Dirty Chicago_Season One

by K. B. Andrews

  I run back into the living room where Ranger is pacing. “He’s gone. No clothes in the closet. Nothing in the bathroom. He left, and he took my mom.” my voice trembles with emotion. Tears sting my eyes as I fall to my knees with Big’s words echoing in my head. All that’s happened so far, and all that’s about to happen is your fault.

  6

  Before I can fall apart too much, Ranger pulls me to my feet. “Hey, it’s okay,” he soothes. I willingly go into his arms. His fingers gently stroke from the crown of my head down to the base of my spine. “We’ll go to Big’s. You know where his apartment is, right?”

  Leaning back, I wipe my tears and nod.

  His lips press to my forehead. “Okay, let’s go. Don’t give up. We’ll find her.” He takes my hand, and we start toward the hall but stop when we almost run into my dad’s chest.

  He looks from me to Ranger and back. Anger etches his face. “I told you to go home.”

  I shake my head. “Dad, Mom is with Enzo and Big.”

  “Big?” he asks incredulously.

  I nod and motion toward Ranger.

  Dad looks at him for an explanation.

  “We think your drugs went missing because Enzo has been working with Big. And maybe he’s been stringing your wife along this whole time. He even got her in on stealing the stash from you.”

  Dad’s face wrinkles with confusion. “Amelia would never get into my business like that.” He pushes past us, starting up his pacing while thinking it over.

  Ranger lets go of my hand and turns to look at him. “I have proof.”

  My head jerks in his direction. It’s news to me. “What? What proof?”

  Ranger looks at the ground and rubs his face, uncertainty covering his face. “I’m a nobody, but I do watch a lot of people. And I have friends in high places. If you need information in this city, you come to me.”

  Dad laughs and shakes his head. “You expect me to believe that? You’re what an eighteen-year-old high school dropout?”

  Ranger clears his throat. “Actually, I’m twenty. And the whole story I told you was kind of a lie. I’m a hacker. I hack my way into information that I can bribe people with later. I’m not some broke-ass kid. I have millions sitting in offshore accounts as we speak. And I have the proof you need.”

  The look on my dad’s face is priceless. He’s gone from pissed, to confused, to intrigued within minutes. “Show me.”

  “Follow me.” Ranger confidently laces his fingers with mine and pulls me from the room with Dad following behind us.

  Instead of driving toward the hotel I’d been with Ranger at, he takes us to a penthouse apartment across town. We walk in, and the entire living room is nothing but giant computer screens. There’s no couch or tv, just massively impressive computers.

  He sits down in the only desk chair and rolls over behind the desk. Clicking fills the room as he puts in his password. Suddenly, all the screens pop on at the same time, showing us what he’s doing.

  “Enzo went to Big with the idea to take down this new dealer,” he explains as he clicks on a video. Big and Enzo fill the screen.

  “Why should I help you?” Big asks, amusement on his face.

  “You want to lose any more business because of this guy? Madden isn’t prepared to take him out. He’s large. Bigger than the both of you put together.”

  “Humph,” Big snorts.

  “He is. He’s been making his way across the country. Another two years, and he’ll have control of the whole U.S. Any drug that’s sold on the street will come from him,” Enzo tells Big as they stand in the parking lot at the docks.

  “If this guy is so big, why doesn’t anyone know who he is, huh? Why can’t he be found and taken out?”

  Enzo shrugs. “He controls the entire west side of the country. He’s making his way to the east coast. If he’s here, he’s already got a lot more customers and inventory than you and Madden put together. Can you imagine the army he has beneath him? He needs to be taken out and fast.”

  Big pulls out a cigar and lights it. “And just what do you purpose?”

  “Well, it just so happens that Madden has a large delivery coming in. I’ll arrange it so a few crates will be left behind. That’s where you come in. You pick up what we leave behind and stash it away. Meanwhile, I’m going to arrange a little meeting with KingPin at the docks where you stash the left behind drugs. I’m going to stand him up and send the cops in my place. Anonymously of course. He gets caught and locked away. You keep your business, and Madden gets his drugs back from your insider at the police department.”

