Author's Rant: I'm gonna be apologizing for a long ass time for being so late with my updates. But if anyone is still reading this, please enjoy!

Unpleasant Surprises

I thought rushing here would be the best idea, believing Pegasus had the right to know about the drastic changes in his plan. My head felt ready to split in two from all the anxiety and panic absorbed in my brain. Being in the same mansion as this man had a way of reducing you to ashes, but being in the exact same room? It's a whole otherworldly experience.

I was having second thoughts now as I clasped my hands between my thighs and stared off at the carpet patterns under my feet. Yugi wouldn't be awake this late into the night. If I saw him, I wasn't sure I'd be able to let him go, especially since he had a way of making me feel like a hero in the direst situations.

The curtain peeled away in the back of the office slowly drifted back into place where Pegasus stood watching over the spread of his property. He hadn't mentioned a whole lot after my admission on what went down between me, Atem and Yami. In fact, he wasn't all that pissed as I'd expected him to be, but this was Pegasus, the richest man in Domino. Maybe why I felt so damn offhanded is from the aura pushing from him like the early quakes of thunder.

I chanced a glance up and almost fell off the couch. He was looking right at me, gold eyes as intense as a tiger downwind. I sucked in so hard my chest tightened and I gave a rough cough to force the air in my lungs. The contraction hurt a little and the blood on the bed of my tongue left a metallic taste in my mouth.

Thick saliva leaked from the corner of my mouth. I wiped it away with the pad of thumb, cursing. Was I so piss-scared I started drooling? It was hard to tell in this dark room.

"A slight setback, but nothing entirely unexpected," Pegasus's deep voice carried in the quiet room. "If Atem is just figuring out about the leaks I have planted in his stronghold, then he's not as observant as he assumes."

I coughed again and sniffled. "He says he's known about you for a while," I softly insist. "Which means he hasn't just found out. What's worst, he's even amused by it. Nothing about you scares him. Which makes me wonder what the point of this is if the plan is to put him and Yami in their place."

Pegasus chuckled. "The point was never to put those two in their place, but to tame them. I have no intentions of taking away their authority, but bending it to my will. However, this poses more of a problem."

He sure as hell didn't sound like he was too worried about this supposed problem. How can he still be so calm over this like he'd just spilled milk on the floor? I shook my head and sighed into my hands. Pegasus stepped from the window and came to relax in the leather chair behind his desk. A sliver of moonlight fell in heaps around him as if the universe knew how important of a man he was.

"My predictions were a smidge off on what their intended plans were, but if what Atem plans is for Yami assume the position of the Red Eyes new leader, he desires the added power to dethrone me."

I couldn't help myself from staring at Pegasus like he'd lost his mind. "Dethrone you? You talk like the three of you run some kind of kingdom. That's a city out there full of innocent people who have a mayor who's good enough to handle things on his own. These gangs don't do anything except cause mayhem. They all have their own agendas, even you I'm sure. You can't convince me the only reason you started the Mediums was strictly to act as the good guy. You have more pull then a politician."

"Yet you came to me and asked to join my establishment for your own reasons."

"If you know that, why even allow me to join?"

"Because I don't care to know what your reasons are, but what you'll do to achieve them. It's a win-win bargain, you see. It's simple when broken down. I want Atem and Yami forced into submission, you want revenge and perhaps more for what was bestowed upon your brother and grandfather. In the end, our goals relate to the same cause."

I hunkered back on the couch. I'd been on edge since arriving, and now, whatever fight or nerves I had bottled up seemed to spill through my feet. "I want out of this place. I hate bein' here. My family deserves better this fucked up city and it's fucked up anarchy." I cut my eyes at the man behind the desk. "What's my next mission?"

Pegasus didn't miss a beat retrieving a new folder out of his desk as if anticipating the instant the question would be asked. He placed it on top of his desk and slid it forward into my side of the dark room.

I pushed up to my feet and went to grab it. Oddly, it felt lighter than usual and when I flipped it open, to my surprise, it was empty, save for a blank sheet of white paper. I looked up at Pegasus with all the confusion in the world.

He nodded to my silent question. "Fine out who the current Red Eyes leader is. You're on your own this time."

I slammed the folder on his desk. "How the hell do you expect me to do that? Those two don't trust me!"

"Make them trust you. Any further instructions on my end will be forced out of you. You can't act on what I have written now that you know that they're onto you. You won't focus. Concentration can be achieved, but only through your own efforts."

