"That b**tch! What exactly does she think she is?" Carmella cussed for the umpteenth time, glaring down at the school's web as she was been driven back home. The news was all over the school web. Carmella was only lucky the school news was restricted only to the students. Her reputation would've been in ruins - not like it currently wasn't. "A newbie at that." Victoria added.
Reece, being the quiet one kept her gaze out of the window, not wanting to interfere. The girl had intrigued her. Truth to be told, she loved the new girl. There was finally someone who could take on Carmella. "What's that lame name of hers again?" Carmella asked. "Arlene." Victoria replied enthusiastically. She has always wanted to garner Carmella's attention.
"Reece, I want everything about that loser by tomorrow." Carmella ordered. Reece could only nod. "No one has ever irked me this much, argh!" Carmella spat with a spiteful voice.
"Hey, why don't you call Zayde?" Victoria suddenly suggested. "He should've known." She added. Carmella fiddled her fingers for some time. "You know he doesn't like me disturbing him with stuffs like this." She said with a pout. "This isn't some petty stuffs, Carmella. That girl almost gave you a migraine for f**ck sake!" Victoria persuaded in a cajoling manner.
"Don't yell at me like that!" Carmella shot immediately, causing Victoria to flinch.
"I'm sorry, I was only trying to..."
"Blah blah blah, yeah, I'm calling him already." She cut her short with her words, accompanied with an eyeroll. Victoria quietly leaned back on her seat, letting her eyes roam about to reduce the awkward atmosphere she'd just created. Zayde's phone picked up after three rings. "Give the phone to Zayde." Carmella blurted out immediately, not wanting the person at the other end to speak. It was almost like she knew who it was already.
Jove rolled his eyes at the other end. "Zayde is really busy now, Carmella. Tell me what you want or I'll simply hang up." "Whenever I call, he's always busy. Even when I visit, he's still busy. Can't he make time for me? Please Jove, this is very serious." She whined, trying to create an effect. "What exactly do you want?" He asked. "I want to speak to Zayde." Jove gave an irritated huff. "I told you he's..."
"Who is it?" A voice asked from the background, causing a smile to appear on Carmella's lips.
"Zayde! It's me... Carmella!" She yelled from the other end, trying to reach Zayde's hearing. "What does she wants?" Zayde asked, ignoring her while wiping his hands. "Said she wants to talk to you." Jove replied, extending the phone towards him. Letting out an inaudible frustrated sigh, a sliver of displeasure crossing his eyes, he reached for the phone. "What is it, Lanwood?" His cold voice came, the excitement from him finally speaking to her vanishing at that instant. Carmella felt all her words suddenly dry up. After some struggles trying to find her words, she finally spoke up. "Zayde, I...I was hit today. Some useless w**ore threw me to the floor and had me hit my head on a wooden board."
Victoria gasped on impulse. With a strong glare from Carmella and a look that spelt trouble, Carmella continued. "I've treated the injury but the migraine seems to worsen." She whimpered with a sniff.
There was a long silence on the other end.
"Have you told the truth?"
Fear gripped her. Could he have known? "Yes! I could even swear." He handed the phone over to Jove. "Send some money into her account." He said, walking out of the room and heading to a darker one from where he'd earlier emerged. The sharp strides which his boots gave off, made the kneeling man raise his bloodied face. His body had been battered and torn with whips which had metal spikes on 'em. The man seemed unbroken...yet.
"Ready to talk?" Zayde asked, walking up to the man, his black coat sweeping the floor, giving him a look of a god who's come to place judgement on the people.
The man gave a smirk which made him look like a maniac. "What do you expect? You're new to this business while I trained your father. Being famous in the Mafia-dom does not in any way guarantee you unbeatable. Try as you may, I'll say no words and if I die, your loss." The man said, breathing heavily. Zayde simply sat at a corner, his legs crossed over each other, calmly twirling the cigar he held between two fingers. "So you prefer death to giving me my answer?" "I rather die than succumb to your demands. Such belittlement!" He spat. Zayde seemed amused, though his face gave off nothing. He stood to his feet, strolling towards the man, each stride, ominous and intentional. "If it's your pride you're nursing, then you really do have something up there. You know I can get my answer and you'll still die, don't you?" "Don't you dare involve my family!" Zayde's eyes lit up for a flash of second.
