Chapter 36: I told u
Dino

Something was not right, Dino could feel it.

Leo stopped the car in front of the building with a jerk. "Thanks man for the ride," he unbuckled his seatbelt, "Now please do me a favor and return back this stolen car."

His old friend cracked up in laughter. He tapped Dino on the back. "It's good to see that you a changed man. Durban's doing you good huh." Leo raised a brow and shifted closer. "Or should I say that chick's doing you good."

Faking zero interest in his words, Dino lied through his teeth. "I have no idea what you talking about but you doing pretty good yourself." That was the truth. Leo had finally gotten through to himself after years of trying to knock some sense into him. He managed to get a job, his own place. His boys had finally grown up, he was proud to say that.

"Thanks for the ride," Dino said again, "And the weapons. Rather be safe than sorry." "Anytime brother. Call me a'yt? I got your back." He looked out of the window and at the building they were staying in. "And your girl's too."

"Whatever man. I'll be in touch."

With that, Dino threw on his hood and raced to the building with the heavy ass bag in his hand. Good news was that he hadn't seen Wyatt since that night with Ryan on the balcony, not that it had stopped him from doing his homework.

He'd asked Leo to get all information on the bastard since the last five years-whereabouts, records, friends.

"He ain't with his old gang no more. He ain't in a gang, period," Leo'd told him. "There's not much on him. Hardly anyone around was close to him, except his gang and you know I can't go there." "Don't sweat it. We'll just have to keep an eye out for him." Dino trusted his instincts but sometimes, the worse times, they tended to backfire on him.

He'd said and completely believed that Brad Wyatt was not involved in any of their business but something just didn't tie up here. "What about his records?" he'd asked Leo, "Did you manage to get anything on that." "Yeah, two years in prison. Not sure which years exactly but I got some guys working on it for me. Gimme more time and I'd have everything on Wyatt for you."

Dino had agreed, telling Leo to call him on the emergency number if he found out anything useful. Whatever the reason was for getting him behind bars, one thing was crystal clear: he came out a changed man.

Dino unlocked the door to their apartment, flickering switches to turn on the lights. He called for Meera. Why was she in the dark? She didn't reply. She's probably asleep, Dino assumed, seeing that it was past nine at night.

His roaming eyes caught something on the kitchen table. A smile lit across his face. So, she'd made supper. Dino lifted the plate cover-burgers and she'd left a note for him too: you're late! That had him laughing hard. Meera was just too damn sweet. Putting the lid back on, he headed for the bathroom to freshen up.

He was two steps away from the bathroom door when something willed him to walk backwards. It wasn't what was in the room, it was what wasn't. Meera was not in the room. Or the living room and kitchen. He checked the bathroom. Empty.

"Meera!" he called, "Fuck, swear this is not funny! Meera!"

Dino knew that he should have not left her alone, she was his responsibility. He called for her again and was already out of the apartment and down the stairs when a thought crossed his mind. Meera was smart. There was no way she'd let anyone take her without leaving some sort of clue for him to find.

Heart still beating rapidly fast, Dino paced to the roof, taking three steps at a time. Relief spread through him when he saw her, at the centre of the roof dancing. Fucking dancing. Patience only lasted for two seconds,...