by Laura Gibson
“I can make phone calls of my own.” Bronen tried to sound menacing, but matched next to Kelly’s tone, it was nothing if not laughable.
“You do that.” Kelly’s smile widened, “And I won’t spare Caleb next time.”
Ryan swallowed. The rumor of Caleb Bronen and the hooker was almost history now. It wasn’t even worth gossiping about because everyone had already heard the tale. But if Kelly had proof, and Ryan knew that was entirely possible, then that would be the last nail in the coffin. It wouldn’t be a rumor anymore.
“What makes you think I give a damn about that little shit?” Bronen was glaring at Kelly.
Kelly laughed, “Senator.” He said it like what Bronen had proposed was the last thing Kelly was worried about. As if he knew he had the man by the balls, which, Ryan had to concede, he did.
And then Kelly had turned around and was walking out the door, expecting Ryan to follow him. Expecting Ryan not to say anything.
Ryan waited till they were in the car and driving away before he decided he needed to let it out, “What the fuck was that all about, Kelly?”
Kelly shrugged, “I thought it was about time he understood the rules.”
“Cas is gonna throw a fit.” Ryan shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “A big fuckin’ fit.”
“I’ll worry about Cas.” Kelly stopped at the red light, “You just do your job when you have to.”
“What, are you gonna have me whack Caleb next or something?” Ryan frowned.
“Whacked?” Kelly raised an eyebrow, “Do people even say that anymore? Is this a 1950’s mob movie?”
“I’m not killing Caleb.” Ryan settled further into his seat, refusing to look at Kelly.
“I never said you were.” Kelly cleared his throat, “No one’s touching Caleb.”
“Then what are you going to do if you’ve kicked the hornets’ nest too much and Bronen comes after you?” Ryan wanted to know, looking sideways at his cousin.
“He won’t.” Kelly said, so sure of himself, that Ryan couldn’t help but believe him, even if he did know in the back of his mind that Casimir was going to be livid. This wasn’t going to end well for Kelly and everyone knew it. How could Kelly think he would get away with something like this? Or… Ryan narrowed his eyes and looked at Kelly closer than before, was he doing this on purpose? Did he want Casimir to flip shit?
Chapter Seven
February 7th, 2007
Aboard the Reliant
Kelly
Kelly’s gaze hit the horizon like it was the only thing keeping him grounded to reality. There was nothing natural about what he had done with Ryan in Russia, but he found himself less guilt-ridden than he should be. He kept telling himself he should feel like a dog, because that’s what he had become, but his bones kept whispering back, ‘no,’ as if they knew something he didn’t. As if this was the very thing he had been meant to do his whole life.
Was that what this was? Was this destiny or fate or whatever bullshit reason people came up with when they were making poor choices? Kelly sniffed and lit another cigarette. He didn’t care so much now if anyone caught him smoking. It shouldn’t matter to them what he put in his lungs, it seemed like he was the only person who had any say in his choices. He was never going to turn into his father- a worthless, good for nothing lay-about who never bothered to look at his children, let alone raise them right and proper. It didn’t matter if Kelly smoked as much as he did. If that was their only similarity, Kelly would find it easy to sleep at night.
On the subject of sleeping, he felt good about that too. Ever since Ryan pulled that trigger, everything else had seemed to fall into perfect place. A perfect order of the way things were supposed to be.
The past two days had been easy. Cas and him would take walks on the ship together, talking about the upcoming plans and Ryan was less than bitchy about everything. It was turning into a rather grand venture and Kelly wasn’t sure why he had been so apprehensive in the first place. If he really thought about it, Johann and those Germans looked like sketchy people and Mikhail was an alcoholic with a gambling problem who would only drag everyone down in the end. This was the best option for the business as a whole. Cas’s business. His business. It was the same, really.
Everything was perfectly fine and simple.
“Evening, Kelly.” Casimir came up alongside Kelly in his usual way, mirroring the teenager’s stance, looking out into the ocean. “How are things tonight?”
