"Dad, dad where are you? Dad please come back. Don't leave me"

He'd cried for days. Then the depression had kicked in making Justin question his self worth. If his father just left him with his friends did that mean he didn't love him? What about his mother or brother? Didn't they wonder where he was? Why would these people keep him and ask him to call them 'mom' and 'dad'? Why didn't his parents want him back? All those questions went unanswered. As he grew up he became more rebellious. Oscar and Caroline his new 'parents' got tired of his antics. They had threatened to take him to boarding school but Justin figured he would be better off there. At least he wouldn't have to pretend to be somebody he wasn't.

One night when he was supposed to be asleep, he'd trotted downstairs to look for more snacks. His stash was over and he needed to replenish it. But on his way he stopped because he heard two people arguing in Oscar's study. Justin had tiptoed to the door and opened only a crack hoping to see what was going on. Oscar was arguing with another man about a shipment. The next second the man was on the floor with a bullet in his head. Justin had clamped a hand over his mouth to cover his gasp then closing the door he ran back upstairs and locked his room. He didn't know how long he had sat there but he got up sometime and called the police and told them what he had seen.

When he heard the sirens he had breathed a sigh of relief. Finally he was going to be rid of that awful Oscar. But the police hadn't stayed long. Whatever they talked about with Oscar, he had them leaving in less than ten minutes. Justin knew then what had happened. In his free time he'd seen a lot of movies. And Oscar was one of those bad guys who paid the authorities to keep quiet about their crimes. There was nothing Justin could do. That night he'd cried himself to sleep. Wondering  how his brother was. Did he think about him or had he forgotten he even existed? He wondered why life was so cruel to him. That night he also vowed to forget about his family that had abandoned him. He was alone and that was how he would be for the rest of his life.

The next day Oscar sent him to boarding school where he had met his saviour.

---------------------

Jenna hadn't been able to reach Jonathan. His phone went straight to voicemail where she had left a couple of messages. She suspected he was returning the favor. She had forgotten about him and now he was ignoring her. It was childish but she also deserved it, because she would have done the same thing. "Jonathan how many times do I have to say I'm sorry? You're being childish. Pick up your phone so we can talk about this like adults" she hung up then hurled her phone on the sofa. Damn the man. Why did she care? Shouldn't he be the one looking for her in order to apologize for lying to her? This was stupid. But damn it she felt guilty. How could she have forgotten about him like that?

How horrible he must have felt for being abandoned outside. She kept telling herself that she only wanted to apologize but it was a lie. She also wanted to see him. The doorbell rang and she almost tripped on the carpet in her haste to open it. A boy of about fifteen or sixteen was standing there with a backpack. The disappointment on her face was visible. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Jenna?"

"Who's asking?"

"Me. A friend recommended you. They said you would help me. Were they wrong?"

Jenna felt like kicking herself. Here was someone who needed her help and she was being rude and snappy. "I'm sorry. Please come in" she moved aside to let the boy in. "So who was this someone who recommended me?"

"I don't feel comfortable saying who they are".

"Okay.... ?" she raised her eyebrow in question

"Robin. People speak highly of you out there. That's why I'm hoping you can help me"

"I'll try my best Robin. Would you like something to drink?"

"A coke if it's no trouble"

"Sure." she said heading to the kitchen. "So what's your story?" Jenna asked while handing him the can of soda.

"I just escaped an abusive father and I'm hoping to find a place I can crash until I find a job. After that I'll be out of your hair. I promise"

"I see. You've definitely come to the right person. I'll call my friends and see who can accommodate you" she went to pick up her phone from where it had landed after her little tantrum but he stopped her.

"I was also hoping to stay here"

"I'm sorry but right now I have five kids to look after. And I'm alone. I don't think it would be wise to let you stay here"

"But you're the only one I can trust. My father...." he stopped looking around with a scared expression as if the walls had ears. "My father is a powerful man. I don't trust anyone else to not call him. Please let me stay. I won't bother you at all"

"Robin I understand that you're scared but honestly the kids staying here are under the age of ten. I don't think you'll be comfortable. You need to stay with kids your age so you can learn how to talk and trust others."

"I'm sorry for bothering you. I shouldn't have come" he got up ready to leave. Jenna had seen most kids like him. Hell she was like him once upon a time. Not ready to trust, let alone talk to anyone else. But Miranda had given her space and time. Slowly she'd stopped feeling like the world was caving in on her. She'd learnt to trust people again. So why shouldn't Robin have that chance?

"Fine. You can stay. But there are rules and the second you break them you're out. Okay?"

"Okay". Robin nodded.

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"Holy shit. He's in. Let's get this party started" a guy said punching a fist in the air.

"I gotta say he's good. I didn't think he would pull it off" a second man added.

"Please he's a natural. He would make an A lister in Hollywood if he wanted to" both men looked at each other silently realizing what they had done. This was going to come back and bite them in the ass but hopefully in the long run they would convince their boss it was for the best.

----------------------

Jonathan looked at the man seating opposite him. Edward Lewis. A billionaire in his own right who had his hand in everything. Restaurants, casinos, shell companies. And incidentally all his businesses were perfect for money laundering. He was a ruthless son of a bitch who got things done. Now if Jonathan had approached the man himself, this meeting would be different. But he hadn't. Lewis ambushed him in one of his restaurants and sat down then started to rattle off about how rich they could be if they did business together. From how he talked, you'd think the man was poor. Jonathan wondered how much richer the greedy bastard wanted to be.

