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2024-10-29 19:42:56Raymond flung his car keys on the table. He glanced at the entire living room, and his gaze settled on the sofa where he left Dera a couple of hours ago. But she's not there anymore.
"Babe? I'm home!" Hands gliding on the hand drill, he strode upstairs. "Oh, you're back," Dera said almost immediately as he barged into the bedroom. Her pretty set of canines and incisors came into view when her lips pouted with a smile. That kind of smile that Raymond would kill any potbellied asshole to put on her face. "You came right on time." She zipped a bag. She shoved it to the side of the bed. She drew another bag closer to her "These are your clothes, I'm sure you will need them. Here! Guns, recorders, IDs, and your shoes are packed in here." She zipped that bag. She placed it on the floor. Raymond's lips pouted with a sigh. He let go of the door and walked towards the bed "Dera. Why are you doing this?" His tone sounded gloomy even if he intended it to sound despotic and strict. "Doing what?" Dera stared at him and she broke the eye contact again. She bit her lips and snuggled to the edge of the bed where Raymond stood. "I'm not doing this because I support the dirty games you play. I'm doing this because it is what I owe you. I love you, Raymond." The glamour in her eyes faded like the lights at the end of an invaded tunnel. "But, I don't think you love me enough. Enough to -" Raymond shut her lips with his mouth. That sudden kiss made Dera tilt her head to meet his deep brown eyes staring at her. He paddled his thumb over her lips. Dera's heart missed a beat when he kissed her again. "I love you Dera. More than you can ever imagine. You and that baby in there are my world right now." Dera scoffed. She paced to the closet. "Oh. I think we need to find a new meaning for that word." A gasp flew off Raymond's lips. "What do you mean?" Raymond conked out lazily into the bed. "I mean you're saying that because your lips are itching to find the right words to describe how disappointed you are that I got pregnant." Dera thought she could restrain the impact her words would have on Raymond. But words are like bullets - impossible to hold back after the trigger is pulled. Raymond's heart throbbed in disappointment. His jaw tightened, wrinkles appearing at the corner of his face. He arose from the bed, giving Dera a blank stare. He bit his lips, trying to find the right word, even if Dera was being indecisive with hers. A wrong word may unveil the rage he is trying to conceal. "Why would you even say that?" he stepped towards Dera. He wrapped his hand around her neck, and buried his face in her shoulder, ruffling her hair with his hand. "Dera, it makes me sad that you doubt how much I love you," he muttered. Dera clicked her tongue, and she heaved a sigh, attempting to walk away, but Raymond's hands wouldn't let go. "Then prove it to me," she said. Raymond's hands extricated from her neck. She turned to stare at his widened eyeballs. "For how -" Raymond tried to speak but was cut short. "For the last time Ray!" Dera interrupted. Raymond tightened his jaw, his heart constricting in rage. "What do you want Dera?" he asked, with a stoic look on his face. Dera's eyes lit up, like a kid that's about to be taken to MacDonald on their birthday. "You're wealthy Ray. You have enough money to relocate to another country and start a new life and walk away from all the troubles -" Dera moved closer to Raymond, her hands hovered on his shoulder. "You deserve a better life babe. We deserve a better life." Her breath hit Raymond's face as she spoke. "I know we deserve a better life, but -" "Not buts Ray!" Dera interrupted. "I cannot bring a child into this mess, this chaotic and restless environment. I'm happy that I'd soon be a mother, but the thought that we will be raising a child around here hurts me more than the pains of a laboring mother." Raymond kept mute, eyes staring into nothing. Obviously, it was time to make the hardest decision of his life. Being a part of Trysis was like owning a gold medal. It feels like he's settling a score - in the most bloody way. And at least the whole violence had made him sail through the trauma of losing his parents. Leaving that path to a new phase is like doing the hard yards. "You mean we should evacuate California?" Dera shook her head in affirmation. "But I've lived here for a while. It is going to be tough settling into another country." Raymond said with a frown clutching to the side of his face. "Raymond!" Dera called. She sniffed and continued "You never thought you'd live in Cally for this long. If your parents were still alive, you'd -" "Dera don't bring my parents into this. Let the dead rest in peace." Raymond muttered. "Al found me after that devastating moment and that's why we're having this conversation right now. I can't just leave like that. Besides -" Raymond paused. he took two steps back before completing the sentence "I'm on another mission, and I'm off to Kenya tomorrow." he said. Dera sulked in a breath. She dug her fingers into her palms. "Ray" She muttered, retaining eye contact. She brushed Raymond's shoulder with hers as she strode towards the door, she paused immediately as she grasped the knob. "If you love me and your unborn child as much as you claim, that should be your last mission" She slammed the door, leaving Raymond to wallow in solitude.
