by London Casey
His father… that one night…
Jude’s eyes were a crystal blue color, with darker shades of blue spotted across his irises. Again, I’d seen those eyes before.
Of all the things that could happen, the healthy baby boy was a spiting image of his father. A constant reminder of what I did.
I touched Jude’s head and started to run my fingers down the narrow bridge of his tiny nose. Five strokes and he was fast asleep again.
I held my son for what could have been another four hours. Time seemed to sometimes stop with Jude. That was his gift to me, something he’d never truly understand until he was grown with a family of his own. Unless, of course, he was like his father.
Screw ‘em and leave ‘em.
I blushed in the silence of my own thoughts. What had I done to reach out to Noah? Nothing. What business did I have reaching out to him? A lot. But did I want it? Did I want some kind of underground, bad boy, fighter in my son’s life? How would that work? The night I met Noah, the police showed up. I had to run out of the back door of the abandoned building and dive into the backseat of a car. I didn’t even know who was driving the car, I just went with the flow of things.
It was a craziest night of my life.
But did I really need that madness in my life?
I stood and gently put Jude back in his crib. He’d sleep until morning. He was a great baby like that.
I left the room and let out a long sigh.
A calm feeling washed through my body.
I liked it. It didn’t happen all that much.
I crossed the hall and opened the door to my mother’s bedroom. With any luck, she’d be sleeping too and I might actually get a full night’s sleep.
No such luck.
I opened the door and found my mother face down on the floor…
8.
(Noah)
The first beer tasted great. The second was even better. The whiskey burned like it used to do. I turned the shot glass over and put it on the bar. I dug in my pocket for some cash - the cash I had when they took me inside.
The bartender put a hand to the bar and shook his head. “No, man. You’re clear. You drink for free.”
“Thanks,” I said.
The bartender got me another beer.
I turned and looked around the bar. Full of life. Full of freedom. I felt different though. My mind, my body, it wasn’t used to all this yet. I had always thought about the moment they’d let me go. When I’d get my clothes back. When I’d step out of those doors and just walked away, free. I thought I’d cheer, scream, throw the finger to the building.
You know what I did?
I choked up.
Because guys like Bo were still inside. Good men. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to Bo either.
“Noah?”
I turned and Benito’s right hand man, Dante, stood there. He was in a fancy suit, a gold watch on his wrist. He had scars on the left side of his face from a fight gone bad. He and I had stood side by side many times, going into the circle, fighting for our lives and a way to earn.
“Holy shit,” I said. “You? In a suit?”
“I got promoted,” Dante said.
“I see that, man.”
“I see you survived.”
“In one piece,” I said.
“Come on,” Dante said. “Benito is waiting for you.”
I walked with Dante. “What happened to you?”
“The financial impact was hard at first,” Dante said. “I found a different way to help with Benito and his family. I also did a little research and it turns out my great-great-great-great-something came from the old country. Same village as Benito’s old man. Fucking perfect.”
“So you’re in,” I said.
Dante looked at me and grinned. “I’m in. My mother wasn’t an Irish whore like yours.”
“Hey,” I said. “Watch your tongue. My Ma was a saint. She put up with a lot.”
Dante put a hand to my shoulder. “I know, brother. I just wish… you and me…”
“I’m good at what I do, Dante. And you don’t look all that bad in a suit.”
Dante stopped at a door and grabbed the knob. He knocked with his other hand and then opened the door. He nodded for me to go inside. I grabbed the side of his face and pinched his pudgy cheek.
I entered the office and Dante shut the door. When I looked to my right, I saw Benito with his back to me. He was a short man, but possessed a shit ton of power and presence. I hadn’t seen him since before the fight. A long goddamn year and so many months. He didn’t come when I got arrested. He didn’t come to the trial. He didn’t come to visit. All of which I understood. He needed to clear his name and image.
“Benito?” I asked.
He turned, just slightly, and I saw the woman in front of him. On her knees. Her hands at his legs. Taking care of him with her mouth.
“Oh, shit,” I said. “Sorry.”
I backed up and put my hands up.
“No,” Benito said. “Don’t fucking move.”
With that said, Benito took out a gun and pointed it at me.
~
With a few growls, Benito finished up. He grabbed the woman’s hair and pulled her away. He tucked himself away and helped the woman to her feet, all the while never taking the gun off me.
“You need one?” he asked me.
I looked at the woman. Her lipstick was smeared on her face. I thought about where her mouth had just been and what she had just swallowed.
“No thanks,” I said.
“You have to be backed up there,” Benito said. “Being in there that long. Pussy once in a while.”
The woman approached and I declined again. “Not right now.”
The woman froze.
“Hey!” Benito yelled. “Felice! Get the fuck out of here!”
The woman hurried to the door and left.
I half wished she took me with her.
I stared down Benito and the gun pointed at me. His lips were sealed tight. His head gently bobbed left to right, showing no emotion. He never showed emotion.
