by Kara Hart
I shoved him to the ground and jerked my arm back. I was close to shattering his jaw like a bottle of bourbon against concrete. Ricky might have had all the connections in Detroit to protect him for a lifetime, but I’d been killing criminals around the world for ages. Some of those guys were a million times worse than Ricky.
“Watch yourself, Lucas!” he screamed, dusting himself off. “You bastard. You and that whore! Watch yourselves.”
“You know what? Fuck this.” I bent down and grabbed his collar. I jerked his neck forward, so he could hear every word I was about to say. “You’ve always been a burden on the family. But most of all, you’ve been a huge pain in my ass.” I slammed my fist into his nose. He stammered back, but he didn’t fall.
He’s more of a man than I thought he was. I looked down at my bruised fist. Another day, another dollar, right? He dove his body into mine and I hit the concrete at full speed. My back slammed against the ground and we slide backward. I was hurt and feeling like I couldn’t take a breath. Every time I breathed in deep, my kidneys felt like they were bruised up. Of course, he didn’t let up on me. His knuckles hit my gut and I nearly blacked out from the pain.
Somehow, I rolled him over. It’s like the adrenaline kicked in. It was him or me and I wasn’t about to lose my life. I punched him twice in the nose and once square in the jaw, and he was gone for the time being.
“They better have my Cadillac fixed tomorrow or I swear someone’s gonna pay.”
* * *
I drove back, once again leaving my asshole of a brother to fend for himself. I didn’t even head to the house. Instead, I just sat in a parking lot, sleeping the pain off. Moments like these helped me reconcile who I was and kept me as grounded as I could be.
By the time day broke, I went to find my car. I was hung-over, bruised, and barely hanging on a few hours of sleep. Who knew that women and family problems were more difficult than fighting off a group of known criminals. I sure as hell didn’t and I scolded myself for not staying away. Still, the heart wants what the heart wants.
I shielded my eyes against the sun. A loud pop and crack whizzed by my ear. “What the fuck?” I jumped, falling to the ground with my pistol in my hand, ready to blast whoever was near. I quickly realized the error in my response when three pubescent kids ran away from me screaming for their parents. They dropped a box labeled “Fireworks.” Shit. 4th of July. Forgot that was today.
I shamefully put away my gun and straightened my collar awkwardly. It was time to get my damn Cadillac back. I pushed open the door to the old mechanic’s shop and found him sitting at a desk. “My car,” I said.
“Yeah? What about it?” He took off his reading glasses and clicked out of something with his mouse.
“Is it ready? I need it. It’s been about a week, right?” I said. I had the sudden urge to smoke, realizing I hadn’t had one in a few days. I felt around my pockets and felt nothing. Must’ve smoked ‘em all. I thought to myself.
“Remind me what the car is?” he asked, looking at two sets of keys.
“The Cadillac,” I said, pointing at the keys in front of him.
“Oh! The Cadillac. That’s right. Yeah, it’s been ready since yesterday. How will you be paying for it?” He opened the door to the noisy garage. My car was on the ground and ready to go. Finally.
“Cash,” I said, throwing him a wad of that smooth green paper. He almost dropped it out of shock.
“But you don’t know how much it cost!” He shouted. I got in the car and started the engine. Fuck. This was what I needed alright.
“Don’t worry. It’s all there. Give the rest to your workers as a tip.” I shut the door and peeled out of there. Of course, now there was an even bigger decision to make. Did I get coffee and grub from the café or did I head home?
For once in my life, I chose the responsible route. Dahlia clearly didn’t want anything to do with me and I felt like I had to respect her on that. After all, it’s her life. Who was I to ruin it more than it already had been? So I drove on home, to look at the destruction I had caused myself.
