CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE
MELO
She tries to shut the door but Isaiah's foot stops it from closing all the way.
"What's wrong? You don't want a big story?" I say and she shakes her head.
"Relax. I don't plan on hurting you. I just want to talk. Let us in."
She hesitantly steps back and allows us to pass. I stand in the center of her living room, looking around her space. It's what you'd expect from a single woman living alone. She has pictures of her family on her walls and brightly coloured furniture.
"Nice place." I say, turning back to look at her.
She's still standing by the door, ready to run if situation changes.
"Come and sit down Maya. You're the host. It would be rude of me to sit while you stand."
She shakes her head and widens her stance by the door. I sigh and take a seat.
"Don't make him bring you here, Maya."
She looks at Isaiah before she looks back at me and slowly comes to sit down.
"Now that you're seated, let us have a conversation."
"My wife came home shaken and tired and wouldn't talk to me. She said it was stress from work but I know her and I knew she was lying. I did a little digging and it led me to you. From her reaction and yours when you saw me, I can only assume that you spoke to her about me. Am I correct?"
She nods and I smile. "Good. Since for some reason my wife isn't talking to me about it, I want to hear it from you. What did you tell my wife?"
She doesn't say anything for a few seconds and just watches me with tears and anger in her eyes.
"My sister died." She starts. "She was one of the people kidnapped by Randall because of you. I just wanted to know how you could live with yourself knowing someone died because of you."
I nod slowly. She's hurting and needs someone to pour her anger on.
"How did you find out?"
"I couldn't accept what the police was telling us. They said it was a serial killer but I was pouring over the autopsy and it didn't make sense. The victims had nothing in common, he wasn't killing them the same, he was just killing. I had to find out for sure what happened so I got close to an officer who worked on the case and I found out everything."
She's scared. She thinks she's next but love for her sister doesn't let her back down. It's very admirable.
"I'm sorry that your sister died because of me. Nothing I say will bring you comfort. No reason I will give will make sense to you. That pain you feel? I won't promise it will get better. You'll always feel like a part of you is missing."
She breaks down and starts crying louder. I bring the box of tissue on her coffee table and give it to her. She takes it and takes a tissue and cries hard into it. She's brave and she'll come out of this stronger.
"The only thing I can promise is that when I get him, I won't kill him immediately until you get your pound of flesh. If you want it."
She stops crying and looks up at me. "What?"
"I'll get him and when I do, you'll get a call from me asking if you want to hurt him. You can choose to accept or reject the offer. It's your choice."
She stares at me, questions all over her face. She doesn't know what to make of this offer. I stand up and straighten my clothes.
"Next time you have a question about me, ask me and not my wife."
With that, I walk out of her apartment.
Sly calls on my way home and I answer.
"I'm back!" He screams into the phone.
I take the phone away from my ears until he stops his screaming.
"I figured." I say dryly.
"Yo, try to sound a little happy for me."
"What's this call about? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"
"I was. But the demons followed me home and they're making rest impossible. I'm inviting everybody to my place. There will be food and lots of alcohol. Come sober."
"Fine. I'll be there." I say and end the call.
I don't want to go but that's not a call you ignore. These missions do things to the mind. No matter how seasoned you are, something from the mission always follows you home and if not managed properly, could lead to drowning.
"Isaiah turn right at the next turn. We're not going home."
I send a text to Isabella so she doesn't worry if she wakes up and doesn't find me. The drive to Sly's is less tense. Isaiah must no longer be angry at what Damien did. Damien wanted to use the situation to score points but instead ruined a good thing he had going. In this business, you must be wise. Knowing when to use a situation to advance yourself is an advantage but for those who work closely to me, advancing yourself at the expense of your partner is how you get yourself kicked out.
He has so much to unlearn. I'll just have to sit back and find out if he has what it takes. Isaiah arrives at Sly's house and parks. Loud music from inside the house let's me know just how close to the button of the water Sly is. He's usually the life of the party but he never throws them.
"You can go home if you want to. I have no idea how long this will take. One of them will bring me home." I tell Isaiah.
"Nah. I'll wait."
His brows have a stubborn look to them and I shrug. It's his call. I take out cash from my wallet and give to him.
"Order something while you wait."
The door opens when I push it. Here we go. I walk into the living room and pause.
Sly has two thick strippers on him. He's hype and throwing shots back to back. Travis and Rogue are on the opposite couch watching likes it's a show.
"So no one thought to stop this shit show?" I ask and they turn to me.
"Hi." They both say at the same time.
"He has to work it off somehow." Rogue says.
I left my beautiful wife at home for this bullshit. I pick the remote from the coffee table and I turn down the music. The girls turn and that's when Sly sees me.
"I called you here to party not turn my music off."
"You called me here because you were crying for help." I turn to the ladies and point to the wad of cash on the table. "Take what he owes you and get the fuck out."
They look back to Sly who's glaring at me. "Now!" I roar and they scramble to get their clothes.
Sly starts crying when we hear the door click shut.
"I want to quit." He says amidst tears.
Shit.