by Hamel, B. B.
I got up and left. I took the long way back, doubling back once or twice, feeling paranoid. Fucking Joey got me looking over my shoulder.
Back at the mansion, I headed in through the front and got a dirty look from Vincent’s security goons. I went upstairs, Joey’s warning still in my head, knocking around in there.
If he was wrong, or if he was lying, then nothing would happen here. I could keep Amber right in her room and do all the dirty, filthy things I wanted with her, hour after hour, day after day, until this shit blew over.
But if he was right, and something big was coming, I had to get her out.
I’d hate myself if I got warned but didn’t act on it.
I headed into her room and found her curled up in bed with her phone. She perked up as I lingered in the doorway and watched her for a few seconds.
“How was your meeting?” she asked.
“Fruitful.”
“Yeah? Who’d you meet with?”
“Guy named Joey.” I watched her for a few seconds, still torn. “He told me something.”
She put her phone down. “You look upset.”
“Not upset. Just—” I stopped myself. “Trying to make a decision.”
“What happened?”
“This guy told me that the Dusters are making a move soon, a big move on the mansion. Which means we could be in the line of fire all over again.”
Her face turned white. “Are you joking?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not telling you to freak you out. It’s just—Joey might be wrong, you know? And Vincent doesn’t want us to leave. But if he’s right, then fuck what Vincent wants.”
“How much do you trust Joey?”
“He’s lying about something, or leaving something out, I’m not sure which.”
She leaned her head back and let out a frustrated breath. “Why is this happening?”
“I don’t know.” I walked a few paces into her room. “I want you to know what’s going on. I can handle it myself, but you should have a say in your future.”
“I know.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I just wish I could have a few days where I didn’t worry about getting killed.”
“I know.” I felt like a bastard for telling her, but I knew it was the right thing to do.
She opened her eyes again and looked at me. “What happens if we leave?”
“Vincent won’t be happy. He’ll send some guys to bring us back, most likely.”
“Slap on the wrist?”
I shrugged and walked over to her. I sat on the edge of the bed and put my hand on her leg. “Probably. Might be worse for me than for you.”
“And if we stay, we risk getting caught in the crossfire of some big attack.”
“Exactly.” I let out a breath. “I think it’s pretty obvious, right?”
“I think you’re right.”
I nodded, hesitated, then leaned toward her. I kiss her and pinned her to the bed, letting my body press against hers. I wanted to keep her there in that bed forever and get my fill of her, over and over, sliding my fingers over every inch of her skin until her moans and my groans became the only language we spoke.
“Get yourself packed,” I said. “I’ve got a place we can go.”
She nodded. I could see the reluctance in her eyes. I kissed her again then stood.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I’m sure. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Vincent won’t be happy. Like you said, it’ll be worse for you than for me.”
“I know that. But if shit goes down here, it’ll be the opposite, and I’m not taking that risk.” I walked to the door before she could argue. “Get packed. We’re sneaking out soon.”
I stepped into the hall and shut the door behind me. I lingered there, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out.
Chances were slim that Joey wasn’t full of shit. Even if the Dusters were doing some real damage to the Leone family, I couldn’t imagine that they’d be stupid enough to make a big move on this goddamn fortress. Still, it happened before, a while back, but the city remembered. I couldn’t take the risk, not with Amber, not for any reason.
I could handle Vincent’s wrath. I couldn’t handle Amber getting hurt.
I went into the living room and started gathering up my stuff, mentally going over how we’d escape without getting caught the instant we stepped foot outside.
14
Amber
Ren led me down a back staircase, in through a kitchen, then out a back door. We walked fast down an alley that spit us out onto a busy sidewalk, and from there he hustled me into a crowd of people, then down a few side streets, before finally slowing down around Broad. He looked around and held his hand up, squinting at the faces around us, then gave a frustrated grunt and shook his head.
“I don’t think we were followed.”
“Pretty easy then.” I tried to smile at him. He took my hand and ran his fingers over my knuckles.
“That was just the first step. Come on, let’s go check out my place.”
“Where do you live, anyway?”
A ghost of a smile crossed his lips as we walked. He looked back over his shoulder and made a few quick turns, jogging for a few steps, tugging me along, then slowing down and looking behind us. I had the feeling he was trying to trick anyone following into running after us, but if there was someone back there, they didn’t fall for it.
“I’ve got a few places,” he said as we headed down Twentieth. “You know, a few little nests.”
“How can you afford multiple apartments?”
“I’m a very successful thief.”
“Still. This isn’t exactly a cheap place to live.”
He laughed. “I buy them then rent them out. The people that live in them know I can show up at any second. The deal is, they pay the bare minimum, and I can crash in the spare room whenever I want. Works out, since I rarely ever need to.”
“So we’re about to crash someone’s life?”
“I thought about that, but no. I figure I don’t want to drag any of my tenants into this. No, you’re getting a real treat.”
“What’s that?”
“My actual apartment.” He grinned at me and picked up his pace.
