Chapter 35: Morning After the Storm
(Jay Jay's POV)
Morning sunlight slipped through the tall curtains of Keifer's bedroom.
The Watson mansion was quiet.
Too quiet.
For a moment I didn't remember where I was.
Then I felt warm arms around my waist.
And suddenly everything came rushing back.
The rooftop.
The alliance.
Keifer's "punishment."
My face burned.
Keifer was still asleep beside me.
Barely.
His arm was wrapped around me like he had no intention of letting go.
His breathing was slow and steady.
For someone who nearly died a few weeks ago, he looked annoyingly peaceful.
I carefully shifted slightly.
Bad idea.
The moment I moved, his grip tightened.
Keifer:
"Where do you think you're going?"
His voice was rough with sleep.
I froze.
Jay:
"You were asleep."
Keifer:
"I was."
Jay:
"And now you're awake."
Keifer opened one eye lazily.
Keifer:
"Because someone tried to escape."
Jay:
"I wasn't escaping."
He smirked.
Keifer:
"Sure."
I buried my face in the pillow.
Jay:
"You're impossible."
Keifer:
"And yet you stayed."
Jay:
"You carried me here!"
Keifer:
"Details."
I tried to sit up but he pulled me back down again.
Jay:
"Keifer!"
Keifer:
"What?"
Jay:
"It's morning!"
Keifer:
"Yes."
Jay:
"We have a gang war to deal with!"
Keifer:
"Later."
He buried his face in my shoulder again like a lazy cat.
Jay:
"You're unbelievable."
Keifer:
"You're warm."
Jay:
"That's not an excuse."
Keifer:
"It's a very good excuse."
Finally I managed to push him enough to sit up.
The sunlight hit the room properly now.
My clothes were scattered everywhere.
His shirt was hanging from the bedpost.
I covered my face.
Jay:
"Oh my god."
Keifer laughed.
Keifer:
"Relax."
Jay:
"This is embarrassing."
Keifer:
"You weren't embarrassed last night."
Jay:
"Keifer!"
He just leaned back on the pillows looking far too satisfied with himself.
Keifer:
"So."
Jay:
"So?"
Keifer:
"Punishment successful."
I threw a pillow at him.
Jay:
"You're insufferable."
He caught the pillow easily.
Keifer:
"You didn't complain."
Jay:
"I hate you."
Keifer:
"No you don't."
Unfortunately he was right.
Before I could respond, someone knocked loudly on the door.
Aries' voice echoed from outside.
Aries:
"HEY!"
Aries:
"LOVE BIRDS!"
I froze.
Jay:
"Oh no."
Keifer groaned.
Keifer:
"What does he want?"
Aries shouted again.
Aries:
"MEETING!"
Aries:
"EVERYONE IS WAITING!"
Keifer rubbed his face.
Keifer:
"He has terrible timing."
Jay:
"He always does."
Aries knocked again.
Aries:
"ALSO KUYA ANGELO SAID IF YOU'RE NOT DEAD GET DOWNSTAIRS!"
Keifer yelled back.
Keifer:
"WE'RE COMING!"
Aries:
"TRY WEARING CLOTHES!"
I hid my face again.
Jay:
"I'm never leaving this room."
Keifer laughed.
Keifer:
"Too late."
Twenty minutes later we finally made it downstairs.
The Watson mansion meeting room was already full.
Iron Vipers on one side.
Obsidian Circle on the other.
Savannah, Sophia, Amy, Olivia and Mia were gathered around a large table.
Kuya Angelo stood near the screen.
Aries sat on the table eating chips.
Everyone looked up when we entered.
Amy grinned immediately.
Amy:
"Well look who finally woke up."
Jay:
"Amy."
Amy:
"What?"
Savannah raised an eyebrow.
Savannah:
"You're late."
Keifer shrugged.
Keifer:
"We had important business."
Sophia sighed.
Sophia:
"Please stop talking."
Kuya Angelo cleared his throat.
Kuya Angelo:
"Focus."
The screen behind him lit up.
A picture appeared.
Red hair.
Cold eyes.
Yuri.
The room instantly went quiet.
Jay:
"He's still alive."
Savannah nodded.
Savannah:
"He disappeared after the accident."
Sophia tapped the tablet.
Sophia:
"But we tracked his network."
Several locations appeared on the map.
Sophia:
"He's moving between safehouses."
Kuya Angelo folded his arms.
Kuya Angelo:
"That coward."
Aries cracked his knuckles.
Aries:
"I call dibs."
Amy grinned.
Amy:
"I second that."
Keifer stepped forward slightly.
Keifer:
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
Keifer:
"We do this properly."
Jay studied him.
Jay:
"You want him alive."
Keifer:
"For now."
Olivia nodded.
Olivia:
"Information."
Sophia agreed.
Sophia:
"He knows who else is trying to kill Keifer."
Savannah zoomed the map.
Savannah:
"We think he's hiding here."
A warehouse near the docks.
Amy cracked her knuckles again.
Amy:
"Perfect."
Kuya Angelo looked at both groups.
Kuya Angelo:
"This will be a joint operation."
He pointed at the teams.
Kuya Angelo:
"Iron Vipers take the ground."
Kuya Angelo:
"Obsidian Circle handles surveillance."
Jay nodded slowly.
Jay:
"And Yuri?"
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Keifer finally answered.
Keifer:
"We take him."
His voice was cold now.
Not teasing.
Not playful.
Keifer:
"And then we make him talk."
Amy smiled darkly.
Amy:
"Oh I like this plan."
Savannah looked at Jay.
Savannah:
"Your call."
All eyes turned toward me.
Leader of the Obsidian Circle.
I looked at the picture of Yuri again.
The boy who used to be Keifer's best friend.
The one who tried to kill him.
The one who started all of this.
Jay:
"We move tonight."
Aries jumped off the table.
Aries:
"Finally."
Kuya Angelo nodded.
Kuya Angelo:
"Prepare your teams."
Everyone started moving.
Weapons.
Plans.
Routes.
But before we left the room, Keifer leaned close to my ear.
Keifer:
"Round two of punishment later."
My face instantly turned red.
Jay:
"Keifer!"
He smirked.
Keifer:
"What?"
Then he walked away like nothing happened.
I stood there for a moment.
Half embarrassed.
Half amused.
But when I looked at Yuri's photo again…
My smile disappeared.
Tonight the war would finally reach him.
And this time…
He wouldn't escape.