The Nullifier

by Erin M. Leaf

  “You’re not that much older than I am,” she said, opening the next drawer. She started dumping her stuff into the box willy-nilly. “How do you know how to trust? Do you trust anyone?”

  “Trust?” He snorted. “Have you ever seen me with a boyfriend?”

  Jenna shook her head. “No.” Her face crumpled. “Are we always going to be alone?”

  Nick’s heart broke all over again. “No. We’ll figure it out. And if we don’t, we’ll still always have each other,” he said, willing her to believe him. And I’ll do better. I’ll see her more often. Make sure she’s okay, instead of just phoning it in.

  “Yeah. I guess you’re stuck with me. Loser.” Jenna wiped at her face again as she attempted a smile. “Okay. Those are all my clothes.” She closed the box she’d filled and nudged it with her foot. “It’s not much, is it?”

  Nick’s eyebrows rose. “Wait, what?” He glanced up at the rack of dresses hanging in the closet. “What about these?”

  “Those are clothes Quincy bought me and made me wear to his stupid business dinners with his family. I don’t want them. They’re too much. His father would stare at me all through the meal.” Jenna shuddered. “It was creepy as hell.” She turned her back on the racks of fabric. “I just need to get my laptop and I’m done.”

  Nick ran a hand through his hair, angry at himself all over again. He hadn’t realized how bad it had gotten for her. “I should’ve come home sooner,” he muttered, closing the closet door on the dresses.

  “No. There was nothing you could’ve done,” Jenna said, rubbing at the bruise on her arm. “I wouldn’t have listened to you. I barely listened to you ten minutes ago.”

  Nick watched her skin turn red where she scrubbed at it. He walked over to her and took her hands in his. “Stop that.” He pressed her hands together between his palms. “It’s all in the past. We’re going to move forward now.” He hugged her again. For the first time since he’d shown up today, she hugged him back, and he swallowed against the relief threatening to choke him.

  “Okay,” she said in a small voice. “Let me get the rest of my stuff.”

  Nick nodded and picked up the box of shoes. After stowing it and the other boxes in the back of his SUV, he went back inside to do a quick scan of the place with his sister. “You sure you got everything?”

  She nodded, adjusting the strap of her laptop on her shoulder. “Yeah. That’s all of it.” She scowled at the magazines and dirty ashtrays littering the coffee table. “He can burn the rest of it for all I care.”

  “We can come back for the dresser,” Nick offered.

  Jenna shook her head. “No. I don’t want it anymore.” She turned her back on the room. “I have other keepsakes from Grandmom.”

  Nick nodded, not surprised. “I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “It is what it is.”

  Nick watched a dozen emotions chase their way across his sister’s face, none of them good. Time to get her away from this place, he thought, hoping that a change in scenery would make her feel better. “Okay. Let’s get the hell out of here before your asshole ex comes home,” he said, guiding his sister to the front of the house. Before he could open the door, keys scraped in the lock and it swung open, banging against the wall.

  Well, isn’t that just shitty timing, Nick thought sourly, shoving his sister behind his back as he stared at the man in the doorway. Fucking Quincy Edwards himself. He sighed as the confusion on Quincy’s face twisted into fury in less than a second. Nick knew exactly what was going to happen next, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

  ****

  Felix pulled out his binoculars and settled in for a long night of surveillance. He’d grabbed a quick bite to eat, and then headed to the block where Quincy Edwards lived with his girlfriend. He’d parked his truck several houses down, behind a few old trees growing from the sidewalks. It was a nice neighborhood. Not somewhere you’d expect to find a drug dealer and money runner, but he supposed that was the point. Criminals didn’t live in abandoned warehouses and yachts, like in the movies. They lived in everyday neighborhoods, where they could better fly under the radar. Well, except for Zero, but his friend had built his career around the warehouses he owned. Zero had always been a loner who didn’t give a flying fuck what other people thought. Felix had rarely met a more independent operator, not that it mattered to him.

