Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of the characters except for the OCs.

CHAPTER 6

"Boss, are you sure about letting them go?"

Rod Ross shifted his cold gaze to his subordinate, took the cigar off his lips and blew the thick smoke to the air, keeping the calm posture altogether. "We've done the main work," he answered in a deep rough voice. "Meeting Keehl is only a bonus. I just wanted to say hi to the Don's little brat."

"But Mello got his own accomplices," one of his men said doubtfully. "We only saw two, but what if there are more of them?"

As a response, Ross barked out a long laugh that would send goose bumps. "So what?" The big-built man gave an ominous toothy grin. "We won't be having fun if no obstacles represent themselves, right?"

"But, Boss—"

"That settles it," Ross cut firmly. "We're going back."

The rest of the men nodded at the same time. "Yes, Sir."

Valerie

"Well?" I raised my eyebrow, still eyeing the blond and the redhead in front of me. I was raising the stakes here; despite the tough attitudes I put up before them I was still in shock and absolute fear. But the indignation was much bigger it swallowed both the shock and fear. I wouldn't wait any longer. I saw red. After what I had been through this afternoon, I wanted a clear explanation, NOW.

Both Mello and Matt looked at each other for a few moments, seemingly considering their next response. "Who will tell her?" Matt mouthed.

"I'll do it," Mello said. Finally the blond man turned back at me, his icy blue eyes met mine. "It's a long story."

"Then spit all of it," I retorted.

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you." As if to prove his words, his gloved hand reaching behind his jacket and pulled out his gun in a blink of an eye, and so once again I was standing at the gunpoint. My heart jumped in my throat at the unpredictable move and unconsciously I took one step backward.

"Mello." Matt warned in low voice.

"But since you've saved my life in some sort of way," Mello continued, clearly disliked the fact, "I'll spare you this time. I'm not a jerk." He lowered his gun and tucked it back on the hem of his pants. Finally I could breathe.

So basically he said if only I hadn't figured out about the heroin, he would have shot me right here and right now for sure.

Of course I didn't say that out loud, but I caught the hint. The matter must be serious enough until Mello said that he'd kill me if he told me. Whatever it was, I didn't like the idea even a tad.

"... Thanks," I said uneasily.

"Don't be," he snarled. "It's only a paid back, that's all."

"I know that."

"Promise you'd never tell anyone."

"I won't. I promise."

"How do we know you'll keep your mouth shut?"

I paused for a while at his question. Hesitatingly, I replied, "You may set cameras at my place, put on bugs... anything you consider necessary."

"I think that's not necessary though." I looked at Matt who was putting on a very serious expression on his face. "She's a young lady and it'll be rude to intrude her personal space."

Mello groaned. "Lady or not, it's the same."

"No it's not. We'll just have to make sure she promises us." Matt turned to me. "Can we count on you, Val?" he inquired solemnly.

I gulped and gave a tiny nod. "Yeah." I guess, a tiny voice inside my head followed.

Mello shifted from his position, taking a step closer to me. "Just for you to know, we can hunt you down if you do anything unnecessary. Got that?"

I flinched at his cold threatening tone, but nodded nonetheless. "Ok," I said. Taking a deep breath, I continued. "So, will you tell me the whole story now?"

The following thick silence was almost unbearable. Then Mello took a deep breath. His scarred face darkened.

"The men you saw," he began, "they're in the Mafia."

Mello

"The men you saw, they're in the Mafia."

I finally said it. And the following reaction was as I expected.

Valerie's eyes grew as wide as plates. She blinked. Once. Twice. Then she took a few steps back as she looked at me in distraught. "You're joking," she said in low voice, shaking her head.

"In this situation, you think I'm joking?" I deadpanned. "I'm not. Because I was one of them. And Matt is a hacker who helps me keeping an eye of the Mafia activities for the time being."

She was taken aback, but said nothing nonetheless, so I just continued telling her my story. "Our central hideout is in LA. And to speak the truth, I was supposed to take over the Mafia family since the last Don passed away just a couple of weeks ago."

