Chapter Eighteen: Always Expect the Worse and Nothing Can Surprise You

Aldric and Keena finally went back inside and Aldric asked Keena if he could get back to work or was she going to cause anymore trouble Keena promised she wouldn't do anything else to get herself killed and so Aldric decided to get back to work which meant getting back to his interrogation. Something that Aldric couldn't help but think about was his father. If it was true and he did love another women he never spoke of her to anyone even to his death he kept that information to himself and if he did tell anyone nobody spoke of it. Aldric made his way to the basement and into the room where he would eventually kill the man tied up and something hit him Aldric almost stuck a hot poker in the man's eye hours ago and he didn't flinch what if it was to protect someone he loved.

Aldric sat in front of the man who was passed out across from him. He had to kill this man he had to show an example but it didn't mean he was going to kill his family so what if someone else threatened his family that could be why the man was not afraid of death. Aldric had the man woken up and Aldric just stared.

"Sir, please just kill me I cannot tell you what it is that you want to know." The man had tears in his eyes knowing he would not be going home.

"Tell me who set this up and I promise your family will be protected." Aldric got right to the point he knew whoever came from this man's mouth had been close to the Mafia and he had a lot of work ahead of him.

"Mr. Pierce not even you can protect them."

"Try me."

"Sir...." The man was hesitant but Aldric Pierce was his fathers son and Damion had always been there for him.

"I don't want to have to torture you but I will or you can tell me and trust me to protect them." Aldric told his men to leave them alone. They hesitated but followed directions. "Now it is just you and me your family will be safe you have my word."

"Aldric.... It was John John set it up and convinced Ricky to help him they told me to join them but I couldn't I told them I wouldn't help them but I also wouldn't turn them in. John said he knew I wouldn't because if I did my whole family would be dead."

Aldric stopped dead in his seat John the man he gave a free pass to. Someone that almost killed the love of his life. He knew he had to kill John but he had to be careful John got himself deep inside the Mafia.

"Like I said you have my word I will protect your family." Aldric got up to walk away and the man tried to apologize again. Aldric couldn't stand to hear it anymore why had this man been so foolish to protect them. Aldric turned back around just to shoot the man in the head before leaving the room. When he left the room he told the men that had waited in the hall to clean up the mess and he left he knew now what he had to do something he hadn't planned to do today.

Aldric went to his office and made many phone calls to everyone that was in charge of relaying messages and then some to a meeting a meeting that would happen in a half an hour it needed to happen now no more games no more I didn't knows. The furthest person he called said it would take them twenty-five minutes to get there so that is why he made the meeting in a half an hour. Aldric then went and talked to many staff to make sure Keena stayed off the second floor and they agreed to keep an eye on her.

Finally the time was here and Aldric had gotten the meeting room set up ready one by one the room filled up with people his father trusted with his life. Aldric wondered how many of these people were trusted enough to know about the women before his mother he had a feeling the answer to that was none. Meaning Damion Pierce truly never trusted anyone. As the room filled up Aldric Pierce stared at his friends and wondered how many of them were actual enemies.

"Thank you all for coming I'm sorry that this had been on such sort notice."

Everyone talked quietly to each other until Aldric started talking they all wondered why they were here.

"Aldric I think it is safe if I say that everyone is wondering why we are here." John was confident about himself.

"Mr. Conner's would you use the old bosses first name?" Aldric said very professionally

"Um no?" John was now confused Aldric was nothing like Damion he couldn't be a true leader.

"Then you will address me as you addressed him as Mr. Pierce."

"I'm sorry Mr. Pierce."

"Now does anyone else want to interrupt?" Aldric questioned the crowd most of these people had been from his fathers generation he had hired them, he had made a bond with them not Aldric. None of the other men said anything as they sat there staring at him. "Good because this group is going to be run a little bit differently you all have been briefed by my father the old boss but that doesn't mean you have been briefed by me, but that is not why you are all here today, today you are here for a one simple reason to clear a rumor that has been going around. Does the great Aldric Pierce have a women here is he seeing someone. The answer to the question is yes." Aldric turned on the projector and pulled up a picture of Keena Raven many pictures of her.

A man raised his hand and Aldric called on him. "What is it Wesley?"

"Sir is it true that you have no information on her, what if she came from one of the enemy Mafia's?" Wesley had been Damion's right hand man and right below him was John.