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Raymond huffed at the sight in front of him. He paused and he locked eyes with John Marvin. It dawned on him that it was Kira on the floor. It became obvious that something had gone wrong - the same negative thought Kira had initially. "Don't hurt her" Raymond yelled, moving close to John. John pointed the gun at Raymond's face and he flinched. "Come close and you'd die first" John threatened - staring at Raymond with bloodshot eyes. John laughed hysterically when Raymond stopped moving and suddenly he pulled the trigger. The metallic zest of blood. Chaotic bleeding. Raymond's heart constricted when he caught sight of Kira in a pool of blood with a bullet hole in her head. His heart shredded into tiny fragments at the eerie view and the urge to revenge grew wild. The thought that Kira was lying lifeless on the floor made every vein inside him stick out like spikes. "Ahh" Raymond screeched. He sped to John and landed a huge jab on his face. John fell to the floor, but before Ra
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Tears trickled down Raymond's cheeks. When the first bullet pierced through his chest, he locked eyes with the barrel of a gun - clinging to Dera's hand. It felt like he was lost in a trance until the second bullet pierced through his chest. Raymond groaned in pain. Not only because of the excruciating pain from bleeding scar. But because this whole betrayal scheme had Dèra in it.He fell to the floor - eyes soaked in tears, a heart smashed into fragments, and a chest - pierced with two bullets. AI took the gun off Dera's grip. "You still have the mafia blood running in your veins." Al commended, mashing his mouth on Dera's lips. Tyler and Ria exchanged glances, their eyes - sticking out in terror. The last thing they expected Al to do was kill Raymond. He's the smartest and fastest killer in the gang. At first, Ria wanted to defend Raymond. But Al's ruthlessness sent shrills of fear down her gut. If he can kill Raymond without a flick of remorse, driving a knife into her throat w
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Raymond blinked his eyes rapidly to ensure he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating. He flinched when Dera walked into the room. His lips - were wide open as if he had just seen a ghost. For a moment, he expected Dera to have lacerations on her skin, or blood gushing out of her veins. Because anyone abducted by Trysis is always beaten till their skin is unrecognizable. So what happened? But Dera was hale and spotless. Her face was even adorned with alluring makeup. Raymond squinted his eyes multiple times - unable to process what was going on. And the fact that AI introduced Dera as a surprise heightened his anxiety and shock. "Dera?" Raymond blurted - with a flitting gaze. "Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on here?" He gazed at Ria as if he'd found the answer to his question on her face. Ria broke eye contact and dug her fingers into her palms. Ria to disguise her surprise, her body language gave her away. Ria has got snakes in her closet. Tyler had a dismayed look on his f
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Raymond's punch didn't have that much effect on Al. Instead, he staggered backward a little bit. Raymond tried to punch him the second time, but Al blocked his hand. They locked eyes, and Al headbutted Raymond, and he staggered back. Raymond regained momentum and was about to run back to attack Al again, but he was welcomed with a gun. "Step the fuck back," AI said. Raymond's eyes widened, his heart still thumping with rage; it felt like he was getting the sharp edge of the stack, e and he couldn't seem to get that down his throat at the moment. "Where is she?" Raymond asked. His tone sounded tense and it felt like he was directing the question to everyone in the room, even though he was staring into Al's eyes when he asked the question. Al lowered his gun. He adjusted his iconic cowboy hat. He gave Raymond a blank stare and he slid to the side of the room and picked up a bottle of vodka. He gulped it down and walked back to where Raymond stood. "Where is who?" Al asked. "Don't
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Raymond walked through the entrance with a heart-thumping I'm ecstasy. He'd been away from LA for a couple of days and he had missed Dera and his unborn child to the moon and back. For the first time in a few days, he felt serenity. Serenity away from the pains, sadness, and chaos in Nairobi. After all, the whole storm is over but sadly - Kira had to go with the storm."Honey, I'm home," Raymond said, shutting the door behind him. He didn't hear any response, but the ransacked state of the living room caught his attention and he strode forward to take a closer look. Clothes were scattered all over the floor and on the sofa. One of Dera's underwear was drooping on the TV. Her favorite crop top was swaying on the hand drill and his favorite pants inhabited the dining table. Raymond rolled his eyes curiously, his mind rumbling with a thousand and one questions. Everything seemed odd and usual. "Dera wouldn't have been this disorganized," he thought. He dropped his backpack on the floo
