by Emilia Finn
It’s not my life that depends on this shipment. It’s Jess’.
“Which pretty girl are you talking about?” I shoot my chin forward. “Nora was a good fuck. She was whiney, but she was tight and did her part. I’m ready for the next one.”
“No, not the kid,” he laughs. “The blonde.” Turning to Flynn, we watch him whip his phone from his pocket and pull up Jess’ social media profile. “Jessica Ann Lenaghan,” Abel continues with twinkling eyes. “Blonde and blue. Kinda cliché, don’t you think?”
“Who?” Play it off. Go to her. Get her the fuck outta town. “I don’t know that name. They’re usually so busy with my cock in their mouth, they don’t get a chance to tell me.”
Abel grins with pleasure. I’m the cat, and he’s the guy taunting me with a laser light. “Don’t play dumb, Kane. You forget I know everything. I know your whole world, and I know hers. I know she’s one of three siblings and I know she’s a lawyer. I know she’s got the hots for you, otherwise, why would she keep coming back to my club?” He leans forward and opens a file on his desk. Sickness roils in my belly at the sight of her standing with her brother. “Lots of family resemblance going on there. Wouldn’t it just be tragic if I pick them off one by one. Accidental, of course.”
“Why are you threatening a girl I fucked once?” Feigning nonchalance, I stand on my back foot and drop my hands into my pockets. “I’m here to work. You’ve never needed to convince me before. I don’t get it.”
“Like I said, this job is worth seventy-six million. You keep stepping up to my challenges, Bishop. You’re doing well. But I need you to pay attention. I can’t afford carelessness, because I feel eyes on the back of my neck. Cops are watching.”
“Cops are watching, so you send me in? Why not move the handover? Change day and time?”
“They’re not watching that close.” He rolls his eyes. “You think I’m fucking stupid, Bishop?” Two men step closer, like they think I’m going to agree. Yes, I’m calling you stupid. “I’m saying they’re hungry. Turner’s sniffing around, and my inside contact says the feds are closing in. We discuss this shipment with no one.” His eyes scan each man in the room. Jay’s notably absent. He might’ve checked in with Abel, but he sure as fuck hasn’t checked in with me. “We discuss it only in this office. So if everyone can keep their fucking mouths shut, everything will go smooth and you’ll all come out the other side alive. This shit’s been in planning for too fucking long, so we’re not changing it now. If the cops get too close, we deal with them. That’s on you, Bishop. Turner’s yours. He gets too close, it’s on you to take him out.”
“You’re putting a contract on a cop’s head?”
Watching me, he laces his fingers together and places them in his lap. “Unofficially. I’m a fair man, so if the cops stand down, I let them live. If they mess with business, it’s your job to deal with it. They mess with us and you don’t deal with it, it’s Flynn’s job to deal with you both, because I’ll assume your loyalties have switched. Shit gets dicey when we kill cops. In fact, it would be best if we bring them into the fold. But if they don’t want in, and they don’t back the fuck up, we do what we’ve gotta do. I have kids to feed, Bishop. You wouldn’t let the girls go hungry, would you?”
He wants me to take Jess’ brother out.
He wants me to kill cops.
“I know you’re partial to blades, but those marksman skills you boast about will be put to the test.”
“When?”
“Not yet. But be ready. When we know more, we move fast. For today, Turner and his Hooch live.” Gesturing toward the leather chair across from his desk, his eyes lock with mine. “Now that we’re on the same page, come, sit, talk.” He looks to the four other men in the room. “Get out.”
“Boss?” Flynn steps forward. “I’ll st–”
“Out.” Abel waves a jewel covered hand. “Leave. Go downstairs and check on the girls. I’m expecting a big night tonight; make sure they’re ready.”
Flynn’s fiery eyes pin me to my chair.
“Oh, before you go.” Abel shows off white teeth behind a feral grin. “You asked who was with you on Saturday. Bishop, you better make peace with Flynn, because he’ll be on your wings. Make it work. Find some trust. Because he might be the only person out there who has your back.”
Has my back, my ass.
He’ll be the guy sliding a blade along my throat.
