Chapter 2

Vexon

Who and where is she? That was the only thing running through my mind. If she wasn’t meant to be spotted, then why did her voice reach my ears in the first place? This was so frustrating.

While searching for her, I didn’t even realize that I was surrounded by my guards. “Boss, your camp is on that side,” a guard of mine spoke up. “Boss?”

“Yeah?” I said, breaking from my trance as I met the curious gazes of my guards and flushed at their odd looks.

Mane’s face held pure concern, when he asked me, “Are you okay?”

I cleared my throat before nodding, wishing I could know the owner of that sweet angelic voice or maybe it was just my imagination due to the long journey. With a final look around, I walked towards my campsite with my men trailing behind me.

“You guys didn’t leave any chocolate for me. Now I feel left out,” that voice spoke again.

This time my eyes snapped to the right and the scene I saw was the most beautiful thing ever.

A beautiful girl, maybe one or two years younger than me, was whining with a cute pout adorning her lips. A few small kids surrounded her, eating chocolates, which most probably had been bought by her.

Some of them kissed her cheeks, while others hugged her. It made me want to kiss her, too. I didn’t know why I had the urge. I sounded horny, but this feeling was something else. I couldn’t comprehend it. She kept grinning, whereas I kept staring at her like a creep.

Her rosy, pink luscious lips looked soft and the beautiful smile that was playing on them was a sight to see. When she laughed, it was like a soothing melody to my ears; as if an angel had descended on earth. My heartbeat quickened as I admired her.

When a few kids pulled her cheeks, a voice called out for her. “Okay, kids. I’ve to go now. Bye-bye now!” She waved at them. She got up from the grass and picked up her bag.

I noticed her clothes then, she was wearing a pair of white jeans with a yellow off-the-shoulder top and a pair of white bunny-eared slippers. I continued to stare at her as she disappeared to the left.

Where is she going? Curiosity rose in me, and without a second thought, I decided to follow her.

“Boss, where are you going?” Mane’s voice caught me off guard. Obviously, I couldn’t tell him that I was following a girl for no reason. I had to come up with an excuse.

“Uh, I’m going to look around the camp,” I said absently, as all the guards looked at me as if I had just grown a second head. After all, that excuse was definitely stupid, like who would even buy that?

“We’re coming with you,” Mane spoke up.

“No!” They flinched at the sudden outburst and I mentally slapped myself. “I mean, no, you guys don’t have to follow me. It’s secure here. I’ll be just fine on my own,” I let out before walking away from them, without waiting for an answer.

Now, where did she go?

I walked to the hills to look for her. Just then, I saw her looking at the natural scenery from the hill. She took out a camera from her bag and clicked a photo.

The wind was blowing very fast, making her beautiful, black wavy hair fly around her face. I could feel my heart beating faster than usual. Again.

She placed her camera carefully back inside her bag and rushed away. Meanwhile, I followed her tracks, not noticing the root of the tree in front of me. “Oww!” I groaned in pain after tripping over it.

Rubbing my forehead, I got up and looked for her and found her near an old man. I watched her from a distance. She took the bags from the old man’s hand and walked along with him, a smile brimming on her lips.

How can one’s smile be so enthralling? I thought. Following her once again, she put the bags down inside a nearby tent and again ran off. I was about to follow her again when I bumped into someone. Unfortunately, it was one of my own guards.

“Boss, your training starts in an hour. Mane said to inform you,” he said.

I looked at him for a long moment before closing my eyes and trying to control my emotions as I exhaled a deep breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding. Nodding, I turned away from the beautiful girl and went back to my tent to freshen up.

***

“Damn it!” I growled in frustration, it had been half an hour and I still couldn’t get her out of my mind. Unable to think straight, I decided to call Kendrik.

“Kendrik.”

“Hey, Vexon. How is everything going over there? Has your training started yet?”

“No,” I sighed.

He could sense my stress through the phone, so he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I saw a girl today,” I answered in frustration.

I could already imagine the big grin on his face, “Aha. A girl, huh? It’s only been a few hours since you left and you’re already drooling over some girl? Not bad. How is she, though?”

“She’s not that type of girl, Kendrik. I saw her around half an hour ago and she’s still on my mind. I just can’t get rid of her image,” I explained, frustration dripping in my tone.

“Tell me the whole story.”

“It was her voice that I heard first. When my eyes fell on her, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Black wavy hair, tan skin, curvy body, pink lips, gorgeous smile-a pure angel. I couldn’t see her eye color though.” And with every description, I replayed seeing her in my mind.

Kendrik started laughing on the other side, shattering my thoughts of her. “It’s a mere crush, bro. You’re just describing her physical appearance. It’ll go away with time. For a moment there I thought, ‘My brother was in love’,” he said with a laugh and hung up.

Is it really just a crush?

But I did see a bit of what she was like on the inside. She was kind, caring, soft-hearted, friendly, lovely, chirpy, and cute. She could make anyone fall in love with her. I saw the way she played with the kids and helped that old man.

“If it’s a crush, then you’ll forget it within a few days, weeks, or months. But if it’s love, you won’t forget even after five years,” Mane spoke from behind me. I shrieked at his sudden appearance, almost falling out of my chair.

“What the fuck, man?!”

“Sorry for scaring you like that, boss. But I followed you and saw the way you were staring at that girl,” he breathed out, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, afraid of how I would react to him following me.

