Endless Love

by Drake, Tabatha

  I nod, swallowing hard. “For Elijah,” I say.

  We empty our glasses and silently set them down.

  Chapter 13

  Boxcar

  “God, I hate Paris,” Lilah says as we climb the cramped stairwell.

  I chortle. “You know, Lilah, I think you and I finally agree on something.”

  “Just look at this place!” She runs her hand along the wall and pulls it away, now covered in speckled, white dust. “I mean, granted, I’ve spent the majority of my time here in dank, dirty Snake Eyes safe houses like this one, but...” She quickly wipes her hands on her jeans. “Come on, Paris. Have some dignity.”

  We reach the top of the stairs and I glance at my phone, monitoring my tracking app for any changes. “Should be this door over here...”

  “Hey. You’re from Memphis, right?”

  “Uh...” I look back at her, her beady, inquisitive eyes poking out from behind her red bangs. “Yeah. Why?”

  “Is it fun?”

  “It can be?” I answer. “If you like booze and Elvis, I guess.”

  “Do you think Archer likes booze and Elvis?”

  “I...” I stop in the middle of the hall. “Why?”

  “I wanna plan a trip,” she says, her face pinching. “Something fun but not too fancy. Like a romantic getaway. But not too lame, you know? Something that says I appreciate you but also says I’d be down for some butt stuff.”

  I blink. “Are you asking me for relationship advice?”

  She releases a painful scoff. “I don’t know. You’re the only person I know who even remotely comes close to a friend of Archer’s. Cut me some slack here.”

  My mouth sags in bewilderment. “You shot me in the back with a shotgun.”

  “You’re still mad about that?”

  I cock my head. “Uh...”

  She stands taller. “Hey, if I’m going through this much trouble to help get your wife back, isn’t humoring me the very least you can do?” she asks.

  Shit. She’s got a point.

  “Okay...” I lower my phone to my side. “Well, I’ve seen him drink, so... booze should be okay.”

  She nods. “All right.”

  I squint. “But I don’t... really know him well enough to know where he stands on Elvis.”

  “Damn,” she murmurs.

  “But... I can ask him?”

  She smiles. “Will you?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “But don’t make it too obvious!” she says, pointing a finger. “I don’t want him to know I asked you.”

  “I will be discreet.” I turn toward the door, then pause. “And... I don’t know. Butt stuff seems like more of a New Orleans kind of thing.”

  She considers it. “Hm.”

  “Or Portland.”

  “Good point.”

  I gesture to the door. “Anyway, this should be it.” I scan the walls for an exploit. “Might take a look and see if I can find a structural—”

  Lilah pats my arm. “Eh, scooch,” she says, moving me out of the way.

  She rears back and kicks the door open. It slams against the opposite wall, splintering the wood around the handle, and she waltzes inside.

  “Or, you can just… do that,” I say.

  I follow her inside and stop beside her. It’s a tiny studio apartment, barely even large enough to be called that with a straight face. A pull-out couch. A dirty kitchenette. A bathroom so filthy I can see the mildew from here.

  And Casey Fawn. He sits at a small table by the kitchenette, casually spooning soup into his mouth. He looks up at us and shakes his head in amusement.

  “Sure,” he says, lowering his spoon into the bowl. “Come on in. Make yourselves at home.”

  I quickly close the broken door, firing a look at Lilah. “How have you survived this long?” I whisper at her.

  “Questionable morals and a lot of lip gloss,” she says. She walks over to the window and pushes the curtains out of the way, illuminating the dark space. “Hey, Casey. We need to chat.”

  “I know,” he mutters. “That’s why I left the door unlocked.”

  She shrugs and leans an elbow against the counter.

  He rises from his chair and deposits his empty bowl in the sink. “Took you long enough,” he says, running the tap to clean it out. “I expected you a lot sooner.”

  I look at the table to see Caleb’s revolver sitting there. The blank bullet I planted in the cylinder has been broken open and the GPS chip sits out on the table.

