An early, vibrant, and sunny morning it was on the streets of Summerlin, Las Vegas. Peach didn’t mind waking up before the sun rose though. The extremely bright sun that shined through her pink, stained curtains for the past few weeks was almost refreshing to her.  She eventually got used to it with the help of cold showers and the usual walks to the cafe down her street for a cup of coffee. Peach was content with life, that was the truth - but sometimes she would catch herself simping alone in her bedroom, wishing for a, let's say, more luxurious lifestyle. She had just moved to Las Vegas from a very small town so she had been experiencing a lot of changes. The way people spoke just seemed so much different, more articulate and cunning with their words although maybe it’s just because she never really had any educated people to look up to back in her hometown. Back there, people survived through petty crimes like stealing or picking people’s pockets. That wasn’t her though. Peach had been pressured a lot by her friends to partake in the silly little games they played but she never bothered to try it out. Peach was only focused on one thing and one thing only.

Making it to the big cities.

There was something so exhilarating about receiving praise from your boss, being rewarded for your efforts and catering to those you care about. Peach wanted to make a name for herself, but she really didn’t know where to start. In her first week, she was lucky enough to be one of the last people to get hired as a housekeeper. The pay wasn’t great but it wasn't bad either. A pay cheque was guaranteed at the end of every month so Peach wasn’t complaining, she just wished she actually enjoyed what she was doing. Peach was beyond helpless, but she desperately needed the money. She even reached the point of contemplating risky business.

Well, that would be a whole ‘nother story. Peach was in too deep now. It first started when her fellow employee introduced her to a friend that had connections with a transportation business. Peach was confused about what kind of ‘transportation business’ that was, but she didn’t ask. Once she got the good news of getting hired, she immediately resigned from her cleaning service duties. When Peach arrived to the business’ headquarters she thought she would go through the formal induction process when you get a new job but she was taken aback when she was just quickly thrown in to the job at hand. The job seemed easy. Moving packages of some sort. Again, she didn’t ask any questions. Peach just wanted to get the job over and done with. She had to accompany another man, who would be driving the delivery truck while she had to keep record of the clients and the payments that were handed over. Peach couldn’t forget that one client who just casually took out a huge wad of cash from his suit pocket. She gasped internally at the sight but she kept her head down, nodding and pretending to be unphased. This was all new to her and she didn’t know what to expect, but anything would beat working as a full-time maid with little breaks in between, if she got lucky.

By the end of the assigned job, Peach was exhausted. What happened after was mayhem. Once she got back to the headquarters with the man she was accompanying, hell broke loose. It was all so sudden. One minute she’s arriving to a new workplace, then the next minute the fellow employee she met is found dead at the entrance with a gun beside their head, blown to bits. Shots were being fired and multiple people were being gunned down. Peach couldn’t remember what she did at that time. The man she accompanied had ran, not even helping her with the situation and leaving her to deal with the mess herself. Luna’s body tensed as she tried to find the quickest way out of this but the truck was literally parked right in front of the entrance, so she was sure that someone had seen her by now. The last thing she saw before she passed out due to the unbearable stress of the insane blood shedding event was the tall, dark figure of a man whose left hand was holding an eight-inch pistol. She was dead meat, she thought. His steady hands then quickly supported the weight of her back as she almost banged her head against the concrete when she collapsed. Peach’s breaths quickened and her forehead was hot. She slowly shut her eyelids. His soothing words rang through her mind before she was consumed by the darkness. The dramatic shadows bounced off his face and his jaw tensed as he muttered the words.

“Sleep tight. I will see you again.”

Fast approaching the depot, Reginald sat in the passenger seat of the truck they had hijacked for the hit. If it went south then using their own vehicles would prove to be a big mistake – either losing serious money on their custom vehicles being destroyed or the licence plates being distributed to every cop in the city. It was dark and the temperature began to rapidly decrease, living up to the reputation of a real night in the desert. Reggie un-wound the passenger window and immediately could see his own breath as it combined with the ice-cold air, and the breeze sent a shiver down his spine making him pull up his jacket collar. The paranoia in his head was making him add up all the elements that only equated to an eerie feeling deep down that they shouldn’t be running through with the hit, like shit was going to go completely wrong. He glared up at the stars and almost lost himself for a moment thinking of how there is only death on the cards tonight, and how he may finally be at peace.

