Chapter 21

Isabella wants to make sure you never ascend to that position. Her chilling voice replayed those damn words in my head once again, without any warning whatsoever causing my throat to dry up. Her voice was clear enough to make me turn around and look over my shoulder expecting to see her while knowing fully well she was not walking behind me down the school corridor.

A hand came down on my shoulder as soon as I turn forward again and I flinched.

"This is becoming a fucking habit. Do you know how many times you have jumped out of your skin today?" Robin's concerned voice reached my ears.

"Don't you have class?" I countered.

"I do. Don't change the topic Vampire" I smiled at the nickname I earned because two of my teeth happened to be a little pointed than it should have been.

Birdie narrowed her pretty eyes at me in warning, "why are you so jumpy?"

"It's nothing"

"It's not nothing, why wouldn't you tell me for fuck's sake? I am your best friend or has that changed?"

Guilt clawed at my already dry throat making it harder to breathe. Seeing how much I was hurting her displayed on her face and hearing the littlest hint of fear through the cracks of her voice was driving a fist into my gut.

"Of course we are still best friends" I began, "that would never change. I just can't tell you" I murmured then sighed.

"Can't or won't?" her glare hardened.

"Robin, please"

"No George. Clearly something has gotten into you and I just want my best friend back"

I decided to tell her, there was no point hiding it when all it would do would put a strain on our friendship.

"Apparently my grandfather sent someone to me. Someone who claims they met before they died and they claim to know who assassinated him"

The moment I finished speaking the bell rang signaling we needed to get to class before we were late.

"See you after class" I said with a forced smile and all she could do was nod at me.

I couldn't blame her for being stunned into silence. She knew how badly I wanted to find his killer, and after all these years of pain for not knowing who it was, someone who has always known pops up like a Jack-in-the-box claiming to have the answer to the question, and conveniently refuses to tell?

Coincidence? I think not.

I squared my shoulders and my resolve strengthened. Egypt was just trying to get to me. Full stop. So she and her information can burn in hell.

***

I stood in front of Matteo and Hilary with my hands held firmly behind my back.

"So you are refusing to tell me what you and Callum's Card talked about" Matteo said.

"I am not refusing; I am now asking for your understanding" I replied.

"My understanding towards what exactly?"

"Towards the fact that I can't tell you what I discussed with Egypt"

Matteo turned visibly angry and I prayed he would let me off soon so I could go home. It had been a long day. It was annoying enough that I was running into numerous dead ends in my investigations of my Grandfather's death, I just wanted to go home and rest my sore body.

Hillary took a long unblinking look at me then asked me to go.

Matteo stood up from his chair, livid.

"Hillary there is a limit to what I can tolerate, even if it is from you. You can't dismiss someone I'm talking to"

Hillary stood up as well equally angry, "you need to stop acting like a paranoid fool, Matteo. Honest to God, Martin is supposed to be ancient news by now but you keep trying to summon the devil for no fucking reason"

"I think you should leave" one of the higher ranked gang member whispered to me from where she was standing at the entrance and she didn't need to tell me twice because I complied immediately.

It looked like Matteo and Hillary were about to have a fist fight. Matteo for some reason was still hung up on Egypt (or Martin, whichever you prefer) and from the conversation I just witnessed, Hillary was tired of it.

"Oh forgive me for wanting to protect our family Hillary"

"You suspecting a newcomer instead of making her feel comfortable is the fucking opposite of what a family should be doing!"

"If you swear at me one more fucking time, you and I are going to be having a serious fucking problem"

I shut the door muffling the rest of their conversation then I went to meet Lancaster who was in charge of the messengers like me, and I got a parcel with an instruction to deliver it in the next town within two hours. Since I still haven't gotten the motorcycle I planned to get a while ago, I called an Uber to a different street and waited for it to arrive.

I really was exhausted but not delivering was out of the options, aside the exhaustion, I was bored out of my mind and this led me to wonder what Tobias was up to.

Yes, I know. It was a very random thought about someone I don't talk to.

Should I call him and ask? It could be weird; I shouldn't do it but guess what I did.

Yes. I dialed his number for no reason on my way to make a delivery and when he picked, I hung up unbelievably nervous.

Why the fuck did I just do that? How was I supposed to face him tomorrow? Have I gone mad?

I almost jumped out of my skin when my phone chimed in my hands, it was a text message to notify me that my Uber had arrived. The vehicle slowed down in front of me and when it stopped a few steps away, I checked the plate number then I climbed in.

* * *

Thankfully during the journey, the Uber driver didn't try to start a conversation with me after he confirmed that he picked up the correct customer. I was able to enjoy absolute silence because the driver didn't speak or turn on the radio or anything like that.

I almost dozed off in the vehicle but my phone going off for the second time got my eyes wide open. It was Robin calling.