by Lauren Wood
“He isn’t here.”
“Yes he is. Just give him the phone Steph, please. I know what it is that he wants.”
She hesitated and the receiver was covered up again. “Hello Fran.”
“Hey Cass. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to hear your voice again, but I should have known that you wouldn’t let this go.”
Chapter 9
Lucas
My lungs burned. They felt like they had been dipped in turpentine and the more I tried to catch my breath, the harder it was to do so. I should have gone to the hospital, but instead I called on good old Boris to make a call in the hotel I was in. I no longer had a house for house calls.
“Lucas, you are not looking good my friend.”
“It’s okay, just a little too much smoke. You brought the oxygen?”
He patted the black bag that he had around his shoulder. The tall man was a sight for sore eyes and I already had a drink poured for him. He had his work cut out for him tonight. There wasn’t any gunshot wounds, his normal foray into doctoring, but there were three patients that had smoke inhalation and burns. I didn’t have but a couple on my arms, though David got a little more. His old lady had some as well, although she seemed to have gotten the worst of it. It was because she had tried to go out to her friend, Marge. Marge was the one that got shot as she tried to escape. Her death saved the rest of us though. That was something that I would always realize and be grateful for.
I promised her and myself that I was going to find out who had done this and I was going to get my revenge.
“We will have you back to normal soon Lucas. I can’t have you dying on me. You and your gang are starting to become one of my better customers.”
I wished that he wasn’t right. It had been a rough and violent year this year and I was hoping that it would end on a peaceful note. Considering that I had to go to war with another person or persons, I was starting to feel like this damn year was never going to end. It sure didn’t feel like it at the moment.
“Well I wish I could say that I was happy about that Boris. I am thankful that you keep patching us back together though. You have been a good man for the gang.”
“Who did this to you? Another gang?”
I shrugged because I really didn’t know the answer to that question. I wanted to say that I knew, but I didn’t. I still hadn’t heard from the guys with the information that I was looking for. I had been trying to get info on Caspien, but now he was the last thing on my mind. No man like him would have dared to do this to me, nor do I think he would have had the power and fortitude to do so. It wasn’t like the men ran up into my house and took me out while I slept. This method that they used was far different. It was not something that was done around here, not in the circles I ran with.
“I don’t know Boris. They started the house on fire with cocktails through the windows on three sides so that we had to go through the front. One of the girls that were there went through the door first and as soon as she was outside they shot her in the head. They were waiting for us. If the cops hadn’t gotten there when they did, I don’t know if we would have gotten out of there alive.”
Boris shook his head and told me that it was a shame. “I have heard of this before, but it has been a while. There was this guy that came in from south Texas. He brought several men with him as his crew and when he first got to New Orleans he did that very thing to several drug dealers around. He said that he didn’t want to compete with no one else’s turf, so he just took it. It was always the same way. Burn them while they slept and then shoot them as they flee. It is a really good method to make sure that the victims were dead. You are a very lucky man Lucas.”
I didn’t want to hear that. “What was the name?”
“Oh, I think they call it a West Virginia Wake-up.”
“No, not that, the guy. What was the guy’s name?” Why did I get a feeling that I already knew the answer to that question?
“Oh hell Lucas, it has been many years since he came into town. I thought for sure that you would know him, every flake of snow that comes into the city, comes from him. His name was kind of strange. What was it? Oh it was something like Cass.”
“Caspien?”
“Yeah that’s it. You didn’t piss off the guy, did you?”
I had a feeling that I had pissed off the guy, but I wasn’t sure what I had done. Fran had warned me of being seen with her, but I had blown it off. I had told her that it wasn’t like that, that he was just a man. But she had basically called me a buttercup and left. She hadn’t thought I could keep her safe from the guy. I just hadn’t known who I was dealing with. I was quickly starting to get a clue about that though. I was starting to see that I was in over my head. Could it be that I was getting it from Cass the whole time and never even knew I was doing business with him? It just didn’t seem possible. It really didn’t, but the sinking feeling in my chest told me that it was more than possible, it was probable.
“I don’t know Boris. All I know is that someone tried to kill us tonight and it wasn’t the type of way I am used to. This man, this guy you are talking about. Did he used to live next to me?”
Boris said that he didn’t know. “He never brought me to his house like you do. It was always in a strange little cabin in the bayou. The first couple of times, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to leave, but it all worked out.”
I nodded my head, but I still wanted to know more. Boris was busy giving David some oxygen, while I pumped him for questions. Sometimes Boris was worth more to me than anyone else. Now he had the information that I needed.
“So what do you think I should do?”
“Do? I wouldn’t let him know you are still breathing Lucas. I have known you for a long time and I have always respected you, so please heed my warning. Caspien is on a whole other level. Now that he is running from the police, the man has even less to lose. I wonder what you did to piss him off. He rarely gets into with anyone anymore. I had to be something major or maybe it is all a misunderstanding.”