“Quiet.” Kelly was honest. They had already talked about different words they would use when referencing different things. Casimir said it was to improve efficiency, Kelly thought he just wanted to play super spy. He smirked.
Quiet meant there was nothing wrong. Everything was going according to plan. Shipments were good. Sales were good. Ryan was good. Everything was good.
Casimir nodded, “Listen, Kell, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Kelly turned to look at someone he now considered something like a friend, if Casimir Volkov could ever be a friend to anyone, “What’s up?”
Casimir looked down at his nails and studied them, thoughts passing before his face in wordless expressions that Kelly couldn’t interpret. “I don’t want there ever to be a misunderstanding between you and Ryan again.”
“Again?” Kelly frowned. He and Ryan had found common ground together and were doing just fine. So far, in this agreement, they hadn’t had a misstep.
“When Ryan first found out you had been offered a job, he wanted your spot.” Casimir tried to explain.
Kelly shrugged, “It’s not like it changed anything.”
“Kelly.” The sigh caught in Casimir’s throat and he held it there, slightly annoyed by the fact that Kelly didn’t keep up with the ambiguous wording.
Casimir Volkov was a man of very selective words and sometimes that meant miscommunications. Kelly hoped to get over those errors sooner rather than later, but for right now he had to resign himself to still being in the learning stages.
“Ryan is not your equal.” Casimir tried again, “You and I, we’re equals. Partners.”
Kelly tried not to smile, he liked that idea.
“Ryan is your employee and will be paid according to his performance. Does that make sense?” Casimir looked at Kelly for confirmation.
Kelly nodded to placate him, although he was still trying to catch up.
“He’s going to make a good deal less than you, Kelly.” Casimir narrowed his eyes, “But he can’t know that. You’re going to keep that a secret.”
Kelly frowned, “But Ryan is actually doing all the work.” His mind flashed back to the way Ryan easily pulled that trigger. He made it possible for Kelly to be here and now. He was the one who had to murder someone, not Kelly.
“Kelly, pulling a trigger is easy.” Casimir dug right through Kelly’s thoughts, “Making people pull those triggers is harder. Keeping them obedient, keeping them in line. That’s a good deal harder than any amount of hired gunmanship.”
“So what am I supposed to do then?” Kelly took a pull of his cigarette, thinking now on the new placement of his position. Higher than Ryan, next to Casimir, making them the same. Making them equals. Kelly cleared his throat. Cas might say they were equals but he knew that was never going to be true. Casimir was too proud to be on the same playing field as anyone else, he would never give up that coveted golden spot. He would play the game masterfully though, tell you everything you needed to hear to trust him. To like him, to believe every little word coming out of his mouth. Because that was the best way to be in control. Play to others’ pride.
“You’re supposed to keep him obedient.” Cas’s eyes hardened, “There will come a moment for Ryan when he decides he knows better than you. In that moment, you’ll have to prove yourself. Because no one will listen to you if Ryan won’t.”
Kelly saw what Cas was getting at, but he didn’t quite know how to go about what Casimir was telling him to do, “Ryan doesn’t respect m
e, he never has.”
“It’s not about respect, Kelly.” Casimir’s lips curled into a sly grin, “It’s about fear. If he fears you, he’ll obey you.”
Kelly swallowed and nodded, it made sense. More sense than he wanted it to, but sense enough.
“On that note,” Casimir’s tone lightened as he moved on, “I’ve hired a consultant in West Virginia, Vincent Williams.”
Kelly exhaled a strained breath, so everyone was going to be involved it seemed. All they had to do was call up Connor and Caleb Bronen and the whole gang would be selling drugs in no time.
“He’s had a few run-ins with… red tape before and I thought he would be useful when we first arrive.” Casimir was all business, but Kelly knew the red tape he was talking about. Dead hookers in a hotel room are always hard to cover up, but Vincent Williams was very good at cover ups.