The truck hit a small bump in the road which snapped him back to reality. The driver notified him of the depot up ahead and Reginald knew it was time. Looking in the side mirror he could see the convoy still following closely. He put his arm out of the window and pointed to the left with two fingers, signalling for the cars behind to take the side road around to the back end of the Changretta HQ. Reggie turned to face the driver.

“Remember, it’s us or them. Time to take the bastards out once and for all. Pull up in front of the front entrance to block off their escape. Once the others hit them from the back end, we’ll cut them off from there.” He said to him.

The driver nodded in response and following his orders, he pulled up right outside the front entrance as close as the truck could go while still allowing for a quick getaway. Reginald banged on the back wall of the cab to alert the guys in the back of the truck to jump out before hopping out of the front cab himself. He walked through the front entrance with his men either side and pulled out his eight-inch Smith and Wesson from the holster hidden within his suit jacket, and began to fire at Changretta’s men who were now frantically running around - unprepared for such an attack. Blood was splattered up the walls, the smell of gun smoke and death filled the building and the groans of the wounded echoed through.

Amidst the warzone, in the middle of all the chaos and through the smoke, Reginald spotted a young woman in the distance. She was all alone as the so called honourable henchman of the Changretta family left her for dead, in a miserable failed attempt to flee for their lives. The plan was to leave no-one alive. No survivors, no witnesses, no comebacks. However, she was different. He could see it in her face, she was new to this world – probably just an innocent, looking to make an extra bit of cash to get by. The man next to Reginald held his gun up to the girl and whispered “No Survivors.” before wrapping his finger around the trigger. Reggie put his hand on top of the gun and pushed it down.

“Nah… She isn’t Changretta. Spare her.” He said to the man who began to argue back. “No survivors – that’s what you said! Not one person alive, if you let her live it could cost us all our lives.”

“I know what I said, but do I pay you to fuckin’ repeat what I say, or question my orders? Lower your fuckin’ gun -or you can taste the metal of mine.” Reggie replied through gritted teeth in his cockney accent.

As his men finished off the rest of Changretta family, Reginald started to walk over to the young girl who began to panic as she was cut off from all directions. Her face went white as if her soul had already left her body, preparing her for death. She collapsed to the floor and Reggie jumped forward to catch her head from hitting the ground and lower her down softy. Her eyelids forced shut and he looked down at her and smiled.

“Sleep tight. I will see you again.” He told her softly.

He picked her up and carried her back to the truck in his arms. As some of the men with him were hired guns and not family, he put her in the back of the truck and climbed in to watch over her. They were all filled with blood-fuelled adrenaline and they weren’t to be trusted around a beautiful woman. Reginald and the Krayzee family made a quick getaway, driving out deep into the desert to dump the bullet-ridden vehicles and meet the guys waiting to take them home. He took her back to the Krayzee HQ to lay her down on the sofa and covered her with a blanket, placing a cushion underneath her head. Reg didn’t sleep much, so he sat down at his desk to work some paperwork for the business after cleaning himself up and waited for the girl to wake up.

The loud shuffling of papers awoke her. Peach had already been awake for a long time, but she didn’t dare move from her position. The environment was foreign to her and she tried to figure out who may have taken her here. Peach frowned. She tried to think back to what happened before all this. Left alone by an associate… Gunshots… The tall figure....

Peach suddenly realized she must have fainted from the crazy events that occurred before her eyes. It was nothing like she had ever seen before. Especially that huge machine gun that man was holding. Speaking of, where was that man? She remembered blacking out into his arms. Everything was a total blur and she needed information. Fast. She also needed to figure out a way to get out of this place. All Peach saw was exquisite furniture and walls that towered over her small figure. She felt lost, confused and fearful. She rubbed the side of her face and rose up. Her eyes widened when she noticed the man from before, who was sitting at a desk. Peach had many questions. She was concerned about her safety and about this man, who took her in to his home.

Peach approached the man carefully to not disturb him, and she gently tapped on his shoulder. “Sir, where am I?” She said quietly.

Reginald felt his eyes drifting away every so often as he continued to file and organize his papers. He’d entered a state where he was awake but half-dreaming at the same time, lost somewhere in the concept of space and time. Tiredness would overcome him and take its toll on both his physical and mental state, however no matter how had he tried he just could not sleep. Not even while sat in a dimly lit office with piles of boring paperwork to process. Failing to notice that the young woman he’d brought back to the HQ had moved from the couch, he felt a tap on his shoulder that made him almost leap out of his skin.