I checked my watch. Two P.M. Damn, I could use some coffee right about now. I turned the corner, right past the café. It was booming. Customers waited for tables outside, conversing and having a day of it. I imagined Dahlia behind that espresso machine, tamping the coffee and pouring those shots. I could just imagine that sass, with her hands on her hips and carrying that chip on her shoulder. It was odd how much things could change in such a short time. Two weeks ago, that attitude would have annoyed the hell out of me. Now I found it endearing. What the hell was wrong with me?
I took another left and passed the school that Jen went to. Another series of rights and lefts and I was finally close to my house. When I finally turned into the woodland area, I felt at ease. But of course that didn’t last too long.
“What the—” I stopped the car immediately. In front of me was Jen, sitting on a stump, behind a bush. She was crying and looked about ten shades redder.
My adrenaline immediately kicked in and I ran out of that car as fast as a bullet. “Jen!” I cried out. “Are you alright?” Out of the corner of my eye was another figure. It was a man, about five foot ten in height, thin. He was already ahead of me, maybe 200 yards. I got out my gun and chased after the son of a bitch.
“Hey! Stop or I’ll shoot you dead!” I aimed my gun, but he already started to run. There wasn’t anything I hated more than a runner. Soon enough I was darting through the woods, stepping on leaves and trying my damned hardest not to lose sight of the guy. But he clearly had a leg up on me. Without the knowledge of the area, I was useless. The trails all blended together and I was eventually forced to go back to Jen. I had to make sure she was okay before taking secondary action.
“Jen!” I put my gun away and jogged back to the place I found her sitting. “You alright?” I asked her, as I got close, choking on air. It had been a long time since I chased a man and clearly being in Monroe had taken its toll on me. I swear, I needed to cut down on those quiches if I was going to get myself back in shape.
“Lucas? Where’s mommy?” she asked me. I had her near me now. She was safe. Somebody was playing games with Dahlia. It had to be somebody close to her. I had feeling I knew who it was too.
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. I looked around us. There was no one in sight. No sounds except for the high-pitched chirping of the birds around us. Somewhere close was the man who took her, Cade. I was sure of it. He was watching our every move. He might seem menacing today, but sooner or later he was going to slip up and I was going to get him. He’d be the Luciotti family’s burden then, and the family business could decide what to do with that trash.
“Mommy always picks me up from summer school now,” she said. Summer school? At her age? Shit, she needs a man in her life. She needs someone who can help take care of Jen.
“Let’s go find her, sweetie,” I said, holding my hand out to her. She grabbed it and I took her to my car. “Don’t you worry, the bad man won’t hurt you anytime soon.” Tearstains streaked down her cheeks. She wiped her nose and smiled.
I started the engine and headed towards her house. If she normally picked her up at this time, she would have already figured out Jen was missing. I had a feeling she was at home, talking to the police. I felt sick at the thought. Police. Sure, they protect people like Jen. As for me, I needed to stay as far away as I could from them. I wasn’t going back to prison. Not anytime soon, dammit.
“He wasn’t going to hurt me,” Jen said, looking more and more calm each second. I arched my eyebrow at her. Must be nice to be young and naïve.
“What’re you talking about?” I said. “He was abducting you, Jen. He was going to take you away from your mother.”
“No he wasn’t. He was taking me to play,” she said.
“To play? Why are you crying then? It doesn’t seem like you were having such a good time.” What kind of shit was this guy up to anyway? What was his plan of action?
Clearly he knew I was looking for him. He was supposed to be hiding out in Detroit. Why would he risk everything to come back to Monroe, the town where his debt awaited him?
“He said Mommy was hurt and that I would need to come with him for a while. I was sad. Mommy’s never been hurt before. I wanted to protect her,” she said.
“You’re very brave, Jen.” I turned the corner to her house and, sure enough, the block was littered with cop cars. I drove past the line of them and turned into the driveway. Through the windshield, Dahlia saw us and ran toward the car, tears falling down her face. I watched the relief wash over her, followed by the anger flooding her bloodstream when she saw that I was the one who had Jen.
I parked the car and turned to her. “You’re safe at home now,” I said.
