Chapter Twenty-One #2
Grey Eyes’ grandfather stands in just his underwear in the middle of a messy living room.
The room is decorated in broken picture frames, glass, water, discarded couch cushions, and so much more.
Sweat and blood cover the man’s body and I look up at his fingernails and discover they’re missing and his fingers are drenched in blood, fresh blood oozing out where his nails should be with each passing second.
He even looks like he has fresh burn marks on his skin.
Grey Eyes gasps as he watches the video.
Some of Jamie’s men move around in the background and you can hear shit breaking.
“Let’s call your grandson and see where he’s at.” Jamie says.
His voice alone grinds my gears, ruffles the feathers of my dark angel’s wings. I want to kill this bastard with my bare fucking hands! The sound of a phone dialing sounds before voicemail picks up.
Jamie comes into the view of the camera and hangs up. He tsks like the situation is unfortunate.
“You know, your grandson is a smart young man, good at school, takes care of himself, living his best life... or he was until he started hanging out with someone he shouldn’t.
” Jamie says. “In fact he’s hanging out with an enemy of mine and now he’s my enemy which means he must suffer.
He’s currently hiding with that wimps family and they can’t be traced so you’ll be their wake-up call. ”
Jamie holds out a hand and someone places a lighter in his hand as another man gags Grey Eyes’ grandfather.
Jamie walks up to the restrained man and flicks the lighter, on and off, on and off, before bringing the flame to the man’s nipple.
He begins to whine and buck against his restraints, drops of blood flying everywhere with his movements.
Grey Eyes trembles in my lap and I wrap my arms around him, kissing the back of his neck in an attempt to ground him.
Tears cascade down his cheeks and into his lap as he watches his grandfather get tortured.
In the video gasoline is thrown on the man and Jamie laughs as if he’s watching a comedy show. I clench my jaw as he comes to the camera.
“Hey, Harshal—that is your name right, Harshal Bolaji—tell your boyfriend that this is only the beginning of my revenge for what his family did to me and my family.” Jamie speaks into the camera.
“You should have stayed away from that grey bastard of yours because your grandfather wouldn’t be. .. hold on.”
Jamie lights the lighter and throws it on the man. His body instantly goes up in flames. He whines and screams behind his gag and Grey Eyes shakes his head as a man walks up behind his grandfather and slices the mans throat as his body burns.
“Burning.” Jamie continues, his smile wicked. “I’d send you the ashes but... I don’t know where you are. Come out of your hiding place and I’ll be sure to get them to you.”
Jamie winks before the video stops. A wail escapes Grey Eyes’ lips and I just hold him tighter.
I know what it’s like to lose a person in your family.
Someone you loved... I loved my brother before he died and the young boy in me misses him with each year that passes.
Sometimes I actually believe the words my parents told me about him dying.
That it was my fault he starved to death and that I didn’t do enough.
“He... was the... o-o-on-only family I-h-had.” Grey Eyes cries.
Dad places a hand on Grey Eyes’ shoulder and squeezes.
“We’ll avenge your grandfather, I promise.” Dad says. “Or if we don’t, we’ll die trying.”
“Yeah, there’s no die trying, Jamie is as good as dead.” I growl.
“I’m so sorry.” Frani says, tears in her eyes.
“Yeah, me too.” Halah adds, with a tear-streaked face. “This world we live in is dark and cruel and that’s just the way life is, but it gets better.”
“Jamie was going to send this to you but never did, I don’t know why but I thought you should know about your grandfather.”
Grey Eyes sobs in my arms before he starts to cough. I pat his back and rub it, trying to soothe him.
“Hush, baby.” I say, trying to hold in my rage. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”
“I do have a question though.” Julian says, turning his computer back to himself. “Why is his phone untraceable?”
He does some tapping on the keyboard before adding,
“In fact all of your phones are untraceable and yet you have them here in hiding with them on and undestroyed.”
“I have a system hooked up that forbids all electronical devices including cars from being traced, with or without permission.” Dad supplies. “So even your computer is untraceable at the moment. It also blocks all calls except for those you have in your emergency list.”
“Nice, I might have to invest in some tech like that.” Julian says.
“Where is this motherfucker now?” Fritzi asks.
“As of right now I don’t know, he’s good at hiding but no one is invincible.” Julian says. “I’ll find him, last I was able to trace him was a private airport in Nigeria.”
