08 - Assumptions



It happened last year. The weather was cold and snow covered the entire city, of Toronto. We were sitting in the living room of our house with my father and mother. Uncle Ricardo Storm had a smile on his face, which, at the time, I thought was genuine. Too bad it turned out as evil as his heart.

The police barged through the doors and arrested my father for something he didn't do. He was convicted of first-degree murder of a police officer.

Uncle Storm, a nickname we gave him for his bravery, was an undercover police officer, helping us on the inside. We never thought that one day, he would betray his blood brother, let alone with murder.

My father confessed that he committed the crime, only because he was blackmailed by Storm. Storm had a video of me killing five men two years ago. The bastard had been thinking about it for so long. He only wanted my father gone and not me, an old matter between him and my father, that my father thought he was done with.

That's why we moved to Burnaby. Storm doesn't know where we live and we never saw him since that night. He quit and went into hiding, knowing that I will stop at nothing to kill him even if he was surrounded by thousands of police officers. He doesn't know my mother's real name, which the house is registered under. Not that we didn't trust him, but she didn't.

My mother always hated Ricardo and we still don't know why.

Shrugging my thoughts off, I focus on the man in front of me. Word was out that Storm had started a small gang and this man is one of them. I don't know if he is stupid or what, but he just opened the door for me to find him and kill him. He might be planning on something and trying to trick me, but it will never happen again.

"Where's your base?" I ask, tapping the silver knife on the palm of my hand. When he doesn't answer, I repeat. "I said, where's your fucking base?"

He looks up at me and spits. "I'm not telling you shit!"

"Really?" I grin, confusing him. "Okay, then." I raise the knife and stab his hand, earning an ear-piercing scream. "The next stab is going to be in your dick," I add, making his eyes widen in fear, not daring to blink.

"Now, answer me." I sigh. "Where is your gang's base?" I ask calmly as if I didn't stab his hand a minute ago.

"R-Richmond."

"Where in Richmond?"

"I-I can't...please, he'll kill me."

"I'll kill you if you didn't tell me. Why would you protect a man who doesn't care about you?"

"He...he has my family...please." The man pleads, but it did nothing to my cold, stone heart.

"Well, such a waste of my time," I say, stabbing his heart. "Send the body to Richmond...anywhere near an alley, but make sure no kids could see or walk around there."

My men nod and pick the body and leave.

I kept waiting for guilt to hit but nothing happened. I don't feel guilty, mainly because I know he was lying. Well, I am 80% sure, which leaves a whole 20% that I don't think would get me to feel guilty.

I go to Cody's office. When I enter, I see Ana sitting with him, which makes me look at them in confusion, not that there's anything to be confused about. They work together. But I felt like it was weird seeing them laughing together, especially when Cody takes forever to like someone.

Before I could say anything, Cody speaks. "Where is Storm's man?"

"Umm...he's a hopeless case, forget about him," I reply as I pick up one of Cody's tiny statues he's obsessed with.

"Leave that! And what happened?" He exclaims, snatching the statue out of my hand.

I look at Ana who seems too focused on our conversation and reply, "I'll tell you later."

I don't want to scare her but again, she did say that she killed someone intentionally when we were at her house.

"Ana, I'd like to talk to you," I say, flicking my index and middle finger in the air, motioning for her to follow me.

She nods and follows me outside of Cody's office.

I walk with her following me and go to the library. We have a huge library in the villa that was made specifically for me. My mother said that I used to love books when I was younger and read so many books. I feel that she exaggerated because I stopped reading just after I turned 17.

"Is something wrong?" Ana's soft voice echoes through the library.

"No. I only want to talk to you about your work. How do you like it here?" I ask as I sit on one of the reading couches and point at the other for her to sit.

"It's still the second day, but I like it so far. Cody is a great mentor even though he's a few years older than me," she replies, placing a hair strand behind her ear.

She looks shy and I have no idea why, but I like it.

"Good. If anything or anyone bothers you, tell me," I say, not looking at her.

"Sure..." she replies, confusion covering her beautiful face. "Is there something else you wanted to say?" She adds.

"Yes, but I don't think you're ready for that, yet."

"What is it?"

"We'll talk later, Ana."

"Fine...whatever," she replies, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "If there's nothing else, I should go back to work."

"You can go."

After she left, I sat for an hour alone with my thoughts.

Why would Ana kill someone? Was that the reason she stopped being a surgeon? What did that person do to her and who was that person?

The only explanation for her killing someone for the first time would be either he hurt one of her family members, like killed someone close to her, or did something to her, and since she's alive, the only reason would be he sexually assaulted her.

Could that be the case?

Either way, I can't talk to her about it without her wanting to talk about it. I feel that it should come from her whether she wants to talk or not. I shouldn't push her to tell me anything.

I cut my thoughts off and walk out of the library. The more I sat with my thoughts, the more I overthink, and I don't want that.

I go to my room and change my clothes. My chest was bare and I wore navy pajama pants.

I let my body fall on the comfy mattress and I immediately feel comfortable. But that doesn't last as the door opens and Carmen walks in. I look at the seductive look she's giving me and fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"What are you doing here, Carmen?" I ask.

"We haven't been seeing each other lately. I have missed you." She pouts, walking towards the bed.

"I am tired now. Leave."

She doesn't listen and instead, she undresses. She stands naked to my lazy eyes, trying to get a reaction out of me, and she did.

I sigh in defeat, only because I am stressed and need a release.

* * *

During the night, I wake up. I look to my left and see Carmen sleeping soundly. I gently push her arm away from my chest and get up.

I wake up every day at 4 AM for no reason, and since I can't fall asleep again, I spend my time sitting in the backyard with my dog, Cheddars.

I didn't name him, rest assured. It was my sister who did, Alba. She has been outside of the country with my mother before my father escaped. They are coming in two days.

I skip down the stairs and walk out to the backyard. The chilly weather hits my skin, making me feel goosebumps.

My eyes land on someone sitting on the bench. A girl.

As I walk closer, I recognize her.

"What woke you up at this time?" I ask, sitting beside her.

"I have been awake for a while, and to answer your question, the guest room is close to yours," Ana replies, no hatred in her voice.

"Sorry," I reply, scratching the back of my neck.

"It's okay." She sighs. "What woke you up?" She asks.

"I don't know. I am used to waking up at this hour," I simply say.

She hums as she looks ahead.

"By the way, I haven't thanked you."

"For what?" She looks at me in confusion.

"For helping my father and the guys escape, and for letting us stay with you."

"It's nothing...Manuel is good to me. He's the father I wished I'd have."

I only nod, understanding her. My father is a great man. He's involved in everything related to Alba and me. He never missed a birthday, never left us when we needed him, and never once yelled at my mother or us. He is the man I have always wanted to be.

I look at Ana and notice a small leaf stuck in her hair. I lean in and raise my hand to get it out of her hair, but when she sees my movements, she flinches and quickly moves away, confirming my assumptions.

"I am sorry, I just wanted to remove the leaf," I say, pointing at her hair.

"Umm...s-sorry, I just..." she struggles to explain.

Without saying anything else, she turns around and leaves.

Fuck me.

* * *