Until I Met You

I walk out of Gray’s room and walk down the hall to Reid’s room. I raise my hand to knock only to find the door slightly.

” You know I never thought you’d care.” I hear Alexa’s voice.

” Shut up. I didn’t tell you I cared anyway.” Reid says and Alexa chuckles.

” You know I cared. Even if you acted like a pussy when we had sex.”

Goddamnit.

Are they serious?

Are they like having feelings for each other?

” Fuck , I didn’t act like a pussy. I only made things easy for the both of us. You liked it.”

” So what about you? You acted like it was nothing to you.” She says.

” You need to start healing. I already called a nurse to make sure you’re okay.”

I tap my knuckles on the door as I hear footsteps. The door opens as Reid steps aside for me to come in. He walks out and shuts the door behind him. I walk to the bed Alexa lay on. I sit on the edge of the bed and hold her hand. Her leg is wrapped up in bandages and her ribs. Can’t really see that. She is wearing Reid’s t-shirt and Calvin Klein briefs. Oh my God.

” What?” She laughs.

I blink my eyes at her form and smile.

” His clothes. Did he help you out?”

” Yeah. Reid helped to get me changed. He isn’t as bad as I thought.”

” Shut up. I see the chemistry between you two. He likes you just scared to admit it. Gray was like that too.”

Talking about Gray, it hurts a lot that we fight. Maybe I was a little irrational and yelled at him when I’m supposed to be calm. He’s only acting selfish now. What type of boyfriend stops their girlfriend from hanging out with their long lost father. Gray of course.

” Are you okay?” Alexa asks. I blink at her and nod.

” You zoned out Ariel. What happened?”

I sigh and fiddle with my peacoat. My shoulder still hurts terribly. I didn’t even let him give me painkillers for this because I was angry at him.

” I uh… you know Sinclair right? Shit , of course you know Sinclair.” I sigh and look at my lap.

” Alexa , he’s my father.”

” Oh my God…” she tries to sit up but I force her to lay back.

” You don’t have to Alexa. He showed up at my apartment and he told me. He did a DNA test with my hair too and my mom confirmed it.” I tell her.

” Wait, your mom cheated on your dad with Sinclair?”

” Not really. She’s not my mom. My mom’s her younger twin sister.”

” Oh my God. Oh my fucking God. How did this even happen? Where’s your mom?”

” Dead. Vladimir’s father killed her when I was two. My foster mom , our Aunt hid me from Sin because of this whole Mafia thing. Long story short , I’m hanging out with him this weekend.”

” Damn. This is deep.”

” Yeah , right? Gray doesn’t like the idea. He wants me not to hangout with Sinclair because he thinks it’s not right and it’s not safe for me.”

” Really? Or there’s something to do with that reason.”

” They don’t like each other. Something happened between them and they really can’t get along, ever.”

” Okay, that’s triple deep. Your new daddy doesn’t like Gray and Gray doesn’t like your new daddy at all. This is fucked up.”

” Right? I’m so tired.”

” So you guys fought?”

” Kinda. I wanna go home and get some pain killers for this injury. How are you feeling?”

” I’m not fucking good. You’re in deep shit Ariel.”

” I’ll be fine, Alex. I just need a warm bath , painkillers and then think throughout the night.”

She sighs and nods.

” Can I see?” I ask her tugging at the hem of the T-shirt she’s wearing. She nods and I push it up to look at her ribs.

” The Mafia isn’t really easy huh?” I look at her and drop the t-shirt. She shrugs and holds my wrist.

” You will be careful right?”

” Yeah. Thanks sis , for everything.” I say.

She scrunches her face and then giggles. She’s a psycho.

” See ya. I’m pretty sure Reid’s gonna take care of you.”

” Yeah.” She nods and I stand up holding my peacoat.

” I’m gonna come check on you.” I tell her and head to the door.

I open it and step out of the room.

” Ariel.” I stop on my track and turn around to see Nick.

” What the fuck happened to you guys?” He asks and motions to Reid’s room.

” Russians. Club and then gunfire.” I answer and shrug. He looks at my shoulder and it’s bleeding out.

” I’m really sorry about that.”

” Thanks Lucy.” I smile at him and he chuckles.

” Lucy now huh? Fuck me. Kennedy caused this.” He fakes sadness and I laugh softly at him.

” Where’s Gray?”

” Drove out with Reid a few minutes ago. He wasn’t really in a good mood though.”

” Thanks, Nick.”

You know I never actually thought he would drive out after we fought. I’m just overthinking things obviously.

” Later Nick.” I tell him and turn to leave.

” Gray wants me to drop you off at your place since he couldn’t drive you himself.” He says as he walks beside me.

” Thank you.”

****

Nick parks the car as I step out.

” Wow. So you live in a penthouse now?” Nick asks as he gets out of the car too.

” Kinda.” I shrug.

” See ya Hermosa.” He smiles and I smile back.