  Lilah picks it up. “Is this how you low-jacked him?” she asks me. “Nice.”

  “Eh... I low-jacked me, to be honest,” I say. “Figured if we got separated at some point, you guys could easily find me again.”

  She tosses it back onto the table. “That’s cute.”

  I shrug. “I thought it was a neat idea.”

  “No, that you think we’d come find you,” she says, snickering.

  I exhale. Walked right into that one.

  Casey sits back down. “So, what would you like to talk about?” he asks.

  I take the second chair across from him and I freeze like a deer in headlights. Caleb’s father. She doesn’t talk about him much, but I can tell that she thinks about him often. Every time she opened her bedside drawer and saw that revolver, I knew he was on her mind. Not in a sad way, though. With love and respect.

  I sit up taller, showing a little respect of my own. “I’m not sure how much you know already, but… Caleb’s been taken by the Boss.”

  He doesn’t react. Either he knows that… or he doesn’t care.

  “I want you to help us get her back,” I say. “Her and Dani and Lucy—”

  “I can’t do that,” he says.

  “Please.”

  “It’s not possible, kid.”

  “She’s pregnant,” I say. “She’s pregnant with my baby and I am begging you, man-to-man, to help me get her back.”

  Casey inhales slowly. “Look, I—”

  “She’s your daughter,” I say over him, feeling desperate. “Now, I know you still care about her. You wouldn’t have let me go out there if you didn’t. I know you don’t want this life for her… just like I don’t want this life for my baby.”

  “I understand what you’re getting at,” he says, “but the man you’re trying to appeal to right now is dead. I can’t help you. Sorry.”

  I sit back in the chair, staring into his eyes as I hold my anger back. And to think I thought he and Caleb had the same eyes.

  “Okay…” I say. “Then, how about this?” I lean forward. “You’re going to help us. You’re going to do everything in your power to find out where they took Caleb. You’re going to tell us right now where your squad was supposed to deliver Lilah and then you’re going to escort us there.”

  “Oh, am I?” he asks.

  “Yes, you are.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “Because if you don’t, then I’ll give the signal to my buddy, Archer. He’s former MI-6 but he’s still got some friends over at Interpol who are just itching to bring as many Snake Eyes agents into custody as possible. Sure, you might have a bit of a head start if you ran right now but I don’t like your chances against Lilah here after what I saw her do to Myra and the rest of your squad with her bare hands.”

  He slowly glances over my shoulder at her.

  “But on the off-chance you do take her and me out,” I continue, “there’s always the sniper outside with a rifle trained to your forehead right now. Bottom line: Either you stop dicking around and agree to help me get my wife and our friends back or you don’t walk out of here alive, Casey.”

  He squints at me.

  I clear my throat. “Sir.”

  Casey looks back and forth between Lilah and me. “So, Myra’s gone, huh?”

  Lilah nods. “Oh, yeah. She’s super dead.”

  He sits still, nodding slowly as he thinks it over. After a moment, he rises from his chair and wanders over to the window.
>
  Lilah nudges my arm. “Goddamn, Sparky,” she says. “You can be alpha as fuck when you really wanna be.”

  “Yes, I can,” I say, my eyes locked on Casey.

  He turns toward us again. “What do you mean you want me to escort you there?” he asks.

  “Myra said your squad was sent to get Lilah for Gio,” I say. “All we want is for you to finish the job.”

  He looks at Lilah. “You want me to deliver you to Giovani Zappia?”

  She shrugs. “Sure, why not?”

  “Because it’s stupid. You go in there, you’re never coming out again.”

  “I can handle myself.”

  “Trust me. Gio is well-aware at how good you are at handling yourself,” he says. “You’ll be sedated and locked up the second you’re on the property.”

  “What property?” I ask.

  He pauses, hesitating one last time. “The Zappia estate in Chicago,” he says. “That’s where the other girls were taken, too. There’s a good chance you’ll find the Boss there as well — along with your wife, if what you say is true.”

  Lilah smirks with satisfaction. “Why do you know this, but Myra didn’t?” she asks.

