Abraham shook his head. “Suzette, are you alright?” he asked instead.
“You had me worried sick!”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine!” she growled. “Are you?”
He sighed and let his heart settle. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Ya’ sure? ‘Cause I just fought Dorian Gray all by myself while Hester ran off. I left him in the park to go after her and told you to get him, so I sure hope you got him.” Her snippy tone indicated she knew the opposite was true.
“Where the heck did you go?” Jack demanded. “I thought you said you’d meet Suzette on the other side of the park.”
Abraham ran a shaky hand down his face and debated with himself for a moment. “I got pulled away by something else.”
“What on earth could have possibly pulled you away?” Suzette snarled. “The mission was Hester!”
“You don’t—!” He bit his tongue. “I made the choice. It’s done. You said you fought Dorian?”
“Yeah, he tried to kill Hester—and he looked like you.”
Abraham frowned. “He looked like me?”
“Yes!” she barked. “Now, just answer our question: what happened?”
He shook his head, trying to make sense of Dorian’s ruse. He was setting something up with the Order. That’s all I know. He started walking. “Listen, this is deeper than you can imagine,” he said. “We need to get Hester and get her somewhere safe. Somewhere with lots of eyes on her. We’ll get her to the hospital.”
“Why the sudden change?” Jack wondered. “I thought you were prepared to kill her if you had to.”
Abraham groaned and rubbed the back of his neck with a shaky hand. “She’s pregnant. At least, I think so.”
Suzette’s gasp was loud over the earpiece. “What? How do you know?”
“I ran into her.”
“And you didn’t stop her?”
Abraham stopped and dropped his head. “No, I was too busy—”
“Too busy with what?” she demanded.
He sighed and lifted his head to the crisp night sky. “Hester’s pregnant. I saw it.”
“I didn’t see it, Abraham.”
“No, I saw…” He pursed his lips together, frustrated. How could he explain?
“Saw what? Why are you being so vague?!”
“Yeah, just spit it out!” Jack spat, adding to Suzette’s hysterics.
“You know what? No. I don’t care anymore,” Suzette said with a huff. “Pregnant or not, I’m going to find her. I don’t need you and your indecisive, selfish motives getting in my way.”
Abraham touched his ear. “But we’re on the same side now, Suzette.”
“I don’t trust you to help!” A scratchy noise tickled his ear and she fell silent.
“Suzette?”
Nothing.
“Well that was real shady of you,” Jack’s voice pressed.
Abraham rolled his eyes and kept walking, but the guilt weighed on him. “I said I was busy.”
“With what, exactly? You’ve still failed to mention.”
But Abraham remained quiet.
“That’s what I thought. I don’t blame her for not trusting you. How can she rely on you when you’re just likely to up and leave her in the middle of a sticky situation?”
“She can handle herself.” Abraham thought the fact would make him feel better, but it didn’t.
“Yeah, but she can’t fight Dorian Gray and catch Hester at the same time,” Jack snorted. “Have you ever even worked with people before?”
Abraham bit down his frustration. “I’ve had a partner before.” The memory left him sickened.
“Ever heard of trust?”
“Yeah, Jack, I have,” he snapped. “It’s not a concept I was taught very well.”
“Well, it shows. Work on it.”
Abraham’s jaw clenched. He doesn’t get it. There are things better left in the dark. But Jack was right. And even though Abraham felt Suzette was better left out of the grimy details of his past and away from the full truth, he felt the need to go after her, to apologize somehow. He made his way back to the park.
—
Tony and Mick stood under the light of the back door of the night club, silently taking drags on their cigarettes while the music muffled from within thumped behind them. Tony glanced over and took in his partner. Mick was smaller than him by far and looked around constantly, a little too eager. It was the young guy’s first time on a mission, and Tony worried. This kid better stay outta trouble, or the boss’ll kill me for sure. No, if the boss’s son got even the smallest of scratches, Tony would have hell to pay.
