“She lost the baby.” He mummers in a monotone voice. Hearing the news that she lost the baby is enough to have me turning around. Determination coursing through my veins. Knowing how happy Dalton was, and recognizing all this is happening because of someone that is determined to ruin me, is more than enough to send me over the edge.
“I’ll come back in the morning.” I announce before walking away.
“K.J. wait.” Jasper yells out.
I turn back toward him, watching as he takes the few steps toward me, “I thought Izzy had told you brother. I’m sorry for dropping the news on you like that.” There is nothing left to say. I was not focused enough tonight, and Dalton payed the price. I walk away from Jasper with thoughts of revenge running through my mind. Anthony Johnathan will not hurt another person I care about.
Chapter 11
K.J.
I stroll into Lorenzo’s office interrupting a meeting he’s having with, his successor, Santiago. He is sitting behind his oak desk, while Santiago stands in front of it. The two look so much alike you would think they were brothers. With their thick black hair, black eyes, and natural tan all Cubans have.
“How?” I ask, knowing he will know exactly what it is I am referring to.
“Santiago give us a minute.” Lorenzo says easily dismissing his business partner. This should come as no surprise to Santiago. Lorenzo only tells him what he thinks he needs to know. There is no true partnership. He is just another puppet to Lorenzo and judging by the look on his face he is starting to realize it.
“I have killed men for far less then barging into my office.” He states once Santiago is out of the office. He seems to think I am still that scared little boy he was forced to take in.
“I have tortured men for looking at me wrong, what’s your point?” I ask.
“I don’t know how the cops found the buildings, there must be a rat amongst us. I have someone working on sniffing them out. Until then, I need you to stay low. I’ll have Diego take over your targets.”
“Where is London?” I question. If this Agent Marks decides to go further back and look into her disappearance that could mean bad news for all of us. No one in my group knows exactly what happened to her or that I had her abducted and sold to the highest bidder.
“She’s in Rio with her new owner. Learning to keep her mouth shut and legs open. Apparently she is a fast learner. Raymond says she has learned quicker than most.”
“I’m going to be off the radar for a while. When you find the rat call me.” I declare before turning around to leave his office. “Don’t barge into my office unannounced again.” He shouts to my retreating back. Smiling inwardly, I think about the day I will ultimately force him to experience the pain and agony he once showed me.
Arriving at my next stop, with less than five minutes to spare, I stride into the nursing home. The receptionist at the desks looks me over, eventually asking me my name. “Charlie Ward.” I state. With a few clicks to her computer, she comes across the fake name, “follow me, Mr. Ward.” She orders.
This place isn’t your typical shit hole nursing home. Here they have colorful flowers. Trying to make the smell of death less prominent. Framed photographs on the wall show different activities that have taken place between the elderly living here. The orderly walks me to a door in the middle of the hallway. Stopping in front of the door she gives me a small smile before walking away. I waste no time at all entering the room of my new friend, Maggie.
She is lying, on the bed, peacefully asleep. Oblivious to the threat that is now in her room. When it comes to protecting what is mine there is nothing I wouldn’t do. Including using someone’s dying mother against them. I take a seat on the reclining chair, next to her bed, and wait for her next visitor to arrive.
It doesn’t take long before the door opens, and I am looking into the eyes of Sabastian. Quickly hiding the shock in his eyes, he shuts the door quietly, before making his way to the other side of the bed. “They were right about you.” He states, now staring at my hand that is holding a syringefull of pancuronium bromide.
“Start talking.” I say, standing to my full height.
“Anthony hired me to follow you and your family around. I was told to keep track of your comings and goings, place a few photos here and there, and stay hidden.” He replies, glancing at his mother. I take the syringe and stick it into Maggie’s I.V. He’s not telling me the truth, and I am running out of patience.
