Chapter 5 - Part Five

Chapter Nine: Dropping the Ball

Wally was once again restless as he paced around the house. A lot of things had been on his mind in the last two days. Gavin and Joey were scheduled to arrive home that evening and Wally, finally coming to a decision, grabbed the keys to his mustang. He didn’t normally drive it, because it had been a gift from Gavin’s father, but he had pushed his stubborn nature aside for the day.

Before long he had pulled up into the driveway of a yellow house with white shutters. He walked up the porch stairs and rung the doorbell. “W.B.?” The woman looked at him curiously. “What are you doing here?”

“Can- can we talk?” he asked with his head down.

“You shouldn’t be here. More than that - I don’t want you here. So like you told me the other day, go home.” She started to close the door.

Wally’s hand shot out, preventing the door from closing. “Kuki. . . please.” He finally rose his gaze to meet hers. His rueful filled eyes, pierced a part of Kuki’s heart that she had long forgotten and so she nodded and allowed Wally into her home. She led him to the living room where she took a seat on the couch and he on the plush chair near her. “Where’s Kevin?” His eyes searched around for the toddler.

“I’ve already put him down for his afternoon nap,” she explained. “But I know you didn’t come all the way over here to talk about Kevin. So what is this visit about?” she asked as she watched Wally fiddle with his fingers.

“It’s about what you saw the other day.”

“Let me guess, you want me to keep my mouth shut?” she scoffed as she shook her head.

Wally sighed. “Yes.”

“Oh, this is good.” She laughed lightly as she stood up and walked across the room to where the bar was located. “You want me to keep your affair quiet.” She poured herself a glass of water. “Amazing.”

“It’s not an affair,” he told her.

Kuki turned around and leaned on the bar. “Damn, where have I heard those words before?” She took a sip of her drink, her eyes still on the blonde. “And if I remember correctly, they weren’t believed then either.”

“You- you hurt me that night, Kuki,” he stated softly.

“So what?” She crossed her arms, her drink still in hand. “What would you have rather I done? Huh?” She shrugged. “Not said anything? Have you believe Kevin was yours?”

Wally shook his head. “Of course not. Besides, I would have found out eventually.”

“No, you wouldn’t have and you know it. Because you would have never questioned me.” She finished off her drink “And I would have just went on trying to make myself believe the lie.” She smiled as sat back down on the couch. “But we both know Gavin, it would have eaten him up instead. Sure, he’s no stranger to secrets, but he loves you too much to keep you in the dark for long.”

“Then why did he betray me?” Wally stood up and sat next to Kuki on the couch. “Why did you betray me?”

Kuki looked down at her empty glass. He had never given her the chance to explain before. “It was only one night. I swear it was.”

“But why?” he asked her again.

“Because. . . because I was lonely,” she finally told him. “You were never around, Wally.” She laughed a little. “And now Gavin’s never around.” She then looked at him. “I’m always getting the short end of the stick, aren’t I?”

“Do you still love me, Kuki?”

“There’s no reason in answering that because even if I did say yes, you could never truly forgive me," like I forgave you after the incident, she thought to herself. "Just like you know Gavin would never forgive the two of you.” She leaned over and put down her glass. “So tell me, is this you finally taking your revenge against him? He had me, so you have to have her?”

“No,” he shook his head. “It- it’s not like that.” His voice was soft. “Kuki, please. Can I just count on you to be quiet?”

“Fine, but when this all blows up in your face-”

“It won’t,” he interrupted her. “I’ve already ended it with Abigail.”

Kuki smiled. “Thought you said it wasn’t an affair?” Wally only looked at her.
OoOoO

“Explain,” was the first word out of Abigail’s mouth as she sat down on Gavin’s bed. She had had two days to calm down after finding out about Gavin''s ex-wife the way she had, but she was still not please with how long he had kept her in the dark about it.

