Chapter 44: Chapter 44

ESTRELA

"I've been totally neglecting work at the club and I understand if Jason fires me for missing my classes," I tell Summer sheepishly. With all the events of the past few weeks, I've completely forgotten my job at the club.

"Jason won't fire you right away, Ela. Okay, unless we weren't your friends, then probably yes... But you have to tell him or me why you couldn't come. Then it's not so bad," she explains me with a gentle smile.

"I know..." I look down. Summer, of course, wants to know what's going on. But I can't decide that alone. After all, it's not just about me. Summer looks at me, expecting me to tell her what's going on. But just as I'm about to tell her that I can't, the front door opens and saves me. That must be Kian who's back. My guess is confirmed when he appears around the corner. I don't hesitate for a second and rush towards him. Relief floods my body immediately. I wrap my arms around his neck as he buries his face in the crook of my neck. "You're here," I murmur softly in his ear. He hugs me tighter and I close my eyes for a moment.

"Wow, you're hugging like you haven't seen each other in ages," Summer says, eyeing our hug with a confused smile. She walks over to us after I reluctantly break away from Kian. "Hey, Kian," she greets him, who then just nods at her. "Jason is worried and so am I. Did something happen that we should know, Kian?"

"No," he replies immediately. "It's fine. You don't need to worry, Summer. Tell Jason I'll get back to him soon." I see Summer not satisfied with the answer but leave it at that to probe further.

"Okay, if you say so..." She eyed Kian suspiciously. "Okay ... Then I'll leave you two alone again," she says a little hesitantly.

"It was nice that you were there, Summer," I tell her and give her a quick hug.

"Yes," she says and returns the hug before briefly hugging Kian as well. "See you." After the door has closed, Kian pulls me back into his arms and puts his lip on mine. I return his kiss as he cups my face in both hands. Our lips part with a soft gasp. Beautiful gray eyes looking at me. Smiling, I stroke the dark hair that hangs over his forehead away from his face.

"I love you," I breathe. He smiled and returned my words gently. We sit down on the couch together. I snuggle up to him and look at him curiously and expectantly. "Do you want to tell me how it went?" I break the silence. He takes a deep breath and turns his head to me.

"Heaven saw the evidence and it looks like she wants to make her father pay for it. She gave me permission to kill him." There is a few seconds of silence in which I let his words sink in.

"She really did?"

"Mhm..." I can tell from his tone of voice that he is suspicious.

"I don't know, Kian. That's definitely a lie of hers and a trap." Concern and fear spread through me.

"If I don't do anything, we're going to lose. If I go alone with her, at least I can do something."

"Alone with her?" I widen my eyes in shock.

"If too many call, it becomes too obvious," he tells me.

"But what if she traps you in the process, Kian? Letting you go alone with her scares me..." My eyes fill with tears.

"I have to do this." He smiles wryly and wipes my tears away. I keep shaking my head.

"No, you don't have to, Kian. I can't let you go. Don't expect that from me." He can't do that to me, can he? Kian is everything to me. Thinking about how suddenly he's gone will destroy my life.

"I'll be careful, Estrela. But you have to let me do it. If I don't do that, we're in even greater danger. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you." I breathe in and out shakily.

"If I lose you, Kian, my world falls apart. I can no longer be without you. I love you so much. It crushes me to think that tomorrow you are risking your life." Kian hugs my face. He looks me in the eye so intently that I close mine.

"I love you more than anything in this world, baby. Everything I do is for you. I've fought for you from the moment I saw you. If I had never met you, I would have already give up doing anything about Costello. You understand? If I don't do it tomorrow, we'll have to continue living in fear of him. You're in danger. Everyone close to us is in danger. Even if it's a trap tomorrow I will do everything I can to destroy him..."

"I hate you for having to let you go tomorrow." I punch him in the chest. He tries to stop me and instead pulls me into his arms. I can feel my tears soaking his shirt as he keeps telling me how much he loves me. And I can't stop sobbing because it's killing me to think about what he's going to do tomorrow. Without Kian, I'm nothing...

KIAN

Although I should sleep urgently to be fit tomorrow, I can't turn a blind eye. Estrela sleeps, even if I have the feeling that it's more of a restless sleep with her. Because she tosses and turns restlessly a few times. I should lie down next to her, take her in my arms and close my eyes. Instead I sit on the edge of the bed and look at her. Her auburn hair is tousled, but that only makes her more beautiful. Her eyelashes lie like fans on her fair skin. Skin as fair as an angel - pure, innocent and flawless. My gaze continues to wander over her little nose to her lips, which do a lot to me. It may be that tonight will be the last night I lay next to her. The last night for me Whatever awaits me tomorrow, it's going to be ugly...

***

"You will be with Gabriel during this time," I inform Estrela the next morning. I'd rather she be with someone who can protect her. Who has the means to get her to safety.

"Okay..." Estrela replies surprisingly. I thought she had something to complain about. Also, she's been pretty quiet since this morning. She barely spoke to me and even so I feel like she can't even look me in the face anymore. Of course I put it down to what I have to do today and that she's scared. Scared of losing me.

"Does my father have any idea what you're doing today? For my part, I didn't tell him anything," she asks me in the car on the way to the DP in Vegas. I'm a little surprised by your question.

"No. I think it's better if he doesn't know," I say calmly.

"Why?"

"Because he won't let what I'm going to do today. I know him."

"I don't want you to do it either, Kian," she says, stunned.

