Nine am, Sunday Morning

Dan awoke to the scent of bacon permeating his apartment. “Is that little girl cooking?”

The morning sun burst through his window as he stepped out of bed and into the hallway. That tranquilizer, I can still feel it. It’s putting me in a great mood, heh heh. But dammit I’m gonna throw this girl out of my hous~

“Dan, are you up?” A shout from the kitchen.

What? Dan’s eyes popped open hearing the voice of, “You're kidding.” Rubbing his eyes he peeked in the kitchen and found Reyna Rai cooking breakfast.

She turned from the oven and smiled at him. “♪ Good morning bed head. ♪ Seems you had a rough night.”

He smirked at her, “Hey?”

“Yes, Daniel?”

“I thought you were supposed to be in California?”

“I changed my mind.”

He squinted, “Why’d you do that? Because your daughter is insane?”

Reyna chuckled with her back to Dan, “Heh heh heh, is she now? And this coming from the man who followed her into a warehouse with a gun and got himself shot in the process.” She turned and glared at him, “Now, tell me again who’s insane, Dan? Or perhaps you’re all just bad criminals, hahaha!” She fixed a plate of bacon and eggs for him. “Well, at least you didn’t shoot yourself.”

“No, just my shoulder,” he grumbled, touching his, “Ouch!” stapled wound.

“Oh sweet Daniel,” She frowned at him and rubbed his hair, then asked the straight question everyone wanted to know, “What’s your endgame Danny? I mean seriously, why are you letting Rica play you fo-”

“A patsy? A fool?” he finished her question with a stone face. “I tell you what since you’re here now. Somehow in my apartment without me giving you a key, so why don’t you tell me first. How involved are you in all of this? What do you know? And what do you want from me, Reyna Rai?” He looked up at her, “Or is your name, ‘Lisa Ray,’ or, I’m sorry, is it ‘Anya Cesar,' I forget the other names.”

Reyna lowered her eyelids at Dan with a serious scowl. He glared back at her. But after a moment her smile returned and she answered.

“Well well, Daniel. Seems you’ve been asking that stone-faced-crow Ms. Sandstrom about me and my child, hmm?”

“Yes, Sandstrom was one source I used to research you.” Dan shifted in his chair, “And from what I found, I’m fairly certain Rica is not your blood child and that her real name is either Chloe Erica Reyes born in New Mexico to one deceased Arturo Reyes, or she’s Kira Reyes born in Brooklyn to one deceased Jason Reyes, a notorious cartel hatchet-man.” He stared at Reyna, still drugged, “So, did you kill Rica’s father, Reyna? Or Anya, or whatever your name is?”

She grinned with evil eyes. “My name is Reyna Rai, and no. I didn’t kill Rica’s father. And I can see you’ve been busy, Danny.”

Dan smirked, oh boy, this drug has me open, heh heh! “Yes, and I believe it’s time I defended myself, Reyna. So to answer your questions about my motives, I absolutely and unapologetically make really bad decisions for the dumbest of reasons. Especially concerning the current criminal situation, I find myself in. But they’re my reasons! Even if I flat out lie to myself about them. But no matter how dumb my reasons are, there’s one thing you should be clear of, and that is the fact that I am not stupid! And I knew full well what I was getting into the moment I accepted Frank’s money.”

“Yet you still walked into that warehouse last night with a gun!”

“Yes, I did. For my own reasons, no matter how dumb they may seem to you or anyone else asking, for I am.” He took a deep breath, “I’m honestly aware of my motives now, and I damn sure don’t regret them.”

“Hm, although you speak with conviction, you haven't stated any reasons, Dan."

“No, I haven’t. And I’ll keep my reasons close for now. But Reyna, I’m going to ask you again. What’s your role in all of this, and where's Rica?”

Reyna stood a moment, rubbing Dan's hair before answering.

“Alright, Dan. I’ll bite.” She sat down, “Rica Reyes, and that is her name, is legally my child. And as I am the only mom she’s ever known since she was five years old, and I love her more than life itself. Even though that fast little bitch is on a timeout right now after the stunt she pulled in here with you last night, Dan!” she growled.

He leaned back, “Hey man, your kid came in here-”

“I know, Daniel. I’m only partially blaming you. But as to my involvement in her and your little mob numbers game. The truth is I'm not connected to any of it, that’s Rica’s thing.”

Dan’s eyebrow raised, “Get-the-fuck-out? You really have nothing to do with Frank Ross, or-?”

“I knew Frank. But the only reason I came to your apartment that first night was only because I was so furious at Rica after hearing about you two dancing. I mean I’m still her mother goddammit!”

