Chapter 8: Nice People

Theo

I watch Sienna walk in with a curious look on her face. She looks so different compared to the night of the massacre and the woman in the trunk. She's clean and healed. Her eyes search all of our faces but when she gets to my face and sees me staring, she smiles. It's not a smirk like when Dean catches me staring or an embarrassed one when Dom catches me. It's a soft, genuine one. It's unnerving to see it on the face of Mia's killer.

For others, it's normal for me to stare. I love to observe. Sit back and watch how others react and what shows on their face. That's why I was so entranced when all emotions were wiped from Sienna's face as she turned into Asma. Well, entranced and afraid. Seeing those golden eyes that plague me day and night. I couldn't sleep last night because of them.

She takes a seat next to Cole, across from me where I'm sitting next to Dean. Dom's at the head of the table even though there are no heads to the gang. We all rule equally as one.

I look over at Cole to see him furious at her sitting next to him. That used to be Mia's seat.

"Good morning, Sienna. Did you sleep well?" Dom starts politely. I suppose he finds it his job to be the nice one to Sienna. I can be the nice one too, though.

"Nope," she responds popping on the P. Her blatant honesty surprises me and I find myself asking her why. "Well this guy snores." She points at Cole with a smirk. "And I'm completely healed."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask ignoring the first part. Cole looks about ready to slit her throat right here and now. But, he hasn't made a move for her. Why?

Sienna holds her wrists for me, turning them over so I can inspect them. "I sleep for injuries or if I'm exhausted. I haven't done anything really and my wrists are healed, so my energy's still at 100 percent." Her smirk is gone and she's looking at me with the same kind of interest I'm sure I'm looking at her with.

I wonder what she sees. A curious boy pretending to be a knowledgeable man. A snoopy person who should mind his own business. A man in love with his friends and would die if anything happened to them.

That last thought has me looking over at Dean who's watching the scene with interest. He looks adorably exhausted and I decide I'll spend the night with him tonight. I take me glasses off, wipe them, and put them back on. She's still looking at me. It feels like it's been hours since her chocolate eyes fell on me, but it's been seconds.

"We've come to a decision," Dom says catching her attention.

She looks at him with a curious look, and her face lights up. "I'm listening."

"Don't look so excited," he snaps. "We're keeping you."

Her face falls into a look of dejection before she looks at the door longingly.

"Don't you even fucking think about it," Cole growls holding her wrist.

She grins smugly. "You know Commander Cole, first you're protecting me as I sleep and now you want me to stay by your side."

I look over at Cole to see his forehead pulsing and his bronze skin is turning red. His eyes are filled with disgust and I look over at Dom worried, silently asking him a question.

Is a rage coming on?

Dom shakes his head no as Sienna speaks again. "If I didn't know any better," Cole's jaw tightens with every word that comes out her mouth, "I'd say you have a crush on me. I'm flattered." Her hand runs down his chest and he shivers.

Faster than I can blink, he has her back against the wall, his hand around her throat. He squeezes and her face turns red, but she never loses her smirk.

"Cole, stop." Dom orders sternly. Cole ignores him. His back muscles flex through his white t-shirt and he's shaking with anger. His aggression both turns me on and scares me.

"Come on, Cole. Let the girl go." Dean says though his heart isn't behind it. Cole again ignores. Sienna's eyes roll in the back of her head only to then snap forward, now gold.

Asma pushes Cole back with way too much force, causing him to fly across the room and hit his back against the wall. I run over to him and roll him onto his stomach.

"You alright there?" I ask gently, worried for his back. In the past, I used to be the closest to Cole. Things are different now, though. Now I'm afraid. And being this close causes my hands to shake.

"I'm fan-fucking-tastic." He responds, getting up and glaring at Asma. She stares at him with a dead face and I tense.

"Commander Cole," she begins in a voice so similar yet so different than Sienna's, "I believe you were present when I gave you the rules. So why, may I ask, were you trying to kill Sienna?" I expected for her to sound disappointed or angry, but she sounds like she's reading from a script.

"Everyone sit down," Dom demands, not giving a chance a Cole to answer. Dean gets up and skips to Mia's spot while Cole takes Dean's. Asma doesn't sit and instead watches Cole.

Not wanting Asma here anymore, I say the words that deactivate her. "You've served well."

She blinks over at me before nodding her head. I watch as Sienna's body sways before she catches herself. She looks around at all of us before sitting down across from Cole. A pained cough escapes her, and she rubs her neck, looking at Cole disappointedly.

When she speaks, her voice is raspy. "You're slower than I'd thought you'd be."

"I fucking hate you," he responds, his fists balling up. He looks at the table, not making eye contact with her.

She grimaces at the curse word. Apparently, she doesn't like them. "Yes," she drawls. "We've established this."

Cole snaps his head up to her. "Yeah but-"

Dean interrupts Cole. "Okay! We get it. You two have the biggest dicks in the house and want to sword fight with them. I will gladly pay money to see that, but can we please get this fucking meeting over! I'm hungry as hell and that apple didn't do shit for me. Dom please, hurry the hell-"

"Could you stop cursing so much?" Sienna cuts him off.

Dean turns to her, very confused. "What the hell's wrong with cursing?" He is now completely off topic now.