“Alright, Alright.” He hollers out. “Your father and I go way back. I was there when he met your mother, before he went to prison. Him and Lorenzo have always fought over territory and drugs. Now that Anthony is out he wants his old territory back and the only thing standing in his way is Lorenzo.”
“Why come after me and my family?” I ask.
“You were raised by his enemy. He no longer sees you as blood. In his eyes you are the reason people won’t take him serious anymore. Killing his own son will make him look all the more brutal.
I remove the syringe’s needle from the I.V taking a step back. “Just let me say my goodbyes.” He pleas, while looking me in the eyes. He knows the opportunity to talk was to save his mother, not himself. As he is leaning over to whisper something in her ear, I stab him in the neck, releasing the poison into his blood stream. The side effects are almost instant, Sebastian grabs his neck, stepping away from the bed he falls to the cold floor. Every muscle in his body is now paralyzed, making it impossible for him to move, his diaphragm no longer working. Stepping over his body, happy with the new information, I leave him to die alone and helpless on the old tiled floor.
Chapter 12
K.J.
There are no lights on in Dalton’s house giving the impression no one is home. However, I know different. It’s been a month since the tragedy that took the life of his unborn son, and I think it’s time he learns the full reason behind it. Walking in through the unlocked front door I make my way towards the back of the house where some commotion can be heard. Dalton and Bethany bought this house shortly after they found out she was pregnant. She was adamant they get a, “Leave it to beaver”, house that she could raise her children in. I remember Dalton bitching about it with a stupid grin on his face. I think he was secretly excited.
“Dalton.” I shout out, stepping through the carnage that once was a nursery. He’s holding an aluminum baseball bat. Beating the hell out of what looks to be a crib. He glances up briefly before proceeding with his demolition job.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask
She said she wouldn’t come home until I got rid of everything in this room, so I’m getting rid of it.” He mumbles.
“Would it not have been easier to find someone else to do it?”
“Easier? Yes.” He grunts out mid-swing. “Therapeutic? No.”
“I’ll just wait for you to finish.” I say leaning my back on the only wall away from the debris. Dalton’s normal goofy grin is replaced with an angry glare as he destroys what is left of the crib. My instincts telling me he might turn that bat on me, after I say what I came here to say.
“Bethany can’t even talk to me without crying.” He states, dropping the bat to the carpeted floor. Coming to stand next to me, he slides down the wall, and places his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do, K.J.”
I sit down beside Dalton, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “There’s something I need to tell you.” I mutter. He looks up, hearing the importance in my tone, and gives me his full attention.
“I work for a man named Lorenzo Alvarez, he is the leader of the Marielitos gang. They are big time drug dealers and smugglers. My father, Anthony, has declared war on them and me personally. That is why they came after Bethany.” I finish my statement fully expecting his reaction to be worse than Jasper’s. A lot of people misjudge Dalton and think he’s just a simple minded playboy, when in fact he is smarter than most my enemies.
“Can I be honest with you?” Dalton asks. “All this time I thought you were some type of
spy for the government. Normal people don’t know the shit you do, and they sure as hell don’t carry syringes full of sketchy liquids. Seeing you stab Jasper in the neck after Candice left was a surreal moment. I’m a little disappointed you’re just a drug dealer”
I place my hand in the air, interrupting his off topic speech, “I don’t deal with the drugs, Dalton. I am a contract killer of sorts.” I state, finally revealing the entire truth. He breaks eye contact, now staring at the destroyed room, “I don’t blame you, K.J.” He says. “Had you not been there they would have taken Bethany’s life too. Just promise me one thing.” He mummers, once again looking me in the eye. “Promise me you will make Anthony suffer for everything he has done.”
I shake my head, in understanding, feeling a small weight lift off my shoulders. “Thanks for taking this better than Jasper.” I state.
“Jasper is a control freak. He doesn’t always think rationally when it comes to Candice and someone did try to run her over.” Dalton declares with a smirk on his face. “Now help me get this shit out of my house and into the yard. Tonight is a perfect night for a bonfire.”
