Chapter 41: Chapter 41

- Promise me

Deila's pov

The corner I stood was the best place I could make myself invisible as I watched James's mum clung to his shirt even as she soaked them with tears. She'd pleaded and pleaded for him to not go, telling him to let the FBI handle it since it involved the cartel, but all fell to deaf ears.

I didn't even bother to convince him from going, I'd do the same for my siblings. He adored Zara, always did and trying to convince him that there could always be other ways to get her back home would be useless. I just wanted him to be safe.

I willed myself to not think in a pessimistic direction. I didn't even want to think of anything bad happening to him. I could worry about that later maybe, not while he was still here.

It seemed like I and Dawn was the only one who understood him wanting to go even though we didn't applaud his decision. I needed to be strong for him. Needed his energy to be the same as he set out to go. He needed the energy cussing through him to survive and come back home to me.

"Since you've made up your mind, then so be it. I sent a message to the FBI about it, they can get cover for you," his father said to him.

"Honey, let him go."

When she didn't, James kissed her forehead and his father rolled her away from him. "Please, honey. He needs you stronger."

"Okay." She sniffed. "Just you come back alive and whole." She held James's hands. "Promise me to get Zara and yourself to safety then come back. We still have that treatment to try out. Promise me you and Zara would go with me to my next doctor's appointment."

"I promise, ma"

He strolled to where I stood.

"Phew. That's over and done with. They're all acting as if I'm going to die in a war. " He rolled his eyes.

Trust him to joke with an eye roll at a time like this. If I could act on what I wanted my reaction to be right then and there, I'd be smacking his head before walking out.

I rolled my eyes also. "Plaudits for being a joker at a time as perfect as this."

"Oh c'mon, baby," he cooed planting a kiss on my lips. "I didn't mean it that way."

"Just promise me to keep your mother's promises."

"I'll. I love you. Don't even think for a moment this is goodbye. I'm coming back for you."

Resting my forehead to his, I shut my eyes and caressed his jaw.

"Bye." My voice hoarsely shook. Shit no. Hold it right there, I willed myself.

"Not bye. Break an arm."

He broke away to hug his dad who was doing a good job holding back the tears that swam in his eyes, kissed his mum once more, hugged Dawn, my mum, Sia, and then clasped Mr. Timothy —who'd tagged along—on the shoulder with a tight smiled.

One minute he was at the door and the next he was gone.

Every expressionless face in the room forced small smiles to not be downers, but we knew. We all knew we were scared for both Zara and James. I looked at each one of the parents' faces, they were part of a silly cartel group and had dragged us into it—just then my face started to express the feelings I'd to put off, irritation, anger.

How could they've decided for a 4 months old child in her mother's womb? How could they've looked at a 2-year-old boy and decided to play with his life? I was angry. Angry for me and James. Angry for my siblings that I knew had no idea about what they were born into. Angry for Zara that had been dragged into something she didn't even know of.

"Mum, Dad." They turned to face me with blatant faces.

"I know. James told me. How could you both?" I turned to face Mr. Martin and Mrs. Martin. "How could you both? What in the hell were y'all thinking?"

"Watch your language young lady." My mum rose, walking to where I was.

I snickered. "So in all my wondering and questions, it's my language you're bothered about?" I snickered again.

"Look Dei-"

"What is she talking about dad, mum?" Dawn asked them.

"Yeah, just what does she mean?" Sia imputed.

"I'll leave you to answer your kids," I stressed the last word. "Going home."

Dawn placed his hands on mine, stopping me. "Wait. I'm coming with you."

"Don't you want to hear?" I asked as he fell alongside me.

"I overheard you and James talking. I'm not sorry, the shock I got leaves no room for that." He said it loud enough for my parents to hear and I heard my mum sigh.

When we got home, I went up straight to my room and stayed up there doing something I hadn't done in years— praying. I prayed for James and Zara. Begged God that if he kept them I'd pray more often. I was still in the middle of praying when Dawn barged into my room.

He looked appalled, his face was as raged as his whole demeanor. He paced around the room for minutes, and I sat there watching him in fear. What had happened? Something had happened to James. Something really bad to have made Dawn act so cynical.

"Dawn," I whispered. "Don't tell me-"

"No, it's not James or Zara. I haven't heard from them." He began to pace again, placing his index finger on his mouth thoughtfully.

"Dawn!"

He shook startled at how my voice rose. "Yes?"

"Tell me now, what's it that got you acting like a maniac?"

"Trust me Dei, if you knew, you'd act worse."

"That's why I'm asking, 'cause I want to know dammit," I said through joint teeth. He was starting to irk me. Everyone just seemed to be dramatizing the delivery of news. "Just say it."

"Let me start with telling you I and James had a history with Nathaniel from a clubhouse we used to frequent. He did us dirty one time."

"What? I always thought James knew him, but you too?"