  “You don’t think Mad is going to notice a few crates worth of drugs missing?” Big asks.

  “I’ve spent years watching and learning every step of his business, gaining his trust, and getting in good with his wife. This will work. Trust me.” His expression is smug.

  “Trust you? Mighty big words in this business,” Big shoots back.

  “You approach Amelia. Tell her she’ll be helping her husband. After that last threat, she’s gun shy. She’ll help you if she thinks she’s protecting Madden. Then she will come to me and ask me to get the drugs. And the whole thing will be set in motion.”

  “Why do I need to approach Amelia? Why don’t you?”

  “Because I can’t give her any reason to believe that I’m doing business with you. If she thinks I’m working with you and fucking over Mad, it’s all over. She may be fucking me, but she’s loyal to him. She’ll rat me out for sure. And I’m not going down for this. Understand? This will better your business. The only thing I get is the woman I love and my job.”

  “Enough,” Dad says, causing Ranger to pause the video.

  So Enzo does love my mom?

  “He thought that he if helped Amelia by helping you, she might actually run away with him,” Ranger says, still looking at the frozen image of Enzo on the screen.

  “That doesn’t explain why they would be holding Amelia? The only thing you’ve shown me is that Enzo stole my drugs in order to take out another dealer.”

  Ranger spins around in his chair. “Don’t you get it? Enzo was going after this dealer in order to win over Amelia by being loyal to your business. Because of this deal, everything fell apart. You found out about the missing drugs, ultimately leading you to finding out about the affair. You fired him, and he retaliated by messing with Harper. You shot him and basically put a hit on him. So, he goes to Big and promises to deliver any information he needs to take you down. And in exchange he gets Amelia while still looking like the hero.”

  7

  I don’t know what to believe, but I do know one thing. I’m going after Amelia. She’s in this situation because of me. I never should’ve asked her to go to him. What the hell was I thinking?

  I turn without a word, heading for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Harper asks, her voice worry laden.

  “To Big’s. I’m going to get your mother back.”

  “Wait!” Her shrill voices causes me to stop. The innocence of my little girl grips my heart like a vice. They’re going to fucking pay.

  “I’m going with you.”

  “The hell you are!” my voice booms in the foyer.

  “Dad, I’m not a child anymore. This is my fault. I never should’ve approached Big for help. I hate myself for not listening to you and staying away from him.” She steps closer and wraps her arms around me, resting her head on my chest.

  Just like always, she gets her way. A sigh rumbles out of me. “You can come. But you’re waiting in the car. You’re not coming inside. Understand?”

  She looks up at me with tears in her eyes and nods.

  The three of us drive over to Big’s apartment. I throw the car in park, and we get out, looking up at the building.

  “I can go in the apartment below his and climb up on the balcony to get to Amelia,” Ranger says.

  “I’ve texted the guys, Dad. Kong is gathering them up to head over.”

  “Thanks,
princess. But we don’t have time to wait. Ranger, you get to Amelia and make sure you keep her safe. No matter what. I’m going in the front door to see what the fuck is going on with Big and Enzo. Harper, you stay here and tell the guys where they can find us when they get here. Got it?”

  They both nod, and I push forward with Ranger on my heels. Once inside the lobby, we split up. Impatiently, I stab the button to get on the elevator. Before the doors even slide shut, Ranger has disappeared up the stairs to the floor below Big’s apartment.

  After what feels like an eternity, the elevator dings, and the doors open. Before stepping off, I listen real closely.

  I hear nothing. Not one hushed whisper.

  I pull my gun form its holster and step off the elevator. Since his is the only apartment on this floor, I don’t have to look around. I keep my eyes trained on his door as I walk down the hallway.

