Chapter 2 The Price of Brotherhood

BACK IN THE SMALL BUILDING*

"Usman!"

"Micah!"

"Usman!"

"Micah!"

The other newbies are currently chanting relentlessly as Tessa and the guy roll each other on the ground, taking turns to give blows to each other.

Turns out his name is Usman, and he has lots of fans in the new gang.

He's obviously having the upper hand, and his punches are heavier, but Tessa is not one to give up.

She kept up the fight, her face bloody already, till the two girls from earlier showed up.

The twin warriors.

"The last to get up gets punished," one of them said as they entered the circle.

Tessa quickly sprang up, and Usman stood last, both breathing raggedly and bleeding.

"Impressive... I love tough mobsters," the second girl smiled, taking a good look at the two of them as the rest stepped back.

"I'm Bullet," the first one said.

"And I'm Blaze," the second one said, both looking blunt.

"You're Micah Alvarez," Bullet said, facing Tessa.

"Yes," Tessa replied, and Bullet smiled shortly, taking another look at her before joining Blaze.

"The trial is tomorrow morning. The clan will decide the ones who'll be staying among y'all after taking the physical tests. Till tomorrow, you'll be given rooms to stay," Blaze said.

Ten minutes later, they were already getting shuffled into different rooms around the residential wings.

Tessa got a big room down the third wing, and immediately she dropped her duffel bag on the bed, and she saw two other beds.

Meaning she has roommates??

She momentarily froze.

Her roommates will be guys. How's she gonna continue keeping her real gender from them?

She hasn't really thought about this.

But then... they'll only become her real roommates if she passes the physical trials tomorrow, right?

But one thing is for sure, she has to pass... She needs to join this clan.

She needs to train and get stronger.

She needs to.

She gathered a thick hoodie from her duffel, plus black jeans, then she entered the clean bathroom.

She made sure to lock the door before undressing.

She took off her shirt and jeans, pulling down her male boxers. Then she unwrapped the bandage on her chest, freeing her boóbs.

Her boóbs aren't big-she has the smallest size, so that's a bonus.

She turned on the warm button in the shower before getting under it, letting the warm water wash away her cold, and at the same time, her mind went to how she got here.

FLASHBACK TO TWO DAYS AGO, COLORADO IN USA-ADX PRISON*

Only the sound of Tessa's harsh breaths could be heard in the small solitary cell as she did press-ups, counting and sweating like a pig.

Her limbs are already shaking, but she didn't give up or hesitate as she did another one.

"Sixty-two!" she grunted, saliva falling from her weak mouth.

Her gorgeous golden hair is all tangled, but she managed to pull it into a low messy ponytail, and lots of strands are stuck on her nape.

Her sweat is dropping below her face, and it's forming a puddle already as she tries to do another press.

"Sixty-thr...

She couldn't finish when a cop showed up at the door.

"Inmate number 30?" he said, his eyes devoid.

Tessa fell on her face before rising to her feet, breathing hard.

Ten minutes later, she had already changed from the inmate uniform, back to the clothes she had here when she was arrested five years ago.

That's right... she has spent five years here for a crime she didn't commit. She was 20 when she got jailed, and now she's 25.

She was wondering what was going on as she walked beside the cop till they got to the main office.

"What's going on?" she questioned.

"Your release has been ordered by the federal," the cop told her, and she frowned, looking more confused.

"Why?"

"Evidence showed that you're not really the murderer of your parents. Tessa Moretti, you're free to go," the detective told her, and tears fell from her red eyes.

Hot, piping one.

She has nothing to say.

What would she probably say?

Five years ago when she was arrested, all evidence pointed at her and there was no escape.

But now, after spending five years in here, they suddenly found out she's innocent?

As she walked out of the prison building, she was crying, and as expected, no one was waiting to receive her.

She wiped her tears, and thanks to the money her senior sister sends to her monthly from jail, she was able to ride a taxi home.

The house changed a lot, and time took its toll on the walls.

Her once happy home.

The paint is faded and scratched. Even the roof is rusty, and the doors.

It's like a ghost house.

As she pushed the door open, she let out her tears again because the inside is a greater mess.

The roof is leaking already. Rain washed away the flooring and a lot of properties.

She immediately had a vivid remembrance of that fateful day when her parents died in cold blood, and she could see their helpless corpses lying on the ground after they vomited their intestines.

She covered her mouth to muffle her loud cries.

She had to run out of the house so she wouldn't break down, and she was panting tearfully as she rested her palms on her knees.

"Yo! Isn't it the bîtch who killed her parents for money?" a guy passing by mocked, and she stood straight, balling her palms.

"Hey, cool down! Don't murder me too! By the way, you killed that outfit!" he laughed in pure mockery, going out of sight.

Tessa was about to rush down the dilapidated stairs when she saw a letter hanging by a crack on the wall.

She took it and opened it with shaky fingers.

It's from Racheal, her big sis:

I've been in Russia for three years now, at the brutal Ivanov clan to get stronger. If you see this when you get out, then you might wanna come join me. We have to punish the bastard who framed you for our parents' murder. The clan stopped taking females though, so you'll have to live as a boy if you're coming. I bought you a new identity as Micah Alvarez, get the details from the cyber man on Third Street. He'll get you the invite and the QR code, too. See you soon, Teschka.

A sad smile painted Tessa's lips, but at least... there's hope.

Everyone sees her as a murderer here even after she has been found innocent, but she'd start all over as a man in Russia, and she'd get stronger.

She'll reunite with her sister, too.

"I'll go. I'll definitely go," she muttered.

PRESENT TIME*★

Tessa opened her eyes under the shower, cutting off the flashback and rubbing her face, but she cringed in pain because of the bruises caused by Usman's punches.

"That bastard," she muttered, but then it's not only him.

She also has a cut on her cheek caused by the second bastard who threw a blade at her.

She doesn't give a fûck who he is; she's winding him back the next time they meet.

A knock sounded at the door, and she jumped.

Her roommates?

She cleared her throat before speaking in her fake male voice...

"Who's... there?"

"It's Racheal," a low voice replied, and her eyes widened.

She quickly wrapped a towel around her body and went to open the door.

Racheal's blue eyes came into view, and she quickly came in, locking the door before hugging Tessa so tight, stroking her trimmed hair.

"Teschka," Racheal sobbed emotionally.

"Racheal," Tessa sobbed too, hugging her back.

They didn't break the hug for more than three minutes, and when they broke it, they smiled. Their smiles radiated from their matching blue eyes.

"Do I look like a boy enough?" Tessa asked.

"Trust me, you do. You're a pretty boy," Racheal smiled, palming her face.

"Now that you're here, you must pass the physical trials tomorrow," she said.

"I will, but what happens to those who won't pass it?" Tessa asked.

"Their memories of what they saw in this clan will be wiped, and they'd be thrown out, so you have to pass," Racheal replied, and Tessa nodded.

"We have to behave like strangers publicly, right?"

"Yeah. No one must find out we're siblings. Everyone here knows my only sibling is still in jail and she's a girl. They must not find out it's you, and no one must find out you're a female. They're madly suspicious and watchful here," Racheal said sternly, her eyes turning frigid.

"What happens if they find out I'm a female? If they find out we deceived them and I'm your sister?" Tessa asked in a low voice.

Racheal's lips pressed before she spoke up...

"You'll be killed, by me. I'll be ordered to kill you."

Tessa went cold, choking on her own saliva.