Chapter 3 Alone

Alfie sits on the cold floor inside the cell with a deep frown on his face. His friends had already been bailed out and no one even cared if he existed. Have his parents abandoned him? Did they finally decide to leave him to rot in jail since all he brings is trouble? He has been here for the past 3 hours and he haven't even seen their family lawyer.

He sighs and relaxes his head on the wall. He was stupid enough to allow that slut get her way with him. He should have known that she was a thief. She only kept asking about the cost of the things he wore, that could have been enough prove that she had a motive. But well, he doesn't always think properly when it comes to women.

He could see the police carrying out their daily activities but something just feels off. They keep talking among themselves and throwing glances at him.

He stands up from the floor and grips the gate of the cell angrily.

"Are you guys gonna get me outta here or what?"

And then, the chief of police walks over to meet him.

"Is my lawyer not here yet? My parents? No one?" He asks the chief.

The chief looks at him and shakes his head before heaving a long sigh.

"They're not coming." He says.

Alfie stares at him in puzzle, "My lawyer then, he told you guys he is on his way, right?"

The chief sighs and place his hand on his waist. "Em...The thing is, they had a fatal accident."

Alfie's heart stops and he freezes staring at the chief officer in disbelief.

"What nonsense are you f**king talking about?" He yells hitting the gate of the cell.

"Calm down Mr. Brooks. We got a call from the investigators. They found the lawyer's phone and since the police station is the last he called, they called us and informed us."

"What? So are they in the hospital now?"

The chief officer stares at him without a word biting his bottom lips as if contemplating whether to talk or not.

"I f**king asked a question officer."

"Your parents are dead Alfie. They died on the spot. The lawyer is the only one rushed to the hospital."

Alfie just stares at him with widen eyes, it's like the whole world is breaking crumble apart around him... he didn't even shake... He just stands there in complete paralysis as his stomach twists and his breathing changes. He clenches his chest as they ache from the strange pain. His muscles constrict and it's as if everything is slowing down. He can't seem to comprehend he just heard.

"Mr. Brooks! Mr. Brooks!" The voice of the chief officer brings him back to reality.

"Try to take it easy kid." He says before walking away.

Alfie remain standing staring at nothing. Is he dreaming? Why isn't he waking up from this dream then? Is this a prank?

Suddenly he grabs the gate and starts banging on it.

"Let me the f**k outta here! I gotta see my parents, okay? You can arrest me later!"

But no one answers him. They all continue with their duties as if he isn't even there.

"Please! Let me f**king go! I...I gotta see my parents...I...I have to see..." His clear tone is undercut with a choking heaviness that forces him to pause several times, his watery eyes closes and tears flows down his cheeks. He slumps on the ground lowering his head in a quiet sob.

Some of the cops look at him with pity while others just focus on their job.

Some hours later, the news is already on TV and radio stations. Alfie sits on the floor with his head on the wall as he overhears the reporter in the TV read the news of his parents' accident.

Right now, he just wants to leave here so he could go see for himself. He would not believe all this craps until he sees his parents' body physically.

******

A week has passed and he is still in the cell. He had lost his parents and he still had to morn them in the cell. Everything really sucks for him. He sits on the floor resting his head on the wall.

"Mr. Brooks, someone is here for you." One of the cops says opening the cell and Alfie stares at him blankly without moving from his spot.

"Mr. Brooks, please come outside, you have a visitor."

Alfie scoffs, "If they aren't my parents, then I don't wanna see anyone."

The cop sighs, "Look Mr. Brooks, I understand that you're still in shock about what happened but you have to..." He pauses when the visitor stands beside him.

"I will talk to him officer."

The cop nods and walks away. Alfie stares at the man without getting up from where he sits.

Why has this man come to see him? He had seen him before but only on TV and the times he came to visit his father for business purposes.

"Come on boy, don't you wanna go home?" The man asks him smiling broadly.

Alfie sighs and stand up. The cops open the gate and he steps out looking at the man who is still smiling like he had won a trophy. The cop leads them to the visitors' area and they both take their seats.

Alfie stares blankly at him waiting for him to start talking.

The man sighs, "How have you been holding up boy?"

Alfie gives him a bored look, "What do you want?"

