Chapter 81 - How oblivious can you be?

POV: Aiden

So... we fucked up.

Years on the job and finally, our carelessness (well mine really) had finally got us in trouble.

As a wise man once said on the internet, we've dun goofed.

Two hours and a bit before...

"COFFEE RUUUUUUUUUNNNNNN­–!"

*WHACK*

"Fucking ow. Why'd you hit me?" I rubbed the back of my sore head and felt tears forming in the corner of my eyes.

"Why the shit are you screaming coffee run in the middle of the day, in the middle of the street?" Nero's face mixture of embarrassment and annoyance, which made me want to irritate him even more.

Because that's what best friends do.

"BECAUSE WE LOVE COFF–"

*WHACK*

"OK I'M SORRY. Fuck." I'm pretty sure I was bleeding at the back of my head.

"I should've just gone straight to the office," Nero grumbled out like an old man.

"Well, sor-rey for trying to cheer you up under this gloomy weather." The grey clouds that were half blocking out the sun shifted so there was no light seeping through. It seemed I had offended them.

"It's the fucking morning. I'm not a morning person. You know that nothing would cheer me up at this time of day, especially not your high pitched screaming."

"Oi, my shouting is not high pitched."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not.

"Oh look it's Starbucks."

"Ooh where?" I frantically looked around for the overpriced stored like a store and a sweat drop formed on Nero's forehead due to my ability to lose interest in something so quickly.

When the store met my sight, I skipped through the entrance while humming. After all, it was Nero's turn to shout this time.

15 minutes later...

"I have no idea how you can down that concoction without vomiting rainbows everywhere." We finally got your caffeine and headed towards Nero's workplace to drop him off. He was looking at my drink with mild disgust as he took sips of his boring drink.

"I don't know what you have against a little sugar. It makes life a little bit sweeter. Probably explains why you're so moody all the time."

Nero ignored the jab and returned a deadpan look. "THAT isn't a little sugar. An ice cinnamon dolce latte is not a little sugar. It is diabetes in a cup."

I raised my plastic cup in cheers. "I'm here for a good time, not a long time."

Nero eye-rolled but don't think I didn't notice his lips twitch up.

A comfortable silence fell among us as we walked down the semi-hectic pathway. The silence was quite common between us whenever we meet. It'd be surprising to anyone who ever heard our conversation over the phone but it might be due to the fact that we know everything about each other and there's really nothing else to talk about. But the silence was never awkward and I really appreciated that. It told us both that we were always comfortable with each other and didn't need words to get along all the time.

"So did you and Erwin hook up yet?"

Seriously, never take silence for granted. Ever.

I punched Nero's shoulder and looked back at the front. "Why are you so adamant– I have not hooked up with my boss. I will never hook up with my boss. You asking everyday will not make it more likely that I will hook up with my boss."

"But I don't see why you're refusing to. Both of you clearly want it."

"You know why it would be a bad idea. The way I want him isn't the same as how he wants me. I'm not doing that to myself."

"And I'm telling you that you both want it the same way–"

"You're just biased. Plus, if he felt the same way, he wouldn't have pretended nothing happened the next day and actually talked to me about it."

"I'm observative. Plus, when have I sugar coated or refused to tell you the harsh truth. And you did the same thing. You could've talked to him first about it but you're a coward."

I was losing so it was time to change the flow of the conversation. "What about you? Have you stopped being a prude and finally kissed him?"

A kick in the ass was what I got. It nearly booted me 3 metres across the footpath. I frown, rubbing my sore ass as he caught up. Such violent tendencies.

"You already know the answer to that you dick."

"But why?"

"Because he doesn't see me like that."

"BULLSHIT HE DOESN'T!" The people around us gave weird looks and Nero looked ready to yeet me onto the road but I quickly apologise and quiet down. "You know, for someone observative, you're really oblivious when it comes to yourself."

"What do you mean?"

Is this man playing stupid or actually stupid? "You guys have been BLATANTLY flirting with each other on and off text."

Red dusted Nero's cheek and he avoided looking at me. "We weren't flirting. Just friendly banter. And if we are flirting, it's purely ironic and a joke."

"... You're shitting me..." This man is just stupid.

"Plus, he flirts with everyone."

"He does NOT flirt with everyone."

"Yes he does."

"No, he's friendly with everyone. He hits on you and you do the same. You guys have a thing for each–"

"We hit on each other because of an inside joke. We always seem to catch each other when checking each other out, so we kind of joke around and compliment each other."

"... right... compliment..."

