~
Feeling Nick next to me as I drift off to sleep makes my dreams easy and enjoyable. It is so easy to become comfortable when his arm is around me and I can feel him breathing next to me. It has become a necessity I can’t live without. I could easily float into a beautiful dream, but when I hear Nicky whimper, I open my eyes and see Luke standing over me with Nicky in his arms. I gasp as he pushes his gun against my forehead. “Don’t you fucking move.” He said as Nick wakes up. “Hello, Nick.”
Nick’s wide-eyed expression takes in the situation quickly and leaves his gun hidden under his pillow. “What are you doing here, Luke?”
“Well, that’s simple. You see, I figure you owe me. I mean when I fell for this one’s sister, I didn’t get mad at you when she preferred you instead. However, I will admit I got a little upset when you dumped her and Connor turned her into a drug addict whore, but not nearly as much as when I offered to help her and she turned me down.” Luke huffs a sarcastic chuckle before glancing over at me. “And do you know why she turned me down? Because she still believed she could win Nick back! I mean what a stupid bitch. Kayla, did you know that Nick here was never after your sister … he was after you.”
“I know.” I said calmly to Nick’s surprise.
“Well, I guess there aren’t as many secrets between you two as I thought. However, there is one secret that I am sure he didn’t tell you yet.” I glimpse Nick as he hardens.
“There is no reason for her to know that, Luke. Why don’t you and I get out of here and we can talk?” Nick said, touching my hand beneath the hovering sheet.
Luke laughs, “Ummm… I don’t think so. Anyway, so the other night when your husband showed up to meet me, I told him in detail how I killed your sister.” I stop breathing watching as Luke calms himself with an easy exhaling breath. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be either, considering how long I had admired her. I took the bitch to my car and made sure she understood that Nick here was never interested in her, he was only interested in you. She cried and cried, I thought she would get over him, but when I offered to help her if she was willing to be my girl, do you know what she said?” Luke pushes the gun harder against my head. “Keep calm, Nick, I‘m not going to shoot her- yet. Your sister said that neither of us was good enough for you two and she was going to take you and runaway from all of it. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, what was she going to do? Work in a broken down diner for the rest of her life? I told her that wasn’t going to happen, she was either going to do what I said from now on or she could die. She said she preferred to die. So I fucked her and then choked her with my belt. I tied her up in the bathroom and made it look like she killed herself and Kayla here never woke up once. I watched you sleep trying to figure out the draw he had to you. Knowing how Nick felt about you, I knew I couldn’t leave you alive. I mean what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t take care of his addiction for him? So, before I left, I turned the gas on in your stove and assumed my work was done. But you didn’t pay your bill!” Luke laughs, looking at Nick. “Can you believe it? Apparently within minutes of me turning the gas on, the gas company turned it off. I expected her to be dead the next morning, but instead, I watched her walk out with no problems. I couldn’t figure it out. It was days later when I went back to the house and found the notice from the gas company on the door. You are one lucky bitch, Kayla. When you and Nick here got together, I thought he would get you out of his system. Little did I know how in love- how ridiculously obsessed he is with you. It is an amazing feeling, Nick, I will give you that. A powerful one.”
“That wasn’t love, Luke.” Nick said moving too much for Luke’s comfort as he twitches at the trigger. Nick puts his hands up and eases back down, “Can I least have my son?”
“No, I am going to make you a deal. I figure you owe me one or I guess it’s that I owe you one. I know you don’t believe it, but I did love Jesse. Of course she would rather have had you. Hell, she used me to get to you, but I still loved her and you killed her, didn’t you?”
“Luke, she was …”
“Answer me!” Luke yelled, causing Nicky to cry.
“Yes. I snapped her neck, but it was as much for you as it was for anyone. She didn’t even flinch when they beat you in front of her.” Nick said, tensing with every passing second.
“You son of a bitch! Don’t bullshit me! You did it for you and your precious wife.” With Nicky still crying and reaching for me, Luke handles him roughly, adjusting him to an awkward position and causing him to scream louder. “You choose, Nick. Which one do you love more? Your wife or your son? I will let you keep one- but only one.”
“Kill me! Kill me!” I cry trying to reach for Nicky.
“Choose, Nick!” Luke yells even louder.
“I will not choose. You’re angry with me. Kill me if I have done you so wrong. Kill me!” Nick yells back at him.
“No, the best way for you to learn is to lose something valuable to you. Either your wife gets a bullet to the head or I am going to break your son’s neck. Which will it be, Nick?” I look at Nick struggling to breathe as I try to think of a way out.
“Can I show you something first?” Nick eases out of bed holding his hands up. “I am just going to go over here and get you a key. The key you asked for the other night. I know you’re working for Joseph, those were his men that ambushed me at our meeting the other night.”
“You were always a smart one, Nick.” Luke said with an easy smirk.
“Well, I am sure this is what you want. The key to all my secrets, to all of my money, and to every business deal. All you need to take over everything I have.” Nick holds out a key as Luke eases the gun from my head.
