It was a long walk, Evan didn't want to take a cab. He needed time to think about what he went through in the last two-three hours. It was difficult to comprehend, at least for him, not understanding this world he was in since a year ago. Only noticing the danger in it when he managed to mess up. Everything came falling around him too quickly, and he wasn't sure what he was meant to do, or how he was intending to fix it.
He hoped he was right that Lui's place was safe. The man was too mysterious, he said and did things with as much authority as a crime boss, but at the same time, a laziness that was like a college student. Maybe that where most of the similarities fell apart. He wasn't entirely lazy if he was able to keep this up, nor did he look the part as a crime boss. He had secrets, that was obvious, but even that he was able to manage without any issue.
How did he become like this? Where was Lui's beginning, and where was his end? Would there ever be an end? He couldn't imagine someone doing anything terrible to him. He was in control of the situation, except even that could be taken from him if he wasn't careful.
Evan shook his head. He couldn't doubt Lui, not now, not ever. It didn't seem like he ever doubted himself. Clever bastard. He better protect Rane, and keep her safe from harm's way. Right now, he had to make sure her house wasn't compromised, and that her brother was still there. He left his bag in the room she offered to him, and wanted to get it back in case he needed to run from the situation.
Yes, I admit to being a coward.
No one bothered him on the walk back to Rane's apartment. Everyone seemed to stay in their own world, surrounded by a larger one that was in more control than their own. Or maybe they all knew the truth. Maybe he was always that oblivious to his surroundings. Pathetic.
Evan strolled down the sidewalk and came upon Rane's driveway. A car sat in front of it, a black SUV, clean and shiny with tinted windows. It was nice and unusual in this part of the city.
He walked by it and climbed the front stairs. The door was wide open, and he noticed two men standing in the living room, talking to Pierce, who was still sitting on the couch, looking up at them blandly.
Their voices came to a halt and they turned their attention to him when he stepped past the threshold. Pierce followed their gaze and his brows rose. He stood from the couch, but the two men continued to stare once Pierce walked by them.
"Hey, where's Rane? I heard from Luke what happened at Pulse."
Luke? Pierce called him...he called Luke...a member of another group called Hastings. A group that was as mysterious as Lui, and of the two men who were watching him like he were prey. Ready to rip him to shreds but were unsure of their actions. They didn't even move when Luke was mentioned. Evan recognized those looks, he had seen it a few times since he was tricked.
Jonathan had the same look when he smirked at Evan, mocking him for his pathetic drunken state. And Lui, when he spoke in the cab, and later on, when Lui had green lit the assassination of Anna Taylor, a fixer who was assigned to watch him before she attempted to kill Brock. Their eyes were all the same. A dead fixation, whatever emotional state they once held, the innocence they grew up with was carved from their being and left a shell of a person who carefully held a gun, and pulled the trigger. A set of collapsing pieces that were as jagged as sharp glass when smashed.
A disturbing evocative contact that Evan could barely stomach.
"She's with Lui." It's all he could manage to say, his eyes going to the frayed edge of Rane's forest green, brown, and gold carpet.
Pierce's shoulders sagged and a look of relief flitted across his face. "Good. She's safe."
Safe.
What a strange word to describe Lui's apartment, and Lui himself.
"I'm guessing you heard about Brock?" Evan asked, curiously.
Pierce nodded. "Luke didn't shy away from the details." Waving his hand and stepping past the two men. They were more like statues, not moving and were too aware even though they gazes were dead. Pierce plopped back down onto the couch, "Uh...Evan, these are friends of mine, Marcel and Scotty."
Evan regarded them with a smile, but they both looked back at Pierce.
Marcel…?
The assassin who pulled the trigger.
He was standing right before him as if everything was okay. He must've arrived after he killed Anna Taylor.
Why were they all connected together? A pattern he never noticed. Maybe it was always there.
"Are you going to give us an answer or not?" Scotty asked, placing a hand on his hip, frowning at Pierce.
Pierce shrugged, his lips stayed firmly closed. And the silence strained between the four of them, even though Evan wasn't part of the conversation. He did not want to move around these two particular men.
"I don't know why you want me to come along," Pierce said after a minute.
Marcel rolled his eyes and let out an aggravated sigh. Which in turn made Evan tense by whatever he would do. If he was an assassin, ready to kill his targets. He must have skills on normal people like himself and Pierce. Or are they abnormal now that they were in Lui's web?
"Numbers," Marcel said, matter-of-factly. "Never has many gotten far by looking with one pair of eyes."
"And Lui wants us to do this," Scotty added, grinning, "do you really want to disobey a direct order from Lui?"
Pierce's jaw clenched and he let out a groan. "Fine. This isn't going to get us anywhere, I hope you know that."
Marcel shrugged, "All that matters is that we do it. I'll report in to Lui by morning, see how he enjoys our search."
Evan had no idea what they were talking about, but he had the urge to go to his bedroom and sleep this entire night off. The alcohol had finally ceased from his mind, but the nausea and tightness in his head that came from his hangover was closing in. He needed coffee, maybe some Tylenol.
Pierce stood, and he turned his gaze to Evan. "Why don't you come along, Evan?"
Evan's mouth went dry, he caught the subtle movements of Marcel and Scotty in front of him. They didn't say anything, but they waited for his reply.
"It's been a long night," Evan said.
Pierce clasped his hands together. "Yes, it has. But Lui wants us to look into the club downtown, the same one that Nogla went too before he was spiked by the drug, Daydream."
Evan nodded, he figured sooner or later this would come up. "I would rather—"
"Lui would appreciate the help," Pierce cut him off, smiling, "and do you truly want to disobey Lui?"
Evan's comfort fell apart before him. His own hope that he could sleep on a soft bed and forget the night was fading from his mind.
A threat. That's what it was. The same that Scotty used on him, and he knew it would also work on Evan, or anyone who truly knew the extent of Lui's power in this city. Evan was oblivious, and in this show of pressure, he had no choice in the matter.
Pierce smiled, but it wasn't the same friendly smile he usually gave. It was a smile that pulled Evan in and trapped him. Pierce knows the two between them were dangerous, and he also knew that Evan was brand new to this world. The danger was something Evan wasn't clued in on, and if he said the wrong thing, moved the wrong way, he'd forfeit his own life.
Including the possibility of disobeying Lui of all people, who was turning out to be more malevolent than he figured he was when he first met him.
Evan slowly nodded, "Okay. Let's go."
