by Sam Crescent
Who had known the piece of shit would know what to do to protect his ass? The moment he got this dealt with Enrique, he was taking Hannah away. He’d get her to finally admit that she loved him and they’d get married.
The plan was so simple in his mind.
Tapping his phone against his leg, he counted down the seconds, waiting for someone to come.
Checking the time on his watch, he saw it was now a little after seven.
If Enrique didn’t turn up in the next five minutes, he was gone. Simple as that.
While he waited, he put a quick call to Rome, who answered on the second ring.
“Yeah, boss?”
“Update.”
“I’m waiting for her and then we’re heading to the supermarket. I’ve asked her to change her mind, but she’s not budging. Have you two … talked?”
“What do you mean?”
“I just wondered if you’d talked about something.”
“Why?”
“She’s acting weird,” Rome said.
He didn’t need the fucking cryptic questions right now but actual answers.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He didn’t have time for this. There was a shitload of stuff going down. What he actually needed was for Enrique to turn up, confirmation that Isabella was safe at one of his locations, and to finish off with Lawrence caught. That’s what he needed on all fronts. Nothing else.
“She’s asking about you. About us. About Emily. I believe she’s starting to see some of the lies,” Rome said.
“No, you’ve got it all wrong. Just do your job. Get her to the supermarket, keep her safe, and then get her to the apartment. It’s not that hard. Now do it.” He hung up his cell phone and before he’d even taken another breath, another person was on it, and it pissed him the fuck off.
“What?” he asked, yelling into the phone.
“We’ve got Isabella, sir. Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Put her on the phone.”
He heard some shuffling before someone spoke. He was already annoyed and pissed off. If he’d been with Hannah, none of this would be happening right now.
“Hello,” Isabella said, sniffling.
“Hello, Isabella, how are you?”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to play along. If you do as I ask, you’ll live. If not, one of my men will put a bullet hole right in your skull right now. Got it?”
“Why are you doing this? Enrique will kill you if anything happens to me. Why?”
He chuckled. If this had been Hannah’s tears, his heart would be breaking and he’d try to think of a way to fix it. This woman was not Hannah, and he found her tears pitiful. “Because your precious little beau thought he could take something from me without my figuring it out. He’ll soon learn you don’t mess with the king of the street without getting burned yourself.”
“This is complete madness,” Isabella said.
“Let’s hope he loves you as much as you think he loves you.” He hung up the cell phone, and was once again waiting.
His patience was fast running out.
He was about to leave when his cell phone rang once again. It was Cage. “Tell me what I need to know.”
“He’s gone, Boss. No sign of him.”
“Fuck!”
“You need to get out of there. Enrique is coming, and I don’t like this.”
He cut Cage off. There was no way in hell that he’d ever back down from a fight. He thought about Hannah. His men would take care of her.
In that moment, he wondered if she was pregnant.
He’d done everything in his power to knock her up and now he just had to wait. Being inside her was like going to heaven. Her tight cunt pulled him in every single time, making the past five years worth it.
After that first time meeting her in the burger joint, he never expected to see her again. When he did, he knew he had to protect her, have her, take her, but she wasn’t ready, not for him.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he heard the car pull out, doors opening and the sound of footsteps.
“Stay,” Enrique said.
This made his brow rise.
In the next second, Enrique entered the abandoned basement, surprisingly alone.
West had a grip on the gun at his back.
“You’re alone.”
“That’s what you requested.”
“I never expected you to follow through with my request.”
“We come from different worlds, West. There have been many times that you could kill me, and I know if I came in with men, you’d have no problem firing at every single one of them before they’d even drawn a gun. You don’t get where you are without being the best at what you do. We’ve done this dance before. I have something you want, and you know what I want. So why don’t we talk business?”
“What do you have of mine?”
Enrique sighed, opening up his jacket for him to see. He reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper. He opened it up and West saw the picture that he’d posed for with Hannah. He’d not hidden his feelings for her. His men had been waiting to take the snap for this very moment.
“You know, it’s funny you should talk about having something of mine. I’m rather shocked at how easy it was to get something of yours.” He dialed the number as he looked at Enrique. “Just a moment and you’ll see what I mean.” He waited for his man to answer. “Put her on the phone.”
He waited a few seconds.
“Hello.”
“Hey, sweetheart, let’s hear you for a second.”
He put his cell phone to speaker and her voice came over the line.
Enrique was good at hiding his feelings, but West saw the panic, the fear as it flashed across his eyes before he hid it.
“Bella,” he said.
“Enrique, please don’t do anything stupid. I don’t want to die.” She started to cry. The sound grated on West’s nerves.
He closed his cell phone. “My men will kill her if I don’t leave this place alive and well.”
“You son of a bitch.”