I had to halfway jog to keep up with his long strides. The deeper south we got, the bigger his smile became. The streets had fewer trees, and the houses were all the same: brick front, simple stoop, big doorway. The streets weren’t as crowded, but there were more young people around, more families sitting out on stoops. Center City was where all the rich people lived, but South Philly had a world unto itself, and a lot of charm. I liked the old ladies sitting under tiny awnings on their small porches drinking from bagged bottles of something, I couldn’t tell, and the guys hanging out on street corners listening to music and laughing about whatever. Ren seemed more at ease too, like his world started as soon as we left the richer neighborhoods.
That was probably true. From what he told me, he grew up down here, and lived his whole life on these streets. He wasn’t a part of the Leone family, and didn’t have some fancy gang behind him. Whatever Ren had, he had it because he earned it, or he took it, but either way.
We turned onto a quiet block with cars parked up against the curb. He slowed as we reached one particular house, the stoop leading up to a dark blue door, the windows covered with bars. He hesitated for a second before walking up the stairs and taking a door key from his back pocket.
“Welcome to my house,” he said, unlocking the door and pushing it open.
I stepped inside and looked around. It was a normal place, a couch on the right, TV mounted on the wall, kitchen table and bookshelves and a few framed sports posters hung on the walls. I didn’t know what I expected—maybe some kind of stash house, with empty pizza boxes all over the place—but this was meticulously clean, and it smelled like rose petals as soon as I stepped inside.
“Wow,” I said.
“Yeah, I know, it’s a mess.”
/> I laughed. “Are you kidding me? This place is spotless.”
“Haven’t had a chance to straighten up yet.” He frowned at what appeared to be a tiny speck of dust on the floor. “Anyway, I’ll show you the rest—”
He didn’t finish that sentence. There was a loud, pounding knock on the door that made me jump. I walked a few paces away, deeper into the house, as he gave me a sharp look then went to check through the window.
“Shit,” he whispered to himself. “Go into the kitchen.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The kitchen. Right now.”
“Is it Vincent?”
He stared at me hard. “Go.”
I let out a frustrated breath, but walked to the end of the house and through the doorway separating the main rooms from the kitchen. The floor was vinyl but the countertops were clean granite, and his appliances were all shining stainless steel. I couldn’t believe how nice this man’s kitchen was, and I made a note to not judge people based on their looks ever again.
He opened the door. I couldn’t hear what was said, but I saw the tension all over his back and shoulders. He didn’t want to let them in, but he finally reluctantly turned, and two men walked past him as he shut the door behind them.
The first man was tall and thin with a gaunt face and a thin mustache. His hair was dirty and he wore stained denim. The other was average height, on the young side, with a square jaw and a nice button-down shirt. He looked almost like a political canvasser for some progressive upstart.
“Amber,” Ren said.
I stepped into the room, but stuck close to the door. “Who are you?” I asked.
The young man looked at me. “I’m Felix, this is Lukas.” His voice was deep but smooth and he gave me a dazzling white smile. “We’re here to make a deal.”
“They’re Dusters.” Ren walked past them and stood at my side. The tall one named Lukas glared around him like he wanted to start smashing the place, but Felix seemed placid, almost in control. He chuckled and gestured vaguely at the table.
“Shall we sit?” he asked.
“No need. You’re not staying.” Ren was on edge. I could tell this was bad, and I did my best to keep my heart rate under control. I didn’t want to panic and make things worse. I knew he was already worried about me as it was.
“Oh, come on, Ren,” Felix said. “Let’s just chat for a second.” He walked to the table and sat down. Lukas joined him, leaning forward on his elbows, his back hunched. Felix smiled and gestured, seemingly at ease, like he’d been here before. “We’re only here to talk.”
Ren sat down, still stiff. I sat next to him, tugging the chair away from Lukas, who gazed at me like he couldn’t care less about my existence.
“Why’d you follow us?” Ren asked.
“Lukas here has been watching the mansion for weeks. When he saw you slip out, he called me in. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to chat.”
“I knew someone was following.”
Felix laughed. “Lukas is very good. You’re a hard man to stick to, but Lukas can’t be beat.”
Lukas didn’t seem particularly interested in the whole conversation. He gazed at the floor, then the ceiling, then his dirty fingernails.
“What do you want?” Ren asked. “I don’t know you, and I know most guys that work this town.”
“We’ve never met before, but I’ve been around, circling the drain as they say.” Felix kept on smiling, and the more he showed his teeth, the more he seemed like a predator trying to put his prey at ease. “I’ve heard all about you though. I have to say, I’m very impressed with your work.”
“I’ll ask again, what do you want?” Ren’s tone remained hard.
“You know all about our problem with the Leone family,” Felix said, and knocked a knuckle in the tabletop. “It’s been a slog these last few weeks, tell you the truth.”
“Didn’t seem like a slog when you shot up that house out in Mt. Airy.”
“Ah.” Felix laughed. “You weren’t supposed to be there.”
“So you were trying to murder Mona?”