"They won't trust me," I tell him again, even stronger. "Yami already believes I have some hidden goal behind trying to get with them. And Atem treats this whole ordeal like it's some kind of game. He'll dispose of whoever is in his way!"

"Make them trust you," he counters in a sterner tone. "I wouldn't place this burden on your shoulders if I didn't think you were capable."

"How can you be so confident that I won't fuck this up?"

"You're still breathing aren't you?"

I stiffened. That look in his eyes came from nowhere. I glared angrily at him before turning on my heel to leave. I'm still breathing? So he thinks he can willfully play with my life like that? Son of a bitch didn't know who the hell he was messing with.

"Sounds like you've got yourself in a real pickle, kid." Dr. Fudo lit his third cigarette outside the café we finished eating from. I dropped head my head back against the wide window, blinking at the bright humid morning. "I told you joinin' Pegasus would fuck with you. Now, you're stuck in a dilemma between that fool and those other two dicklings"

I didn't have the energy to tell him to fuck off. He was the only source of familiarity Pegasus didn't know about and I needed the bridge of that to keep me rooted. I closed my eyes, angling my head to the side to see his profile edged with a carefree scowl. If only I can feel that way again myself. I'd kill for that feeling.

"I don't regret my decision," I told him.

"Sure ya do." Dr. Fudo dusted off the end of his smoke and continued. "Otherwise why offer to buy my breakfast? Regret's shittin' outta your ass, kid. And you're gonna have a whole lot more tacked on ya if you manage to live through it."

"I just need to find out who the Red Eyes Leader is. I don't need to do anything more than that."

Dr. Fudo snorted. "Then what? You find the man, blow his brains out and walk away with a clear conscience? It's not in you to murder. You're not a killer."

"I know that. I don't plan on bein' the one who pulls the trigger."

"Will you be fine with watchin' it happen? The Red Eyes boss is still human despite his shortcomings. Probably married with a kid, and donates to charities and shit."

"Not my problem."

The doctor smirked at that, and placed the cigarette back to his lips, sucking the heavy smoke from the stick before exhaling it in the air. "It'll be your problem. One thing you better remember is, once you're in the Blue Eyes, fake or otherwise, it's for life. You can't walk away from that life like you seem to think. The same goes for the Reds and Mediums. Pegasus isn't gonna let you walk away from this. You know too much, seen too much. If it got out how dirty he was, you think so many of his kiss-ass fans will wanna keep praisin' 'im?"

I'd . . . somewhat thought about all of what he said after the fact. I'm too neck deep in this mess to consider getting it out of it. Pegasus knows I'm not in this for the life haul. He should. I never once said I was in it or the idea of playing his lap dog for keeps. And still, when or if I did convince Atem to allow me into his happy band of idiots, how the fuck was I supposed to get out? The Blues and Reds played by the same rule. The only way out was with a one way bullet to the head.

Damn. I shut my eyes again, cupping my face.

A rough hand cupped my shoulder and jogged me from my mental panic. Dr. Fudo waited until I looked up at him before blowing smoke in my face. "You ain't lookin' too clean around the eyes, brat. You on drugs?"

I blinked. "Hell no. I don't touch the stuff."

"Hmm, something's got you lookin' like a Jack Skeleton impersonator. Better start eatin'." He dropped his spent cigarette on the ground, stomping the blazed end to ashes. "Come by next Wednesday for a checkup."

"Why can't I come now?"

Dr. Fudo scowled at me like the answer was obvious. "Because I said next week. I got business to do this whole week. Next week I'm off and whether someone's dyin' of a heart attack or puking green blood, I don't plan on goin' in. Next week is best. I got shit to deal with that damn brat of mine and other stuff." With that said and a ruffle of my hair, the good doctor turned down the opposite end of the sidewalk and started off to his house.

He didn't say good bye. Then again, he never does. I'm glad. I never say good bye to him either. Just means I'm going to see him again.

When I came back to school, the halls and classrooms barely held a single Red Eye member. I spotted a handful of them who were braving the odds thinking they could slink in undercover, but even the pride of being a Red Eye Spade revealed itself in the most subtle form. A red undershirt, a red diamond ring, necklace, wristband or socks.

It never worked. Never. They were always found, always tortured and killed. The teachers weren't much help, skipping over the names of those killed like it was another day at the beach. I spot a ton of empty desks in my classes lately and no one comments on it. They're filled with new students, either protected by the Mediums or wearing small mark of the Blue Eyes.