I walk into the lobby and take the elevator. The ride was terrible for me since I can barely think. I open my door and throw my peacoat on the couch. I groan in pain and walk to my bedroom. I open the nightstand and pick up the painkillers. I throw the pills inside my mouth without water as I sit on my bed.

|•GRAY•|

” I didn’t get to see your girl.” Damon says as we drive to his new apartment.

Dude bought a penthouse a few days ago. Glad he’s getting his life back and he needs a job since he isn’t going back to the army.

” She’s got a house Damon.” God why can’t we act like normal brothers. We always had to fight. Maybe because he’s got an ego he’s not willing to bruise.

” You hired a babysitter or what?” I ask as I park the car outside the apartment building.

” Kinda.” He says as we stare at ourselves. It’s like I’m looking at my older reflection. Why did we have to look alike?

” You know you should get a car right? I ask you to keep the one you used in driving Kennedy the other day.”

” You’re drug dealer Gray.” He says sarcastically. I glare at him and nod.

” Then what the fuck are you doing in a drug dealer’s car?” I ask him.

He chuckles and he unfastens his seatbelt.

” You’re my kid brother, remember.” I hate it when he calls me kid. Like he’s six years older than me when he is just two years older.

” Bro I’m not a kid. And stop calling me that.” I glare at him and get out of my car. ” Fuckin asshole.” I mutter and walk ahead of him.

He follows behind as I wait for the elevator to arrive. It arrives and a blonde haired girl walks out. She flashes me a smile but I ignore it. I missed her so badly and it hurts like hell. Sinclair is bad news. He can’t just walk back into her life and demand a hangout. Things don’t even work like that. I puff out my breath and turn to look at Damon watching me.

” God you’re so fuckin creepy.” I mutter and look away from him.

” You know you just act like someone who got dumped. You fought with her right?” He asks.

Damn , is this elevator even moving?

Why are we stuck here?

He’s making things worse for me with his frequent talking and he’s not helping.

I ignore him and look away from him.

” I ask because I care about you, Gray. You guys make one of the best couples ever. Whatever the problem is, just remember that you should always make the first move to apologise. Wrong or not. Women code.” He smiles and thankfully the elevator doors slide open.

I step out and walk down the elevator. I ring the doorbell and wait impatiently for who’s in there to open up. The door opens revealing a petite brunette. She’s so fuckin short but kinda pretty. She smiles warmly and walks back inside the house. I briefly look at Damon as we enter his house. I’ve never been here since he bought it. I wanted to make sure Kennedy’s fine, that’s why I had to drive him back here.

” Jamal…” She calls my name as she races into the living room. The petite already disappears into the kitchen.

I lift her off the ground and sit her on the couch. I ruffle her hair and tickle her. She laughs and shouts as she giggles.

” God, I’m so jealous. You’re like her daddy.” Damon mutters and picks up the remote control.

” Don’t change my cartoon.” Kennedy says between laughter.

” You heard her dad.” I say and stop tickling her.

Damon rolls his eyes and drops the remote.

” Where’s your mom Kenny?” I ask as she crawls to sit on my lap.

” At home. It’s daddy’s turn to look after me. Where’s Ariel? Why didn’t you come with her?”

” Well…”I trail off. Damon looks at me and shakes his dead sideways.

” She’s busy Kenny.”

” You don’t ever come with her.” She whines.

” I’m really sorry, Kennedy. School and work and she’s at home.” I smile at her and pat her hair.

” You’re sure?”

I nod and she smiles widely. My phone rings as I pull it out from my pocket. I slide the answer icon and press it against my ear.

” Reid.”

” Wanna go Russian hunting?” He asks on the phone.

” Seen a target.”

” Yeah. You know Moskov is missing and he’s probably gone MIA. Seen an idiot who can probably know his whereabouts. Where the fuck are you?”

” I’m coming.”

” Waiting.” He hangs up.

I look down at Kennedy as she pouts. Oh God.

“I’ll be back , I promise. And I will personally take you out and get you all the cotton candy you want.”

She beams with happiness.” Really?”

” Yeah. And also I’ll get Ariel too. I know you miss her a lot.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

She flings her arms around my shoulders as she hugs me.” Thank you Jamal.”

I pat her hair and look up at Damon who is watching us. I smirk at him and give him my middle finger.

” Fuckin idiot.” He mutters.

” Daddy I heard that.” Kennedy says as she pulls away from the hug.

” I’m sorry honey.” He checks his pockets and pulls out 10 dollars.

Kennedy takes it and dash out of the living room.

” See ya later dad.”

••••••

I tap my fingers on the wheel as Reid lights his third cigarette. Now I’m getting bored. I badly wanted to call Ariel but I decided to play it cool. Since she left my place last night , I only called her once to check on her shoulder.

She still sounds pissed. Making me feel guilty because I tried to make sure she’s okay. I think she’d choose her father over me because of what I did. I sigh and lean my head against the headrest of the car seat.

” You fought with her right?” Reid asks.

” Yeah. Found out Sinclair is her father. So fucking stupid.”

” Hell no.”

” Hell yes. Her mother is Ariana. Same lady the Russians killed.”

” Did she tell you that? About Sinclair being her father.”

