chapter 35

El Torento sat still, his stern eyes trained on the entrance door, it left the entrance door only to look round the room once in a while. Evans held his breathe whenever El Torento eyes passed him, Derek didn't even shake one bit and went on with his food. It seems everyone else in the small restaurant haven't noticed who just stepped in or they just didn't care.

Torento was waiting for 'x' and unknown to him so was Evans And Derek. His hands tapped impatiently on the small briefcase beside him. Evans looked at Derek who was almost done with the food on his plate. He tried to get Derek's attention with his eyes, but all Derek seemed to care about was the food in front of him. He rolled his eyes and sighed, leaning back on his chair, he stretched his right leg, raising it up, he hit Derek at his crouch.

Derek jumped up in shock, his eyes wide, he looked at Evans then around the room, but no one saw the action that just took place because it was hidden under the table. Evans sent him an innocent smile, like he wasn't aware of his action, Derek responded by raising an eyebrow in question.

"What's the time?" Evans mouthed to him, then signalled to his wrist to show he wasn't with a watch. Derek glanced down at his wrist, then back at Evans.

"A minute to four," Derek told him, still with question in his eyes. Evans looked round carefully, then leaning forward he whispered.

"What if our mystery man doesn't show up?"

"He will show up..." He faded off, staring at something or someone behind Evans. "Don't turn around, just keep eating your spaghetti."

"What's wrong?" Evans asked curious, he heard footsteps approaching, they stopped just feets beside him, without asking he knew the mystery man had showed up. He heard screeching of a seat being pulled back, looking from the corner of his eyes, he tried to catch the face of the man who had just sat down with El Torento, and he found himself staring into the face of— Andrew Perkins.

"Oh look-" Derek said sending Evans a smirk. "It's your artist."

Evans eyes widened in disbelief, he couldn't believe Andrew Perkins was the one he had heard talking in the room, the tone the person had used wasn't one he had seen coming from Andrew before. The voice he knew belonged to Andrew was always calm and sweet, like music to the ears, the one he heard just yesterday was gruff, angry and just didn't fit the face Andrew held.

"Took you long enough." He heard Torento say.

"Got held up in traffic, and I ain't that late. Anyways, let get down to business," Andrew told him. They were talking pretty loud for people who wanted to fully settle a previous drug deal. Derek and Evans didn't even have to strain their ears to catch the words that were exchanged.

"I've got the money here, cool your white cheeks down," Torento said with annoyance laced in his voice. He placed the small briefcase on the table, it hit it with a thud. "That's your share." Andrew grabbed the case, sliding it over to him, he glanced up at Torento, then back at the case.

"You sure this is complete, I wouldn't like us having a problem Torento," He said pulling open the lock and then the upper part of the case. Evans and Derek both looked from the corner of their eyes, Derek couldn't see the content because of the direction Andrew was in, but Evans eyes were able to see the dollars the brief carried.

"It's complete Andrew, now let's get to business. We need someone to deliver to Boss, Louis was supposed to be our guy, but now that's he dead, the other person we've got in wasn't given the position to represent the shop."

Other person? They have someone else? 

Evans wondered, he looked up at Derek again, but he was with his nearly empty plate of spaghetti. Evans wondered how Derek could just sit and give no reaction with what was just said. His mind ran across the face of everyone working in the art shop, Louis had been the only arrogant person, everyone else was nice, but according to Torento they had someone else in.

"What about the new person working, have you checked with the new guy I heard they've got?" Andrew asked as he shut the case back and placed it beside him.

Derek looked up at Evans who gulped heavily, he knew they were talking about him. Torento shook his head. "Nah, we haven't approached him yet, heard he was the one whose brush was used to kill Louis, dude might rat us to the police." He leaned forward a bit. "What about you Drew, why can't you take it in?"

"Are you crazy?!" Andrew snapped loudly, his voice drew attention, as head turned and looked at them, Evans looked away quickly as he saw Andrew head turning to face his direction whilst trying to avoid curious eyes. When the looking eyes got bored, they went back to their business.

"Keep your voice down!" Torento hushed quietly. "Now, you were saying?"

Looking back at Torento, he said, "I can't be the one to deliver, I can't take that risk. Do you know how respected I am around here, find someone else. It has to be that day Torento, it's the safest place to do the transaction, you do remember what happened the last time?"

"I do." Torento said angrily, his hands went to rub his ribcage and he hissed in pain. "Fine, I will see what I can do with the delivery, while you handle the doctors dealing with the autopsy, if drugs are found in Louis system, all it takes is a smart cop to figure it all out."

"Yeah, I am taking care of that, we already have our guy on the inside," Andrew said and looked down at his watch. "I have to go, I have got somewhere to be." He stood up, grabbing the case in his hands. "What are you waiting for? Let's go."

They walked out together, immediately they stepped out the door Evans let out a breathe he had been holding and said, "Well, this was even more fun than I expected."