Although that had always just been a rumor about the Bronen brothers, the dead hookers, that was. No one had ever been able to pin it on them, or prove it happened.
But as far as scary people you did not want to cross, Vincent Williams ranked extremely high. Even Jefferson seemed terrified of him, and that was his father.
“What sort of use are we looking for?” Kelly looked at Casimir, waiting for the Russian to explain, to tell him what the whole plan was.
“Here’s his card.” Cas handed Kelly a beat up business card, “If anything ever goes south, anything at all. Don’t call me. Call him.”
“Like if Ryan shoots the wrong person or something?” Kelly studied the business card and wondered how long Casimir had been carrying it around.
Casimir’s nod was slight and simple, but Kelly caught it, “Like if Ryan shoots the wrong person or something.”
“And how will I know he’s okay to deal with?” Kelly asked, knowing the question was okay, because it meant he was on board, he just needed more information.
“His boy, Jefferson, is your friend, right?” Casimir’s eyes glinted with something like nefarious motives.
“Yeah, but Jefferson wouldn’t be interested in any of this.” Kelly scowled at the thought of his rather straight laced friend being pulled into something like this. Jefferson was like Anna, destined for greatness. They didn’t need to touch the broken parts of society.
“Jefferson will never have to see what you do, Kelly.” Casimir reassured him. “I can promise you that.”
Kelly licked his lips, “So what would he do?”
“The easy part.” Casimir was evading now. Evasion meant he didn’t want to answer, but he would if pressed. If Kelly really wanted to know.
“And what’s that?” Kelly had memorized the phone number on Vincent’s card now, unaware of how many times he would be calling it in the near future.
“Selling our product.” Casimir dared Kelly to argue with him, to raise a fuss and make an argument against the new part of the plan. Or the old part, depending on how long Cas had been thinking about it.
Kelly nodded, knowing he couldn’t do any of that. Knowing he wasn’t allowed. Casimir might say they were equals, but he knew where he stood. “Okay.”
December 31st, 2007
Charleston, West Virginia
Rhett
For New Year’s Eve, Rhett wanted to take Juliet out somewhere romantic but she was stuck on the fact that she was having a bad day and didn’t want to go anywhere.
He had laughed and rolled his eyes about it, but in the back of his mind he was slightly perturbed. He had a plan and she was ruining it.
She very persistent in the fact she that she wanted to wear sweatpants and an old t-shirt and if he wanted to see her that night he’d have to settle for pizza and a movie at her place because she wasn’t moving from the couch.
So that’s where Rhett had found himself, sitting on Juliet’s couch with her feet on his lap and her curled up to a bowl of popcorn, watching dumb romcoms that she hated just as much as he did.
She laughed at the TV and ate more popcorn. Rhett smiled at her.
“What?” Juliet asked, mouthful of popcorn, eyeing him suspiciously.
“You’re adorable.” Rhett shook his head and looked back at the movie, pretending as though he hadn’t been staring at her the entire time.
Juliet made a face and also went back to watching the movie.
“Hey.” Rhett cleared his throat, deciding now was the time. It was now or never.
“What?” Juliet’s brow furrowed.
“How do you feel about marrying me?” Rhett asked, getting the ring box out of his pocket, upsetting her feet slightly.
“Like, right now?” Juliet stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Nah, like in June or July or something.” Rhett shrugged, handing over the box.
“Are you serious right now?” Juliet seemed upset now and Rhett wasn’t altogether sure why. Their relationship seemed to be in a good place. They were both happy. They both wanted it to continue. Why would she be upset?
“Yes.” The word pulled out of Rhett’s mouth slowly while he considered where his misstep may have been.
“You’re proposing to me, in my sweatpants!” Juliet sounded almost furious now, “and you don’t think that’s wrong?”
“Well, I wanted to take you out somewhere tonight!” Rhett defended himself, now angry as well, he had something way better than this planned, there was even a speech and everything involved, but she ruined it with her whole, ‘you’ll still love me in sweatpants’ rant that had come earlier.
