Kapitel 3: Building Trust

I woke up early one morning, and my head was throbbing. You'd think I'd likely be used to the hangovers by now. I felt like my brain was doing cartwheels over and over. This was the hangover of all centuries. I rolled over in bed, groaning until I saw a note and pain meds; I couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto my face. As I sat up, I reached for the note reading it, 'Rise and shine beautiful, Charles and I are heading out for breakfast; we will be back in a few hours. Coffees downstairs, and don't forget to take your meds.'

The warm, loving smell struck my nose, causing me to smile. Emily knew coffee was my weakness when I was hungover. I forced myself out of bed and down the stairs to the kitchen. I filled a glass with water before downing it and my pills. The smell of coffee made my mouth water even though my throat felt like it was cracking due to dryness. I poured myself a cup and took and long sniff before walking out onto the porch and taking a sip. The morning air was cold and dewy as a light breeze brushed by my cheeks. I sat alone like every other morning, listening to the sound of the chirping birds. After I finished my coffee, I heard the gravel crumbling under car tires; looking up, I expected to see Emily's hideous car but was surprised when I saw a black Mustang.

I stood and walked up to the porch steps, trying to look through the tinted windows. It was times like these I knew I should always keep a weapon on me, Charles had encouraged me many times that it was necessary, but I never took his advice. The door swung open, and I only sighed when I noticed it was my big sister. I hadn't heard from her in years; I distanced myself since I found out she slept with Caliber. I wasn't keeping much of a grudge, but it was hard to let her back in and trust her. I watched as she stepped out of the car, she was a bit taller than me, and her long dirty blonde hair complemented her green eyes. Her skin was a bit pale and glistened in the sun as I watched her make her way to stand in front of the steps.

"Hey, little sister..." "What are you doing here, Elizabeth?" Her gaze fell to the ground, and silence fell over us. Not being able to take it, I spoke again. "Elizabeth... What are you doing here?" Still no answer, I shook my head in disappointment and turned on my heels to make my way inside. "I miss you... I just wanted to see you." I turned back to look at her, and as I met her gaze, I could tell she was being genuine. Letting out a small sigh, I relaxed a little. "Come in... I have coffee ready."

Before I knew it, we were sitting across from each other at my kitchen table. I watched as she traced her thumbs along the rim of her mug, and honestly, I didn't know what to say. "I heard about what happened to Caliber recently. How are you holding up?" "It hasn't been easy, but I've improved over time." She nodded and looked down at my ring, I watched as her lips pulled upwards, and I followed her gaze. Quickly I pulled my hands off the table, hiding them in my lap. "Do you hate me, Rachael?"

I couldn't help but laugh and look into her eyes. "You're my big sister Liz... do I trust you? No, not even a little, but I don't hate you." Her smile widened, and I couldn't help but allow myself to do the same, and the next few hours I spent catching up with my sister. I heard the gravel crumble again; I knew Emily and Charles were returning from breakfast. Elizabeth and I continued to talk until the door swung open, and we turned our attention to it. Emily stood there shocked, she knew I hadn't spoken to my sister in years, and with the look on her face, I knew she was wondering what she was doing there.

"Hey, Rachel... Is everything ok in here?" I gave her a warm smile and nodded. "Everything is fine. Liz came to visit and check on us." I watched as Emily's gaze shifted from me to Elizabeth. I knew Emily didn't like her very much after she betrayed me. "Charles and I will be in my room if you need me." I watched as she walked back to the room, and then Elizabeth turned her attention back to me, "She doesn't like me very much, does she?" I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head at her. "I'm afraid not." She shrugged. "I respect it; Emily has always been very protective over you." She checked her watch and then shook her head. "I have to get to work" She pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse and wrote her number down before sliding the paper my way.

"Keep in touch, ok?" We both stood, and I couldn't help but hug her tightly, pulling her into my embrace. I didn't want her to leave, at least not yet. After a few minutes, we pulled away, and I walked her to the door before watching as she got into her car and drove away. It was still early afternoon, and my hangover was subsiding, thankfully. I checked my phone, and suddenly it occurred to me I hadn't heard from the guys all morning. They were all supposed to check in with me every morning to ensure everything went smoothly. Even if I didn't hear from all of them, at least a few checked in, but today, none. I quickly notified Charles we'd be heading out before I went upstairs. I threw on a sweatshirt and some old sneakers. I met Charles by my car, and we climbed in before I sped off. I made our drive to the warehouse quick and short speeding the entire way. Upon arriving, Charles and I both noticed unfamiliar cars in the lot.

