by Rumer Raines
Maya didn’t want me to know where she was going. We quietly walked back to the shelter and found the doors locked. There was a note on the door advising the shelter would be closed for cleaning.
“I guess we’ll have to wait out here,” she said, sitting with her back against the building. I walked over and sat beside her. “Have you ever thought about contacting your family?” she questioned.
“I only have my mother, and she’s better off without me,” I told her. If I went anywhere near my mother, she’d be in danger.
“You don’t think your father would help you? He is the reason you’re in this mess.”
“I don’t know if I can look at him,” I whispered. Maya was quiet, so I turned to look at her, wondering the same thing about her family. “What about your family?” I asked. She closed her eyes. “I know the story you told me was about you, Maya. Where is your family?”
“I don’t know. My father was fired. He moved the family out of state,” she calmly explained.
“He didn’t tell you where he was moving them to?”
Maya quickly stood. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I need to go for a walk, and I would really appreciate it if you don’t follow me this time, Bryn.” She turned away without waiting for a reply.
I watched Maya storm away and realized I didn’t have time for this shit. The shelter being closed was a sign. It was a sign that I needed to focus on what I came back to Boston to do. I still had some of the cash that I took from Oliver. I didn’t know if it was enough to get me to the other side of town, but it would get me close enough.
After hailing a cab, I watched the meter and told the driver to pull over. I could walk the rest of the way. I was close, and the closer I got, the heavier my feet felt. Panic like I had never known welled in my throat. What the hell am I doing? The man was trying to kill me, and I was going to go knock on the damn door? What was I thinking? I was on the run but now found myself standing on his damn street.
Sheer black fright swept through me as I turned around and headed in the other direction. I needed Oliver. I wanted to talk to Oliver.
I walked until my legs felt too heavy to move. I knew my mother wouldn’t be home, but at least I could rest and use the phone. When I finally reached the house, I moved the fake rock that she kept the spare key under.
I needed to hear his voice, but I didn’t know if he wanted to hear from me. I made a call to the club.
“Hello?”
Awkwardly, I cleared my throat at the familiar voice. Why did Alex have to answer Adele’s phone? “Can I speak to Adele?” My voice drifted into a hushed whisper.
“And this is?”
I flinched at the tone of his voice. Of course, Alex never sounded pleasant, but I could tell he was annoyed and knew exactly who I was.
“This is Bryn.” I became more uncomfortable by the minute as my dismay grew. I didn’t doubt for a second that Alex would have handed me off to Columbo with a red bow on my ass if he had to.
Alex sighed and my mind became congested with thoughts and fears. “Bryn, what could you possibly have to talk to Adele about? You know what? Don’t answer that question. How about you just tell me where the hell you are?”
A chill hung on the edge of his words, and I hung up. I didn’t want to go through this with him. A few seconds later, the phone rang. I knew it was Alex calling back. I only hoped he wouldn’t call later and my mother answer. She would tell him that I was in Boston, and if she didn’t, Alex was smart enough to figure it out.
Oliver
I loved my father. I respected my father. I was on the verge of murdering my own father. He had been in Boston for thirty-six fucking hours, but it felt like months. He’d already made plans for how I would handle the Columbos. I already knew how I was going to handle them, though. I was going to work with them.
I didn’t listen as he went over the plan he had for Maurice and me.
“This is what we’re going to do. Maurice will distract them at the front door, and we’ll go in the back. He’ll talk once he has a gun at his fucking temple. They always do.” His nostrils flared with fury.
“You don’t even know how many of his men he has in the damn house, Pop,” I reminded him.
He rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t fucking matter. They’ll bow down once we get to Columbo.” The angry retort hardened his features.
My father had retired years ago, but I could see how much he missed this shit. I thought back to being a kid and having to lie to my friends about him. My father didn’t hide much from me. I was a man and needed to know how the world worked, he would tell me. I would sit up at night, waiting for him to get home, and watch him as he cleaned his guns. When I got older, he would let me clean them and would pay me for it. Of course, we never told my mother because, as he would say, women fucked shit up.
“Will you pay attention, Oliver?” His expression clouded in anger. My father hated to say the same thing twice.
“Don’t need to listen anymore, Pop. I know you want to help, but I already know what I am going to do. I am going to knock on the front door and walk my ass in. Columbo made me an offer, and I have been keeping him waiting. He’ll be pissed, but I think he’ll understand it was a big decision.”
Shock and anger lit his eyes as he turned to face me. “What kind of offer?” His expression bordered on mockery.
“He offered me a position with his family.” I shot him a cold look.
I could practically hear his heartbeat. His cold eyes snapped at me. “Is this a joke? Our loyalty is with the Delucas. You can’t just join another family. This isn’t the fucking boy scouts.” His voice was cold when he answered.
“I will do whatever I have to do, Pop. I am not leaving Boston without Bryn.”
“I hate to throw a wrench in your plans, but you won’t leave Boston at all if you sell out to Columbo. Where the hell would you go? Chicago would no longer be the place for you.” His broad-carved face twisted in anger.