“You’re going to give up your empire?” Luke asked. “Everything you have worked for? All for them?”
“You said I had to learn by giving up something valuable to me and I choose this. It is all in a storage unit where I have an office, unit number A2592. It is all there, Luke. I will give it all over to you, but you have to give me my son and release Kayla unharmed. We will pack up and leave the house and everything behind.” Nick holds out his hand enticing Luke a little more. Luke pulls the gun away from my head and hands Nicky to me before walking slowly towards Nick.
“Okay, Nick, you have a deal but this is my house now you have ten minutes to pack and get the hell out.“ Luke said as he points his gun at Nick, Luke steps a little closer to Nick with an awkward expression. “You know what though? I can’t believe that you will simply walk away from it all. You’re too smart, Nick. I can’t enjoy it all knowing you’re out there somewhere just waiting for me to make a wrong move so you can take it all back. Hell, you know how to get in here without being detected as well as I do. Don’t you, Nick? There would be nothing stopping you from sneaking in and killing me in my sleep. So, I think I am going to have to kill you and your family. But, since we have been friends for such a long time, I will do you a favor and kill you first.” Luke raises his gun up to Nick with an agonizing sigh. Quickly, I throw the covers over Nicky’s head while reaching under Nick’s pillow and shoot through it. Luke staggers sideways, staring at me with a shocked expression. Nick disarms Luke as he falls to the ground. I pick up Nicky and stand up to watch Nick hover over Luke with his gun drawn. “What did you tell them, Luke?” Nick yells at him as he fights for breath.
“Nothing. I didn’t tell them anything. They are too stupid to take you down. I couldn’t help those morons get you no matter how much I hate you. I only wanted to know what it was like to be you, Nick. I wanted to be in love so bad.” Luke coughs, holding the blood against his chest as he tries to sit up to Nick. “I don’t think you know what it’s like living in your shadow all the time. I would have never hurt them, Nick. As much as I hate you … I still love you more than any brother I could have had … I just wanted you to know my pain even if it was only for a few minutes.” Luke looks my way with a laugh before facing Nick again. “I expected it to be you, but I guess it is fi
tting that it was her.” He said choking on his own blood and sinking back down to the floor. Luke holds out his hand and Nick takes it until Luke takes his final breath.
Standing up, Nick watches me with a hard breath as I hold onto to Nicky. I walk towards him and he runs to me, wrapping his arms around us. I don’t know what to say or if I even need to say anything. Luke knew what he was doing coming here. If Nick didn’t kill him, Estrella surely would for betraying his trust … he wanted to die.
~29~
Nick
The war has begun and with every war there will be no winners- only those who remain alive. Ever since my meeting with Joseph, I have had a bad feeling and now I know why. Luke could have easily let them into my house. Coming alone proved that, in the end, he was loyal to me and not Estrella. On top of his loyalty, Luke proved to me that Kayla and Nicky are what’s most important to me. All I care about now is getting them away from this, away from the hell that I built and to somewhere safe. I didn’t sleep at all the night Luke broke in, I wouldn’t even let Nicky sleep anywhere but with Kayla and I. While they slept, I stayed up watching over them and forming a plan to get them out of this. I went through every scenario backwards and forwards, locating the flaws and fixing them, and then running through them again until my plan was flawless. Now, all I have to do is see it through. The next day I begin moving money in several directions and making sure that I appoint one person to handle the most important task, someone that wouldn’t dare defy me or break his promise to me. And my brother, Ryan, is that person. Ryan is the most important part of my plan and I am sure he will be hesitant to do as I say once I tell him his entire roll.
I knew about Ryan from the beginning. I wasn’t but five when my father started seeing his mother. He visited her often, even after Ryan was born, not that he took to Ryan any more than he did Connor. But, he did have me watch over Ryan while he spent hours with Ryan’s mother. I was too young to know the details exactly, but I knew he was my brother and I took care of him, watched over him. He became angry as he got older and rebelled often. Not that I didn’t do my fair share of stealing and getting into trouble, but Ryan purposely tried to get caught. I probably would have gotten into more trouble if I hadn’t of spent so much time trying to keep him out of it. It just seemed like the more I tried, the more he found to get into. The boy was positively suicidal, he craved our father’s attention so desperately. One night he was arrested and the police called the house looking for my father who wasn’t interested in helping him, so I did. I went to Harvey and pledged my commitment to him so I could help Ryan and his mother. Harvey was the only choice I had where I could make enough to give them what they needed to get by, they had little left after his mother’s medical bills. Soon after his mother died, Ryan came to me pledging his loyalty to me until death. He could have done better, but like Kayla, it was easier to protect him under my guard than someone else’s. I gave him a job and taught him as much as I could, all the while making sure to keep our relation a secret and keeping him out of the spotlight. I made sure he never worked for me directly and paid him well for the job he did. In exchange, he was the ears and eyes I needed to let me know who was ready to screw me over and who was too good to be true. He was the one that clued me on the female cops that came after me. Ryan works for our cleaning services, a service no one knows I even have control of. The same service the state government has cleaning their facilities, including the police precincts. He has taken over that business and by working his way from the inside out, he has made long lasting allies. He knows how to take care of his people and he knows how to read them from the moment he makes eye contact. He has come a long way from the troubled kid brother I almost gave up on. I have become successful by strategically placing people that I can trust and luckily I have family that I know will die before they betray me. In this business, you have to have someone you trust watching your back while you look ahead.