“Jesus fu… You scared the shit outta me!” Reggie exclaims as he spins around in his chair, looking almost scared to death. The poor woman jumped at his response, and he immediately felt bad given the trauma she’d just been through.

“Ah look, sorry ‘bout that. I have trouble sleepin’ and it sends me all wappy. Where are me manners? Call me Reggie. Please, take a seat.” He says in a more calmly fashion, trying to soothe her a little.

The girl had some front. After the ordeal she has just been through – then being essentially kidnapped at the point of unconsciousness, she still managed to conjure up the bottle to approach him. Reggie looked deep into her eyes while he thought of what he was going to say next, trying to figure out her story, her past and her ambitions. He was well known for being able to read people just by looking into their eyes, almost like a hypnotic ritual. That being said, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it with this one.

“You are sitting, safe and sound I might add, in the Krayzee Headquaters. This is my office. Nothing too fancy, a nice bit a furniture an’ all that. Does the job I s’pose, dunnit?” He asks rhetorically.

“So, whats a lady like you doin’ all the way out there in the Changretta HQ? Doesn’t seem like your kind of crowd…” Reggie asks, intrigued to learn more.

Peach lowered her head in regret. She suddenly felt bad that she had invaded this man’s humble abode. If she hadn’t been so stupid and desperate to accept the task by her ex-employee, she wouldn’t be in this mess right now. Her arms remained at her sides and she raised her chin shyly to respond.

“I was on a job to deliver some packages ordered by clients.” She admitted nervously. Peach cleared her throat. “When I got back with an associate, the gun show started – but I swear, I had no involvement in whatever happened.”  She clarified.

Peach suddenly got a flashback of the employee that introduced her to the job. Shot dead near the entrance. The sight of her lifeless body would traumatize Peach for the next few weeks. It was hard to forget when she had never been in a situation like that. In addition to that, Peach was left alone to figure out her own way to escape. She figured she should thank the man for coming to her side when she collapsed.

Peach continued and gave a little smile. “Oh, um also.. uh.. thanks for.. helping me. I appreciate it sir.” The stutter in her voice showed that she was uneasy and clueless. She just wished the man could provide some information to her about why everything happened and how it all came about.

The man seemed to be very knowledgeable, so she wondered if he knew about the particular business she was working at. He also seemed very calm about the whole situation, as if he was unbothered by the multiple gun shootings. It was all weird to Peach. At least the man wasn’t a threat to her anymore, but whenever she got recollection of the gun he was holding, she couldn’t help but feel terrified of what he might do to her. Peach wanted to know about his intentions, whether they were good or bad.

Realization dawned upon her when she overheard a conversation once between her ex-employee and the boss at the Changretta HQ. It was along the lines of competing with a drug cartel business followed by random chatter after. Peach turned her face away. No sugar coating now, she thought.

“What happened back there? Please. I need some information, anything, to grasp.” She said glumly.

Reginald lit up a cigarette and poured himself a glass of Irish whiskey, before leaning back in his chair to get comfortable as he listened to what the girl had to say. He raised an eyebrow as the story began to unfold of how she got there – although he wasn’t surprised, the Changretta’s using innocent young women to traffic their illegal goods. Or was that the case? Could she be an undercover cop fresh on the beat, assigned to infiltrate his enemy’s HQ and report back on their operations? If it was the latter, this was bad news. A missing cop would lead to the entire force snooping around and catching up to the hit on the HQ, sparking a whole investigation that would potentially lead them back to the Krayzee family. The fact that she has now asked for further information made him a little more suspicious.

He looked once again deep into her eyes after hearing what she had to say. Reggie had to be absolutely certain before he spoke again, as it could mean the difference between life or death for this woman. And there it was. The way she acts, moves… The way she returns the look into his eyes, and all he can see is fear and confusion. She’s innocent.

“I aint’ into killing women, at least the ones that are innocent. Guilty? Na’ that’s a different story.” He says to her and leans forward to get a little closer before pausing, just to test her reaction.

“But you aint’ guilty, are ya?” Reg continued, leaning back in his chair once again and taking a long drag from his cigarette.

