by Zoey Parker
“I shoulda warned you,” Richie sobbed. “I forgot he was out there, okay? I just forgot!”
Skull slammed the butt of his rifle into Richie's torso savagely. Richie screamed, and Skull heard several of his ribs snap.
“If you want to live, here's something you shouldn't forget,” Skull growled. “Louisiana is off-limits to you and the rest of your demented family. Find someplace else to be a drug-peddling redneck. We'll be watching for you, and if you ever come back to this state again—even if you're just passing through—we'll know, and we'll make sure you're the one who dies with a chainsaw in his guts. Do you understand?”
“Y-Y-Yes,” Richie stammered.
“Good. Now go.”
Richie pulled himself to his feet, clutching his busted ribs and hissing in pain. Marty and Cootie got up as well, breathing hard, their eyes bugging out of their heads. For a moment, they stood, staring at Skull and the other Devils.
Skull pointed his rifle at the ceiling and fired off another burst. “Now!”
The three men pelted toward the door as fast as they could, running off into the bayou. Skull looked down and saw trails of urine on the floor, marking their paths.
“How bad is it?” Skull asked Ash, pulling his mask off. The others took theirs off too.
“Could've been a lot worse,” Ash said, wincing. “This plastic armor may be cheap, but it still kept the saw from going in as deep as it could. A few stitches, an' I should be okay. Thank God he missed the spine, though.”
“Jesus, that was some fucked-up, horror movie shit!” Panda turned to Bumper, who was pale and shaking. “Where the hell were you, anyway, huh? What happened?”
“I, uh...just wasn't expecting a dude with a chainsaw, is all,” Bumper said, licking his lips nervously. “I got kind of a thing about chainsaws. Do you think he's dead?”
“He took at least five rounds in the chest before he ran off,” Skull answered. “If that didn't kill him, there's about twelve different infections he'll get from the swamp that should do the trick. And we know for damn sure that the other three ain't gonna be a problem anymore.”
Okay, Bax, Skull thought. Mission accomplished. What do you have up your sleeve next?
Chapter 19
Stef
Stef had been watching her father pace around their house for almost a week. She'd never seen him so nervous before—muttering to himself, wringing his hands, jumping every time the phone rang. Even when she was lying in bed at night, she could still hear his footsteps traveling from floor to floor, room to room. He'd always taken tremendous pride in his appearance, but now he was forgetting to bathe or comb his hair for days at a time, and his expensive outfits always looked rumpled.
She knew that whatever he was waiting for had something to do with Leo. She'd even heard him call Leo several times, but after each brief conversation, he continued to roam the house nervously.
When Silvio told Stef's father that her second date with Leo had ended before it began, Benny interrogated her mercilessly. She couldn't tell him that the real reason was because he'd refused to have sex with her again, so she stubbornly kept her mouth shut and her arms folded as he harangued her.
“I thought you said you liked him better than the others,” Benny yelled.
“Well, I was wrong! He's no different, and I don't like him anymore.”
Benny let out a frustrated roar, slamming his fist down on his desk. “Goddamn it, why couldn't I have had a son? Girls are so fickle. One minute they love some boy, and the next minute they hate him, and they can't even tell you why. It's enough to drive a man insane.”
“I'm not going to see him again.”
“Yes, you are,” Benny seethed. “You're going to have another date with him, and another, and you're going to smile and laugh and behave yourself on all of them. You know why? Because as quickly as your mind changed about Leo, it could change back just as quickly. And I won't let you ruin this chance for yourself just because you can't make up your mind about what you want.”
And Stef had stormed out of his office, and he'd slammed the door behind her, and she'd stomped up the stairs to her room and slammed her own door in response. It had become a familiar pattern.
Now Stef could hear the phone ringing, and her father scrambling to answer it. “Hello?”
Stef got up from her bed and opened her door, sticking her head out to listen. Was this the call he'd been waiting for?
From the short-tempered, disappointed tone in his voice, she guessed it wasn't.
“What do you mean, 'disappeared'? Did you check that cabin he's got out in the swamp?...Well, what about those fucking cousins of his? Marty and Cootie and that retard, what's-his-name, 'Bonesaw.'...Don't tell me that! Nothing 'vanishes without a trace!' Were there any signs they'd been bumped off? Any blood, or...'A couple of drops?' That tells me nothing! You're telling me nothing! Now find out what the hell happened to them, and fast. They were our only source for the shit. Hopefully, with this other deal I've got going, it won't matter—but still, we'd better find out what happened, just to be on the safe side.”
He slammed the phone down, and Stef heard him let out a frustrated sigh.
Stef couldn't believe how Benny was coming unraveled by this situation with Leo, whatever it was. He never used to speak unless it was in an even and rational tone, and he'd almost never used foul language. But now...
Good, Stef thought with a twinge of cruel satisfaction. Whatever's going on, maybe it'll give him ulcers and he'll die from them.
