Page 113 of Chemistry: The Chemist

“I’ll have a French 75.”

“I’ll have a dirty martini.”

“Alright. Will you ladies be having appetizers?”

“Yes, but we’re still undecided. When the drinks are delivered, we will have decided on something.”

“Great. I’ll be right back with those drinks.”

Alex hurriedly scurried from the table as if she was in a rush to be somewhere else.

Anna’s words were still ringing in my ear when we were left alone again. As she continued scanning the menu, I tried piecing my heart back together. The thought of breaking Chem’s shattered me every time.

TWELVE

I strolled into Rather’s office and had a seat on the couch that held the secrets of many. Aside from her unorthodox method of extracting information from those assigned to her through our family’s empire, she was a damn good therapist. The best, in my opinion. She was talented and could perform well in both arenas, just like the rest of us.

Rather wasn’t always on duty. In fact, her cases were few and far apart. There weren’t many people in possession of the information we needed and couldn’t retrieve ourselves. With Rugger, it was more of the same. When she wasn’t ending the lives of those deserving, she was tucked away in the lab, discovering the mistakes of murderous criminals so she didn’t make them in the future.

Our operation was seamless. Everyone had a role. Roulette was the first point of contact. She kept a watchful eye on her customers. When a prospect entered her establishment, spending an obscene amount of money, she made note of it and followed their paper trail until they revisited.

It’s Roulette. Gamble on your life. It’ll never be the same.

They always doubled back. Roulette wasn’t a place you visited and forgot. The experience was one of a kind and built to leave a lasting impression on everyone who entered the doors.

Once she was ready, she invited them to a private meeting where they were given the chance to observe Rome at the theater as she wowed everyone in the audience in a leotard and ballet flats. Her gift of discernment was utilized to the fullest extent and the most critical part of our process.

To get to me, you had to get through her. That shit wasn’t easy. The baby face and gentle persona had fooled plenty. Yet Rome was far from the naive girl they suspected she was. To make matters worse, her unwavering love for me made her quest to protect me a bit more intense.

If you weren’t worthy of my presence, she could sense it from a mile away. Not many made it past the viewing. A select few made it backstage to meet her and shake her hand, a sign you’d moved on to the next stage. If cleared by Rome, I was the next face one would see.

After our introduction, operations were filtered through Royce. She handled client affairs, serving as the liaison for both parties. Client affairs weren’t the only thing she had her hands in. She wore many hats. Whatever one needed, she could acquire.

Messes that needed cleaning were where Range entered the fold. Whether it was a case that wasn’t looking too good or a body that never needed to be found, she was the person to call.

Roaman worked less and worried more. As the oldest girl, she couldn’t help but stress about the flow of things each and every day. Yet, she remained quiet and useful when she could be. Not everyone could make it to the hospital and not everyone could go to the hospital in the event of an emergency. She was on call most nights. Her days were spent in the operating room, saving the lives of patients on her roster.

Step One: Roulette –scouts potential clientele

Step Two: Rome –determines whether a potential client is good for business, crucial to the longevity of operations

Step Three: Chemistry –distributes formula for unique strands that elevates client’s operation, 10xs the growth of their business and clientele

Step Four: Royce –liaison and point of contact beyond the distribution of formula, keep everything and everybody in line

Step Five: Range –responsible for handling clients in legal battles and cleaning messes that have been made while they’re on the roster

Step Six: Rather –extracts valuable information from those who pose threats or those aware of threats to the operation

Step Seven: Roaman –nurses those who’ve been in Rather’s chambers back to health as well as operates as an on-call surgeon for those who can’t visit the local hospital without suspicions being raised

Step Eight: Rugger –death. The last face you’ll ever see. A visit from her marks the end of life.

My mind wandered until I heard the sweetness of Rather’s voice, pulling me back in.

“Hello, Mr. Childers.”

She looked up from the glasses that were sliding down her face. She pushed them up with the pen she’d been writing with, giving me her full attention.

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