I stared at him in surprise for a moment before shrugging, he had only been doing his job. I couldn’t yell at him for doing that, so I just let it go.

“I assume, Sir Kendrik said that it’s just a crush?” Mane began again, taking my silence as a sign to continue, “I saw the girl has both inner and outer beauty. That’s why I gave you that suggestion. If it’s a crush, it’ll vanish, but if it’s love, you’re surely whipped, boss. You’ll not be able to forget her after these torturous five years of training. Plus, I’ll get an awesome boss lady, so I won’t mind.”

“Boss lady?” I arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Boss lady. She looks like one though. Kind and caring, but I bet if angered, she could be really scary. So ‘boss lady’ suits her,” he replied and unknowingly, a smile took over my lips.

Boss lady. Not bad. Her perfect image of playing with the kids popped into my mind again. I didn’t think that I would ever fall in love but seeing her, I understood why Kendrik decided not to become the king. He didn’t want his girlfriend in danger as Gladiolus had a lot of enemies.

I decided that if I met this girl again after my training ended, I would make her mine.

“Now, snap out of that imaginary world of yours. It’s time for your training,” Mane announced, as he dragged me out of my tent.

My trainer didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point as he explained the basics of what being the mafia king would be like. I listened with rapt attention.

“You have to be cold-hearted, emotionless, and strong. Remember, a mafia leader never shows any weakness. Even his weakness can be turned into a strength. You’ll have to be determined to get what you want and remember, whatever you want, you’ll get. By hook or by crook. No one can say ‘no’ to you. If that person does, it will be his or her last day on this earth. You’ll have to understand people and learn to read them, you can’t let deceivers surround you. Make sure your right-hand man is someone who you trust blindly.”

“Share your secrets and opinions with your right-hand man only. If needed, take his opinion into consideration too. Never make any hasty decisions. Think wisely before you do som...” he continued but as he did, my mind drifted. As I lost focus and once again focused on the girl I had seen.

What is her name?

***

Ruby

Walking into my room, I flopped onto my bed exhausted. “Finally!” I sighed as I sank into my soft mattress, “I missed you so much,” I mumbled to my bed.

I had just been hiking with Pearl, my older sister, for most of the day and we had only just gotten home. I still couldn’t feel my legs.

“Ruby! Max called on the landline while you were out. He was asking for you. Call him back!” mom hollered from downstairs.

“I will,” I thought I had replied loudly, but it came out like a whisper due to my tiredness.

“Don’t sleep. Call him, now!” mom yelled again. I almost jumped at her words. How did she know?

Ugh. Mothers.

With a heavy sigh, I pulled my phone out of my jeans pocket. Looking at my outfit, I knew I had to freshen up and change into my shorts before going to bed, otherwise, I wouldn’t have a peaceful night.

Opening my social media account because I was damn sure Max had left messages there before calling on the landline, I checked to see what he had said.

Max:

Rubster, what college are you applying for?

As expected. He left me tons of messages in my inbox. Max asked me that question because it was our time to apply for college, as we had recently just graduated from high school.

Max:

Rubster?

Are you dead?

Give me a treat tomorrow and then die.

Rubber!

Ruby.

Rubbery.

Robbery.

I replied instantly.

Ruby:

Dummy, I ain’t dead, yet! I went hiking with Pearl today. There’s no network in the hilly areas. You know that, right?

Max:

How would I know when you weren’t even replying? Anyways, answer my question.

Ruby:

I’m applying for the University of Manitoba. It’s literally near my home.

Max:

Okay. Steve wanted to know though ;)

Ruby:

Fudge off, dude.

I locked my phone, before lying back on my bed. Steve was one of my friends, but it turned out that he had started to like me. Now, I can’t just throw him out of my friend circle, can I? I mean, I like him, but just as a friend.

After freshening up, I plopped down on my bed again, just as Pearl peeked into my room.

“What?” I asked, already getting annoyed.

“How was hiking?” she asked excitedly.

I was sure she wanted me to explain everything. Instead, I just yawned, and replied, “Fine.”

“Fine? Just fine? You won’t sleep unless you tell me exactly how you felt about it!” she said as she came over and started shaking me, eventually pushing me off the bed. I landed on my butt and shot her a glare.

“Argh... stop it!” I yelled at her. All she did though was grin like an idiot. Standing back up, I laid on my stomach and looked at her.

Pearl laid down beside me before I sucked in a deep breath and began to speak. “It was awesome in British Columbia. However, when I got lost it took me some time to find the kids again and after that, I helped an old man. You know I can’t sit idle unless I’m at home, right?”

Pearl nodded lazily.

“Anyway, today felt really weird though, I mean hiking isn’t something new for me. Yet today, I felt as if someone was watching me. Someone close to me, close to my heart. I mean it sounds ridiculous and-” I said and trailed off as I looked at Pearl to find her fast asleep. She hadn’t heard a word I said.

I sighed and got up, took a blanket, and wrapped it around her. She has her own room, but she always comes and sleeps in mine. I love it though because I couldn’t sleep alone and she knew that.

I smiled looking at her. Sometimes, I think that I’m her older sister. Kissing her forehead, I laid down beside her, “Goodnight, Pearly,” I mumbled as my eyes fluttered closed.

However, I couldn’t seem to forget the unusual feeling of being watched earlier today which was a strange but good feeling, indeed.