He put the gun to my chest - right at my heart - and he pushed at me. I walked back to the door. I dropped the beer bottle to the floor. My hands were then at my sides, balled into fists. I was okay with taking shit on the inside, but not now. Not with freedom on my lips, tasting as sweet as that first breath when your between a woman’s legs.
I didn’t wait a year to get out of jail for this shit.
“You’re out,” Benito said.
“I’m out.”
“And here you are.”
“Here I am.”
“I got you out.”
“I know. I appreciate that. You put me in there.”
Benito’s nostrils flared. “You look like you want to hurt me, Noah.”
“If you don’t get that fucking gun away from my chest in three seconds, I’m going to hurt you. If you’re going to shoot me, just do it.”
Benito nodded. He moved the gun from me. “I’m just fucking around, Noah. Jail time put a little hair on your chest, huh?”
Before I could answer, Benito grabbed my face and pulled me down for a kiss. He fat lips smacked my cheeks one at a time. He then nodded at me.
“You did good,” Benito said. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am the way it happened.”
“I think we have a lot to catch up on,” I said.
The door opened behind me and hit me in the ass.
“Sorry, Noah,” Dante said as he entered. He had a bottle of whiskey in his hand.
“Drink time,” Benito said. “One shot for each month of serving in that hell hole.”
The door shut again and Dante stayed in the room.
I took a seat and Benito served the first shot. It mixed well with the drinks I already had at the bar.
“Someone set me up,” Benito said. “Family bullshit stuff, Noah. Now, we had a plan in place and you were popped.”
My own fault. I didn’t ru
n fast enough. I was too busy looking for a woman I had fucked into the bathroom.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m not angry about it.”
“Good. I’m proud of you, Noah. You gave up nothing. You took your hit and I made sure to take care of you. Not to mention you won that fight and got that annoying piece of shit, Jack, off my back.”
I laughed.
“We’re still building,” Dante said. “Slowly adding fights again. Working our way from the outside resources.”
“Meaning?” I asked.
“Running the streets.”
I nodded.
That made sense. Benito had pulled Dante off the streets. The guy knew everyone and everything. From drugs to guns to fights, Dante knew how to work the street. He commanded respect and earned it at the same time. He was damn good on the street and it was pretty obvious why Benito still had power and why Dante was in a suit.
“I want out of that,” Benito said. “Too bloody. The return is nice, but that’s not what my family is about.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“Collections,” Dante said. He adjusted his tie. “That’s where the big money is waiting.”
“Collections?” I asked.
“Debts,” Benito said. “Money just floating out there. What’s owed to me. I’ve waited for someone like Dante to step forward and take charge for me. We’re going to be collecting on some owed money. That’s where you come into play, Noah. You’re the hunter. The fighter. The muscle. You’re going to bring me cash or bodies, whatever works.”
“Okay,” I said. “Okay.”
“We have one for you right now,” Dante said.
“I’m ready.”
“Take the night off,” Benito said. “Go have a few more drinks. Find a woman. Hell, pick any woman out there. Pick two. My treat.”
I stood up. “No. I’m okay. I want to get to work. I can’t just sit around.”
Dante and Benito looked at each other.
“Okay then,” Benito said. “Dante will give you the information.”
“Excellent,” I said. “Thank you, Benito, for keeping me safe on the inside.”
Benito offered his hand and I took it. “Thank you, Noah. You took all that like a man. You knew there was an end and you kept calm. If there’s anything I can do…”
“Bo,” I blurted out.
“What?”
“Bo. The guy in my cell. You had him watch me.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I want him safe. I want him treated like royalty. If he can’t get out, his family needs to be cared for. They need to see each other. If I ever have a kid, I hope I love it half as much as Bo loves his kids.”
Benito nodded. “Sure thing, Noah.”
I walked to the door and Dante opened it for me.
“For the record, Noah,” Dante said softly, “you’re not retired.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Fighting,” Dante said. “You’re going to make the biggest fucking return in underground fighting. You’re going to make everyone very rich, including yourself. Now let’s go talk business.”
Dante patted my back.
I left the office.
Tracking people down… fighting… I was finally feeling right at home again.
9.
(Ashlynn)
“I’ll pay you for all of this.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Leah said. She plucked the bottle from Jude’s mouth and started to burp him.
I was frazzled. My head spinning.
I stepped to Leah and touched Jude’s head.
It was the middle of the damn night and we were in a hospital. Leah should have stayed at the apartment with Jude, but my emotions got the best of me. Somewhere it made sense to drag the baby out. Because if I was going to lose my mother, I wanted to see and hold my son. A reminder of life and death always mixed together.
“You helped me,” Leah said, her eyes looking away. “Tonight. With so much. Just talking to me. Yelling at me. Putting me in my place.”
“I’m really sorry for whatever is going on at home,” I said. “It’s not always easy, but you’ll be on your own soon.”
“Jeremy is working and saving money,” Leah said. “We’re going to get an apartment as soon as he turns eighteen.”