“I think I got to close to his lady, well his ex.”
“Not Fran I hope.”
Her name made my ears perk up. “Yeah, it’s Fran.”
Boris shook his head. “No wonder he is after you. She is just as bad as he is.”
“I wanted to help her.”
Boris laughed a little, chuckling as he dressed the burns. “Fran doesn’t need any help. She was the only one that could tame him. Fran is quite a woman and he will fight to the death for her.”
I was starting to get the picture and it wasn’t helping the gnawing feeling in my stomach. I hadn’t known that she was right. But she was wrong about one thing. I wasn’t a nice guy either and there was no way that I was going to be able to let this slide. I just couldn’t. It wasn’t even about reputation or respect, it was about Fran. I don’t know why, but I could see how a man would want to fight to the death for a woman. She was worth it. I never thought I would feel this way, but damn if I didn’t.
Fran was in danger if Cass was looking for her. I know that Boris thought she didn’t need the help, but to me she was delicate and needed to be protected. I wanted to protect her so badly and it was an urge that I wasn’t able to silence.
“Why didn’t I know about him?” That was the real question.
“Men like Cass don’t want to be known. Their strength is in the anonymity of it all. That’s why he never was too flashy. It was only when someone did something and he had to retaliate or if someone had what he wanted. Then you would know who he was and his name would be whispered. But after something like those burn and shoots that he does, there is no way that anyone is going to really say anything to him. Cass is untouchable, just because no one wants to be on the man’s bad side. No one stays breathing on that side for long.”
The more I heard about Caspien, the less I wanted to meet him. But it was a requirement and I was all about taking care of my business. He was the man that had killed a girl in my house,
burned it down and would have killed me in the process. All because I touched Fran’s shoulder? The man was obviously unhinged and the best thing that I could do would be to stay as far away from him as I possibly can. That is what I should have done, but I have never really been that guy.
“Have you met him before?”
Boris said that he had, but only a couple of times. “He is very secretive. You would know since you lived next to him for all of that time. How much do you know him?”
I smiled at his words. The man had a point. I had lived next to him for quite some time and I really didn’t know much more than his name. He had seemed like an okay guy and I just left him to do his thing, while I did mine. Would that have been different if I would have known what kind of a man he really was?
“Not much. We never did more than wave from a distance.”
“You two are a lot alike, not afraid to do what is necessary.”
Yes, that much I could agree with. There were some things that needed to be done and I wasn’t going to rest until they were done. The fact that it had to do with Caspien meant nothing to me. I wasn’t worried about what he was going to do to me, he thought I was dead. I was worried about what he was going to do to Fran. She was delicate, no matter what Boris said. I knew that she was going to need my help and that I was going to give it to her. There was no way that I could just let it go. I had to make sure that Fran wasn’t around that man ever again. He was dangerous and I didn’t want to think about what could happen to her.
“There are some differences Boris. I would never hurt a woman, I don’t care if I thought it was necessary or not. There is always another way.”
Boris shook his head and said something about Americans and being soft with their women. I was going to ignore his comment because I was going to irritate myself if I didn’t. I liked Boris and I wanted to continue liking Boris. He was an invaluable part of the operation and I had a distinct feeling that I was going to need him soon enough. With what was going on, hell with what was always going on, I had a feeling that I was going to be calling him in the next day or two. I was already on the mend and after learning what I could from Boris, I was ready to send out a crew to find out where I could find Cass. It appeared that the two of us were ready to have a sit down.
“I can agree that you have some differences and this will be a setback, but be careful Lucas. Caspien is a different kind of man and you can’t let emotions get in the way. He won’t. That much I can guarantee you. I don’t even know if the man has any.”
I thanked Boris for his services and walked him to the door. He told me that he didn’t mean any disrespect and I knew that he meant it, but he had to understand that I knew what I was doing. While I may not do things as big as Cass, I hadn’t been caught either. He had been busted several times and though he had found a patsy to take the fall for him, it wasn’t always going to work that way.
He gave me a lot to think about, but one thing I knew for sure was that I was going to have to take care of Cass. It was for my own peace of mind, as well as the knowledge that he wouldn’t be able to get his hands on Fran. At the end of the day, I was still so worried about a woman that wouldn’t give me the time of day. Not only was it hard on my ego, it would be impossible to know that she went back to him and what Caspien was going to do with her when he took over. I wasn’t sure, but I was sure that it wasn’t going to be a good thing. People like Cass were used to getting their way and if they didn’t, he didn’t know how to function.
Chapter 10
Fran
“I have been missing you Fran. Where have you been? It makes me sad that you didn’t see how I was doing. I got shot you know. You would have known that if you would have stuck around. Where did you go?”
He was mad, that much was clear but I didn’t understand why. He hadn’t brought up the fact that I was the one that had called the cops to the house. It was my fault that he had been shot. I knew that he was going to say that. I was just waiting.