"It's not flirting."

"It is totally–"

"Aiden, shut up."

"No. I just don't get why you keep pushing away the idea that–"

"No actually shut up. I think we're being followed."

"What?" I came to a stop like an idiot and Nero pulled me forward harshly.

"Don't stop you dimwit," he quietly hissed out, "they'll know we caught onto them."

I regained composure and walked in line with Nero, now on alert. I feel the sensation of eyes on me and I get creeped out. I try to subtly look around to find the culprit but Nero told me to continue looking forward.

"Did you find him?" I whispered out.

"I think so. He's glued to the buildings and keeps going into every alleyway on the way."

"Can you recognise him?"

"Nope. The big, buff man is clearly a lackey."

"Why the fuck are we being followed at..." I looked at my watch. "Nine o three in the morning."

"Fuck I'm late. New plan, we're speed walking to MegCorp."

"We had an old plan?"

"Yeah. It was to confront him and beat him up."

"And when was this plan formed?"

"Two minutes ago."

"Ah, and we're not going through with it because you're late for work?"

"Yep."

"You're a fucking nerd, you know that Nero?"

"Shut the fuck up and walk. Make sure we don't stray from big crowds."

And walk we did. In my head, epic music was playing as we were rushing past the other suited men and the curious tourists. I noticed someone in my peripherals also increase their pace, giving away their identity.

We reached a stoplight crossing and pushed ourselves into a crowd of suited men. They moved out the way quite easily and let us stand in the middle without a hint of annoyance, which should've raised alarm bells immediately. But at the time, we were too busy trying to get away from our stalker to notice the odd behaviours. If they were everyday businessmen rushing to work, they'd either refuse to let us through or scream at us after being let through. People are savages.

"Your plan is to hide among suited men?" Aiden knew that sometimes, his best friends come up with the dumbest plans last minute but this one takes the cake.

"Well, I don't see you thinking of anything better. We use them to hide away and when the light turns green, we split and blend into the shadows."

"You know that will never–UGH!"

Suddenly, there something hard hit me against the back of my head and fall to the ground. My vision blurred and my ears began ringing. The pain was excruciating and I felt myself losing consciousness, but before I lose myself, I frantically look for Nero.

Turned out, he was knocked out called beside me and when I look up, the suited man standing around were looking down on us with either straight lips or evil smiles.

It's then when it hit me that they set a trap and we fell for the trap.

The distaste of being outsmarted never left my mouth as the darkness took over.

Two hours and a bit later...

When we woke up, we were in your stereotypical ordeal. In an old, dingy cell with a single window for light, tied up on a chair (hands tied behind the back of chair, legs bound together, chest wrapped in lanthanum rope), facing the cell bars. We were both covered in dirt and our hairs were ruffled up. Made me question what the hell they did to us while we were unconscious. From our clothes and the lack of pain in our behinds, we weren't raped, thank god but we were definitely roughed up somehow.

On the other side of the bars, there was a large space with cardboard boxes scattered around. There was an entrance into the room but surprisingly, there wasn't a door so you could see out.

And out was an enlarged space. Factory sized space. Old, rusty machines were directly in sight and from this angle, a smashed window that had been previously graffitied could be seen.

We were in an abandoned warehouse or factory of some sort.

"Told you our carelessness was going to get us one day," said a gruff voice.

"More like my carelessness. I'm sorry, Nero." I looked down at my lap in shame.

Nero was close enough to nudge (more like kick) my leg with his foot as he defiantly said, "Get your head out of your ass. Not everything is about you." I glared at him but it was quickly dropped when I see the small smile settled on his features.

"It was both our faults. We both had been careless lately. Plus, how do you know it was your fault when we don't even know who took us here in the first place?"

"Because it usually it is?"

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's– are we seriously fighting like children in a kidnapped situation?"

"Yes. Anyway, how are you doing?"

Just as I finished, Nero winced and I felt my panic rising. "My head's still throbbing. Sometimes it hits real hard. Oh, and this... experience is bringing back some locked up memories to the surface."

Ok, now I'm really panicking. "Holy– I'll try to find a way out of here. I'm sorry. Just bear with it a bit longer. Fuck, where to look, what to–"

My rambling was cut off by the distant noise of footsteps and conversation. Nero and I both look at each other in alarm, suddenly thrown in a timed situation. We could pretend to be unconscious but then there's the chance of being woken up by getting attacked and we'd like to avoid as much damage as we can in this compromising position.