“Kidnap, actually.” Felix shrugged. “Would’ve been a good move, too. I think Vincent would give up anything for that girl. Seems to actually love her.”
“You’re right. Shame it didn’t work out.”
“These things happen.” He tilted his head. “Fortunately, I think I have a better plan with you.”
“I don’t recall working for you.”
“Not yet, you don’t. But I think you will, once you hear my offer.”
A tense silence fell over the room. Ren glared death at Felix, and I tried not to scream. Lukas seemed like he was bored to tears, even if the threat of violence hung so thick over the table that I thought I could bite down and rip off a chunk.
“I’m listening,” Ren said finally.
“Vincent doesn’t give a fuck about you,” Felix said. “You know that’s true. He cares about his people, and his wife, and you’re neither of those things. But you have access, and I want a piece of that access.”
“To the mansion,” Ren said. “I heard you were making a move on it.”
“Did you?” Felix looked a little coy. “Well, I won’t lie to you, Ren. I sent that message on purpose.”
Ren leaned forward, and I felt my toes start to tingle.
“You told Joey to tell me that little story.” Ren sounded livid.
“Don’t be mad at him. He’s just a shitty spy, you know? Blundering around, dropping your name everywhere. It was easy to figure out what he was doing, and from there I had an idea.”
“You used him to flush me out.”
“Exactly. I figured if it was going to work, it’d work today. And here we are.” Felix clapped and I jumped, unable to keep calm.
That made Lukas smile.
“All right, you got me out. Congratulations. Now what do you want?”
“It’s simple, really. Like I said, you have access, but you also have a set of skills that are very much highly regarded.”
“You want me to steal something.” Ren’s anger abated slightly, and I got the feeling that he was back on familiar ground now. “You want me to rob Vincent.”
“I want codes.” Felix shifted in his chair and leaned closer. “There are a handful of warehouses all over the city, and half of them are protected by some serious security. If I could get my hands on the security codes, we could break in and kneecap Vincent, really hit him where it hurts. But I can’t do that without getting someone in the mansion.”
“You seem resourceful. I think you could pull it off without my help.”
“Oh, no, Ren, believe me. You’re the only man in this city that could make this happen for me right now.”
“I’m not interested.”
“You haven’t heard my payment.”
“Still not interested.”
Felix chuckled. “Here’s my offer. Fifty thousand cash, plus a ride out of the city. I’ll let you and your girl here escape, no strings attached.”
“Vincent wouldn’t let me leave, even if he didn’t know it was me that pulled the job.”
“Vincent won’t matter if you pull the job.” Felix shook his head. “You don’t get it, Ren. If I can break his warehouses, I can break his whole business.”
Another silence then. Ren seemed to be considering it, and I wanted to scream. It was so obviously a trap. Felix was a snake, a two-faced monster, and the second Ren stole those codes he’d turn around and stab Ren in the throat. There was no way they’d let either of us leave, not if we were worth anything, and I had a feeling Ren was very much worth something—and me, too, if my father was willing to pay.
But I couldn’t speak. I was paralyzed by fear and I felt as though my bullet wounds throbbed a deadly poison. I wanted to groan in pain, or scream in fear, but instead kept as still as I could, avoiding Lukas’s creepy sideways glances.
“I’ll consider it,” Ren said finally.
“Do more than consider,”
Felix said. “I need you to make this happen for me.”
“Then you need to offer me more.”
He laughed. “Eighty thousand. I knew you’d negotiate.”
Ren shrugged. “Nothing’s free in this world.”
“I know it.” Felix leaned back. “We have a deal?”
“I’ll think about it,” Ren said again. “That’s the best you’ll get from me right now.”
Felix nodded and let out a grunt before standing up. “All right then. Don’t make me wait long, Ren. I’m not patient.”
“I’m sure you’re not.”
Felix lingered at the head of the table before walking to the door. Lukas got up and followed, running a hand through his greasy hair. Felix stepped out, but before he left, he turned back and looked at Ren.
“Do the right thing,” he said. “For the girl, if not for you.”
Lukas hopped down onto the sidewalk, followed by Felix. Ren walked over and slammed the door shut behind them.
“Fuck,” he growled, storming across the living room and into the kitchen. “Fucking fuck.”
I sat there, heart hammering, before getting up and following him. He poured a glass of whiskey and threw it back in one go before pouring another. He seethed, breathing hard, jaw clenched, eyes locked on the floor. I could only guess what ran through his mind.
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you going to steal it?”
“I don’t know,” he said again, and threw back a second drink. “If we don’t, the Dusters will come after us again, sooner or later. That Felix bastard has some serious muscle, if he was able to sneak up on me like that.”
“They won’t pay you. There’s no way.”
“I think you’re right. They’ll sell us out to the Leone family the first chance they get, simply because they can.” He laughed, harsh and disgusted. “We’re stuck between a rock and a fucking piece-of-shit gangster.”
I smiled a little and stepped toward him. I wanted to comfort him, but I didn’t know how, and frankly I felt too afraid to do much more than linger there and stare at him while my mind worked in furious, worthless circles.