Chapter 669: Money Changes Everything

Mina could not sleep; her anxiety was too high to close her eyes and all she could think about was returning to President Lee. He had his flaws, but they were not as bad as she once believed. Real evil was the half-dressed man who was standing in front of her with a bottle of liquor and a gun to her face.

"How did you get in here?" He asked with a slur.

"Leal let me in." Mina pulled the sheet wrapped around her closer. She felt as though the sight of her torn shirt underneath would trigger Nael into throwing her off the ship as well.

"And he didn't tell me?"

"You were busy," Mina replied with a red face, and Nael smirked, taking a deep sip from the bottle before pressing his gun against her forehead.

"Busy?" Nael chuckled menacingly. "Is that why you are really here? Because you wanted to see if you could keep me busy too?" Mina shook her head vigorously and Nael laughed mockingly. "No need to worry, I wouldn't be able to get it up for you if you paid me." Those were comforting words for Mina, but she kept her facial expression neutral. "Why would my brother put you in here?" Nael questioned skeptically.

"Someone tried to kill me," Mina replied. She flinched as the man threw down the bottle in his hands and roughly pinched her jaw. She was glad that she always kept bandages wrapped around her face because their proximity would have already given her away.

"Who?" the man growled. Once Mina told him, his eyes went wide and she thought that would be the end of things, but the man pulled her to her feet.

"If I find out that you are…"

"Sh*t Nael; what the f*ck?" Mina had never been more relieved to see Leal, who was carrying a bag in his hands. He tossed it at her feet as he explained the situation to his brother, who just stared at her. "That belongs to you," Leal said, but Mina shook her head.

Nael sighed in annoyance, then ordered her to open the bag. Mina did so in haste, and when she saw what was inside, she looked up at the two men in confusion. Leal explained to her that she acted in self-defense, so the belongings of the man she killed were now hers. She did not want any of it, but she could see why the men in front of her thought it was normal; they did not dock very often.

"I'll advise you to wash it first," Mina nodded slowly, and Leal nudged his brother, who shrugged before picking up his liquor bottle, grumbling about the waste.

"Sorry about that. I didn't get to tell him that you were in here." Mina could not speak, and Leal looked at her with pity. "You don't belong here," he said, casting her a glance that she knew meant she would not survive. "I will talk to my brother about letting you stay in this room until we find a place to settle you, but he won't unless it's worth his while."

"I can clean," Mina offered. That was not what Leal meant, but still, he nodded.

"That's a start, and you'll need to be more careful from now on. The man you killed had friends." Mina felt her lip begin to quiver, but she was startled out of her need to cry by Nael's voice.

"You'll need a gun." Leal pointed at his brother as if the man had just suggested something normal, but Mina could see the wisdom in it.

"I never used a gu-"

"What kind of people are Mills hanging around?" Nael interrupted in annoyance. "How soft has she gotten?"

"I told you," Mina whispered. "She dealt with guns and I-"

"Worked with numbers, I know. Speaking of numbers; show me my money."

Mina stood and made her way to where the laptop was now permanently stationed. After finding out that his last accountant pocketed nearly sixty percent of all the money Nael gave him access to, the man was less trusting and insisted on watching her work. She showed him the e-trader account she had set up in his name and he practically pushed her out of the way so he could sit in front of the device as she stood behind him.

"Is this real?" he asked. Nael had given Mina access to the same account he had given his previous accountant access to, but in a short amount of time, she had already tripled the money he allowed her to use.

"I can do more with more resources. When we stop, you can deposit the cash I gave you for helping me." Mina wanted to remind the man that she was paying him for safety without actually saying it, but the way he smiled at her let her know that he caught her gentle reminder.

"Show me Leal's growth." Mina looked over to Leal who nodded in approval, making Nael chuckle. "He's my brother," Nael said, and Mina shrugged.

"My sister tried to steal my college savings when we were teens; Money changes everything." Mina had never uttered a bad word about Sadie to anyone, and she felt guilty for using her as an example, but it was the truth.

"Wise words little girl." Mina raised an eyebrow, suddenly thinking that both men probably thought she was a child. She decided not to correct them unless directly asked, and as if on cue, Leal sprang the question on her. "I am twenty-three." Mina considered lying, but she had enough to lie about, so she chose to tell the truth where she could.

"Young," Nael commented. "I'm twenty-nine." The man stood and gestured for Mina to take his place. "Now, show me Leal's account." Mina switched users, and became panic stricken when she saw the account value had skyrocketed. "Why does he have more than me?" Nael asked in mock indignation. "He points his gun at you as much as I do." Mina glared at the man who chuckled. "Just explain it," he said, so she did.