I wished I could tell him about the text I sent before he arrived.
Two hours later, I was once again being patted down by Columbo’s henchmen. When they thought I was safe, they escort me to his office. He leaned back and stared at me when I walked in.
“Did no one teach you how to tell time? You were to give me your answer within twenty-four hours. I am no longer interested.” He ripped out the words impatiently.
“I had to consider all the factors. This is a life-changing decision,” I reminded him.
His coolness was evident, and he was not amused. “What exactly did you decide and then I’ll decide if the offer still stands,” he drawled with distinct mockery.
“I will work with you. The Delucas had no interest in helping me find Bryn, and you do. I will take your business to the next level,” I goaded him as the tension between us began to melt.
Columbo hesitated, measuring me for a moment before he answered. He gave me a narrowed glinting glance. He stood, offering me his hand. “We have a deal. I’ll help you find Bryn, and you will help me eliminate the Delucas.”
A sudden thin chill hung on the edge of my words. “You have a deal.”
Columbo quickly called the guards into the office to welcome me into the family. After being introduced to the guards, he personally walked me through the house, introducing me to everyone that worked for him.
I felt sick to my stomach at being in this house. My blood was Deluca. We were thicker than blood. I’d just made a promise to the enemy that I would eliminate them.
I followed Columbo to the basement, and I shouldn’t have been surprised at what I saw. He had gun racks and ammunition displayed like it was a museum. He had a table in the middle of the floor with six chairs, and there was even a pistol laying on it. He walked over to the table, picked up the pistol, and looked at it with a smile.
“This is for you, Oliver. We’ll consider it a welcome gift. Any time you must kill, you’ll use this. The cops will know one of my men did it. They know
not to investigate,” he bragged.
I took the gun and nodded as I paced around the room. I noticed another solid steel door in the back of the room. Columbo nodded toward the door, and I followed him.
“Is this…” I started to ask before he cut me off.
“This is where we handle business. It’s soundproof,” he explained.
The room was small. It looked like a dungeon with one dim light and two lanterns. There was a small table, but I noticed there was also a small bathroom.
Columbo noticed me looking toward the bathroom. “I don’t like blood in the house.”
That was the reason we never did business at our homes.
“I need you to do something for me, Oliver. There is someone I need you to get rid of. He is a new judge that believes in the law and apparently refuses to be bought.” He chuckled nastily.
“You want him dead? Don’t you have someone to do that for you? I am not a hitman.” My breath burned in my throat.
“You are not a hitman, Oliver, and I do normally have someone that takes care of it for me. However, you’re the newcomer, and I need to know if I can really trust you. He needs to be dead within twenty-four hours. Hopefully, this time, you’ll glance at your watch.” His expression was thunderous.
I could be impatient, unkind, and heartless, but a killer? I admit I was in no way innocent. I knew the names of everyone that the family had killed, and I knew where the bodies were buried. We had a hitman to get rid of witnesses, and he was paid very well to do it.
I didn’t want to kill a stranger for a man that I hated.
Bryn… Could I kill this judge for her? I could kill him, bury him, and plant a fucking flower on the damn plot if it helped me find her. I didn’t even know if Columbo would lead me to Bryn. What if I killed the judge and still never found her? Could I live with that?
“I’ll take care of it,” I countered icily.
Bryn
Maya didn’t come back to the shelter the night before. I sat quietly while the redheaded trouble maker stared at me and whispered to her friends. The silence lengthened between us, making me uncomfortable.
When I decided to walk out, she followed with her group. A cold knot formed in my stomach as I heard the footsteps behind me.
“Hey, bitch, how about we finish what we started?” she yelled, and I tried to ignore her. “I know you hear me, bitch. Your little friend isn’t here to protect you this time.”
I could tell she was getting closer, and I’d had enough. I turned around and pulled off my jacket, tossing it to the ground. “You’re right. If you want to do this, let’s do it!” I threw my fist up, ready to fight.
“Okay!” she shouted, stalking toward me.
When she stepped close enough, I don’t know what happened to me, but I managed to throw the first punch. She fell to the ground, and I jumped on top of her, throwing punch after punch as she tried to block each one. With each punch I threw, I no longer saw the redhead taking each hit. I started to see my father, Steven, and Columbo. I hit her harder and harder until someone pulled me off. I kept swinging until I heard my name called. I swung around to see Maya looking at me in amazement.
When I turned around, it hit me what I had done. Her nose was bleeding, and I could already see a black eye forming. She had both arms wrapped around her friends, who were keeping her upright. “You’re a crazy ass bitch,” she whispered.
“Yeah, this crazy ass bitch has more for you. Just fuck with us again and I’ll give you another round!” I yelled back at her as her eyes widened and the tense lines on her face relaxed.
I’d never been a violent person, but I had to defend myself. She was a bully who thought she could scare me, and I’d just proved to her that I wasn’t going to take her shit. I wished I could do the same with everyone else in my life.
“What exactly happened here last night?” Maya questioned with a smirk on her face.
“She wanted a fight, so I gave her one.” I bent to pick my jacket up from the ground and put it back on.