“Yes, Boss.”
Flexing fingers, five-ten, and sandy brown hair, Flynn walks by me with a smug grin. “Watch your back, Kane.”
As soon as the double doors close behind Abel’s soldiers, I turn back to my boss and stop at the now kind smile on his lips.
It’s almost fatherly. Almost like he cares.
“How are you feeling, Kane? You’ve had a big week, and you continue to impress me. Good for you.”
I shrug and pretend I don’t want to slit his throat. Fuck what he did to me. What about what he did to Jess? What about the nightmares she had last night? “Did you know the coke was no good?”
“It is good.” Leaning back in his chair, he pulls a drawer open and takes out a pack of cigarettes. He taps the packet open and leans across his desk in offer. “There’s nothing wrong with that batch. Just dosage. Halve what you took and you’ll be flying.”
I take the cigarette and lighter. “And the girl who tested it?”
He shrugs and accepts his lighter back when I exhale. “She was happy when she died – and since I had to get rid of that defiant bitch, it worked out well. The blonde was just tossed on top when she couldn’t take it. But now that we know weight to dosage, I just doubled my fuckin’ profit.” Pulling a long drag on his cigarette, he watches me through a plume of smoke. “I know I’ve been hard on you, Bishop. But when I test you, it’s to make you stronger. I have big plans for you.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. Flynn thinks he’s more important than he actually is. Chad’s gettin’ weird now that Lance is out. And Jay’s fucked in the head. Too much testing the product.”
“Are you gonna execute them?” Not Jay. Not Jay. Not Jay.
“Not yet. But they’re on short leashes. They seem to think they’re allowed their own itinerary here – their own plan – but they aren’t. This is my fuckin’ club, and anyone who comes in here and expects to stay alive better stick to my fuckin’ plan.”
“Where’s Jay?” Sitting forward, I drop ash into the solo cup Abel pushes toward me. “I didn’t hear from him since Saturday night.”
Abel shrugs. “He’s around. Chad said he checked in yesterday morning.”
“He been testing for you for long?”
His dark eyes bore into mine for a long beat. “You feeling brave? Because I didn’t bring you in here to question me.”
Lifting my hands, I blow out a plume of smoke. “My bad. Was just making conversation.”
“Quit it. You better remember your place, Bishop. You’re doing well around here, but there’s not a single soul in this club that’s irreplaceable.”
Knowing he knows about Jess, I back off and simply study my cigarette. I have plans to make and places to be.
Blonde’s to convince to move to a Caribbean island.
I’d even go with her. I’d choose a life of sanding back canoes and fucking my perfect blonde in a hut.
“You did good with Brochov.” Dragging me away from my island life, Abel holds his cigarette in one hand and a switchblade in the other.
Open.
Closed.
Open.
Closed.
“You did it perfectly. I thought you were throwing it too quick. I thought you were gonna fuck up.”
Scoffing, I ash my cigarette and sit back. “I wasn’t throwing shit. He was just that big. He was a monster.”
“No one questioned it,” he grins. “David versus Goliath, but this time, the big guy won. Doubled my money, sent a Russian home with his cut and got his daddy off my back because Flynn fucked his daught
er. Now you’re here, happy and healthy and none the worse after a run in with a tree. Everyone wins.”
“Except the guys who bet on me.”
“Yes, well,” he laughs, “that was rather unfortunate, wasn’t it? But, not my problem. That’s the risk a gambler takes. I have daughters to put through school and a business to run, so I can’t go soft on punters just because they put their money on the wrong guy. There are no hard feelings, right? You work for me, I need to test your loyalty. You disobeyed a direct order last week. Lance was your brother in arms, you were told to stand down, but some ass walks through your alleyway and you think you can do as you please. I get it. She’s sexy and fresh as your virgin girl, but if I can’t trust you, then you’re no good to me. If you’re no good to me, then I dispose of you and get someone else in.”
“You have my loyalty, Abel.”