Still, she was sick to her stomach from all of it. Sick of the gangsters and the shady deals and the killings and the secrecy and the careful double-speak from fear of wiretapping. Sick of the whole wretched thing.
There was a knock at the front door, and Stef heard her father run to it, flinging it open. “Silvio! What is it?”
“Leo reached out, Don Altamura. He said he'd like to speak with you. It seemed fairly urgent.”
“Why? What's going on?”
“I don't know, sir. But whatever it is, he sounds quite unhappy about it.”
Chapter 20
Bax
Bax sat in one of the plush chairs in his hotel room as he practiced his most disapproving look. He felt like he had the expression itself down—stony, with a furrowed brow and a judgmental glint in the eyes. But he was having trouble deciding on the rest of his pose.
Both feet planted, both arms down on the armrests? No, it was too open, and it reminded him of the Lincoln Memorial.
Legs crossed wide, fingers steepled together in front of him? That felt better, but it still seemed forced somehow, like something a Bond villain would do.
Legs crossed at the knee, arms half-crossed with his chin in his hand? Pretentious. He was trying to intimidate a mob boss, not pose for an author photo.
Legs together, arms folded tight against his chest? What, was he a toddler refusing to eat or something? No.
“Have you figured out which pose is sexiest yet?” Tommy asked from his seat in the corner. “I mean, I knew you were vain, but Jesus Christ, enough with the primping and bullshit.”
“It's important to get it just right,” Bax replied. “Just stay quiet and remember your part.”
“Yeah, yeah, it ain't complicated,” Tommy sighed.
Just as Bax was considering standing behind the chair with his hands clamped on its back—bold, adversarial, like a caged tiger who might escape and pounce—there was a knock at the door. Bax quickly decided to go with the Lincoln pose after all, and motioned for Mule to answer the door.
When Bax saw Benny walk in with Silvio behind him, he felt a spasm of sadistic glee. Clearly, the pressure and anticipation were making Benny fall apart. His tie was askew, his suit was unevenly buttoned, his hair resembled a white bird's nest, and he was missing a cuff link. His shoes were scuffed, and it looked like he hadn't shaved in days. He'd allowed his manicure to lapse, and his fingernails had been chewed ragged.
Best of all, the crooked, f
rantic smile on his face was that of a dog who'd been beaten and still acted happy to see its master.
I own you, cocksucker, Bax thought as he remained in his seat and let Benny walk over to him.
It was why he'd made a point of not arranging another meeting at The Hurricane Club. This time, Benny would come to him. This time, it would be extremely obvious to both of them who had the upper hand and who didn't.
“Max, Tommy, Leo, it's such a pleasure to see you again,” Benny said, grabbing Bax's hand and shaking it. Bax let him do this, but didn't return the handshake, allowing his arm to flop up and down until Benny released it. This clearly upset Benny even more, and his anxious smile widened. “Are you enjoying the car? It's lovely, isn't it?”
“I didn't ask you here to talk about the car, Benny.” Bax kept his tone curt and impatient, as though Benny was supposed to already know why he'd been summoned.
“Hey, Leo, chill out, okay?” Tommy said uneasily. “Don Altamura is a reasonable man. There's no reason we can't all be civil about this...”
Bax shot Tommy a venomous look, and Tommy immediately shut his mouth.
“Is this about Stef? I swear, I don't know what gets into that girl's head, truly. But whatever it is, I'm sure she'll get over it. She'll still marry you if I tell her to. Nothing's changed on that score, I assure you.” Benny actually licked his lips and let out a nervous laugh.
“I'm going to ask you one question,” Bax said coolly. “And I need to know if you can give me an honest answer.”
Benny spread his arms helplessly. “Leo, why would you ask me that? I'm hurt. You know my reputation, you know I'm an honorable man—”
“Can you give me a straight answer?” Bax asked through clenched teeth, punctuating each word with a period. “Yes or no.”
Benny swallowed hard. “Yes, Leo. You have to know I'd never lie to you.”
“Good. Now: Did you tell anyone about my father's situation? Anyone at all?”
“No!” Benny exclaimed immediately. “Of course not.”
“Don't lie to me, Benny. Come clean now, before it's too late.”
Silvio bristled. “Don Altamura already told you he hasn't said anything to anyone. That should be enough for you.”
Benny put up a hand to silence him. “Silvio, please. This doesn't concern you.” He looked at Bax imploringly. “Leo, I swear on my life—on my daughter's life—I haven't told a soul about your father. You, me, Tommy, and Silvio are the only ones who know what's going on. And Max, I guess, but it's not like he could tell anyone. Please, won't you tell me what's happened? Whatever it is, I promise, I'll do anything I can to help.”
“I wired the ransom money to the kidnappers last week.” Bax tried to sound like he could barely keep his anger in check. “Today, I got a call from them. They found out who my father really is, and they told me the ransom has now tripled. They want another ten million for his release. So I'm going to ask you one more time, Benny, and I want you to look me in the eyes when you answer. Did you or did you not tell someone about this?”