Derek doubled over in laughter. "Are you kidding me? You look like they were about to grab you and put a knife over your throat."

"Hey! Not true, I was simple being aware of the situation I was in, unlike you who was stuffing your face with spaghetti." Evans defended himself, firing back at Derek.

"Hey! The stomach wants what it wants." He shot Evans at tooth smile with a wink. Evans glanced away, his cheeks flushing.

There were certain little things Derek did that he was unaware of how it affected Evans. Like the winks he sends Evans way every now and then, or how he walks into the kitchen shirtless when Greta was preparing breakfast, or in the night when he had woken up to find Derek pulling the sheets over him like a loving mother.

"You're crazy," Evans said quietly and went back to his food.

~~~~~~~~~

Derek mind ran over the things that Torento had discussed with Andrew earlier. Not only did they have someone else working for them in Gin's shop, they have someone someone else working for them in the hospital, the police were supposed to get the results —which had been delayed by reasons unknown to Derek— tomorrow from the hospital. It seems they had guys working everywhere, and Derek wondered if anyone is really who they said they are. 

"Derek! Are you coming?!" Evans called from downstairs.

"Yeah! I will be there soon," He replied and hurried down the room, rushing downstairs. "Evans?!" He could see him anywhere in the room.  

"I'm here!" Evans said, stepping out with Greta behind him. She was wearing her apron which had what looked like tomato sauce stained on it, while Evans wiped his mouth clean. "Ok, I am ready."

"Hey! Not fair Greta, you never give me bits while you cook," Derek complained, scrunching his nose up like a child who didn't get what he wanted for Christmas. Evans smiled cheekily, while Greta laughed and went back to the kitchen. "She's pampering you."

"True," Evans agreed. 

They went out and got in Derek's car, destination to Nightlife.

~~~~~~~~~~

The disco light shown on the dancing crowd below, most of them had their bodies marked with paints which glowed in the dark. Music blasted loud from the four huge speaker positioned in the four corner wall of the club. Below, Evans held tight to Derek hand as he made way for them through the dancing crowds. They headed to the bar and took seats there, the bar man walked over to them.

"Hey Derek!" He said while eyeing Derek up, the flirtatious look didn't pass Evans eyes. He looked at the barman suspicious of his moves.

"Luke! hey!" Derek said with a smile. His voice was high so they could be heard over the music. 

"The usual?!" Luke asked again, and Derek responded to this by nodding. He then glanced at Evans, finally noticing his presence. "And what can I get for you?" He asked looking from Evans, to Derek then back to Evans.

"I will have the same with him," Evans said, Luke nodded and walked away. Evans turned to Derek. "I don't like him."

"Who? Luke?"

"Yes, Leuk!" He said, feigning irritation and squeezing his face like the name was sour in his mouth. "He looked like he wanted to eat you right up, like please, we are in a public place, not a... A place where people e-eat people." He mumbled the last part looking away. Derek held an amused smile seeing a jealous Evans.

"Luke is just a friend if you're wondering and no, I haven't slept with him."

Evans gasped, "I didn't ask you that."

"No, you didn't, but the look in your eyes said you were thinking it," Derek said and Luke returned with their glasses, dropping it on the table between them. He shot Derek another smile, before walking away to answer someone else that just arrived.

"No, I wasn't." He argued, then picked up the small glass containing the liquor, he raised it up to his nose and sniffed. "Oh! My! What's this?"

"I don't really know the content, Luke just mix it up for me everytime." He raised the drink to his lips and sniffed it like Evans, with a shrug he gulped the whole content down. Evans watched him in awe and proceeded to do the same, pinching his nose, he threw his head back and downed the whole content. He squeezed his face again and coughed as the drink went down his throat, he shook his head and looked at Derek.

"I didn't like that very much," He told him while running his throat, he spotted Luke passing by and removed his hand quickly, putting on what he felt was a cool face, but Luke was busy and didn't glance his way. As soon as Luke was gone, Evans went back to rubbing his throat.

"Sorry," Derek offered, Evans shot him a look that he knew Derek wasn't really sorry.

"Let's just find this girl and go." He turned around to face the dance floor, Derek following his actions. Their eyes scanned through the floor searching for the lady in the photo. "Do you see her?" He asked.

"Nope," Derek replied trying to catch the face of every female that fit the lady's physique. 

"For all we know, she may not be here today. People don't come to clubs everyday. I rarely even show my face in places like this, maybe last week was just a one time thing for her and we can always come-"

"Wait," Derek said suddenly, his index finger flying to Evans lips to shush him. Evans looked down at Derek's finger near his mouth confused. "Isn't she the one there?"

"Where?" Evans asked looking around, he looked back at Derek and followed the direction of his eyes. It landed on the same lady who had approached him the last time he was here. She had a tongue down another the throat of a woman who was beneath her as they lay on a couch which was positioned at a dark corner of the club. Her hands were already inside her partner's dress fondling her inside. 

"She's the one right?"

"Yup! That's her."