"Do me one favor. Take this." I looked over at Charles, who was holding a .22 in my direction. "Charles-" "I'm not asking Rachael..." I met his gaze and saw that I had no choice. I'd take the gun, or Charles would walk into the warehouse alone. With a moment of hesitation, I grabbed the hefty gun from Charles. I didn't like guns at all; I hated them, to be honest. Yes, a gang leader is afraid of a gun. Charles and I exited the car before rushing to the back door entrance. "We do this quietly, understand? Stay unseen unless something happens, understood?"

Charles gave me a quick nod, and I returned one to him; taking a sharp breath, I reached for the door and slowly opened it so Charles and I could make our way in. I stopped in my tracks, confused. Upon entering, I heard music playing along with laughter and the clanking of beer bottles. I tucked my weapon into the back of my pants.

The feeling of the cold metal sent a shiver up my spine, but I was too confused to notice. I went through the warehouse until Charles, and I entered, where everyone was hanging out. My eyes grazed across the room as I watched my men and women drink and laugh along with other unrecognizable men. Charles made his way over to the radio and cut it off. This brought everyone's attention to him, then me. "Rachael! Great, you're here. I've been waiting for you; we have business to discuss." I looked up at the familiar voice calling out to me, and it was no other than Tony himself. He was looking down at me over the railing. My nose flared a bit, and I looked at Charles. "Get them working... Now." As I made my way into my office, Tony had made himself comfortable. He propped his expensive shoes on my desk with that arrogant smirk.

Anger rushed over me and took complete control as I walked over to my desk and swiped his feet off. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you and your gang want to goof the fuck off then do it but leave my men and my women out of it! Just because I agreed to help you doesn't mean you come around here distracting my men from their duties. Did you forget it's your girls out there missing? I'm starting to think this is all a joke to you, and maybe I should reconsider helping you." I couldn't stop. I was angry, and now I was fuming. I wanted to rip his head off his shoulders right then and there, but I knew Tony was way too strong for me to take down. Charles walked into my office, and he watched from the doorway. I watched Tony's honey-brown eyes darken as my words seemed to hit him right in the chest. It was silent momentarily as he stood and looked me in the eyes.

"I apologize..." What, had I just heard this right? Had he apologized to me? "I truly mean it; I shouldn't have intruded on your warehouse. I know you and your people have other matters to attend to; I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries." Tony was now awfully close, his beautiful eyes hypnotized me, and I could tell he noticed as a smirk crept on his face. He reached up, brushed my messy hair from before my eyes, and placed his hand on my cheek."It won't happen again. You look magnificent." His voice was softer now, and his eyes lightened up again. It was crazy how pissed he could get me and then woo me with his charm. We stood there, lost in each other's eyes. No one spoke a single word, but it was like we both were saying all that needed to be said. Charles cleared his throat, and I snapped back into reality. I felt my cheeks grow hot, and I looked at the ground before stepping back and clearing my throat.

"Charles, give us a minute, please." As my gaze fell on Charles, he wore a stern frown. He glared at Tony before he turned to me. "I'd feel much better if I stayed." "Charles…." I watched as he clenched his fist; I knew he was holding something back, but he nodded and left the room. "What did you need to discuss?" "Ri- Right... Edgar also is known as trigger; he's our problem right now." I sat at my desk and watched him do the same. "The leader of Eternal Legacy, Edgar, is known for being ruthless; as I informed you already, his target is women. A man who uses his power for disgusting pleasures is also known for taking down several gang leaders without hesitation."

"How do you know all of this? All you knew was that it was a new gang, and he targeted women." "I wasn't sure who we were dealing with before, but I saw him and some of his guys in town. My mistake was assuming it was an upcoming gang, but they know how to play their cards right." I heard worry creep into Tony's voice. If he was worried, I was terrified. This is a man called the Blood King, not a title you earn easily. Here was a man known for being bloodthirsty of his enemies, taking their lives without hesitation; Right then, I saw frustration and worry along his face.

