by S. M. Maddox
Magnus walked over and stood behind me. He let out a deep sigh, which in Magnus-speak was the closest thing to an apology he ever gives anyone. He put his hand on my shoulder in solidarity.
“How’s Anya?”
“She’s doing fine. Thor and the baby are fine. Seven lbs., 6 oz baby girl. As soon as she heard Steve’s progress, she got too stressed out and her water broke, just like that. No inducing needed.”
“What about Steve’s progress?” Progress was another term in the Magnuspedia, code for ass-kicking.
“Steve’s team was already headed to the docks by the time I called you. The divers had steered a modern-day human torpedo directly under the yacht. Bastards. Thanks to Tom’s watchful eye noticing the divers flipping us off and alerting everyone, there were no casualties on our side. Jessie got the worst of it, everybody else just got scrapes and wet gear.
“Twenty of our guys swarmed the two divers at the docks as they climbed out. Real dumb fuckers for supposedly organized crime. They left their trailer with all their diving gear right underneath the security light so they could easily make their way back. We were waiting for them. Italy’s Dumbest Criminals. And guess what? One of them was ya boy.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
How did I know he’d be stupid enough to try to hurt and possibly kill Jessie again? Right in front of me, again? He really was a dumb motherfucker.
“What’s the plan?”
“We’ve got a newly-acquired empty warehouse down on the south side. I was thinking we could pay it a little visit for some redecorating.”
“What’d you do with the other one?”
“Steve already took care of him. Not a problem anymore. We seized his phone and the car with all their belongings, too. Madison’s running tracing on all of it.”
“Where’s assface now?”
“I figured you’d like to do the honors.”
“Nah, but I know someone who might.” Jessie’s eyes fluttered open as I brought her hand to my lips.
“Roland?”
“Hey Malone, how’re you feeling?”
“Are you ok? Am I dead?” A tear formed in the corner of her eyes.
“Do you see any wrinkles on this pristine complexion?” I shook my head, pretending to toss my hair over my shoulder. That earned me a chuckle, and then a wince. “Take it easy, Jess. You mostly got the wind knocked out of you, but you’re a fighter. The doc said somehow you managed to hold your breath almost the whole time. You’ll just need to take some antibiotics and do some breathing treatments to clear your lungs out completely.”
“Did I, did I lose my ring?”
I held her hand up to her eye level so she could see it. “No babe, safe and sound right where it belongs.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Roland
On Friday, Jessie and Anya, and the baby all got out of the hospital. Thor moved the remainder of their belongings from the pool house to the west wing, making sure she was completely settled and securely guarded before attending to family business.
I slapped him on the back as he entered the conference room. “You stud. You fucking rock star, I can’t believe you were the first one of us to really settle down, ya little devil. Who would’ve thought. I know I rag on you a lot, but I get it now. I really do.”
Jessie was upstairs sleeping while we held our family meeting. I didn’t include her because I didn’t want to upset her with all the details, but I wasn’t going to be stupid enough to not tell her when it was going down either. If anybody deserved to be there, it was her.
“Anymore news yet?”
“Not yet. Madison is still searching. As dumb as these assholes are, they’re slippery motherfuckers, too. I have complete faith in her abilities.”
Thor and I raised an eyebrow to each other. Madison was our new hacker, cute and sassy as fuck. Just the Andersen men’s type.
“You had anything else in her we might should know about?”
“Not a chance. I’m done with women for the foreseeable future. Cynthia got the house, the car, her two pain-in-the-ass cats. Batshit crazy doesn’t grate well on my nerves. We ready to go?”
“Let’s roll out Bros! I have to get Jessie first and I’ll meet you in the garage.”
“You sure you want to do that?”
“Dude. All of this happened to her, because of her. This is her show, we’re just the viewers. If anybody deserves to see what happens to him, it’s her.”
