by Penny Blush
Apollo pulled ahead of me slipping between two bollards and down a small set of stairs towards the foreshore of the Thames. Seconds after I slipped through I heard the metal crunching explosion of the car following me as it crashed into the bollards. My heart skipped a beat, I shook my head and kept following him along the water.
“M you still with me?” Apollo asked worry in his voice.
“I’m not dead yet. One of Vex’ guys tried to take on the bollards and lost.”
“One down, two to go.”
“Don’t forget the Audi,” I warned as we took off down the deserted foreshore heading towards the London Eye. “I think the Audi is Vex.”
As if hearing us talk about him the roar of the turbo-charged engine echoed around the frozen city. I shoot a look over my shoulder, but we were the only ones on the foreshore. Vex was close, but as we were below street level, we couldn’t see him.
“Fuck, he’s got to know we have to return topside at some point. We need an exit, quick,” Apollo said standing up on the foot pegs trying to get a better view. “There to the left,” he nodded his head toward a ramp.
He took the ramp at speed launching back on to the road. We belted across the nearest bridge and in the direction out of the city. The flash of lights and screech of tyres caught up to us within moments. Apollo and I kept weaving in and out of the light early morning traffic.
“How do these fuckers keep finding us?” Apollo asked frustrated that we still had three on our tail.
“I don’t know but we need to do something,” I said looking around noting that we were near Brian's pub. “I have an idea. We need to split up.”
“M, no. We need to stay together,” Apollo barked with concern and something else that I didn't have time to explore in his voice.
“Apollo the only way this will work is if we split up. It will only be for a moment. But we need to draw the lead car off. I know where we are. At the next intersection keep going straight. I’ll split off double back and take the bastard out.”
“M I really don't think…”
“We don’t have time to argue. Go now!”
Apollo took off firing a few shots over his shoulder making sure they would follow him. He fired behind him again a bullet taking out a headlight throwing me into darkness. I slipped down the side alley flipped the bike around, lowering the kickstand and sinking into the shadows.
The roar of the motorbike engine echoed through the narrow streets. I took position, aimed and fired. The first shot missed but the second and third shots hit the target, blowing out the rear tires of the two black sedans following Apollo. The back car fishtailed and spun hitting the lead car. Both cars being taken out of action one crashing into a parked camper the other clipping the gutter and launching into a street light.
The Audi shot past, and I emptied the clip into Vex’ car. There was something spectacularly B-Grade movie style ironic about shooting Vex with his own gun. The rear passenger window blew out, but the all-wheel drive kept going.
I ran back to my idling bike jumped on and moved back into the street in time to see Apollo jump off his bike walking up to both vehicles. Calmly, without hesitation he fired into both drivers making sure they were dead. It was so cold. Necessary, but cold. It hinted to darkness in his past. This was obviously something he had done before.
“Let’s go,” he said remounting his bike.
This was fucking bullshit we have to get the hell out of here and back to Charlie’s fast. His estate is a fucking fortress. If we could just get behind its walls we would be safe, we could regroup, plan and then blow Nicholas Vex off the face of the fucking earth.
I turned right, sliding around the corner. I planted a foot on the pavement pulling the bike hard to keep from laying it over. I kept the bike on two wheels, but there was a blur of black and a muzzle flash. Next thing I knew my bike was sliding across the road on top of me. The hot engine burned through my leathers as the bike and I slammed into the brick wall of a nearby building. The Audi had no choice in the narrow street but to circle around giving us a few moments.
“M are you okay?” Apollo asked lifting the bike off me.
“Ouch. That fucking hurt,” I mumbled. “The slide across the road and the shot.”
“Hey now, don’t joke,” he let out a strangled laugh. “Honestly. Are you okay?”
“What’s another bullet hole?” I lifted my arm touching my right side. “Ah Fuck, Jupiter is going to kill me.”
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“I don’t think so,” I said lifting my arms and twisting.
“Don’t move. You just laid your bike down and slammed into a brick wall. You could have broken something.”
“I don’t think there’s anything broken. Tuck and roll Y’all,” I said laughing that turned into a cough. “Ah fuck, I think I’ll have some mean-ass fucking bruises though.”
“Maybe just one or two. Come on princess we need to get you off the street,” he chuckled helping me to my feet.
“Oh God it will hurt in the morning,” I said. “A few ibuprofens and I’ll be good as new,” I groaned.
“We have to get moving. Let’s get back to Charlie’s. Your bike is fucked and having both of us on mine will slow us down. We need to find alternate transport.”
We kept to the shadows moving as fast as we could with me limping heavily down the street. Apollo flipped door handles on the parked cars trying to find a ride. He pushed me back against the edge of a building as a car pulled into the street.
“I think we’ve found our ride,” he said as a young kid got out of the car to make an Uber Eats delivery. Being it was past three in the morning the kid didn’t think to take the keys out. “Get in,” he said dropping into the driver’s seat.
I moved to the passenger side of the car. Reaching up to remove the helmet I only just realised I was still wearing, probably because Apollo still had on his.
The roar of an engine.
I turned.
