A Jar of Hearts

by Cartharn, Clarissa

  James took a swig of his beer. It wasn’t Derek Burns on his mind. Far from it. He was rather more occupied with winning Anne back.

  “How did you do it, Jamie?” Juan asked, leaning into him. “How did you make it look like a suicide, even throwing off the scent of the police?”

  “When a magician reveals his magic, it ceases to be magic anymore,” James whispered. He covered his face with his palms tiredly. “Like you said Juan, I get paid to be your hit-man. How I do it shouldn’t matter.”

  Juan glanced up at his men gathered and laughing in another corner of the living room. The odor of beer and wine ranked through the room, mingled with the sweet thick smoke of cigarettes and weed. One of the men brought over a rolled joint of woos. Juan lit it and pulled in a puff of weed mixed with cocaine deep into his lungs.

  “Good stuff,” he remarked. “You sure you don’t want one?”

  James shook his head. “I need my brain receptors to pull off suicides like that of Burns. Can’t do that with coke messing them up.”

  He sat back in his chair to watch the sudden commotion between the men. One had obviously antagonized the other in his drunken state. He lifted his shirt brandishing his 9mm tucked at his hips in his pants at his rival.

  “You mad-dogging me, motherfucker?! You mad-dogging me?” the man gritted between his teeth.

  “Fucking bastards,” Juan swore under his breath. “You better put your fucking guns back in your pants!” he screamed at the men. “I’ll not be having you poppin’ and droppin’ all over my Italian carpet.”

  The two men snarled and walked away in opposite directions to cool off.

  “Once they go poppin’ off, they just don’t cool down until someone drops,” Juan grumbled.

  James tilted his head at the gang leader who called himself the king of the Pachecos. “I heard you were a university honor student. How then did you get into this business?”

  Juan snorted. “It’s a rather long story. In summary, I worked all my life to get into university. My momma and pa broke their backs to make sure I was educated. But it didn’t take me long to figure out I wasn’t going to get too far with my scrappy background, so I started dealing drugs.” He let out a mocking laugh. “My first clients were rich A-list students at the university and their contacts got me established. Today, they hold prominent jobs and are still my best clients because they have power- and I have them.”

  “And what do your parents think about your profession?”

  “They’re living well. I provide for my family. And while they may not be content with the way I earn my money, they are very satisfied with the luxuries I give them.”

  James lowered his head in deep thought. Jamal, Juan and he… all of them had emerged from similar backgrounds. A life of toil, struggle and poverty. And each of them came out of it differently. Each had opted a different path that shaped them into the men they were now.

  CHAPTER 20

  Her arm was slapped again as she backed away from her martial arts teacher sparring with her. Her body was sore and yet she persevered in mastering the skills of her wing chun technique. She would never be humiliated by another man like she had been seventeen years ago.

  “Stop backing away, Anne,” Sifu Tsang growled. “Wing chun is a close combat art. You need to move into my space and lock me in.”

  He threw his fist at her and she dodged it, stepping back again.

  “Stop, stop!” he grunted.

  “What’s the matter, Sifu?” she asked concernedly.

  “Your mind is elsewhere, Anne. When you’re sparring, you need to have all your senses here.”

  “I am trying.”

  “Then why do you keep backing away?” He rubbed his eyes tiredly. “That’s enough for today.”

  “What am I doing wrong?”

  “You’re rusty, Anne. You should never have stopped your training. I don’t understand why you didn’t continue with Sifu Hong. I had spoken to him about you and had arranged everything with him before leaving Boston.”

  She rubbed her aching wrists. “I didn’t feel comfortable with him.”

  “It always did take you time to become comfortable with anyone, and when you do, it gets even harder for you to let them go.” He gave her a comforting little pat on her arm and sighed. “You had more mettle when I met you all those years ago. What happened, Anne?”

  Eric happened.

  “I grew up,” she said aloud as she reached for her towel. “I guess I’m afraid of getting hurt.”

  He opened a bottle of water and gulped a mouthful down. “I wish I could teach you how to catch a ball or swing a sword just by intuition alone. But while those feats are best left to movies, it is possible to train your remaining senses to be a little more acute.”

  He took her hand gently, placing it on his elbow and then strolled with her over to the entertainment room. She walked quietly, knowing he had more to say to her. She had disappointed him. She bit her lower lip. She had never wanted to let him down, but in truth, she didn’t know what to do anymore. She knew she should focus on her training, but her mind whirled with her memories of her night with James. All she could remember was how his skin, his body felt under her touch.

  “Remember what I’ve always told you, Anne.” Sifu Tsang interrupted her thoughts again. “You can tell where I am going just by the flexes in my elbow joint. Wing chun is no different. That is why I believe it is the best form of martial arts for you. But in order for it to be effective, you must keep bodily contact. Feel the limb, muscles, nerves and the tension of your rival. Unless you hone in on your senses of touch and smell, it will be difficult to gain an upper-hand.”

  He pulled out a chair for her and she gladly took it. She was exhausted after her hour long training with him and had he not pushed her to rest, she would have continued regardless of the pain searing up her limbs.

