Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Gwendolyn
When I woke late after sleeping through my many alarms, I cringed and grabbed my phone to apologize for missing lunch.
Instead, I found a text from Felix saying dinner was booked at his favorite all-you-can-eat restaurant.
They’d meet me there because Greg had promised to take them to the movies that afternoon.
Another message followed, telling me he’d contacted Anastasia for me and that she’d join us.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I grinned at the ceiling.
Greg was the bomb for organizing the movies to treat my siblings and for letting me sleep longer.
I had an hour to get ready and make it there.
I kicked the blankets off and went to my en suite.
To be honest, I stayed up a bit later after my phone call with Malice.
I sneakily had a look into the kidnapped people Blaze wanted information on.
He didn’t need to know if I was doing a little digging in the background.
Then, if I found anything, like who was behind it or any dirt, I’d put a file together and send it to him.
I was sure he’d be happy I helped, eventually.
By the time I showered and dried my wild, curly red locks, I had about ten minutes to get there. Luckily, it wasn’t far.
When I walked into the restaurant, I spotted my family right away.
Felix was talking animatedly, while Stasia, Amelia, and Greg listened with smiles on their faces.
At the table, I leaned down and kissed Felix’s cheek. He groaned and scrubbed at his face. Laughing, I moved on to Amelia, who tipped her cheek up to me. So did Greg and Stasia.
“How’d the game go?” I asked.
“We won,” Felix cried.
“Yay. Congratulations, bro. I’m so proud of you.” I clapped.
“How was work?” Greg asked.
“Good. I got what I needed done and then some. Thanks for taking the kids to the movies.”
Felix snorted. “When will you stop calling us kids?”
I grinned. “Never.” To me they would always be babies. My babies. But they’d kill me if I ever called them that.
Greg shrugged and waved me off. “It was really me who wanted to see it.”
Amelia leaned forward. “Can we eat now?”
I picked up my plate. “Let’s do it.” We went over to the buffet and grabbed what we wanted. I decided on pasta and pizza. Later, I’d go back for seconds, if not dessert, at least.
I made it to the table at the same time Stasia did. “Two months, girl.”
She smiled widely. “Hell yes, bitch. I’m looking forward to it. A drunk weekend away is exactly what I need.”
Tipping my glass of cola her way, I said, “Way overdue, I say.”
The past few months had been hard on her—not that she’d show it to anyone else but me—so I wanted to make sure we had a blast while away. Talking about the trip reminded me that I’d have to tell Malice about being away. But first, I needed to work out if his offer was what I wanted.
“Looking forward to what?” Greg asked as he and the kids sat back down with their own plates piled high.
“When we go to Vegas for Stasia’s birthday.” I stilled for a second. “You do remember, right?”
I prayed he did because he’d been willing to have the kids stay with him.
He chuckled. “Relax. Your girls’ long-weekend celebration is still a go.”
I smirked. “Maybe I shouldn’t go. The brats might miss me too much.”
I counted to four before Amelia snorted and then said, “You’ll only be five and a half hours away, and it’s for four days. I think we can contain how much we’ll miss you.”
I tapped my chin. “I don’t know.”
Felix huffed. “Like you’d want to miss out on a chance to hook up—”
I gasped. “Felix.”
“Sis, I’m seventeen, not seven. I know what people get up to.”
“Firstly, you only just turned seventeen, and secondly, we don’t need to talk about this stuff in front of Amelia and Greg.”
“I know about sex and dating,” Amelia said, blushing before she ducked her head and shoveled more food into her mouth.
“And I have my ladies I regularly visit for—”
Slapping my hands over my ears, I sang, “La-la-la.”
Everyone laughed.
“But, Gwen,” Greg said when I dropped my hands to grab my fork again, “I was thinking I could stay at your place instead. Saves Felix and Amelia missing their things.”
“God forbid they’re away from their gaming systems for a whole weekend.”
“I think it’s a good idea Greg stays at our house,” Felix said around a mouthful of food.
Rolling my eyes, I pointed my fork at him. “Of course you do.”
Greg nodded. “Honestly, they have more things to bring over to my place than what I would to come to yours. All I need is a television and my morning paper to stay happy.”
“As long as you’re sure and we’re not putting you out.”
He smiled softly. “Never, my dear.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
He waved me off as Felix pulled Stasia into a conversation about basketball.
Amelia leaned close and whispered, “Felix has a girlfriend.”
He cut off talking and gasped before snapping, “Amelia, what the fuck?”
“Language,” I clipped. I took a breath, scooped up some pasta, then asked, “Is there a reason you haven’t told me?”
He shrugged. “We went official at the game. I wouldn’t have said anything yet, since it’s new, but Miss Nosy overheard us talking.”
He hadn’t even told me he’d been speaking with someone.
I could have seen it for myself if I’d been at the game, but I was always locked away on my computer and missing out on things with my siblings.
My stomach twisted as guilt flared inside me.
I needed to slow down on work and not fear that somehow we could go bankrupt and be desperate like our parents had been.
With the job Malice offered, I could still have an income but more freedom to spend time with my family.
I hated how I missed things like this. And it wasn’t only Felix keeping quiet about his relationship. I’d missed most of his games. I’d missed Amelia’s dance rehearsals and some of her concerts. There was so much I hadn’t seen for myself. I now realized I had the chance to change that.
Then again, would I be throwing my family into more danger once I was fully employed by Malice?
He’d been lenient to allow me to pick and choose the jobs I’d want to take on, but if I accepted to be exclusively his “computer genius,” I could get noticed more by the wrong type of people.
Although, that could happen no matter where or who I worked with.
Maybe I just needed to make sure I could leave this position at any time I wanted. No questions asked. Then, if things got dicey, I’d back out and cover my tracks completely.