He sighs and nods, "My name is Luca and I'm your father's closest friend and business partner. I am here to get you out."

Alfie looks at him furrowing his brows. He's been here for over a week and he's coming now to tell him he wants to get him out? The only family member he has left is his grandmother who has dementia and is at a psychiatric hospital in LA which once their hometown before they move here in California. The people who claimed to be his father's friends never for once showed up. So where did this close friend of his father's come from?

"You will get me outta here?" He asks the man in disbelief.

"Yes." Luca affirms.

Alfie scoffs, "Why?'Cause you feel pity for me?"

Luca smiles, "You could say that." He raises his hand up and a young guy that came with him, comes running to his side handling some files to him.

He slides the files on the table to Alfie.

"Sign these papers son." Luca smiles at him.

Alfie glances at the papers before turning to Luca.

"What's this about?"

"A guarantee that your share in the company is valid. Your father had given it to me. I guess he has always have everything planned." He shrugs.

Alfie looks at the paper and nods before stretching out his hands to him.

"Pen?"

The guy beside the man quickly gives him a pen and he quickly signs on the papers before sliding it back to Luca.

"Great. See you soon Alfie Brooks." He grins before standing up.

The man leaves and the cops escort Alfie out of the hall.

"You may go now." The chief officer says to him.

The cops give him back his clothes and wallet along with his car key.

"Already?" He asks.

"Yes Mr. Brooks, you're free to go now."

Alfie changes back into his clothes and leave the police station. He enters his car and drives back to the house.

He parks the car in the garage and walks into the mansion. He slowly steps into the living room where he meets the house servants all standing. They bow to him as he walks past them heading to his room.

He steps into his room and sits on the bed looking around the room like it's his first time seeing it. His memory goes back to a week ago, when his mother came into his room to drag him off the bed. How is it possible that they're gone? Does that even make sense?

He walk over to the mirror and stares at it. He's alone, he has no one now.

"F**k f**k f**k !!" He curses loudly as he bangs his fist on the mirror shattering the mirror in pieces. Blood streams down his hands but he doesn't seem to care as he moves over to the table and turns it over cursing loudly. The maids quickly run into the room to stop him before he'd hurt himself more.

As they try to touch him, he pushes the both of them away and one of them falls on the broken glasses and blood flows down her arm.

"F**k off! Get the hell outta here now!" He yells at them and they both leaves the room quickly.

He takes off the frame of him and his parents from the wall and raises it up ready to smash it but he stops and stares at it. His heart clenches and tears clouds his eyes as he stares the frame. He slumps on the ground lowering his head as he cries hard. How on earth did this happen?

SIX MONTHS LATER....

He climbs down the golden stair sliding his hands down the rail and Ron runs to him.

"You have visitors master Alfie."

Alfie sighs and nods before going over to the sitting where he sees Peter and Leo. Leo is sitting on the sofa while Peter is at the bar side getting himself a drink. He sighs. His friends have been trying to get o him since but he shut everyone and everything out. After his parents' funeral, he had shut himself away from the world.

"Hey guys." He says walking over to them.

After what happened, he left California to LA, just to get away from everything. Ever since he returned, he has never stepped outside the house or called any of his friends.

"We have decided that we would not allow you drown yourself in sorrow forever." Leo says standing up.

"Yea man." Peter adds as holding a glass of wine in his hand.

"I just needed to be alone; you guys didn't have to come." Alfie says moving over to the sofa to sit down.

"We get you man. That's why we're here for you." Leo smiles sitting beside him.

"We're here to elevate your mood bro." Peter says raising the glass of wine in his hand before joining them in the sofa.

Alfie sighs, "I'm good man; I have been handling it."

"Come with us bro; let's go have some real fun." Leo says grinning widely.

"I'm not leaving the house." Alfie stands up. "You both should go home."

"Okay then, why don't we bring the fun over here?" Peter suggests with a smirk on his face.

Alfie furrows his brows in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"We can have a party over here, what do ya think?"

Alfie groans and shakes his head, "It's the same party that took almost took me to jail last time man."

"Oh come on man, you gotta loosen up." Leo whines. "You need a distraction dude."

Alfie shakes his head in disagreement. "No means no; now thanks for the visit." He says pointing to the door.

