Secrets of the Cactus Men
2| Nights For Philip

Jay’s Brother's. Los Angeles, United States.

Philip admired this magnificent building. Jay’s Brother is the place to be. Philip does not visit often, but because he is a Jayde sohib, then almost everyone knows him here.

“Hey, Brother!” Jayde's voice echoed in the room. He got out of the elevator that was just open.

Philip looked at Jayde. He smiled at the horse, spread out his arms, melted the longing between them.

“For so long you didn't come, Philip.” Jayde looked at Philip's appearance. As always, classic and simple. “Let me guess, what brings you here, Brother!” Jayde rubbed his jaw.

Philip smiled. “What's more if you don't ask for your help, Jayde.”

Jayde. “This is what I've been waiting for, Philip!” The man embraced Philip. “What if I talk in my office only?”

Philip looked at the surrounding situation, it was true, many people were not good for him. Philip was too embarrassed if anyone knew what his purpose was to disrupt his busy time.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

Philip sat down at the end of the sofa. The interior design of Jayde's workspace is never wrong. He decorated this room in such a way, making it look dazzling. So comfortable to look at the eyes.

“How's Flo, Philip?” Jayde offers a cup of tea. “Elisa too,” added Jayde then sat in front of Philip.

Philip received Jayde's advice, his head was a beard.

“If you and your family, Jayde?” Philip replied. Mandatory courtesy formality. Philip already knew the answer. Not okay.

Jayde crossed his legs, his body leaning sideways on the sofa. “That's how,” said. Jayde doesn't talk much about family. “You know for yourself, Philip,” his chuckle.

Philip nodded once more. Jayde was only successful because of his grandfather's legacy. His relationship with his parents was severely damaged. Not unable to fix, this curly man simply did not want to.

“Come on, tell me what help can I give you, Brother?” Jayde was enthusiastic.

Philip rubbed the handle of the cup in his grasp, hesitating a little for sure.

Finding Philip who never spoke, Jayde stood up and approached him. “Tell me. You always have been.”

“I'm a lot of trouble for you, Jayde.” Philip frowned. “While I can't give you anything.”

Jayde was laughing. “If you hadn't saved me that night, maybe Jayde’s Brother would never have stood this successful, Philip.”

That cold night, Philip risked his life for Jayde. A group of hitmen are sent for Jayde, but Philip sacrifices his arm nearly to break because of him.

“Say. Whatever I'll give you, Philip.”

Philip looked at. “I just want to borrow your expensive suit, Jayde.”

Jayde frowned.

“Shoes and watches too,” added Philip melirih.

Jayde laughs. “Only that?” He patted Philip's shoulder. “Will I give you. Two or three .. no problem, Philip.”

“Or want me to buy you a new one?” Jayde. Philip refused. The thin-moustached man shook his head.

“Only for tomorrow night, I want to borrow it,” replied Philip.

Jayde can't force Philip, so he's a beard.

“The Lottie family invited me to dinner, Jayde. I cannot disappoint and humiliate Flores and Elisa.” Philip's words touched Jayde's heart. “I also can't make Flores lie just for protecting me.”

Jayde rubbed Philip's back. “You've always been humbled, Philip.”

The two look at each other.

“Why not just get divorced from Flores?” ask Jayde. “I know you love him, but it hurts you, doesn't it?”

Philip's silent. He looked down, playing with his fingers. “I don't want Elisa to be sad because she doesn't have a father.”

“You're still his father, Philip. It's just, you're not Flores' husband anymore.” Jayde just wants the best for Philip. “I'll find a woman who ...”

“Please lend me your suit, Jayde.” Philip interrupted immediately. Jayde was a little surprised by it. “I'm sorry, I snapped at you.”

Jayde shook his head. “I was also wrong, Philip.”

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

An iron horse takes Philip around the crowded streets of Los Angeles. After Jay’s Brother building, the day turned out to be dark. His old watch shows at eight in the evening.

Philip is just a poor man with no identity, but Jayden Halmuth guarantees his life as his guardian all along. Somehow, Philip is a orphanage child who was forced to hang on the streets after the home where he lived for 15 years was devoured by the red boy. Three years without a goal, before he finally met Jayden. Jayden is the love of Philip and Flores Lottie.