  My brow piques.

  Casey’s lips twitch. “Myra’s involvement in the mission was need-to-know only.”

  “Why would the Boss’ voice be need-to-know only?” Lilah asks.

  “Because she was demoted,” I say, drawing Casey’s eye. “Right?”

  “Myra had become unpredictable,” he says. “After a string of bad decisions on her part, the Boss decided that she needed to start trimming the fat if she wanted the organization to survive another day.” He looks at Lilah. “Once we had you, my orders were pretty clear.”

  “Kill Myra,” I say.

  He nods. “But then, you showed up. So, I took off, stopped here to get my bearings, and that’s when I found the tracker.” He breathes a laugh. “Figured you’d show up eventually, so I waited.”

  “Didn’t happen to alert your friends, did you?” Lilah asks.

  “You mean the ones you already murdered?” he quips. “No, I did not.”

  “Could have called in a back-up squad.”

  “If I had, you’d be dead by now,” he says. “Or had, at least, worked up a sweat.”

  Lilah shrugs a shoulder in agreement.

  “Why didn’t you call them?” I ask.

  “Because I didn’t feel like it.”

  “Because you care about Caleb.”

  He laughs. “Kid…”

  “Why else would you want to keep me alive?”

  “Snake Eyes is finished,” he says. “There’s no way the Boss can keep it afloat no matter how much fat she trims off. The smart ones among us are abandoning ship while we can and seeking employment elsewhere. Your little assault on the Boss’ compound just allowed me to slip out undetected sooner than I had planned.”

  “Elsewhere?” I ask.

  “You think Snake Eyes is all that’s out there for men like me?” he asks. “You think those of us who have dedicated our lives to the job will be able to just… go back to Oklahoma?”

  I look at the table between us.

  “This work is all I have, and I’ve got another job all lined up. So, no. I won’t be escorting you anywhere,” he says. “I’ve answered your questions. I’ve told you what I know and where you need to go but don’t think for a second I do it for any other reason than Fitzpatrick lying prone on the rooftop across the street and I’ve got more shit to do before I die. I stopped being a father a long time ago and I’m not going to start again, so don’t expect it of me. You’ll be disappointed.”

  “Oh, believe me,” I say. “I’m already very disappointed.”

  He glares at me.

  “The way Caleb talks about you,” I say. “How much she loved you and looked up to you. She grew up in your image and if she finds out how much of a pathetic lie you really are…” I shake my head. “On second thought, why bother? You don’t care, right?” I pick up the GPS chip off the table and push the revolver toward him. “You can keep that, by the way. Caleb won’t be needing her good luck charm anymore.”

  I stand up and march past Lilah toward the broken door. If I were in a sentimental mood, I’d keep an ear open for him. He’d say my name and I’d look back and he’d drop some kind of platitude on me that makes him look a little less like an asshole.

  But he stays quiet.

  Lilah follows me out, taking wide strides to catch up. “So, Plan B, then?” she asks.

  I nod. “Plan B.”

  “Rock on,” she says as we reach the stairwell. “What’s Plan B?”

  Chapter 14

  Lucy

  What in the actual fuck is happening here?

  First, I got kidnapped in Russia. Not my finest hour.

  Then, I wake up here, chained to a bed. Again.

  Seriously. How many guys are going to keep chaining me to beds? That’s not how you hold Lucy Vaughn down. Just ask Dante. I thought I was through getting surprised but this — this — is some next-level, dystopian shit.

  Gio’s mother came in here this morning and dropped off the gown. She laid it down at the foot of my bed with such care and grace you’d think the thing would rip apart but as I squeeze into it now, it’s strong and thick.

  And black. Pure black from top-to-bottom with a long veil that covers my head and practically drags the carpet as I walk.

  I thought brides were supposed to wear white.

  The door opens suddenly. I roll my eyes with annoyance as Gio himself walks in. At least he can’t see it behind the veil. Bonus.

