Chapter 25 The Scorpio
ARLENE
With my dark shades on, I stepped out of the cab and paid the driver. My heart clenched when I spun around and faced the high school building that Adriana and I attended.
The building brought memories rushing into my mind and displayed before my eyes. We were young and free. Even though we weren't free to make our own decisions, we were free from the toxic and demanding society. We were free from scrutiny and making sacrifices to live.
I sucked in a deep breath and turned away from the building, heading to the bar the janitor wrote about.
That bar would bring more pain and guilt, but I didn't care. I was ready to face it all as long as I uncovered the mastermind behind my sister's planned murder.
I managed to keep my head down to avoid getting recognized by some of the Pack members that passed by until I reached the bar.
As I stood in front of the old wooden door of the century-old bar, my trembling hand reached for the bell hanging on the front door and rang it.
I stepped back when the shrill sound of the bell pierced the air, alerting the workers to a new customer.
The thick, dark aroma of black, unflavored coffee wafted from the open part of the windows, teasing my senses.
Those were the kind of coffees my brothers always had every morning back then, when I still lived in our manor.
I wondered if they still took the black bitter coffee every morning or if they had stopped. Ever since we held a mourning night for Adriana, I have never got to heard from them again.
A few months ago, they were so active in finding out how Adriana died, but finding out that their friend was dead as well, with no trace of who the culprit could be, they dropped their search.
“Hello!"
My head raised, and I returned to reality.
“Hello," I muttered and forced a smile on my face while pushing the shades up the bridge of my nose.
“Welcome to the century bar," the young girl standing by the door beamed and moved away from the door, waving her hand into the room.
I walked in and scanned the almost empty bar till my eyes fell on a man who had a hat over his head. I could tell from the weathered hand and hidden face that it was the janitor.
I increased my pace and walked to the table, then pulled out a chair and sat down with no announcement.
The man's hand stopped shaking, and he raised his head slowly, his eyes squinting in question and suspicion.
The emotions in his eyes faded when he realized who I was.
“My lady," he bowed.
“You're the janitor, right?" I asked, and he nodded.
I wasn't familiar with the janitor, and the only time I got to see him was when Adriana was around, probing into something.
“You and Adriana were definitely up to something back in high school, weren't you?" I asked.
The man chuckled, and he nodded.
“She was looking for them," he muttered and passed a card to me.
I took the card and stared at the words written on it.
“The Scorpio?"
I looked up, confused.
He nodded and sighed loudly.
“They were the ones who kidnapped your sister and other girls back then," he blurted out, and my heart clenched.
"So, Adriana was trying to find them?” I asked, and he nodded.
"She wanted to punish them for the innocent lives they had taken, but unfortunately, she didn't survive their evil,” he muttered. I gulped hard, trying so hard not to break at his words.
"How long have you known about them?” I asked.
"Five years,” he said.
My hand gripped my shirt as anger washed through me.
“You knew about this and kept quiet?!" I snapped and unintentionally smashed my fist on the table, gathering attention from the few people in the bar.
I turned around and apologized quietly before turning to face the old man.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell," I mumbled.
Silence reigned between us until I parted my lips to speak again.
"Why didn't you show this to my brothers? They would have saved Adriana from whatever this is,” I said, waving the card at him.
He looked up at me, his grey, sparkless eyes fixed on my grim face.
“There is no saving from them, my lady. These people are shadows, they are the walls that surround us, the air that floats around us. Telling your brothers will only make it worse. It will only bring more bloodshed. If these people are to be fought, they should be fought in secret, in shadows, by unknown people," he explained.
Chills washed over my body at his words, and I shuddered, swerving my head around as if I would confirm his words.
"I… can't seem to understand you," I whispered in a trembling voice.
The man placed his hand on the table and leaned forward, piercing me with his eyes.
“These people can not be tamed by the Lycan brothers. They are worse than evil. I spent 48 years searching for them before I could get their name,” he whispered, and my hand under the table froze.
"Why?"
He sighed and drew back, his eyes flashing. He looked away, his eyes fixed on the window as they wandered off.
“I had two daughters. Two angelic daughters whom I promised my wife to protect on her deathbed. At fifteen, my first daughter went missing and never returned, and after months of searching for her, the same happened to my second daughter. I was left alone, unable to fulfill the promise I made to my wife. Since I couldn't save my daughters, I will do my best to save the daughters of other men. I spent my entire life haunting those people until I found their name,” he said.
My throat knotted and tears gathered in my eyes as I let the silence dwell on our table again.
I dropped my head and bit my lips, trying so hard to stop the tears that were threatening to flow out.
“Your sister found out and confronted me. She offered to help me find these people, but after years of searching with her, I stumbled upon a clue that could lead to them, but…” he trailed off and looked at me.
The tears finally dropped at the realization of what the unsaid words were.
The night I betrayed her was the night they found a clue. She was gone before she could find out what the janitor had.
It was all my fault. Everything was my fault.
She wouldn't have died, and these people wouldn't still be existing if I had broken the bond between Miles and me.
“It's all my fault, everything is my fault," I whispered, crying silently.
“My lady, don't blame yourself. Everything happens for a reason," he said, but he couldn't pacify me with those words.
I was too guilty to receive any words of comfort. Our actions determine our future, and my foolish mistake that night brought death now.
“My lady, you need to pull yourself together," he whispered, squeezing my shoulder.
I stopped crying and wiped the tears on my face, then straightened up.
“How do I find this Scorpio?" I asked, and his eyes darkened.
“Well, I do have everything you need to know about them, but I didn't come with it," he muttered, and my heart skipped.
"We can go to your place and…" I stopped talking when my phone rang.
I pulled it out and felt my heart skip another beat when Miles’s name flashed across the screen.
“Hold on," I whispered and accepted the call.
“Hey…”
"Where are you?” His voice was dark and dripped with anger as always.
"I…"
“I want you home right now!" He snapped, and the line went dead.
I sighed and dropped my shoulders, staring at the man in silence.
“My lady?” He called, tilting his head to the side.
"I need to go,” I muttered and put on my shades, then got up.
"I will come back tomorrow to get the book,” I muttered and squeezed his hand, smiling warmly at him while battling with the tears in my eyes.
"I will be waiting, my lady,” he responded.
I bowed slightly and walked out of the bar.
The moment I stepped out, I pulled off the shades and began to wipe the tears that dropped from my eyes on my way out.
"Sister-in-law?” A familiar voice spoke up behind me, and I froze.