My Brother's Five Friends

by B. B. Hamel

  “And?”

  “Same answers. They’ll back your play .”

  I nodded. That was the last resort. If I couldn’t reason or bargain with Arturo, I was going to have to go through with my plans for a coup .

  And that wasn’t going to be clean. If I tried to take the mob by force, there were going to be bodies in the streets, and lots of them. I didn’t want to kill my own people, but I was willing to do what I had to do to survive this .

  Arturo had a choice. He could pardon the girls, maybe in exchange for something useful, or I was going to cut him down at the knees. I was going to take the mob from him and slit his throat if I had to .

  My own fucking father. I didn’t want to bring ruin down on him, but I would and I could. He’d been underestimating me for years, and now that may be about to bite him in the ass .

  Louisa would back me too; I knew that. She had a lot more power than most people realized .

  But this was all hypothetical. I didn’t want any of that to happen. One day I’d take over the mob, but I’d let the old man retire first. I didn’t want to murder my own father to make that happen .

  I shot back the rest of my whisky and stood up. “Time to sleep,” I said .

  “Night, boss,” Vince replied .

  “Thanks for being here,” I said to him. “We’ll fix this shit .”

  He grinned. “You know me, always down for a little action .”

  I laughed and left, heading upstairs .

  Plans were forming, dissolving, reforming, breaking, forming again. I was abuzz with possibility, timing, logistics. Vince was a huge asset, and I was a lucky man that I had a loyal number two like him .

  Because I was going to need all the help that I could get in the coming days of violence .

  31

  Natalie

  I stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, and for a moment I thought I might roll over and find Lucas in bed with me .

  Instead, my bed was empty, and so was the room. It was totally sparse, with just one night stand and the bed filling the space .

  I slowly got out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. Camille’s door was still closed, but that was fine. I wasn’t really interested in any mother-daughter bonding, especially now that I felt like I was finished with her. I’d help her if I could, but I wasn’t letting her drag me down anymore .

  I brushed my teeth and rinsed off my face, spending a long moment staring at my face in the mirror. I looked haggard, and for good reason. I had to remind myself that we were on the run from the mob and that scary, violent men wanted us dead .

  It wasn’t exactly a reality that I was used to .

  “Hello?” I heard a voice call from downstairs .

  “Lucas?”

  “Hey,” he said, walking up the steps. “Good morning .”

  He looked tired, too, but at least he had changed his clothes. I was still wearing the same sweats from the night before .

  “I’m really happy to see you,” I said. He made it up the steps and I threw my arms around him, hugging him close .

  “Same to you, Nat,” he said. “I can’t stay long, though .”

  “Why not ?”

  “I have to do some stuff. But I came with your phones .”

  I nodded and he kissed me softly. I followed him back downstairs and we sat down at the kitchen table, the phones between us .

  “Now,” he said, “don’t use this for anything stupid. Don’t access social media or banking or something like that. Don’t message friends .”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t give my mom one,” I said, frowning .

  He paused. “You’re probably right.” He slipped Camille’s phone into his pocket .

  I sighed. “Are you sure you can’t stay ?”

  “Sorry. I need to get to work. Somebody has to solve this problem .”

  “How pissed is your dad ?”

  “Pretty mad.” He grinned. “But that’s okay. He’s a big teddy bear .”

  “Somehow I don’t think that’s true .”

  “No, it’s not .”

  We sat in silence for another minute before he stood up .

  “Come back later?” I asked .

  “I will as soon as I can .”

  He walked around the table and hugged me again, kissing me softly .

  “It’s going to be okay, right?” I asked him .

  “It’s going to be okay .”

  And I believed him. I had no real reason to expect anything good was going to come of our situation, but I didn’t think Lucas would lie to me. I trusted him .

  “See you later,” he said as he walked out the door .

  I stared for a few minutes before getting up and locking the dead bolt after him .

  Life in a safe house was boring .

  Camille got up an hour later, sat on the couch, and refused to talk to me. She watched trashy soap operas all day, which worked fine for me. I much preferred not talking to her; at the moment, I wasn’t sure I could remain civil, let alone be nice .

  I retreated up to my room with the burner phone and idly looked around news sites. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I needed something to occupy my mind .

  And then I remembered the weird notebook .

  The night before, when my phone had fallen down between the seats, I had found something jammed in there. At the time I hadn’t thought much of it since everything was moving so fast, but I decided to take a look while I had a free second .

  I fished the thing from my bag. It was small, the sort of small notebook that a reporter would carry. It was clearly well-used, though, as the pages were smudged and the cover was old and stained .

  I opened it up and began to leaf through. At first I had no clue what I was looking at. Most things were numbers, with some English words and what looked like Russian mixed in. I recognized the Russian because it used that weird script; I think it was called Cyrillic. At any rate, I couldn’t read the vast majority of it, and the numbers just made no sense .

  Still, a few words jumped out at me. Toward the back, the word “oil” was followed by some numbers, and the word “meet” was followed by what looked like a time and a date .

