Chapter 118: Volume 4 – Chapter 7

My new security detail did not include Brooke. I was a bit disappointed about it, but I wasn’t going to go begging to Cornelia in hopes that she gave me what I wanted. I didn’t want any free handouts from her. As for Brianna and Syph, I knew that she had used them as a means of trying to get on my good side. Maybe she saw things going south after last night and made some calls, I didn’t know. I decided to just count my blessings.

Brianna and Syph were just two of four guards in all. Brianna and Syph were technically new trainees, while the other women were a bit older and had more experience under their belt. In short, these two weren’t in charge of my security detail, and could only act how they were told. Even I couldn’t boss them around. The order around here went Cornelia, the two experienced bodyguards, the two recruits, and finally me sitting at the very bottom. While prattling on, Brianna accidentally let slip that they were informed not to do anything for me without passing it through my agent first.

The one nice thing about having them is that they sat in the car with me while the two experienced guards drove in the car behind us. Technically, only Syph was back with me, while Brianna drove the car. The other two just took the driver and passenger side front. I guess it was customary for two cars to be driven on any guard detail. In case someone tried to ram me off the road, a second vehicle to escape or to take the blow for me could be the difference between life or death. It was a bit weird thinking that anyone would be so desperate to end my life, but then again, I had tasted an assassin’s blade when I led Caleb to a bloody end. This suited me fine because they were less stuffy than the other guards, and were generally more welcoming company since Cornelia didn’t seem to be much of a conversationalist.

The trip went by quickly, and we were buzzed past a gate and driving up to the front of the prison in short order. I had visited this place many times before, but my presence this time seemed to cause an even greater stir. It looked like a man entering the prison was something that Cornelia had to pull some favors to accomplish. There was a waiting retinue by the door, and beyond my four personal guards, there was a retinue of twenty prison guards surrounding us. I felt like the president of a foreign country, not some guy trying to visit his mother.

“I take it the MFP room is out of order?” I jerked.

One of the prison guards missed a step, but all of the other women remained stoic-faced. No one chose to answer my question. The male-female procreation room was a room in the prison where older men could still meet and sleep with women. It was considered a community service for typically beautiful women in prison to offer their bodies to produce more offspring, and as for the old men that still had quotas to meet but didn’t want the hassle of dealing with Slices, it was an option as well.

However, there was no way they’d let me see mother alone, so I imagined this room was retired. Heck, they wouldn’t even let me see my mother face-to-face, even though she was the last person that would ever harm me, or so I thought. As for the typical strip search that I ended up facing under a few handsy prison guards, that was thankfully discarded as well. I didn’t need to sign anything or talk to anyone. I suppose that was all handled by Cornelia ahead of time.

I was brought into a final room. Cornelia stayed outside the room. Possibly, she was trying to offer me privacy, but it was pointless because a group of prison guards followed me inside anyway. It was a white room that looked a lot newer than the old row of glass windows that used to serve as the contact stations. This room had no chairs or other items. It was just a room with a door on each side and a thick glass divider between them that covered the entire length of the room. If I had to guess, it was probably bulletproof. Shortly after I was brought in, the door on the opposite side of the glass opened and two guards brought a woman in who was chained both at her feet and her hands.

She was wearing a single uniform that was colored orange. Her once silky hair was a bit stringy. Her once deep, dark eyes looked tired. There were a few wrinkles now. Mother always hated wrinkles. There was a slight streak of grey which I could only see when her hair fluttered a bit as she walked. She was still an absolute beauty. She had a large chest, a great bottom, and a pale beautiful face. Even without makeup, it couldn’t be understated how attractive she looked.

As soon as my eyes landed on her, I couldn’t stop the well of emotions. Tears I didn’t even know I had welled up in my eyes. Any anger I had over the information about dad’s death dissipated like smoke. All I felt was an intense longing and need to be closer to the woman I loved. I started to race forward, only to be grabbed by four women.

“Do you think I can break through the glass!” I shouted as tears fell down my cheeks.

The women turned to the one who looked to be the lead. They didn’t let go of me until she gave a nod. Once they did, I ran the rest of the way to the glass and put my palm on it, as if that action was the equivalent to touching her.

“M-mother…” My voice came out choked.

Seeing my best friend of four years with his head on a spike didn’t cause me to waiver a bit, but only a few seconds seeing my mom and I was blubbering like a child. I suddenly felt like I was that twelve-year-old all over again trying to trick his indulgent mother into playing sex games with him. We were both quite a bit older now.

