Page 41 of Teach Me How To Fly

It hurt me like hell seeing her like that, with all those tears drying up on her face and her lips not being able to curl up in her signature smile.

I hopped in the car and made myself comfortable as it had already begun moving away from the Makenova’s. My driver kept being silent all the time, but I didn’t enjoy any moment of it considering that in my head there were heavy battles between my thoughts and convictions.

I was looking at her, writing in her notebook and smiling at the teacher who was just as happy as her. The woman was teaching her how to write her first letters, which made me happier than ever. She was smart like no other girl I knew was.

That was my first memory of my childhood. No matter how hard I tried to dig deeper, there was nothing coming to the surface. It was just that moment and the ones that came after.

It was so painful that I couldn’t seem to remember anything, and at the same time, it was strange. But what was more strange was that it was her first memory as well.

It made me question my entire life, because something had happened to both of us and neither one of us could remember it.

Was the man from her nightmare the same man from mine? Did the man in her dream have the same tattoo that the man in my dream had?

So many questions yet no answers.

I looked up through the window and saw how close we were to my house. Even though my mansion and Makenova’s were separated by a river, the distance by car was longer, but it seemed that the traffic wasn’t so busy tonight.

When the car entered the paved alley that led to my house, my phone started vibrating in my pocket and I furrowed. I took it out and I saw Joseph’s name on its screen. I swiped with my finger and answered.

“To whom do I owe this pleasure?” I said sarcastically.

“To the soul of the party himself, Brown. Please, get your ass up. I’m waiting for you at Diamond Cube,” he said and I knew how dumb the smirk on his face was.

“I’m not really up for it. I’m tired and I can’t wait to get home and do nothing,” I quickly replied and sighed as the driver parked the car in the garage.

“Move your ass here, Brown,” Joseph thundered. “You became this vulnerable fucker I don’t recognize anymore. Prove me wrong and come here.”

The moment I wanted to tell him to fuck off, he ended the call and I punched the seat in front of me. He knew how to fire me up, so I just bit my lower lip and groaned from my throat.

“Turn the car back on. We’re going to Diamond Cube,” I said to the driver and he started the engine.

I really wasn’t in the mood for any party as my mind didn’t stop flying to Annalise and everything that had happened. But at the same time, I missed the days when I was just letting everything pass by me, obeying Lukyan’s orders without concern about the consequences, and just doing my job as I was being told to do. I didn’t exactly know what changed, but something indeed did.

Maybe it was the closure between me and Annalise that made me realize life was more than just following orders and doing other people's dirty jobs.

Maybe it was just me growing up and seeing life as it was, not as what Lukyan tried to put in my head. Or maybe it was just me getting sick of doing wrong when all I wanted was to do good for everyone.

We got lost in the city as the night set in, and the more we passed by the most crowded streets of New York, the more I realized it was Friday night and everyone was trying to get laid and have fun.

Even I was on my way to do the same and as soon as the driver entered the private subway park of Diamond Cube, I knew it was a mistake.

I stepped out of the car and fixed the sweater on my shoulders as Boyce came out of it too and stood by me.

“Long night?”

“Not too long,” I replied and smiled in the corner of my mouth. “I’ll have a drink with Joseph and we’ll leave.”

He nodded and started walking behind me as I began moving towards the entrance. I pressed the button of the elevator and when the door opened, we walked in and waited until we reached the second level under the basement.

It was an entire building made for people like us — assassins, traffickers, mafia mobs and all the dark species of the world.There weren’t many people who knew about the place, but those who knew made sure to be there at the end of the week.

We entered the club and the heavy smell of cigarette smoke invaded my senses, alongside the mixed smells of perfumes and refined alcohol.

The naked girls were serving bottles of champagne, while others were dancing around the strip bar like that’s what they were born to do. And then, when I turned my head to the right side, I saw Joseph, chitchatting with none other than Laura fucking McKnight.

Did he really want to play dirty with me tonight?

“Brown, you’ve finally come!” he exclaimed as I got closer to their table.

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