by L. Wilder
Lenny’s attention was drawn to the bag at my feet as I sat down in the chair in front of him and crossed my arms. “Morning, Lenny. How ya feeling?”
“Fuck you.”
“That good, huh?”
“Why don’t you just kill me and get it over with?” he grumbled.
“I could do that, but you’re going to have to do some talking first.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” I leaned over and unzipped my bag. With his voice raised in panic, he shouted, “What are you doing?”
I pulled out a billy club and rested it in my lap. “Where is your brother, Lenny?”
“I already told you I don’t know.”
“I hate to hear that Lenny.” I stood up with the billy club in my hand and started for the door.
“Where are you going?” he shouted as I walked out of the room.
His girl was next door, and as much as I hated to do it, I was going to pay her a little visit. Her dark brown eyes widened with terror as she watched me walk into the room. When her eyes dropped down to the long, thin billy club, she frantically tried to pull her hands out of her restraints, but it was useless. I walked over to her and with one quick yank, I ripped the tape from her mouth. As I’d hoped, she let out a high-pitched scream. I tossed a rope over one of the rafters and then grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet. “Please… Please don’t. I’m begging you.”
Ignoring her, I used the rope to tie her hands over her head, forcing her to remain standing. I stood in front of her, just inches from her face and asked, “Where’s Joey?’
“I don’t even know anyone named Joey. I swear. I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
“Lenny’s brother…. Where is he?”
“I don’t know Lenny, either!”
“The fuck you don’t.” Fighting the urge to wrap my hands around her throat, I growled, “Manny! Where is Manny’s fucking brother?”
“Oh, you mean Dash?”
“Yes, sweetheart. That’s exactly what I mean.”
“I haven’t seen him in weeks. I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t.”
“Where was the last place you saw him?”
“He came down to see Manny about work, and then we went to eat dinner after. That was it,” her voice trembled.
“Have you ever gone to see him?”
“A couple of times, I guess.”
“Where?”
“It was a different place each time. Some restaurant in Seattle is all I know. I promise.”
Something in her voice let me know she was telling the truth, which meant Lenny was my only hope of finding him. I looked at the blonde and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Darla.”
“Okay, Darla. Your boyfriend…”
“Manny is my fiancé. We’re supposed to get married next month.”
Damn, she was stupider than I thought. “I hate to be the one to tell ya, but that shit ain’t gonna happen.”
Hoping she was as dramatic as she was stupid, I reached for the billy club. She gasped as I brought it up to her face, then screamed at the top of her lungs, “Manny!”
As I’d hoped, her voice echoed through the warehouse, and I had no doubt he’d heard her screaming. Knowing I had to make him believe I was truly hurting her, I raised the wand and flicked it against her side. As I’d hoped, she immediately started to bellow and cry like I’d hit her at full force. “Oh, god. Please stop. Manny! Help me!”
I struck her two more times along the backside and thigh, trying my best not to hit her hard enough to leave a bad bruise. Her screams rattled my ears as she thrashed around acting like I was killing her, and anyone in a five-mile radius would’ve believed her. My intention had been just to get a few yelps out of her, but her little show was better than I could’ve asked for. Her face was red and full of tears as I told her, “You did good, sweetheart. Now, I’m going back to talk to Lenny, and if you’re lucky, I won’t have to come back in here.”
“No… wait,” she gasped. “Please don’t hurt him. He’s a good man.”
I turned to her with disgust. “You don’t really believe that, do you? He’s a murderer, and a fucking pimp. There’s nothing good about him.”
“You’re wrong. He’d never hurt anyone.”
I walked over to her, firmly grabbing her jaw, and forced her to look me in the eye. “He killed my father. Put a bullet in his head over some fucking deal he fucked up on. Then he shot my mother, but that wasn’t enough. No. He kept going. He killed my girl. She was eight months pregnant, and he put a bullet in her stomach killing her and our daughter. He killed my daughter!”
“No! I don’t believe you. Manny would never do something like that.”
“It’s time for you to wise up, Darla. The fairy tale is over.”
I released my grip on her and gave her one last flick across the hip with the billy club. Her cries roared through the metal walls as I walked back over to Lenny. I could still hear them as I sat back down on the chair in front of him. I pretended to wipe sweat from my brow as I looked over at him and grimaced. “You’ve got yourself a real fighter over there.”
“She’s just one of the prostitutes from the club. I don’t give a fuck what you do to her,” he tried to convince me. “She means nothing to me.”
“Is that right?”
“You’re just wasting your time with her.”
“I don’t know about that. I was rather enjoying beating the hell out of her. I might just have to go back for more,” I told him as I stood up. “I found it very therapeutic.”
As I started walking back towards the door, he shouted, “Please! Just leave her the fuck alone. She has nothing to do with any of this.”
“I’ll ask you again. Where’s Joey?”
“It was all me. Joey had nothing to do with the shooting.”
“So, you’re telling me he wasn’t there that night? He didn’t shoot my mother?”