"I know." I take a deep breath. "But I don't want to lie to you, Estrela. You have to trust me, that's all that will help me today."

"I do trust you, Kian." Her voice sounds softer now, shortly afterwards she puts her hand on mine, which I have on the shift knob. Twenty minutes later we arrive at the hotel. The nervousness in me increases. I'll meet Heaven later at dusk at the address she gave me.

When we get down to the DP, the club area is very quiet. Not even the employees seem to be hanging around here today. Gabriel and Julien are already sitting in the room with a glass of whisky. It stinks of cigar smoke and alcohol. I would also like to smoke or drink something to calm my nerves. But I need all my instincts for today.

"There's the man of the hour," Gabriel greets me and approaches Estrela and me. I roll my eyes. But let him kiss my girl on both cheeks.

"Hi, Gabriel," my girl greets him and turns to Julien.

"So, are you ready to do this today?" Gabe puts a hand on my shoulder, his blue eyes intent on me.

"Who's ready to run to their death?!" I remark sarcastically. He drops his hand again and sighs.

"You don't trust Heaven, I get that, Kian. I don't know what to think of her either. She seems like an unpredictable woman to me. But from the way she reacted yesterday, I don't think she really likes you will lead a trap. She hates her father. I look at him without understanding. I think Heaven made eyes at him that he now claims something like that about himself. But it's not his life that he's putting at risk today.

"He's her fucking father, Gabe and mine too, unfortunately. But I didn't grow up with him. I can kill him without a guilty conscience. But with Heaven it's different. I rather think that she can't pull it off!" My hands cramp.

"We can still analyze it that way, Kian. But it doesn't help to know what you're getting yourself into today." I nod and take a deep breath. Then I look over to Estrela who is talking to Julien.

"You have to promise me something, Gabe," I say softly, taking a deep breath. "If I can't make it, you have to be there for Estrela. Don't let it take over her life if I can't make it. Don't let it break her. Don't let it. Be there for her. Support her everything."

"I'll be there for her, Kian. Always. But you're not going to die today, dammit."

"Just promise me. No matter what happens."

"I promise. Don't worry."

"Good."

***

I lean against my car to drive straight to the meeting point where my half-sister will be waiting for me. I wrapped my arms around my girl while she buried her head in my chest. My hands stroke her back up and down in alternating movements. "I love you," I murmur into her hair. Estrela releases something from me to be able to look into my eyes. Tears shimmer in them.

"I love you too, Kian." I smile and kiss her gently on the mouth, tasting the tears rolling down her cheeks. We don't have to say more. These three words are enough to strengthen me and I hope they will too. Because the next few hours she has to be strong too. I reluctantly pull away from her and then get in my car. I don't want to think that it could have been a goodbye. I look at her one last time. Her cheeks are now wet with tears. She smiles lightly at me. My eyes drift to Gabe, who nods at me. And even without having to exchange words with each other, I know that he will keep his promise regarding Estrela. I start the engine and slowly drive away from the hotel. In the rear-view mirror, I see Gabriel pull Estrela into his arms. I shut off my thoughts and try to focus on just one thing; on the mission that awaits me.

My path takes me fifty minutes away from Las Vegas. I pull up in the middle of nowhere at the side of the road behind a black Audi that I assume belongs to Heaven. I get out and grab my gun from the inside pocket of my leather jacket, then knock on the Audi's window. The window goes down and Heaven Costello looks at me with gray-blue eyes. I try to make out other people in the car. But she is alone. "Get in!" she orders me. I look over at my car.

"Can't I follow you?" She twists her eyes.

"What did we agree? You do what I tell you!" I take a deep breath. I admit that I have a hard time following their orders. I don't like being told what to do. Especially not from someone I don't trust very much.

"All right." I pat the roof of her Audi and reluctantly move to the passenger side. "Nice car," I say as I get in. Heaven wastes no time in stepping on the gas with full force so that my body is pressed into the leather of the seat. With a heavy heart I leave my car behind. I don't like that my Ford Mustang is now so lonely on the side of the road, on a highway.

"Stop it! I'm definitely not going to make small talk with you!" I roll my eyes and look at the back seat, on which several guns are lying. I frown at her again.

"Are you planning to storm the place he's staying?" I ask her. I would almost put it to her.

Her gaze wanders from the street to me. "No, that would be pretty stupid. These are weapons that I took. They are only for defense when that's done and then I'm going to run away," she explains monotonously.

"Defense for who?" My curiosity is piqued.

"My father's enemies," is all she answers.

"I suppose he has some." She laughs sarcastically.

"That's putting it mildly, Kian."

"And where exactly are we going now?"

"You'll see." With my questioning I will probably not get very far with her.

"I think Callahan has his eye on you..." I want to tease her a bit. Also, I'm not blind to noticing that Gabe really does admire her a little too much.

"If you don't stop talking right now, I'll kill you," she growls. "Me estás tocando los cojones!" I chuckle to myself at whatever she said. She is very temperamental and easily annoyed. Apparently we have more in common than I thought. Nevertheless, I do her the favor and say nothing for the rest of the journey. Not that she's carrying out her threat.

It's dark when Heaven drives past the driveway of a mansion and steers the car to the back of the property. She stops there and turns to me. "We'll go in from the back because there are cameras up front and we won't come in unnoticed without his men seeing us. That's why you're following me now. Always close behind me. Got it? If you take a different direction than I do, you are fucked up. His men are everywhere and don't hesitate to shoot intruders. Especially not one like you!" That's a really great prospect for me...