“Alright,” Gavin began. “Kuki and I were married after we discovered she was pregnant with Kevin.”

“And you thought you couldn''t tell me this, why?”

“Things didn’t go well between us and I didn’t want you to think because I couldn’t work it out with her, that we wouldn’t work.”

“I’m not that naive, Gavin,” she told him a bit angrily. “So why didn’t it work between you two?”

Half of Gavin''s mouth curled up in a fail attempt to smile. “Because she was in love with another man.”

“Oh,” Abby said looking a bit surprised as she straightened up a bit. “I didn’t mean to bring up something painful. I just thought-”

“It’s okay," he told her as he waved his hand. "I already knew she was in love with someone else when we got together.” Gavin sat on the bed next to her. “Me and Kuki weren’t meant to work. It was that simple. Besides,” he rose his hand to her face. “If we did, I would have missed out on something great.”

"Did you love her?" Abby found herself asking as she slowly brought Gavin''s hand down.

He looked into her eyes. "I usually tell people no, just because it''s easier that way, but," he stated sadly, "yes, I did." Abby then turned away as he continued to speak. "But I always knew she was using me, because her boyfriend wasn''t paying her the kind of attention that she needed."

"Gavin," Abby spoke suddenly.

"Yes?"

"I''m afraid-"

"Afraid of what?" he asked her curiously.

"I''m afraid if I don''t do this now, I never will." She finally looked back into his green eyes.

As if reading her mind, Gavin slowly started to shake his head back and forth. "Abigail. . . no."

“Look, I have had a lot of time to think in the past two days. . .”

Gavin closed his eyes. “Please, don’t say what I think you''re about to say.”

“I can''t be with you anymore.” She then watched as his head went back and he sighed heavily. “I know it took a lot for you to open up about Kuki, but there are just so many other elements of your life that I don''t know and I don''t what to wonder about them. I don''t want to beg for them.”

At her words, he looked back to her. “I can be honest, Dove," he told her urgently. "Just give me time.”

“I’ve been giving you nothing, but time." She was hesitant about the next sentence. "And I need more than you are willing to give.”

“Then just tell me what you want," he said desperately. "I can buy you anything."

"That''s just it," she grew upset. "I don''t want things, Gavin. I want you."

"But you have me."

"No," she shook her head. "I don''t."

"Then marry me,” he blurted out suddenly.

“Excuse me?” Abby was in shock at the sudden change of subject.

“Would you be happier as my wife?”

“Gavin, slow down-”

“We can go ring shopping tomorrow.”

“Gavin, you’re not lis-”

“You can make a list of the people you want to invite-”

“Gavin!” Abby yelled out to get his attention. “No. My answer is no. I can’t marry you because marriage would solve nothing.”

“But I don’t want to lose you,” Gavin told her honestly. “I love you, Abigail,” he told her for the first time.

Abby smiled. “I know you do, but we can’t work.”

Gavin then looked at her with a furrowed brow, he was expecting her to tell him that she loved him too. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?”

Abby looked away for a moment as she remembered her last encounter with Wally. “No, there’s no one else,” she didn’t want to lie to him. “Not anymore.”

“How long?” His voice was flat and low.

“It’s not important.”

“Just tell me how long,” he demanded in the same tone.

Abby began to fidget with her fingers as she spoke softly, “Since the convention.”

“What?” His attention snapped to her. “We had only been dating a month. You didn’t even try to give us a chance!” He stood up and walked away for her. With his back still to her he spoke, "So this whole relationship has been a joke to you?"

"I never said that." Abby stood up. "So don''t put words in my mouth."

"What else am I suppose to think?" He turned around to face her. "When for the majority of our relationship-"

"Relationship, relationship, relationship!" Abby yelled. "You say that as if it actually applies to us. Because what we have- had was not a relationship. In a relationship the people are supposed to trust each other. They''re supposed to talk and communicate. They''re supposed to set aside time just for the other."