Atem had the halls swarming with his men and since his arrival the Blue Eyes population has more than tripled in size. I can't turn a corner without seeing a huddle of them stuffed in the corner doing God knows what.

With the next corner, came an intense sense of déjà vu. There's a stairwell leading upstairs and to the left, a peek of legs and backsides. I counted three, no four Blue Eyes crowding under the stairs and if I hadn't heard that squeal, I would've kept walking. A pink and blue tennis kicked out. It's all the proof I needed and all I could stand to watch.

This day already started off shitty. Adding the load of catching these jackasses raping another girl was only going to add fuel to the fire. Consequences be damned if there was ever a better way to release some steam, this was the best option.

Dropping my backpack on the floor, I slid my feet along the tile floor, pushing back my sleeves. They didn't hear me coming from the girl's muffled screaming or their sickening lust grunts. I crept around, two were on the floor near her legs, the others hidden in the crook of the stairwell. I grabbed the two closest to me by their collar and dragged them in a rush too quick for them to realize what was happening until they slammed into the opposite wall.

Curses flew and so did my fists. The girl scrambled deep under the stairs, pushed herself as far away from the chaos about to unfold. I didn't give the other two a chance to come avenging their pals. The first one caught the heel of my foot across his face. I side stepped the fourth guy trying to take a lunge at my legs and swung my leg around to slam the center of his back.

My heart pounded, senses so intense the slightest breeze set me on edge. One was knocked out cold from the slam, but the other three were starting to stagger to their feet. Footsteps drew my attention minutely from the trio coming for me. The girl took off, which was best in both of our favors. I didn't need any witnesses or anyone getting in the way.

My leg retracted back and into the head of the grunt raising to his knees. Blood speckled where his head bounced off the floor. Before I could stomp a hole in his head, one of them took a round house swing that looked like something from a black and white film, it was so damn slow. I jumped back, sliding against the floor, hand position behind me to keep from colliding with the stairwell.

A thin cut split the edge of my shirt collar. I glared at the son of bitch that nearly got me. He had a box cutter held out. That attack was aimed at my damn throat.

"You got some damn nerve buttin' in on our fun. Who da' hell are you supposed to be?" He sneered, straightening his back.

I stood my ground, and let out a short breath that flipped my banes from my eyes.

"You play baseball, basketball and checkers for fun," I pointed out, sizing him and the others with disgust. "But if you're so goddamn mad, do something 'bout it instead of beatin' your gums."

"You ain't said nothin' but a word partna'!" The flunky behind Box Cutter Boy flung himself out of nowhere, spinning a three foot metal chain.

One shake and turn and I narrowly dodged the tip stabbing through my head. The chain returned and shot out again, wrapping around my right bicep. I yanked the owner straight into my fist, grinning when the crack of bone echoed out loud. He howled like a struck dog, crumbling to the floor cradling his jaw.

"I'm not done wit' cha' yet!" I blew the rest of his face into a broken heap with the front of my foot and watched him fall the rest of the way on the floor, unconscious. I pushed my hair out of my face before beckoning the last two to come get it.

They bombarded me at once, Box Cutter rushing from the left and the other one producing a— "Shit!" I fell back on my side and crawled on my hands and knees to escape being pistol whipped.

My chest tried to pound of my chest. What the hell was this idiot thinking? Even I knew having a gun at the school meant immediate incarceration.

"Ha, guess you ain't so tough now, are ya?"

"Like hell," I stood up, dusting off my pants. "But I'm not stupid enough to fight a gun."

"That's right." He held up the gun, trigger hand poised at the ready. The barrel wagged in the air as the owner spoke. His partner on the side had a face swarming with sweat. Guess he knew the consequences of possessing a gun. The school board committee were the last ones he needed to worry about. "Why don't you lay down on the floor and spread eagle for me? Gotta make up for loss pussy."

Box Cutter seemed to like that idea more than killing. I sure didn't. I rolled my eyes. "You'd be better off shootin' me, guy. I wouldn't bend over for the Pope if he asked."

"Fine by me." The Gun Slinger called my bluff, lifting the gun at eye level. All it'd take is a gentle squeeze and at this close range, brain matter would graffiti the school walls. But it wasn't a bluff. I'm so far gone today, I don't know where my common sense went.