  You won’t find me living in a warehouse, though. Too fucking grim, he thought, a half smile curling his lips up. No one would ever suspect that a man in his line of work would live in a random suburban neighborhood, and he always made it a point to try to seem as outwardly normal as possible. He couldn’t do a damn thing about the inside of his head, but his life depended on him blending in with all of the ordinary people he lived among and worked around. And if you ask me, I’m a damn sight more “normal” than they are. Or maybe just more honest.

  He scanned the street in both directions, and then focused on the house he’d come to watch. He’d just put the binoculars up to his eyes when he froze, surprise curling around the base of his spine. Quincy Edwards had just gotten home, and from the looks of it, he was confronting his girlfriend and her new man. And the new guy just happened to be Mr. Nick Banner, the guy he’d met at the mini mart robbery earlier.

  “Shit.” Felix frowned, as he considered aborting the entire contract. He didn’t need random connections fouling up his work. Instead of starting the truck and getting the hell out of there, however, he continued to watch the scene unfold, like a man who couldn’t eat just one bite of candy. Something about Nick intrigued him, much to his disgust. He cocked his head, watching with interest as Edwards slammed his fist on the front door. It swung in, nearly hitting Nick in the face. To Felix’s surprise, Nick got right up in Edwards’s space, eyes flat with anger. He hadn’t thought Nick would be so aggressive, but then he saw the small woman cowering behind him.

  That must be Edwards’s girlfriend. Is she cheating on him with Nick? he wondered, ignoring the pang of regret he felt at the thought of Nick hooking up with some woman. He couldn’t afford to care about shit like that. He pressed his lips together, keeping the binoculars steady.

  Edwards started yelling. From the few words Felix could make out at this distance, the man was upset the woman was leaving. That would explain the boxes on the sidewalk. Edwards banged on the door again, and Felix thought Nick might back down, but instead, he said something. It must’ve really pissed off his target, because Edwards lunged for Nick. Felix nearly got out of his car to help before he remembered he didn’t do things like that. He watched Nick neatly sidestep the attack, using Edwards’ momentum against him.

  “Huh.” Felix rubbed his chin. Nick could handle himself pretty damned well. He couldn’t deny the rush of pleasure he felt at the sight of Nick shoving Edwards past him like some sort of Kung Fu genius, especially considering the bullet wound in his arm. Edwards crashed into something just inside the door, and Nick hustled the girl out of the house, handing her the keys to a car. She dashed to the SUV parked in front and dove into the passenger side.

  “This is either going to get very ugly, or very interesting,” Felix murmured, lips twisting. He had no desire to see Nick hurt, or the woman, but he also wasn’t about to go play hero again. He’d only intervened at the mini mart because he was hungry, and he tended to do dumb things when people screwed with his meals. And that poor cashier didn’t deserve that kind of shit. He sighed, annoyed with himself all over again. He really needed to fucking retire before he lost his edge entirely.

  You’re not bored now, a small voice whispered at the back of his mind. He scowled, and rolled his shoulders, focusing on the house again. He wasn’t surprised to see Edwards come barreling out of the house, red-faced and yelling. Nick stood on the front walk with feet spread, hands relaxed. The moment Edwards lunged for him, Nick took him down with one judicial punch to the head. Edwards dropped like a sack of bricks.

  “Fuck me,” Felix breathed. His cock hardened, as it
so often did when he had the pleasure of watching good work being done. He watched Nick scowl down at Edwards, but the guy wasn’t getting up. Nick had knocked him out cold with one hit. Nick shook out his hands, picked up the two boxes, and then headed for the SUV. Felix hurriedly put down the binoculars and hunched down in his truck. One minute later, their vehicle passed him, and he couldn’t resist a peek over the dashboard. He got a good look at the woman and frowned when he realized that she could be Nick’s twin: same color hair, same bone structure.

  “Siblings. She’s gotta be his sister,” Felix said, picking up the binoculars again once the SUV turned the corner. He looked back towards the house, but Edwards was still out cold in the front yard. “Well, shit. I should do the job right now. Easy-peasy.” He could walk up, put his boot on the man’s throat, and collect a cool couple million. He considered it. Nick would get the rap for the job, and Felix would be free to head west. “Fuck,” he muttered, not moving. For some reason, he didn’t want to see the man go down for murder.