"Yes, me too. Remember that day after I and James discovered that there was a snitch down at the SAP accounts?"

I nodded yes only because he was waiting for me to answer.

"Well, Dad had permitted us to investigate, as you know and James wanted to interview the head accountant of the SAP account. It happened to be that the man left the country, he probably knew his fraudulent acts were already discovered. But we tracked him down to his house to see he lived in a mansion that he normally could've afforded from his salary here, except he has a sick wife that needed time two of his salary every month for her Hepatitis treatment. We knew at once he was working for somebody."

"A rival company. "

He shook his head, his face so unrelenting. "Not a rival company. James had a hunch that it was a person inside Barbson Empire, so we hired a professional hacker that I knew to be the best way back from college. We listed out some pressing names to him. After we checked their office laptops because we've premium access to it, we found nothing, as expected, so he hacked into their social media accounts with the hope that the culprit would be foolish enough to leave evidence on it. There were several names so the hacker just found out now."

"Found what out?"

"Take a guess." He clicked his tongue. "Nathaniel Timothy has ties to Woods, the head accountant. There's a chat between them were Nat blackmailed him into agreeing to something. The hacker picked up on it to hack into Nathaniel's phone and found various credit alerts for huge sums. It took two and two to add up, Nat's a snitch."

I was dumbfounded, gaping at him openly. Nat? The charming Nat? This was why I had issues trusting nice people.

But you were starting to trust him, my subconscious reminded me.

Yes, I was.

"That's not all sis. I don't know why I did, I just wanted answers. I went back to the security room and found the footage we had already watched... The one of the fucker that scared you that night at the office. It was very intentional and that person was going to act before they scurried away when James approached—I bet they heard James's footsteps. I looked more closely this time, not just at the hair color, hundreds of Empire employees are blondes and not just the suit color, it was the normal grey one I even wore that day. I noticed the head movement, the side of the person's face, I noticed the shoes, the height, the width of the person. It was Nat."

The last revelation one got me than the first. That encounter gave me nightmares for weeks, kept me at alert till the very last day I stepped foot into that office. I couldn't get over the cynical laughter. The sound still brought goosebumps to my skin anytime I remembered it. The darkness in the room that day was another thing. The repeated thumping. How the doorknob didn't bulge. The whole occurrence was like out of a movie scene.

And this all pointed at Nat. Nat who brought me tea every morning, Nat who I sat and talked to, Nat who I brought to my friends and had issues with James for hitting him, Nat who'd almost confessed he loved me.

My system churned as I took in all that Dawn had said. He could've easily killed me if he wanted, maybe poison the coffee or choke me at the empty driveway of the office. And then I remembered how weird he acted sometimes. The way he was persistent I go on a date with him was alarming, then how he'd showed up in my office after he'd stood there waiting for minutes.

It fitted well. He was a psycho with a plan all along, to extort the Empire. If I'd been foolish enough to trust him more than I did, he would've gotten closer to me, extort information, and then extort more money.

Phew, I sighed mentally in relief that I hadn't succumbed.

"What are going to do about this? Have you told mum and dad?"

"We aren't letting him go free, that's for sure. I'd tell dad. I thought to tell you first. I'm still pissed at the old man for deciding my life and birthing me into some cartel shit."

"You weren't the one they betrothed." I rolled my eyes.

"Thankfully, or I'd have killed somebody's daughter to elope with the love of my life."

"Asshole," I mumbled under my breath.

"Hey, I heard that."

"You were meant to."

He plumped on my bed, laid his head back on the bed, and shut his eyes. There was a moment of silence stretch.

"I'm happy for you." I poked him.

He smiled. "I'm happy for you too."

"Oh, eavesdropper." My lips twitched.

"He'd better not mess with you or I'm coming for his di-"

I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could finish. "Same goes for you if you mess with Lari, I don't care if you're my brother. And the same goes for Lari."

"Lari?" He chuckled. "Lari doesn't have a dick, I've explored enough to know."

"Eww. Go out of my room and do so now. Go tell dad about that snitch you caught in the ditch."

"It also goes for you too." He didn't have to specify what he was talking about, I knew. "I love that you're my sister, just don't hurt him again please, if not, you'll have to live life without me." He winked waking to the door.

"Ah-ah. That's gonna be a fun-filled life. But let's get Nat where it hurts the most first, then I can live without you."

"You know you can't."

I let it go because it was useless arguing. He knew I couldn't and yes I couldn't. Even when he'd act like an ass, my brother was the best I could've ever ask for and needed. He was too much sometimes and overall he was annoying, but I loved him. Him annoying me once in a while or every time as he did was what I needed to remember the blessing of having siblings. My siblings were everything to me.

The thought of two siblings been held by a group of thugs was plastered on my head as I wore my leather jacket and boot, then made my hair into a bun.

I could only hope that James and Zara were fine, but one thing was sure, I was going to make Nat pay for every penny he took from us.