I tilted my head to the side. "Now that you got it drawn, are you willin' to use it?" I drew an X between my eyes and pointed at the space. "Right here, go for it."

The gunman hesitated, probably assuming I'd lost my mind la la land. No, not the case. I took one step toward him. He kept the gun up, but his fingers were quivering.

"Go ahead, bitch. Pull the damn trigger, take me out," I whispered like I knew him from a breaking the sheets. Before he knew it, I had my hand clasped around his and the gun. My lips touched the side of his face, and as I grinned, I blew in his ear, "What are you waitin' for? I'm right here."

"Fuck this," he shoved away from me, and this close, I wasn't fast enough to miss the barrel slapping across my face.

The unmistakable click of the gun's release mechanism venomously akin to what had to be the gun's hammer slipping beneath a thumb. My heart leapt into my throat, unable to swallow past the anger, regret and stupid courage glued there.

It took a minute to notice that not only had the gun not gone off, but the fellows before me weren't even paying any attention to me. I cocked my head around, holding my throbbing cheek. Maybe I should count my blessings that Yami and Atem weren't pointing their guns at me with the look of shadow demons ready to slaughter a town.

Yami emerged from the draping shadow first, dressed in his full uniform like me, and .9mm gripped tight in his hand.

"Eh, what's up, boss?" Box Cutter stuttered, smiling uneasily. I carefully tucked away his weapon and held up his hands. "We caught this dude here fuckin' around with us—"

The gun clicked. He shut up right away. Yami walked up, disregarding my presence for the two in front of me.

"You know what this is don't you?" Yami whispered so low and lethal, my insides twisted. He pressed the gun barrel between the Box Cutter's eyes.

The shivered, eyes crossing at the potential bullet inside the hole. The front of his pants dampened, and the smell of urine fell the air. I wrinkled my nose.

"That's right, be scared. Get down." Yami pushed the gun hard to coax the guy down on his knees. "All the way down!" To his stomach, hands and legs spread apart.

The other with the gun had the nerve to do the stupidest stunt on earth. He turned the gun on Yami. "What da' fuck is this shit? We're Blue Bloods! You should have that gun pointed on him!"

A pair of new Retro Jordans stepped into the light and the owner looking like the cat who stole the canary dipped in cream. Atem loudly sucked his lips around a bright red lollipop, while his other hand casually tossed a small handgun up and down. His uniform jacket flapped open, displaying his untucked white undershirt and spiked leather belt.

"Bobby, Bobby, Bobby," Atem drawled tiredly, shaking his head. "How many times I gotta tell ya 'till it sinks in? Business before pussy, yeah? Money's not bein' made rapin' girls."

"Rape? I don't rape. A no is the same yes—"

Yami's gun slams into the back of Bobby's head. The kid dropped to his knees, holding the back of his head, shouting violently. The gun spun across the floor and stopped at my feet.

"You get a kick out of rapin' huh?" Yami dropped his foot on the side of Bobby's head. "You think that's fine? You like forcing yourself on somebody? Answer me!"

"N-no, sir."

"That's right. Get your dumb ass up."

Bobby struggled to place his hands under his chest and pushed up. Yami's foot flew under his chin. I'd never thought I'd hear a man sound so much like a strangled animal before I saw Bobby flopping on the floor, hugging his cracked face.

"I said get up!" Yami demanded. "Get the fuck up before I lay you out for good!"

Bobby moved as fast as a guy could without the use of his hands, legs wobbling all over the place while he tried to plug the spill of blood out of his mouth and nose.

Atem gave a shitty grin, watching from the background, lips wrapping around the candy pop. "Seems like I'm not needed here." Then he looked at me, eyes half-mast. "I gotta tell ya, Pretty Boy, you got some brass between those thighs. If you got a death wish, all you gotta do is ask. I'll be happy to grant it."

"Fuck you," I sighed, crossing my legs. "Why the hell are you two here anyway? I can handle them."

"Yeah, I can't argue with logic." Atem shrugged his shoulders and sucked on the candy some more. "Don't get the wrong idea though. All these four do is cause trouble. The last thing I need is that bitch squealin' to Pegasus about bein' raped."

"She was raped."

"Not if she asked for it." Atem discarded the candy pop off on the floor, watching in silence while Yami went over scolding their men. My head wasn't even there anymore, too distracted by what the hell Atem just said.

I shook my head. "The hell you mean if she asked for it?"