“Alright, I better get down to it then I s’pose. See now unbeknownst to you, you started running deliveries for one of the most dangerous families in the city – The Changretta Family. They run a big network of drugs, sex trafficking, bootlegging and a load of other organized crime. Unfortunately for them, we are even more dangerous. They’ve been hitting our businesses in a so-called ‘strategic’ attempt to overthrow us.” Reggie chuckled and paused for a moment as he stubbed out his cigarette and took another sip of whiskey.

“So, our natural course of action was to wipe ‘em out. Hit ‘em where it fuckin’ hurts, d’ya know what I mean?” He continued before swallowing the entire glass-full and pouring out another.

“BOOM. Straight in the heart and soul of the lot. Gone. The fuckin’ lot of ‘em. Poof in a cloud of smoke.” Reggie said with a singular clap of his hands.

“It would seem you are now unemployed because of my endeavours. What do ya plan to do with ya new lease of life then ay?” He asks.

There was a big difference between Peach and her… beloved father. Well, maybe that should be rephrased. Most of her life she had despised her father’s careless acts, which involved heavy drinking on late nights and committing adulteries even when her mother was still alive. So, in that exact moment when the dark-haired man sitting in front of her reached for that tall bottle of whiskey, Peach was brutally reminded of the times she used to live with her father. It wasn’t a great time, but fortunately in the end – she managed to leave even without his permission which she had to get so many times before even if she was a grown woman. Now she could do whatever without the constant presence of him but it also meant there would be more risks to take. Although Peach certainly never thought that it would come to this.

His eyes dug into her soul like he was searching for something. Well whatever it was, all she knew was that she had no evil intentions. She just wanted someone to tell her what was going on and should best be going on her own way, but she didn’t think that would happen anytime soon. The question he posed before her that suggested she wasn’t holding onto any guilty suddenly made Peach feel more relaxed. Her shoulders that were so tense now eased up and she was able to compose herself. The man started to disclose even more information about The Changretta HQ and Peach was mortified. More so because of the fact that it was illegal to trade goods like that. Drugs?!?! Gosh dammit Peach what did you get yourself into, she thought to herself as her eyes narrowed. The list went on and his words were causing her brain to explode into melted marshmal- no, into BITS. Just pieces of brain shooting through the air. Yup.

The smoke from his lit cigarette travelled through her nostrils, which she inhaled sharply before letting out a bitter cough. Peach scrunched her face and waved a hand in the air to get rid of the cloud of smoke that formed in front of her. She was stressed out and needed to sit down so she went back to her spot on the sofa.

“I… I don’t know what my next plans are.” She said as she hung her head in shame. There was no way she could get home now. It was already getting late, and to make matters worse – rain started pouring outside. A damn shit show this was. Peach shut her eyelids tight hoping that maybe this was all a dream. Just maybe, she would still be back at the cleaning service fixing the bed sheets, ironing out towels and dusting the ceiling vents. But did she really want that?

It wasn’t like she could go back to that anyway. It was too late. The longer she spent in the man’s house, she dug herself a deeper hole. Digging her own grave perhaps. Peach had trouble talking again. She kept her head down. Silence filled the room as she thought about her predicament. Unintentionally, she had gotten herself involved in a mass gun shooting between two rival families as well as participating in the illegal distribution of drugs. All under 24 hours.

Peach rubbed her temples and groaned quietly.

Maybe the man had other plans for her...

Reginald remained sat back in his seat as he watched the girl stand up and walk back over to the sofa, answering his question that she unsure of her next move with a look of sadness and regret on her face. The whole ordeal seems to be extremely overwhelming for her – deep down in his cold heart, Reggie feels sympathetic. Some people are born into this world, others turn to it willingly. Then you get those that are unwillingly forced. There was something amiss in the way she responds to him, mainly her body language. It was possible she had a history, a bad  experience that makes her scared of going down a dark path such as this one. Drugs, shootouts, gangsters…

In a way, Reggie thinks she knows the score. It is not often that a witness is left alive unless for a very special reason. It could be a contributing factor to her fear, maybe fear of death for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and not having any purpose or living a meaningful life.

“You know my name. What do ya like to be called?” He asks.

“Look sweetheart, your new to all this I can see that but you know how things work. You’re a smart woman. It leaves me in a bit of a predicament really, dunnit?” He asks, not expecting an answer. He pauses again to let his last few words linger in the air.