Dahlia nearly ripped the car door off when she opened it. “Jen! Oh, my sweet baby! Where have you been?” And then, of course, she turned to me. I got out of the car, raising my hands above my head. If she was going to tear my limbs off, like I thought she might, it would be better to haul me away to prison instead.
“You!” she spat. “What did you do to my daughter?” Her face was red and filled with hatred. Frankly, it wasn’t a good look for her. I remained calm, as always, and waited for her to calm down so I could tell her my side of things.
However, Jen was already itching to tell her everything. “Mom! Mom!” She tugged at Dahlia’s short red, white, and blue, dress. I wanted to tug at it myself. I wanted to tear at every last piece of thread until she was on the floor, begging for me. The way she looked at me, with such hatred. Oddly, it was a turn-on.
“I found Daddy! I talked to him!” she said. Uh-oh. Not good. I decided I had better jump in and explain things before Dahlia lost her mind and killed everyone in sight. A mother and her cub … how did the saying go?
“I found her sitting in the woods, near the road to my place. She’s okay though. I think he was just trying to scare you,” I said.
“Excuse me, but who is he exactly?” A female officer walked down from Dahlia’s house, clutching at her walkie-talkie, as if I was the culprit in all of this.
“Just a family friend,” I said. It wasn’t a complete lie. Cops made me nervous. I had half a mind to leave then and there.
“We’re going to need to get your statement on paper. You have identification?” she asked me.
Thankfully, Dahlia stepped in. “It’s, uh, fine. She’s safe and home now. I’d rather not file any charges. Thank you for all your help.”
The officer set the walk-talkie back in her jacket. “You sure? You’re all safe now?” She was eying me still. I got it the point –a big, scary man who looked up to no good. He must’ve hurt the kid in some way. He must’ve. Only, I was the hero here. Despite that little fact, I knew I would end up going home a villain. I was used to that sort of thing happening to me. That was the reason why I didn’t go out in plain sight very much.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” she said, holding Jen in her arms. She looked beautiful, those faint wrinkles around her eyes. I knew they were from years of stressing over the people she gave all her love to. She deserved everything in the world. I had seen some shit in my life, but I had never felt the hardships of being a single mother.
“Alright, we’ll pack it in.” She signaled to the rest of the officers that it was time to head back to the station. Still, she turned to Dahlia as they were about to leave, and said “If you need anything. I mean, anything. Don’t hesitate to call. You know the number.” Dahlia nodded and they took off.
13
DAHLIA
“Shit. That was close,” he muttered. I glared at him. There was no doubt in my mind it was his fault this all happened. No doubt at all.
“Shut up,” I said. “I’m so tired of hearing things come from your mouth. Why can’t you just leave my family and me alone? Can’t everyone just leave us alone?” It took a lot for me to not break down right then and there. The past few years of making a new life for us had been hard enough. Now it had become real evident that all that work was for nothing. “Come on, Jen. Let’s go inside.”
As we turned toward the house, he asked us “Aren’t you going to ask me to come in? You need protection. He’s still out there.”
I stopped, facing the other direction. Jen ran inside, skipping and laughing. It was as if nothing had happened to her. Kids were so adept at forgetting and us parents had to carry just about every burden.
Lucas, on the other hand, was a bastard. The problem wasn’t that he was an asshole. The problem was that, deep down, I knew he was a good guy. He was Mafioso at the core of his very being. But he had saved Jen and he had been trying so hard to be there for us. There were the huge tips, helping Jen with her homework, and not to mention his strength and protectiveness. I couldn’t stay mad at him forever, no matter how much I wanted to.
“Fine. We’ll have it your way. Come in.” I sighed, making my way inside the house.
We sat down in the living room while Jen played in her room. Normally I would be riding her to do her homework, but today was operating under different circumstances. “He found her,” he said. “But I don’t think he’s trying to hurt her.”
Right when I sat next to him, I broke down and cried. “I don’t know what’s going on anymore,” I said. “I’ve got to be the worst mother in history to lose my child to my ex-boyfriend. And then I meet you and you’re,” I hesitated to finish, wiping my eyes. “Well, you’re you. A gangster. And I thought maybe I could trust you. But I can’t trust anyone. They all just lie and let me down.”
He put his arm around me and I soon found myself falling into his chest. It was comforting. His scent, warmth, and strength fit me like a missing puzzle piece. I hadn’t felt that way before. Not even with Cade.
“You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” he said. “And even if you cast me out like the rest of society, I’ll always be grateful I met you.”
I looked up at him, drying my tears, and said “You’re crazy. You don’t even know me. I’m just some girl you met at a café in a small town. You’ll forget all about me in a month or less.”
“Well, you’re right about something. I am crazy. But that doesn’t mean I’m dumb. You’re sassy, strong, and you’re mean as hell. But those are all parts of you that keep me coming back for coffee every morning. I know you didn’t want to see me again, and I’ll respect that. But I won’t forget about you. Not tomorrow. Not in a month. Not in ten years,” he said.
“I’m still mad at you, you know.” Though, with each passing minute I was finding less and less reason to hold my grudge. It was a surprise finding out who he really was, but maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought he was.
“I know you are. You should be. I’m a bastard. I’m not one of those golden guys that every woman wishes they’d settle down with. I’m a hard man from the streets. Plain and simple. I don’t deserve your well wishes. I don’t deserve anything.”
He sighed and collected himself. “Look, here are the facts. He wanted to make a statement so he took your daughter. Obviously he knew we'd find her. He wanted us to. The big win for him was making an impression on Jen. We can't let him do that again,” he said. The way he wanted to protect Jen really got to me. Why did he care about us so much? What did he have to gain by helping us? The answer, of course, was nothing. If anything, he had more to lose than gain.
“Will he be back?” I asked, thinking about the trauma Cade had caused our family already. Seeing him face to face would be the worst thing that could happen to me right now.
“Have you really killed people before?” I squeezed out the words from my throat. Just the thought of it scared the hell out of me. However, it was information I needed to know.
“Sure have. Some very bad men. Men who have killed hundreds of other men. When you sign up to be a part of the underworld, you live by a code. We’re soldiers, Dahlia. Some soldiers get gunned down in the line of fire.”
“Is Cade a soldier then? Are you going to �
�gun him down’?” I asked him.
“If he touches anyone close to him again, I shouldn’t need to justify gunning him down. He’s not a soldier, no. But he’s a son of a bitch who deserves to rot for what he’s done,” he said. “And I’ll stick by that for the rest of my life.”
I lifted my head off his chest and found myself saying the worst possible thing I could. It was like I enjoyed falling into trouble’s arms. “Why don’t you stay here? You know, for the night. I’m scared Cade will come back for Jen. We could use the protection,” I said, eying the curvature of his shoulders. Was I really doing this? Again?
“Sure. Uh, I could do that. I'll patrol the house while you sleep,” he laughed.
“Well, I was thinking you could sleep in my room. It would make me feel safe. I think I need that right now. You know, to feel safe. That is, if you want. The bed is, er, comfy.” I stuttered and looked away awkwardly. Get it together, Dahlia.
“That sounds peaceful,” he said. He stood up, renewing his energy. “It's obvious you've had a tough week. Let me make it up to you,” he said.
“I'd like to see you try.” It was the first time I let myself smile since discovering Jen was missing.
“Maybe we could make a night of this bullshit and take Jen to the park to watch the fireworks. I'm sure she would rather be outside than cooped up here,” he said.
I had totally forgot. It was 4th of July and this holiday was one of Jen’s favorites. Back in Seattle, she would go crazy over the fireworks. “Jen would love that,” I said. “Just don’t be weird. This doesn’t mean we’re together or anything.”
He laughed and stood up, extending his hand. “Right. I’m just a hired gun. I think I can live with that.”