“No! It was me. All me,” he lied.
I walked back over to the chair and sat down. “Why don’t we take a step back? Tell me why you did it.”
“Your father was a stubborn, old man. He wouldn’t listen. We just needed a few extra days, but he wasn’t having it.”
“He’d already given you one extension. What made you think he’d ever give you another?”
“We weren’t asking for long. Just a few days. Back then, we were just starting out. He knew how hard it was to get a business like ours going, but he didn’t give a fuck about that. He left us no choice.”
“How did you know where he lived?”
“I had one of my guys follow him home. When we got there, I was expecting to have a harder time getting in, but we walked right in.”
His swollen eyes widened when he realized what he’d just said, but it was too late. It was already out there. I knew then, he wasn’t alone. “And then?”
My pulse raced with fury as he continued. “They were in the living room. I was just there for your father. I honestly had no intention of hurting anyone else, but it all happened so fast. I had no choice. It was too risky to leave them alive.”
“He was dead. The threat was over, so why’d you leave town?”
“We were just planning to lay low for a little while. Let the muddy water clear, but then we got word that you were looking for us, and you’d killed off Drake and Mansfield. We knew you were out for blood, and with Drake gone, we didn’t have a choice but to leave town and start over.”
It was getting late, and I was tired of talking. I didn’t want to hear any more of his bullshit. “Where’s Joey, Lenny?”
“It doesn’t matter, don’t you know that?”
“You’re not leaving this room until I find Joey.”
“I’m not leaving this room either way, so why should I tell you a damn thing?”
“There’s two ways a man can die, Lenny. Short and painless, or long and filled with agony. It’s your choice how you go.”
“If you want Joey so bad, just
wait. He’ll be here soon enough.” His wicked grin curled across his face. “They’ll all be here soon enough.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Did you honestly think I didn’t have eyes on me at that hotel? Calhoun watches every fucking move. Nothing gets past him. There have been eyes on you since you pulled out of that parking lot, and they will come for me. But first, they will find your weakness. And you have a weakness, Nitro. Every man has one.”
“You’re blowing smoke, Lenny,” I smiled. “It’s a good try, but I’m not buying it.”
“Good. I hope you don’t.”
Max came up to the door and cleared his throat. “Nitro… I found him.”
As I stood up, I closed my hand into a fist and slammed into Lenny’s face. “Like I told you, motherfucker, one way or another, I’d find him.”
I walked out of the room and closed the door. “Where is he?”
“He’s been working under Calhoun in Seattle.”
“Already knew that.”
“I’ve got the location, but there’s no sign of him. My contact thinks he left town.”
There was no way of knowing if what Lenny had said was true, so I ordered Max, “It’s time to call everyone in. There’s a chance we might have trouble coming our way.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Calhoun and Joey. They might’ve seen us take Lenny from the hotel.”
“Any chance someone followed you here?”
“No way. We would’ve seen them.”
“His phone?”
“Ryder got rid of it.”
“And hers?”
I shook my head. “I don’t remember. It all happened so fast.”
“We need to find out. Did she have a purse or anything on her?”
“No purse. Nothing.”
“Then, if she had one, it may still be on her.”
“Fuck.” I turned and headed to the room where we were keeping her.
As soon as I walked in, she started shaking her head and pleading, “No! Please! Not again.”
“Where’s your phone?”
“What?”
“Your fucking cell phone. Where is it?”
“It’s in the front side pocket of my jeans.”
When I looked at her jeans, there was no mistaking the rectangular shape of her phone, and I cursed myself for not seeing it earlier. “Dammit!”
I shoved my hand in her pocket and when I pulled it out, Max said, “Destroy it.”
I removed the battery, then slammed it on the ground, shattering into a million pieces. “Make the call.”
“It’s almost closing time at the restaurant. You want me to go get Tristen.”
I looked down at my watch and it was the first time I’d realized how late it really was. “There’s no time. Tell Tony to take her, and you meet them there.”
“Once I have her, where do you want me to take her?”
I’d fucked up, and it was all coming down on me in a major way. I should’ve known better, but I was too caught up in getting Lenny’s sorry ass. I wasn’t thinking of the blowback, and it was going to cost me if I didn’t pull my head out of my ass and get this thing done. “Head over to Mom’s. Pick her up and take them both over to the safe house.”
“You got it.” He took a step forward. “We’ve got this, brother. Let them come. It will only make the job easier.”
With that, he turned to leave. Once he was gone, Darla sniffled as she said, “Did he really do all the things you said he did?”
“He did.”
“I’m really sorry about your daughter. I had no idea he could do something like that.” She looked down at the floor as she continued, “You should know something… Manny was in some trouble with Calhoun. I figured you were working with him when you came and got us.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“I don’t know all the details, but I overheard them talking. It had something to do with money, and Calhoun was ready to cut ties with him. I doubt he’d bother to look for him, and he certainly wouldn’t send his goons to look for him.”
“And Joey?
