Tracy kept stealing glances at him during the entire ride home. She didn't want to sound desperate so she refrained from asking the burning question on her mind. But a little way to the Caden mansion and she finally caved in and asked him, "Are you married?" Leon turned to her, wondering how she knew that. But then he recalled the call that he'd made in the presence of her uncle, Smith. He'd been very upset and no doubt told her about it. "I was married, divorced now," he replied and waved his empty ring finger at her, it had a tan line. "Oh, I'm so sorry, what happened?" She asked and Leon shook his head, "I don't think I want to talk about it," he replied politely. Tracy winced and apologized for even asking, "You must still miss her, I guess," she muttered, goading him. Her face was a little red with embarrassment and no matter how much she tried to hide it, he could see that she was not very pleased with his reaction to her question. "No, I don't miss her, Bella isn't
Tracy winced as she saw Leon's expression. He was pissed off but he held it in and didn't say anything. "Listen, I'm so sorry, that's my cousin, Lucy, she didn't know who you were," she tried to explain and Leon simply nodded. "Are you mad at her? I'm sorry, she doesn't act that way all the time, I guess she is just in a bad mood," she tried to defend. "And if I was a servant, she would have hit me for letting her bag fall?" He asked fans Tracy shrugged, truly, she didn't know. Lucy was quite temperamental and while she did not mean half the things she did, she was pretty impulsive too. "Come on, let's go have something to eat," she said and led him to the big table. Leon was already looking at his wristwatch. He'd lost his appetite and he was sure no brazen pork ribs or turkey could water his mouth. Leon was settled right beside Tracy as the rest of the family slowly arrived at the dinner. Everyone came with a significant other, some of them arrived alone however and they
The entire table went silent as Sylvester spoke. Tracy wanted to interfere but he held up his hand, "Sit down and eat, honey, let the boy speak for himself, he's not a mute, right?" He asked rudely. "Sir...Tracy and___" Lucy was the first to cut in as Leon began to speak, "Or haven't you spoken about the future yet? Is this a fling?" She asked. Sylvester was a very old-school and traditional man. He didn't believe in the new generation's idea of having multiple relationships, especially when it wasn't for power or fame. He wanted Tracy to marry into an influential family, he'd always stopped her from seeing anyone he didn't approve of and she knew it. "Are you having a fling with my daughter?" He asked, his voice was leveled but the anger could be heard in its iciness. "No, Dad!" Tracy replied hurriedly, stricken at such a statement. She was increasingly thinking that bringing Leon to the dinner was one of the worst decisions of her life. Sylvester wasn't only scolding her
After Leon left the Caden mansion. He realized that it hadn't been a very smart decision. It was almost midnight and again, for yet another day, he had no plans of where to spend the night. Finally, he arrived at a small park and sat on the bench. He could feel the chill seep into his light shirt, he was equipped to be in the cold, he'd left his suit at the dinner hall and there was no way he was going back for it. There was nothing in sight but a pair of ducks that flapped about in the small puddle. He looked at the street and it was growing empty too. Leon realized that every day with the deity power left him feeling more alone than he'd ever felt in his life. He was becoming a loner, he was being seen and respected once he demonstrated his power but no one wanted to be close to him unless he wanted to heal them. It was the dad's reality and he wondered how long he'd have to live like that for. A neon light shone a good distance from the park, he decided he needed to ha
Leon heard the scream again just as he turned the corner. The scream was a little far off, on the other side of the street and he moved there. Right on the floor was a middle-aged woman who was clutching her bag tightly and crying. "Ma'am, are you okay?" He asked and she shook her head, "No, they took all my money, all took everything!" She cried out. "Who?" He asked and with shaky hands, she pointed at the water tank by the alley. Leon walked out but she yelled after him, "Don't go in there! They will hurt you," she begged but he wasn't afraid of them. Close to the water tank, he could hear muffled voices. He turned to the east of the tank and sure enough, four men were gathered around a small heap. They were too busy rummaging through the stack to notice him. "You shouldn't steal from old ladies," he said softly and the first thief turned to him. He dragged down his mask quickly over his face but Leon was able to see a pair of dark eyes and black hair before the mask went over
In the car, Leon groaned as he could feel his body bruise when he deactivated the iron cast armor. "How did you do that?" Tracy asked and Leon looked at her questioningly. "I saw you fighting with all those men, it's not like last time when they hurt you," she noted and then looked at him quizzically, "I also watched you take out my men, and they are trained," she said. Leon just shrugged, he wasn't feeling so good after the fight. He hadn't healed anyone the entire day and the power of the ring was quickly diminishing. He was beginning to feel weaker, his head throbbed and the fight in the alley didn't help to keep him energized either. He was a healer and suddenly he caught himself fighting a little too much. Causing pain rather than healing. "Well, you won't tell me the secret of your supernatural strength?" She asked and he replied, "I'm a healer, not a fighter," Tracy laughed at this statement, "I've seen you kick a lot more asses than I've seen you save lives." Leon felt t
The next day, Leon strolled out of the penthouse suite that Steve had given him for the night. He awoke to a complimentary breakfast that was the best thing he'd tasted in a long time. The night had been a peaceful one and he was glad to catch up on all the lost sleep from the trashy apartment. Morning came and his first thought was his car and how to get a decent job in the neighborhood, something he could earn a good living from and save up for his clinic. But each time the thought of the clinic crossed his mind, he sighed. It seemed like a far-off dream with his limited resources. "Good morning, handsome," a voice sounded behind him and Leon whipped around, startled. Tracy stood by the doorway, one hand dropped on the frame and another akimbo. "Did I startle you?" She asked with a bright smile. "A little," Leon replied honestly and pulled on a T-shirt. Tracy was blushing and looking everywhere but at his face. "I'm ready to go now, send my regards to your friend, Steve." H
Chief Sylvester Caden, Tracy's father, was seated on a low armchair, his eyes bright with untamed excitement. His wife, Susan was beside him and she smiled warmly at their guest. The man across from them was a middle-aged man, he wore a light brown jacket over a black shirt and a tie. He was one of the most famous bankers in the city with several investments scattered across Europe. Susan and Sylvester were very pleased to have him in their home. "You're sure there is nothing else you want?" Susan asked and the man shook his head, "This wine is excellent," he commented. Sylvester smiled proudly, he did take pride in his wine collection and there was hardly any guest that didn't compliment his lovely bottles, "I had that one from France, it was the last of its bottle, I paid good money for it," he said and then added, "It's twenty years old." The guest nodded and replied, "I always knew you were a man of class and style." Then he dropped his glass and looked at Susan. "Your daughter