  At the end of the corridor, I press my ear against his door. Footsteps shuffle around inside, and they’re getting closer.

  “We know you’re here, Madden. If you want any chance of seeing your wife again I’d put that gun down,” Enzo says through the door.

  I look at the gun in my hand, thinking it over. It would be foolish to walk in there unarmed. But do I have a choice?

  “Put the gun down on the mat and step away.”

  With a heavy sigh, I give in. I need to get in there. I have to make sure Amelia is okay.

  Carefully, I place the gun down on the mat in front of the door and take a few steps back.

  The doorknob turns slightly, and the door cracks open. With one eye, Enzo looks out at me, then down at the gun. Once he sees I’m not packing, he opens the door and scoops my gun from the floor.

  “You’ve already shot me once. I think that’s about enough, don’t you?” He tilts his head to the side, motioning for me to come inside.

  When I step past him, he follows me into the living room. I quickly scan the room. “Where’s Amelia?”

  “Someplace safe. Would you like a drink?” He walks over to the drink cart and pours one for himself.

  “No, I don’t want a drink. I want my fucking wife. Now, where is she?”

  Enzo picks up his glass and pulls out his gun. “I’ve spent years at your beck and call. That ends today. And this isn’t going to go your way if you keep talking to me like I’m beneath you. You want your wife back? Then take a fucking seat and show some respect.”

  Hearing him talk to me in that tone of voice makes my blood boil and makes me wish I would’ve killed him when I had the chance. But for Amelia’s sake, I do as I’m told.

  With a sigh, I sit on the white leather couch, and Enzo takes the recliner next to me.

  I look over at him, trying to shift things to my favor. “I have one question.”

  “What’s that?” Lifting the crystal tumbler to his lips, he takes another sip. His other hand still grips my gun firmly.

  “Why?”

  “Why?” he asks sardonically. “Why what? Why do all of this?”

  I nod. “Yeah. Why strike up the deal with Big and steal my stash? Why go after Harper? Why abduct my wife? Why?”

  “Everything would’ve been fine if you’d just kept on fucking your hookers and not looking over the fucking inventory list!”

  “So, you did all of this so Amelia would see how much you love her?” Ranger was right.

  “No, I set up the deal, so Amelia would see that I loved her. Everything after that was just the shit I had to deal with because you picked the wrong fucking time to pay attention,” he grounds out through clenched teeth.

  “Enough of this bullshit,” Big says, stepping into the room.

  I spin around to look behind me and see that he has Harper gripped against his chest with a gun to her head. I bolt upright.

  “Tsk, tsk, Madden. You really shouldn’t leave your princess unattended. She was far too easy to take down.” Big leers at me.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy. He came up behind me.”

  “It’s okay, princess.” I look at Big. “What do you want? Just let them go, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

  “Now you’re speaking my language. I want your clients. I want your suppliers. And I want you gone and out of the game. You’ve had this city in your pocket for far too long. It’s my time to reign over the kingdom.” Big smiles wickedly.

  “Fine. Consider it done,” I agree. I’ll pay any price for my family. We have plenty of money. We can pack up and go anywhere in the world and live out the rest of our lives without having to ever worry.

  “No! That wasn’t the deal!” Enzo yells, looking at Big.

  “Enzo, I don’t give a shit if you get Amelia or not. This was never about you and the woman you loved. You were my pawn, and she was leverage. The. End.” Big turns back to me.

  “Make the call. Have your men bring me everything I need to take over your business. I want names. I want numbers. I want fucking files. All of it.” Big motions toward me with his gun. At least with him waving it around, the barrel wasn’t pressed to Harper’s head anymore. I needed to keep his focus on me.

  “Alright.” I slowly pull the phone out of my pocket, careful not to startle the maniac with the gun.

  Suddenly, the unmistakable slide of metal sliding against metal makes me jerk my head up from my phone’s screen. Enzo has the gun he took aimed right at me. “That wasn’t our deal! You want his business, I want the woman I love. If I can’t have her, I’ll kill him before he can give you want you want.”