  “Goddammit.” Before he could change his mind, Felix started his truck and pulled away, cursing himself under his breath. He should be driving back there to run Edwards over. Or he could put a round in the man’s head. He could break his neck. Any number of ways to finish the contract filed through his mind, but instead of going closer, he drove away, like a dumb shit who didn’t know his way around the block anymore. He needed to retire, like, right the fuck now. The moment you went soft was the day someone else took your place, usually with a bullet to your brain to seal the end of your career.

  Chapter Three

  “You can stay in this bedroom. I set it up just the way you like it,” Nick said as he dumped the last box on the floor near the closet, suppressing a wince as the movement taxed his injured arm. His sister had no idea he’d been shot, and he’d like to keep it that way. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

  “Thanks,” Jenna said. Her voice barely made it above a whisper.

  Nick looked at her, worried about the exhaustion in her expression. “I pushed the bed next to the wall. There’s only the one window with wooden shutters on the inside, but it’s got a great view. And you’ve got your own bathroom.” He gestured to the door near the closet. “This house has two master bedrooms, and each has its own bath. How cool is that? My room is just down the hall.” He forced a smile for his sister. He knew she wasn’t really up for his whole spiel, but it didn’t matter. They had to play the hand they were dealt. It was a lesson he’d had beaten into him on the streets, not that she knew that.

  “It’s great, Nick. Really.” She moved to the bed and fingered the comforter he’d bought for her. “Where on Earth did you find this? I had one just like it when I was a girl.” She traced a finger over the antique roses embroidered into the cloth. “And then Mom sold it at the garage sale.”

  “I have my ways,” Nick winked at her, ignoring the comment about their mother. Their parents sucked, and always had. Talking about them wouldn’t change a damn thing. “Just enjoy the blanket, and don’t worry about where it came from,” he added. Really, online shopping made everything easy, but she didn’t have to know the details. There were actually a hell of a lot of things she didn’t need to know about his life, up to and including his job, his money situation, and how hard he’d tried to keep from tangling her up in his business. But right now, it’s more dangerous for her to be with fucking Quincy Edwards than it is for her to be with me. Which is seriously screwed up. He shook his head, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind.

  “How did you take Quincy down so fast?” Jenna asked, sitting on the bed.

  Nick inhaled. He’d known she was going to ask. He had an answer all ready, but whether or not she believed him… “I started taking mixed martial arts in college,” he said, shrugging. Getting thrown out of your hometown diner with egg on your face kind of motivates a guy to learn how to fight, he thought, but he didn’t feel like describing the whole scenario. She had enough problems of her own without worrying over his past drama. “I liked it, so I continued.” He leaned back against the doorjamb. “It’s relaxing.”

  His sister’s eyes widened. “Fighting is relaxing? I had no idea.” Her gaze went to his fists. “You’re not even bruised.”

  “If you fuck up your hands, you’re not doing it right,” Nick told her. He flexed his fingers. “I gotta keep these babies in good shape. Can’t type without them.” He couldn’t do the other things he needed to do, either, but that was yet another thing his sister didn’t need to know.

  Jenna cocked her head. “Could I learn? How to fight?”

  Nick blinked, astonished and oddly pleased. “Of course,” he said. He had not seen that question coming. “It can take a long time to really get good at it. I’ve been doing it for five years, and I still don’t know everything.”

  “Even so. A little is better than nothing, right?” Her hands went to the bruises on her arms.

  Nick nodded slowly, realizing where her sudden interest came from. “I can start you off with some simple self-defense techniques.”

  She smiled. “Okay.”

  Nick grinned at her. “I can’t wait to see my little sister throw a grown man over her shoulder.”

  Jenna crossed her arms, looking suddenly apprehensive. “I’m not strong enough to do that.”