” Yeah, she told me. Got DNA proof. And her supposed parents proved her right. This sucks.” I stretch my hand and take the stick from Reid.

I Inhale the cigarette and exhale it out. I give it back to Reid and look out the window. There he was. One of Moskov’s most trusted men. I need to end this shit once and for all. I watch him walk down the sidewalk and I get out. I push my hands inside my jacket pocket and follow him from behind. I pull out my gun and press the barrel against his back. I feel his muscles tensed as he slows down his step.

” Keep walking, Alberto.” I whisper, pressing the barrel into his back.

” Fuck Gray.” He mutters and walks slowly.

” Don’t try to play smart. There are about 3 snipers on these roofs watching you. One wrong move and you won’t be breathing anymore. Walk like a fuckin person.” I motioned with the gun still pressed against his back.

He takes a defeated breath and continues walking. Reid drives in and slows down the car close to the sidewalk.

” The car.” I say.

“What?”

” Get in the fuckin car.” I mutter.

He sighs and walks to the car. I open the passenger side door for him and push him. Reid points his gun at him as he freezes more.

” Be a man Alberto.” Reid tells him.

I handcuff both his wrist and shut the door. I slide into the backseat as Reid starts driving.

•••••

” I’m asking you for the last time Alberto, where the fuck is Moskov?” I yell at this badly bruised man.

He’s got a black eye, a torn lip and almost bruised cheek and a broken nose. Yet he isn’t saying a word.

” Let’s kill this fucker Gray.” Reid says as he cocks his gun.

” We need Moskov’s new whereabouts and he’s the only one who can tell us. I want him dead or he’s gonna regroup.” I say.

” Are you gonna fuckin talk or not? I’m shooting you, if you don’t speak. Where’s your boss?” Reid asks.

Alberto smirks and spits on Reid’s face. I glare at him and he chuckles. Before I can stop Reid he already pulls the trigger.

” Shit.” I mutter and run my fingers through my hair.

” Fuckin bastard.” Reid cusses and wipes his face.

” How the fuck are we gonna find Moskov?”

” He was never gonna talk , Gray. Fuckin Omertà.”

|•ARIEL•|

” Mom, I don’t wanna talk to you. You’ve done more than enough. I get it, you were trying to protect me and I’m not mad at you alright.”

” I didn’t mean what I did. I even thought you would delete my number.” She says as she sniffles.

Whoa is she crying?

She can’t cry.

Does she even feel pain?

Most times I think Leslie got all her attitude from my foster mom slash aunt. Her husband is like a puppet. She controls him. Still don’t know why.

” Thanks. Even if you were kinda mean and ill treated me , you brought me up. You fought to protect me and I valued that. Talk later mom.” I hang up and toss my phone on the couch.

I slump on the couch opposite the TV and pull my knees to my chest. I’ve been feeling sick since yesterday. And I’m always dizzy and I throw up once this morning. I pick up my phone and tap on Gray’s contact on my phone. I miss him so badly even after telling myself I need to think about myself today after what happened yesterday. Maybe I shouldn’t have yelled at me. Also he tried to stop me because he doesn’t like Sinclair.

I’ve been thinking all through the night and I really don’t have a solution. I just wanna talk to Sinclair about Gray. Their feud, dissing and their past relationship. I click on the message icon on my phone and type a one quick message.

To Gray; I’m sorry.

Once it reads ‘sent’ , I keep my phone close to me and hug my knees. I look down at my phone waiting for a reply and there’s none from him. Is he snubbing me or what? I feel sick again. I think each time I’m stressed I always throw up and that’s kinda weird. My mind drift to Mia’s yacht party and i remembered when I had sex with Gray on that ship.

I stop breathing when I remember I wasn’t on the pills that day.

” Oh my God. It’s not true right?” I panic as I rush to my room to search for a PT. I haven’t missed a month and I’m normal. I’m not expecting, I can’t expect. Not now, not even anytime soon. I search through the drawers and I find one. I take a deep breath and decide to search through my brain for any day that I took pills. I kinda did but it was after the sex. My doorbell rings at once. I drop the PT on the nightstand and walk to the living room. I look through the peephole and there’s no one.

I bite my lip , hoping it’s Gray as I open the door. He always looks more handsome each time we fight.

” Tinkerbell.”

I blush. It sounds new , like it’s been long he called me that. I stepped aside for him to enter and he did enter. I shut the door and he surprises me by hugging me.

” I’m sorry Tink. Really sorry and I love you very much.”

” I’m sorry too.” I tell him as he lifts me off the ground. My legs are curled around his torso as he wraps his arms around my waist.

” Wanna hangout?” He asks.

I giggle.” Sure.”

” Go get dressed.” He drops me back on the floor. I stand on my tippy toes and peck his lips. He pulls me to himself and takes over my lips.

” Fuck, you’re so pretty.” He mutters against the kiss.

” And you’re hot.” I bite his bottom lip as I stand back on my feet.

I hurry to my room and go through my closet. I quickly get dressed and look at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes meet the PT as I keep it back. I’ll do that later.