“I didn’t know it was to propose!” Juliet’s arms were crossed, movie and popcorn forgotten entirely.
“Well, I’ll take it back then.” Rhett started to retract his arm that was holding out the ring box.
“I didn’t say no!” Juliet launched herself at the ring and ended up sprawling across Rhett’s lap in a fit of laughter.
“Is that a yes, then?” Rhett raised his eyebrows at her, holding the box out of her reach.
“That’s a hell yes.” Juliet was still laughing, stretching for the ring.
Rhett’s heavy throated laughter shook his shoulders and pulled Juliet into a tight embrace, “I love you, Jules.”
She pulled back and looked at him, her eyes serious, “You sure?”
Rhett’s answer was enveloping her in a kiss that consumed the both of them, body and soul. He loved her. He loved her more than anything he had ever known. She was passion and she was fire and she was wild.
Her beauty knew no limits and he wanted to watch her soar for the rest of his life.
Anna
Anna always liked parties at the Williams’ more than anywhere else. There was something about the atmosphere that made her feel secure and at home, a feeling she rarely got from her own place of residence.
They had decorated the rooms in golds and silvers to help ring in the new year and they were never in short supply of champagne as the night wore on, getting dangerously close to midnight.
Kelly and Melody had slipped off somewhere together, pretending to be the lovebirds Anna knew they weren’t.
Caleb Bronen had brought a date, the very chatty, very trashy Kelsey Horowitz, but Connor was absent. Anna had sent him a few half hearted texts seeing if he was going to make it but all of them went unanswered. She hadn’t spoken to him since her talk with Casimir earlier that month and now she wondered if Cas’s text had something to do with Connor’s silence.
The rest of the partygoers were people Anna knew from Phillips and around town, but no one she really cared to talk to or about. Very uninteresting people.
She looked down at her gold and cream evening dress and wondered if she had wasted it in this crowd, if she should have saved it for the charity event coming up that following May. As Anna looked up, her eyes caught Jefferson’s across the room and his mouth turned into a soft smile meant just for her.
Anna smiled back, knowing he wanted more. Knowing he was thinking about that kiss. That seemed like so long ago now… but still, it played in her mind like a
memory on loop, forever making her aware of it. Forever telling her she could have something that made her feel… what did it make her feel?
Not alone.
Anna bit the inside of her cheek as Jefferson made his way to her, weaving in between the groups of people mingling.
“It’s warm in here.” He said, sipping his champagne, nonchalant, acting as if them being in such close proximity didn’t affect him. As if his heart didn’t beat just a little bit faster at the thought their skin might touch.
Slowly, Anna turned, her bare arm grazing across the black sleeve of his suit jacket. She stared at him and wondered what it would be like if he was older, if he wasn’t Kelly’s best friend. Could they make something work? Would they make something work? “The heat does seem a little oppressive.”
Jefferson looked from her arm to her face, his eyes seeing everything and nothing all at the same time. Maybe he knew she had done it on purpose, maybe he was completely aware of the fact that she wouldn’t allow herself to love him. At least, not in the way he wanted her to.
“How’s Connor?” Jefferson asked, looking away, possibly looking for Connor.
“Not here.” Anna shrugged, sucking in a deep breath of air. These were the choices she had made. She anchored herself to an emotionally unavailable man because it was the safest bet to getting what she wanted. She found herself drawn to her brother’s friend and at the same time she knew she was never going to find true happiness. True success.
“Can I show you something?” Jefferson looked at her with earnest now, his blue eyes softer in the warm glow of the party.
“What is it?” Anna felt like smiling, but she didn’t. These were just motions they were going through now. Motions of a life expected of them. They didn’t hold the same weight she wanted them to, she would never have that triumphant love story. She would just have looks, glances, stolen moments in time that she knew meant more, but nothing would ever come of them.