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "That's how they can get into the Blue Eyes. Same with the Red Eyes. Unless they come recommended, outside bitches gotta be train wrecked. They do it for protection from us or to be included in the family. Guess she didn't get that memo."

"That's stupid."

"That's life. And your opinion. That Eboni chick had it comin' when she came begging me for protection."

I cut my eyes at him.

He shrugged. "I may have left out a few details."

"He doesn't seem too keen on the idea of raping girls." I nodded my head toward Yami. He hadn't let up on them and started on beating them with more than us words. His gun slapped across their faces a handful of times as did his feet. "I'm sidin' with him on this."

"He's got his reasons. Anyway, walk with me, talk with me." Atem beckoned me to follow as if he didn't expect me to do otherwise. I almost didn't just to spite him, but I'm man enough to owe him a bit of my time. He saved me from getting myself killed.

Now that my common sense came rolling back in, I saw how foolish my actions were. It shouldn't have taken a fucking Blue Blood to make me see the idiocy of my ways.

"You're dumb as fuck, ya know that?"

"Yeah," I agreed, scowling off to the side. "What'd cha wanna talk about?"

Atem walked ahead of me, with one hand in his pocket and the other scratching at his hair. "Shit, I need a shampoo. Anyway, look, I already told ya not to get it twisted. I could give your Mama's shit about you dyin', but I got a thing for courage. Anybody who can look death in the face and say fuck it, is cool by me."

Was I stuck in the twilight zone or something? "It can't be that easy," I grumbled more to myself than him.

Atem heard me anyway. "Nah, it's not. I was enjoyin' watching you make a fool of yourself. A bullet to your head would've added flavor, but I gotta follow by my old man's street code. Tic for Tac, ya know? You save me, now I saved you."

I froze like a douse of cold water had been washed over me. My only leverage on this dude just went out the window. "I didn't ask you to save me," I countered. "You did that on your own accord."

"Same as when you decided to tell me about Shadi being shady behind my back? Truth be told if I hadn't, I would've been indebted to your family—"

"I don't have a family." I told him right away.

That gave Atem pause as he considered me close out of the corner of his eye. He slowed his stride until he matched my pace. "Yeah, I did a little investigating on your background. Not a trace of Muto blood elsewhere. Alone, huh?"

"I'm cool with that. Have been for a long time." It's amazing how easily the lies rolled off my tongue like that.

"Red Eyes?"

"No." I stopped walking, causing him to look at me hard. "Why the interest?"

"In your past life? None, but the kind of person you are after the fact is what I'm looking for."

Just who in the hell was the person I'm talking too? Was this the same cocky ass, arrogant Atem? I wanted to look above his head for puppeteer strings.

"Besides, we had a deal if you remember right." Atem fished around his pocket for a blunt, and cursed under his breath after not finding one. He sighed, and started scratching at his head again. "This shit is all Yami's idea. I still don't trust you as far as I can throw you. He seems to think otherwise."

"Yami." Why would he trust me? I've never done anything to him. . . . I flung the idea away. "What's his aim?"

"Because there definitely has to be one with that guy," Atem said before I could process the thought myself. "Shit if I know," he grunted, annoyed. "Here's the thing, I hate to leave favors hangin' loose without purpose. I'm gonna have you fulfill the one you owe me and we'll call it even."

I faced him. "Wait a minute—"

"Shut up and listen, will ya? Jesus Christ," Atem cut off, rubbing between his eyes. "You know where the city docks are?"

I nodded.

"Meet me and Yami there at ten o'clock. Come alone, no bullshit. Word is bond, nothing will happen."

"I don't have a car."

"Seth will pick you up." He sighed again, running his fingers through his hair still. He brought his fingernails down to expect and sucked his teeth at the grit. "Fuck, I really need a shampoo. Alright, I'm gone. Be there on time. Don't make me come to your house. I ain't feelin' up to fuckin' you up."

"As if—" Wait, my house? "—no. Not my house. Pick me up at the front of the school."

Atem frowned. "Why?"

"My own reasons." I stepped up to him, eye to eye. I hadn't realized, up close and personal, that Atem had an inch on me, but body wise, I was thicker. How the hell he got the best of me that one time, I'll never know. "Is that a problem?"

Atem sucked his teeth and chuckled. "Nah, no problem at all. But not at the school. Go down the street, hang at the corner and stand under the street post. He'll know it's you."

I rolled my eyes. "Always have to be in control of everything," I sighed. "Fine. I'll see ya there." I turned around to leave.

