Thorns of Roses

Erika

Song for this Chapter:

Glimpse of Us-Joji

CHAPTER 94

BLAZE

It only took one hour and thirty minutes for me to fly in Forks, Washington.

Far from my usual whether, although Forks is not too far from New York, both rainy, both cold. The only thing that makes the place different is the quietness that Forks has. It only has 3,385 people who live here. That's why I wonder why a notorious gambler chosen to hide here. If I were him, I would hide in many places, but here. Not like the Forks area.

Normally, I don't really often personally charge those who owe me money. But knowing the old Russian colonel's background is, I know he won't bend to anyone. Unless it was me, personally. My plan is definite; First, I will try to scare him into paying the billion he owes to the organization, and if he says no, that's where my plan B comes in. Kill him. It's not just an easy death, but a slow but painful death that he prays for so that he just fulfilled his promise. I know what I was about to do will open the door to war between the Russian Bratva and Cosa Nostra. But I don't want anyone, especially the Bratvas, to think that Cosa Nostra is afraid of them. This will be the f*****g statement that we won't bow down to anyone.

“I know what you’re thinking, Blaze.” Says Angus whose sitting beside the limousine driver in front of me.

“That so?” I shrug, puffing a cigarette onto my dry mouth but not without opening the car’s window.

“It’s dangerous—”

I didn't quite understand what Angus was saying because a familiar smell caught my attention. Sweet Vanilla. Just like Corinne's. I immediately looked for the smell and noticed that there was only one woman who approached me, but I didn't see her face anymore because she quickly biked to the left of our destination. The only thing I saw was that her hair was short and slightly curly, but the same color as Corinne's hair. But her clothes are different. You see, Corinne likes to dress sophisticatedly. But the girl I saw was casually wearing only jeans and a shirt. I guess, this is what I got from not sleeping properly. Another hallucination.

I sigh and close the window and massage my eyes.

“You okay? You need to rest before we go straight to the Russian colonel.” Angus adds.

I shook my head, this needs to be done as soon as possible. “Nah. I’m good.”

Several minutes have passed the limousine stopped to a rundown old house with an old pick-up truck just parking outside.

“We’re here.”

One by one, my men followed us behind and followed me into the house. I rang the doorbell, and immediately I heard a woman's voice say "Just a second." following approaching footsteps. Her face fell when she saw the people outside her house. Her eyes were wild and she swallowed hard when she saw me. She knows me, she knows us.

“You got something that’s mine?” I growl.

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She ‘a about to close the door, but I stopped her that made her shake.

She’s scared. I guess she’s the Russian Colonel’s wife.

“Emeline, who’s that?”

A smirk spread all over my face. I didn’t need to be invited inside, I harshly stepped my foot inside the house like it was my own.

The old lady stumble and Angus catch her right in time.

The purpose why I am here is sitting casually on a rundown couch with a bottle of beer in his hand and a cigarette in the other. He’s smiling at me with his crook teeth.

The essence of grandeurs and money left the man’s body for all I can say so many years ago.

You wouldn’t even think that this man previous job is Russian Colonel.

I guess gamble did him good.

“Been expecting you.” He raised the bottle to me.

I sat down on the other couch that’s facing him casually “You do? Then you must know why I am here, Colonel?”

“I do. But I have something that you won’t say no in exchange of the billions.” He chuckles manically.

“Matias?” His wife called him but he didn’t give her much attention.

“Really? What is more important than money? I know you know that very well, Colonel.” I challenged.

He chuckles that I clench my fist that he’s taking this talk lightly, can I just kill him already? “But this one is.”

The front door shoots open “Mom, I’m here—” the feminine voice stopped midsentence, then the Colonel smiles widely at me then gesture his hand for me to look at the woman who just went in. all I heard is that his wife is crying.

“What’s happening?” the woman who just entered asked, Angus squeezed my shoulder that made me stiff. He wasn’t tense all his life, so why does he seem scared even right now?

I turn around to look at who are they looking for.

All the blood inside my body leave, even my soul when I saw who is standing on that door.

What the actual f**k is this?

As if in instinct, I stood up and walk closer to the woman who’s staring back at me with the same scared expression as I had.

Every goddamn feature is her, even her f*****g smell is her. The hair color is the same even the same glow in her eyes.

“I told you, you can’t say no to this deal.” The bastard says coolly. “Does she remind you of her?”

My head snap back to the Colonel who raise his hands in surrender but still smirking like a f*****g devil. “She’s my daughter, unfortunately, She’s Erika.”

“Dad? Who are they?” The woman whose name is Erika asked, even her voice is the same.

What the f**k is happening?

I didn’t leave my sight to the woman when I speak again that I don’t even know if I will regret or not “How much for her?”

Then the woman in front of me gasped and tremble while looking at me like she didn’t know me.