The whole car ride to the warehouse, Jessie hadn’t said not one word. Her scans the day before had come back clear, which meant the antibiotics were working for her. She nervously twirled her engagement ring around as she stared out the window with a blank expression. I took the opportunity to look at her, really look at her. It wasn’t cold, but she had on a black long sleeve turtleneck and a light jacket. I’d come to realize that was a safety for her, hiding herself away. She was also wearing legging and combat boots, with ultra-thick winter socks peeking out over the tops of them.
Her red hair was pulled back in a bun. With the light from the car window shining through it, it created a red halo on the top of her head. And I noticed, because I’d been on the receiving end of it, that her hair pin knife was sticking out of her hair as well. That’s my girl, always prepared as fuck.
Her green eyes were distant as I scooted closer to her, taking her hands in mine only to discover they were ice cold. That was her nerves talking for her.
“I love you, Malone.”
“I love you, too, Andersen.” Her voice was quieter than normal. I wasn’t sure how she would react when she saw the spectacle that we’d made for her ex. It would be amusing as shit. I hoped she liked it.
The four of us got out of the car as the other black, unmarked vehicles parked on either side of us. Our men got out, taking their positions as they’d been trained to do. We walked towards the warehouse entrance, crossing paths with Steve along the way.
He tossed Magnus the keys. “All set up, boss.” We silently nodded our thanks as we each passed by him. Steve’s a fucking keeper.
When Thor pushed the door open, we were met with the disgusting stench of acidic piss, rust-smelling blood and wet, decaying mold.
“What else do we use this place for again? Can we get it steam cleaned or something?” Thor asked, covering his nose in his shirt.
“There’s an observation station up top that used to be the office back in the day when this place actually functioned. Malone, if at any time you want to leave, you absolutely can. You don’t have to watch.”
She looked around, taking in her surroundings. If we weren’t going to plan on using it for a torture chamber for the long hall, it could be a really great setting for a steampunk club or something.
Old industrial paned windows stretched from the middle of the wall to the ceiling, at least three stories high. The vintage bricks that formed the building itself were ghosted with paint from another time. A Coca-Cola sign was barely visible in the corner, along with a Dr. Pepper logo on the opposite side. The guy we bought it from said it used to be an old looming mill where they made clothing and bolts of fabric. Jessie’s eyes dazzled in the relics of another time and place. “I’ll stay. I’m going to stay.”
A single giant pole was bolted down to the middle of the floor, with a black tarp covering the contents it held. The contents beneath the tarp groaned as we walked by. Jessie went an situated herself beneath the stairs leading up to the office, hiding behind the aged rout iron stairs.
I glanced at her, silently seeking approval. She nodded her head ‘yes’, her eyes wide. Magnus ripped off the tarp in one dramatic motion, like a magician disappearing into their cape. Underneath, attached to the pole, were several strands of rope.
The sad excuse for a man hung in front of us, barely touching the floor. A ring of fake flowers hung around his neck, to be festive. Fake strands of leaves were haphazardly thrown over his tied-up body as well. Steve had made sure his arms were tie
d and handcuffed above his head. His legs were tied to the pole at the knees and ankles. Good old Stevie boy even added a few extra punches to his face and stomach for good measure to get him primed and ready for us.
Ja-seppe, or whatever the fuck his name was, slowly raised his head. His face showed his thought pattern clearly as he quickly realized he was in the worst kind of fucked up situation.
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Haven’t you been trying to get our attention? Not so fun now is it?” I hummed.
He spat out blood, aiming towards my face. His aim was weak, but that didn’t stop him from grinning.
“Wow, you’re a ballsy little shit aren’t you?” Thor taunted him before he punched him in his nuts. “I loooove a good ball busting.”
“You might be wondering why you’re strung up on this pole here. This week, as it so happens, is Midsummer, which, as it so happens, is my favorite fucking holiday. There’s flowers and shit everywhere. It’s a damn orgasm for the eyes. Really brings out my inner femininity
Since we haven’t gotten to celebrate how we normally would, because of your dick moves this week, we thought we’d celebrate with you a little bit. I hope you don’t mind.” I walked back and forth in front of him as he watched me pace.
“So what’s your story, Juicy?” I asked him. “Did you make your mafia daddy mad? He banished you to Hartford as punishment? Is that how it went down?” We actually had no clue how it had started yet, but I figured anything I could provoke out of him might be helpful.
“No, you shit. The bitch and her boyfriend were getting too close. He’d figured out someone on the force was one of us, too. Too bad for him, that was the last thing he ever did.”
The air around us was silent, and then I felt her fury. Stirring, swarming around me like an otherworldly presence. Jumpy felt it, too. He looked behind us, through the stairs, to see Jessie’s wide gaze.
“Oh lookie, there she is. The woman of the hour. Tell me babycakes, did you miss me?”
“Wooooowwww. Just when we think you can’t possibly be anymore of a dumbass,” Thor stated.
Suddenly, the three of us were shoved aside as my tornado of a lover blew past. I moved to stand in line beside Thor and Magnus and watch the show. Malone could handle herself, right now more than ever. I had no doubts. You did not want to be on the bad side of that little spitfire of a woman.
Jessie stood right in front of Jerky and stared at him. The three of us didn’t dare make a sound. She took a deep breath, and then threw a punch with her left hand, hitting him straight in the jaw with a loud thwack.
I bit my fist. Damn, she gives the best punches.
“Dude,” Thor said, bewildered.
“Dude,” Magnus said, equally in awe.
“Duuuuuuude. I’m gonna wife her so hard.”
My brothers were in shock, their mouths agape as my woman expanded her fury. I’d seen the next episode though, and luckily I’d been on her good side at the time.
Jessie slowly, artfully reached up and pulled the hair pin knife from her bun. Her red hair fell in quick, vicious waves down her shoulders, enlarging her width with their force.
I couldn’t see her face, but I knew she was smiling like an escaped mental patient. Evil, psychotic, savage. He’d pushed her to her breaking point.
She was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen in my life.
Her right hand that held the knife travelled slowly up Jerry’s torso, popping off the buttons of his shirt one by one. He didn’t flinch at all. He stared her down like he either wasn’t afraid, or didn’t take her seriously enough. Big mistake on his part, because judging from my brothers’ faces, they certainly were and did.
A low, creepy chuckle started radiating from her body as we watched her.
“What’s funny, babycakes? Your meathead can’t kill properly? He’s gotta send a little woman to do his job?”
It was like the scene from that movie Backdraft, only right in front of me. I watched her flames slowly seethe in and out beneath the hypothetical door, and this prick was about to bust it wide open without reading the room. Completely ignorant of the beast he was about to unleash in the process.
“Let me speak slowly, to allow you to keep up,” Jessie annunciated ever word, her lips hugging on each syllable. “That meathead is my fiancé, something you’ve never had the honor of being. Do you know why? Because you were never man enough for me, Jason. Even when I didn’t know the game you were playing, I was never in love with you. I never wanted you.”
Jamie scoffed, disgusted.
Malone held her left fist up, waving her sapphire ring directly in front of his battered face.
“See that? That stands for power. For comfort. For support. That, Jason, stands for an eggplant. Something your little Vienna sausage,” she waved her knife in the area of his crotch, “can’t even comprehend.”
Magnus and I silently high-fived.
Jersey chuckled, “Sure babycakes, whatever.”
“Oh? Is it funny to you?” Her hand moved swiftly down to his crotch, her knife flicking the buttons of his pants off before she jerked them down, boxers and all.
Shit, he really did have a micropenis.
Me and my bros couldn’t help but laugh.
“Damn son, you should’ve had corrective surgery or something. That just ain’t right,” Thor chided him between fits of laughter.
Jessie’s wild, maniacal laughter echoed throughout the warehouse, stopping all of us stone cold.
“Oh yeah, you stupid cunt? How’d you enjoy the last days of your mangy dog’s life? Did you even notice he was suffering slowly, or were you too busy getting fucked to notice about the one creature on this planet who actually cared about you?”