"Don''t lecture me about what we were or were not, because I wasn''t the one cheating."

"Well, maybe I wouldn''t have had to cheat if you had just been there."

"Oh, so you''re going to turn this around and blame it on me!"

"You know what? I don''t even know why I''m still here." She walked around him. "I''m going home. I would say, ‘See you around,’ but I didn’t see you much when we were dating, so I doubt I’ll see much of you now."

"Dove, wait." Gavin quickly grabbed her and pulled her into his arms before taking her mouth with his own.

Abby shrugged against his grip, but not for long as she was somehow able to feel Gavin''s apology through the loving gesture. Abby soon found herself wrapping her arms around Gavin’s neck as he wrapped his own around her waist, pulling the other closer.

“Gavin, where’s Joey? I-” Wally came barging into the room. “Oh- um- sorry,” he began as Abby pulled away from Gavin. “I didn’t realize you had company.” He turned his head away and scratched the back of his head.

“It’s okay, no harm done,” Gavin said as he wiped away a bit of Abby’s lipstick from his lips. “Joey’s spending the night with a friend.” He answered Wally’s question. Wally nodded and started to close the door, but froze as he heard Gavin say, "I don''t care if you cheated, Dove, I don''t."

"That isn''t our only issue," she said and waited for a response, but none came. "Good bye, Gavin." She walked to the door and opened it only to find Wally standing on the other side. "Good bye, Wally," she said softly.

As Abby started towards the stairs she heard Gavin''s voice, “What did you just call him?”

At his question, Abby silently took a sharp intake of air. She couldn''t believe she had just done that. “Pardon me?” she asked calmly.

“Did you just call him ‘Wally’?” He looked at her curiously. “I never told you his first name.”

“You must of misheard her,” Wally told him quickly. “She called me W.B.”

Gavin looked from his cousin, to Abby, and back to Wally. If he was anything, it was not stupid. “You?” His forehead creased. “You and Abigail?”

"What the hell are you talking about?" Wally looked to him quizzically.

"Don''t you dare stand there and lie to my face." Gavin closed the distance between him and Wally. "So just tell me, straight up, you''re fracking my girl."

"Back up man," Wally warned. "Because unlike you, I don''t stab blood in the back." At the comment a curious look appeared on Abby''s face.

Gavin looked back and forth between his cousin''s eyes and when it seemed he found what he was looking for, he stepped back. "Sorry, man."

"Yeah, right." Wally then started back to his bedroom. Gavin cringed as he placed his face in his hand and groaned. With him distracted Abby walked down the stairs, opened the door, and was on the way out when Gavin caught up with her. "Dove, wait."

"I think we''ve had another drama for the night. I''m going home."

"Just hear me out, alright?"

"Okay. Fine." She nodded her head as she leaned in the doorway.

"I just want you to rethink us. Now that I have a clue about what you''re feeling, I think I can make it better."

“You’re telling me what I want hear," she concluded. "Just like you always to.”

“I mean it this time.” He reached for her and took her hands. “No more empty promises. If you want to know everything, then that''s what I''ll give you.”

She looked at him with doubt in her eyes. “Really?”

“Yes," he sighed as he looked away. "But know that a lot of it. . . you may not like, and I would be putting a lot of my trust in you.”

“How can you still trust me after finding out that I stepped out on you?” she asked.

Gavin pulled away from her and stepped out onto the porch. He leaned on the railing as he looked up into the night sky. “Because though that knowledge hurts, I do know I haven''t been the best boyfriend. I can''t blame you for cheating."

"Why W.B.?" she asked nervously. "Why did you think he was the one I was seeing?"

Gavin lowered his head towards the ground. "Remember when I said Kuki was in love with another man?"

"You mean-" Wally''s reaction when Kuki had showed up the other day now seemed clear. "Oh."

