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BAD HABIT

♧

STEVE LACY _________________________

"DO you think my boobs are shrinking?" I examined my breasts in front of Malakai's mirror. My bikini top was clinging onto my inner elbows.

"No," Val sucked on her popsicle. "They look fairly asymmetrical."

"Aren't they supposed to be symmetrical?"

"Wasn't that what I just said?"

"No-"

"Can you guys not start a debate on what symmetrical and asymmetrical mean please?" Malakai requested.

Val shrugged and continued to lick her popsicle.

I sucked on mine. "Malakai what do you think?"

Malakai looked up from his case file. "They're...the left ones supposed to be smaller right?"

I turned back to the mirror. "I'd like to believe so."

"Then they're good."

I nodded at Malakai's approval. I pulled my bikini top back on properly. Malakai and Val had become my official bestfriends when we were all about 12. It was at some lame mafia banquet that we had been forced to attend by our parents and quite obviously we were pretty fuming about it but it had turned out to be a pretty fun night after we'd all met and become accustomed to each other.

And after we'd blown up the car of the arse who'd locked us in a closet at that party.

Malakai, aka Mally aka Kai- Kai was from a family of bodyguards. Master spies. Ex FBI agents. Kills were his specialty. Anyone you needed to go "missing" permanently my boy was perfect for it.He's known how to land a headshot from a tower 3 blocks away since before he could even understand what a tower even was. He was the oldest between the three of us.

Val aka Valencia Bottega was one of the smoothest stealers you would ever know to exist. She was smartest motherfuckers you would ever meet. Of course when you meet her she seemed like a total fucking airhead but that was apart of her act. If you looked up never let them know your next move Valencia Bottega would be the first thing to pop up. Classic bloodline of 5 star criminal's. Thieves.

Val groaned. "Eww my cousin's are coming."

"Which ones?" Malakai added another picture to his suspect board.

"Ramirez."

"The french one?" I sniffed one of the cologne's on Malakai's table.

"Yes." Val rolled her eyes. "They're always so fucking annoying."

"I don't know why you don't like them," I said. "They seems pretty cool."

"You only say that cause your french to." Val scowled. " And your oui oui baguette shit language."

"I feel like I would look so sexy with a belly piercing." I rubbed the area around my belly button.

Val tossed her popsicle stick into the trash can. "I thought you got one in Jamaica?"

"I did and then it fucking closed when I took it out." I posed in front of the mirror.

"Why'd you take it out?"

"My mom would've literally killed me if she found out her fourteen year old had gotten a belly piercing in the Carribean."

Val giggled.

"I'm like so deadass." I flopped onto the bed. "How's the case going?" I asked Malakai.

He sighed. "It's going. I don't know where but it is."

"Are you still on who assasined that like viet guy?" Val put down her phone and laid her head down on my lap.

"Figured that out." Malakai circled something. "I'm tryna find out who the mole was in the last Swolinsky case."

"Ohhh." Val and I said together. I flipped through one of his files. "How much did they lose again?"

"All of it." Val answered. "They shut down all of their casinos. Whoever the mole was apperently gave the popo the codes to all the safes and shit."

I blinked. That was actually fucking scary. "Shit."

"Yeah it is shit." Malakai streched. "Everyone's gone into hiding and everything."

Val clapped. "Right! Cece what happend with your dad last night or day or whatever."

I rolled my eyes. "Cas was on my ass about it for a little but, Charlotte covered for most of teaching lesson."

Val hummed when i mentioned my brother. Val has had a strange weird crush on my older brother for ever since she was twelve years old. One fateful 2 month trip to her parents safe house in moscow had brought her back with what seemed like a large pair of tits back then had caused my brother to look down at my 14 year old bestfriend and say: "Well you definitely popped." Ever since then she has been more than madly and deeply in love with my brother.

Val sighed. "Why do the hot ones always have to be gay?"

"He's not gay he just fucks anything with a pulse." I said.

"So what you're saying is that i still have a shot?"

"No." Malakai and I said in unison.

My best friend groaned. I played with her thick long red strands of hair. "I kinda wanna get my gun bedazzled."

"Which one?" Malakai barely glanced up from his file as he spoke to me.

"The rifle."

Val screamed.

Malakai and I barely flinched. This was Val's love language.

"SHIT KOKO'S ON HER WAY HERE NOW."

Malakai shot up. "Here? WHY IS SHE COMING HERE VAL?"

"I SENT HER MY LOCATION OKAY?" Val paced around the room. "She asked me where i was so i just sent her my location which happens to be your apartment."

Malakai yelled in arabic and Val screeched even louder. "STOP IT MALAKAI IF YOUR GONNA YELL AT ME DO NOT DO IT IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE! YOU KNOW THAT GIVES ME ANXIETY."

Malakai continued. Val clamped her hands on her ears and wailed in spanish. Screaming, yelling, pacing, and all the other little adverbs that could be used to describe the chaos in front of me took place. I took selfies. This was home. I loved it here.

I dropped my phone and reached for Val's. I spammed photo's of myself into her gallery. I was so cute like what the actual fuck.

My phone vibrated against my torso. It was a text from my dad... my dad doesn't text. And if he did someone else would be doing it for him.

Oh shit.

I jumped up and gathered all my shit from the floor.

My bestfriends gasped."YOU ARE NOT LEAVING BEFORE KOKO GETS HERE!"

I slid my socks back on. "My dad texted me."

"SO?! ITS PROBABLY YOUR MOM!" they yelled.

"THATS MY POINT!" I fixed my lipgloss. "My mom didn't text me. I mean my dad physically grabbed his cellular device and sent me a message. I am leaving or my father is most likely gonna send a swat team to get me."

A helicopter flew over the roof. I pointed at the ceiling. "Right on time actually."

I slid back into my shoes and blew kisses at my sulky friends.

The door slammed as i let it fall back into place as i entered our house. "Baba?'

"In the dining room."

I followed the sound of my fathers voice into our dining area. It was a long wide marble table. Sat on opposite sides were trained assasins. My whole family and the guy my dad had made me meet yesterday. Antonio. He was sat next to an older man who i was guessing must have been his father. My father on the other hand looked grim. Charlotte could barely look at me. Cassian grinned.

"Whats going on?" I asked.

My father placed a loving hand on mine. "Before I start Celine remember I love you. This has nothing to do with you and it is strictly business."

"Tell her." My mother said.

"Corrine leave me." My father snapped.

My mother's jaw dropped but she quickly closed it.

My father swore under his breath. "Darling, I did not-"

"No." My mother's voice cracked with emotion. She fanned her face as she walked out of the room.

"What happend?" I asked again. I was getting anxious and impatient.

Cassian chuckled. "You," He pointed to me. "And you." He pointed at Antonio. "Are getting married."

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