Benny looked directly into Bax's eyes. “No. I didn't tell anyone. And I can assure you, Silvio didn't either.”
Bax made a show of thinking this over for a moment. Finally, he said, “I believe you.”
Then he pulled a silenced handgun from his shoulder holster and fired three shots into Tommy's chest. Benny gasped, and Silvio flinched, his hand going for his own gun.
Tommy looked down at the bloody holes the exploding squibs had left in the front of his shirt. His mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, and he slumped over to one side, pretending to be dead.
“If it wasn't you or Silvio, then it had to be Tommy,” Bax said, tucking his gun back into its holster. “I always suspected that weasel was in it for himself. This proves it.”
Silvio hesitated, then put his pistol away warily.
Benny took a few deep breaths, trying to get himself under control. “Right. It had to be him. Of course. And now that he's out of the picture, I hope you'll allow me to use my resources to dispose of the body for you.”
Bax shook his head. “No, thank you. I suspected that it would come to this, and I've already made arrangements. But as a gesture of good faith, I want you to honor your pledge to me that you'd do anything to see my father released.” He peered at Benny through the wisps of gun smoke drifting through the room. “Do we understand each other?”
“Absolutely.” Benny took a handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing his forehead with it. “I'll have to move some things around, but I should be able to get the ten million for you in three days. Okay?”
Bax nodded serenely. “Fine. Now leave, please. I have a lot on my mind.”
“Of course.” Benny started toward the door. Silvio followed, still frowning at Tommy's limp body. “And if there's anything else I can do for you, please, let me know. Whatever it is, I'm here to help. Okay, Leo?”
Bax didn't answer.
He waited until the door had shut behind Benny and Silvio and he heard them get on the elevator down the hall. Then he threw his head back and laughed. “Wow, did you guys see the expression on Benny's face? He looked like he was about to get smacked in the nose with a rolled-up newspaper! Ha!”
Mule nodded, grinning.
“Glad you're having a good fucking time,” Tommy groaned, straightening up and gingerly inspecting his chest. “Even with the extra layers on, these things hurt like a son of a bitch when they go off. Christ, I think one of them blew off a damn nipple.”
“When we're done, you can buy yourself two extra nipples and a couple of tits to put them on,” Bax said. “Now buck up. We've just got a few more moves to make, and then comes the big payday.”
Chapter 21
Bax
Three days later, Bax sat on the bed in the hotel room, drinking the tiny bottles of liquor from the mini-bar. He looked down at the stacks of bills that had been fanned out across the blanket. In the corner, Mule was slumped over in a chair, snoring heavily. It was almost midnight.
Oh, the hand-off had gone smoothly, all right. Benny showed up with Silvio, still apologizing and insisting on his own innocence as he gave Bax the valise with the ten million dollars in it. He'd invited Bax to count it to make sure everything was there, but Bax imperiously stated that he was sure it was—with the vaguest hint of a threat in his voice—and dismissed Benny, saying he'd be in touch within the week about his father's release.
And now here it all was. Ten million dollars—and if the five million had been more money than Bax had ever seen before, then ten looked like someone else's dream coming true before his eyes. He had to reach out and touch it just to confirm that it was real.
Combined with the previous payoff, it was fifteen million. Split seven ways, that was over two million dollars per involved party. The biggest score of Bax's life and it was his, free and clear.
They'd pushed their luck, and it had paid off. Benny would have had to liquidate most of his personal cash reserve to pay this off, as well as about a third of his mob businesses. Between that and the sudden loss of his only heroin connection, he wouldn't be in much of a position to retaliate once he realized he'd been conned.
Now it was time for the loot to be divided and for Bax to split, laughing all the way.
So why didn't he feel happy about any of it?
He wished the answer were elusive, but unfortunately, he knew exactly what it was and he loathed himself for it.
It was Stef.
He couldn't get her out of his mind. He hated the fact that the last time he'd seen her, he'd made her cry. He couldn't bear the thought that every mile he put between himself and New Orleans was also a mile he put between himself and her.
So what? his brain sneered at him. You've left behind a hundred crying girls in a hundred other towns, and you were always mighty sure they'd get over it. Why not? You always did, right? You can break some other girl's heart in the next town, and the next. Isn't that part of the adventure?
It always had been before, but this time, it felt different. Part of it was the way Stef had smiled at him during the end of their first date—the happiness and trust and wanting he'd seen sparkling in her eyes, and all of it just for him. Based on his previous sexual encounters, Bax had come to believe that less-experienced partners generally weren't much fun. Too much fumbling and hesitation and uncertainty.
But with Stef, it had been different. She'd welcomed him into her and embraced him completely with a fierceness he'd never known before, as though she'd been waiting for him her whole life.
Or maybe he'd been waiting for her?
Deep down, though, he knew there was another reason he was having trouble with the concept of leaving her. The way her parents tried to control her and dictate every aspect of her life, right down to who she'd marry—it had reminded him of something before, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on it until tonight. And now that he had, he wished he hadn't.