"Yeah. . . we try, but we haven''t been the same since. There are these unsaid words between us, but sometimes it seems like they''re screaming to be heard. I know he hates me, even if he never says it, but he has the right too. I mean the way he loved her," he sighed before lifting his head and looking back at Abby in the doorway, "is the way I love you." He stared at her for a moment before looking back at the ground. "But I should know that W.B. would never to anything to intentionally hurt me. He''s not vindictive like that."

"Gavin," Abby began quietly. "I think there''s something we should talk about."

Gavin rose off the railing and turned to her. "Sounds kind of serious," he said jokingly.

"Please, don''t play."

"Alright," he walked over to her, "but look, it''s been a long day, so how about we hold this off until tomorrow? Maybe we can do lunch or-"

“Gavin!” Gavin and Abby turned their heads and looked up the stairs to see Wally breathing heavily as he had just finished running down the halls. “Senthos!” he yelled out.

Gavin turned his head and peered down the street, there he saw two dark colored SUVs creeping slowly in front of their property. “Down!” he shouted as he pushed Abby back into the house and down onto the floor.

“What are-” But before Abby was able to finish her question she began screaming as shots ranged out in rapid succession over their bodies.
Chapter Ten: Crumbling Trust

“Are you all right?” Were the first words out of Gavin’s mouth as he heard the SUVs drive off. He sat up on his knees and checked over Abby’s body. She was trembling, but to his relief she was uninjured. “W.B.!” he immediately yelled when he heard no sound from upstairs.

“I’m fine!” Wally yelled back as he began his way downstairs.

Gavin checked his pocket and pulled out his cell. He pushed a speed-dial button before placing it between his ear and shoulder. Both of his hands than went to Abby’s face as he tenderly wiped away the tears she was softly shedding. “Frank,” he spoke to his right-hand-man. “It’s Gavin. Look I need you to send a few guys over to Kuki’s. Make sure she knows I sent them. She’ll understand,” he instructed. “Then I need you to personally check on Joey. I want him on the next one out along with Kuki, because it seems that we''re about to have ourselves a fund-raiser-”

“Fund-raiser!” Wally eyes grew wide at the word. He knew it was a codeword for something far less innocent. “Gavin, you can’t-”

“Shut-up, W.B,” he told him as he put his cell back in his pocket. He then looked up at his cousin, there was an anger residing within Gavin’s eyes and it was far more than what Wally had witnessed upstairs when he had been accused of being with Abby. Wally knew to be silent. “I tried doing this your way,” Gavin’s voice was harsh. “I left them alone and they did exactly what I told you they would do,” he explained. “Now we’re going to do this my way. Understand?” Wally simply nodded. “Good.” He then turned his attention back to Abby, his voice once again becoming gentle. “Abigail?”

Abby eyes looked around at the damage done to the front of the house. “Gavin, why would someone-” she couldn’t get the words out. “Why would?”

“It’s alright,” he said as he helped her off the floor. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.” He then grabbed his keys before looking to Wally. “Grab a few of our things and Joey’s, but don’t stay long, they may come back,” he told Wally. “Then meet me at the center.”

Wally looked to him curiously. “Why the center?” he asked him. “There’s still police tape all around that place.”

“Don’t question me W.B. I know what’s best for us.”

Wally was taken back by Gavin’s response. He had never been blown off like that before, but he decided to shrug if off, chalking it up to the fact that Abby was still in the room. Though he did think she was too far in shock to actually be listening to them. “Fine,” Wally finally responded as he as he made his own way back up the stairs.

“Shouldn’t you call the police?” Abby asked in a concern voice. “Those people just tried to kill us!”

“Everything will be taken care of.” Wally heard Gavin say to her.
OoOoO

Wally waited patiently inside his car out in the parking lot of his center. When he, Joey, and Gavin had first came to the States the center was where they spent a lot of their time, so much so that Gavin ended up buying the place for him. The center used to be a great distraction as Wally would come to teach his boxing classes, but the police shut down his center after the shooting.