“Alright, anything else on him?” Dad asks.
Grey Eyes abruptly gets off my lap and walks out the cabin. I look at Dad and then at the door Grey Eyes left out of.
“Go.” Dad says. “He shouldn’t be alone right now.”
My thought exactly! Getting up I follow him out the front door. He’s sitting on my bike, crying. I walk up to him and rub his back, my heart breaking for him.
“Let it out.” I say.
“He was all the family I had.” Grey Eyes sobs. “My mother is dead, my dad is in jail and shouldn’t be around me, and now my grandfather is dead too.”
I’d say I know how it feels to lose a family member, but I don’t think it’s fair to downplay his grief.
“Why must the world take away those closest to me?!” he cries.
I look at my motorcycle and kneel so I’m face to face with him.
“Want another ride on the bike?” I ask.
He sniffles as he looks at me. I can tell he’s contemplating his answer to my question.
“We don—”
“Don’t worry about anything, just answer the question.” I state. “I can fill in the holes that need to be filled when we get there.”
A few seconds pass before he eventually nods and whispers,
“Please.”
“Okay, I’ll go get our helmets and my keys and we’ll be on our way.”
***
After watching Grey Eyes for a while I’ve picked up on more than a few facts about him.
Things like he’s been wanting to be a nurse since he was eight years old due to his grandmother being a nurse, his favorite color is gold while his favorite food is an African dish known as Jollof Rice, he especially loved it when his grandfather cooked it.
I also know he sometimes falls asleep listening to waterfall sounds which is why we’re on our way to a waterfall nearby-ish with the Jollof Rice on board.
Said waterfall is about a two-hour drive but it’s a drive well worth it.
“Where are we going?” Grey Eyes asks. “The smell of the rice is getting to me and it makes me want to bite you.”
I chuckle.
“Then bite me.” I say. “If you can through the helmet, I don’t mind a little rough play.”
He smacks my back and I arch it to ease the sting.
“Hey, don’t do that or we’ll crash.” I smile.
I feel him adjust the backpack he’s wear that holds our food and other stuff as he says,
“Dick.”
“If I remember correctly, you love my dick.” I say, glancing over my shoulder to take a peek at him.
He shakes his head and I just know he’s rolling his eyes.
“Just sit back and ride, we’re almost there.” I state.
For the rest of our journey he stays quiet, inhaling our surroundings as I mold myself to the bike and maneuver through the roads. When the waterfall comes into view he gasps.
“Oh wow.” He mutters.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” I ask.
“Gorgeous.” He says.
The waterfall is in a park so I pay the fee to enter and park my bike. Helping Grey Eyes off the bike we walk towards the waterfall our helmets dangling from my fingers. Grey Eyes just stares at the waterfall as we approach and I chuckle.
“Is the water cold?” he asks.
“Why don’t you go and see for yourself?” I ask, sliding the backpack off his back.
Once he’s free he walks over to the lake the water is being distributed in and lets his fingertips take a dip inside. He pulls them out and chuckles before looking back at me with the biggest smile on his face. A smile that is a million times better than the tears he shed earlier today.
“Is it cold?” I smile.
He nods. “Surprisingly but it’s not freezing, it’s just... cool.”
I nod. “Nice.”
Opening the backpack I pull out the blanket I packed and pick a spot to sit.
Once the spot is chosen I spread the blanket out before sitting down and pulling out my homework.
As much as it pains me to do said work I have to get it done if I want to graduate with a degree in business.
I’m thankful my professors are lenient with me and have allowed me to take my work home with me during these trying times.
Just as I’m about to answer the first question on my math worksheet I hear water splashing.
Looking up from my work I scan the area but don’t see Grey Eyes.
Immediately my heart plummets to my stomach as I look around frantically.
Placing a hand on my gun I begin to stand up, my guard up, ready for someone to come out of hiding.
But then Grey Eyes pops out of the water, squirting a stream of water through his teeth.
He looks at me and smiles as my muscles begin to relax.
“Fuck, Grey Eyes.” I sigh, my hand dropping from my gun.
“What?” he asks. “...Did I scare you?”
“I don’t get scared.” I reply.
“Uh-huh.” He says, looking me up and down.
I see his beautiful brown skin glisten in the water and I frown, trying to get a better look at his body, confusion clouding my brain.
“Are you naked?” I ask.
He shrugs.
“Maybe.”