Chapter 19

GEORGE

I got attacked as soon as I came out of the ferry. I managed to fight off all three of them enough to escape but not unscathed; I got my ribs cracked and a very nasty bruise had begun to form on my right side, it was a little hard breathe.

"You look like shit" the doorman greeted when he opened the door for me.

"I wouldn't be saying that if I were you mate, you look even worse" I tell him with a sweet smile.

There was no bad blood between us but we weren't buddies. When I walked into the boss' office, he wasn't alone. Matteo was seated behind his desk, and Hillary on the arm chair in front of the desk but the man seated on the couch caught my attention and my heart almost stopped.

It was Callum Martin.

I wouldn't have known who he was if not for the picture Hillary had shown me weeks after we had his precious bodyguard/adopted daughter kidnapped. I looked around for Egypt before I realized what I was doing but my mind settled a bit when I didn't see her.

"Are you alright child? You look a little banged up" Hillary inquired and Callum Martin just watched like he was waiting for my response.

"I got ambushed"

"By?" Matteo asked.

"I don't know. They had matching tattoos on their right ring fingers, it looked like a compass" I reply. My legs started becoming too heavy to carry me so I sat down at the other end of the couch Callum was seated on.

"Those clowns are still around?" came Callum's voice.

Matteo nodded then gestured to me to come closer. I stood up and dropped the box that got me beaten up on his table then retreated to stand at the door.

"I sincerely apologize for my actions towards your daughter. It was irrational of me"

"Sincerely my ass, and why are you apologizing to me?" Callum laughed heartily then looked in my direction, "Taiga?"

I felt confused but my confusion was soon replaced by the sensation of my skin crawling when I heard a cold voice say-

"Move kid"

I flinched out of the way. The man was well built and fairly tall, dressed formally in a navy blue three piece suit, he had an earpiece in his ear and wore dark yellow contacts with pupils like that of a snake. No matter how realistic they looked, there was no way that was his real eye colour.

And fucking hell, Egypt was right, he did move very quietly. I still wasn't hearing his footsteps as he walked towards Callum.

"Open that" the man seated instructed Taiga.

"Yes sir"

"Wait" Matteo covered the box with his hand then looked up at me

"You can go Runner, and see a doctor" he said with a wave of the hand.

"What's your name?" Callum question stopped me before I took a step.

"I'm afraid, I cannot disclose that information" I replied as politely as I could manage because I was at the verge of cussing him out for delaying me. I was unbelievably exhausted and in pain.

The man laughed again. This his happy person personality contrasted the person I heard on the phone greatly.

"But that information is already disclosed"

"What did you just say?" my voice lowered. My insides began to twist.

"Go speak with my spawn from hell in the lounge" out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Matteo and Hillary exchange surprised looks but I didn't dare react.

Not with Callum staring at me like he was about to dissect me.

"I know she said she was going to kill you but that is just something she says to everyone; just like saying good morning, so long as you are polite, you might get the answers you want about the General and keep your life"

***

Walking to the lounge felt like an out of body experience, it even felt like I was going to my execution site. What does that woman know about my grandfather talk more of his death? Does she know the bastard responsible? Was she the one responsible?

I opened the door to the lounge and did my best to observe her. I saw her back first and she was dressed exactly like the first time I ever saw her; white dress shirt, black slacks, and black sneakers, but this time she had the vest of her three piece suit on, the same white earpiece Taiga had in his ear that was curled and disappeared into the collar of his shirt but she had an airpod in the other ear, a gun holster secured across her shoulders and chest, one strapped to her thigh making it two guns in total, a knife held in place at her back to her belt and a bandana on her head.

She was looking out the window at the oblivious people hurrying back home to their families or to get some rest for the day with a black cigarette hanging from her fingers, the other deep in her pocket.

"Have a seat Georgia Black" she rasped then cleared her throat, "we have something to discuss"