Chapter 5

Demetri's POV

This was all a cosmic joke, it had to be. I mean, I knew I owed Karma for a lot but seriously? My kid sister was kidnapped and I find out she is dating the bane of my existence. One or the other I could deal with, but both... on the same day? Not even Hitler deserved that.

Well, I will just deal with one at a time. First, I'll get my sister back and then I will deal with this so-called relationship. Two years isn't a walk in the park so I did know that Newton meant something to Alexis. However, until I knew just what that something was, I would reserve judgement on it. If she actually liked him, I wouldn't kill him. Maiming though? That was entirely possible.

I had thought that Newton was a little smarter than he's been acting since the warehouse, but I guess I was wrong. The questions he's been asking have led me to believe that he is either in way over his head or he is just a flat out moron. I'm not really sure which way the chips are going to fall on that, either. The last time I saw him, he was trying to kill me, and almost succeeded. I had thought he knew what he was doing, that he was paid to take me out. Now, I am beginning to wonder what his real motives were that day or if it was just something that happened and escalated to that point.

There wasn't a question to the fact we couldn't stand each other. There wasn't a question that neither of us wanted to be here together. There wasn't a question that if given the chance we would finish what was started. No, there was only the question of what will happen once this truce is over.

I glanced at Michael from the corner of my eye as he stood next to me in front of our first stop. He was looking forward and there was a slight fear in his eyes. I thought for a moment about ignoring it but when you are even slightly dependant on someone else, that is one emotion you don't want them to feel. So, instead of letting his fear grow and become a problem, I nudged him with my elbow.

When he was looking over at me, I smirked. "Easy peasy."

He let out a hard breath and nodded. "Lemon squeezy, I know." He rolled his head on his shoulders and nodded again. "Alright, let's get this over with."

I chuckled under my breath as I walked away from him and towards the house. There was nothing easy about this. This was dangerous and I wasn't sure if he was really ready for what was going to happen on the other side of the door.

Oh fucking well.

I walked up to the door like I owned the place, pausing long enough to glance at Mike and when he nodded, I planted my foot in the middle of the door. The wood gave with no issue, the crack bouncing off the porch walls and back to my ears like a symphony. Guns drawn, we crossed the threshold, Mike hesitating to pull the trigger while I had no such contention. It only took shooting two for them to get the point and lower their weapons. I didn't actually kill anyone, but the sound was enough.

With my arm still raised, I looked around the room, my eyes falling on, not really the guy I was looking for, but close enough. Moving my arm so that he was the one in my sights, I narrowed my eyes a little. "Where's James?"

Laurent looked back and forth between Mike and I, or rather the guns that were trained on him. After a moment, he pointed to a door down the hall, his voice low and cautious. "He is in there, but I do not think you want to go in there."

I cocked a brow and Mike's balls dropped, finally, and he spoke before I could. "Why? Does he have something to hide?"

Again, Laurent looked at us before sighing. "Depends on what you are looking for. If you're looking to see a porn in the making, then no, he doesn't. However, I would advise against it."

Again, Mike decided he wanted to act hard, so he spoke again, but asked the wrong thing. "Where was he about four hours ago?"

At that, Laurent snorted. "Same place he is now and has been for two days. Whatever you think he did, for once, I can say with positivity, he didn't do." I gave him a look and he shrugged. "Chances are, I would be as surprised as you over this. But, hey, He's been occupied and not taking any calls."

This time I asked him a question. "Who's been calling?"

He settled himself back into his seat and tilted his head slightly. "What are you looking for?"

I shook my head, ignoring my phone when it started ringing. "Not what. Who." When my phone cut off and immediately started ringing again, I sighed and held up a finger as I pulled my phone out of my inner jacket pocket. For everything I have done with a gun in my hand, I have yet to answer my phone while pointing it at someone. After a quick glance at the screen, I cocked a brow at the blocked number before flipping my phone open and putting it to my ear. "Yes?"

"You're looking in the wrong place. Play closer to the chest."

I pulled my phone away from my ear and looked at it, the same electronically distorted voice from before confusing me. After a second, I put it back to my ear. "Excuse me?"

"The one who has the heart has the answer."

With that, the other end cut off and left me even more confused than when this whole thing started. I didn't lower my arm though and instead let those present think I was still on the phone so I had a moment to sort this out, running the words through my mind a few times before I moved my eyes to Mike and narrowed them to near slits. The one who has the heart has the answer, huh? Good to know.

Slowly, I lowered my arm, closing my phone as I did so. Glaring, I moved my gun from pointing to Laurent to holding it inches from Newton's temple. "You have three seconds to tell me whatever it is you're hiding before I blow your fucking brains out."

He jumped a little, turning to look at me. His eyes were wide and his jaw lax. I just continued to glare at him, fully invested in my promise. Laurent, however, took the opportunity to open his mouth.

"Since this now appears to have nothing to do with us, would you mind taking this outside?"

I snapped my head to him and barked. "Shut up!"

He held his hands up and nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that. Take all the time you need."

Turning back to Newton, I snapped. "Talk."

Mike just continued to look at me for another moment before he licked his lips and swallowed hard. "I have an idea as to why Alexis was taken."

That one sentence sent my blood boiling and, without thinking it through, I cocked my free hand back and snapped it forward, planting my fist square in his mouth. Hey, I didn't shoot him. I call that sticking to the arrangement. He cried out and his hands came up to his mouth. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and jerked him around, shoving his ass towards the door. As I was dragging Newton out the door, Laurent called out something to the effect of James not liking that I shot two of his men.

I just looked over my shoulder and glared at him. "They're still alive. Get over it."