"The Eternal Legacy was around a few years ago. They hit a huge job and then disappeared from town. There were no whispers or rumors about them at all. I figured they had fled elsewhere, but now I think they were laying low." I couldn't help but shake my head and run my fingers through my hair. This gang was supposed to be for the community, a small business providing money and needs to the locals. I swore I'd stay out of the crime world, but here I was, talking to one of the deadliest men in the game. I felt my forehead crease as I closed my eyes and placed my head in my hands, trying to relax.

I heard shuffling in the room, and suddenly to my surprise, I felt my chair spin around then something grazed my forehead. I opened my eyes to Tony standing before me as he gently caressed my forehead. "Don't stress yourself, mon doux ange; you'll get worry lines." I hadn't noticed before, but his accent was so strong and sharp that it sent shivers down my spine. This time it wasn't because of the cold metal I had pressed against my back. It took me by surprise; yet again, I sat there flustered and in awe. This man surprised me little by little, and I couldn't figure out if he was soft and genuine or if his title Blood King fit him more.

"Your accent..." "Ah... French man at heart love; tends to come out on its own." He gave me a charming smirk, and suddenly the door swung open. Charles stood there eyeing us, and I knew it didn't look good. Tony still had his hand on my forehead and stood closer than necessary. Reading Charles's expression, I knew it would be better to make the first move; I stood and walked over to him. "We have a few things to discuss with the guys, and we have a lot of things to take care of, come on." I didn't give him a second to retaliate as I walked past him and went down the stairs to where everyone was working. "Hey, listen up!" I watched as everyone turned their attention to me and Tony, who was now by my side leaning against the back of the sofa.

"As you all know, we both have a common enemy, and we both have found it's Eternal Legacy and Edgar... They are back, for what is still unclear." Tony butted in, "But he's attacking our people. Edgar is known for taking down gangs; he toys with them and then cuts them off. From now on, we will work together; anything reported to me should also be reported to Rachael. No one and I mean no one, is to travel anywhere alone under any circumstances. We need to be ready for the next strike to come... We can take them down if we work together." After what felt like an eternity, the meeting was over, and I stood outside the warehouse looking up at the night sky. The peaceful sound of crickets helped me relax as I watched the stars twinkle and the moon shine brightly, lighting everything up.

A breeze chilled my face, and I cuffed my hands, breathing into them; I watched as my breath clouded and floated up to the sky, Indicating the late October weather was setting in. My body shivered as I rubbed my arms roughly until I felt a jacket placed over me. "Your sweatshirt didn't seem to be getting the job done." I turned to see Tony smiling at me, his eyes twinkling like the stars. "Thank you..." I slipped my arms into the jacket and looked back at the sky as he stood beside me. "It's beautiful, isn't it..." I felt his gaze drop on me as he mumbled. "You have no idea." I looked over, meeting his gaze, and I couldn't help but crack up. "Out of all people, I didn't expect the Blood King to be the corny type."

"Haha, I'm filled with surprises, sweetheart." I couldn't stop my smile from spreading as, once again, we stood in front of each other, eyes locked. We were put in a trance every time we looked at each other. This time my eyes wandered down to his plump lips, they were a soft pink, and all I could think about was having them locked on mine. I flustered as I looked back into his eyes; his expression was now severe but soft like he wanted to say something. 'Say something.' As I tried reading him, I thought, 'Say anything...' No words came out, but it was as if I knew exactly what he was thinking, and something drew me closer to him instantly.

We both leaned forward, and I felt his strong hands capture my cheek; I just closed my eyes and let it happen. It was coming. I would find out what those lips felt like and kiss the Blood King. I felt his breath graze across my lips, but with a clear of someone's throat, it all came to a halt. I opened my eyes, Tony slowly let my cheek go as he stared at the door, and I turned to follow his gaze. Charles was standing glaring at the two of us, and I heard Tony let out a frustrated sigh. "Until next time, mon doux ange..." With that, I watched Tony walk away and leave.

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