“If Joey got wind of it, he might come, but there’s no way to be sure. One minute they’re good, talking all the time and acting like real brothers, and then they’re fighting, and all communication just stops.”
When I took her, I had all intentions of killing her, but if she was telling the truth, then she’d just helped me in a major way. I reached for her hands, freeing her from the rope, and led her back over to her chair. I watched as her body sank into the seat from exhaustion. “Thanks, Darla. You did good.”
“Are you going to let me go?”
Without giving her an answer, I walked out of the room and closed the door. I wanted to believe that she was right about Calhoun, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. If he came, I’d be ready. One way or another, I was going to end the DeMarco brothers, and I didn’t give a fuck who tried to stand in my way.
The closer we got to closing, the more anxious I became. I had my reasons for being nervous—I’d made up my mind that I was going to try to talk to Nathan. Knowing he had a bad habit of keeping things to himself, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get him to actually open up to me. But if I didn’t try, there was a chance he’d just become more distant and even harder to reach. I had to find a way to prove to him that he could trust me, that I would be there for him just like he’d been there for me. I had to try, but I had my doubts he’d listen.
Thankfully, we started shutting down early, so I went to change and get my things. Feeling a little hopeful, I reached for my phone and checked to see if Nathan had messaged me, but yet again, there was nothing from him. There was only a message from Max telling me to catch a ride with Tony to the condo, and that he’d meet us there. Feeling more than a little disappointed, I put my phone in my purse and went up front.
As I walked back out, Tony was waiting for me. “You ready?”
“I’m all set, and hey… I’m sorry about this.”
“About what?”
“I know it’s late. I’m sure you’re ready to get home.”
“I don’t mind. Besides, it’s on my way.”
I followed him to the back door and waited while he locked everything up. It was dark in the parking lot, but it didn’t seem to bother Tony as we walked over to his car. Once we got inside, he smiled and said, “Buckle up, Buttercup.”
It amazed me how he was always in a such good mood, even after a long, exhausting day. I rolled my eyes and smiled as I fastened my seatbelt, then looked out the window as he pulled out of the lot. Most of the shops and restaurants around us closed at ten on weekdays, so everything looked deserted as we drove out onto the main road. Tony turned on the radio, and the low hum of an old country song filled the car as we drove. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes as I let the words distract me from the fact that I was heading home. I’d spent the day firing myself up for a big talk, but as we got closer to the condo, I could feel my confidence faltering.
Tony pulled into the garage and parked. “I’ll walk you up.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I assured him. “The door is just around the corner.”
“Max said he was on his way. Maybe we should wait until he gets here.”
I reached for the door handle and said, “Seriously. I can walk a few feet without someone hovering over me.”
Just as I started to open my door, I heard the sound of tires screeching. I looked behind the car and saw a white van with black tinted windows parked behind him. “Shut the door!”
I quickly slammed it shut and panic washed over me as I looked over to Tony. “What’s wrong? Who is that?”
He grabbed his cellphone and as soon as someone answered, he shouted, “We’ve got trouble. Get your ass here now!”
He put the car in reverse and tried to back out, but there wasn’t enough room. Knowing he was stuck, he pulled a gun out of his glovebox. “I need you to listen to
me, Tristen. These guys….”
Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, his window shattered and glass went flying through the car. Tony’s head rolled to the side as he faced me. As blood gushed from a bullet hole in his chest, he looked at me with alarm and yelled, “Run!”
I reached for my door handle and was about to try to get out, when I saw a man standing there with a gun pointed directly at me. I froze. Every muscle in my body tightened with fear as I looked frantically around the car. There was no way out, and I’d never felt so terrified. The man pointed his gun towards the door handle, signaling me to unlock it, but I couldn’t move. Then, he tapped the barrel against the window, causing me to jump in my seat. “Open the fucking door.”
I forced my hand to move towards the handle and released the lock. The door flung open, and he reached inside to grab me. His fat fingers pressed into the skin of my forearm and his nails bit into my flesh. As I tried to pull away, tiny beads of blood trickled down my arm.
“Let me go!” I cried as he yanked me from my seat.
“Move your ass.” Just as he started to pull me forward, Max’s car whipped into the garage and slammed full force into the side of the van. The deafening sound of the crash caused both the man and me to stumble backward with surprise. As soon as Max opened his door, gunfire exploded around us.
When one of the guys dropped to the ground, the driver turned to the man next to me and shouted, “Get her in the goddamn van.”
He pulled at my arm, forcing me forward, and I finally got a good look at Max. His gun was drawn and pointed directly at the driver as he continued to move in my direction. I quickly realized it was not the same Max who had greeted me every morning in the kitchen. The calm, sweet Max had been replaced with a man who was hard and a force to be reckoned with. His moves were slow and calculated, making him look menacing as he advanced forward. Without warning, a shot was fired from inside the van causing my heart to drop as I saw that the bullet had hit Max in the shoulder. Seeming unfazed, he pointed his gun towards the van and shot several rounds.