  “It’s all about momentum, sis,” Nick told her, miming a move. “You don’t need to be muscular or tall. You just need to be in reasonably good shape, and you need to understand the physics of motion.” He saw the uncertainty on her face. “We can start in a few days, after you get some rest.” He pushed off from the doorjamb and walked over to her. “I don’t want you to worry about anything for at least a week, okay? You deserve a break.” He smoothed a hand down her hair. “You’re safe now.”

  Jenna sighed. “Quincy came to my job at the consignment shop. He got me fired.” She rubbed her forehead, and then pushed his hands away. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to relax, Nick. I need to find a job. Maybe I should’ve sold that diamond ring Quincy gave me instead of leaving it in the house.”

  The “diamond” Quincy had given her was a fake, and wouldn’t fetch ten bucks on the gem market. Nick grabbed her hands and quieted their restless motion. He needed to redirect her train of thought, pronto. “Shh. It’s okay, Jenna. I’ve got plenty of money. I can afford to have you mooch off of me for a while.” He forced a grin. “What else are siblings for?”

  “But—” she protested, but Nick cut her off.

  “Nope. It’s no big deal. You are going to rest and be happy, because I said so.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, gratified that she didn’t push him off again. “Now, unpack and settle in. I’m going to head out for some dinner. I’m totally cool with you staying here, but as you know, I am terrible in the kitchen.” He smiled at her. “We need food we can actually eat, and my attempts to cook aren’t worth it.”

  His sister snorted as her expression eased. “Yeah, I remember that time you burned a pot black when you tried to boil water. Dad was beyond pissed. So, can we have pizza? With mushrooms? And maybe anchovies?”

  Nick made a face. He hated mushrooms, and she knew it, but he was willing to cut her some slack. “Of course. If that’s what you want.”

  Jenna hugged him. “You do love me. You hate mushrooms.”

  Nick rolled his eyes. “Duh.” He hugged her back, trying not to frown over her too-thin shoulders beneath his hands.

  She leaned back. “So, are you going to tell Mom and Dad you’re in town?”

  “No.” Nick didn’t elaborate. She knew him well enough to know that he wanted nothing to do with the man and woman who’d thrown him out of their house. The year after they’d disowned him had been the hardest of his entire life. He’d owed nearly one hundred thousand in student loans, had no place to live, and his boyfriend had dumped him a mere month after the diner incident. He’d barely managed to graduate from college. The year after that … well. He’
d figured out a way to survive, but it wasn’t anything he could talk about to anyone, and he sure as shit didn’t want Jenna to know about it.

  “They’re going to ask me where I’m living, Nick,” Jenna said reasonably.

  “So tell them.” Nick stood up and started pacing. If he didn’t, he’d go crazy. “Or don’t. It’s up to you.” He could save her from her abusive boyfriend, but he couldn’t save her from her own deluded love for their parents.

  Jenna frowned. “They ask me about you.”

  I’m sure they do, he thought, suddenly pissed. “They have my number if they ever want to talk to me,” he told her, struggling to keep his voice even. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. “They don’t call. They don’t text.” He shrugged angrily. “This is not my problem. Hell, it’s not your problem. It’s theirs.”

  Jenna wrapped her arms around herself again, eyes on the floor. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Nick sighed and forced himself to stop pacing in front of her. “I can’t tell you how to handle them,” he said, voice tight. “I know you still love them. I know they say they care about you.” He rolled his shoulders, trying to get the crick out of his neck. “But they sure as hell don’t want me around anymore. They made that clear the last time I tried to talk to them.” He shook his head, remembering how his father had thrown Nick’s laptop through the doorway. The metal and plastic had shattered all over the front walkway of their house. The neighbors had enjoyed the show. “They don’t care to speak to me.” And they sure as hell don’t seem to care that their only daughter was stuck in an abusive relationship and desperately needed help. His parents were terrible human beings. Nick knew criminals who treated their families better than his mother and father did.

  Jenna nodded. “I know. It’s just difficult, right now.”

  Nick grimaced, understanding that her misery was rooted deeper than his bad history with their parents. He should’ve gotten her away from that asshole sooner. Maybe he should’ve taken her away from their parents, too, but hindsight was always twenty-twenty.