“Please!" A woman shouted from the side of the street, quite far from Philip's whereabouts. He waved, hoping Philip came to him.

“Master, help me!” The woman approached Philip.

“Master! Please me.” The woman gasps.

Philip grabbed his shoulder. He tried to calm the woman. “Calm, Mistress. Can you tell me what makes you run around and panic like this?”

The woman pointed to one of the small alleys not far from where they were standing. Not long after, hordes of large-bodied men appeared from there and ran towards Philip.

“They chased me!” The woman shuddered in horror. “Please me.” He begged Philip.

“Hei! We're not done yet!” One of the burly men pointed towards the woman who was now hiding behind Philip's burly body.

Philip frowned. Without explanation, he was confused by the circumstances that were happening here.

“I'm sorry.” Philip tried to mediate. “What problem are you with?”

The men in front of Philip laughed and looked at each other. It is clear that Philip is being underestimated.

“This is none of your business, Mister!” The man approached Philip, walking gallantly and confidently, as if nothing could defeat him.  “Side before I hit your face.”

Philip nodded for sure. He began to understand that, whatever it was, this woman was in danger.

“How can a swarm of men attack a woman traveling unarmed?” Philip returned their laughter. “You cemen!”

The last words Philip uttered seemed to be a burst of fire for them. Emotions just rise, anger is clearly passionate. Philip shouldn't be looking for trouble tonight.

“Hey, Sir!” The man pulled Philip's collar. “Go in the count of three and hand the woman over to me, or ... did you die at our hands tonight?” whispered the man to Philip.

Philip turned his head towards the horde of men in front of him. Each of them equipped themselves with weaponry, daggers, small axes, and such.

“Well, you guys are chasing women by carrying all that?” Philip grinned sharply. “You guys call yourself a man?”

Philip managed to provoke the emotions of the men in front of him. One punch landed right on Philip's face. A small scratch wound spewed blood at the corner of his lips.

“You should have left after I told you to leave, Mister!”

Philip took a long breath. He was not unable to fight, but Philip kept his promise to Flores not to use physical violence on those around him when he was angry.

The promise was made after Flores witnessed Philip on the verge of death just from a fight with the man who teased Flores at the time.

“You won't fight us?” The man kept urging Philip. He pushed Philip's chest. “If can not fight should be ..”

Philip had run out of patience. He reciprocated the man's treatment by pulling his collar. “I can kill you if I want,” Philip said with a sharp look.

The man chuckled, he gestured for his companions to rush at Philip simultaneously. However, when he was about to remove Philip's hand from his face, the man accidentally saw a tattoo on Philip's wrist.

“Ta—tato this?” The man stuttered all three. He trembled as Philip looked at him again. “K—kau ..”

The man pushed Philip's body and moved away from him.

Philip glanced at the tattoo on his wrist.

“You're still alive apparently, Black Joe!” The man started to get scared while coding his friends to take a step and hurriedly ran away from here.

Philip clearly did not understand, he did not even know the meaning of the tattoo on his wrist. According to him, it was a kind of birthmark that he got after birth.

“Why, Brox?” One of the men said when he saw his friend frightened while pointing at Philip.

Philip walked up to them, along with their footsteps that retreated in unison. They were clearly found half dead.

“B—black J-oe!” The man shouted. “He's Black Joe! The storm from the east!”

Without any meaningful explanation, the group of men simply left the bewildered Philip in his place.

“Black Joe?” Philip rubbed the tattoo on his wrist. “It seems that the name is not foreign. I've heard of it?”

The woman behind Philip patted him on the shoulder. Philip just realized he's saved someone.

“Thanks, Mr.” She smiled sweetly. Philip was just a potluck.

Philip chimed. “Then I go first, Madam. Be careful on the road,” Philip said later.

As she was about to leave, the woman pulled Philip's arm. Of course, Philip looked back at him.

“You ... really from Black Joe?” The question contained horror in the look on the woman's face. “You're really part of them?”

Philip hesitated to answer, but he did not know who Black Joe was.

“What is Black Joe?” philip asked with his innocent face. “Sort of groups of people?”

The woman smirked thinly. “They are demons from the east.”

Next.