  That instantly struck me as strange .

  I pulled out my phone and turned to a page of Russian script. I took a picture and then did a Google search for a forum for Russian speakers. Once I found one that I could actually read, I made an anonymous post asking for someone to translate the page, or at least to give me an idea of what it said .

  The notebook was clearly important. I wasn’t sure who’s it was or what it meant. I wanted to get in contact with Lucas, but I didn’t want to seem like a needy alarmist. I wanted to confirm that the notebook was important before I started to bug him with it .

  An hour went by before someone finally made a comment on my post. Apparently, the page was a list of people’s names and addresses. That didn’t tell me much, so I posted another page and asked the same question .

  The response came back much faster .

  Looks like he was taking notes on a meeting, NaNaKlashnikov said. There’s something about Russians (?) and about a third group of people. This is actually really shady. Where did you find this thing ?

  I felt chills run down my spine .

  That confirmed it for me. I was holding something important, though what exactly it said was beyond me .

  I opened up the contacts list and found only one: Lucas. I tapped his name and let it dial .

  Maybe this was the break we needed .

  32

  Lucas

  “W here did you get this?” I asked her .

  She looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry if I’m wasting your time .”

  “Hey.” I grabbed her chin and tilted it up. “This is important .”

  “Remember when I dropped my phone last night getting out of the car ?”

  “Not really .”

  “Well I did, and I found this wedged down between the seats right next t
o it .”

  I shook my head, absolutely amazed .

  “Do you know what this is ?”

  “Not really, no .”

  I paged through it, laughing to myself. Most of it was in some damn Russian writing, but there were a few names and numbers that I recognized. There was the amount of olive oil in the stolen shipment, plus the time and date of the exchange. There were also a few other names of guys in the mob, plus at least one Russian name I recognized .

  “Remember Franklin?” I asked .

  “How could I forget?” she mumbled .

  “This is his notebook. I’m sure of it .”

  “Okay. Well, how ?”

  “That was his car we grabbed on the way out .”

  “So this is important ?”

  I grabbed her face and kissed her hard. “Very,” I said when I was done .

  She smiled. “Good. I’m glad .”

  “I think this is the proof that I need. I think Franklin was a part of a group inside both us and the Russians .”

  “And they stole the shipment ?”

  “At least, yeah.” I laughed, paging through the book. “But there are numbers and dates in here that I vaguely recognize. They could have been stealing from us for a while without anyone noticing .”

  “This doesn’t change the fact that Camille cheated on your dad .”

  “No,” I said, “it doesn’t. But Camille can tell me where Franklin is. Then maybe I can convince Arturo that you two are worth keeping alive .”

  “Gee, thanks .”

  “At the very least he’ll be distracted and I’ll be able to get you two out of the city .”

  “What happens then ?”

  “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But no matter what, I won’t leave you .”

  She nodded. “Okay .”

  I stood up, pocketing the notebook. “Now, let’s go talk to your mother .”

  Natalie followed me downstairs. With every new step I took, the plan in my mind slowly began to come together .

  Somehow Franklin was at the center of this. I had been right to be suspicious, but he clearly had been careful. We hadn’t followed him to any secret stash of treasure or anything like that. From what Vince and his people could tell, Franklin was a model employee .

  That was, until he started fucking Camille .

  Truth was, Franklin may have gotten away with everything had he not stuck his dick in Camille. If we had never gotten in that car that night, and Natalie hadn’t found his notebook, we would probably have moved on eventually .

  Instead, fucking a married woman was coming back to really bite him in the ass .

  We found Camille sitting on the couch, looking miserable. She glanced up at us .

  “Came to yell at me some more?” she asked me .

  “Not if you decide to be helpful,” I said .

  She crossed her arms. “What do you want, Lucas ?”

  “Where is Franklin ?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know .”

  “You saw him last night. You warned him .”

  “So? He didn’t say where he was going .”

  I sighed, sitting down on the coffee table in front of her. “I don’t believe you .”

  “I don’t care,” she snapped. “I don’t answer to you .”

  “Actually, Camille, you do. See, I’m keeping you safe. If my father’s people found out where you were hiding, they’d probably cut your throat and dump your body in an alley .”

  I watched the color drain from her face .

  “They would never. Artie would never .”

  I laughed. “Artie? My father is a violent businessman. He’d cut your body to pieces without a second thought. You’re nothing to him now .”

  She looked away. “You won’t let that happen. You care too much about my daughter .”

  I looked over at Natalie. “Would you mind if your mother disappeared ?”

  “No,” she said. “I’m finished trying to protect you, Camille. You can deal with the consequences yourself from now on .”

  She gaped at Natalie. “You wouldn’t let these men kill me ?”

  “I wouldn’t do anything,” Natalie said. “This is your choice .”

  Camille looked back at me. “This is insane .”

  “This is what happens when you treat being married to a mobster like it’s some fucking game,” I said to her .

