When both of them were in college, Joshua and Amari were known as the 'cold princes', an ugly nickname given by people on campus. Both were known for their expressionless faces. Amari would only talk and laugh with those closest to him and Joshua was never seen laughing with anyone else.
They were both similar but not the same to most people. Amari with his beautiful hair is able to bewitch others, both of them have beautiful blue eyes even though they are different, if both of them stand side by side they look so harmonious.
Amari was supposed to go to the college for Omegas, the college where the Elite and the Conglomerates gathered together. His family had stopped being Mafia for a long time and now they were aiming for that position. They were looking for a way to get Amari accepted into one of them.
As an Elite or Conglomerate.
Amari rejected his parents' wishes for the first time back then. He chose a college that would eventually lead him to meet his longtime crush, Joshua
A decision that Amari never regrets.
"Stop, let's stop here, Josh!" Amari breathing heavily, they were already in a quiet place where not many people passed by. A localpark, both of them panting and Amari dripping sweat.
Believe him, he only goes to the gym to do light exercises three times a week. This sudden run left him out of breath.
Amari was droop down his head, trying to catch his breath, when he looked up, his eyes rounded. Having known the man for so long, this was the first time Amari had seen him laugh so broadly.
"What the hell with your stamina?" He said with a laugh that was so wide with a mocking tone while looking at Amari. Amari didn't feel offended, but now his heart was beating faster.
It's not because he's out of breath from running, it's because Joshua's hand is still holding his hand tightly, it is because of the wide-eyed laughter he was showing in front of Amari's eyes.
"Ah! Your face is red!" He screeched with laughter again, his hand reaching out to hold Amari's cheek.
Amari was silent for a moment, before he regained his senses and looked down to avoid Joshua's hand that was still holding his cheek. Joshua let go of his hand on Amari's reddened cheek.
"Wh-why are you running?" He asked, trying not to overreact in front of Joshua who was now staring at him. The hand was still holding his tightly, helping his to get back on his feet.
"Someone is watching you."
"What do you mean?"
"Outside the cafe, someone is watching you... Well, it's not the first time I've seen someone watching you. But this time, they're different."
Amari's eyes rounded perfectly. He knew that his parents always had someone to watch him from afar, but today he asked everyone to wait in the lobby while he was at the cafe. Those people never disobeyed Amari's orders even if his parents didn't like it, they would stand guard some distance away from the location Amari wanted. Then, who was it?
"It looks like the guards sent by my mother-" He tried to keep himself calm.
"No." Joshua interrupted Amari, "Your parents hired guards from an agency I know, they've been using them for years. These are different people, these are the same people who were watching you before the shooting."
Amari was frozen in place. He had never realized that before. He always thought the people around him were the ones his parents hired, this was the first time he thought that someone else was watching him.
"You recognize them?"
Joshua nodded, "I know a few guard hire services, I'm also investigating which agency your parents often use.."
"Pardon?"
"Look, this might sound strange, but I've been curious ever since the shooting incident happened. Amari, aren't you being targeted? That shooting wasn't the first, was it?"
Amari sat down on one of the bench near where he stood, his legs feeling numb. Joshua's question seemed to bring him back to reality, the reason he wanted to meet the man in front of him was this. The reason why Joshua called must also be because of the shooting incident.
Ah, he felt like a fool.
Amari tidied his hair after letting go Joshua's hand. Now that he was back to his senses, he was not in a position to thinking about silly thing after his meeting with Joshua. Stupid.
"Yes, someone targeted me, the shooting incident, it was not the first time."
Joshua was still standing in front of Amari when he started to tell him how he got the threat in the first place. The threats that started out as an email got more and more extreme, drinks laced with laxatives, and many other things.
"The shooting incident had happened some time before, when I was in the car suddenly my car tires were shot as well as the car windows. Fortunately, no one was hurt, neither me nor my personal driver. We're fine, but that's what happened."
Joshua crouched down in front of Amari who was still looking down, "They weren't trying to kill you..."
"How?"
Amari looked into Joshua's eyes unintentionally when he looked up at Joshua's words.
"Yeah, that shot was not a shot to kill you, you were targeted but their goal was not to kill you."
Now Amari frowned his forehead, now he couldn't understand even more why these people were after him.
"In my experience, it's probably because you took over the company. Do your parents have any enemies?"
"Uh... That's..."
Joshua was silent for a moment then scratched the back of his neck, "Ah right, after all your family used to be a Mafia family too, your enemies must be the same. But certainly that shot for now was not to kill you."
"Ah, Josh…"
"Yeah?"
"Before, someone was sent me a firearm..."
"Firearm?"
"Yes, it has the initials CB engraved on it..."
Joshua didn't move in place after hearing what Amari said, "Are you sure?"
Amari nodded, "I don't know the type of weapon, but I have a picture of it. The weapon is still in my house, besides the weapon there is a paper with this written on it..."
Amari showed Joshua the photo on his phone, a long-range long barrel. For snipers, MsMiran TAC 50. Joshua slides another photo, an engraving can be seen there CB for CampBell. It is characteristic that all weapons made directly by the Campbell family are not freely traded although the sale of weapons is also not held freely. However, all weapons with these initials were only sold by the Dhurudatta family to certain families.
That is a private ownership.
Then the letter in the next photo shows, 'You will look beautiful if this bullet goes through your head.' along with a .50 BMG bullet, CB is also engraved there. This is already too specific.
"You know what? The guards took the bullets that were left there after the shooting incident and it turned out that the letters also there too."
"I know, that's why I wanted to see you today. I also took one of the bullets and I was surprised to see that letters."
Amari looked at Joshua, he could feel his own disappointed that his expectations were not what he thought they would be. But then he tried to act casual, "Then, do you think I can check the names of the buyers of this weapon?"
Joshua turned his gaze in another direction, as if searching for someone in the darkness. He then waved his hand before answering Amari's question. A big tall man approached him, "Shin, can you take him back to the company lobby? I guess all the guards are looking for him now that he's not at the cafe."
"Wait, Josh..." Amari reflexively held Joshua's hand who was now standing in front of him.
"Ah, this is Shin, he's my family's confidant. You'll be safe with him."
"But..."
Joshua sat back in the bench, staring at Amari, from the dim lamplight he could see the light blue color of the man's eyes.
"I will call you again later, for now I can't tell you if I can give you a list of the names of the buyers of the weapon. The Campbell family's weapons with engravings are not freely traded, they are private ownership."
"Private ownership?"
Joshua nodded, "Which means there are only ten people in this country who can buy it. Due to the regulations we have, I will endeavor to investigate. Until then, please stay with your guards. Those people may not be after you to kill you, but I don't know what their true motives are."
Amari listened to Joshua's explanation in silence, but then his heart felt uncomfortable. He shouldn't have to think about it, it was fine if Joshua confronted him about the bullet and also his curiosity about why Amari was being targeted. He shouldn't have been disappointed.
"Then Amari, are you taking the suppressant?"
"Huh?" Now Amari was confused by the man's question.
"I'm sorry, but it looks like you're going to experience HEAT. I can smell your pheromones."