"Are you done? If you don't mind I'd like to continue my lunch in peace."

Lewis looked taken aback and Jonathan had the feeling that no one turned the guy down. "Ah yes. Think about my offer Blackwell. It could benefit us both" Jonathan didn't bother to reply. He went back to eating his steak and completely ignoring him until he left. This is why he went with his men everywhere even though he hated it. At least they spared him from business presentations he wasn't interested in. Finishing his lunch he paid then left making sure to leave a tip. He had credit cards but as someone who kept a low profile, he didn't use them unless it was necessary. Anything electronic could be traced back to him and he wasn't stupid to leave a trail. As he was leaving the restaurant, a woman bumped into him. At first he thought she was one of those con guys but as she swayed he threw his arms out to catch her.

"Miss are you okay?" he asked after righting her. Jonathan didn't let go of her in fear she might hit the floor this time.

"Yeah. Yes I'm fine. Just a bit dizzy" he led her to where he'd parked his car leaning her against it. "Really I'm fine." she insisted and he finally let her go.

"Okay. If you say so"

"I do. But thank you. There should be more people like you in this world" she looked up at him and if he wasn't so good at hiding his emotions she would have seen how shocked he was. Her Caribbean blue eyes were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen.

"You're welcome. My mother raised me to help those in need" it was a lie. He didn't remember much about his mother.

"Thank you again." she said leaving. Jonathan stared at her retreating figure. In Capri pants, a snug top and heels, she looked fetching. Her body wasn't that bad either. She had curves in all the right places. He wondered what she would think if he were to stop her and ask for her number. His phone vibrated and he groaned. It had to be Jennifer. She'd left him almost a hundred messages, all them saying how sorry she was. He was trying to get her out of his mind but it was proving to be difficult task, what with his phone vibrating every hour.

Jonathan had decided to take a step back from her. He was becoming attached and she was awakening feelings he'd buried long ago. He didn't know what had attracted him to her but he had to let it go before he got in too deep. Bullshit. You're already in Blackwell. A voice in his head echoed. And as much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't. Jennifer was already pulling him in. Making him dig up things he'd buried long ago. But what was it about her? Jonathan moved a few inches to the side before a bullet whizzed past his ear. Before he even had time to realize what was going on another bullet came his way. His instincts took over making him duck but he was a little slow and it him in the shoulder. Cursing he got in his and slammed the door shut. Another bullet hit his window and he flinched before remembering his car was bullet proof. You're off your game Jon. That voice said again. "Dammit" he took out his phone and called Pasquale. "Someone just tried to kill me. You better figure out who it is before I get there" he growled into his phone then hung up.

Damn women. This was why he never wanted to have a relationship. They were distracting. In his line of work, distractions meant death. If he hadn't been thinking about Jennifer or the woman who he helped earlier, he would have known something was wrong. His instincts never failed him. He always knew or at least had a feeling when something bad was about to happen. He tried moving his arm to see the damage but a shot of pain sliced through him blurring his eyes. Pulling out of the curb he swerved and heard the other drivers honking at him and hurling insults. Using his good hand, he went back to his lane and prayed he reached his house before he passed out. At the back of his mind he realized something was wrong.

He'd been shot before. And although he never gotten used to the pain, this was different. The wound was on his shoulder which meant it wasn't that serious. He could survive it. What he didn't understand was the dizziness he felt. It was too early to say he'd lost a lot of blood. He could also feel a headache coming on. With much difficulty, he took out his phone again and called Pasquale thanking God for speed dials and Bluetooth. "I can't make it" he said struggling to stay on his lane and avoid accidents.

"Where are you? I'll come get you."

"Driving. Poisoned. Cyanide." he said seconds before he lost consciousness. His car swerved off the road and the last thing he remembered was cars honking.

-----------------------

Driving. Poisoned. Cyanide.

Pasquale pieced everything together. His boss had been shot with a poisoned bullet and he suspected it was cyanide. That shit was dangerous. A person could die in thirty seconds if given the right amount. Driving like a maniac, he hoped he wasn't too late. Jonathan had been there for him when he needed someone. They had been new recruits in the business and the money they earned wasn't enough to cover his mother's hospital bills. Jonathan had given him his salary telling him he didn't need to pay him back. He only asked for one thing. Loyalty. Whatever they did, wherever they went, they had each other's backs. He would go as far as to say he was the only person his boss trusted. He couldn't die now. Not when they were so close to ruling the world.

There was an ambulance following behind him. With the sirens blaring they were able to reach the scene of the accident in less than ten minutes. Jumping out of his car, Pasquale rushed to where Jonathan's car was. He'd hit a pole, but the air bag on the steering wheel kept him from splitting his head open. The paramedics took him out, carefully placing him on a stretcher. Pasquale stood back and watched them as they gave him an oxygen mask then injected Hydroxocobalamin commonly known as vitamin B12a. It was to counteract the cyanide so they could take him to the hospital where he'd receive supportive care. When they'd loaded him into the ambulance, Pasquale took out his phone. "Lukas did you find anything?"

"Yap. The restaurant has no cameras but the clothing store opposite has quite a few. I have the guy and I'm running him through facial recognition. I'll send you the details the second I get them."

"Make it fast" he snapped then hung up and dialed another number. "I need five men. We're going hunting."

**************************************************

Happy hunting Pasquale.

So who do you think is behind Jonathan's shooting?

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