  “I don’t know what you want from me .”

  “Where is Franklin ?”

  “I said I don’t know .”

  “Listen to me carefully, Camille,” I said softly, leaning in closer to her. “In a minute I’m going to ask Natalie to go upstairs, close her door, and put her head under a pillow .”

  “You don’t scare me,” Camille said .

  “After that,” I continued, “I’m going to take this knife”—I lifted up my shirt to show her my blade—“and I’m going to start hurting you until you tell me what I want to know .”

  I could see the fear in Camille’s eyes. “You wouldn’t do that, not with my daughter around .”

  I turned and looked at Natalie. Her face was passive, almost neutral. “Go upstairs, Nat .”

  She nodded and left .

  “Natalie!” Camille called out. “Wait. What are you doing ?”

  Natalie ignored her. I heard the door shut upstairs. I pulled the blade from the sheath at my hip and leaned in toward Camille .

  “Just me and you now,” I said .

  “I don’t know anything .”

  “Why are you protecting him?” I asked .

  “I love him,” she answered softly .

  I laughed loudly. “Love? You don’t know anything about love .”

  “And what do you think you know? You’re just some violent psychopath .”

  I reached out and grabbed Camille by the hair. She shouted and tried to fight me, but I simply held her harder .

  “I know what love is,” I said into her ear. “I’m willing to risk everything to save someone that I love. Unfortunately, you’re now standing in my way, and I will do what I have to do to make you talk .”

  I held the knife up against her face .

  “Okay,” she said quickly. “Okay .”

  “Where is Franklin ?”

  “He said he has a place on Sawyer in Little Village .”

  I tightened my grip. “What else ?”

  “I have his number. You can call him .”

  “And?”

  “I swear that’s it .”

  I could hear the fear in her voice, and I believed her. I let her hair go and she quickly scrambled away from me. I slipped the knife back into my sheath .

  “Thank you, Camille,” I said .

  “You’re a monster,” she spat. “You’re a sick monster. You don’t love my daughter .”

  “No, Camille,” I said, “you don’t .”

  I walked away from her and headed upstairs. I opened the door to Natalie’s room and she looked up .

  “Did you hurt her?” she asked .

  “No,” I said. “Just scared her .”

  “And?”

  “She talked .”

  Natalie looked relieved. “Good. I’m glad .”

  “I have to get going .”

  She got up and walked over to me, throwing her arms around me and hugging me tightly .

  I realized what I had said downstairs, realized what I had been slowly growing toward ever since Natalie had entered my life. Ever since I had married her .

  “I love you,” I said to her. “You know that ?”

  “Yeah,” she said, “I know .”

  And I kissed her hard, kicking the door to her room shut .

  33

  Natalie

  I heard the door shut, but almost from a distance. He kissed me hard, pressing himself against my body. He pulled off my sweatshirt, pulled off my sweatpants, and pushed me down onto the bed .

  He loved me. He said he loved me, and I hadn’t said it back .
r />   But I didn’t need to, not with his lips on my skin, kissing my neck, his fingers slipped down my panties. He could feel how I felt about him. He could feel the way my body responded to him. I was soaking wet as he began to slowly rub my clit, sending spirals of pleasure through my body .

  He didn’t say a word as I stripped his shirt off. He quickly resumed teasing my pussy and kissing me with a frenzy I hadn’t seen from him yet .

  My whole body was flooded with intense desire. I needed a release, but more than that, I needed him. I pushed him back, rolling over and on top of him, and began to work his pants off .

  “Easy there,” he said, grinning. “Grab the condom from my wallet before you toss them aside .”

  I did as he asked, fishing the condom out and then tossing his pants aside .

  He took the condom from me and I began to slowly work his shaft through his boxer briefs .

  “You see what you do to me?” he whispered, gently pulling my hair. “You make me so fucking hard I can barely breathe .”

  I slipped his underwear off and tossed them over with his shirt and his pants. I took his thick, hard cock in my hand and began to slowly jerk him off while looking in his eyes .

  His handsome, beautiful eyes. He was full of desire for me, looking at my body, my breasts and lips .

  “I could watch you do that forever,” he said. “You have such perfect fucking lips .”

  I smiled and slowly moved down toward his cock. He grunted as I slipped his tip between my lips and began to suck him .

  “Fuck,” he grunted. “God you’re fucking good at that. Suck that cock like you can’t stop yourself .”

  The truth was, I couldn’t stop myself. I began to suck him, sliding his cock in and out of my mouth, getting him nice and wet and hard. I wanted to slide my soaked pussy down along his shaft, but I wanted him to need it first .

  I worked him that way, sucking him, jerking him, all the while looking up at his beautiful face. He looked back, watching me intensely, letting me do all the work. I continued sucking his cock, working him .

  Finally, he reached down and pulled me up. I straddled him, and he ripped open the condom. I watched impatiently as he slowly rolled it down over his hard cock .