Reyna sighed softly as she followed Chiron inside the bank. Her check was tucked into her left pocket, and her right pocket held her social security card and ID. She was going to open her own bank account, which was a new feeling for her. Any money that she had was stuffed tightly into her pocket with one hand kept on it at all times.
"Are you doing okay?" Chiron asked. Reyna looked at him and nodded. She had been off work for the last three days. Two of those days were scheduled off, but Chiron gave her the third one off as well to let her heal up and rest. And the more that Reyna laid on the couch and thought about it, the angrier she was.
Reyna wasn't sure where the anger stemmed from. Getting her ass kicked by Ma Gasket and her goons? Not being able to eat properly because of that? Was it just the humiliation of being helped once again and being indebted to those people? Reyna wasn't able to pin it down, but Chiron must have sensed her growing frustration.
That was how Reyna found herself running errands with Chiron. It never occurred to her that cars were not really made for Centaurs. She had actually spent the entire walk to their first stop, a hair salon, hearing about how car manufacturers had spent years trying to find out how to make a car that a Centaur could fit in comfortably and drive. No one had figured out that puzzle yet.
So, Chiron had to walk anywhere that he wanted to go. It was probably why his house was so close to a few shopping centers. Walking didn't seem to bother Chiron, and his natural walking speed meant Reyna had to move twice as fast as she normally did to keep up with him.
At the hair salon, Reyna reluctantly accepted a haircut that Chiron paid for. She tried to protest that she had her hair cut not that long ago, but Chiron pointed out that she had sloppily done it herself. A professional would make it a lot better, and Reyna would admit that her hair did look a lot better. It was only slightly shorter than when she had cut it a few weeks ago, but it looked much cleaner. There were no dead ends, and most of her tangles were out.
Reyna had also received help braiding her hair, and when she was about done, Chiron was finishing up. He had been given a haircut, and his facial hair was trimmed. After they paid, they made their way towards the bank. This wasn't even their last stop of the day.
The entire thing was odd to Reyna. She wasn't used to this normal routine that other people seemed to fall into. They went to work, ran errands, and then went home. None of them were fighting for their lives or struggling to make it through another day. It was safe, and she was just waiting for it to all fall apart.
Chiron led her up towards the front counter. Reyna looked up at the teller with a slight frown. The beast in front of them smiled as she looked at them. She had bright red hair that was almost as bright as the feathers that adorned her body. Her brown eyes studied Reyna in interest before focusing on Chiron.
Reyna had not met many Harpies before. She remembered learning that they were usually fat and plump, as they feasted on the bones of the dead and other undesirable items. On the other hand, this teller was scrawny and looked like she never had enough to eat.
"Ella, how are you doing today?" Chiron asked as he approached the teller. Reyna followed behind and kept her hands in her pockets.
"Good. Good," Ella said. She looked at Reyna and studied her. "What can I do for you today?"
"I have a few checks to deposit, and my associate is going to open a bank account," Chiron replied. "Ella, this is Reyna."
"Reyna? The same one that helped with Ma Gasket?" Ella questioned, and her eyes narrowed as she studied Reyna more. The Harpy tilted her head. "Thank you! Ma Gasket won't leave him alone. I tried to tell him that he shouldn't bother with her, but he doesn't listen. He never does. He just wants to help everyone, even people he shouldn't."
Ella stopped and took a deep breath. It seemed like she was trying to calm herself down. Chiron smiled and spoke, "The same one. Is Tyson doing okay?"
"He wasn't happy when he learned what happened. He's really sorry," Ella began as she looked at Reyna.
"S'okay," Reyna muttered as she barely opened her mouth. It had taken a lot of willpower to keep from talking, not to mention eating. Chiron did his best not to eat in front of her. It didn't help that she could smell food that anyone made, and if she had to look at another smoothie after this week, she would lose it.
"I can start you on opening your account," Ella began as she turned towards her computer and typed into it. "Do you have any forms of identification?"
Reyna slowly grabbed her ID and social from her pocket. She passed it towards Ella. Her birth certificate was back at her father's estate. Not that she would ever go back. Not that she could. Reyna watched Ella type her information into the computer. The Harpy's head suddenly tilted.
"It seems like you already have a bank account with us," Ella commented. Reyna raised an eyebrow in confusion. "One that was opened years ago. There's a note on here that says it's for schooling."
"Does Reyna have access to the account?" Chiron questioned. Ella studied the computer and then nodded.
"It looks like the account holder had it locked until she turned seventeen," Ella answered. "Now, she has full access to it. I just have to verify a few things about her identity. Can I have your full name?"
"Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano," Reyna whispered as she barely moved her jaw. She did not look at Chiron. There was no doubt that he recognized that last name, but she hoped to whatever God was out there that he didn't.
"Where were you born?"
"Puerto Rico."
"Your father's name?"
"Julian Ramirez-Arellano."
Reyna closed her eyes as memories threatened to come back. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she continued to answer Ella's questions, but she barely heard them. Her mind ran on autopilot as she tried to shove away the terrible thoughts that ran through her head.
When Ella was done, she nodded to herself and spoke, "Do you have a current address?"
"She's living with me for now," Chiron answered.
"We can have a bank card sent to your address then," Ella said.
"Can we move the money to a new account?" Reyna asked after a moment. "One not connected to this one? That only I have access to?"
"Of course," Ella said. She typed into the computer. "Is there anything else you need?"
"To deposit this," Reyna muttered as she placed her check on the counter. "And, how much is in the account?"