Dan leaned back with a smirk. Huh? Dancing with me is bad, but murdering people is ok? What kind of crazy parenting-

“However Dan, when I came to meet you I saw immediately that Rica was playing you and you were technically innocent, but unfortunately-” She stared in his clear brown eyes, “Rica honestly liked you, so I had to step in and break it up before it went too far.”

“Oh? So that's why you took me out. To spite Rica?”

“What? Hell no! I took you out because you were even more dreamy than Rica said you were! All buff and cute and teaching math, hee hee! I couldn’t help myself ♪ I needed to fuck you, Danny!”

Dan blushed apple red, and averted his eyes, “Um, it seems you just winded up pissing Rica off. I guess that was a win-win for you? I suppose.” He trailed off.

“Danny-Danny, you’re so cute, and yeah I guess you’re right! But since we’re being truthful. You do know why I’m here now, right?”

Dan sat up, “Yeah, you got that information for me. About those accounts.”

“Yes I did~” Reyna reached in her bag and gave Dan a stack of photocopied bank statements.

Dan took the papers and immediately scrolled to the account holders, and-

Holy river of gold! Artie Salbon’s hidden account. I knew it! I knew it!

He remembered Rica’s words, “Dan, this is important! The accounts are your leverage. They’re your only leverage!”

Reyna interrupted his thought, “Well? Do you see anything interesting on those papers, Dan?”

Dan glanced up at Reyna with a cruel grin, “No, there’s nothing here at all.”

Reyna smiled back, “Aaaahhh, right. So that’s why Rica told you to ask me about those accounts. Hm, hm, hm, my sweet baby. That was her way of asking me for help.  And she gave you a back door out of this mess, Dan. And, hmm, it seems Rica is in over her head, and she needs her Mom.”

Dan didn’t catch it, “She does? Why would you say that? She seems to be in complete control-”

“She’s not. But she’s too proud to ask me directly since she’s been too busy being a vindictive little bitch with her infatuation of you, Dan.”

Dan understood that part. But didn’t understand how Rica was in over her head, unless.

“Reyna, Rica set Frank up last night to be killed. Was that not supposed to happen?” Dan asked.

Reyna cleared her dish, “I don’t know the details of you and her thing. All I can tell you is there will be consequences for Frank’s death and-”

“And consequences for the third variable! Who is he?” Dan blurted.

“The third what?” asked Reyna

“The X factor, the missing variable, goddammit Reyna, who is Rica working for? Who did she have Frank killed for? This person would be the same person who ordered the death of Artie Salbon and James Whittaker. This is the same person Bling and Ian work for, isn’t it?”

She tilted her head, “Bling and Ian? Oh, you mean Michael Allen and Ian Bower. Those two psycho felons who drive Rica around calling her Little Boss? Freaking lolicons.”

“I knew you knew them!”

“Hmph!" she pouted, "I tolerate them since Rica adores them and they keep her safe.”

“Who do they work for, Reyna?”

“Haha oh, Danny Danny. You seem to have a trick up your sleeve. Especially now that I gave you that account information.”

“Maybe I do. So are you going to tell me?”

“Hmm? Why should I tell you something you already know. Especially when you’ve already met their boss, or bosses, rather.”

Dan stared at her, “Bosses? As in more than one?”

“Heh, heh, you're so deductive. I’ll give you three guesses who they are, and the first two don’t count, hee hee!”

Dan took one guess. “Well I'll be goddamned, they work for Tara and Kitty. That’s why Bling and Ian were at that party that night. Damm, why didn't I see that before?"

Reyna chuckled, “Yes Daniel, I believed you guessed right. Now, what a strange world we live in, isn’t it?”

“Yup!” He smiled at her, “Stranger than fiction~ but you didn’t answer my original question.”

“Which was?”

“Me Reyna, what do you want with me?”

She stood up smiling, and unbuttoned her blouse, “What I want with you Daniel is not complicated at all, boy.” She walked over to him and pressed his face in her breast.

“Eh? Really?” he asked.

“Yes, Daniel.” Her bra popped open, “I'm a woman with needs.”

Dan gazed at her figure, “Oh, well I can help but, hey hey, wait-a-minute?" he frowned. "Is this some kind of trap?”

“Hee hee, Yes it is, would you like to spring it?”

He squinted at her and nodded, “I most certainly will do that, Ms. quote-unquote, “Reyna Rai” or is your name-”

“Shut up, Dan!”

“Yes, I’ll shut up now~”

“Good! Let’s fuck!”

"Yes, let's do that. But I'm watching you, girl!"

"And you better not be watching anyone else, boy!"

"Right!" He peeled her jeans off.....

……