Fem

Albany

I finally find a parking spot about a block away from the Church headquarters.

Climbing out of my car, I run a sweaty hand down my pants leg.

When Nathaniel called me and told me to meet him at Church headquarters my heart nearly stopped beating. Did he know? Had they told him what I did?

When I first went to the Pope and offered my services for Hawk, I didn't think he would accept it. I knew it was a risk that he would decline my offer and tell Priest, but it was a risk I was willing to take because Hawk needed out. He was going to get himself killed. And though I see him as my brother and would have mourned him, I know what his death would do to the man I love.

As soon as I walk around the corner and the headquarters come into view, I spot Nathaniel ‘Priest' Otella pacing in front of the door. I take a moment to take him in. This man has had my heart for so long I don't know how I remain alive without it.

Taking a deep breath, I bury my emotions under my usual mask.

"I hope you have a good reason for getting me out of bed at the butt crack of dawn," I tell him as I approach.

When he swings around to look at me, I wipe the playfulness off my face.

"What's wrong?"

He grabs my arm and walks me inside the building. "Something is up with Beast. He checked in this morning, but he's unsettled."

When we walk into the building, I notice a few of the Deacons and guards seem to be in a hurry to either get out of the building or toward the elevator.

"What do you mean unsettled?" I ask.

He doesn't stop as he continues to march me to the stairwell.

"I've never seen him like this," Nathaniel says as we make our way up the stairs to the upper level.

I've worked with all of Nathaniel's boys, but not Beast. I asked the reason for this once. Why did he want me to keep an eye on all the others except Beast. He simply said, Beast isn't like the others. He wouldn't appreciate the games.

At first, I was offended, especially with him calling my skills a game. But I realized quickly after meeting Beast that he was right. Beast would consider it playing.

"He won't calm down. We've tried everything I can think of. He's killed seven guards already and two Deacons that have tried to restrain him."

"Can't you talk to him," I ask as we get to the Ninth floor.

I'm assuming we're heading to one of the debriefing rooms. Sometimes, depending on your menu, the Church requires you to run down your kill after you're done.

As soon as he opens the stairwell door, the noise is epic. It sounds like a war is raging minus gunshots.

Deacons and guards fill the hallway. We push past them, Nathaniel shoving a few to the side as we make it to one of the open doors down the hall. Nathaniel shoves the few Church members in the doorway out of the way. We walk into a small room with bare walls and a rectangular table that has been upturned. And, judging from the hole in the wall, it's been tossed.

I don't focus on the room for long. I turn my attention to the scene before me. Beast is standing in the middle of the floor. Guards are around him, their guns aimed at his head. Pope is behind the guards, warning them that if any of them shoot Beast they will pay.

Nathaniel turns to me, and I pull my eyes away from an irate Beast.

"I need you to calm him down."

"Excuse me?" Is he insane.

I'm not going to lie, Beast has always scared me. The few times I've ever met him, I could never get a read on him. That never happens.

"He's never been this way. Something has him spiraling." There is true fear in Nathaniel's eyes.

Despite how young he was when he took the boys in, they are like his children. If they can't get Beast to calm down, they will eventually put him down.

Even though I know this, and I want to help, it doesn't change the fact that he terrifies me.

"This seems like a job for you, or maybe Lucien. He doesn't know me." I try to reason with Nathaniel.

He shakes his head. "Any other time, you would be right. But something tells me that right now, you are the only person that can find out what is going on. Please Fem, I need you."

I hate the control this man has over me. I love him so much that I would be willing to walk into a lion's den for him. Which is definitely what I'm about to do. Seeing the fear and desperation in Priest's eyes, tells me there is no other option.

I let out a deep breath and shake out my hands. "Okay," I say with little confidence. "But are you sure it's safe to talk to him in here? What if it's something big?"

"These rooms are soundproof and have no cameras. Everything he says will be safe. You got this."

I wasn't so sure about that.

Nathaniel walks me closer to the group surrounding Beast. Beast's wild eyes seem vacant. There is blood on his face and covering his shirt. His body heaves as if he's trying to catch his breath. His long golden blond hair hangs in his eyes.

"Beast," Nathaniel calls out to him. Those light green eyes turn to us and recognition sparks for only a second. "Fem is here, she wants to talk to you."

"What the hell are you doing, Priest." Pope argues. "Get her out of here."

"Will you shut the fuck up," Nathaniel says glaring at Pope. "Let me handle this."

Pope opens his mouth and I'm sure an argument is about to ensue, but Beast speaks sending the room into silence.

"Everyone out."

Nathaniel looks at me. I can tell his well thought out plans are starting to not look so great to him right now. For some reason, I'm less afraid now.

"I'm okay," I mouth to Nathaniel.

He turns back to the others in the room. "You heard him, get the fuck out."

Slowly the room starts to empty. The last to leave are Pope and Nathaniel. Nathaniel looks at me one last time. I give him a subtle nod to let him know I got this.

"I'll be right out here if you need me," he says before turning and walking out.

Pope tries to stay behind, but Nathaniel grabs his arm and shoves him out the door. The large door closes with a loud clank.

When I turn back around, Gabriel is watching me.

Sucking in a deep breath I try to think of what's the best approach here. I could run through my many characters and see which one sticks, but I think Nathaniel is right. Trying to read Beast won't work. The best approach is to be real. Or as real as I know how to be.

"Do you know why Nathaniel calls me Fem?"

He nods but doesn't speak.

I walk further into the room being sure not to crowd his space. It's then I notice the pools of blood around him. I'm assuming some of those dead bodies Nathaniel mentioned were once in this room.

"I'm really good at reading men and being whatever they want me to be," I go on to explain even though I'm pretty sure he already knows this.

His eyes narrow at my words but still he doesn't speak.

"But I'm not going to do that with you." Holding my hands out at my side briefly, I say. "My name is Albany. Tell me how I can help you?"

Those eyes that many consider vacant stare back at me. One of the things I did pick up from Beast is that he's very smart. A lot of people also think just because he rarely speaks, that Beast is tuned out or not focused. I was seventeen when I met him for the first time, and even then, I knew that was a lie.

Beast is always paying attention. Even when you think he isn't. I also know from my few times of being around him, he's a straightforward kind of guy. If he's freaking out, it tells me something serious is going on.

He's silent for so long I start to second guess my approach to him, but then his shoulders relax and the tension on his face wanes. The man I walked in on is completely gone. It's almost like he switched a channel and turned into someone else. Kind of like what I've been told I do.

A new thought runs through my mind. Nathaniel said that I was a last resort and they'd tried everything to calm him. However, the moment he saw me in the room, his aggression immediately ended.

"You knew he would call me. You did all this to get me here," I say, pointing to the hole in the wall.

A smirk appears on his face letting me know my suspicion is correct.

"Sit down," he demands in that low growl of a voice. "We don't have much time and I need your help."