  “And what would you advise if my attacker wielded a knife?” she asked curiously.

  “My advice? Run,” he said with a grin.

  She creased her brow, contemplating his advice. “That will be a little hard to do in my condition.”

  “Sometimes circumstances compels us to submit, regardless of whether we like it or not.”

  “Sifu Tsang,” Sandra interrupted them. “Colin Walters is here to see you.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be right there,” he replied. “Spend some time with the stickman before you go,” he told Anne. He clasped her hand tenderly, giving it a light squeeze.

  She wove her hands carefully around the wooden dummy, maneuvering her routine with precision. She had been bruised often by the wing chun stickman and she would rather spar with a live person than this solid dummy. It was the one reason why she had never got herself one when Sifu Tsang left Boston. Unfortunately, her decision had impacted on the waning of her practice.

  She slapped at the dummy until her palms grew slippery from her sweat. Her knuckles were now aching from her repeated pounding and finally, she hung onto one of its arm, taking long and deep breaths.

  James… James… He was paid to take me out and used me to while away a boring night. She covered her face. How could she have lowered her values to such embarrassing levels? He must be wallowing in pride over having such an easy lay with her.

  She picked up her towel and wiped the sweat off her face. She couldn’t allow herself to be drowned in self-pity. The man was surely a bastard, but for some reason she also had an urge to tell him that.

  She walked over to the change room and pulled out her phone from her locker.

  “Jamie,” Avanna said as she strutted into Juan’s living room. “Funny seeing you here. I was just thinking about you.”

  “Isn’t he all you think about?” Juan laughed. “I wish you would have something else in that small head of yours other than men.”

  “I wish you would just shut the fuck up, Juan,” she snapped.

  “I think I should go,” James said, standing up from his bar stool. He had more than often seen
the siblings squabble and they almost always turned nasty. Besides, Avanna would soon have her slender, manicured fingers all over him, and once she did, it would be hard to pry them off and away from him.

  “Oh come on, Jamie,” Avanna said, her voice soft and sweet again. “I’ve just arrived. Why don’t you stay a little while?”

  She rubbed against him, her boobs almost popping out of her tiny bikini bra. She had a fabulous body. One with curves and dents in the right places. If Anne hadn’t been in his life, he would probably even consider her. But for now, Juan’s little sister did nothing for him at all.

  “I’ve got some business to attend to, Avanna,” he said.

  “Really? Or are you trying to avoid me like you have been doing all these past months?” She lifted her chin stolidly at him.

  “I’ll see you later, Juan,” James said, deciding to brush off her curt comment. Knowing Avanna, anything could incite her wild cat tantrums.

  She held his arm tightly. “You’re gonna walk away. Is that it?”

  “Avanna, stop it,” he growled under his breath.

  “Stop it?” She threw up her hands. “I stopped fucking you months ago. Are you going to just throw away our relationship like that?”

  He pulled her aside and whispered harshly. “We never had a relationship. You’ve gotta get over your obsession with me. I never loved you, Avanna. I’ve been trying to tell you that for months.” He hoped her outburst wasn’t going to provoke Juan against him. While senseless fucking of women was part of the Pacheco business, this was Juan’s own sister he had screwed.

  She snapped her hand from his grip. “Well, I loved you. And what we have together is not going to be over until I say so.”

  “Avanna-”

  “I’m going to assume that whatever is going on with you, Jamie, is just a phase. Get over it! And I swear if I hear you had fucked another woman, I’ll fucking slit the cunt’s throat. I mean it.” She adjusted her long, silky shirt and stomped back to her brother. “He’s lost his fucking mind. Why don’t you talk some sense into him?”

  “I thought you told me to shut the fuck up.” Juan grinned.

  “Fuck the lot of you!”She harrumphed, strutting off towards the pool, her high heels clicking against the tiled floor in her fit of rage.

  James strolled back towards Juan warily. “I hope whatever’s happened between Avanna and I won’t affect us.”

  Juan snorted. “Of course not. What’s between us is business, man. I don’t wanna lose my best hit-man because of a stupid crush my sister has.” He stopped, a warning underlining the folds in his brow. “It is a crush, right Jamie?”

  James nodded, clearly aware of what Juan was trying to tell him. Avanna was a bitch, but she was still his sister.

  “I’ve had no interest in Avanna, Juan,” he said. “Not then and certainly not now. I did her a few favors only because of you. And you’re right. If she continues on with her obsession for me, you will lose your best marksman. Talk to her, Juan.”

  Juan could probably shoot him dead right now for his bluntness, but he had to take a risk. There was Anne in his life and he needed Avanna to be as far away from his place as possible.

  His phone buzzed just as he turned around to leave. Anne? He answered the phone as soon as he had put some distance between he and Juan.

  “Anne?” he said into it.

  “Are you free tonight?” she asked. “I was hoping we could go out and get dinner, if you’re up for it.”

  “I…” He let out a relieving puff of air. I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore. “Yes… I’ll pick you up tonight.”

  Juan picked up a handful of Brazilian nuts and tossed one into his mouth as he watched James walk out his door. He was certainly his best assassin to date. But what was this going to cost him? The man was in a league of his own. He had principles. And loyalty?