“Alright I’ve made me mind up. Come with me, I’ll take you home.” Reggie continues as he stands up and walks over to the sofa. Words couldn’t describe the look on her face, like a thousand emotions all at once glaring up at him. Relief, confusion and disbelief were certainly amongst them. He expected her to be reluctant at moving anywhere with him, but then again what choice did she currently have?

“Well, you comin’ or not?” Reginald says again, this time from the doorway as he waits for her to make her move.

Peach rose from her seat and smiled shyly. She didn’t want to keep him waiting nor waste more of his time. Time was precious. She was sure that he had other things on his plate to manage. Without hesitation, she followed in his direction but she stopped in front of him to say something. “Thank you. For everything. I must repay you.” She nodded and walked ahead of him. She felt safe for once. Maybe there was something good out of all of this. Sure, she was scared and all but at least she didn’t get taken by some madman. Out of all of the people she has met in her life, this man was probably one who she took the most interest in. There was something about him that made her gravitate towards him. She didn’t know if it was just the cologne he had on, or if it was his charm that made her eyes sparkle with curiosity.

A shiny, black roadster was parked outside. The radiant moonlight bounced off the tinted windows, which looked magnificent. She had never been so attracted to a car before. She didn’t realize she was staring until the sound of the engine rang through her ears. A flush crept up her face and she then quickly opened the door of the passenger side and hopped in. “Heh. Sorry.” She added. Peach looked down at her lap and fiddled with her fingers. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t know where to start. Interaction with men was a rare occurrence and terror suddenly overtook her mind as she knew this was going to be a long ride. But hey, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. There were a few moments of silence between them again but Peach didn’t mind it. She leaned back on the car headrest and sneaked a glance at the man sitting beside her. It wasn’t until they drove by a movie theatre that they started talking. Peach also found out later that his name was Reginald. Her eyes lit up and she put her thumb and index finger to her chin, thinking about it for a second.

“Oh! That means king, right?” She replied in an enthusiastic tone. Things started to be less awkward as they continued to drive along roads that seemed to never end. She didn’t know where they were heading exactly. Peach then started to notice that the areas they drove around in had no houses at all. It was all just bewilderingly similar buildings that had signs on their main entrances which read “RESTRICTED AREA” in red block letters against a plain background. Peach pressed her lips together and didn’t say a word for the remaining drive. She felt out of place all over again, like she wasn’t meant to be here. She felt unimportant and reckless. But she couldn’t back out now especially after how hospitable Reginald has been to her.

The car finally came to a halt. A huge entrance, which had a palm tree on each of its side stood tall in front of an incredibly spacious house. Peach tried to not make a fool out of herself again by staring like a hawk, so she cleared her throat begrudgingly and got outside of the vehicle to follow Reginald’s lead. She walked behind him slowly as paranoia flooded her mind. Peach tried to calm herself. There was nothing to be afraid of, she thought. Breathe. The concrete footpath under her feet was damp from the pouring rain and her boots made squishy sounds until she reached the door where the ground was much more dry.

As she walked inside, a slender, black-bearded man greeted her cheerfully. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as she smiled back in return. He had on a sombre, Italian suit which Peach could appreciate. She always had an eye for high end fashion. “Hi.” She replied calmly. Amid all the wild circumstances that happened that day, she stopped and thought how she would be forever grateful for the few people in this world like Reginald who had genuine hearts. Just like the meaning of his name meant “ruler” or “king”, Peach saw him as a heroic leader. One that fought for the goodness in the world even if chaos filled it. As she stood in front of the friendly man, Peach took in the sight of Reginald and she plastered a warm smile on her face. Peach enjoyed his company very much and she would hate to leave if she had to, but for now she had to let go of her worries and just live in the moment. She then jerked her head in the direction of the unknown but friendly man. If she was going to be staying here until she could find a place of her own, why not start to make strong bonds with the people who would provide her shelter. To treat people in the same way you want to be treated is one of the many things that Peach believed in.

“I apologize for my unexpected appearance. Your uh…. friend… Reginald here, has been so kind to let me go home with him. I hope I won’t be a nuisance to you.” She scratched the back of her head, feeling slightly embarrassed of her plain appearance compared to his stylish outfit.

“My name is Peach by the way. Nice to meet you.” She said as her eyes flashed with excitement.