“Mm.” He crushes his cigarette in a fancy crystal ashtray. Lifting a brow, he points. “I fuckin’ hope so, because I’m trusting you with a big job. It’s a lot of money, and if you so much as stub your fucking toe between now and Saturday, I’ll let Chad fuck your corpse. Then your blonde’s, too.”
“I’ve got it under control.” I’m going to kill him. He just doesn’t know it yet. “Your girls okay? You said you can’t make this weekend; unexpected family obligations. They’re okay?”
“Oh, they’re fine.” He waves me off. “They’re still in school, but break’s coming up. They asked to go to Barbados.”
“It’ll be warmer there. Will you let them?”
“Of course,” he chuckles. “You’ve met my girls. I don’t let them do anything. I just make it happen.”
I haven’t met his daughters at all, but I do know the spoiled little bitches are the very thing wrong with their generation.
“So Barbados for break, and we’ve got Thanksgiving before that,” he continues. “We have enough time to get this job done, packed away, and to make sure Turner isn’t sniffing around. Divvy up the delivery, package it up, get some to my girls before they go, and voila! I’ve got entrepreneurs in a brand-new locale. When it’s all done and the dust settles, I’ll transfer your bonus and everyone’ll be happy.”
“Your daughters often deal for you, Abel?”
From a fatherly smile to a dangerous glare, his eyes force me to lean back. I fold my arms over my chest and take comfort when the tips of my fingers brush the butt of my knife on my hip.
“My daughters don’t deal, Bishop. Scumbags deal. Junkies deal. My girls are sharing samples with their friends. That’s not a crime.”
Actually, it kinda is. But who I am to spout off the law?
“I meant no disrespect.” I grin the way he does when he’s playing with his soldiers. “I was just making small talk.”
“Don’t. Now get up and go to work.”
“What am I on today?” I stand and slide my hands into my pockets. “What’s on the schedule?”
“We’ve got a new shipment of girls coming in, since we lost a couple last night. You need to check in with Flynn. Make sure everyone’s settling in. Remember, we have a brand to maintain. Quality blow, quality blow jobs. Keep the standards up.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“And Jen’s transferring a new shipment over. When it’s time, I’ll give you the green to meet her out back.”
Handguns. Semi-automatic. Awesome. “You want them in the warehouse, too?”
“Yeah. I’ll have someone through to audit the warehouse next week. Even guys like us need to audit, make sure everything’s as it should be. Make sure my own guys aren’t ripping me off.”
“Alright.” Where’s Jay? “I’ll wait for your order.”
“Good. Go downstairs. Check on the girls, then you’re on the door. We’re a respectable club, Bishop. We don’t let underage in. Keep it clean.”
Fuck me. We don’t let underage in to party. But we sell them every single day.
“Alright. I’ll put my earpiece in. You know where to find me.”
“I always know where to find you. Call your girlfriend and tell her to stay the fuck away. She messes with business every time she’s here.”
I snap my jaw shut at his final jab. “I’ll be around.”
As soon as I walk out of his office, I yank my phone out and dial Jay. I stomp down the metal staircase and let my eyes scout the club while the phone rings.
And rings.
And rings.
Biting off a string of curses, I hang up and dial Jess.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” I push through the main door and brush past the bouncers. “You okay, beautiful?”
“Uh-huh. I’m at my apartment.”
“Anyone with you?”
“Just me. Is everything okay? Are you done with work for tonight, because I heard McDonald’s is hiring. It’s not midnight yet, so they’re still open; plenty of time to get your application in. I’ll be your first customer. I’ll tip. I’ll clean my own table, and I’ll kiss the chef.”
“Not flipping burgers.”
“I’ll kiss with tongue.”
“No.”
“Spoilsport.”
I grin. “Spoiled brat.”
22
Jess
A Warning
I wake up to a cold blade at my throat and a large hand yanking my hair back. Sweat slides along my skin and panic almost chokes me as my nightmares once again become reality. “It’s just me! Please don’t hurt me.”
“Fuck!” He pulls the blade away and stomps through the dark. Sitting up, I watch Kane’s shadow move to the front door, bend low, and slam his pots and pans together to reset the locks.
I didn’t set them yet, since I knew he’d be back.