Mick flinched as the door opened, letting the loud music spill out.
“He’ll see you now,” the man inside told them.
Mick flicked his cigarette out and took an eager step forward.
Tony stopped him with his arm and stepped into the doorway. “Whoa there, Mick. You’re gonna’ have to stay out ‘ere,” he whispered.
Mick stared at him for a moment in disbelief. “Are you kiddin’ me?” he grumbled. “Why did I even come?”
“You came ‘cause you begged your dad like a little pansy-boy,” Tony snapped. “Your dad gave me this kiss-up job to redeem myself for lettin’ the gun operation go south. And contrary to what you believe, not everyone likes you. So, there’s no way in heck I’m lettin’ anything happen to you—even if that means leavin’ you on the doorstep.”
“I’ll tell him,” Mick threatened.
“Go cry to Daddy, then. As long as your alive to tell him, I’m not worried,” Tony grumbled. “I’m just gonna’ ask my buddy if he knows anything about what happened to Vinnie. So, if you’re gonna’ tattle, tell your old man to change your diaper while he’s at it, Short-stack.”
Mick glowered as Tony closed the club door between them. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it, taking a long puff. He stamped his foot impatiently as the time ticked by. The third cigarette stripped away his last shred of patience. He spun toward the door and looked it up and down. There was no way he was just going to sit there and let a nobody like Tony boss him around. Who does he think he is, anyway? I have the power to break this guy! I’ll show him! Mick grabbed the doorknob. He’d give Tony a good piece of his—
Thud!
Something heavy smacked into Mick and knocked him sideways. Furious, he turned to the person.
A thin, lanky woman lay on the ground at his feet.
“Watch where you’re going, lady!” he snarled, straightening his jacket.
The woman pushed herself up to her feet and gripped onto his jacket. “I’m so sorry!” she said hurriedly. “Please, do you have a phone? Can I borrow it? I need to make a call to the police.”
The mention of pigs made Mick antsy. “Look, lady, you shouldn’t be here,” he warned. “Move along.”
“Please!” she begged, tugging hard on his sleeve. “You don’t understand! I need to turn myself in—quickly, before someone else gets hurt! Let me just go inside and I—”
“Hey, watch it! Let go of me!” he snarled, trying to free himself.
Her eyes widened and she became frantic, pulling at him in desperation. “No, please! I’m begging you!”
The more they struggled, the more hysterical she grew. He finally shoved her hands away with a force he hoped would paint a picture for her. “Get lost, you crazy broad.”
Mick watched her face slowly morph from fear to dark with disgust. “What did you call me?”
—
Suzette continued through the city for several minutes, following her gut as it led her in pursuit of Hester. Even with the much-needed silence since ditching her earpiece, she still had to combat her frustration as she walked. It had cooled down significantly with a lack of bickering in her ear, but she still couldn’t help but dwell on it. She slunk into a dark alley and leaned against a building as she took a moment to gather herself. Geez, I’ve got one guy who wants Hester to fry and one guy who kn
ows about everything and shares nothing. How am I going to get anything done?
An approaching cop car caught her eye mid-thought. It slowed down as it came upon her resting spot.
In a moment of panic, she climbed up the fire escape of the building and scrambled all the way to the roof, glancing over the edge to take the car in.
A cop stepped out of the passenger side and pulled out a flashlight. His tall frame stood at the edge of the alley for a moment, the light from the lamppost illuminating him slightly. His sturdy barrel chest puffed up in anticipation. His thin mouth set naturally into a frown under his wide, flattened nose. His dark eyes surveyed wherever the beam from his flashlight pointed. When he found the ground empty, Suzette felt her body relax. But he brought the light up higher and higher until it was scanning over the metal ladders of the fire escapes. Suzette’s heart wrenched as the beam drew closer and closer. She quickly ducked against the roof as the light hit the top of the building. There she waited, her heart thumping as the flashlight steadily pointed in her direction.