Ella grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote on it. She passed it to Reyna and then grabbed the check. As Reyna looked at the scrap of paper, her eyes widened. The most she ever had at one time was a thousand dollars, and that was gone almost as fast as she got it. To now have fifty thousand dollars just waiting for her in a bank account was staggering.
Reyna swallowed painfully as she studied the number. She knew exactly what her father wanted her to do with that money. He may have called it schooling to the bank, but it was the exact opposite. Reyna intended to use the money in any way but what her father wanted.
Reyna finally folded the paper up and shoved it into her pocket. She muttered a thanks to Ella and then walked away. She wasn't sure how to feel as she stepped outside and took a deep breath. Reyna found a bench to sit on and collapsed against it. Her gaze focused ahead.
Now, she did have enough money to just leave this place. There was still the problem of her having nowhere to go. No family. No friends. Nothing. Was that any different than this place, though? She had no friends or family here. The only thing she had was a job.
"Do you want to talk?" Chiron asked as he stopped by her side. Reyna didn't answer as she felt herself still reeling. "I'm sure that it is a lot of money, but you should not spend it all in one place."
"Wasn't planning on it," Reyna muttered. She gently rubbed her jaw. "I do need to get my own place. And pay you back."
"You don't have to," Chiron said. Reyna held up her hand and stood. She moved to look Chiron in the eyes.
"I appreciate what you did," Reyna said. She winced as she moved her jaw more than she should have. "But, I am going to pay you back. I can afford it now, and there is no reason for you to turn it down. Please just take the money."
Chiron studied her for a long moment. He finally sighed and nodded. "Okay. I will let you pay me back. Only after you are settled into a place of your own."
Reyna wanted to argue, but the pain in her jaw stopped her. There was also the fact that Chiron would allow her to pay her back after his conscience was settled. Reyna finally nodded her agreement and closed her eyes.
"I'm going to finish with my business. Then, we can have you look at apartments," Chiron offered.
"Jason was telling me about some," Reyna muttered.
"I can introduce you to Gleeson Hedge. He's an old friend," Chiron informed. Reyna nodded slightly. She laid back on the bench and placed both hands to her jaw. "Try not to talk anymore. We can get you something cold."
Reyna waved away the offer and just stared at the sky. Chiron walked away and left her alone. Reyna focused on the darkening sky. It was going to rain soon. Maybe even snow. She folded her arms behind her head.
Reyna closed her eyes. She was going to have her own place soon, and if she stayed at the bar, it would be more money that she got every month. It was enough to pay for her place while she saved most of the money that her father had given her. The only question was if she did want to stay or not.
Even with the incident with Lycaon and Ma Gasket, the bar was safer than where Reyna used to live. She would be able to pay Chiron back, and Reyna wouldn't owe anyone a damn thing. She would be able to maybe live her own life for once. What the hell would that even be like?
Reyna slowly sat up. She would see what kind of feeling she got from the apartments that Jason kept talking about, and if it was a good one, that was where she would live. She would also have to buy the things she needed, and that would be another new experience. Reyna sighed and closed her eyes. She was just happy to finally have a place where she almost felt like she could be safe
The only sound in the small, rundown building was that of a man choking on his own blood. The blood and entrails of his companions covered the floor around him, and he was the last survivor. The silver knife buried in his chest twisted, causing him to silently scream. His vocal cords had been torn out not too long ago, quickening the process at which he bled out.
The hand that held the knife to his chest was covered by a glove, but the blood had soaked the fabric long ago. A voice spoke, "You beasts will no longer terrorize this town. Your pack is dead, and I have allowed you the privilege of being the last of your bloodline. Enjoy it while you can."
As the knife slowly slid out of the man's chest, a phone rang. The hand removed the knife and placed it on a table. Then, the bloodied glove was peeled off and placed on the table as well. The hand grabbed the ringing phone and answered, "Hello?"
"Is this Hylla Ramirez-Arellano?" the woman on the other end asked.
"Yes," Hylla answered. She studied the dying man at her feet as he made strangled noises. His screams for help sounded like a puppy whimpering. Fitting. Considering he was a mutt. "Who is this?"
"This is Ella calling from the Bank of Charon in Olympian Heights. I'm just informing you that one of your accounts was accessed earlier today," the woman explained. "Policy requires us to inform you that the money is being moved to another account. As the account holder, we can block this request if you like."
"That's fine," Hylla said as a frown touched her lips. "You said Olympian Heights, correct? I just want to make sure that it's my little sister accessing it: Reyna Ramirez-Arellano."
"It was, ma'am. We double-checked her ID and made sure it was her," Ella replied. "Would you like us to inform her that you have approved the transfer of funds?"
"I can just call her. No need to trouble yourself," Hylla said. She grabbed the knife with her other gloved hand and gripped it tightly. She slammed the knife down into the man's throat and twisted it with all of her might, finally ending his life. "Thank you for informing me."
"Of course, ma'am. You have a wonderful day," Ella said. Hylla hung up and placed her phone into her pocket. She stood and cleaned her knife on the man's shirt. Her eyes focused on the silver metal.
"Is everything okay, Hylla?" Kinzie asked. Hylla slowly looked at her partner.
"I have something I need to take care of," Hylla answered after a few moments. Anger flooded her tone, but she tried to keep the emotion out of her face. "After we finish our next job."
"Do you need help with it?" Kinzie questioned as she loaded her gun with silver bullets. Concern trickled onto her face, but she quickly cleared it away.
"No," Hylla said. A cruel grin came to her face. "I just have to put down a rabid dog. Once and for all."