And nearly walked right into Yami.

My heart flip flopped at the penetrating red glare. I stared back at him, not much a choice since every part of my involuntarily decided to disobey me. What was with that look? I steadied my breathing before it showed how offsetting his stare was.

I chewed my bottom lip, contemplating over shoving by him or maintaining this awkward stare down. As captivating as that eye shade was, it had the power to zap all the will to do anything against the wielder's wishes. All of him was suddenly so easy to recognize; his scent, skin tone, the sound of his breathing, his voice. Yami just standing there awakened all my senses to hyper drive.

After an eternality of the ping pong anxiety between me and him, Yami's head fell forwards and his hair laid over his eyes. His lips moved, quivered and I strained to hear what he said. The words were too much quiet.

I leaned away from him, lips thinned. I wouldn't ask him to repeat himself. Whatever was wrong with him, he didn't look like he and the energy to repeat it. I did the only sensible thing due to the tense atmosphere. I laid my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Yami bared his teeth, showed a single eye down at my hand and followed it to my face again.

His hand reached up and clutched at mine until the muscles recoiled under the strain. Then he brushed my hand away and started walking past me to Atem. I paused, thinking, then went on to walk away. I didn't have the thought of approaching doom as it'd always be when I knew I was about to meet them.

I just. . . I didn't know how I should feel about it. Indifferent maybe? Still, I hated that developing nag in the back of my mind that was Pegasus's voice. I'll be damned if I believe he saw this coming. He's not that smart.

Five minutes till ten. I stuffed my hands inside my orange pullover, stiffening a yawn. No way in hell was Seth really coming to pick me up. This had to be some kind of elaborate scheme to embarrass the hell out of me. Atem's probably lurking in the shadows like a demon, yucking it up with his goons. Jokes on me. Stupid me for thinking this would be legit.

I opened my mouth for another yawn and smacked my lips. This is so dumb. It's a school night. What the hell was I thinking, agreeing to this bullshit? I know he doesn't want to kill me. Atem isn't scared of doing that in public and from what I last saw of those four left behind by Yami, he wasn't a stranger to public execution either.

Two bright headlights curved around the corner. I checked my watch three minutes after ten. Looking up, where it turned from the corner, the car paused, changing the headlight beams from standard to high. I squinted my eyes, hooding my hand over my face. Was that him?

I got my answer a few minutes after the lights dimmed and the car crept down the street. It was a dark blue 2007 Ford Fusion, one of the cleanest rides on the market today. All four windows were tinted as dark as the black thirty-six inch rims accenting the tires.

The passenger window cracked half way. A flush of dense smoke, smelling of rich Purp, flowed from the interior. I leaned forward to see who the driver was. Seth almost seemed to glow from the stream of mercury light emitting from the dashboard.

The locks click. "Get in," he orders, revving the car.

I hop in, and sink into the smooth leather. The inside's the fine, the décor exquisite, but shit did it stink. The atmosphere had a collaboration of that new car and fresh weed scent. I coughed while locking in my seatbelt and fanned my hand over my face.

"Do you mind?"

His blue eyes fall on me. He reaches up to withdraw the blunt and blows all the smoke in my face. Fucking asshole. Seth smirks, sets the gear to three and shoots off down the street like a bat out of hell. Either the weed was absorbing in his brain, or this dumbass had a death wish. Seth ran through three red lights, had no regard of any kind for the folks in front of him and whenever someone wasn't going at the speed he wanted, he'd ride so deep in their ass, I could hi-five the driver from the backseat.

Seth whipped around the corner damn near on two wheels. My hands bit into the leather seat, knuckles bleach white.

"Oi, you wanna slow the fuck down!" He shot by a police officer. I half expected the guy to whip out and blare those sirens. Hell, save me! But the guy didn't even leave his post. I looked over my shoulder and gawked. "Just what in the actual fuck?"

"He's one of ours," Seth explained smoothly with the confidence of a daredevil. He inhaled more of the smoke, cracked the window and blew the essence out into the air. "Chill out. You're tense."

"Fuck you. I'm walkin' next time."

Seth chuckled. I didn't find a damn thing funny. This is my life this moron's playing with. These idiots take living as a game or joke. I can't afford to go about that way of thinking.

When I caught sight of the docks out Seth's window, I nearly sobbed in relief. This nightmarish drive is for the birds. Next time Atem wants to recommend a driver, I'll politely show him which part of my ass to kiss. . .

