Again

I find myself in his arms; content and happy

Of course, my mind has to ruin it. I start thinking about what has to be done today. Soon the public will find out Braxton is dead. People will start talking, and the people involved will start running.

I roll over, facing the devil wrapped in silk. Today it was my turn to kiss his head and leave the bed empty.

"Where are you going?" His god-like voiced rasped in contrary to his devil-like looks.

"I'm afraid I've got things to do and people to see," I smile, skipping to the bathroom.

"You have people to do? Am I on that list?"

Oh, darling, you're at the top of it

***

Deja Vu

I'm in my closet, unsure of what to wear - again.

I quickly decide on some work out attire having no expectation of working out once I got to the gang house.

"Cole!" I call out, walking into the bedroom. He hums in response walking out of his closet.

Walking out of his closet topless, may I add

I glue my eyes to his face. Fighting not to trail down is tattooed laced skin.

"I'm done," I state simply.

If we're being honest I really didn't have a reason to call him anyway.

"Te ves hermosa como siempre, Princesa," His eyes trail down my body shamelessly and I'd be lying if I said I mind.

(You look beautiful as always, Princess)

"Eyes up here," I joke, grabbing my things and heading to the door. Cole follows behind me, finishing the last button on his shirt.

"I can't help myself."

Like the gentleman he is, he holds the door open for me. I flash a shy smile and mutter a thank you. We walk into the elevator in silence, going down the elevator in silence, and walk to the car in silence.

"What do you have planned today?" I ask once we get seated in the car.

"Elijah and I have to hire a new person to run that club," He sighs.

I can tell that this is draining him.

"Why do you think they betray you like this?" It's a juvenile question, one I know he doesn't have an answer to. I only ask because I want to know where his mind is, see what he's thinking. He thinks for a second, shifting his gaze towards me.

"The want for power can be a controlling thing," His voice is calm, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand. No one wants to be bossed around all their life. At least not anybody with a sense of respect,"

"How do you know who you can trust now?"

"I don't. I never have," He murmured, "My father was a wise man, with wise words. He told me this would happen, every leader goes through this,"

"Goes through what?"

"A test of loyalty. It's a dark time of looking behind your back, hurting people's feelings. A lot of deaths have to be brought to attention before the light shows at the end of the tunnel,"

The ring that was in my sports bra becomes hot again. I brought this conversation up to ease my conscience, but it only made my heart hurt. I hated keeping it from him, but I know this will only stress him out. Out of everything going on in his life right now, I want him to never have to question my loyalty.

But I can't tell him, not right now, as soon as I get all the information together he's the first person I'll talk to. I hope he'll be able to understand that.

A lot of people could be killed if I jump to conclusions

"What do you have planned today?" He asks after my moment of silence.

"Training," I reply vaguely.

"Training? That's it?"

I can't bring my mouth to open so I just nod and look out of my window. Another sigh emits from his mouth as we pull up to the gang house. Before I reach for the door his large calloused hand grasps my arm.

"I know you're up to something, but I believe in your talent of bringing things to light. Whatever you're planning just be careful. I haven't regretted anything yet and I would prefer to keep it that way."

I smile at him.

I don't know what I was thinking but I reach up and kissed his cheek. Before the embarrassment sets in I hop out of the car, starting towards the door. Letting my blush set in after I hear his car drive off.

Immediately, I slip into the office. The dark teak wood bookshelves stand tall and intimidating. I know I'm not doing anything wrong but I just can't shake the sense of trespassing. I remove the ring from my bra placing it on the desk. I start searching through the towers of neatly stacked books.

In this whole house, there has to be a Latin dictionary. It's a strange request but I know it can be fulfilled.

It has to be

Finally, I see a blue-covered book with gold writing at the end of the row. The spine reads - A LATIN DICTIONARY LEWIS and SHORT - I throw it open, looking for the words engraved into the ring.

Fucking hell, all that proves is that it's a girl

Amber never spoke of her parents, at least not to me. I visibly shrink at the dead-end clue. I'm back at the square one, not knowing where to go. Latin was such a random language to engrave it in. No one speaks Latin - that's why it's called the dead language.

I walk into the training room, Amber already waiting.

"Where the hell have you been? You're 20 minutes late!"Wow! Twenty?!

The nerve of me

I mutter a small sorry, setting my stuff down.

A small drop echos off the padded floor making my heart drop. I slowly turn around to see Amber already looking at the ring that had fallen out of my bra.

"You dropped something," She picks it up before I could, I have to physically hold myself back from saying a slur of colorful words. Before handing it to me she takes a double-take.

"Nice ring," She trails off, "I had one just like it," She turns the ring in her hand.

Once she stops, I know she's seen it.

"Ad Filia Mea," Her voice turns cold, "That's a custom engraving, isn't it? I never knew you spoke Latin,"

I shrug, "You don't know much about me, huh?"

Her stance changes, she's no longer being playful, "This was given to me at my mother's funeral,"

"I'm sorry for your loss,"

"Yeah, some dude took it after a one night stand,"

"Some dude?" I repeat, "One night stand?"

She looks me dead in my eye, "Where did you get this?"

I start to circle her.

"I would answer that, but I'm afraid you already know,"

"Where is he?"

I raise a brow, "Why?"

She opens her mouth but I interrupt her,

"He really loved you, you know?"

"It's kind of sad actually," I pout.

"Loved?" Her face contorts at my word choice, "What did you do?"

"Oh don't play dumb. You know good and well if anybody had that ring other than him that he would already be dead,"

"You killed him?"

"What's it to you? It's not like you love him?"

Her leg lifts missing my head only slightly. I return the favor of running up to her - punches are thrown, kicks fly.

"I thought you were my friend?" I let my emotions peek only slightly. She throws a jab right to my rib that makes me fall back.

"That's the shame of it all," She picks me, throwing me back down.

It's been a while since I've been hit like this. I've almost forgotten what it felt like - almost.

"I really did like you,"

I can taste the blood on the back of my tongue, I almost smile in remembrance. She hovers over me. Rearing her fist back, she speaks before I see black: