by Belle Aurora
And with that decision, he had my respect.
What can I say?
I definitely preferred my sisters safe than dead.
A number of minutes passed before a hushed voice sounded within my ear.
“I’m in place,” said Fernanda.
“So am I,” uttered Luna.
My eyes scanned the darkness surrounding me. I walked the parking lot, taking in every car I passed. “Find her,” I told my sisters, and they had my complete faith. I trusted them like no one else. They were clever and accomplished and talented, my sisters.
I trusted them with my life, which was lucky because oftentimes, during the jobs we pulled, it was crucial.
My feet moved silently along the cement flooring as I went from one floor to the next, surveying car after car.
“Uh, guys?” Luna whispered. “I think I’ve got a visual.”
“What?” Fernanda sputtered in disbelief. “How?”
Luna chuckled. “Eat shit, Fern. I got here first.”
“Where are you?” Fernanda never did like coming in second.
“Scaling the building,” Luna said so matter-of-factly that I smiled.
My sisters were nuts.
“Where are you, Luna?” I asked quietly as I continued to walk the lot.
“It’s hard to say,” she uttered softly. “I think it’s the tenth floor. I don’t know. Waiting to confirm visual.”
“Waiting for confirmation,” Fern moped, trying to sound professional.
I kept walking as I smiled. They were the only two women in the world who could make me laugh. Shit. They were the only people in the world who could make me smile. I loved them dearly, my little sisters. And I wouldn’t let anything happen to them.
As my eye caught a silver SUV that could have been the same one from the surveillance tape Twitch had obtained, I approached cautiously, my brows lowered. Taking out my phone, I looked over the images saved onto my cell, comparing them to the car in front of me. Peering over every inch of the car, I took a step back and sighed.
That was when Luna said the magic words. “Visual confirmed. I have both Ling and the boy in sight. I repeat, I have the boy in sight.”
Fern crowed in my ear. “Hell, yeah, baby. That’s how we do.”
“Nice work,” I told them. “I’ve got the car. I’ll call Luka.” Taking a deep breath, I muttered, “Let’s take this bitch down and get the boy home safe.”
“That’s the plan,” stated Fern, before asking Luna, “Yo, Lulu. What do you need?”
Luna hesitated only a moment, before she said, “Access to the roof. I’ve got a plan.”
***
Ling
It had been a long couple of days, and between the lack of sleep, the anxiety that ran through me with every ticking second of the clock, and the ominous knowledge that my time with my heir may be cut short, it rattled in a way that had me panicking.
“Hey, sweetie,” I uttered with a smile as I came to kneel by him. “I brought you something.”
As I handed over the blue and white chocolate bar, he frowned down at it. “What is it?”
“It’s candy. American candy. It’s called an Almond Joy. Sort of like a Bounty, but with an almond on top.” He watched me warily. Yes, he had the right to watch the way he did, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. “I thought we could eat one together before bed.”
My little Itch, he looked down at the candy bar a long moment then back up at me. “No, thank you.”
I made myself look sadder than I was. “Oh. Okay. It’s no big deal.” Taking my time, I ripped open the wrapper on one bar and bit into it. I chewed slowly and moaned, closing my eyes. “Wow. It’s been so long since I had one of these.” I made a happy face and nodded. “It’s really good.” I licked my lips and asked slyly, “You sure you don’t want one?”
Of course he wanted one.
He was all but drooling for it.
But, like most mothers had, I was sure Lexi had taught my son to not take candy from strangers.
So when I bit into the candy bar again and smiled blissfully, it was only a matter of time before he gave in. Unfortunately for him, the temptation was too strong, and when I opened the second candy bar, holding it out to him, he took it slowly, studied it carefully, and then bit into it. Once the chocolate hit his tongue, I watched him chew eagerly, and when he swallowed the first bite, he went in for a second rather quickly. And at that moment, I felt my heart swell at the very same time my stomach ached.
Because he should have listened to his mother.
“It’s good, right?”
He nodded enthusiastically and my insides coiled tight.
You should never take candy from strangers.
Chapter
Forty-Three
Twitch
My heart raced the entire way over. Once Thiago had confirmed the visual on A.J., I could think of nothing else than holding my son again but silently fearing I might be too late. The car pulled up and Luka twisted back to face us. “You good?”
“Yeah.” I wasn’t though. Not even a little bit. And from the looks of my woman, neither was she. “We good, angel?”
She blinked up at me, but her movements were slowed. She was beyond exhausted, and I wished she would have just let me do my thing. I got why she couldn’t do that, but it would have been easier for me if I didn’t have to also focus on her tonight.
“Yeah,” she spoke timidly. “I’m ready.”
Luka’s gaze drifted between the two of us. His lips thinned and he nodded slowly. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
It was close to 3:00 a.m. It was important to have the element of surprise on our side. Not that it mattered. Ling would be waiting. Ling would be ready for us.
And a sleeping snake still had fangs.
Happy, Julius, and Zep were already waiting. Soon, Evander and Manda joined them. And when we got out of the car to join the ranks, Luka checked his messages and spoke to the small crowd gathered at the entrance of the apartment block. “Thiago, Luna, and Fern are ready to go. Happy, you got something for us?”
Happy handed out small, black plastic-looking things. “Put it in your ear. This way, we’re all connected. You won’t be able to talk to the Vegas, but you’ll be able to hear them. Only Luka will be able to communicate directly.”
We all put the earpieces in and listened to Fern sing “Another One Bites The Dust.”
Luna’s teeth chattered. “It’s fucking freezing up here, guys. Make a move already.”
Happy turned to face Luka. “When you’re ready.”
“We’re ready,” he said with a curt nod.
But from behind us came, “Sorry we’re late.” I spun around at the sound of her voice. She looked small and scared and out of place. But she held her head high and blinked at me a moment before her eyes met Lexi’s. A small shrug bounced her shoulders. “Heard you could use some help.”
Lexi bound forward and wrapped her arms around Molly. They held each other a long time, and while Molly’s eyes closed, Lexi whispered into her ear, and I watched Molly’s face crumple in pure sadness. She shook her head and uttered a whispered, “I’m so sorry.”
Meeting Tama’s eyes, I jerked my chin at him. “Thanks for coming.”
Luka didn’t appear impressed. “Great. Nice. Family reunion. Fucking wonderful. Now—” He motioned to the building. “—time’s wasting. Let’s move.”
Lexi uncoiled her arms from around Molly but remained by her side in a show of silent support, and while Happy broke us into the building using his gadgets and whatnot, Julius moved to my side, speaking for my ears alone. “Ana wanted to be here.”
I frowned at him. “That girl has gone through enough. I’m glad you were able to talk her down. Besides...” My own voice quieted. “This isn’t her fight.”
Julius leaned in and he put his hand to my shoulder. “He’s coming home.”
Yeah, he was.
He was.
My son was coming home.
<
br /> The huge double doors beeped a second before the latch clicked over and we were in. Happy held the door open, and as I walked past him, I muttered, “My brother,” proudly.
We had to take both elevators up, with Lexi, Molly, Tama, Luka, and me in one, Julius, Happy, Zep, Evander, and Manda in the other. Once we reached the tenth floor penthouse, Happy knelt by the door, inserted a blank cardkey into the lock, and used his phone to hack the code.
The light turned green and my heart jolted. We were so close.
Before anyone went inside, Julius held a finger to his lips and motioned for everyone else to stay in the hall. The apartment was dark as he entered, gun drawn, but soon enough, I heard her.
“Drop it, Jay.”
A light switched on and, from the hall, we watched Julius illuminate in the soft glow of lamplight.
What Julius said next had me rushing to his side. “Ling,” he uttered, his face awash with concern, “what have you done to him?”
What?
Fuck this shit.
My feet carried me faster than they ever had before, and when I joined my brother in that room, my eyes landed on the small woman cradling my son in her arms in the nook of the large bay window.