Wally finally stepped out of his car as he looked at his center; he hadn’t been here in so long. He had truly missed the place. “What’s that?” he asked himself as something caught his eye. He walked up towards the front door only to discover that the police tape covering it had been tampered with. “What the hell is going on?” Wally asked himself as he realized something was up and he wasn’t in on it.

Soon Frank and Andy pulled up into the parking lot. “W.B.,” Frank called as he walked over to him. “Gavin told us to meet him here. A fund-raiser?” he asked curiously. Wally then explained to the two what had just occurred at his home.

“And how’s Joey?” he asked when he was through.

“Concerned that he had to be check on, but wise enough not to ask questions, as always,” Andy explained. Wally only nodded his head in response.

A few minutes later, Gavin pulled up and made his way towards his trusted people. He said not a word as he walked pass them and ripped the police tape off the doors. He then got out the extra set of keys Wally had made for him in case he ever lost his own. With the doors open he walked inside and headed towards the back where the offices where located. Wally, Frank, and Andy followed.

To Wally’s knowledge, Frank and Andy had never been to his center before, so he was surprise to see that they knew exactly where they were going. Wally only watched as they each went to a corner of one of the offices and started to rip up the carpet. “What the hell are you doing!” Wally yelled immediately.

He went to stop them, but came to an abrupt stop as he found Gavin’s hand on his chest. “Honestly, W.B. don’t be so naïve. Do you really think I bought this center just for your sake and your ‘kids’ as you ridiculously put it?”

Wally’s attention was then turned back to the two in front of him as he heard a cracking sound. They had torn up one of the wooden planks lining the floor. After the first the others easily came up.

Hidden under the floorboards were several large trunks, but Frank and Andy were able to pull one up easily. Gavin then reached inside his shirt for the necklace he usually wore. Around the chain was an old looking key. He tossed it to Andy, who easily caught it before unlocking the trunk and flipping open the lid.

“The frack!” Wally yelled as he pushed his way passed Gavin when the contents of the trunk came into view. “How long have these been here?” he asked his cousin angrily.

“Don’t be upset,” Gavin told him. “I made sure they were in a place where your kids couldn’t found them.”

“I don’t care where they were. I don’t want guns in my center,” Wally told him heatedly. “I want them gone.”

“Don’t get all self-righteous on me now, Wally,” he began as he walked over to the trunk and picked up one of the hand guns. “Because there used to be a time when you enjoyed this,” he explained.

“Those were different times,” Wally whispered. “You needed me.”

“I did,” Gavin agreed. “But I never asked you to do anything. You did it all on your own accord,” Wally shivered at the smoothness of Gavin’s voice. “You were brilliant at it, you know. I’ve never seen anyone with an aim like yours. It was poetry in motion to watch you handle weaponry as if you had been doing it for most of your life. Don’t you miss it, Wally, even a little?” Gavin held out the gun.

Wally’s eyes became locked with the silver metal before his hand slowly began to reach out for it. “No!” he yelled suddenly as he took a step back, running into the desk that was behind him. “I’ll never pick up another gun.” Wally’s eyes looked pleadingly into Gavin’s as he shook his head from side to side. “Please don’t make me.”

Gavin immediately lowered the gun. “I’m sorry,” he said feeling ashamed. He knew how his cousin felt since the incident and knew he had no right to ask this of him. “I’ll get someone,” he told him. “You can go to the safe house with Joey and them, until I finish things here.”

“No,” was Wally’s answer. “I didn’t abandon you then, and I know I have some issues, but I won’t abandon you now.”

Gavin smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t.”

“Yo, Gav,” called Frank. “About your fiancée did-”

“Fiancée?” Wally interrupted. “You mean Abigail?”