A crackling from within the car drew the light away.
Suzette dared to glance down.
The cop was now turned to the vehicle where his partner had the window rolled down. “Field, we got a body down at 7th.”
Officer Field turned back to the alley and gave it one last look-over, his eyes narrowed as he back-peddled toward the car. Then he turned, shut the flashlight off, and got in. They turned their sirens on and sped away.
Suzette watched them fade down the street and turned back to the roof only to be startled once more.
Abraham stood there, looking gloomy as usual.
“Geez, you scared me!” she growled.
“If you hadn’t taken your earpiece out, that wouldn’t have happened.”
She rubbed her eyes through the holes in her mask, hoping to wake herself up. “I just needed a minute to breathe. And I was getting tired of hearing you sidestep every question.”
“I’m sure.” It wasn’t mean, but it wasn’t sympathetic either.
His apathy put her right back on edge. She tapped her foot and set her hands firmly on her hips, trying to force herself to remain civil. “You know, it would’ve been nice to know that I was going in alone.”
Abraham’s eyes closed, like he was aggravated. He reached up into his ear, took out the earpiece, and set it in his pocket. “Listen, I’m not accustomed to apologies, but I want to let you know that…” His face tightened, as if the words were painful. “I’m sorry that I left you like that.” It fell out strained and he rolled his neck, exhausted from the effort. “I made the snap decision to do something else, but if I had known that Dorian Gray was inside the park, I would have…” He sighed and opened his eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done, honestly.”
The apology surprised Suzette, but she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him, trying not to let it show; the answer wasn’t enough anyway. “Well, at least I stopped him from killing her,” she tried begrudgingly. “No thanks to you, of course.”
He cracked a small grin and leaned himself on the edge of the roof. “I’m sure he wasn’t much of a problem.”
She thought back on it. “No, I guess not.”
“He never was much of a fighter.”
Her curiosity overtook her aggravation. She took a few cautious steps toward him. “So, you know Dorian Gray?”
He nodded.
“How?”
“I’ve…worked with him a few times.”
Suzette knew it was more than likely his final answer, but there was no shame in trying. Her mind raced back to the actor’s files. “On what? Surely not movies. Some of his freaky cult stuff, maybe?” She chuckled at that, recalling his so-called Order of the Dragon.
Abraham’s jaw slacked a little and his gaze pulled away. “You can say that.”
The answer halted her; she hadn’t expected him to actually hint at a “yes.” She shuffled her feet a bit, trying to feel him out. But then it dawned on her. Frustrated, she turned and paced a moment before stopping at the opposite end of the roof. “You still haven’t given me an answer about what happened. I don’t appreciate you deflecting it. It feels like you’re manipulating both me and the situation. And I’ll tell you right now: I won’t tolerate that.”
Studying her under furrowed brows, he leaned back a little. “That wasn’t my intention. Sorry.” He cringed a little. “It’s just that…” He frowned. “The things I know, they’re dangerous. And while you’re sitting there, trying to figure me out to see if you can trust me, I’m sitting here, trying to figure you out to see if I can trust you.”
“But how are we supposed to work together if we don’t trust each other?” she snapped.
“If it makes you feel better, I do trust you—halfway, that is,” he answered, standing. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tilted his head. “You’re way too happy and innocent to ever intend anything malicious. But that’s also why I don’t trust you with the knowledge I have.”
“Well, that would be great if I could trust you at all.” She threw her hands up and let them smack down heavily on her thighs. “Trust goes both ways. How do I know you’re not just going to run off after we plan something that I need you for?”
He made it over to her in a few short strides. “You don’t need to trust me all the way to work with me.”
Her eyes bulged. “Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I—”
Abraham squared up to her and shortened the gap between them, invading her personal bubble.
She retreated back a step in discomfort, her foot hitting the edge of the building. “What are you—?”
He pushed her.
Suzette teetered over the edge and flailed her arms, but to no avail. She tipped over the side and squealed.
