Chapter 31

12:00 PM

Los Angeles

February

(TW: sexual harrassment)

"I got intel on Denise Villatoro, she's a badass, I'll say that", Parker told his friend in a teasing way.

"She told me about the incident, that was Vincent's cousin, Victor. You killed his cousin, and now Vincent has made a contract with EXCEED to capture those people involved with the incident. You and the Mancini brothers", Parker explained as he stared at him,"But now that they know you were involved in it, they're going after you. She also mentioned the money stolen by Marcello, who which he gave you the 29 million dollars".

"I mean now that they know, it's best to blackmail him in exchange for money", Parker advised him, Leon realized maybe he wasn't in big trouble at all, they were actually a step ahead of their own game.

"I forgot that was our next step...", Leon confessed as he reached out to call Marcello since they had canceled the meeting from before.

"Either way, you destroyed one of their most popular casino that they have in the US. That's their loss", Parker smiled faintly, he felt like he could trust his friend's word, he wouldn't get caught either way if they are ahead of them.

"He's not picking up", Leon said as his call went to voicemail, he'll have to call him later.

"We already have a few spies from EXCEED on my side, they really don't get paid enough, so bribing them works like a charm. I'll let you know for anything else", Parker turned his head to look down as he was also in deep thought of how would they get close to W.I.N.

"But Leon, here's the thing, how would we know if we're close to W.I.N or not?", Parker asked him, he was in concern all over again.

"You should know", his friend replied, his response wasn't helping him at all.

"I mean like, nobody fucking knows who he really is, like nobody knows where really lives and shit. How the fuck are we supposed to know when we can actually move on, what if he was living next door, but you don't know because you don't know his real identity?", Parker tried putting words together so Leon could understand, which he did.

"Well, you're not wrong...", Leon replied to him as he stared at him while clasping his hands together.

"Wait...you're telling me you don't know?", he was puzzled by his friend's unexpected silence for the moment, Leon sighed deeply.

"I do", he said, trying to convince him that he did have everything under control.

Parker turned his hea as rolled his eye before exhaling in annoyance, "Oh my fucking god...".

"This is why I was worried in the first place, you don't even know where you stand at", Parker told him, discontented.

"I do know, we're getting ahead", Leon continued being stubborn, his friend tried not to get mad at him again.

"But if you continue being like this, he's easily going to catch up, man. Use your mind for once", Parker said with a hint of ire.

"Fuck you, Parker. Why the fuck are you starting this shit again?", Leon knew he was mad at him for making him believe he didn't need help in anyway or that he was in danger. He was sure that he had the power to control everything in his way, he did, and the one who was not trusting his word was Parker.

"If you doubt me, say it", Leon felt ticked off, he leaned back in his chair. Parker furrowed his brows slightly as he was bothered.

"I never said I was doubting you, I don't fucking like it when you get too stubborn with your bullshit- fuck...I'm sorry", Parker immediately apologized as he was not trying to get his anger take control of his actions.

"What I'm saying is bullshit to you? Goddamn it, I don't understand why aren't you trusting me when I say that we're going to kill W.I.N, we are going to", Leon declared himself sternly, "Together".

"Huh...what?", Parker blurted out quietly, he felt so astonished to hear such words coming from someone who's paranoid at the ideal of trustworthiness.

"But you don't even trust me...", Parker replied, he knew he despite his cold, ignorant, and stubborn attitude, he didn't deserve him at all. He had done a number of mistakes throughout the years, and he had forgave every single of them, even if those mistakes had hurt him badly.

"You should grateful that I'm trying to", Leon confessed to him, his friend froze instantly.

"Leon, be serious with me. Can I trust you that you're going to be safe? Can you trust me to help you?", Parker asked, he saw his friend avert his gaze quietly for a moment before looking back at him.

"I can...", Leon said in a lower, quiet voice, he was slightly skeptical about whether he could believe in this man.

"I know you're not that confident about me, but thank you", Parker's hands reached out to touch his, holding his friend's hand, he lowered his head into a prayer position.

"Thank you", Parker lifted his head to look back up at him with gratitude.

"I trust you we'll beat him together", he said with a faint smile, "we will".

°~3:34 PM~°

After the entire ordeal, they both decided they were going to walk around with Zoey through the garden as a good amount of the plants in Leon's home had unfortunately perished during the cold winter.

"Dad, why do these flowers look so sad?", she entered one of the greenhouses and saw dead, dark red roses, the ends of their dried petals turning black.

"They're sad. They are going to grow back during the spring", Leon replied to her nicely, he glanced around the rest of the greenhouse, noticing more plants have decayed.

He walked during the cool afternoon with them peacefully, they finally get back after a while, Leon closed the gate before he gazed over at Zoey who grabbed a stick from the ground before launching it at Parker playfully.

Parker screamed, "Zoey! Stop it...".

His friend laughed hysterically along with his daughter, smiling towards each other frankly.

"I got you!", she exclaimed happily, Leon peeked over at his bodyguard for a bit before walking up towards them.

"Zoey, let's go", he said, they went inside as the cool weather was getting to him.

Parker decided to stay with his friend throughout the entire afternoon until they went to sleep at night.

°~12:13 AM~°

The cold breeze that drags all of the dirt off the streets, she drives off quietly in her vibrant red motorcycle. She drove her way as the moonlight peaks up above the dark, night sky.