Valerie looked uncertain. "... Yet, you're in New York?"

"Courtesy of a certain incident." I mused grimly, the memory of the horrible night from the week before flashing back before my eyes. "I didn't get these burns from getting trapped inside a building in fire as what I told you. I got it from an explosion in the hideout, which I set up by myself."

The brunette's jaw dropped but she stayed silent, seemingly letting the information I gave her sink in.

"What makes you did that?" she asked carefully.

I faltered for several moments. "That man named Rod Ross..." I cringed in disgust, my nails digging deeply into my palms. "He's the one setting up the Don's death."

Valerie's brows furrowed. "But why? So he could..."

"So he could take over the family and get the whole money for himself, yeah." I gritted my teeth. "Rod knows all along that I've never been interested in taking over the Mafia. It was alright with me if he wants to be the next boss; he was the Don's right hand man after all. But ever since I found out that the fucking rat was the one responsible behind the Don's murder... I know I couldn't let him slip through my fingers. But who could possibly guess—"

I raised my tone and kicked a dumpster ferociously, making both Matt and Valerie jumped. The dumpster fell down in noisy clanking sound, the content littered on the ground below. Taking deep breaths and released them slowly through my pursed lips, I struggled to suppress the seething blood that was now flowing through my vessels. "—the tables are turned now..."

There was a full minute of silence before Valerie spoke again, this time her voice was more like a cautious whisper, "The Don... is he your father?"

I shook my head. "No," I replied. Hesitatingly, I added, "The old man adopted me. I had always looked upon him as my own father though because I had never got to know my biological family."

Valerie looked at me questioningly. I was restraining myself from telling her more of myself, but I knew if I didn't move on we would get nowhere.

Inhaling a deep breath, I decided to tell her the bitter truth. "I grew up without my birth parents."

Right after the words escaped my lips, I caught something flashed in Valerie's eyes, and I knew what it was. Pity.

I had seen the same look too many times that I lost count since I was in the orphanage, going through my adolescence era, up until I joined the Mafia. Why did people like to look at me as if I'm some incapable, lonesome orphan? That bode nothing but making my blood boiled to the peak.

She cast her eyes down. "I'm sorry—"

"I don't need your pity!"

Her shoulders flinched at my harsh tone. "I-I'm just..." Her voice trailing off, but she never finished her sentence. Instead, she shook her head. "Nothing, forget it… So Rod and his men follow you to New York?"

"That's exactly what I'm dreading to know," I sputtered, shoving my hands deep into my jacket pockets. "How the hell he knows I'm here? I escaped in the middle of the explosion so there's no fucking way anyone had the chance to see me. The only ones know are Matt and—"

I stopped when a sudden realization hit me. My eyes narrowed in vigilance at the emerged idea.

"Jack." I can be no wrong.

"Who?"

I ignored the question as I looked back at Matt, who was alerted as well. "Matt, it's Jack. He must've told Rod about me," I asserted. Fuck. How could I miss that?

"Maybe, but don't take a conclusion so soon, Mello," Matt said, although I could tell from his way of speaking he was uncertain as well. "We don't have any proof."

"The odd way he spoke at the phone? The heroin? The assault? These are more than enough to prove it!"

"We still don't know about that. Maybe Rod forced him to? That big bald dude surely knows how to use his men to his advantage."

I considered the probability. Much to my dismay, if that was the truth, I wouldn't be surprised. That big rat had always used disgusting methods to get what he wanted. But I had to make sure of it by myself.

"Matt, you got one your laptops inside the car?"

"Yeah, as always. Why?"

I tossed him my cell phone. "Track down Jack's cell phone. We're gonna make him spit everything."

A/N: Uh-oh. Jack's in trouble.

Sorry this one's short. But as always, let me know what you think! Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcomed!

Coming up next...

"Would you let me go now?"

"No."

I couldn't trust these guys. Criminals never kept their promises.

This is no time to concern modesty.

"I know you're here. Open the fucking door!"

Something clearly isn't right.