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Raymond grinned softly as he ended the call. Telling John that he had those conversations recorded felt like the smartest move he'd ever make in a blue moon. He picked up the gun next to him and sat on the bed - he knew John was going to barge in, a bid to rip him off the recording and make sure he kills him - even if it takes every trick in the book. Raymond's heart thumped in rage and a drizzle of pain, the wound in his left arm won't stop bleeding. His gaze met with Kira. Goosebumps shirked his skin at the sight of Kira's lifeless body. Tears stung his eyes, as he ambled towards her. He knelt beside her, caressing her cold hands. He slowly rubbed her bloodstained lips. At this point, Raymond's attempt to restrict the tears from cascading proved abortive as they trickled down like a waterfall. "I'm so sorry" he muttered amidst tears. He hunched his head - his lips trembling rapidly. "The system failed you," he said, and another stream of tears gushed down his cheek again. His he
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John slammed the door behind him, leaving Raymond and the guy in the hotel room. John thought there was no way Raymond was going to come out alive. He's got a wound on his arm already, burying another bullet in his chest was enough to jolt him out of life. The guy cocked the pistol and was ready to pull the trigger. The eerie view of Kira and his mate lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He felt like the most loyal dude in the room, and he was ready to do anything in a voyage to uphold that newfound stance. He pointed the gun at Raymond's head, but Raymond caught him off guard as he punched his hand, and the gun fell out of his grip. Raymond gained the momentum to rise on his feet. The guy tried to reach for the gun, but Raymond kicked it and it went under the sofa - close to where Kira was lying. "So what now" Raymond said - letting go of his injured arm. "Let's fight this shit out, homie," Raymond said. A frown appeared on the guy's face. As he raced towards Raymond - hands
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Chapter Twelve (Close Call)
Raymond huffed at the sight in front of him. He paused and he locked eyes with John Marvin. It dawned on him that it was Kira on the floor. It became obvious that something had gone wrong - the same negative thought Kira had initially. "Don't hurt her" Raymond yelled, moving close to John. John pointed the gun at Raymond's face and he flinched. "Come close and you'd die first" John threatened - staring at Raymond with bloodshot eyes. John laughed hysterically when Raymond stopped moving and suddenly he pulled the trigger. The metallic zest of blood. Chaotic bleeding. Raymond's heart constricted when he caught sight of Kira in a pool of blood with a bullet hole in her head. His heart shredded into tiny fragments at the eerie view and the urge to revenge grew wild. The thought that Kira was lying lifeless on the floor made every vein inside him stick out like spikes. "Ahh" Raymond screeched. He sped to John and landed a huge jab on his face. John fell to the floor, but before Ra
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Chapter Eleven (Room 14)
Kira had her heart in her mouth when she stepped into the luxury hotel. She quickened her steps toward the receptionist - every step plodding in outright dread and uncertainty. It felt like she was doing the riskiest thing in the world and a single misstep could render all her efforts useless. "Hi," she muttered when she got to the receptionist. "I'm here to see John Marvin" she added coldly. "Room 14" the receptionist retorted without even giving her a look. Kira clutched her bag tightly as she strolled down the hallway. That wasn't the first time she'd be in this hotel - not only because of John. But for the men, she fucks on weekends. That's the only thing she's resorted to doing. Aside from doing the dirty jobs, John offers her once in a blue moon, shagging men was the only means that was never to an end. Kira felt a bit nervous to walk into the elevator. She strode toward the stairs. She paused at the edge of the stairs and pulled out her phone from her bag. She stumped its
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Chapter Ten (Escape Plan II)
Kira and Raymond sped into Raymond's hotel room. Their exasperated breaths inundated the room as they exchanged glances. Raymond ambled forward, and he collapsed into the bed. Kira stood by the entrance, her back on the door - her eyes staring and examining the luxurious room. "That was close," Raymond said. He sat up on the bed - staring at Kira. She took a step closer to the bed. "Yeah," she said. She moved to the side of the bed and sat on the seat next to it. Raymond had a lot of thoughts and questions running through his mind. He gave Kira another blank stare and rose from the bed. He approached the entrance of his bathroom and took off his bloodstained shirt. "What do you intend to do now?" Kira's voice resounded, causing Raymond to strike a pause. He took off his shirt and flung it on the bed. "I don't know" he muttered, spinning to face Kira. He walked close to her and sat on the bed again - he just postponed taking a shower. He heaved a sigh. "Why did you save me?" He co
