Adrian stepped out of the airport's arrival terminal, and he went through the security checks alone this time. Unlike usual, he took a commercial flight instead of the private jet he usually used since he became the leader. His uncles were too suspicious to fully believe that they succeeded on the first try.
As he walked out of the airport in his custom dark jeans and grey hoodie layered over a plain black shirt— casual enough not to seem out of place. He looked up to the sky, letting the early morning Oregon sun hit his face. He breathed out to relieve his tense nerves, for now, he was a dead man, nobody was after him.
A man in a leather jacket walked up to him, sunglasses perched on his head and a cardboard sign tucked under one arm.
"Boss."
Agrian gave a slight nod, his gaze drifting to the sign. "What is this?"
The man gave a proud smile, took a step back, and raised the sign high into the air.
"Welcome to Oregon, Almighty Godfather!" was written in bright red ink.
Adrian's eyes twitched, unsure of what to say. The people walking around them pointed and laughed.
"Where is the car?" he gritted through his teeth.
The man took the traveling box from Adrian's hand without being asked and led the way towards the parking lot. They slid into a regular blue SUV. This type of SUV was common in the area, on their way to it, they passed three exactly like it.
As the engine hummed to life, Adrian turned his head slightly. "How's the Bed and Breakfast doing?"
"Very well! When I told my mom and dad you were coming over, they got really excited. The children also can't wait to see you. You know, every time we spoke on the phone, they almost yanked it out of my hand."
Clark chuckled.
"You've worked hard, Clark."
"No. No. No. It's easy work."
Clark was the son of the couple who had taken care of him through childhood. Uncle Sam was his primary driver, and Aunty Betty their housekeeper. After his mother died, she had stepped up, giving him the maternal love he needed at that age. Five years ago, after Adrian's father died, he had told them to leave so they could avoid the power struggle that would soon begin over the inheritance. They had decided on a small town in Oregon and took some of the orphans of fallen comrades with them.
Adrian bought a mansion for them, and they ran a bed and breakfast in it. While Clark was a local mechanic, he still helped Adrian when needed.
"Where is he?"
"At the shop, sir. The town is about two hours from here."
"Take me there," Adrian said.
"You're not coming to visit us?"
"I want to check him first. I'll come by in a few days."
The rest of the ride passed in silence. The scenery outside the window shifted from dense urban neighborhoods to tree-lined highway roads and finally to quaint suburban neighborhoods when they got close to Ashvale.
They passed streets lined with local shops, tiny diners, and vintage stores with hand-painted signs. All the markers of a small town largely untouched by modern technology.
"How far away are we now?"
"About 20 minutes away."
Adrian nodded. "Pull up here," he said, pointing to a diner.
When the car was parked. He unfastened his seatbelt and turned to Clark. "Help me check into a hotel, I'll go there alone."
"Boss, what if he's dangerous?"
"Does he seem dangerous to you?"
"No, but…"
"I'll be fine."
Adrian asked for the directions to the cafe and walked the rest of the way there.
As he approached the corner of the street, he saw the cafe. It was 11:00 AM now, a slow period for the cafe. Through the wide windows, he could see that there were no customers inside, just two cats staring out the window.
A slender figure stepped out of the shop, holding a small bag of treats in one hand and a metal ladder in the other.
It's him. Felix Reed.
He was wearing a white shirt and jeans. Over them, an apron with the cafe's logo– a cartoon cat holding a steaming cup of coffee. He looked exactly like the picture, except brighter in person.
"How many times have I told you, don't climb up the roof, you never listen," Felix called.
His voice really suited him, clear, soft with a hint of gentleness.
He was talking to a small orange cat meowing desperately from the rooftop, pacing along the edge.
Adrian paused. He hadn't seen this cat before. It looked the young man had picked up another kitten.
"Wait there! I'm coming up to get you."
Felix set a ladder against the wall and climbed up. But the cat only stepped back.
"Don't be scared."
The cat backed away even further.
He sighed exasperated, shaking the bag of treats. "Come on, Lulu. Fishy treats. Come on, boy."
Lulu. Adrian smiled as he crossing the street. The name was quite cute.
Suddenly, from the alley behind the shop, a stray cat with a half-eaten chocolate glazed doughnut in its mouth darted out. Two barking dogs chased after it, also wanting to partake of the sugary treat. The cat darted between the ladder legs, and the dogs slammed into the base of the ladder one after the other.
Felix's balance shifted.
The ladder tipped.
He gasped, arms flailing, trying to grip the roof's edge as gravity yanked him downward.
Then, he wasn't falling anymore.
Two warm, solid arms wrapped around his waist, catching him midfall. He instinctively moved inward, pressing against a firm chest and caught the faint smell of oak and sandalwood.
For a moment, the world stilled, and all he could see was the sharp line of a jaw above him.
The ladder cluttered to the ground beside them.
The man looked down at him, and Felix was sucked in by the molten steel eyes staring into his.
"Are you okay?" the man asked, voice low and steady.