"Good question Wesley something none of you have to care about the only thing that you will care about is if she ends up hurt or worse. Some of you have made the mistake to risk her life well that ends now. From now on no harm will come to her and anyone who does will instantly be put to death. She will be protected at all costs and anyone you guys are in charge of if they hurt her the boss of them will be punished by death do I make myself clear?!" Aldric knew it was risky showing them how much he cared about Keena but honestly something his father told him right before he died something his father said he failed to do himself was. "Trust your enemy's with protecting the ones you love but never truly leave them alone and you will find who your enemy's are all that much quicker. Since your enemy's love to destroy you give the means to do so and they can't help but take the bait."

Each man agreed and they thought the meeting was over but they were already here why was Aldric going to schedule another one when he could cover everything in this one. "All of you have heard of Ricky's betrayal so due to that fact there will be reviews on all of your work that you have done. Your life's will be dug through and you will all be questioned on various topics. It is because of your work for my father the previous boss that I respectfully am telling you this. Something you should know about me is that I am not like my father my father believed have routines are vital but it is the very routines that put a empire at danger. When everything stays the same then those who want to harm us have a better chance in doing so. If anyone has anything to add now would be the time to do so." Aldric looked around the room of elders and he could feel the tension in the air he knew he wasn't going to find anything on these men if Damion Pierce fell for it then they were good but he wanted to see what these men would do put under this sort of pressure. Each men that held secrets held them back and after a few minutes of silence Aldric Pierce called the meeting over and everyone got up to leave.

Aldric went to his office to unwind before another meeting he would have to go to when a ding came from his computer. It had been an email sent by an anonymous party.

"Dear Mr. Pierce your meeting was quite interesting I knew your father quite well and he never was able to figure out life quite like you have. He pushed away the people who he loved most and surrounded himself with enemy's. If he had only realized what you have things might have changed long ago, but then again somethings are just meant to be the way they are. Understand that putting Miss. Raven out there like that will put her endanger not only by your enemies but also your fathers and trust me young one there is quite the difference. Your probably wondering who I am you will meet me when the time is right. I will not insult you by telling you not to track this email to try and figure out who I am but I will let you know right now you will not find anything. One piece of advise is don't trust anyone with Miss Raven's safety and understand fate has a way of working out if you don't betray it."

Aldric read this message and all it did was confirm what Aldric had been thinking someone out there knew about Damion's secret lover and told him that his father let them go and how it changed his universe. Had Damion Pierce changed fate or had fate planned this all along? Aldric went to his meeting at four and everything went well going back home he decided what the love of his life was doing. He looked around the first floor but couldn't find her when something hit him. She was stubborn and did everything she was told not to do meaning there was only one place she could be and that was the second floor. He had sent everyone home to think about what he had said except some security who was outside guarding and the ones cleaning up the mess down stairs meaning no one was on the second floor. Aldric climbed the stairs and slowly walked down the hall of the second floor but Keena was not there. He tried the door to his office, to the meeting room and to the library but they all where locked. He then climbed the stairs to the third floor and it was also abandoned. He was about to go and search for her but he had to use the bathroom first so he went to his bathroom door and found the handle was locked.

"Keena?" Aldric knocked on the door but there was no answer. He knocked again and again. "Keena I'm letting you know I am about to break this door down." It had been late by the time Aldric had gotten home and there wasn't anywhere Keena could have been except in here he would know if she left the house. He waited a few more minutes to give Keena a chance to open the door but when it was clear she wasn't going to answer he grabbed the spare key hidden in his room and unlocked it there was no reason to kick the door down if she wasn't in danger. He walked in to seeing Keena passed out in the bath with a glass of sparkling juice? He picked up the glass and smelt it before tasting it and it really was a glass of sparkling juice he found the bottle on the counter and remembered that. He then picked up the book she had been reading being careful not to lose the page and set it also on the counter. he drained the tub and picked the sleeping Keena up dried her off and put her in a pair of underwear and his shirt. He then carried her to bed and tucked her in. He wondered what type of day she had to drain her this much he grabbed the book from the bathroom and went to open the bedside table next to Keena's side of the bed and that is when he saw something odd. Well he didn't necessarily see something as much as felt it the drawer was heaver than usual making him wonder. Aldric knocked on the bottom of the drawer and it felt hallow he then pried the corner and saw another book hidden. Aldric smiled and placed the drawer bottom back into place and set the decoy book that she had been 'reading' on top. Making sure he was done with what he had to do today he himself climbed into bed and studied her. Only she had the power to destroy him, and he knew the only way to get her to fall in love with him is if he let her. Aldric went to bed wondering who had the same power over his father and what happened to her and where she was today.