She stopped behind an abandoned building before getting off to walk down across the street, three building down there was a certain place where she had decided to investigate the place where it was owned by a violent, alarming owner who seemed to corporate with the scheme of drug trafficking.

She entered inside while the bright neon lights flashed down around the dance floor, people dancing freely like wild animals.

She continued going her way into the place, she reached upstairs where the VIP lounge area was located on the second floor.

She glanced around to each room until she finally found the one that she's supposed to get in.

"Are you a guest?", a guard said as they were surrounding the entrance.

"I am", she replied to him while crossing her arms.

"Give me a name",  he demanded, suspiciously.

"Denise Villatoro", she told him as she glared at him sternly.

"Come in, boss. There's a guest coming in, Denise Villatoro...can you confirm? Yes? Alright", the guard looked at her up and down intensively.

"Go", the guard stepped away from the entrance to the side, opening the door while pointing towards it to go inside.

"Thank you", she said as she got in to look at the small secluded room with full of women in scandalous outfits, and a few men who seemed to enjoy all the "fun".

"Who are you?", an old man asked as his cracked, dry hands swiftly rubbed a young woman's thigh.

"I'm Denise Villatoro, coming from EXCEED to collect a package from you, 60 grand", she was profusely startled as the man wrapped his arm around the young lady who seemed to be visibly intoxicated, she didn't seem to mind that she was being touched inappropriately.

"Alright...let me go get it. Nathan, agarra el dinero para la chica", the man ordered someone to get the package she requested, his drunken, sloppy eyes scanned her up and down multiple times without shame, her discomfort strengthened.

"How about-...how about you take that coat off and let me see what you got covered there?", Denise frowned in disgust, the guy seemed to be out of his senses to ask her such a question.

"Excuse me?", she asked in astonishment, she stood serious with her arms crossed.

"You heard me, let me see you", he requested again.

"I'm only here for retrieve a package from my boss, please don't disrespect me like this", Denise tried to collect her thoughts together as she was at the verge of killing the man, he scoffed frankly before smirking in a sinister way.

"Which one?", the man asked, her eyes flew open since she was shocked that they somehow knew her side business of collecting intel for the other gangs...shit.

She reflexively charged for the door frantically, the man yelled at the guards to catch her.

"Get here and bring her back to me!", he screamed angrily, the guards followed her trail as she rapidly went down the stairs.

She ran through the hallway before reaching the exit door, people seemed to be concerned.

As they saw the guards pull out their weapons, everybody started to scream and panic, running away from them.

They started to shoot towards her, but miserably missed everytime.

She noticed the man who held the bag she needed was standing there, shocked.

"Give it to me- fuck!", she turned back at the guards before she instantly killed both of them in a blink of an eye.

"Give it to me!", she screamed at him furiously as she went over towards him, he also pulled his firearm before throwing the bag to the ground.

"Alright, alright...", he backed away from her as she grabbed it before running away again.

She ran past him before a white car started to chase her, she ran out to the middle of the streets, where she almost got hit by a car but luckily dodged it.

As she reached the other end to the sidewalk, she ran to the right where she left her motorcycle, as she ran down, out of nowhere, a man got off a unknown car before he knocked her out unconsciously with a harsh, violent punch straight towards her head.

She dropped the bag down as she fell down onto the concrete, fainting instantly on the spot.

"Llevala al hotel", he called out through the man's earbud, he unmuted himself before dragging her helpless body inside the vehicle.

"Si señor", the guy replied before getting inside the car, driving off completely.

The motorcycle sadly awaited for the owner to arrive as it was solemnly abandoned alongside the abandoned building.

°~1:41 AM~°

Parker slept in his friend's bed peacefully while lying on his side, with Leon sleeping beside him.

His phone suddenly rang out of nowhere in the middle of the night, which woke Parker immediately.

Frustrated, he turned himself around to reach his cellphone next to the side table.

"Hello?", he asked in a raspy voice while placing his cellphone over his ear.

"Mr.Klein, Denise has been captured by the Cordova cartel", he suddenly lifted himself into a sitting position in surprise.

"What?", he frowned in disbelief, his voice woke up his friend, Leon, as he turned his head while slowly opening his eyes to see him.

"What happened?", he asked, Parker moved his head over to his shoulder to gaze at him.

"Well then gear up, we're going after her. Send me the coordinates and I'll be there in about 35 minutes", Parker told the guy before ending the call, quickly changing himself into his work clothes.

"Parker, what happened?", his friend asks once more as he glanced at him in confusion.

"I got business to do, you sleep well, alright?", Leon suddenly got up before gazing at him.

"I'm going with you, you look like you seen a ghost, if something goes wrong, I'll help you-", Leon gets cut off by Parker who continued to be in a rush, "No, I'm fine. You go to sleep".

Leon quickly went towards his closet as he began to change himself into another pair of clothes.

"Leon, you're going to stay here", Parker told him sternly.

"You don't tell me what to do. I'm going with you, like it or not", Leon ignored his command, he constantly forgets how much of a nuisance his friend can be. 

"Leon, stay over here. You're already tied up, I can't have you get into more bullshit. Just go to sleep", Parker pleaded him as he put his shoes on before placing his gun on the back of his waistband.

"I'm going with you", Leon glared at him, Parker sighed in defeat.

"Fine...but if something happens, it's your fault", Parker remarked, they both got ready before walking out the door to do a rescue operation that would result in a risky situation...