CHAPTER 3: Alex Has Been Shot!!!

CHAPTER 3

***Amy***

After the encounter the last time on the day I got to the mansion, I didn't see Alex again, or let's say I couldn't, his place was high up and I worked below, the rest of the week went by slowly, and tediously, apart from always feeling like I was being watched but never seeing anyone watching me, I also had to work my ass off like never before as the kitchen was in charge of making the meals of the whole gang, or rather "family" as they often regard themselves, the house was a big house with about 27 rooms in total and maybe more since there was more to the mansion that what I could see in a week, as the newest addition in the kitchen, I was made wash the plates, deliver the meals and run a lot of errands, it's the hierarchy, and I was the last in the table called hierarchy.

While working in the kitchen, I made beautiful acquaintances of course, the head chef, Simone, took me like her own daughter, every time I came in the kitchen, I couldn't help but notice her ever so pitiful looks directed at me, and there's Evelyn, my friend, who had help me in navigating the dynamics of my job during the first 2 days of working here and still do. I thought long and hard as I washed the dishes, over 7 dozen of them piled up for me to wash and dry, the one-week ultimatum I was given by Alex was slowly coming to an end, and by tomorrow, I'm sure he'd come to me to ask of my answer, in a way, I was happy.

"Are you still pondering on the answer to give tomorrow?" Evelyn said as she walked up to me with a basket full of used dishes ready to be washed, jolting me out of my thoughts, I almost flinched. "You know, becoming Alex's woman isn't as bad as it sounds, the respect, you get to stop doing these tedious works, and you get to live up there" she signaled to point her fingers up "They even have their different kitchen up there," she said again, as though daydreaming.

"It's not all that easy Evelyn" I sighed as I replied.

"Is it going to be your first time?" She quizzed. I looked at her, and then she raised one of her eyebrows in question, of course, I knew what she meant by "my first time."

"No" I finally gave in and replied to her.

"So?" She said in a calm tone, "What is the matter here"

"I…" I started, then paused unsure if to be completely honest with her, deciding to be honest, I continued, "Alex is handsome, and yes I can be with him, but there are words on the street" I paused, "of," I paused again, "of the things people like him do to their women." Evelyn squatted beside me, helping with the dishes as we continued our conversation.

"Alex is kind, he's not like all of those brutal men who run the streets," she said to me.

"You always talk of him as though you're close to him or something" I commented, and it's true, Evelyn always spoke of Alex as though they were close friends, but the last time she told me how she got here, she'd also been sold, by her brother to pay off his debts some 4 months ago, so it's almost impossible, but I couldn't help but ask.

"I'm not, I'm just saying. Haven't you noticed the peace here? Everyone is well taken care of" she defended, and she's right, right here, everyone was respected, even we who were gotten payments were never disrespected or used against our will outside of the duties assigned to us.

"He has a system, and a man who made such a system would never act out of it" Evelyn commented, she always knows how to see into people and it's one of the reasons we became quick friends.

"You do have a point" I admittedly defeatedly, then we continued washing the dishes in silence.

We finished washing and as darkness drew near, I and Evelyn knew it was time for us to start the dinner preparations with the other kitchen workers, but as we entered the main house area, passing through the back door, I noticed there was no one around, the mansion was a place filled with over 200 occupants, there were always people around going in and out, but today, it's unusually quiet, as though everyone was away, I'm sure Evelyn noticed the absence, but for some reason, she wasn't curious as to know where everyone went, as I gazed around, with questioning looks filling my eyes.

"They must be out on business," Evelyn said, definitely seeing how curious I was, "this happens from time to time" she added.

"On business, and everybody was needed?" I asked, still confused.

"It's also the first time it's this entirely quiet since I've been here, it must be some serious business, but that's not for us to worry about now, is it?" Evelyn said as we walked through the hallway of the house, I could hear our voices echoing as we spoke.

"So are we to still proceed with making dinner in times like this when no one is around?" I asked hopefully thinking we won't have to work tonight and I could just go rest in my room.

"Of course, and some bandages and painkillers as well, we'll be needing lots of those."

"Bandages? Pain killers? Whatever for?" I asked still surprised. What business could we need those for, and again, lots of them? I pondered in my head.

"For the boys of course," she said, pausing as we entered the huge kitchen area, noise from different angles filled the air, with different kitchen workers there being busy, while some stood in a corner filling and piling up as much first aid boxes as possible, I counted about 8 boxes before I stopped.

Are we at war? I silently thought.

"We're at war," Evelyn said as though reading my very thoughts.

"You girls, get over here" Simone ordered, "ready those onions ready as soon as possible" she added, pointing at a basket of onions that stood by the counter. I had never seen her so serious, immediately, I and Evelyn got to work.

"What war?" I asked Evelyn as we worked on the onions.

"A new gang came in, I heard from California, they call themselves The Perez," she said, pausing to wipe her eyes from the sting the onions gave, her eyes now red, she continued, "So, the business had been rough for the Gomez recently, the Perez sealed off supply route of Gomez by taking most of those they supply here on the streets, war was brewing, and they decided to have a gang meeting, so all men gotta be there, in case a war breaks out" she said, fully explaining the situation of things.

"Oh, how come I don't know about any of this?" I asked, surprised all of this went on while I was in the same house and everyone knew, but me.

"Oh, it started before you started working here, and my little birdie told me," she said winking, with a smile plastered across her face as she spoke about "her little birdie".

I was going to ask who?, but before I could, the silence in the house got filled with noise, we knew those of us in the kitchen were no longer the only ones at home at this point, and soon after the kitchen door flew open and Vinny popped in, his face filled with worry, desperation, and fear.

"Simone!!," he called out Simone's name and the whole kitchen fell quiet, I could see Evelyn looking at Vinny and immediately the smile that was plastered across her face got wiped off, as though she was worried about him.

"Simone!" Vinny called again, "Get the first aid box, Alex has been shot" and with that, the onion and knife in my hand made a loud clattering sound, as they both fell off my hands.