"Then shouldn't I sell?" Leal asked, genuinely interested in what the woman was saying. The way she spoke was simple enough for him to understand, so he knew that the numbers he was seeing would only be made available to him if he released his stock.

Mina pulled up another website and showed the men a graph that they just scratched their head at. She knew it was getting close to the point that they could no longer comprehend her explanation, but they still nodded along. She continued to explain until Nael walked away, and while she did not mean to, she found herself chuckling at the man.

"F*ck you," he shouted over his shoulder, and Mina sank down into the chair. She looked up to see that Leal was staring at her and started to feel uncomfortable again.

"Ami... you aren't going to hurt us, are you?" There was a tiny hint of worry in Leal's tone, and Mina mistook it for him being concerned about her hiding things from them.

"Not if I don't have a reason," she admitted, and the man nodded at her.

"Good. Nael and I will take you to a shooting range after we dock."

----

Like everyone else, Mina waited at the docking bridge, eager to buy things for her general upkeep. She had truly come empty handed, but as a woman, there were things she would eventually need, not to mention clothing, soap, and gallons of water so she would not have to lug buckets up from the kitchen all the time. Nael and Leal were standing next to her, and while Mina had assumed that was normal, the looks she was getting told her it was anything but.

"Remember, stay close to us." Mina nodded and Leal handed her a knife.

"You may need that." Mina could not understand what the men were worried about, but they clearly had a reason for giving her a weapon, so she took it.

The ship lurched as it approached a giant metal structure that Mina recognized as a sea harbor. That meant that they would have to ferry to the island, but Nael did not seem to be in a rush, so neither was she. With all the levers and ties in place, Mina watched as a skinny man made his way onto the deck, flashing a toothy smile that Mina had subconsciously associated with unfriendly people. She involuntarily took a step back but Nael, placed a hand on her lower back and whispered into her ear.

"He looks slimy, but he is harmless. He speaks two languages, his own, and money." Mina nodded, and Nael slightly pushed her toward his brother, who stepped close enough for her to be semi shielded from view.

The men traded pleasantries, and in their handshake, Mina could see money being exchanged. She made sure to avert her eyes to avoid having the man question who she was, but her attempts were in vain. The skinny man asked Leal if she was a pet or a slave, and she shivered at the description of herself. Leal did not answer, and the man held up his hands, once again smiling in a way that Mina found unnerving.

"How long have you been at sea?" the man asked, but when he was met with silence, he rephrased his statement. "She must have been huge before she boarded." Mina was about to panic but Leal stood in front of her, shielding her completely from the man's view.

"Are you saying that we starve our crew?" Nael was at first suspicious of his brother's actions, but after he thought about it, that was exactly what the harbor master had implied.

"I hope you aren't telling other people those lies," Nael said. "It would be a shame if we stopped coming around. How would you survive?" The skinny man paled, but he was saved by another man who shouted that the ferry had arrived.

Nael started to walk toward the docking bridge, and Leal grabbed Mina's wrist and dragged her behind him. He gave her a look that said she needed to find a way to 'lose weight,' and she nodded at his unspoken warning. The ferry ride was brief, and Mina felt strange when her legs touched solid land again. She found herself tapping her foot on the pavement, making Nael chuckle.

"Where do you want to go first?" the man asked, and Mina furrowed her brow at him.

"Me?" she questioned, but the man just stared at her as if she were an idiot. He had clearly been talking to her, and when Mina looked to Leal for guidance, he just made the 'hurry up' gesture.

"I could use new clothes, and bedding, and…" Mina went on and on and Nael rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm.

"You got the money for all that? Fuel isn't cheap, and I'm not buying sh*t." Mina nodded enthusiastically, and Nael rubbed his fingers together. She quickly shrugged off her backpack and pulled out a wad of cash to give to the man.

"The f*ck? Ami… You can't just-" Nael quickly pushed the woman's hand back down into her backpack and caught a glimpse inside as he did. "You carry that much cash with you?" he questioned. He knew the woman had money with her, but he did not remember it being so much. "Is this the money you boarded with?"

"I split it up, so it looks like more," Mina lied. She glanced at Leal who was rubbing his forehead in what she could only describe as irritation. She had almost been outed twice now, once by the skinny man and once by her very own stupidity.

"Don't let anyone else see that." Nael warned. "Also, I may need to borrow."

"Sure," Mina replied.