The flash of headlights.
And then…
“Oh Shit.”
Chapter 44 Apollo
My heart stopped.
My heart stopped, and I don’t mean metaphorically. I mean it literally stopped.
The second the car hit my sister my heart stopped beating.
The car hit her at full speed. She hit the bumper rolled over the bonnet smashed into the windshield and flew into the air landing heavily. I scrambled out of the car sliding across the bonnet until I reached her. I wanted to take my fucking helmet off, but I had nothing to disguise my face with, so the stupid thing would have to stay.
“Jupe, Morningstar! Talk to me.”
I lifted her face shield not wanting to remove the helmet just in case there was spinal damage. It was so lucky that she kept it on or the damage she could have suffered could have been worse.
“M, please. C’mon talk to me,” I pleaded when she didn’t answer.
“Can I go home now?” She groaned.
“Yeah, Princess you can go home now,” I laughed relieved that she was conscious, talking and still had her sense of humour intact. “We need to move you before that prick comes back. Can you feel your arms and legs? Do you have any tingling anywhere?”
“No, well yeah. I fucking tingle everywhere but it’s not serious,” she groaned moving to sit up.
“Easy, easy, easy,” I muttered helping her up.
“I really need to stop falling down.”
“Move slowly okay, we don’t know how bad you’re hurt, and we don’t have time to wait for emergency services.”
I needed to get her out of the street and to safety, like yesterday and then I’m going after Vex and putting a bullet in his head.
“I can tell you from experience I have three cracked ribs probably one broken one, extensive bruising a busted collar bone and the bullet wound has torn open and the other one is still bleeding.” She grumbled sucking in a breath grabbing her side as she sat up. “The helmet protected
my head at least. Good thing I bounce well.”
I got her up and decided that we would need to find a different car as the Uber Eats guy would be out any minute. I’m surprised the sound of her body impacting the car didn't at least bring someone to a window. There was no screech of tyres because Vex did not break.
“Can you walk? We need to get out of here.” We were in a narrow street and would be an easy target not if, but when Vex circled back around.
“No, but I will,” Morningstar said taking off her helmet dropping it to the ground.
We walked maybe ten paces from the end of the street when there was a distinct pop and swiz of a gunshot from a suppressor. My sister screamed falling against the wall slumping down to the ground at the corner building me falling with her.
“M!”
“Memphis,” she whispered her pupils expanding.
“No, you don’t,” I growled through clenched teeth. “Stay with me.” I bit a finger of my black leather glove between my teeth pulling it off and running my hand across her cheek. “M. M! C’mon princess stay with me. Open your eyes. Honey I need you to open your eyes.”
“Apollo,” she whimpered.
“The bullet grazed your cheek is all. You will be fine, I promise.”
The crunch of tyres on frozen ground preceded him as Vex cruised the wrong way down a one-way street. Rolled down the passenger window and let off two more shots. I hunched over her trying to shield her as much as I could with my body. One shot skimmed off my helmet, the other hitting the brick beside her head sending out a shower of shrapnel across her face.
“You thought you could defeat me you stupid fuck!” Vex screamed. Seeing the blood covering her face believing he had killed her or at the least mortally wounded her.
“Stay down M, be still.”
“The great Morningstar taken out in the cold street while I sit comfy in my warm car. I knew you were all hype. You weren’t that hard to kill.”
“Don’t move,” I whispered.
“See you in hell bitch,” Vex sniggered, driving off and turning the corner.
“You okay?” I asked brushing the hair back off her face.
“Yeah. But, I feel like I’ve crashed my bike, been hit by a car, got shot three times and copped shrapnel to the face but apart from that I’m good to go,” she moaned sitting upright.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said getting in the position to get my arm under her to help her to her feet.
“No, leave me.”
“Don’t be a drama queen you’re not dead yet,” I teased.
“No, I’m serious, leave me,” she said shoving me. “Vex will head back to his place. Your bike is still running. You can cut him off.”
“We can get him another time we need to get you back to Charlie’s and get you patched up.”
“Apollo NO! You can cut him off. Only if you go now. This must end tonight. Make sure he doesn't make it back. Move!”
Chapter 45 Vex
That stupid fucking cunt thought she got the better of me. Stupid bitch kept running her mouth in that waste of time meeting. Kept trying to play with the big boys. I thought she had to be fucking the Marino’s and Charlie, that was until they fucked up. He fucked up. Charlie cracked and let it slip when the car bomb went off.
Morningstar was his niece.
Jupiter Calliope Riverworth.
Memphis Blue’ fiancé.
Could it have been any more perfect?
I mean come the fuck on!
Charlie’s niece is Morningstar.
Jupiter the dumb slut hairdresser was some-fucking-how one of the most feared mob enforcers. You couldn’t make that shit up. I mean what the actual fuck. Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script.
It would make her death all that much sweeter.
At the meeting I had instructed Ryan to add a little surprise to Gianni’s car while we were in the meeting. I knew Gianni would drive his old man home and Charlie was so far up Georgiou’s ass he would be in the same car.
Three assholes, one bomb.