“I got away Cass. Where did you think I was going to go when you started putting your hands on me again? I told you that I wasn’t going to put up with it anymore.”
“So you didn’t even care if I was hurt?”
“I knew that you were too mean to die. I thought you were still in the hospital.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Because you never believed me Cass that was half of the problem. All of this started because you thought I had done something with your meth and one of your dealers. I told you that I don’t put my hands on that stuff, but you wouldn’t listen. That is why I had to leave.”
“And the cops?”
“Survival.”
He paused for a moment and though we were still talking in a relatively soft tone, I knew that it was only a matter of time before the temper came out. He was always just one or two words away from going into hulk mode and I was waiting for it. I didn’t want him to get so mad with Stephanie there, but I couldn’t help my smart mouth. I never had been able to do anything about it. Most of the time I thought of it as word vomit.
“What do you want Cass?”
“I want you to come back home. You should know what I want.”
“Home?”
“Well I can’t go there right now. The cops are heavy by my place. I haven’t gotten a lawyer down there to talk to someone yet, but that will be taken care of soon enough.”
“Cass you shot at police officers and hit a couple of them. I don’t think the lawyer is going to get you off from that without doing some time.”
He made a sound at me as if I didn’t know what I was talking about. Maybe I didn’t, but I liked to think that it was him that didn’t get it. Cass really thought that he was able to get rid of anything that he didn’t like in his life. All it took was a little money and determination. I had heard him say it a million times and if I hadn’t seen him do it so many times in the past, I wouldn’t have thought it possible. But he was confident and that made me nervous.
“You will see. Don’t you worry, Fran. I am going to be out and with you for a long time. When are you coming home?”
“I am not coming home Cass. That is not my home anymore and I am certainly not going to the hideout to live.”
“You will come, Fran.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to tell him to piss off and leave me alone. I knew that he was going to act like everything was okay. But we both knew it wasn’t. If Cass wasn’t going to kill me, he was going to make sure that I wished I was dead. I knew him too well to even entertain the possibility that he would forgive me. That was just not the way Cass was.
“Cass, it’s over. Just let me go. I want to move on and I know that you do too. It hasn’t worked in a long time. It is best for both of us if we just walk away now.”
My suggestion pissed him off. I could hear the tone change in his voice and it was the start of the anger that I didn’t want him to feel. He was there with Steph and she didn’t know how to handle someone like Cass. She was a good girl and it wasn’t like when I dealt with him. I knew what to expect, Steph would be afraid and I didn’t want that for her.
“You know that I am not going to do that. You thought you could get with another guy and move on. I was still in the hospital when you moved on. What does that say about you? Tells me that you are a little slut.”
I closed my eyes and I tried to breathe a little slower. This was going to turn bad quickly, now that the name calling had begun. I didn’t know what he thought or saw that made him say such things, but it wasn’t the first time. There had been times that he had hit me because some guy was looking at me in a way that he didn’t like. It didn’t matter that I did nothing wrong. Cass had always been really jealous.
“What are you talking about Cass? I don’t want to move on to another person.” I just want to move away from you. I couldn’t say that last bit though. I knew that it wouldn’t go over too well. How could it?
“I am talking about that guy I
saw you with at the restaurant. You could have done better than Lucas, Fran. He is nothing but small fish. He doesn’t even move enough to make it worth my time to meet him. That is who you were going to leave me for?”
Something in me perked up and I was afraid that Cass saying something about Lucas meant that he had seen him touch me. As soon as he had done it and I had the feeling that he was close, I knew it was going to be a problem. Cass would be livid. Did he do something with Lucas?
“It isn’t like that Cass. It was just a customer.”
“Don’t act like I am stupid Fran. He used to be the neighbor and you are trying to pretend that you didn’t know him?”
He kept talking about Lucas like he was in the past tense. I wanted to ask, but I was afraid to ask. Whatever me and Steph were told, we would have to keep to ourselves or he could decide that we wouldn’t. Considering that I called the cops on him, I don’t think that he trusted me to keep my mouth shut. Unless he was going to threaten me and make it so I didn’t.
“I didn’t know him Cass.”
“He touched you.”
“It was harmless.”
“Well I bet he wished that he had never done it.”
He liked this. He wanted me to ask him what happened, he wanted to tell me what he did and I finally just played into his game.
“What did you do to Lucas, Cass?”
“Are you going to admit that you know him?”
“No Cass, he was just a customer that started to come in for breakfast. My face is all bruised up and I am sure that he just felt bad for me. Some men don’t like to see women all black and blue Cass.” I was forgetting myself and I was pissing him off on purpose. I wanted him to see what he did was wrong, but I didn’t think he had a conscious. I think he loved me in his own way, but it was conditional and laced with a lot of threats. That was the only way to keep me with him and he knew it.
“Well you deserve it Fran. The mouth on you makes you lucky that you are even still breathing.”