“Baby…”

Mother didn’t come up to the glass. The two women were still holding her chains, but she didn’t make any attempt to come toward me. Just the opposite, she seemed to be keeping her distance, even lowering her head a bit so her hair covered her face.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded, knowing my voice sounded a bit petulant.

“Baby…” she repeated opening her mouth and raising her hands. “I’m… I’m…”

“Morgan…”

“I’m getting old!” She blurted out tearfully. “I don’t want my little baby to see me like this…I’m not the woman I once was…”

The tears in my eyes stopped, and I let out a small laugh. “Mother…”

“D-don’t make fun of me! I have wrinkles and grey hair! How can I be seen by the man I love more than life itself?”

I laughed even harder. “I love you too…”

“Then, please, just indulge your mom in this…” She said, trying to cover her face with her hair.

“Mom, you’re as beautiful as you’ve ever been.” I said, “You’re still my beautiful MILF.”

“Y-you mean it? What’s a MILF?” She sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Nevermind that…” I cleared my throat. “I mean it. Your body is perfect. Have you been working out? You could only just keep up with me when I was twelve,  it isn’t by chance that you are worried that my eighteen-year-old virility would  be too much for you so you’ve been working out so that you can keep up?”

As I gave mom a coy look, her entire face burst red. I had managed to hit the nail right on the head. It was hard to tell in her orange jumpsuit, but her body had a firmer look to it than I remembered. Mother was a bit of a recluse, and years of living soft in her mansion she had inherited from father when he died had caused her to be a bit plumper. Prison had leaned out any plumpness, and she had a firmer appearance as a result.

Thinking of father reminded me why I was there in the first place. Mom had told me a long time ago that dad had been killed by a jealous lover. It was implied that he was stabbed once, and happened to bleed out. However, the cops now suggested that this wasn’t the case. Father’s death was anything but typical. Well, any murder of a man was a sensation, but a murder pre-day of Wrath was even more unbelievable.

“When did my little baby become such a smooth talker. If you keep saying things like that, mommy my jump right through that glass and have her way with you.”

The two guards suddenly tightened their hands on her, and two of the guards stepped forward with their arms outstretched like they were ready to yank me back.

“She’s kidding!” I shot the guards a glare, causing them to blush as well.

“I wonder…” Mom laughed teasingly.

“Mother, I’m sorry to be blunt, but we need to talk.”

“Of course, Mother understands.” When I raised an eyebrow, she continued, crossing her arms with a straight back in a way that reminded me of my old Mother. “Well, I’m going to be out in just six months. I wouldn’t have preferred our meeting after not seeing you for two years would look like this either. Not being able to reach out and touch you is torture. So, when I heard you wanted to see me, it was clear that you needed something from Mother. Did I guess correctly?”

Her candid words caused the guards around us to shift uncomfortably. One thing about prison was that she seemed to be much bolder about her desires. I seem to remember mom having at least a bit of modesty toward her desires for me. Then again, maybe I was just remembering things wrong, and being a bit hopeful. Even after all this time, a look from her still caused my heart to race. The only other two women who could do that were Madison and Hannah. I think I was doomed to be a man who liked to keep it in the family.

“You’re right, Mother. I came to ask about father.”

“Noah? What about him?”

The fiery looks she was shooting me immediately turned cold at the mention of her former husband. It wasn’t always like that. There was a time when she brightly remembered him with a laugh and a smile. There was a sadness in her eyes over her loss, but also optimism, since he did have me, a male, to carry on his line.

Yet, that was a long time ago. As her affection for me grew, her love for her former husband became a distant memory. When she found out her first time had been with another man, it had created a wedge in her heart. When she learned that Noah was prone to having affairs, which included her own half-sister Rose, the wedge was hit with a hammer, and heart broke. I knew more than most that it was her love for me that allowed her to piece her heart back together. Her heart now was fragile, but filled with an undying love for me.

Perhaps that was why she had ended up in jail over four years ago in the first place. When someone threatened to take me away from her, even her own daughter, she wasn’t able to take it. She ended up picking up the gun, and someone died. It was a mistake we were both still paying for to this day. I wondered if all of this would have happened if I had more direct support from mom back then. Everything that happened seemed to be like a house of dominos. From me ending up at a party trying to save Madison, to the trial, to the day of Wrath, to me being sent overseas, and even the signing of the MPA act.

I’d been told more than once that the MPA extended act was an inevitability, and it wasn’t my actions that had caused it to happen. I wasn’t sure if I could believe that fully, but I also knew that it wouldn’t be healthy to blame myself.