Looking at the closest friend I have, seeing the determination on his face, I’m proud to have him in my life. Dalton has always been the glue that kept our group together. The one that was always staying strong for everyone else. Right now he is trying to be that person for Bethany and in doing so he’s sitting on a ticking time bomb that will soon explode. The only thing I can do for him is keep my promise and be here when he needs me.
Chapter 13
Izzy
The month of October is creeping up on me, and I am no closer to getting rid of my sister than I was in July. If not for Gunner I would have already gone completely crazy and been put into a mental institution. He is absolutely amazing at helping me forget just how hectic my life is right now. The psycho, that is after our group, is still on the loose. On the nights I think about it the most, Gunner always offers to stay with me. You would think a man in that position would try to take advantage of the situation but he never has.
In just two short weeks we will be at the three month dating mark, and since there has been little interference on K.J.’s part, everything is great. He makes time for me, takes me out on romantic dates, and there are no unanswered questions between us. Tonight Gunner is coming to my apartment to cook me dinner, so we can have a date night to ourselves.
I slap my hands down on the bar, from all the built up energy I have after drinking three Red Bulls, waiting for my order of drinks. With all the time Gunner and I spend together I haven’t had much time for sleep. We haven’t gone all the way yet, but there has been a lot of touching and kissing going on.
“I need two shots of tequila and a sex on the beach.” I yell out to Shay, the bartender that normally works the same shifts as me. She’s a part time lesbian with even less of a filter than me.
“It’s been a while since I had some dick.” Shay shouts out a little too loud causing the woman sitting five stools down to scuff before walking off. “I’m thinking I should go throw myself at one.”
“What one?” I ask, not at all offended by the way she talks.
“The one, in all black, sitting at the end of the bar drinking a beer. There is just something about him that makes me want to do bad things.” She declares while thrusting her hips in a suggestive way.
“Keep it in your pants honey or Natalie will kick your cheating ass to the curb again.” I remind her while glancing in the general direction she pointed at. The moment my eyes make contact with the dark figure sitting on the bar stool, I instantly know who it is.
“I know him. He was dating one of my friends not too long ago. Turns out she gave him scabies.” I announce before walking off, hoping that is enough to calm her libido. I know the thought of K.J. with Shay shouldn’t make my heart hurt and my blood boil with rage, but it does. I’m just going to chalk it up as crazy unused sex hormones.
After quickly dropping off the drinks, to the pretty blonde sitting with two ugly guys, I stroll over to K.J. “What are you doing here?” I ask. He says nothing, just holds up his nearly empty glass as a way of explanation. “That is not the reason you came down here. There are plenty of other bars for you to get a beer at. You’ve been MIA for months, why are you, all of a sudden, showing up at my workplace?”
“Why do you ask questions if you’re not going to like the answer?”
“For once in your life just answer the damn question I asked.” I spit out.
“I thought I told you to stay away from Gunner Nelson.”
“That’s why you came down here. To try and talk me out of seeing Gunner. Well I’m sorry friend but you wasted a trip.” I say. Making an emphasis on friend. He doesn’t get to disappear to god knows where and show back up trying to boss me around like nothing has changed. I’m with Gunner now, the best thing for me to do is just walk away from this conversation.
“Why must you make everything difficult, Elizabeth? You and I both know I will get what I want.” He declares, arching one of his eyebrows. I slam my mouth shut on the retort, that is dying to come out, and march off in the same direction I came from.
I start going from table to table. Taking orders and bringing empty glasses back to the bar. I can feel his eyes on me the whole time but the anger I feel toward him isn’t allowing me to care. Eventually I get back into a rhythm, and before I know it an hour has passed. Leaving only thirty minutes left in my shift.