“My mother was no bitch. My father was a fucking whore and a bastard, but not my mother. Now, let’s put something into perspective, shall we? You thought you could come into my fucking city, tell me how I’m going to pay you, and that I’d follow behind all the bullshit you wanted me to?”
Enrique’s jaw clenched.
“Lawrence has been in hiding for a few weeks now. His death sentence is coming the moment I get my hands on him. He tried to rape my woman. Now, I can tell you, Isabella is safe from that happening to her, so now tell me why I should let you fucking live when you were going to help a rapist that is on my shit list and due to die?”
****
“That’s never going to happen,” Rome said.
“Why not?” Hannah placed the large joints of beef into the cart, along with lots of chicken, which were on a half-price sale and no one could ever turn down a bargain. She’d bag them up and place them in the freezer for when she needed them. Her mother had taught her how to do this, and even to this day, she followed her mother’s advice for shopping.
“I know the boss, and he won’t go for that.”
“I’ve never met any of his friends. He must have them.”
“You’re confusing West for someone else.”
“And if I want to give this dinner party, you’re telling me you wouldn’t come?”
“I’m saying to you that West will figure some way out of not going or you not giving one. It’s as simple as that.”
Hannah followed behind him, staring at the shelves, but she wasn’t paying attention to any of the labels.
Rome’s words rang inside her head like a broken record. Emily’s bank statements, the coincidences, everything seemed to be confusing her and making sense at the same time.
“You’re saying West manipulates people to get what he wants?”
“He’s not been on top playing fairly.”
She picked up a couple of cans. She didn’t know what they were. Putting them in the cart, she tried her hardest to force a smile.
“So, has he ever tried to manipulate me?” She tilted her head to the side, hoping her look came off as teasing and not snooping.
He opened his mouth and closed it. “Are you done? We need to head back so I can take you to the safe apartment.”
“Nearly. Don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t answer.” Her hands shook a little as they finished their shopping. She tried to draw Rome out a bit more but he’d closed himself off, and that only annoyed her.
Once they were finished and as she went to pay, Rome took over, handing a card to the woman.
The woman behind the counter kept blushing as she looked at Rome, who didn’t seem to notice anything.
With the groceries paid for, Hannah followed him outside. It was already dark, and this was the time she loved to shop. The supermarket was rarely busy at night so she got her pick of the store.
“You know, that woman liked you,” she said.
“What?”
“That woman. Back at the register. She, like, really liked you. She was trying to get your attention.”
He glanced back at the store.
“I don’t have time for silliness.”
“Please, flirting is fun, you know.” She shrugged. “How come you’re in a sour mood?”
“We’ve got to get you to safety.”
She rolled her eyes and saw the car. Reaching into his pocket, she pulled out the keys and rushed toward the car.
“Hannah, wait.”
She beeped the car and rushed toward the trunk. Just as she was lifting it up, movement caught her attention, and when she looked, Lawrence stood there. He held a gun pointed at her head.
At first, it didn’t seem real to her. A gun pointed at her head.
Fear rushed down her spine as she stared at him.
“Do you have any fucking idea what you and your pussy caused me?”
She remembered the feel of his hands touching her, of the sick to her stomach feeling.
“The cops are looking for you.”
“They’re the least of my problems. Your little boyfriend is my biggest, and if he thinks for a second I’m going to him to beg for my life, he’s mistaken. The only thing he cares about at all is standing right here.”
“You better back away,” Rome said.
Hannah turned and saw the gun in his hand.
Why did everyone have guns?
“I have no idea what is going on here. Rome?”
“Hannah, get in the car.”
“No,” Lawrence said. “She stays.” He stepped toward her, and before she could do anything he had a hand tightly wrapped around her throat, cutting off some of her air supply. She gripped his hand, taken aback by his strength. “Does she even know what he’s done? What he’s been doing for some time?”
“Enough,” Rome said.
“What is going on?” she asked.
“I wonder how you’ll feel when you realize none of your life has been real.”
She frowned, looking at Rome.
“She doesn’t know because no one is allowed to tell you. West Gallo isn’t some businessman. He rules these streets.”
“He told me about the fighting. How he won every single fight,” she said.
Lawrence laughed, his grip bruising as she choked.
“You have no idea of the monster you’re in bed with. You really are a stupid fucking bitch, aren’t you? I can see why he likes you. You can’t even see how much he’s controlled your life. You really think you were intelligent enough to get a scholarship? There are a lot brighter women out there that are worth the time and money, believe me. You’re not one of them. You’ll never be one of them.”
“Enough, Lawrence.”