“You said…” I glanced at the guards, but they were well within earshot.

It was impossible to have a conversation in private. I considered asking, but the answer was pretty obvious. I didn’t want rumors spreading. Every male seemed to have a fanbase. I had visited a blog written about me once. Most of their information came from Madison’s channel. Her internet success mostly had to do with her connection to me. Many women were excited to follow her pregnancy and baby-rearing, while also hearing the tidbits of information about Clyburn the supposed chosen one.

“It’s okay…” Mom nodded, smiling. “I’ll answer.”

“You said he died by being stabbed by some woman.”

“…” Her smile faltered. “That…”

“What… what really happened?” I suddenly felt my mouth becoming too dry.

Mom sighed, and with a single question, she went back to looking dead tired. “He died. I’m not sure what you want me to say. Please don’t blame me for sparing you the gory details.”

“So… it’s true… he was killed…” I drew my finger across my neck, swallowing hard.

“Why are you asking about this?” Mom asked.

I took another look at the guards standing nearby and then sighed. “Another man died… the same way.”

Some of the women nearby jumped. This might be something they didn’t see in the news yet. It could have been covered up, or maybe they just didn’t read the newspaper this morning. They looked like they wanted to look it up on the intraweb now. I kept my eyes on Mother though. Her expression changed quickly to surprise, then confusion, and now she had a slightly fierce look on her face.

“Th-that… that’s impossible! That can’t be true!” She tried to step forward, causing the girls on either side of her to tighten their hold of her restraints.

“I saw the body,” I responded. “A pile of parts, and his head on a pike.”

Mother shook. “Sh-she’s in prison… she should be in prison, they caught her… They caught her!”

“Who?” I demanded, “Who is she? Who killed dad?”

“Her names Delila. Delila Moor. She went to prison! She’s in prison…”

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Mother’s agitation was growing, and I felt some hands grab my arms to pull me away from the glass like they were afraid she really would jump through the glass, even though it was impossible.

“Will you all stop!” I tried to shove them off me. “Mom! I think dem… I think someone else killed dad. Now, I think they’re after me.”

“Baby! Damn it! Stop! I love you! Stay safe!” The guards started trying to pull her out of the room.

I still had the people behind me trying to hold me back too. The only reason I wasn’t pulled out easily was that they were afraid of hurting me. The two guards on mom didn’t have the same restrictions and yanked her chains even as she fought against them.

“I will, Mom! I will. I love you too!” The door slammed shut, cutting me off from her.

I still fought to remain at the glass, as if I stayed their long enough, she’d suddenly return. The guards were yelling something at me, but I was ignoring their words. That’s when I felt a hand on my shoulder that was different from the others.

“What?” I turned back, my eyes locking on Cornelia who had gotten into the room when things started to get exciting.

“Clyburn, we’re done here.”

I didn’t even learn anything important. Just a name, Delila Moor. I gave up my post in front of the glass with a bitter expression on my face.

“Delila Moor, do you know her?” I asked as I allowed the guards to start pulling me out of the room.

Cornelia’s face turned white for a second, but she quickly covered it up. “She’s… none of your business.”

“Cornelia… if you want honesty from me, then you’re going to give me something.” I shot.

As the door shut behind us, sealing off the room I had just met Mother in, the guards finally started to relax their grips. Cornelia watched me for a second and then turned to the guard who had been acting charge.

“Tell him.”

The guard jerked for a second, and then turned to him, a complicated look on her face. “She… died in prison… two months ago.”

“What?”

“I know because a detective called checking for this very information just last night, so it’s fresh in my mind.” The woman said. Delila Moor died in a prison riot. She was bludgeoned to death. At first, they thought she escaped in the riot, but her body was eventually found shoved in a trash compacter.”

“Are they… sure it’s her?”

“What are you saying?”

“Maybe… she did escape. Maybe, who you found, was who she wanted you to find.”

“Clyburn…” Cornelia shook her head slightly.

The prison guard reacted differently, barking out a laugh. “I think you have a very active imagination, Mr. Bonholdt. If there was even a possibility of that happening, don’t you think the detectives would have thought of that?”

“I don’t know…” I said quietly, “Maybe she had help.”

“Help? Help how?”

I shook my head, “I’m sorry. Cornelia? We were leaving?”