"Why don't we go gambling?" Peter says smiling.

Alfie gives him a look like 'Seriously?'

"Comeon man, you are good at that, it would be fun."

Leo nods, "Yea, we haven't done that in ages."

"And if we lose?" Alfie gives them a bored look.

"That's impossible man; you're a god when it comes to gambling." Leo groans slumping into the sofa pouting his lips. Alfie and Peter shake their head and chuckles at him.

"Come-on man, there's no way you can run outta money. Your dad was the highest shareholder in the company, I'm sure you have a nice share."

Alfie nods, "Yeah that's true."

Peter claps his hands together, "Great! So what are we waiting for? Let's go have some fun man."

Alfie keeps a straight face as if ready to say no and they sigh thinking he wouldn't agree but then, a wide smile appears on his face and he pulls them into a tight hug.

"Thanks for coming through for me buddies. Let's go have some real fun."

"Yo man! That's what I'm talking about." Peter smiles broadly.

"I'll go change real quick." Alfie says before running upstairs.

They all drives down before arriving DEVIL CASINO.

"Yo people, who's the man?" Leo says loudly patting Alfie's shoulder as they walk into the casino. They shake their heads at him. They go over to the VIP area where some other people are playing. A man wins and takes all the money leaving the other lost with nothing. The man, who lost, stands up and leaves in shame.

"Who's next?" The man who just won says out loud beating his chest with pride.

"What's up loser?" Alfie says to the man with a smirk on his face.

The man turns to them as he notices their presence.

"Long time no see Kid." He grins at Alfie.

Alfie smirks, "I see you have recovered from the 200,000 dollars you lost the last time Robert?"

The man called Robert scoffs, "You will be the one going down this time kid."

Peter pulls up a huge bag of money and places it on the table.

The man's eyes widen in shock.

"You in?" Alfie smirks

"Bring it on kid." Robert smirks.

Peter pulls out a chair for Alfie to sit. He sits down and then begin the game. Alfie wins the first round, and then the second, and the third.

Robert refusing to give up brings out a huge bag of money and dared him to play another round with him. Alfie agrees right away and they set to play again.

Alfie is holding two diamond cards with the numbers 2, while the man is holding 3 cards but had hidden his fourth card and that would give him a seven-high straight flush. His partner beside him who was drinking a hot cup pretends to slip the cup and the coffee pours on Robert's thighs. Robert looks down at his thighs and starts cursing at his partner while dropping the card he has hidden. Alfie stares at them unaware of what they're planning. Robert's partner stands up and takes out a towel to clean his thighs taking the card secretly in the process.

Alfie will need an ace of spades to win and that's what Robert's partner has hidden.

"All in." Robert says pushing all his chips out.

"Call." Alfie says.

Robert smirks, "Great. Let's compare cards then." He opens his cards and shows them to Alfie. "I have a straight flush." He scoffs, "I doubt you have a royal flush, so I will simply take my win."

Robert says smiling broadly as he takes back everything Alfie had won before including his money.

Alfie stares at him speechlessly. What just happened? He just lost?

"I told you, you were going down this time."

Angry and refusing to admit defeat, he stares to play again. Robert agrees of course and at the end of the game, Alfie is left with nothing.

"Let's go man or you will go broke." Peter taps Alfie's shoulder.

Alfie sighs and stands up.

"I'm sure you have some tricks down your sleeve. I'll deal with ya next time."

Alfie exits the casino with his friends. While they drive back, he didn't say a word to them so they think it's because he lost a huge amount of money at the gamble.

Peter couldn't bear the silence any longer.

"Look man, I'm sorry about..."

Alfie cuts in, "Who wants to go some fun on a yacht?"

Their eyes grow wide.

"Of course man! Count me in." Leo yells in excitement.

Peter smiles, "Its great having you back buddy."

Alfie increases the speed of the car.

"Woo! What's up California?" Leo yells through the window.

"Shut the f**k up man, you're embarrassing us!" Alfie says chuckling.

"The king is back on track California!" Leo yells again making Alfie and Peter laugh.

"Where did we find this dude?" Peter says laughing.

Alfie shrugs, "I don't know, you found him not him."

"F**k off you two." Leo rolls making them laugh again.