Chapter 5

• It is not long before I feel Quinn's arm on my shoulder.
• "It is over." He assures.
• I am yet to understand what happened. Everything happened so fast. One minute I was thinking this how I die, how Quinn dies but in a blink everything changed. What just happened? Is this some sort of Stan Lee superhero stuff?
• I look around waiting for something terrible to happen, waiting for the rest of the gang to appear gun blazing at us. I shut my eyes and open them . Nothing. Absolutely nothing happens. Nothing makes sense. Quinn has no weapon but who shot Peter?
• I sink deeper into his embrace, my heart rushing and my mind loud with confusion. Just then I see a group of three men walking towards us, all of them with guns. Not just ordinary guns but sniper.
• I clear my throat, "There are three men heading towards us." I whisper to him as fear start to sip in.
• He turns to face them and a smile forms on his lips. I feel my body slowly relax as the men halt in front of us. Everything slowly starts to make sense. Quinn wasn't dumb enough to show up alone. These guys must have helped him take out the gang. And the discretion they carried the whole operation is enough to tell. They are highly trained . Of course, only the best for the Nickel's.
• "Great work Anthony, I didn't know you had help."
• "These are my ex-colleagues." He gestures at the two other men. Who are modest enough to just shrug .
• "I am Quinn Nickel." Quinn extends his hand to them. "Glad you could help." He thanks them.
• "Anthony is one of us, he calls we show up." One of them speaks.
• I just stand there like a third wheel unaware the role I play and what to do. The men converse and I keep looking around thinking this isn't over. Such things don't just end that fast. I expected gun fights, fist fights but all I see now other than Peter's lifeless body there is no other evidence I was held captive by a gang. Not just one but several of them.
• "I will call a buddy of mine at the police station to collect the bodies." One of the two men says as he steps aside to talk on the phone.
• "Police?" I ask full of panic.
• "This will just look like a police operation on a drug gang." Quinn clarifies. "None of it will lead back to us. It is a win win on both parties."
• The Anthony guy glances at me for a while then turns to look at Quinn. They share a weird glare, like they are conversing by just staring at each other. It is like they are sharing an inside joke. Quinn scoffs and disassociate from me walking back to his car.
• "You aren't what I expected." Anthony says.
• I hug myself tightly, am yet to feel and function normal. I feel like I am living in a delusional moment. And everything that happened is just a part of my imagination. So I find it even hard to engage Anthony in any conversation. "I..." I give up. I am too tired and deprived of any energy to converse like it is just a normal day.
• The guy who was on the phone joins us. "You should leave before the police get here." He advises us.He casts me an apologetics look and walks towards Quinn.
• I am lost in my own imagination until I feel Anthony's arm on my shoulder. "Let's go." He gently and lazily says.
• I allow him to lead me. Quinn is still talking to the guy. He opens the passenger door for me and I get in. He moves to the front and warms the car for me. I slowly start to feel alive.
• I don't have my phone with me, I badly want to talk to Oliver or just stare at filtered photos on Instagram to feel better.
• After a while, both Quinn and Anthony get in the car. Anthony shoots for the shotgun while Quinn decides to drive us. He adjusts the rear mirror and stares at me for a second before he starts the car. I lean backwards and close my eyes. Sleeps welcomes me immediately like a child that longed for his mother.
• I wake up to someone tapping my shoulders, I blink and rub my eyes. When I finally open my eyes I find Anthony staring down at me.
• "You are at your destination." He says.
• I look outside and realize we are outside Oliver's apartment building. Quinn is seated on the driver's seat. He barely looks at me.
• I clear my throat, "Can we talk?" I ask him.
• He scoffs like he finds me ridiculous, "You had four years to talk."
• " Please..." I beg.
• He goes silent, "I need to get home, Theo is waiting." He answers.
• "Just wait outside for a second." Anthony instructs.
• I step outside and wait. I don't know how Anthony managed to convince him but he finally steps outside.
• "You have three minutes."Quinn says impatiently.
• "If you were me you would have done the same thing." I say. I find it hard to apologize because I am not sorry for what I did and intend to do.
• He huffs, "You are unbelievable. You can't even apologize for tricking me into an affair."
• I remain silent, I have already lied to him too much so am not going to add another lie by pretending to be sorry.
• He pinches the bridge of his nose and lets his hands fall in surrender. "I was going to let you and your brother continue attending the university and pretend nothing happened but looking at you now I realize you are just vindictive and God knows what you are capable of." He shuts his eyes like it hurts just looking at me and opens them again."This is what you are going to do, You are never going to step back to that university, my father is a board member, if you do, I will destroy you and your brother. I will let your brother complete this semester but next year he is gone too."
• My mind is slowly absorbing all what he is saying leaving it a tangled mess. Oliver is all I can think of. He worked hard to get that scholarship so as to attend the university. It is his dream come true. He is going to hate me." My brother is innocent, you can't do that to him." I beg.
• "Watch me." He turns around and start to walk away.
• "You are worse than your father." I shout at him angry.
• "At least am not like him, am just worse." He says and gets in the car.