Malice didn’t even know my personal number or where I lived, so I was sure that if anyone was after him, they wouldn’t find me.
At least I was nearly 100 percent sure.
Should I take the chance that this job could benefit our family?
Felix rubbed his eye under his glasses and groaned. “Now look what you’ve done, Amelia. Gwen’s stressing over something.” He leaned closer to the table. “I just wanted to be sure about her before I told you anything.”
“Do you feel you can’t share these things with me, though? Even at the talking stage? Have I made you think—”
“No. Shit. You’re cool.” With his fork, he moved his food around on his plate. “I get awkward, okay. This shit is new for me, and what Amelia heard wasn’t everything.”
Shaking my head, I quickly said, “Don’t feel you have to share if you don’t want to, Felix. I never want to force you into saying anything you don’t want to. Hell, I keep tons of stuff from you guys. I can’t demand things from you when I can’t do them myself. Sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“I’m gay.”
Oh wow, he just blurted that out.
He’d just shared something important.
Go, Felix.
Focus, Gwen.
“The girl I was talking to is a good friend who suggested we fake date to keep other douchey guys off my back while I try to get another guy to notice me.”
“You don’t need a beard, Felix. If this guy doesn’t see how awesome you are, then fuck him and fuck anyone who says shit to you if they find out. I know people. I can get anyone taken care of.”
Jesus, now I sounded like someone in the mafia.
But it was true. I’d have the bullies dealt with if anyone messed with my kids.
Amelia gave me a sweet smile before she reached over and took my hand. “Aww, it’s so sweet you’d have people killed for us.”
She may be joking, but the thing was, I really would.
No one hurt my family.
Clearing my throat, I smiled and nodded once. “Tortured too. Depends on what they did.”
Felix chuckled. “Thanks, sis. I’ll see how the fake dating goes, but when she offered, I jumped at the chance, since it’s her brother that I… have a crush on.” He rushed out the last part.
Greg hummed as he picked up his drink, then tipped it Felix’s way. “Smart. Then you get to spend time at their place where you’ll find out more information about your crush.”
Felix shrugged. “I hope.”
“Does she know it’s her brother you like?” Stasia asked.
“Yeah.”
“Wouldn’t fake dating risk him thinking you wouldn’t be into anyone else?” Amelia commented.
Felix stilled. “Dammit.” He groaned. “I’ve got to text her.”
I nodded. “Do it, and then just be study buddies so you can still drop in at their place to see him. Do you know his sexuality?”
He blushed. “He’s gay.” He ducked his head as his fingers flew over his phone screen.
Pride swept through me over Felix opening up.
My brother let out a long sigh. “She hasn’t said anything to anyone. She thinks it’s a good idea to study together instead.” He grinned over at me. “Thanks for the idea.”
“See, talking does help,” Amelia said.
“Shut it, brat… but I guess you’re right.”
“Speaking of talking, I’m going to cut back on jobs and only work for one person. He’s offered me a deal I can’t pass on, since it’ll free up more time for me to spend with you all.”
Amelia clapped. “I love this idea.”
“Sounds great, but… just don’t hover too much.” His cheeky grin told me he was joking. He liked the idea of me being around more.
Greg gave me a warm smile. “It’s a brilliant idea.”
I quickly told him, “But that doesn’t mean you get out of spending time with us. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you’re stuck with us, Greg. You and Stasia don’t have a choice about being part of our family. We’re all in your life forever.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Greg said.
Stasia nodded. “Me neither.”
Now all I had to do was confirm Malice would accept my stipulations.
Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything to my family before I confirmed things with him. Oh well, I guess I’ll soon find out.
Back in my office, I stared at the non-traceable phone and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t say no to what I wanted. I had mad skills, and he liked what I could do for him.
I picked up the phone and pressed his number in the contacts.
After two rings, he answered, “Speak.”
“Hey, boss man.”
“Is this you accepting my offer?”
“Well, I might if you can promise my identity will remain anonymous within your people. Except your two friends Torment and Reaper. And before you ask, I know them because I do my homework like a good girl and look into the people I’m going to work with.
Which is why I know they’re your right-hand men who you trust, or they wouldn’t have their positions. ”
He huffed.
And I went on with what I needed most from him. “But I also want an out card.”
“Meaning?”
“If at any time I say I don’t want to work for you anymore, you’ll accept it and no longer contact me.” If things got too dark, I needed this easy escape from his world for the safety of my family.
Silence met me on the other end.
When he didn’t say anything for so long, I called, “Malice?”
“If you think of leaving, I want to know what caused the choice. Don’t walk away from your job if things can be changed, yes?”
“As long as you agree to letting me walk if I wish to.”
“I’ll allow it, Gwen. Do you have an email address? I’ll have one of my assistants send you a contract.”
“Will my name be on it?”
“Yes.”
“Do you trust your assistants?”
“They know that if they fuck me over, I’ll end them, so yes, I trust they fear me enough to not share your details.”
“Still, can you send it yourself?”
There was a sigh. “Yes, Gwendolyn.”
“Thank you. I’ll text you an email address. Oh, I wanted to ask how your men got on with finding those guys?”
“Unfortunately, they slipped through their fingers, but they’re on the hunt now, and I have no doubt they’ll find them.”
“I can help if they need it.”
“I’ll contact you if it goes on too much longer.”
“Cool, cool. So…,” I drew out, my mind blanking on what to say next.
“It’s late, doll. I’m going to sleep while no one is hounding me.”
Of course, even the Devil needed a nap. “Yeah, no problem. Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
Dear God, abort, abort, abort.
I ended the call on his laugh, resting back against the chair, groaning.
Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite?
You fucking idiot.
I seriously just said that to the mafia boss. My new boss. My pulse raced as I wondered what type of jobs he’d get me to do.