I watch Dean's face as she debates with him over whether or not cursing is necessary. His eyes are bright and his cheeks flushed. He looks exhilarated at the thought of arguing with someone. Dean is always bickering with someone. He has always won because the other person lost interest or energy. But, it seems as if Sienna can go on for days.

"How the hell are you gonna be against something as harmless as swearing when you take the lives of innocents for no reason?" Dean questions. His last statement is angry and rushed. It's as if he remembered who he was talking to and that he should not be getting into fun arguments with her. Sienna doesn't answer and that makes Dean frown. He then becomes smug.

"Great!" Dom says clapping his hands. "Now that the children are done. Let's get down to business." He looks at Sienna who is now the furthest away from him. She stares back intensely and seriously. It's almost comical how fast she switches.

"So, you want to die right?" He begins.

She nods her head. "Correct."

"Well," he smiles. "We want to kill you."

I don't, I realize. I want to kill Asma, not Sienna. Sienna seems nice.

Dom continues, oblivious to my thoughts. "You help us with our goal and we'll kill you. Sounds good?"

She rolls her eyes. "It's not as though I have a choice. What type of goal are we talking here?"

"We wanna takeover the Ravagers," Dean interjects enthusiastically. He's been blabbering about the amount of people he would be able to kill when we overtakes them.

"Oh I know the Ravagers," she says thoughtfully. "I served for them before. Nice people."

Her words stun us in silence before three guns are pulled on her. I think carrying around my gun is useless, so I never. Besides, I've never had the balls to shoot someone and they're not going to come in today.

Instead of her looking concerned, like I would be with three guns inches away from my face, she's delighted.

"Put them away," I say. There's obviously more to the story, or else she wouldn't have just put it out there. Death seems to be her goal and all her words are intentionally meant to rile us up. This time, however, seems accidental.

They all do as I say slowly, with Cole being the last one to sit and put his gun away.

"Explain," I mutter, not liking how she's looking at me. It's as if all her attention is on me and I don't like it.

"Well, normally I'm traded and bought between gang members. Sometimes hitmen buy me for a partner or gang leaders get me to protect their kids. Either way, I've been with a lot of gangs. Like when I say a lot, I mean a lot. And it's quite funny when there's alliances and betrayals and I'm behind the scenes of them all. Like my own little movie," she laughs, a wistful look on her face. Her eyes never leave my own, and I look away at Dom to see him digesting the information.

"That doesn't make any sense," he speaks, "You can just spill all their secrets. Disrupt the criminal world with a couple of words."

"Yeah, well I can't spill anything. Like actually, my mouth stops working. Anything that can incriminate another gang, is a no-no. But, when no one is my Commander, I can speak as freely as I want. That's why people try to torture information from me before becoming my Commander. They want me to sing like a Mockingbird."

That simile makes me interested. Normally, people say a Canary. I wonder how she relates to a Mockingbird.

"And do you?" Cole asks gruffly.

She huffs and all her focus is on Cole, now. "No. I have morals. My lips stay shut."

"You have morals." He deadpans.

"That's what I said," she hums, rolling her eyes. "Are you hard of hearing?"

He sits back in his seat, folds his arms, and shrugs his shoulders. "Just making sure you hear the bullshit coming out of your mouth."

Her eyes narrow, like she can't believe her eyes. "The only one spitting poop is you. Your mouth is foul."

"Enough!" Dom shouts, rubbing his temple. Dean, Sienna, and Cole are like adolescents. But oddly, it's refreshing. This is the most I've seen Cole talk in months.

"Point one for Sienna," she says proudly.

Cole coughs correcting her. "Asma."

"You're right," she smiles. "Asma does have a point. From when she yeeted you across the room."

This pisses him off, but Dom speaks. "So you can't tell us anything about them?" At the shake of her head, he continues. "That's fine. We just need your help. Then, we kill you. Simple as that."

She tilts her head to the side and frowns. "On one, no two conditions."

Doms raises his brow and she continues, "One, you don't force Asma to kill anyone. Make her knock someone out, beat them up, even sleep with them, but no killing."

This stuns me, but at the same time, it doesn't. Asma's actions obviously plague Sienna and it makes sense that she doesn't want to add more guilt to her conscience.

"Promise me!" She says looking around at all of us.

"I promise," I agree with no hesitation. I do it for her, but also for myself. I don't want to see Asma in action. I don't think my sleep could take it.

Dom and Dean speak at the same time. "I promise." All eyes turn to Cole.

"I promise," he grumbles making me sigh in relief. I thought we'd have to fight over it.

"Great." Sienna claps her hands, looking genuinely happy. "Second, I want my sword. No I need my sword. She's like an extension of me and I haven't felt my baby since..." she trails off and looks up confused. "What day is it?"

"July 10, 2019," Dom answers. I watch her as she clams up, her bottom lip trembling.

"2019," she whispers solemnly. It makes my insides twist. "I was there for three years." Where? Three years?

I open my mouth to voice my inquiries, but she completely changes face.

A smile is back on her face and she talks. "Anyways, so yeah, that's three years without Felie. I know she's itching to get back into my hands." I observe the woman who's speaking so passionately about...a sword.

It makes me wonder. Has she had that little in life to be passionate about?