Lea was driving Emily. She was deep in her thoughts while the other was blasting music screaming her tongues out.
They reached her friend's house and dropped her off, turned off the music, and had a silent ride.
She was reminded of everything that happened that day. At a time like these, she was usually alone, dealing with all her emotions, but Aiden came to mind, but all she could do was sigh.
Suddenly a scene flashed through her mind.
---
*From a baby's perspective*
She heard a few shoutings outside, opening a door.
"What are you doing? Come here already!" Screamed a middle-aged man at a little kid in ragged clothes. "Hurry!" he said, with his hand on his apron.
They seemed to be in the back alley of a restaurant.
"Daddy," spoke the small Lea.
The middle-aged man turned in a hurry. "Yes, my sweet angel," he spoke sweetly, it seemed to be her father.
She giggled happily, her eyes catching wind of the other kid.
"Kayn!" She called out with a pretty smile. "Daddy, did you yell at him again?" She pouted.
"No no, I just told him to come eat. It's getting cold."
"Hmm," she stared at him suspiciously. With her cute little feet, she walked to the small table where her father put Kayn's meal with a cute gesture as if she were calling for a cat. "Here, come, it's okay."
Kayn, this time walked a little faster, but keeping eyes on the father. He stood on the opposite side of the table. The little girl chuckled and pushed the plate closer to him which he only stared at.
"Eat," said sweetly as she placed her cheek on her hand with a beautiful smirk. As if he was ordered he started eating, a little too brutal, which she found cute.
The father watched this silently, noticing the kid was looking in his direction from time to time.
"Why are you afraid of Daddy? Did he yell at you?" She asked, not willing to let it go.
The father stared at the other kid waiting for a response. It was also something he was curious about. After all, other than a little yelling calling him to eat he never did anything else. And shouldn't the kid already be used to this? He's always careful every time.
Kayn halted from taking another bite as he heard the question. He raised his head towards the middle-aged man and pointed at him. "Murderer."
The father's eye twitched.
They remained silently staring at each other for a moment. The little girl jumped in. "Don't call daddy bad word," she angrily said as she hit Kayn's shoulder repeatedly making him put down his finger.
But he took that without blinking. The girl suddenly backed away and went to hug her father's leg. "Daddy, it's okay, he didn't mean it."
"You don't see it?" Continued Kayn, not leaving the father's eyes, who looked at him with a head tilt, confused.
"See what?" She asked.
He took a moment. "Blood."
The father's expression changed, his hair stood, eyes darkened.
"Daddy, Daddy?" The little girl noticed something was wrong.
The light came back to the father's eyes. "Yes, baby," his tone slowed down. He squatted and held her by the waist, raising her to hold her in his arms. "We have to go inside," he spoke to her opening the door, taking a step already inside.
"But Kayn…"
He stopped in his tracks. "Kayn must finish his food. He can do that on his own," he turned his head slightly with his back facing him, "right?" his tone changed, coarse and harsh.
The little girl gave Kayn a wave with her hand.
"Let's go, Lea," said her father as he walked in.
Kayn watched them leave silently. He took what was left of the sandwich and left.
This was the last time she saw him again.
He was an orphan with no home or name, who had been fed by this duo for over a year.
---
"Kayn, was that the name I gave him?" she whispered to himself with a slight smirk.
She raised her eyes slightly staring at her house. Her father has not been the same since then. Ever since that happened, for some reason, the word murderer has been sitting on her mind. Curious still about the sudden disappearance of her mother and her father's sudden change. Lea sat her head on the seat, tired. She did everything for the past few years to look into it without her father knowing.
He always said that it was the Azakis' doing. But after so many years of killing their minions and figureheads, she still reached nothing. Nobody knows about it. All they know she disappeared.
Day after day, her trust in her father faded. 'He probably just didn't want to tell me the hard truth. But why? I am already doing everything he would expect of me. Perhaps... No, he loved her,' she smiled creepily trying to force herself on her thoughts, 'he loved her.'
it ate her mind, anxiety filled her heart making her wary of everything and sensible to any subtle behavior. And bit by bit, now she smell the blood of people too. She can notice their smell and differentiate between them. Yet, yesterday was still a first for her.
'No, wait, not just him. The fourth man in the group of friends in the parking lot. He smelled like blood too.'
Lea suddenly held her head, 'Stupid, why didn't notice back then?'
She opened her eyes, 'He was too good at hiding it. For the other, his eyes, he seemed like he didn't need to hide it...' She started biting her fingers. 'But who are these people? They should be new to the city. Were they called by the Azakis?' She started the car, 'I have to check.'
---
A luxury black car reached what looked like a huge mansion.
Few military men and cars stood around the perimeters. Nobody stopped them as they made their way in.
"Why did you get coffee and leave your bike there?" Asked Erik who was driving the car.
"I liked the place, I will come back after this," the man answered sitting in the back with his eyes closed as if he was trying to sleep.
"We're here."
The man opened his eyes slowly, clenching his teeth.
---
In one of the neighborhoods covered by the Azakis.
"Your father is calling," spoke a man, seemingly a bodyguard of the other.
"Fuck him. I am not in the mood. There should be some clubs opened already in the evening here right Aiden?" Asked a tatted man wearing a fancy purple suit.
"Yes sir," it was Aiden, Lea's boyfriend answering and standing behind him. He sent a text to the number who just called.
"Alright let's go, at least this city will be a bit boring for me."
Aiden nodded and followed suit.
---
A car parked a few blocks ahead.
'Nobody should know about me in this club,' Lea's air changed, her eyelids falling halfway on her eyes bringing about her murderous and cold look.
She was suddenly reminded of Aiden, which completely changed her back to normal again. 'I should probably text him in case it takes too long.'
She started looking for her phone as a car passed by her, entering the parking of the huge club.
It was Aiden driving and the purple-suited man in the back.