I grinned. The young love game was risky, but I wasn’t in any position to try and talk about that right then. I let Leah have her moment, have her dreams.
The door opened behind me.
I hurried and grabbed Jude from Leah. I clutched my son tight as Dr. Harrison approached.
“I’ll go get a coffee,” Leah said.
“No,” I said. “Stay.”
I grabbed her hand.
This teenage babysitter was the closest thing to a friend I had. My life was a big mess.
“Is she…” I started to ask.
“She’s okay,” Dr. H said. “She’s stable now. Her cell counts…” The doctor sighed. “I’m sorry, Ashlynn. There’s not much more we can do now. We can keep her comfortable. Keep her monitored and stable. We’ve talked about the end before, right?”
I nodded. “It’s here.”
“Yes,” Dr. H said. “I’m terribly sorry, Ashlynn.”
“Me too,” I whispered. “She’s okay though? Comfortable? No pain?”
“Right now she’s sleeping. We’ll monitor her overnight and run some more tests tomorrow.” Dr. H touched my arm. “There’s nothing you can do for her. My personal advice would be to call any friends or family that haven’t seen her in a while. Maybe get everyone together to say goodbye. Sometimes patients will hold on until they have everything in order. Hopefully she’ll have a little more energy tomorrow and you’ll be able to talk to her.”
“Her treatments…”
“I think it’s best we stop,” Dr. H said. He swallowed. “I fear that treatments would potentially do more harm than good right now.”
Jude let out a whine.
I let Leah’s hand go.
I stared at my baby.
My eyes filled with tears.
I was going to be alone… forever.
10.
(Noah)
I chugged some water and got ready. I had a choice between a car and a motorcycle. An old part of my life pushed against my memory. Riding the streets with a crew had been where it all started for me. Before Benito took the MC down and took me under his wing to be his top fighter. Not that I gave a shit, because everyone in the old MC was nothing but crooked pieces of garbage.
The motorcycle called to me though.
Being boxed up in a car would drive me nuts.
I wanted freedom.
I climbed on the two wheeled steel beauty and hit the street.
The address was on a piece of paper in my pocket, but I had it memorized.
I knew right where it was.
I had a loaded gun on my ankle and I was ready to get right back to work.
Time to hunt.
~
I made sure the building was in the clear of any strange activity. It was a small apartment complex. Not quite a rundown shit hole but not upscale enough to have decent lighting or security. That meant I could walk right up to the building and right inside. I walked up a small set of steps and opened the next door. All the smells of the apartments collected in the hallway. Flowery shit, spaghetti sauce, garlic, dust, it all mixed.
As I walked, I counted three doors on my left.
Then stopped.
I faced the door and knocked.
I crouched and grabbed my gun, keeping it hidden enough so if someone came out of the other apartments, they wouldn’t see shit.
When nobody came to the door I knocked again.
Still no answer.
Lucky for me I had experience in this exact kind of situation.
I learned a trick a long time ago how to pop open any locks. Deadlocks were a little tougher, and the door did have one. I started with the main lock on the knob. I used a small too
l that took some playing with to get it to work right. This door was a bit of a bitch. I had to keep stopping and checking the hallway. Last thing I needed was Mrs. So-and-so two doors down to poke her beady little eyes out and see me breaking into an apartment. I’d be back in jail before the sun could come up.
I hadn’t seen a sun rise in a year.
Think about that.
Fuck.
Sweat started to trickle down my forehead as I gave it one last go. I jammed the tool inside the lock and twisted. The knob finally fucking turned. And better yet, the door opened. The guy who lived in the apartment didn’t engage the deadlock.
What an asshole.
Not only did this scumbag owe Benito almost fifty grand, he was dumb enough to leave his place exposed.
I had no real business going inside. I was merely the muscle of this thing, there to wait him out and make a clear threat to pay up or else. I’d get my chance to rough him up a little. Feel the guy out and then call Benito to see what he wanted to do. It was far better than sitting in a jail cell, spitting on the floor, watching it fucking dry.
Something about the place didn’t feel right. From the second I shut the door behind me, there was something off. I couldn’t put my finger on it though. It almost felt like I had been there before, which was impossible.
I kept the lights off and did a sweep of the place. There was always a chance that the guy was asleep in bed. Maybe with a TV on or maybe just a sound sleeper.
Sure as shit, I heard voices murmuring. Then laughter. Cheap, sitcom laughter. I held my gun tight and walked down the hall. I turned to the left and saw the glow of the TV spread across the floor, making the bed and nightstand dancing with shadows as though they were laughing along with the TV.
I jumped into the room and found it empty.
It smelled… different.
Nothing about the place felt right.
I quickly turned and braced myself. I told myself to calm down. Of course this would feel a little off. It was my first time since going inside. I knew the risk of my life… but to face the piper changed all of it. Knowing I could go inside and stay there…
I walked across the hall and opened another door.
It was another bedroom.
A baby’s room.
“A baby?” I whispered.