chapter 3
1230 Words
CHAPTER 3 – Isaac’s POV
After dropping Mama and her friend Lili off, I pulled out my phone and sent her a message:
‘Don’t do anything stupid, because I’ll kill you and whoever’s involved.’
I didn’t wait for a response before dialing a number.
“Meet me at Winnie’s. Now.”
I wasn’t comfortable, not with Avi’s outfit, and definitely not with the way her friend kept running her mouth. That girl got on my nerves every single time. And that bald-headed old man… I didn’t know what he was planning, but I could tell something was wrong. Something always is.
The thoughts crowded my head until frustration took over. I slammed my hand against the steering wheel and pressed harder on the accelerator.
I reached Winnie’s in less than two minutes. As usual, the place was closed and drowned in darkness.
I stepped out of the car and pulled off my hoodie. I only wore it to hide my tattoos, I wasn’t ready for my baby sister to see the life I was truly living. Underneath, I had on a white T-shirt, three buttons undone, revealing my bare, tattoo-covered chest.
I stopped in front of the locked door.
“Are you with it?” I asked, my voice low and commanding.
“Yes, sir.”
A tall figure emerged from the shadows, handed me a briefcase, and unlocked the door. We stepped inside. I sat on the long couch at the corner of the café while he remained standing beside me.
“Fredrick?” I called, flipping through the documents inside the briefcase.
“Yes, si-si-sir,” he answered, visibly trembling.
“What now?” I asked with a slow grin, fully aware I was suffocating him with tension.
“Why are you shaking? Are you a princess?”
“No, sir,” he replied, trying to steady himself.
“You’re new, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
I let the silence stretch–ten deliberate seconds.
“Do you know what happened to my other spies?” I asked, my smile dry and humorless.
“I—I’m sorry, sir. I promise it won’t happen again,” he pleaded, rushing forward and dropping to his knees.
“Easy, princess,” I said calmly. “One mistake they made was failing to answer my questions. I’m being generous with you,don’t make me repeat myself.”
“They all disappeared… without a trace,” he said, head bowed, his body shaking.
Men. Breaking their emotions is almost too easy.
“Good,” I said. “You’re careless, but at least you know something. That makes you useful………for now. I’ll give you one more chance. Call Amir. Tell him to meet me here in three minutes.”
“Yes, sir,” he said quickly, pulling out his phone.
“Hello, sir. Mr. Isaac would like to see you at Winnie’s in three minutes.”
I continued reviewing the papers before speaking again.
“They already know you’re spying on them,” I said evenly.
“Did it not occur to you how suspiciously easy it was to analyze their routine in just five days?”
I closed the briefcase.
“This is your second chance. The next time you mess up, you’ll be meeting your predecessors.”
I smiled.
“And don’t worry about your family. I’ll take very good care of them.”
Exactly three minutes later, Amir walked in.
“You called. What’s up?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. “I need a favor. Pick up my sister and her friend and get them home safely. I have business to handle before midnight, and I made it clear she wouldn’t be staying out past then.”
“Oh, baby Aviary,” Amir teased.
I smirked. “She’d hate that name.”
I stood up and walked past him.
Back at the Party – Avi’s POV
After Isaac dropped Lili and me off, we stepped inside,and damn, this party was no joke.
A message popped up on my screen.
‘Don’t do anything stupid, because I’ll kill you and whoever’s involved.’
I rolled my eyes and switched off my phone.
The music was deafening, the lights flashing wildly, it felt more like a nightclub than a house party. I’d never experienced anything like it before, and honestly, it was thrilling.
“Hey, beautiful,” Roy said from behind us.
We turned around.
“Hi, Roy,” we replied in unison.
“ you girls look so good and smell fantastic” he complimented
“ Thank you” Lili said giving the ‘I know body language’
“Make yourselves comfortable,”
“Ahh!” Lili gasped. “Is that Don Julio?”
“Yes,” Roy replied as he walked away
And just like that, she vanished, leaving me standing alone.
I made my way to the bar and ordered a lemon cocktail; not because I’d ever had one before, but because I’d seen it in a movie and decided to try.
As I turned, I collided with someone, splashing the drink all over my dress and him.
“I’m so sorry,” I said immediately.
“It’s fine,” he replied, shrugging it off as he removed his jacket. Luckily, it was only his inner shirt that got wet.
“I’m Raymond, Roy’s older brother,” he said. “But you can call me Ray. What’s yours?”
“Where I come from, names are earned,” I said with a smirk.
He laughed. “Funny type, huh? I like that.”
“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked.
“No,” I replied.
“Do I have to earn that too?”
“Maybe,” I smiled.
Eventually, I gave in, the party was too loud, and I am an introvert after all.
We walked toward the stables at the back of the house.
“Oh my God, is that a horse?” I asked, excitement lighting up my voice.
“Yes.”
“Can I pet it?”
“Only if you tell me your name.”
I laughed. “Is that what you say to every girl?”
“every girl?”
The way he repeated every girl made my stomach tighten.
“Never mind,” I said quickly. “My name is Aviary. You can call me Avi.”
“Avi,” he said softly. “That’s beautiful.”
“Achoo!” I sneezed.
“Bless you,” he said, draping his jacket over my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
We talked for what felt like forever, time slipping away unnoticed.
“So… can I get your number,” he asked, “or do I still have to earn that too?”
“Maybe,” I said with a smile.
After a lot of persuasion, I finally gave it to him.
We sat on a swing near the pool, moonlight shimmering on the water, the cool breeze brushing against my skin.
Then…
Raymond was yanked off his feet and slammed to the ground.
So fast everything happened swiftly my brain couldn’t process.
“What is your problem, Aviary?” he demanded.
My heart stopped.
“Isaac?” I was left in awe, this is a version of Isaac I hadn’t seen.
Wait…. Was that blood on his shirt?
Oh my God…
Did he kill Ray?
- Writer