“I see his little cronies keep you in the dark. You see, West wasn’t just a random guy, Hannah. He’s been watching you for a long time now. Longer than you even realize. He’s the one that made sure you didn’t fail out of college. He even gave you a roommate. He thinks when he talks people listen. I listened. I fucking investigated him. That’s my job, to find out where money is being leaked, and I know that he’s been pushing money your way for fucking years. It didn’t take long to put two and two together when you came to my office. I already had your name on file for one of his businesses. With him looking the other way, I was able to piece everything together. Yeah, Emily too; it’s all part of his clever plan to have you in his life. Nothing you know is the truth. It’s all fabricated lies for him to own every single part of you. There’s no one you can trust. You think you know him, but he’s got more kills under his belt than a fucking army sniper.”
Her heart pounded.
She listened to every single word that Lawrence said.
Staring at Rome, she tried to see if what Lawrence said was the truth.
Rome gave her a look of pity.
Was it pity?
There’s no way she could trust what Lawrence was saying, could she?
All lies.
“Now I’m on his shit list for wanting to take a taste of the pussy he’s been wanting, and my life is in danger.”
“Let her go.”
“Nah, I’m not fucking stupid.”
“Following us here was fucking stupid.”
“Yeah, well, I’m taking my chances.”
“Hannah,” Rome said. “I know right now you’re feeling hurt and you’re trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I get that, but you can’t leave with this man. He will kill you just to make it out. Do you know what I’m saying?”
He wanted her to move. To do something that would give him the chance to take Lawrence out.
Did she want this man dead?
The memory of his attack in his office made her close her eyes and slump to the ground. She covered her face as she heard the silencer on the gun. There wasn’t a loud bang, but she heard the single shot—next, the sound of a body falling to the ground.
Before she could turn her head or do something, Rome had her hands locked in his.
“Get in the car.”
“I want to go home.”
“No. Get in the damn car and don’t make me force you, Hannah. Right now, I’m not in the fucking mood.” He didn’t give her a chance to argue as he shoved her into the back of the car.
He’d put the damn child lock on. She slammed her hands against the window. She watched as he lifted Lawrence’s body and dumped it into the trunk of the car. There weren’t too many people around, a few cars here or there. It wasn’t a very popular supermarket but it was one she always liked. She was never going to see this the same way again.
“Let me out of here.”
Rome didn’t answer. The moment he dumped the body in the back of the car, he rounded to the driver’s side and climbed in.
“Let me out, Rome. I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Rome, please, was it true?”
“This is not a conversation to have with me. Sit back and relax.”
“Relax? You killed a man.”
“Who was going to kill you the first chance he got. I did you a favor, and this is how you repay me? For fuck’s sake. Your life was in danger.”
“How long has my life been my own? What he said? All of it. I saw something in Emily’s bank statements. It’s true, isn’t it? West has paid her to be my what? My friend?”
“Hannah, you need to talk to him.”
“Why? Is he really that dangerous? Should I run? What should I do?”
“Not panic and trust me to take care of you. Can you do that? I’ve only ever wanted to take care of you and make sure you stay safe.”
She stared at his reflection in the rearview mirror. He did look genuinely sorry. “Do we know each other?”
“No, we don’t know each other. I’ve been trusted to care for you, and that is exactly what I’m doing. It has bee
n nice to finally meet you though, Hannah.”
“Finally?”
“I can’t tell you any more.”
Sitting back in her seat, she wondered what she was going to do. Who she could trust? Emily? Emily’s family? West?
Since her parents died, she hadn’t gotten close to anyone.
“Does West hold the scholarship?” she asked.
“Hannah, please, just, calm down. Relax.”
She had sex with a man she didn’t even know. What the hell was wrong with her? Running hands down her face, she tried to think clearly. To understand all that was going on. There was always something vaguely familiar about West. There were movements that always gave her a feeling of déjà vu.
Staring out of the window, she tried her hardest to ignore the dead body in the back of the car and that feeling like she couldn’t breathe. Rubbing her chest, she kept taking deep breaths.
Calm down.
Don’t panic.
It’ll be okay.
What if it wasn’t okay? What if it was all true? What if she had no one?
Biting her lip, she ran her fingers through her hair, wanting nothing more than to pull the strands out.
This wasn’t what she wanted. This wasn’t how she imagined her life.
She should be happy, not feeling so alone.
Chapter Thirteen
After careful negotiation with Enrique, West was able to stop any potential threat of war. Of course, it helped that Isabella was in his care, and before Enrique left, he made sure she was at a secure location before they concluded their business. With Isabella held by his men, he’d made sure that Enrique couldn’t sell any of his dope in his city. However, they did talk profit for transporting it through the city and out to where he needed it to go. For twenty-five percent of the profit of all the dope sold, Enrique got one of the MCs he had dealings with for a lump sum payment.
“I wouldn’t have listened to that piece of shit if I knew what he’d done.”
“We live and learn.” He shook hands with Enrique, and considering he expected to leave injured, coming out with a business arrangement was pretty good going. Neither of them wanted to die. West’s death would not only guarantee Isabella’s death, there would also be a hit placed on Enrique as well.