“Yeah, I’ll have to remember not to piss you off.” She laughs.
“Where were you last night?”
“I just had to go somewhere to think,” she answered.
“I understand. I am going back to Chicago.”
“When are you leaving?” she asked.
“As soon as I get the money to leave.”
“How much do you need?”
“I need at least fifty to get a bus ticket,” I told her.
“Bus? After watching you kick ass, you deserve a first-class plane ticket, and I am going to help you get it.” She laughed as she wrapped her arm around mine and we walked away from the shelter.
We walked for blocks, keeping our heads down as we weaved between the other walkers. I didn’t know what Maya had planned, but if it helped me get out of Boston, I was all for it. With each step, I felt like I was getting closer to Oliver.
Maya gently tugged me into an alley and I looked at her. “Why are we stopping here?” I asked.
“We are going to find the cash you need by finding the person that has it.” She pointed to the other walkers as they walked past us.
“Wait. What exactly are you saying?”
“You will distract them, and I’ll take their wallet,” she whispered.
“You want to pickpocket?”
“Do you have any other way to get the money?”
I hated her plan. Maya pointed out several men that looked rich enough to have the cash on them. Each time, I would refuse to do my part of the scheme. When an older looking man with white hair walked past, she pushed me out of the alley. I bumped into him, and he grabbed my shoulders to keep me from falling.
“Watch out, sweetheart,” he said, his eyes instantly meeting mine.
Awkwardly, I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. I…” His eyes were so beautiful. They reminded me of Oliver’s.
Maya snuck behind him, and he quickly turned around, grabbing her hand. “Oh, my… You two are too beautiful to be thieves. I’ll be nice today.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty before handing it to Maya.
He glanced at us and nodded before walking away. Maya handed me the cash and rolled her eyes.
“You have to do a better job at distracting if this is going to work,” she teased as I watched the man walk away.
“I can’t do this. I need a minute to think.”
When I stared into that old man’s eyes, they’d felt too familiar. They reminded me of Oliver and it was a slap in the face. It was a reminder that I should have never left Chicago. Why didn’t I listen to him and let him take care of this?
I didn’t know where I was going, but I needed to walk. I wished I could keep walking and end back up in Chicago. I was living in a bad dream that I couldn’t wake up from.
Oliver
“It’s done. He’s dead.” I fell into the chair across from Columbo. He looked damn near giddy when I told him that I’d proved my loyalty to him. The judge was gone. I passed the first and hopefully only test he’d have for me.
“What did you do with the body?” he asked.
“Construction site,” I answered, and he nodded.
“Good. Now, on to the next business.”
“I hope your next business has to do with Bryn. I want to find her immediately.”
“You need to be more patient, Oliver.” He smirked.
I’d been working with the bastard for almost a month now. He thought I was being impatient? That damn judge was on vacation and didn’t return for almost three weeks when he ordered the damn hit.
“I have been more than patient. Where is the first place I should look for Bryn?”
He leaned back and intertwined his fingers together. “Let me think of some places and I’ll have information for you tomorrow.” He smirked.
It took everything in me to walk away. I visualized myself strangling the cocky bastard with my bare hands. I couldn’t because I was in Boston and only had my father and Ma
urice here to help me.
The minute I made it to the door, he chuckled. “Did I say we’re done for the day?”
I stopped and inhaled a deep breath before turning to look at him.
“I have another job for you. I need you to find this girl.” He slid a photo across his desk.
She was beautiful, with long, dark hair. She was too young for him, and I had no time for this shit. “Who is she?”
“She is a problem for me, and I need you to find her.”
“I don’t know Boston. If I can’t find the woman I want, how in the hell do you think I will find this one?”
He shrugged. I turned on my heel and strode to the door.
One of the perks to working for Columbo is I now had access to his drivers. Maurice was also happy with that fact since I was able to return his car and he was no longer my driver. When the driver dropped me off at my hotel, I advised that I’d call later to be picked up.
My father had the adjoining room, so I knocked on his door to let him know that I was back.
“How was it being inside Columbo’s ass today, son?” he asked. He hated that I was working with Columbo. I wished he’d realize I hated it just as much.
“Pop,” I warned.
“Did he give you the timeline for killing off your real family yet?” He lounged casually against the door frame.
I made the deal with Columbo that I would get rid of the judge, but the Delucas were off limits until I had Bryn. He didn’t like it, but I refused to keep up my end if he didn’t keep up his.
“Did you do anything fun today, Pop? Like maybe buying a plane ticket back to Chicago?” I ripped out the words impatiently.
I loved my father, but he needed to be back in Chicago at home with my mother. I would hate to call in the big gun and have her call him back home.
He drawled with distinct mockery as he told me he wasn’t going home until I did.
“I hate Boston, son. I can’t understand a damn thing anyone is saying. It took me twenty minutes to explain to the cab driver that I wanted to go to a bar because he didn’t understand me. Not to mention, some women tried to pickpocket me. Despite all that, I won’t leave you here alone.” He clenched his teeth.