food restaurant they usually dined together with other friends. A sandwich shop, a ready-to-go shop that provides pre-made food, but fresh.

“Chicken and egg?” Victor asked, and she only nodded, going along with whatever he said. But he ordered it based on what she liked. So, it was not like he forced her to take it.

“That, and spicy bulgogi, please,” Victor finished off the order along with the drinks for both of them. Victor took their food on a tray and brought it to the table. “Eat slowly, okay? I’ll walk you home later.”

“Thank you,” Mikayla said, and then she took her sandwich and drink and didn’t reply to Victor, who wanted to walk her home. She ate quietly and didn’t say a word unless he tried to talk to her.

“Tomorrow is your day off, right?” Victor knew every time she fought, the next day would be her day off to rest. But just in case, he asked again.

“Yes.”

“Do you want to go to the beach with the other guys?” He asked. “Wouldn’t that be nice? It’s been a while since we hung out together.”

“Has it?” She asked back, uninterested, but kept engaged. He watched her as he waited for the answer. She looked up, and their eyes met for the first time tonight. Victor gave her an assuring smile, so she could comfortably speak. “I’ll see what I can do tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Victor nodded while keeping his smile on his face. He extended his hand and patted the top of her head. He had already considered and treated her like a little sister. Seeing how she grew up, all he wanted to do was to protect her.

After they had all finished their food, as promised, Victor walked her home. Her way home was not the safest road to take at night, especially for girls. As they neared her house, Mikayla asked him to go home because she didn’t want to double-trip him. The building she lived in was in sight already, so she asked him to stop walking with her. She could walk herself safely to the house.

“Don’t forget to clean your wounds, make sure they’re not infected, okay? I’ll check on you tomorrow,” Victor said before leaving her, patting her head as he felt safe to leave her. He didn’t suspect anything as he left. But her eyes were sharp as an eagle, even from a mile away, she could see people crowding her doorstep.

Mikayla put both of her hands in the hoodie’s pocket and continued her walk home. Her eyes were fixed on those people even though she couldn’t see them clearly, but as she got closer to her home, she identified three guys standing in front of the door. Two of them were wearing suits like a bodyguards, and the other one looked like the boss.

“Sir.” Sensing someone behind them, one of the bulky guys called his boss.

The boss turned back and found Mikayla, fully covered, making the boss had a hard time to see her face.

“Who are you?” The boss asked Mikayla, who was wrapped like a doll. In his eyes, he looked like a life-size doll because of the clothes she wore.

“Ssttt...,” she hissed when the bodyguard squeezed her shoulder because she kept quiet and left his boss hanging. The bodyguard let go of his hand immediately when he heard the hiss. Then, he looked at his boss, asking what they should do to her since they didn’t know who she was and why she stood behind them.

Her body was hurting, and she was reacting to her body, not the guy’s touch.

“Let me ask you again, lady. Who are you?” The boss asked again while looking directly at Mikayla.

“Aren’t you looking for Mr. Bruno?” Mikayla, still with her head covered, asked the guy.

“Are you his daughter?” Mikayla nodded reluctantly. Someone had to take responsibility for him, so she stepped up for him.

“Open the door for us, will you? We have to meet him anyway.” The boss gestured to the closed door. They had been standing in front of a closed door for about twenty minutes, with no one intending to open it. So, they patiently waited as the boss remembered Bruno had a child who lived with him. He didn’t want to scare the child, but it turned out, the child was standing behind him.

They made way for Mikayla to walk, so she could open the door. As she made her way to the door, she wondered where her father could be to leave these people hanging. Was he purposely avoiding these guys?

Did he think it would solve his problem by running away?

That was the reason he got stuck doing gambling and other stuff, over and over again.

“How much does he own you?” Mikayla asked, didn’t bother to look at the person she was talking to, and just kept walking inside her small flat.

“A lot, little girl, a lot,” the boss replied.