Apparently, they were a lot closer than we thought because before we could figure what we could, two lackeys came in behind two very familiar looking men.

"Brad Killuc." I breathed out. "and friend?" That was said in a questionable tone. I think his friend was at our table that night.

Friend scowled. Friend did not like that.

"Well, well, well. Who would've thought that one day, one of my bitches would be brave enough with our family." Brad tilted his head up to purposefully to look down on us. The angle allowed us to see his nose bush and I almost puked.

"What are you on about? And why is my friend being dragged into this?" I looked at Nero and while on the outside, he looked unaffected, one look into his eyes and I could see he was on the verge of having another panic attack.

Brad started picking his ear like the snob he was. "Oh your friend was with you and since we decided we had to take you today, he kind of just got dragged into it. You know, no witnesses and all. And you know what we're on about."

Yeah, I know what they're on about. After I found out about their nitty gritty details, I leaked it to the uncorrupted officers and law enforcers, so they began digging into them and their activity.

From what I know, the Killucs were quick to catch on that they were being sussed out and somehow, they managed to lose them of their trails.

I didn't know how they figured it was someone else who leaked it, let alone get the right person.

"I'm extremely lost." As if I'd ever admit to my crimes.

Brad rolled his eyes and whistled. One of his lackeys came forward till they were in front of me. Expecting but not being able to do anything, I get slugged against my cheekbones and the chair knocks me onto the floor, left sideways.

Nero called out to me in distress and his struggles against the rope could be heard. I felt blood pooling in my mouth and I spat out as close as to the fucker's shoes as possible.

The lackey jumped back and snarled at me but didn't give me anymore hits. Instead, Bradley took his place and crouched down in front of me. He brought his disgusting finger up to my newly bruising cheek and trailed down it.

"Since you are going to be playing stupid and we don't have time, I'll just tell you what you did. You got the cops after us."

I tilted my head in mock confusion and even though his eyebrows twitched in irritation, he continued speaking.

"You leaked what you heard that night at the club, didn't you?"

"And what makes you say that? That's hardly any evidence."

Brad huffed out a single laugh as if I was asking the most obvious question in the world. "Because you were the only one who was able to get away from a Killuc."

"You saying you kill anyone who comes into contact with your family? That doesn't sound very appealing."

"Please, sure we're the mafia–"

"YOU'RE THE MAFIA?!" Of course, I knew he was the mafia but I had to pretend I'm a helpless, money digging whore.

I got a slap for the exclamation, which was totally uncalled for in my opinion so I don't bother acting scared. Rather, I give him a mean glare instead.

"Don't act stupid. You probably knew about the Killucs."

"Except I didn't. Until now that is. I don't know where you're getting this baseless confidence from."

"I wouldn't be talking back or acting smart, considering your position. I am not below blowing your head off right now," the Killuc snarled out. "Anyway, as I was saying, you knew we're the mafia AFTER that night and out of your good heart, you leaked it to the cops. I don't know how but you coincidentally managed to give the information you heard that night to the right cops. The ones that aren't under our rule."

It is was no coincidence my friend. "You never answered whether you killed all your lays-for-the-night or not..." My mouth had stopped bleeding but my cheek was throbbing harder from the punch and the slap. The blood was also rushing to my head since I was laying down on an awkward tilt on my side due to the chair being another body part of mine.

"Not that it's any of your business, but since you're going to die anyway–"

"HOLD ON!" Nero exclaimed, now struggling even harder to get out of the ropes. Brad's lackeys came behind him and held him down by his shoulders to stop him, which only agitated the other man more. I gave a pleading look to my best friend, in order to avoid any harm to him but he seemed to be ignoring me. I was gonna tell him to settle down when another kick to the stomach got me to wheeze out in pain and gain a major coughing fit. Everyone went quiet after that, including Nero, who looked enraged and apologetic at the same time.

Brad was standing over my body, looking down on me with vexation and no remorse. "If your friend continues to be annoying, I'm going to beat you till death before moving onto him. I find it extremely rude how I was interrupted when I was explaining something out of the goodwill of my heart. Now I want to explain it to you. It's not like you'd listen anyway."

My ignorant façade was dropped to prioritise more important tasks, like getting Nero out of here. And the fastest way to do that is to piss the man off, confess everything and be the sacrificial lamb.

"Stand me up, well more like sit me up but you get what I mean."

"... What?"

"I said sit me up."

Brad growled and curled his fists. "Who do you think you are telling me what to d–"

"I'll fucking talk so sit me up you absolute poor excuse of a human!"