  “Good day, Lucy,” he says as he folds his hands behind his back. He looks me up and down and smiles. “My god, you look lovely.”

  I turn away from him and he laughs.

  “Oh, come on, Lucy Vaughn,” he says as he crosses the room toward me. “Where’s that crack of a wit?”

  He’s baiting me. Trying to get me to talk. Don’t get me wrong, I gave him quite the earful when I first got here. I called him every name I could recall from growing up on the streets of Chicago. The first time, he took it. The second time, too.

  The third time, he smiled, turned around, and walked across the hallway into another room.

  A few seconds later, I heard another girl scream.

  I stopped talking after that. I don’t know who that girl was, but I don’t want to risk him hurting her because of me.

  “Lucy…” he says, chuckling. “I must say, I’m proud of you. I didn’t think you’d take the vow of silence seriously. You’ll make an extraordinary Zappia bride.”

  Yeah, sure. Whatever that means.

  I ain’t being nobody’s bride.

  Except maybe Dante’s.

  Hurry the fuck up, Dante.

  Gio sighs behind me and I cringe as his hands caress my shoulders. “Lucy, turn around…”

  I do it and he flashes that disgusting smile.

  “I can’t wait to see those beautiful eyes again tomorrow,” he whispers. “Tonight is your final night alone here. Tomorrow, we’ll be married… and you’ll spend the night with me.”

  I flinch in disgust, but I bite my tongue to not say a word.

  Seriously. What in the actual fuck?

  “Tell me there isn’t a part of you…” he says, drawing close, “that wants to feel me inside of you.”

  Nope.

  I head-butt him in the nose, firing a flurry of pain throughout my forehead, but goddammit, it was worth it.

  Gio stumbles backward but quickly rights himself. He touches his nose, feeling for blood as he grits his teeth in anger.

  “Lucy…” he seethes.

  He steps forward with rolled fists, purposefully stopping to tower over me but I don’t cower. I stand tall, tightening myself to take any punches this piss-ant wants to throw at me.

  Instead, he drops to one knee and grabs the chain around my ankle. He quickly unlocks the cuff and stands to take me by the neck.

&n
bsp; “Come with me,” he says.

  He drags me out into the hallway, moving so quickly I can hardly keep up with this black tarp weighing me down. We pass by several armed guards. Not one of them raises more than an eye to my situation. They don’t even seem surprised.

  Gio throws open a door and shoves me inside first.

  I tumble to the floor, unable to keep my dress from bunching underneath my feet.

  “A Zappia woman is brave,” Gio says, crushing every word, “never tortured or fearful.”

  I push up onto my knees, raising my head to look around the room. It’s an old study, the shelves lining the walls with books and trinkets. An elegant sofa sits in front of an unlit fireplace.

  “A Zappia woman is focused, never careless or rash,” he says as he calmly walks across the room.

  There’s another girl on the sofa, dressed in the same black gown as I am.

  Gio grabs my arm and forces me to stand. “A Zappia woman is wise, never arrogant or cold,” he says as he thrusts me toward the couch.

  I sit down beside the other girl and Gio stands over us with his hands on his hips.

  “You are Zappia women now,” he says, looking back and forth at us. “From this day forward, I will not tolerate anything less. There is no shame in what you’ve been chosen for. I do think that someday, very soon, you’ll both be thankful for what I have given you.” He straightens up and smooths his crinkled jacket down. “Now, do you have any questions?” he asks, expecting silence.

  “Yeah,” I say. “Who told you that tie was a good idea?”

  The other girl snorts quietly beneath her veil.

  Gio rushes toward me, his palm flat to strike me with.

  “Giovani…”

  He stops with his hand raised and we all turn to look at the woman standing in the doorway.

  “May I speak to you for a moment?” she asks.

  Gio lowers his arm and gives the two of us a few biting glances before stomping off toward the door. He and the woman go out into the hallway and she slowly closes the door behind them.

  I exhale hard as I bunch up my veil and pull it over my head. “I’m Lucy,” I say to the girl. “Who are you?”