Instead, I slept in this shitty place with nothing more for security than the dude in 4A and old man Murphey sort of watching the door.
“You ever sneak into a man’s apartment again, Blondie, you ever sneak into his bed in the dark, you’ll die. Fuck!” He spins back and pins me with midnight black eyes. “I swear to God, I didn’t know if they already got you. Or if you were someone else laid up in my bed. I didn’t know if you were already dead and staged to make a point. Scared the fuckin’ hell out of me!”
“Why would I be dead?” I fluff the single pillow behind my back and push messy hair out of my tired eyes. I haven’t exactly kept a regular sleeping schedule since I met this man. When his hand slaps the wall and the lights come on, I slam my palms over my eyes to block out the blinding pain. “Agh! It’s the middle of the damn night. Turn those off!”
Striding across the small apartment in dark jeans and heavy combat boots, he tosses my covers back and carelessly exposes my underwear. “Are you okay?” With rough hands, he rolls me over, then rolls me back. “Did anybody hurt you since this morning?”
“No!” I slap his hands away. “Stop rolling me around. I’m not a friggin doll.”
“Did anybody approach you today? Anybody that I might know?”
“No, but listen–”
Pulling me back up to sit, he grabs my face and squeezes. “My boss threatened you today, Jess. He knows I know you. He thinks we’re more than we are. We’re not together, but it doesn’t matter, because he sees you on my radar, and now you’ve become a pawn in his game.”
“I… what?”
“You need to get up. Get dressed. Get the fuck out and don’t come back.”
Don’t come back?
“No. Stop.” I slap his hands away a second time when he pulls me out of his bed. “You need to stop, Kane. Stop pushing me around. I’m trying to tell you something.”
“And I’m trying to tell you, you need to pack your shit up and get the fuck outta my apartment.” Storming away when I’m on my feet, he finds my yoga pants on the end of the bed, then my top. Picking them up and balling them between his hands, he tosses them at my face. “Get dressed. Go. You have five minutes, then on your way out, scream at me. Say mean shit. People are watching, so give them a show.”
&nb
sp; “People are watching?” My suspicious eyes flip to the single window, then the fire sprinklers in the ceiling. “Watching us?”
“Not in here.” He stomps to where my sneakers sit right beside his. Picking them up, he sits them on the far corner of his bed – the corner with the bullet hole I so generously put there. “If they were watching in here, they’d know you’re just a danger fucking magnet. They’d know we’re not actually together. They only see you in the street and when you come to the fuckin’ club. Next time you get it in your stupid brain to come there, I won’t save you, just to prove to him you’re not important.”
“I’m not important?” In a matter of days, I’ve grown attached to the murderous criminal, so his callous words hurt me more than I expected they would. “I’m not important to you?”
“You’re important as fuck, Jessica Ann. That’s the problem; he knows it. Hayes knows it. Flynn knows it. Which makes you a big fuckin’ target. You need to get out, make some noise about it, then bitch about me to everyone you can. Word needs to get back to Hayes that you don’t mean shit to me. I can’t do my work if I’m worried about you.”
“You can’t do your work no matter what.” I slap him away when he tugs the top from my hands and tries to plop it over my head. “The cops know about your job this weekend.” I may as well just hand my degree back now. And my Christmas presents. And possibly Alex and Oz’s lives. “They’re going to be there when that shipment comes in. You need to leave. Don’t make noise about it. Just get out of town and live a good life not dead and not in prison.”
“They know?” Stopping his frantic movements, he turns back with his cell in one hand and that incessant wrinkle in his brow. “They’re moving on our shipment?”
“Yes! So you need to make smarter choices. You literally know it’s coming, so walk away now. Live.”
“I can’t leave, Jess!” He grabs my handbag and digs my things out. My cell. My keys. His file. I carry that damn thing everywhere I go. “I can’t leave. I have to stay, or I’m dead. I have to stay, or you’re dead. But you need to go.” He takes his file out and flips it open. Dark eyes scan the papers while I stand beside his bed in matching underwear and glance over at the gun I left on the bedside table.