The guard frowned, but I didn’t want to get into it with her. I had wanted to tell mom about the cryptic message that appeared to be aimed at me, but saying that in front of the prison guards would have just gotten me in trouble with the police. It was the same reason I hadn’t mentioned demons to the prison guard. At best, I’d be laughed at, and worse if I was taken seriously.

I’m sure they would tell the detective just about everything that was said between us as part of their investigation. It was probably for the best because strictly speaking, I had never told Mother about my origins from another world. I didn’t know how she’d react to that information. I hoped it’d be in a manner not too different from Madison.

We were already nearly to the car when I stopped a step. “I never even got to ask her about Hannah.”

“What about boss?” Brianna overheard my words.

My mood suddenly improved slightly. That was right, I had Brianna and Syph. They were not supposed to take orders from me, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have some autonomy on their own. They still saw Hannah as their boss, which meant that any order I said came from her would-be treated extremely well. Since this order was about Hannah, these two would be able to help me learn what I needed to learn. I just needed to find a time when I could give them my commands in secret.

“Where to now?” Cornelia asked as the three of us sat back in the car with Brianna as the driver.

“You haven’t already decided?” I asked in surprise.

“Believe it or not, Clyburn, I’m not here to control your life. I’m here to let you continue to do whatever you want freely.”

“I bet…”

She bit her lip before continuing. “Tonight, we will try the first of the four freebies you offered me. This kind of thing usually happens in the evenings, right? So, that means that for the next eight hours, you’re free to do what you’d like. As long as it’s not dangerous, just let me know, and I’ll make it happen.

“Very well…” I pulled out a paper and wrote down an address and handed it to her. “Take me here.”

“This…” She entered the information into her phone and then sighed when the address pulled back a location. “A sword dojo?”

“What? I’m rusty.”

“Are you so eager to be hurt. Prisons, sword dojos, what next… ropeless bungee jumping?”

“If you go first.”

“No… thank you.” She responded stiffly, and then sighed, handing my paper to Brianna. “Take us to the Amaryllis Sword Arts Studio.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“Hmph… you’re planning to find Brooke there, aren’t you?”

“What if I am?”

She did know far too much about me. The report on me must have been humungous. She seemed to accurately guess more of my decisions than I would have liked. I did hope to see Brooke there. She had mentioned it in passing as the place where she had learned all of her fighting techniques. She said she’d return sometimes because it gave her a sense of peace. Of course, the me from before never left my mansion, and I had never been to this place.

“Would you believe me if I told you that you won’t find her there?” Cornelia asked.

“That depends… is it the truth?’

“…” Her brow furrowed, but ultimately she didn’t give me an answer.

The drive took about fifteen minutes, and then we pulled up in front of a large building. My impression of it was that there was a lot of glass. The entire front was covered in glass displays, yet on the inside of the window were numerous awards, newspaper clippings, and advertisement fliers. It filled the glass to the point where someone couldn’t get a single look inside the dojo if they wanted to.

After parking, I waited for the guard to form their proper perimeter before I got out. One even ran in ahead to check out the building before I entered. The whole process took another five minutes and caught the looks of countless people. I almost felt like it’d have been safer to sneak in without being seen than to go in with four guards that drew every woman’s eye in a two-block radius.

It was at that moment that I noticed Cornelia was watching me intently. When I turned to meet her eyes, she looked away, her cheeks stained pink. With a sigh, I opened the door and got out of the car, and headed straight into the building. As soon as I walked in, I smelled flowers, sweat, leather, and oil. I could hear the clang of swords before I was even able to see them.

Upon walking in, my eyes scanned around for Brooke. While I was looking around, I was drawing just as many eyes. Even if I didn’t have the four women around me, I was also a man. This was one of those spots where you wouldn’t typically see a man. It’d be like seeing a man in a sports arena, it just wasn’t seen in this world.

That was when my eyes fell on a person in the rink. They had a mask on, and they appeared to be fighting in a style not dissimilar to fencing. It was reminiscent of the style Brooke had taught me, although Brooke incorporated more feet and hands, while this seemed to focus solely on using the sword.

I watched the heated match as the two parties went back and forth. However, one party was cool and collected, while the other acted spastically and desperate. The victor was obvious, but it still took a minute or two for her to make it official. When the woman struck the other, she hit her three times, causing her to collapse to her knees. The fallen woman made a sign with her hand and only then did the other pull back.

At that point, she lifted off her mask and shook out her hair, but rather than looking at her defeated opponent, her eyes went to me with a tinge of curiosity. It was that moment I realized that I recognized this woman.

“Hello, Dia, it’s been a while.”

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