  Big has his gun on Harper. Enzo has my gun on me. This is a cluster fuck.

  “Wait!” Ranger says, coming into the room, holding a gun on Amelia. Fuck.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” I ask him, desperation filling my tone.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt her if I don’t have to.” His gaze is locked on Enzo.

  “You! You did this,” Enzo says, looking at Ranger. His brows are pulled together in a deep frown, and anger paints his face. “You set this whole thing up!”

  “You don’t know who he really is,” Enzo says, staring at me but pointing at Ranger.

  Without warning, a shot rings out, and Big falls to the ground, taking Harper with him. Uncaring about the gun pointed at me, I run to her side. Blood is splattered across her face. Crimson pools beneath her. I’m trying to figure out what happened. When I tear my eyes from the red painting my daughter, I see Kong walking in the door. My heart thuds in relief that reinforcements have arrived.

  “Are you okay, princess?” I gasp, falling to my knees beside her.

  Tears roll down her cheeks in a constant flow, but she nods as I pull her against my chest.

  Ranger releases Amelia who stumbles to my side and launches herself into my embrace. Tears stream down her face. Both my girls are sobbing so hard their bodies tremble as I hold them both, sitting on the floor next to Big’s dead body. I’m so relieved to have them both safely in my arms. Nothing else matters.

  “It’s over, Enzo,” Ranger says, pointing the gun at him.

  Enzo laughs humorlessly and shakes his head. “I have a feeling the real game is just getting started.”

  The gun fires, echoing around the room, and Enzo falls to his knees, clutching his chest while blood runs between his fingers. He looks down at the bullet hole in his chest then back at me. “You… know… nothing.” He falls over to his side. “This isn’t… over,” he gasps.

  Harper releases me and runs to Ranger’s side. He pulls her against his chest. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” he asks her, concern making his voice gruff.

  She shakes her head. “No, I’m fine.”

  I turn away when they kiss. I never wanted my little girl with a guy like me, but maybe Ranger isn’t so bad after all. I glance down at my queen. He’s the reason I have my wife back. He’s kept Harper safe while all this was going down. And he took out Enzo, the bastard who’s done nothing but fuck over my family.

  Epilogue

  KingPin

>   It’s so goddamn easy to manipulate people. Wanna hear what really happened?

  Of course you fucking do. You love this shit as much as I do.

  Enzo tried playing innocent, but the truth is, he’s anything but. He wanted this city for himself. He set this whole goddamn thing in motion in hopes of winning the city and the woman who didn’t give a flying fuck about him. He pitted Madden and Big against one another, thinking they’d kill each other, and he’d end up sitting in his throne on top of Dirty Chicago with his queen by his side. He thought he got me out of the picture, but he was too fucking stupid to even do that. All that he managed was to get himself killed.

  Now, Big’s out of the picture. The only big player left in this city is Madden Novelli. And he’s about to be under my power. I’ll make damn sure of it. I have him by the balls, and he doesn’t even know it.

  Don’t miss Season Two of Dirty Chicago. You won’t want to miss this shit.

  The End of

  Dirty Chicago Season One

  Season Two Coming Soon!

  Sneak Peek!

  Chapter One of F*cking Shattered

  The Bucket List

  “I can’t believe you’re going to leave me alone all summer. I mean, what am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” I complain while rubbing sun tan oil over my legs.

  Katie turns her head to face me. “What do you mean? What about Nick?” she asks, shading her vibrant blue eyes from the bright light of the sun.

  My clenched teeth sends a bout of pain surging through my jaw as I hand her the oil. “Fuck, Nick. He's a douche.”

  She sits up and takes the bottle. “Did he do something?”

  I lean back with my eyes closed and sigh, letting the sun warm my skin. “Yeah, he cheated on me with Holly. Can you believe that?”