“Yes. At the house I asked her to marry me. She said yes,” Gavin lied, as he paid very close attention to Wally. He was looking for any type of sign he may have missed when they were back in the house. Because for some reason, Wally’s very first reaction to his accusation seemed a bit rehearsed to Gavin, he had to catch him off guard.

“Congrats, man,” Wally said forcibly before smiling. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Gavin replied with a passive face. He then turned to Frank and Andy. “Well, let’s get to business, shall we gentlemen?”
OoOoO

Day was breaking through the windows as Wally sat up and stretched in a foreign bed. He had spent the night in a hotel room. Since the Senthos knew where they lived their own home wasn’t safe anymore. Gavin had ended up staying in a different hotel across town, but it didn’t bother Wally none, he needed the space.

“Fiancée,” he said to himself as he washed his face in the sink. It didn’t make any since to Wally. He knew Abby wasn’t happy in her relationship with Gavin, but then again, he also knew how badly she didn’t want to hurt him. Had she agreed to marriage out of guilt or out of spite because of how he had treated her the other night?

Wally loved his cousin and he knew Abby made him happy, but he knew from experience that life with Gavin wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies. He knew he had to talk to her. He had to know if she was doing this because she wanted too or for reasons he didn’t know.

It was later in the day as Wally arrived at Abby’s home. He knocked on the door and waited patiently. A tall black man in his mid-thirties opened the door. The man looked at Wally curiously, but greeted him kindly.

“Is Abigail home?” Wally asked him.

“Yeah, hold on,” he said closing the door behind him as he went to go look for Abby.

A moment later, Abby meet Wally at the door. “W.B.,” she said in way that made him think that he wasn’t who she was expecting. “Where’s Gavin? Is he alright?”

“Gavin’s fine,” he told her, but then said in a lowered voice, “but I need to talk to you. . . privately.”

Abby shook her head. “I can’t get into this with you again, Wally. You made your feelings know very clear the other night, remember?”

“I didn’t mean those things. It’s just that Kuki-”

“I’m not Kuki,” she cut him off. She then sighed. “I know the history between you two, Gavin told me, but I won’t have you taking the anger you feel for her out on me.”

“I would never do that,” he reassured her. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” He cupped her face. “Just come with me.” He pleaded. “I won’t keep you long.” Abby began to shake her head again. “Abby, please,” he whispered.

Abby stared at him for a long time as she wondered why she couldn’t detach herself away from him. “Alright,” she replied.
OoOoO

Gavin was in his car, driving towards Abby’s house. It was a little after one. He needed to talk to her and express the importance of why she had to leave town. He had tried talking to her last night, as he was driving her home after the shooting, but her mind seemed to be on anything else other than what had just happened.

Gavin knew that at the beginning of their relationship they had been seen together a lot. Anyone of his enemies could easily link her to him, and like the rest of his family, he wanted to make sure she was safe when he retaliated against the Senthos in the next coming days.

He had thought Abby knew he was coming over, it was what they had discussed last night, so he was a little surprised when he was told she had already left for the day. “Yeah,” said the man Wally had spoken to earlier, whom had happened to be Abby’s eldest brother. “She left about an hour ago.”

Gavin nodded as he thanked him. He was about to turn around and give Abby a call on her cell, but something made him stop. “Did she leave with anyone?” he asked her brother.

“Yeah, some blonde dude.” He kind of made a face as something came back to him. “In fact, he kind of looked like you but-”

“Shorter,” Gavin finished his statement.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve been a lot of help. Thanks again.” Gavin made his way back towards his Thunderbird. “Bastard!” he yelled as he hit the stirring wheel with both fists. He then gripped the wheel tightly as he took long, deep breaths. "Maybe," he began slowly as he thought out loud. "Maybe it''s not what you think," he then laughed as his hands loosen. "Of course it isn''t. W.B. would never do that to me. I just need to stop doubting him," he tried to convince himself, but soon found that he was speeding down the streets, heading towards the hotel Wally was staying in.

Transmission Interrupted. . .

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