Jessie’s mouth fell wide open in shock.
“How’d it feel, bitch? I poisoned him. I wanted you both to suffer slowly.”
“You… you poisoned Otis?”
“Yeah, you stupid slut. While you were gone to work, I dropped arsenic laced treats through your mail slot while your boss here was dropping into your other slot.”
Oh, damn. I took a step back, my brothers following suit.
Oh, damn. I decided to take another step back just for good measure. My bro gang did the same.
Oh, damn. He tortured her dog before he tortured her dog? That’s a whole new level of fucked up.
The heat of her fury rippled throughout the room, and I instinctively put my hands over my head to shield myself from any windows that might spontaneously shatter. Oh, daaaaaaamn.
“Oh no he di’ ‘int,” Thor whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Then, that dumbass still kept talking.
“My favorite part about our girl?” he looked me dead in my eyes, the blood dripping from his pinkened teeth. “The way her ass cheeks clap while I’m ramming her doggie style.”
I uncrossed my arms as my foot involuntarily moved forward. Magnus’ strong, bronzed arm shot out as fast as a gazelle across my chest, like a granny playing seatbelt with her grandchild in the passenger seat. He whispered, “Let her have her way. Then you can help finish him.”
Jessie turned back, her barbarian eyes meeting mine. This girl could scare the shit out of me at any given moment, and I loved it. I nodded to her in solidarity.
Her little hand travelled up to the thick, bulging carotid artery in his neck. She started at his ear, then took her time tracing the line down, pressing her knife harder and harder as she neared his collar bone. His eyes went wide as his skin started opening. Clearly, he’d underestimated my little vixen, but she wasn’t through.
Oh no, she wasn’t through.
“That was for Jack,” she said as his blood pumped out of the left side of his neck. Then, Jessie went to the other ear, repeating the same action. “That was for poisoning Otis.”
She lowered into a crouching position, running her knife inside Germy’s inner thigh as she lowered herself. The blood was pouring from both sides of his neck freely, and he was almost a goner
. I saw the light fading rapidly from his eyes. Jessie saw it too.
She made two quick, identical slits down his inner thighs. “That was for murdering Otis.”
Finally, she popped up like a cheerleader on top of a cheer-amid or whatever the hell they’re called. Fast as lightning, Jessie sliced his throat wide open as the last seconds of his life ran out onto her combat boots. “And that, was for trying to kill me AGAIN!”
With her final words, Jessie stabbed Justin in his chest, over and over repeatedly. Thor’s eyes were wide as we listened, hearing the crunching separation of his sternum beneath her knife.
“Uh, Ro?” Magnus questioned.
“Yep, on it,” I said as I marched up behind her. I wrapped my hands around her wrists, calmly bringing them down to her sides as she continued to scream like a wild, unruly banshee.
“Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!! Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!” She shouted as I held my arms around her as a makeshift straight-jacket.
“Babe, you did good. You got him. You got him, it’s over now. It’s alright now.”
Jessie collapsed against me, her body going completely slack as she sobbed.
Epilogue
Jessie
I didn’t go back to work for a month. Roland was adamant that I never needed to work again, if I didn’t want to. The only provision in his requirement was that my legs be spread open and waiting for him everyday when he got home from work. Which, unless I was helping Anya with the baby, I was more than willing to oblige to.
Anya was taking on-line classes, while Thor was pulling both full-time classes and a part time internship across town at a rival law firm. Roland wouldn’t let him intern at Andersen Brothers until Thor had more experience. He wanted him to be well-rounded and experience things from different angles, which no body could argue with.
Magnus went back to work at Andersen Ltd. the following week, after the whole Jason mess was taken care of. During our gossipy girl time, as Roland calls it, Anya and I frequently conspired to set Mags up with someone. We still didn’t know the full story on Cynthia, and if our men knew, they weren’t spilling the details. Bro code or some shit.