She looked high, or tired, or both. I couldn’t tell.
Ling smiled at me, but it was more a taunt. “Quiet, Daddy. You’ll wake him.”
“Put him down, Ling.” My voice shook with raw fury.
From behind me came, “Let go of my son,” and I was surprised by how steady Lexi’s voice was at that moment.
Ling looked up around us, and her eyes widened as the space within the bedroom got smaller and smaller with bodies filling the area. Molly slid to one side of the room as Tama matched her move on the opposite wall, blocking the little woman in.
“Oh. You brought guests. If I’d known, I would have tidied up.” She smirked at Lexi. “But you know kids. Messy little things.” Manda stepped forward, and Ling slowly raised her gun, clicking her tongue. “Get back, baby, or I put a hole in you.”
But Manda took another small step forward, putting her hands up. “Ling. My name is Manda. I’m a doctor.” She looked down at her nephew and her brow creased. “I’m concerned. A.J.’s breathing is a little too shallow for my liking.” She spoke to Ling as if she were a child. “Can you tell me what you’ve given him?”
Ling frowned down at the little boy in her arms, and I wanted to kill her right then and there. “I gave him a little Phenergan.”
“What?” I was fucking shook. “You drugged my son?”
The stupid bitch. My jaw ached with how tight it clenched. She was dog meat.
Manda nodded lightly. “It’s an antihistamine. They sometimes use it to make children drowsy on long flights.” She turned back to Ling, took another small step forward, and asked, “How much did you give him, Ling? This is very important, okay? Too much can kill him.”
But Ling ignored Manda as she gently rocked my son in her arms. “I just wanted to hold him. He’s always on edge. I just want to love him,” she whispered softly.
“He’s not yours.” From beside me, Lexi’s breathing turned heavy, and I watched her fists ball in unconcealed anger. “You can’t have him.”
At that, Ling blinked rapidly before settling on Lexi. Her lip curled. “And who’s going to stop me, Lexi? You?” She scoffed, and then she was irate. “You and yours, always been trouble. I mean, personally, I don’t know what the hell he sees in you.” She looked Lexi up and down slowly. “You’re really very... ordinary.”
“Let’s talk about this,” I muttered. “What do you want, Ling?”
Ling thought about that a moment before her eyes flashed. “I want you to suffer.” To my absolute shock, Ling’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “I want you to hurt.” The first of her tears fell as she went on. “I want you to know how it feels to lose someone you love, Twitch.” Her body shook in silent sobs. “For the first time in my life, I was happy.” Her lip curled. “And then you came back and ruined it.” She took in a deep breath and blinked away the wetness at her eyes. “Az and I were happy together. But you didn’t like to see me happy, did you? You were jealous that I didn’t want you anymore, weren’t you? So you just had to get involved.” She looked sad then, and I realized I’d never before seen Ling wear sadness so openly. “I loved him so much. And you took him from me.” Ling smiled down at my son lovingly. “Tit for tat, baby.”
She was crazy. “I didn’t take him from you.”
“You did,” she insisted.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did!”
“You shot him, Ling. You shot him in the back as he walked away from you.” I paused a moment. “That’s all on you.”
She stood then, and the way my son’s mouth gaped was so unnatural that I knew this had to end soon so we could get him the medical help he needed. His arm flopped out to the side, and as Ling opened her mouth and bellowed, he didn’t even flinch. “It’s your fault he’s dead!” She panted, looking deeply pained. “He never would have left me if it weren’t for you. He would be here with me if you just kept your fucking nose out of my damn business, you asshole!” Her lips quivered. “You’re the reason he’s dead.”
My inner ear hummed as Luna spoke on a hush. “I don’t have a clear shot out here guys. I can’t see the boy.”
Fern added, “Me neither.”
Thiago spoke gruffly. “No go.”
I needed to buy some time. I stepped forward, and as I did, Molly and Tama stepped in time with me. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.” Ling nodded, but her expression remained fierce. “You’re sorry now, aren’t ya? Because I have something of yours. Something you love very much.”