It kind of struck how twice I'd already brought up the idea of their being a future where I'd interact with these guys on more than a business basis. I sat back, frowning. Who knows where that kind of thinking came from? I didn't have any intentions of hanging out with these guys any more than I had to. Business and business is all I'm for.

A rough cough shook me from the inside. I leaned forward, damn near about to hack up a lung. I look at my palm. It's hard to say, but from what I can make out, it looks like—

"Get out."

I glanced up, wiping my hand on my hoodie. Pier Forty-seven sat before us. Atem and Yami stood at the end, like a happy couple, dressed in drench coats and Atem's arm wrapped around Yami's shoulder. How cute. I rolled my eyes, undid my seatbelt and slammed the door as hard as I could.

Seth let the window down. "Hey, watch my property—"

"Kiss my ass ya piece of shit!" I snapped back. "I'm lucky to be alive!"

Seth sucked his teeth and fell back into his seat. I thought he'd run me over as he in reverse and spun off around to return to the main road. These guys are crazier than a bag of cats. I rolled my shoulders, prepared to deal with another breed of crazy.

Yami eased from Atem's embrace to meet me half way on the door. His hands left the inside of his pockets with a sheet of folded paper in each hand. The expression was unreadable, but the steady way he stared at me held me captive. I really wish I could look past how beautiful a shade of red those eyes were, even after knowing we had a shaky association, I can't deny it.

He held them out. I took each other, never breaking eye contact. "What's this?"

"Something I got assigned for you," Atem answered coming up behind. As he neared closer to Yami, I noticed his hair looking fuzzier, and damp on the ends.

I smirked. "Got that shampoo."

He tried holding back a smile, but failed.

I unfolded the sheets, exchanging glances between the two. One had a list of names. The other was a compiled list of shipments scheduled to dock at this port. The top half were highlighted, in yellow, the middle in pink and the rest left blank.

"What's this?"

"An archive of shipments docked here. Word doc these for us and have it ready by Friday. That other list is the name of the men we believe to be the current Red Eye O.G."

I barely scanned over the names. "So, what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Search them out, go to their addresses and do 'em in."

"Hell no."

Atem paused, face going slack with shock. "Do what?"

"I said Hell no." I folded the paper and held it out. "I'm not a killer. Have Seth or one of your cronies handle this."

Atem pushed the paper back, holding my gaze intensely. "That's gonna be your job. If you wanna be in this family—"

"I never said anything about wanting to join your crew!" I growled. "You conjured up that shit on your own."

"That's 'cause it's not your decision to make." Yami said, calmly brushing aside his banes. "I decided to add you into the family. With you under Pegasus's surveillance, we couldn't kill you if we wanted to. You have some fight in you, some loyalty in your fans and pull with the police. That's the kind of man we need. That and . . ." Yami looked at Atem.

Atem rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm not for leavin' a man without a family to back 'im up."

"I'm cool with bein' alone," I insisted, pushing the paper into his chest and step back. "I'll document these for you. I'm pretty good with a computer, but killing and drugs are out. The less I have to get mixed up in, the better."

"You should want this opportunity. I don't offer it often."

"I'm touched, but still no." I scan over the docking list, amazed by how accurate the scheduling is and extensive the inventory is. "Now this, I'll take care of. You got a computer?"

Atem nods to Yami.

"I'll have it ordered for you tonight," says Yami. "Where do you want it shipped?"

"I'll come get it."

Yami narrows his eyes. "Why so private?"

"Why so nosey?"

Atem snorts under his breath. "The two of you are gonna give me an ulcer. Let 'im do it his way. Startin' tomorrow, you're gonna be trained properly. Blue Blood style."

I glare at him something wicked. "I ain't fuckin' nobody or the one being fucked. Anybody try to get anywhere near my no-no pieces gonna catch some serious Hell."

Yami actually chuckles. "We already know. That's why we won't let a soldier handle your training."

"Then who's gonna do it?"

When Yami's smile, I feel like a rock freefalls through my gut.

"Ah shit," I swiftly curse. "You!?"

"And me," Atem adds in.

I look between the two, feeling the worse headache come on in history. "Ahhhh, got'damn it." If I wasn't in some deep shit before, I'm definitely gonna drown in it now.

TBC: So, so, so, so sorry for the late update my loves. But I will provide some good news. From here onward is where the romance begins to bloom between these three. Stay tuned!