15 Merinla

The funny thing was it felt like after not crying in so long, my world was falling apart. But, I hadn't even cried for a minute. Ade's shirt was barely wet. Which is why it felt so odd to me that he had already fully assessed how to handle the situation. My head was cradled in his hands and to comfort me he whispered all the ways we could hurt Ximenes. I quickly wiped my eyes and told him I was fine. After a moment, he knew just what to do.

"You're not even seventeen."he started.

"Yeah I turned eighteen two weeks ago." I replied.

"Lying is a sin."

"Suck my dick"

"That's a sin too." I side-eyed him then started laughing. We agreed to watch cartoons in my room again. While a part of me felt like dying and everything was chaos, I still fell asleep on Ade's shoulder, and didn't have nightmares for the first time since I was kidnapped. Actually, for the first time in years.

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I woke up with squinted eyes following a very annoying figure around the room as they proceeded to open every goddamn curtain in the room.

"I fucking hate you with every bone in my body, and I swear to god the second I get a chance, I will take pleasure in executing your slow and painful death." I murmured from under the covers.

"Aw, you're so sweet in the mornings!"

"Kill yourself."

"As if you'd survive without me...Get your ass up we got shit to do."

I proceeded to ignore Ade, smiling evilly as I sunk deeper in to the covers. As I predicted, this bitch is somehow hurt by my happiness and yanked me out by my leg, catching me just before my chin smacked the ground.

" I hate you so much."

"Aw. How sad. Anyways, it's seven am, I gave you an extra hour, it's time for us to get things done. X wakes up in thirty minutes and I ain't dying for pussy I didn't even get."

"You wish you did.." I whispered groggily, becoming comfortable on the floor and attempting to drag down the blanket.

" Five....." he droned

"fIvE" I mocked

"Four...."

"fOuR"

"Three..."

"tHrEe"

"Two..."

"tWo"

"One... Nki-"

"I'm up! I'm up!" I proclaimed as I dragged my ass off the floor and left the room, kicking him in the shin on my way out.

"Get ready, something other than baggy sweats today, you need to be able to move, and get back here by 7:25" he yelled after me. I rolled my eyes and sprinted to my room the second I was out of his line of sight. When I finally reached my room I hopped in the shower for five minutes, the water scalding, and forced myself out. I proceeded with my normal morning routine and finally, I stuck myself in some track shorts and a running shirt since Ade said nO sWeAtS. I looked at the clock across the room and smirked realizing it was still 7:24 and decided to sit on my bed for two minutes. At exactly 7:26, I walked out of the room to see Ade glaring at me from down the hallway. Cackling to myself silently, I followed him down the stairs. Once we reached the landing, he pulled me into a corner and began to speak.

"You need X to feel smothered by you so he'll leave you alone long enough for us to execute our plans. But, if he's too sick of you, you'll hold no power. Set it up before we leave. "

"As if anyone can be sick of me."

"You're annoying."

I ignored him a leapt up the stairs to the other wing of the house and where X's room was. I took a deep breath,cracked my neck, and opened the door.

"Good morning baby!"

"The fuck do you want?" He was sitting on the bed, shirt in the process of being buttoned, with the most hateful face I've ever seen directed at me.

"I-I thought.."

"You obviously thought wrong. I have shit to do and you look gross. Get out and wear something that doesn't make you look like a fat whore." I looked down at my shorts and struggled not to smirk. I knew this technique very well. I was no stranger to manipulative and insecure people. Now that Ximenes thought he had me, he was attempting to destroy my self esteem so he could build it up again later and ensure that he kept me. I wasn't stupid, and he definitely wasn't original, this was the trademark move of emotionally abusive partners. I only felt bad for him because if that was his best shot at hurting me, I knew he wouldn't survive a second being roasted by African aunties. My eyes welled with fake tears as my face fell.

"Oh..okay. I just thought I'd reimburse you for last night.." I responded softly, placing myself carefully on his lap at an angle I knew gave him a view of my cleavage. "..but I don't want to bother you, so if you want me to leave, I will. See you later." I promptly pulled my shirt up to cover myself and darted back downstairs as fast as I could. I made contact with Ade and simply said, "It was sucessful. We don't speak of it, okay?" He didn't bother to respond and dapped me up.

"This world doesn't deserve you. "

"I know."

"Come on, I told you today would be busy. Let's get you some food first."

"Ihop."

"Oh my god remember Ihob?"

"Hey shut up, we don't speak of that. Now can we go to ihop?"

"Fine let's go, hurry up. Get your sunglasses."

"Yay!"

"Wow, emotions from Nkiruka! I can't believe this."

"Shut up."

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After going to ihop with Ade and stealing his pancakes, we set out on the road once again.

"Where are we going?"

"You've done martial arts since you were young right?"

"Yes, I'm a black belt in jiu jitsu, judo, and karate. I've been working on my boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling too."

"Show off."

"How sad."

"Well let's see if your bark matches your bite." he said as we pulled up to a gym/boxing center.

"Really?"

"I want to see if you can actually fight someone so I'm not worried about you getting killed every time we need to do something."

"Bet. Who am I fighting? You?"

"No..you're fighting him. " he smirked, pointing to a man easily double my weight and a few inches taller than me. To his slight surprise, I just stepped in to the pen and raised my eyebrow.

Twenty minutes, a split lip and some aching ribs later, I stepped out.

"You're free to only worry about yourself." I smirked.

"You took a few punches." he states, trying to seem unimpressed, but I saw the pride and slight fear in his eyes.

"It's unrealistic to think someone my size will fight his big ass without a scratch. The important thing is, I did what i had to do, and I won didn't I? "

"I suppose."

"Any other tests?"

"Yes actually. I know you hate guns, but you should know how to fire one. Just in case. "

"Fine. Shouldn't be too hard, I did archery too."

"Wow your parents got money money. Shidd."

"They're not the ones with a one trillion dollar company but okay, sure."

After we went to the shooting range and I fought with Ade about who was a better shooter, we began driving again. I didn't bother to ask where until we reached a residential area of reasonable condos.

"Where are we?"

"This is my actual home. Where I took you the other night. You were asleep so you don't recognize it. Ximenes and I bought the mansion together back before I knew, when we were friends, I guess. He thinks we've just been in a fight the past few months and since I was "mad" I took up residence in one of my other homes. Instead, I anonymously bought one of these penthouses. I hadn't even really stepped foot in the old house for a while until your kidnapping. Since he doesn't know about this location, we're gonna utilize it in his takedown" As he spoke we walked into his penthouse and for some reason I found i prettier than the mansion even though it was obviously smaller. It was extremely spacious with the walls and furniture covered in African art, patterned cloths, sculptures, tapestries and paintings. I walked through to the kitchen, poured myself some juice, and sat at the table, admiring the afro futuristic vibe the apartment radiated.

"Well how we gon do that exactly?"

"As I told you, multiple ways. Lets take it one day at a time. As for today, are you ready for an adventure?"

"Let's go."