“Izzy can you run to the back and get me another bottle of sweet and sour mix please?” Shay asks, as I sit down another empty glass. I give her a slight nod before placing my tray on the bar and heading to the back. Opening the door to the closet that we keep the mixes in, I flip the switch on the wall, but the light doesn’t turn on. I keep telling my boss the damn thing only works when it wants to, but he doesn’t care. I pull one of the boxes over to the door, as a make shift door jamb, because the mixture I am looking for will be in the back corner to my right. So any light at this point will help.
I’m on my tip toes reaching for the box I need. When I hear the slamming of the door shutting behind me. Grabbing the first bottle that my fingertips touch, I turn around in a hurry, ready to use it as a weapon.
“Do you plan on hitting me with that, Elizabeth?” K.J.’s voice rings out into the darkness. Once my brain registers there is not any real danger my heart starts pounding for many different reasons. I am alone in a dark closet with the only man that can make me, literally, weak at the knees. This is not ideal when you have a boyfriend currently cooking you dinner at your apartment. “Damn it K.J. you scared the shit out of me. What in the hell are you doing back here?” I ask trying to hide the anxiety in my voice.
“Are you nervous?” He questions, sounding closer to me. With the door shut there is not enough light coming in for me to be able to see. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down but the smell if his cologne is causing my brain to fog over.
“Nope.” I squeak out when I feel his body warmth getting closer.
“Give me your hands.” He demands. Without my sight, my other senses are stronger which allows me to judge his whereabouts. His cologne has gotten stronger, his voice closer, and body warmth hotter. I instinctively take a step back, bumping into the shelf of boxes.
“Elizabeth, stop running and give me your hands.” The tone of his voice has my body reacting immediately. I slowly raise my hands in the general direction of his voice, which would be right in front of me. He takes both my wrist in his large, calloused, hand and places my arms above my head. Effectively pinning me against the shelves. Then he steps forward, ultimately leaving no space between us, our bodies now flushed against each other. His free hand glides up my back and neck until his fingers are in my hair. With a gentle tug he tilts my head back, “tell me you want this.” He whispers onto my lips.
Somewhere in the recesses of my brain, my conscious is yelling Gunner’s name, but the reality that K.J. is standing in front o
f me finally giving me what I have been practically begging for is enough to ignore the warning bells. He tightens his grip on my hair effectively bringing me back to the now. “I want this.” I whisper out into the darkness.
The moment he slams his lips onto mine I feel my body melt into his. He’s controlling and commanding. Forcing my body to respond to him like no one else before. When I try to deepen the kiss he bites down on my bottom lip as a warning. That small amount of pain sends a jolt of pleasure straight to my clit. Trying to loosen his grip on my arms, my body is screaming at me to pull him closer. The once slow ache between my legs has turned into an intense throbbing.
“You taste better then I imagined.” He whispers into my ear, after breaking the kiss. Whimpering out loud, no longer caring how pathetic I sound, “please fuck me K.J.” I beg, not ashamed to ask for what I want anymore. I want him to consume me.
“Be patient, Elizabeth.” He states with the authority back in his voice. He frees my hands after giving me one last kiss and steps away. I miss his body warmth as soon as he is gone. His footsteps never make a sound. The only indication he is at the door is the light that enters when he cracks it open. With a look that sends chills to my spine he turns toward me and says, “stay away from Gunner, Elizabeth, this is your last warning.”
Chapter 14
Izzy
The cab ride home does nothing to ease the guilt of what I allowed to happen in that supply closet. I’m currently standing outside my apartment trying to work up the nerve to tell Gunner what happened. I don’t like lying about something this important. It’s just not who I am. Mentally slapping myself several times before opening the door, I walk into my apartment that is decorated with beautiful flowers and candles. The lights are turned off, replacing them is a walkway of flickering flames guiding me to the kitchen. I follow the path and come to a stop when I see Gunner standing over my little round table trying to fix the flowers he placed in the center.
Breaking The Silence (Fatally Flawed Book 3) Page 4