But Charlie obviously wanted some alone time with his boyfriend because he offered to drive him home. It wasn’t ideal but still it would take out one of my targets.
I thought they all would have been licking their wounds for a while, what with Gianni fighting for his life. They were quiet for a while but then they started in with the cat and mouse games. Showing up at my cafe, sitting in the pew behind me in church, every time I turned around one of them was there. Then they pulled the bullshit at the festival.
They were messing with my business, my reputation, my fucking suit.
The final straw had been breaking into my home. How the fuck she had got past my men patrolling the grounds and the building I still didn’t know. I thought she was about to get the better of me that was until Eric came in and scared her off.
Morningstar was supposed to be this hardass that put the fear of God into grown men and the bitch ran. Eric only had to throw a few punches, and she tucked tail and ran. Then she took off with the other guy on their bikes. I didn’t know who he was, but I would find out and put an end to him.
They thought they had gotten away, but I found them, and I hit her with my car twice. Fucking twice!
But, oh, the second time that was just plain… orgasmic. The first time sure was just a clip. But the second, I swear I became rock fucking hard at seeing that bitch hit the bumper and the roll up and over the windshield. I have that image stored in the spank bank for later use.
Then I got to shoot her. Twice! With that amount of blood splatter from the second shot there is no way she will survive the next twenty minutes let alone be in any condition for body identification.
Best. Fucking. Day. Ever.
“Eric where the fuck are you?” I asked answering my phone as it chirped in the centre console.
“I’m at the safe house Boss,” Eric answered his breathing laboured.
“Are you ok?”
“No, that fucking bitch shot me. Got me in the chest and the leg. I’ve called Doc White he’s on his way.”
“Good, good. I will need him too. Through and through to the shoulder. It seems to have hit muscle so I’m lucky. Hurts like a son-of-a-bitch though. See you in ten.”
I hung up the call heading towards the safe house. After I get patched up, I am going to cele-fucking-brate! Booze, bitches and bank!
I am taking the fuck over London and then the motherfucking world!
Chapter 46 Apollo
It was killing me I had to leave my sister well, Morningstar on the side of the road broken. It was easier to think of her as Morningstar than my sister. But, there was no way I would let that stupid fuck get away with what he has done.
She was right this needed to end now.
I sprinted back down the street to my bike rage fuelling my steps. I jumped on my bike firing the engine. Laying a strip of rubber on the road as I swung the bike around and took off in the direction to head Vex off.
I saw the Audi up ahead drew my gun and fired shattering the rear window. The vehicle lurched, and I felt a small pleasure in hearing the ear splitting ‘lady scream’ that echoed through the night.
Vex took off driving recklessly. He just planted his foot and took off. I need to get ahead of him somehow and stop him before the early morning traffic starts. The last thing I want is for any innocent people to get hurt or killed because of Vex.
I need to get this finished, get back to my sister, get her to Charlie’s and get the fuck out. As much as I want to stick around and see for myself that she is okay, I can’t.
Once this is over I had plans to expedite my discharge from the military. I need to handle some business and then finally I can sit down and have a conversation with my sister.
Until then I had a loan shark to catch, kill, and hang over my mantle.
Chasing Vex was going nowhere. The asshole was sticking to the main roads. I’d pull in front of him, he would try to drive me in to a building. I
’d shoot at him, he’d squeal like a girl and shoot back.
Rinse and repeat.
I’m done playing cat and mouse.
I stuck to Vex’ tail weaving though out the streets. We were only a few blocks away from one of his safe houses. They weren’t all that safe if I located at least three of them. Up ahead I saw a bridge, and a plan came into view. Once we crossed the bridge, I cut to the left and shot down a side street.
I knew exactly where he was going, and I couldn’t help the wicked smile from spreading across my face.
Vex will not know what hit him.
Chapter 47 Vex
“Eric, open the gates I’m about ten minutes out from the safe house.”
“On it Boss. How did you ditch your tail?” Eric asked concerned for my welfare.
“I’m the Motherfucking Grim Reaper Eric! No stupid bitch or stupid fuck on a motorbike will stop me from getting what I want.”
I mean please! Who the fuck do they think they are?
“Where are you now? You said before that you were only ten away and that was thirty minutes ago.”
“I had to circle back through the city to shake those dicks.”
“How did you get away? I mean they were fucking relentless. They just kept coming until they had taken us out.”
This is why Eric was my right hand. Not only did he not question my orders, but he knew how hard it is to take me down.
“I out manoeuvred them, Eric. I put that bitch Morningstar into a wall then hit her with my car,” I laughed.
I still cannot get over the feeling of hitting her with my car at full speed. Now I know how assassins feel when they have their targets in their sights. How they feel when they kill someone.
I may not have killed anyone – directly. I mean I have shot plenty of people, many people who have probably died from their injuries. But, I have never killed anyone and now that I have hit someone with my car – Twice – The killing, is something I will be rectifying. I can’t be the leader of the world’s biggest crime organisation and not have killed someone.
If anyone found that out, they could use it against me and compromise my authority. They could use it to take me out.