The Royal Contract

"So, what are you planning to do?" He asked his friend, knowing he could not do anything about his movements.

He could not lock and chain his friend on a chair. He could not stop him from doing what he wanted. Therefore, all he could do was cooperate and hope they could resolve their situation soon.

Hopefully, they could put a stop to their enemies with their heads still attached to their bodies or before their bodies turned to ashes.

"We have to keep these files hidden from the Feds, Mike. We might need them later on as our ticket if they decided to double-cross us." His friend said, handing him the files he was carrying with him.

He understood what his friend was trying to do. Although they already made a deal with the authorities to fully cooperate. They could not put their entire eggs in the basket.

He had to keep some of their evidence from the wrong hands, especially the best part. He had seen a few cases where the authorities found themselves in a tight spot and turned away from their deal once they had all the evidence.

"Of course, Gerald. We can't let them do that." Mike agreed with his friend. Although he enjoyed his time as the bad guy, he realized he could not live like that forever.

Maybe Gerald's new idealism was rubbing off on him. But lately, he did not find change to be inconceivable. Truthfully, he always thought he would die with a bullet in his head. Then, he would burn in hell if there was one.

But lately, the idea that he could see himself on the other side of the fence seemed achievable. He started to believe he could be a legitimately good guy after all.

"I will find a safe place for this." He took the files and placed them in a safe box. "You should have asked me or one of our men to pick it up."

He did not like that his friend was roaming the street. Anybody could suddenly recognize him and blow their cover together with their plans. Then what?

They would return to square one.

"I can't risk anyone else getting a hold of those," Gerald told his friend.

Somehow, he agreed. It was risky to let a messenger carry them around. It might get lost somewhere along the way. Then, that would guarantee the end of their careers.

"Ok. But next time, call first." He said, not appreciating him dropping by unannounced.

He could be out or in a meeting with their enemies. He did not want his friend caught in a situation. But it had nothing to do with his private life.

"Am I cramping your style? What is with this girl that had you in a knot?" His friend asked, looking more interested. "Where is she? Maybe you should introduce her to me." His friend continued to tease him.

"As I said to you. I am not interested in that woman. It was a mistake that I took her home." Mike insisted as he walked over to the bar in the room and grabbed himself a drink.

"Do you want one, or are you ready to leave?" He asked, not particularly feeling hospitable at the moment.

"I think my best option would be the latter." He answered as he stood up and declined the drink he offered.

"Then, I will see you soon." He indifferently responded, but in his mind, he could not wait for him to leave.

He watched his friend slowly move toward the exit. He speculated how he managed to get in his place and sneaked into his security. But he knew what his friend was capable of doing.

"You know what?" His friend stopped before he could open the door. Then, he looked at him as if thoroughly contemplating.

"What?" He asked, knowing he could never stop his friend from speaking his mind. But he did not like the suspense and the waiting.

"You are interested in this girl." His friend said as he rotated his shoulder and head, probably trying to ease the tension in his body.

He could only imagine the pain his friend had to go through with the wound still not fully healed in his body.

"No, I am not." He abruptly denied it, not believing his friend could say that.

He was never interested in any girl except for the occasional company they provided him. But other than that, he could not care for any woman except for Haley, who had managed to secure a spot in his heart.

Then, his friend continued walking while shaking his head. As if he was saying he did not believe him. But his friend did not let him say anything more as he disappeared behind the door.

"Damn him!" He thought as he drank his whiskey and let it settle in his stomach.

He thought of drinking more but decided against it. He would need his wits to deal with the current circumstances he faced. He could not end up on a couch, passed out drunk.

"Damn it!" He cursed himself after several minutes of sitting at his desk without accomplishing anything.

His friend's parting words echoed in his mind as he sat on his chair, staring at the view outside his window.

His friend's visit gave him several things to think about. But here he was, contemplating more about the girl he had left in his room.

"Stop it! She means nothing to you." He mumbled, convincing himself that this was just temporary. Somehow, his mind was going on haywire. But a few minutes of rest might fix his condition. He remembered he slept in one of the guest rooms last night to avoid disturbing her on her rest.

Therefore, he was slightly sleep deprived. It explained his confusion, lack of judgment, and irrational thoughts. But then again, he knew that those were just silly excuses.

"What the heck!" He finally moved out of his office and decided to wake her up.

He guessed he could offer her a coffee and breakfast and then send her home. Then, it would be the last time he would have to see her.

He doubted someone like her would drop by his club again. He believed she would have learned her lesson and never returned.

"Miss." He knocked on the door. He did not even know her name. "Miss." He called again, but the room remained silent.

He tried knocking on the door louder, shouting by the door, but there had been no response. After two more, he concluded that he better investigate.

He slowly opened the door while calling her. "Miss, I am sorry, but I have to check on you." But it was he who was surprised.

The room was empty. The rumpled sheets and blanket were a sign that somebody had slept on the bed, but the occupant was missing.

"Miss," Mike called again, checking the bathroom for any sign of life, but there was none.

He finally checked the bed, touching the pillow and the cushion. The linens were cold, indicating his guest had left a while ago. Where was she?

He did not notice her presence downstairs. Did she go to the kitchen? Was she waiting for him there? One thing was for sure the girl was not in his room or the living room, or his office.

"Where are you?" Quickly he moved downstairs to look for her.

He first checked the kitchen. But it looked the same way as he had left it earlier. He believed no one had been there.

Then, he went to the backyard, thinking she might want fresh air. But he did not see any movement within the perimeter.

He could only conclude that she was gone. Compared to his other house, or Gerald's house, this one did not have security. At least no men post on the gates or security roaming the grounds.

This house was one of the places he always thought was sacred. This property was his home, a slice of heaven on earth.

"Good riddance." He breathed a sigh of relief. At least he did not have to deal with the awkward confrontation and kicking her out of his house.

Then, he walked back into the living room, ready to continue his day. He just hoped that he could exorcize her from his mind soon enough.

But as he sat on the soft cushion and tried to relax, something clicked in his mind. Why did the woman leave without saying anything?

Then,

What if she had seen Gerald or heard any of their conversations? What if she told somebody about this? Or what if his enemies used her to spy on him?

"Damn!"

He could think of more scenarios that could jeopardize their plans because of what he did. He had let his guard down when he took that woman last night and brought her home.

Quickly, he moved toward his security room, double-checking all his security films. Gerald might have disabled the security alarm, giving her a free path to her freedom.

Now, he had to assure himself that he had not fallen into a trap. He carefully reviewed the tapes of last night and early this morning, checking for some evidence.

Eventually, he had to find her and guarantee that she would never share what she had learned about him with anyone else.

"Who are you?" He asked, trying to recall if she mentioned her name.

Was she just an innocent drunk last night? Or was she a spy sent to get intel on him? If she was the latter, then their secrets were in trouble.

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