Chapter Twenty-Seven; Father

Ria's POV

"Uncle Dan?" I choked out. It was my uncle-ish- Dan Khole. My parents' high school friend. 

"Yes. You're Kevin's kid aren't you? I see that things worked out for them," he grins but I could still see the slyness behind them. 

"Why wouldn't it work out?" I never heard anything specific from my parents. All they kept saying is that they've been through though time but nothing more than that.

"You mother was married twice. Her second marriage was finally your father." He paced.

"Second marriage? I thought my parents said that they were high school sweethearts," I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"They were. So was I and my wife and everyone else in we hung out with. But your father was a player and was aggressive. Did you know they caused someone's death?" I shot up and looked at him, making him continue. "Your mother hung out with this boy named Dave and it wasn't the best first impression as your mother was harassed. When we got to university, I don't know how it started but the two were able to talk again and Kevin found out and nearly beat the shit out of the guy. Next thing I heard Dave was ran over by a car when he saved your mother."

I processed the words but the information still lacked. "What about her first husband?" 

"Jake Bauer. Met at the park and months later he proposed. Wedding and married life, things like that. Then they had this reunion where your mom and dad met again. Days after that they still talked and your mom gave your dad another chance. She found out her husband was cheating on her, she ran to her parents' where Kevin took her and they had lots of trips until finally!" He pauses for effect and looks at me with a sly smile. "They got together and made two wonderful kids."

"My parents never told me about that, but I could see that they're going strong now," I looked down at my lap.

"Yeah Yeah, good for them. I was stuck inheriting this company but I do have my reasons. Saving the family name is my priority and now I have to pass it to my son." 

"He doesn't want to take the company though you look up at is so much. Why is that?" I ask.

"Curiosity killed the cat and you're asking to die right now so shut up," he snapped and left the room, slamming the door and leaving me in silence. I realize my tiredness as my eyelids began to droop.

-•-*-•-

Distant voices made me wake up from my not-so deep slumber. I looked over to the door that burst right open with the two men who took me earlier. The two guys took me out of the room where the voices got louder.

"Seriously. Why do you think you can make me inherit this company?! And what was this thing you think is important to me?" I hear Cole say.

"Here she is," Mr. Khole says as the guys brought me into view.

"Let go of her!" Cole shouts. A cold metal was pressed on the side of my head.

"In return, will you inherit the company? I'll shoot her otherwise." Mr. Khole shrugs as he removed the safety on the gun.

"Fine! Just don't drag her into this. Let her go," Cole pleads as he shoots me an apologetic look.

"It's a good deal that we have but she is a bad influence to you. It'll be dangerous to have her running around now, I don't want a witness," and with that Mr. Khole pull the trigger. I heard another click-probably a silencer- then felt sharp pain on my left shoulder. I cry out in pain then hear a thud from my right. I breathe heavily as I put pressure om the bullet wound then look at Mr. Khole dead body and a bullet hole on his chest.

Cole ran over to me as he shouted at his phone to call for the ambulance. The men around us didn't do anything as their commander is down. Blood loss got to me and I start to feel light -headed. My hands were untied and someone had caught my limp body, sweeping the hair from my face.

"Stay with me, Ria," he pleads. I heard a ripping noise then someone wrapping cloth on my wound.

After that it was all blank out.

-•-*-•-

I come to and heard a constant and monotonous sound next to me. I the anaesthetics wore off and I groan as I clutched my left shoulder. I looked around and as expected, I was in a hospital. I looked down and saw Randy holding my hand, asleep. I smile at how caring my brother was- no sarcasm. I ruffle his hair with my good arm and laughed.

"Wake up, doofus!" I laugh even more at his startled expression.

"Ria! Finally!" He stands up and hugs me and I wince, making him pull away and grin at me sheepishly. "Sorry."

He run towards the door and open it before screaming. "She's awake!"

My eyes widen at the nurses that came running towards me, checking the heart monitor and my blood pressure. A nurse smiled at me and gave me some pain killer and I gladly gulped it down with water.

After they left my mom and dad came in, I remembered about what Mr. Khole said- I'm a bad daughter for not being happy they were here first. I put the subject aside for another time. They hug me, careful not to hurt me. My mom and dad question me about how I was and I smile at them as a reply saying I was "okay".

After my parents, the other guys came in. I was disappointed not to see Cole but smiled at them either way.

"Cole's mourning if your wondering," Brian bluntly tells me.

"M-Mourning?" I stammer.

"Don't blame yourself. His dad was going to shoot you and there was no way we could avoid it. It was either you or him, we all would've chose to save you," Brian tries to calm me down.

Julian smiles at me and blabbed about how they were finding me after school and how it had turned out that I was in that situation. My smile had suddenly turned into a frown when I remembered everything.

"Don't worry. Cole would be here in a bit and we'll be back with food," Brian chuckles in his attempt to cheer me up- Successful attempt as I beamed at the word "food". Yeah I know I'm such a pig, but maybe that's why people say "Bring home the bacon," because I'm such a trophy-- that or because I'm hot and boys want to "take me home". Woah okay, let's erase that image.

A knock on the door snaps me out of my very dirty trance and I looked at who it was.

"Hey," I sadly smile.

"Hey," Cole hesitates but then walked to me and hugged me tight, not tight enough to hurt me. I hugs back and sigh.

"I'm sorry," I sob.

"It's not your fault. Never was, okay?" He pulls away and wipes my tears. The guilt never left me and I felt worse.

"Don't feel guilty," he sighs.

"Why not? You had to kill your father," I mumbled.

"It was better that way anyways." He shrugs. "I means don't get me wrong, I loved my dad, but he wasn't the same. The company changed him." I stared at him in confusion and gestured him to continue .

"The company was of hitmen. We were paid to kill people and it's really gruesome." he explains.

"That's why you didn't want to take the company," I thought aloud in realization.

"Yes and why my mom and sister fled. I told them that I could take care of myself, because my dad was after me and not them."

In attempt to lighten the mood and I smiled, though forced- I smiled. "And you did take care of yourself. Not only yourself but me too, I owe you my life."

"Does that mean you'll be my wife?" He joked and I blushed, smacking his arm.

"Nope. I still have to think everything through," I laughed.

"But hey, at least your good arm wasn't shot," he shrugged, looking at my wound.

"You have a scary good aim," I shiver as I remembered.

"You say that when you practically hit all of us in the nuts in the nerf war. That takes skill especially since I was specifically shielding it." he quirked his eyebrow and grinned.

"That was just a lucky shot."

"Four luck shots? I don't think so"

"Knock Knock. I come with food," the butler-- Julian, I mean- walks in with spaghetti. The classic and my parents' favorite. Brian follow suit and does a blunt curtsey.

"Compliments to the chef," I giggle as I ate it.

"Gracias," Brian smiled.

"You know Spanish?" I looked at him, and so did the guys. Seeing as how surprising being with the guys is, I don't see Brian cooking as a surprise anymore. Spanish is another thing though.

"Por supuesto, princesa" {Of course, princess} he smirks.

"No seas demasiado arrogante " {Don't be too arrogant/cocky} I shook my head. Yes, I know spanish.

Asking Brian not too be so arrogant is like telling my stomach to stop being hungry. Yes, it's that impossible.