When Ling lifted her gun, Lexi took a small step forward and gasped out, shaking. “You touch one hair on his head and I will fucking gut you. Do you understand me, you dumb bitch?”
“Ooh.” Ling smiled widely and looked over Lexi with a newfound appreciation. “Meow, Lexi. Who knew you had it in you?”
She took a step back, toward the window, and Luka, being the only line of communication with the Vegas, started to monologue. “Get away from the window, Ling. It’s not safe.”
Ling smiled sadly. “We both know I’m not getting out of this alive, Luka.” She peered down at A.J. warmly. “And wherever it is I move on to, I plan to take my son with me.”
My stomach dropped. Like hell she was.
That was when Luna said, “Let her open the window.”
What?
Luna had to be fucking with us.
My heart began to thump.
No way was I letting my son anywhere near an open window on the tenth floor.
I took a step closer and raised my hands in surrender. “Take me instead.”
Ling stepped into the nook with bare feet and reached back blindly to unlock the window. Her mouth pursed. “Hmmm. Nope.” She looked me over. “Although, I stick by what I said, baby. Death is a good look on you.” When she pushed open the window, a crisp breeze blew in, and as she lifted her gun and aimed it at me, she muttered, “Let’s make it permanent.” Ling’s finger lightly pressed on the trigger and she grinned twistedly. “See you in hell, baby.”
Everything began to move in slow motion.
Ling’s grip on her gun tightened.
I readied to die.
Lexi moved to stand in front of me, her arms wide.
Everyone rushed forward.
And that was when it happened.
Suddenly, Ling was pushed back into the room with such force, she was hurled unceremoniously six feet away. A.J was thrown from her arms, and where he landed, he remained unmoving. He didn’t respond to the fall, and I knew something was very wrong. For a split second, we all watched him, wishing, hoping he would awaken. But he didn’t.
Lexi and Manda dashed over to him, looking him over. Molly joined them, carefully taking instructions from Manda as she checked his vitals.
But I had bigger fish to
fry.
Ling, sprawled in the center of the room with her pistol still resting beside the window, looked out at Luna. Perched on the windowsill, legs apart and holding onto the safety rope like a fucking superhero, she flipped Ling the bird then blew her a kiss. “Sup, bitch?”
Ling’s eyes widened as she realized she was done for. Scrambling backward, she kept going, breathing harshly, until she hit the wall, and that was when Julius did something he’d wanted to do for a while now. He walked over to a petrified Ling, knelt in front of her, and said something I wasn’t expecting. “I forgive you.”
“What?” Her voice trembled and Ling blinked, puzzled-like. “You do?”
“Yeah.” He nodded before rearing back and punching her square in the mouth as hard as he could. As she panted rapidly, Julius got into her face and smiled. “You’re gonna die tonight. And I get to go home to my wife. So, I guess you could say—” His face darkened a notch. “—I win.”
That was my brother.
That was the Julius I knew. He was not one for unnecessary violence. And I was so tired of this life that I found I wasn’t either. Not anymore.
Luka and I walked over to the cowering queen while Tama trailed behind, a shadow. She was pathetic and I hated her.
Pav nudged my shoulder. “It’s your call.”
I looked down at her bloody mouth then back at my woman. I know she wanted in on this, but I couldn’t let her live with that. I couldn’t let her sully her pure soul. Mine was already dirty, and as we lived the rest of our lives together, she could do as a good wife did and pray for me.
As I peered down at this little woman, this little snake who lived to see others burn, my anger lit. She was nothing. She was insignificant. And after she was dead, nobody would mourn her.
So I did her a solid.
Reaching down, I wrapped my hand around her throat and picked her up. She fought me all the way to the window, slapping at my hands and kicking out at me, and the room seemed to still around me. I felt all eyes on me as I took step by concrete step toward Ling’s demise. And when I got her there, I spared her a short glance, giving Luna the chance to move inside, away from the window.