~
Dawson, my so-called protégé- as he so begged to be called, I haven’t liked since I saw him whisper in Kayla’s ear. So I guess it wasn’t a surprise when he hands me an ultimatum from Estrella. The moron has been betraying me and has been helping Estrella for some time, yet has done everything possible to move up in my organization. Luckily, I have closed every door he tried to come through. Now he, with Estrella, wants me to hand all that I have over to him but most importantly, they want my book of secrets. This business is all about money, no matter what people say about power it is still- all about money. The book that in addition, to information on all my businesses, the secrets of every associate of mine, also contains the locations, passwords and keys to all my money. Hand them my book and then I and my family will live. If he hadn’t of included me in the living part, I might have believed him or at least wanted to. There is no way he will allow me to walk away alive from this. I could easily battle Estrella, even take him down, but someone else is protecting him. His confidence is too strong and he is boastfully showing his face at big name events. I can’t figure out who it is but after seeing intimate pictures of Nicky and Kayla within the message they sent me, I know what I have to do. I have a week to decide or Estrella will issue orders to have us all killed. In response, I send a personal message of my own to Joseph. Wrapped up in red satin and black lace, I send a decorative package of Devil’s Berries with a note tempting him to eat up. I know he will find humor in it, at first, but it will surely drive him harder to reach his goal which I’m counting on.
With only a few days left until my supposed impending doom, I stay home and spend as much time as possible with Nicky and Kayla. I know Kayla is nervous even though she won’t say anything, Nicky, however, is happy as ever. He is so much fun right now and so loving. He holds onto me tight as he fights his heavy eyes, I cradle him close to my chest one last time before I put him down. “I love you, Nicky. I hope you always know that. I’m doing all this for you and your mother.” I lie him down peacefully before leaving and running into Kayla in the hall.
“Doing what exactly?” She asked with arms crossed.
“That was a private conversation.”
“A little one-sided, don’t you think? Maybe you should try it with someone your own age.” I ignore her and go into our room to change. “Nick …”
“Kayla, let’s enjoy our night. We have a nice meal waiting for us downstairs with candles and music. Let’s take advantage and talk tomorrow.” I said while thinking of what to say to her next.
“You will talk to me tomorrow?” She asked seemingly wanting to enjoy our night as much as I do.
“I will give you the general idea. Will that suffice?”
“It will.” She said keeping her eye on me as I smile at her.
“Good. Then get changed and make sure to wear something that’s easy to get off.” I said with a wink before walking into my closet away from her. It is hard lying to her. It is even harder making sure she believes it. I clean up and put on Kayla’s favorite suit before waiting for her in the dining room. She walks into the room, smiling beautifully, and wearing a dress that nearly has me coming out of my pants from the moment I lay eyes on her. “New dress?” I asked, sighing with appreciation.
“I was saving it for a special occasion, it seemed appropriate tonight. You do like red … don’t you?”
“My favorite.” I said reaching out for her. She moves into my arms and right away stretches up on her toes for my lips. I want to always remember this moment, tasting her lips, feeling her soft skin, caressing her cheek closer to mine, and most of all the fresh, soft scent of her. “Come with me.” I said leading her to the middle of the floor and pulling her in close. Taking her hand, I press my lips gently against the side of her face and whisper my intentions for the night into her ear.
“I don’t think we have danced together since we went on our first trip together.” She said out of the blue.
“No, I’m sorry for that. We should have done it a lot more.”
“It’s okay. You can make it
up to me … I think we are still young enough.” She said, smiling up at me.
“Whatever you want, Princess.” We dance and kiss for so long that our dinner doesn’t look nearly as appealing as it did. We sit down and eat a little before agreeing to leave it behind and take our wine to the bedroom with us. With a glass each, we curl up by the fire. Kayla lies against my chest while I kiss the back of her neck and play with her hair. I want to take my time and make every moment tonight a memorable one but it is becoming increasingly harder to hold back my desire for her.
“Nick, I have an idea I want to talk to you about but I want you to promise that you will listen to me and keep an open mind about it … consider it for Nicky and I.” Kayla asks with a crack in her voice.
I ease in closer, kissing the edge of her ear, “I promise. What is it?”
Kayla turns, sitting up, but holding me back as she looks me in the eyes, “Let’s runaway- the three of us: you, Nicky and me. We can take enough money to get us by for a long time but leave everything else. Let them have it if they want it. We don’t need it. We can be so happy, Nick. I can make you happy.”
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