"As someone who'd spent most of his life as a Mafia I wasn't thinking stuffs like that should bother you. Ask Jove to bring them in." He ordered, walking over to his rack of assorted arms. He took a pistol and loaded it. Soon enough, a woman was dragged in with her two kids, each wailing loudly. The man's eyes popped in surprise - that was not possible! He flew his family out of the country yesterday and was freaking sure they'd arrived. "How...how did you get them?" He stuttered, gaping at his children. "I believe the question should be, 'are you willing to talk yet'?" Zayde corrected, corking the gun and handing it over to one of his men. "No! No, please. Don't do this. I..." The man pleaded.
"Pull."
There was a bang and one of the kids dropped dead. Darold shifted his aim to the man's wife. "Ready?" Zayde called, the least moved by the man's wife's pleading.
"Fernando." The man called hastily. "What's that? A dog? Pull." His voice came again.
Another shot was heard and his wife dropped dead. "Just kill me already." The man wailed. Just before his eyes, he had lost two of his family members and was about to lose the third.
Zayde clicked his tongue in subtle annoyance. "You'll die later. Patience. Now this would be my last question: Who is he?"
"Fernando McMontr."
"Pull." Zayde's voice surprisingly came. "But I told you his name!" "When I'd asked who he was, I didn't literally mean his name alone. You should know how it's done, Papa. You made me ask another question - What Clan does he belong to?" Zayde asked leisurely. "Mildorph's Clan." He trembled. He was doomed already. Zayde felt bored, but certainly didn't show it.
"I would've spared you," Zayde started, leaning away from the wall and walking towards the man to squat in front of him. "But I don't spare people who waste my time. Happy reunion." He said and stood, exiting the room. His men knew what to do already.
"I've sent the money." Jove said immediately he came out, trailing behind him. "Didn't ask for that." He pulled off his gloves and threw it into the bin, walking over to his wine booth. Jove giggled at nothing in particular, taking a bottle of wine for himself. He held his tongue and watched as Zayde poured himself a drink. Feeling it was finally the right time, he blurted out almost immediately. "Why would you ask if she was telling the truth? I mean, yeah, it's pretty difficult to decipher her lies from the truth because they are similar, but I thought you already saw the video. Why bother asking her?" Having known Zayde the longest, he knew when Zayde had something up his sleeve and this was possibly one of those times. Zayde twirled the wine glass between his fingers and after some time, brought it to his lips to take a sip, his gaze travelling far, out the window. After what seemed like ages, he finally stood to his feet, the glass clinking as it made contact with the counter-like surface. Jove had simply been quiet, still waiting for Zayde's reply. If one really wanted to get a word from Zayde, Jove would say, then one had to be overly calm; annoyingly patient, but that was impracticable compared to Zayde. He was literally the calmest being one would ever come across.
"I'll go to school tomorrow." Zayde said out of nowhere, causing Jove to spurt his drink on impulse. Jove gawked at Zayde with an unbelievable expression. "Why?" He managed to ask. Zayde's last appearance in school was three weeks ago and before then, he'd only come to school for a few hours before leaving. It was almost as if he never was attending college; the sole reason for his excellent performance being a mystery. There was a lightning-speed flash of emotion in Zayde's eyes; one would only barely notice when staring intently. "We'll know when we get there." Came his curt response. He threw a quick glance at Jove who still sat with his mouth slightly open. "Should I let you savour your moment or you're ready to leave?" Zayde asked, heading for the door. Jove shook his head to clear his muffled mind and rushed towards Zayde. "Could you at least give me a clue as to the reason? Please?" Jove pleaded, tugging on Zayde's arm. Zayde slipped his hand off Jove's hold and walked to the car. "You should know by now that such tricks no longer work on me. Get in." He ordered, holding the car door open for Jove. Jove stepped in begrudgingly, muttering lowly with a pout. Damon walked up to Zayde with a key. He took it and slipped into the driver's seat. "Handle the rest." He ordered, shutting the car door beside him. He ignited the engine and sped off, the gate automatically locking itself. He took a quick glance at the rearview mirror and met Jove sulking expression. Ignoring him, he took his gaze back to the road - Jove could keep the face as long as he wanted.