  Avanna strutted up to him with a drink in her hand. “Has he gone?”

  “He’s just left.” He casually tossed another nut into his mouth. “I can’t figure him out. He’s different from any other thug I know.”

  “That’s because he isn’t a thug.” She sipped her drink. “Why do you think I’m crawling after him on both hands and knees?”

  “He’s not interested in you, Avanna.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.”

  He took a long gulp of his beer and then smacked his lips. “The guy is smart and slick. I don’t have a lot of them like that so don’t you run him off.”

  “Well, I ain’t givin’ up on him,” she snarled.

  He stood up from his bar stool and began ambling over towards the pool, ignoring her glare.

  “I’m gonna make him your brother-in-law, just you wait and watch!” she shouted at him.

  CHAPTER 21

  James strolled over towards Anne’s house. His feet sank into the sand; his shirt billowed behind him in the sea breeze. He buried his hands in his pockets as he entered her backyard.

  “James!” Ashley called out to him, waving her hand wildly at him.

  “How is the little sport doing?” He smiled.

  “Harley? He’s doing awesome! I’m trying to teach him to catch a ball.”

  “That will certainly come in handy.” He picked up the boisterous puppy to cuddle him. It licked him on his face and he laughed. “Oh no, you don’t. I don’t want to smell like dog food just yet.” He put the wriggly puppy down and let it leap towards Ashley. “He’s growing up fast. He’s already bigger since we got him.”

  “You should know. It’s been two weeks since you last saw him or us,” Julia interrupted.

  He glanced up at her and nodded. “Julia.”

  She sighed. “Why don’t you sit down for a while? Anne isn’t quite ready yet.”

  “Thanks,” he said, settling himself into a chair.

  They sat together awkwardly, not knowing how to initiate a conversation with the other.

  “I’m sorry about that tongue lashing I gave you earlier this morning.” Julia coughed. “I suppose… I was mistaken.”

  James cleared his throat. “How is she now?”

  “Well, from the looks of it, she certainly has a change in her opinion of you. I don’t know what had her so upset in the morning. Since she is giving you another chance, it probably wasn’t because of you.” She let out a tired puff of air. “I really feel so ashamed at hammering you like that.”

  He smiled. “Don’t stress too much about it. It happens.”

  Her eyes narrowed, watching Harley giving incessant squeaky barks at a kite Ashley was running with in the yard. “Perhaps her lesson had calmed her down.”

  “What lesson?”

  “I take wing chun lessons, Mr Connelly,” Anne interrupted, walking out of the house to join them.

  He blinked at her. He had never imagined her to be interested in martial arts. “Did you just start them recently?”

  “I started them seventeen years ago, but then stopped for the last few years,” she said flatly.

  “I never knew you ever took wing chun lessons,” he muttered in awe.

  “You hardly know me, James.”

  “I can see that now.” He grinned. There was still so much he had to learn about his Anne. How could he have missed on a fact like that? “I know a bit of wing chun myself. We should spar one day.”

  “Really now?” She tilted her head with interest. “Maybe we should. But I doubt we’ll ever find the time.”

  “And why not?” he bantered.

  She straightened up stiffly. “Are we going to spend the afternoon here discussing our next sparring match or are we going to dinner as we had planned?”

  “Ahhh,” he said, walking over to her. “Today has certainly not been a good one for me. I’ve been scolded by two beautiful women since this morning. Ashley, do you have something for me too? I might as well have that also.”

  “Yes!” she said, leaping into his arms and giving him a small peck on his cheek.

  “You have got to be m
y favorite girl, today.” He beamed.

  Anne turned on her heels and tapped her way to the front door. “We’re late already as it is.”

  She picked the restaurant that night. It was one she had stumbled upon accidently one night and loved their food and their service. But tonight she didn’t have the stomach for any.

  Ashley clearly loved the man, and had it not been for her outburst earlier this morning, so did Julia. Did they not see through his deception? What sort of man got paid to take a woman out? And yet Julia found some form of redemption in the man. Enough to forgive him.

  “You didn’t eat much?” he said as they drove back home. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “I guess I just wanted some time away from the house.” She leaned against the window, a tight knot pitting in her stomach.

  In truth, it was the anxiety about what she was going to do now that had thrown off her appetite. She was going to be alone with him again. But this time she had to be sure she did things right.

  He threw his keys onto the hallway table and then strolled lazily over to her, one hand shoved deep into his pocket. He wanted to thread his fingers through her hair, to touch her skin with his lips and feel her heart beat against his. But he had to restrain himself from startling her. He wanted her to want him like he did her.

  She stood there in his living room, looking incredibly beautiful in her spaghetti strapped dress. Her blonde curls contrasted well with her red dress and he grew fascinated with the way her hair shone like golden sparkles under the light of his chandelier.

  He had thought she would want to go straight home after dinner. And after his morning reprimand from Julia, he wasn’t sure if she wanted to come to his house. But she had surprised him yet again when she said she’d stay for a little while longer with him.

  “I know you are beautiful, but why is it that you stun me each time I see you?” he whispered, caressing the ends of her hair between his fingers.