He caught hold of one of her flailing arms at the last possible moment. But instead of pulling her in, he let her dangle over the concrete five stories below, her body stiff as a board aside from the tremor that shook it. “Trust me now?”
Bewildered, she just stared at the night sky, her breathing heavy and quick.
He jerked her back up, caught her, and set her aside, but she held onto his shirt with a tight death-grip and wouldn’t let him go. “You don’t have to trust me,” he said again. “If I was really going to push you off the building, your superpower would have saved you. So, all you need to trust is your instincts. You have a gift, so don’t doubt it. Work on trusting yourself first, then you can work on trusting me.”
Try as she might to get angry, her recovering heart wouldn’t let her as it thumped wildly in her ears. Her weak legs trembled beneath her and Suzette used his strong frame to keep herself upright. But when she looked up into his face, only a few uncomfortable inches away, she quickly pushed herself away and glared at him from out of the corner of her eye.
He took the earpiece out of his pocket and set it back in his ear. “Good now?” he asked her.
His nonchalance made her twitch, but she nodded.
“Great. Jack, I’m here.” Abraham listened a moment before turning his attention back to Suzette. “Jack says Hester left another body. The police have upped their patrols. It’s getting late, and I’m more than certain you drove Dorian Gray away for now; I think it’s safe for us to call it a night.” He started toward the ladder at the end of the building.
The idea of leaving Hester for another day agitated Suzette to pain, but she knew Abraham was right. Her burning eyelids and weak limbs wholeheartedly agreed that it was time to call it quits. So, she trudged over to the fire escape, her feet shuffling with each heavy step. As she made her way down, she called below, “At least tell me how you know Hester’s pregnant. She’s so skinny, I feel like I would have seen that.”
She heard him sigh loudly. “I saw it in a…vision.”
Her feet clunked to the concrete and she turned to examine his apprehensive expression. “A vision?” How interesting. �
�Have you had any before?”
His foot bounced uncomfortably under her intrigued stare. “I’ve had four since the chemical.”
“Hmm.” Suzette leaned against the brick. “Have any of them come to pass?”
He shrugged awkwardly. “Two—three, really, if Hester is in fact pregnant.”
All she wanted to do was pry, fascinated by the idea. But she kept her mouth shut. Walking on ahead of him, she tried to push her curiosity down, but it crept back up. She looked back to see him trudging behind. “That’s a cool power.”
He ran a hand through his hair.
She turned and continued on. As the silence dragged on, she couldn’t help but grin to herself. “So, will you at least give me some clue as to why you ran off?”
He chuckled at her tenacity and exhaled deeply. “Freaky cult stuff.”
Canto XVII
Dante strolled through the city. The cool morning breeze nipped at his skin, but he walked with energy and confidence, revived by his second attempt to get his pleasure just the night before. As he walked, he couldn’t help but look around, seeing if he could spot his next score in the crowd. There are so many different types of women. What do they all like? The thought prompted him to glance into window shops on occasion, curious as to what was “in.” It was something he’d never thought of before; he’d had no need to try and fit in. Looking, he noticed he wasn’t fond of a lot of the styles, but if the ladies preferred them more…
Something in one window caught his attention and he stopped. It was different from all the preppy-guy, rich-kid clothes that seemed frequent and popular. And it wasn’t exactly like the goth store he had passed just a few blocks back. He leaned in toward the glass to get a better look at the leather jacket on the other side. It was black and slightly worn-looking with zippers that served no purpose whatsoever. Perfect for the look he wanted to go for. Before he knew it, he was inside the store, yanking up the price tag, only to find himself dismayed at the sight.
$500.
He stared at it a moment, his heart sinking. There was no way he could afford the jacket now, but he was determined to get it. It would be worth it. Dante walked over to the rack just behind the display, pulled out his phone, and took a picture of the price tag. Then he stepped back to get a picture of the jacket.
Blind World (The Onyx Fox Saga Book 1) Page 38