by K E Osborn
“I’m an honest man. I will give you everything and tell you how to get all the information. Everything and anything you need. You just need to keep your word to me that you will let me go.” Eric raises his brow at Torque.
I glance at Torque, he should probably take the deal. “How do we know that once we get the information, you don’t have a backup somewhere? What happens when we leave?” I ask.
“All my backups are on that drive… there.” He points to a hard drive. “I also back them up to the cloud. My password is in a gold and black book in my top drawer. You can find it under Queen of Dragons.” I tilt my head. “Oh, don’t mock me, you know you’ve fantasized about her, too.”
Trax lets out a chuckle as I turn and move toward his computer and get to work. I yank out his hard drive and pull out his little black book finding the password which happens to be Moth3rofDr@gonz. I shake my head moving into his cloud storage to find a heap of shit. I’ll be taking this password book with me. But for now, I need to get rid of my stuff. I do a search for everything with my name, the judge’s name, Maya’s name, Neve’s name, and my aunt’s name, everything and anything that can be linked back to me and my past. I delete it fucking all, even things I think have nothing to do with it but have one-word matches. It all goes. Then I search his hard drive. Then I search the dark web again. I search it all while he whines and pleads.
Once I’m sure everything is gone, I grab the hard drive and his password book and move back over to Eric. “Are there any hard copies?”
He opens his eyes wide like he’s been caught out. I smirk. “Where?”
He glances over to the filing cabinet next to the television. “There aren’t any,” he lies.
I snort out a laugh and turn toward the filing cabinet. “I thought we were being honest here, Eric.”
Trax tightens the noose around his neck, and Eric groans as he dangles on his toes. I get to the cabinet and try to open it, but it’s locked. “Key?” I ask.
He turns up his nose, and so I roll my eyes pulling out my lock picks and get to work. It opens quickly as Eric mumbles under his breath. I search through the files and see a bunch of photographs, so I pull one out to see a young girl. I furrow my brows as I hold it up for the guys to see. “What the fuck is this, Eric? She’s got to be all of, what… five years old?” I pick up another photograph, and it’s more little girls. They’re clothed, but it’s fucking weird.
Eric clears his throat as he shakes his head. “It’s nothing, they’re just pictures.”
Trax’s nostrils flare as he clenches his fists. “Of little girls? Man, what the actual fuck? I have a baby girl. You mean to tell me that it would be fine for you to take a picture of her? Fuck, no. Torque, you know what this means?”
Torque nods as I feel bile creeping up in my throat.
This man’s a damn monster.
“I’ve never done anything. Fuck! They’re just pictures, I swear,” Eric calls out.
I grab my files, double checking for anything else as I close the file door. “Yeah, thing is, Eric, pictures are just the start.”
“Do you have a death contingency?” Torque asks out of nowhere.
Eric’s eyes widen. “What does that mean?”
“Does anything happen with your files in case of your death?”
His eyes widen further. “What? No. Why?”
Sensei walks over to his computer on the desk and starts typing something out. I’m not sure what, but there must be a reason.
“Because you are about to commit suicide, Eric. You couldn’t handle your perverted ways any longer, so you decided to hang yourself,” Sensei announces, and it all clicks into place for me.
Torque and Sensei knew.
Of course, they did.
Torque always damn well knows.
“You can’t do this! We had a deal! I give you the information, and you let me live. You protect me. That was our deal. I thought you were a man of your word,” Eric calls out.
Torque looks him directly in his blown-out eyes and sneers. “We don’t dance with the devil.”
The tension in the air increases to an intense level. The look on Eric’s face is of insane fear. He knows just like we all do. My heart’s beating so rapidly I hear the pounding in my ears as I look right into Eric’s eyes as Torque flicks his hand in the air and Sensei kicks out the chair from beneath Eric’s feet.
Eric drops from the chair, and a thud rings through the house as his neck restrains in the noose. But his neck doesn’t break. His eyes instantly run bloodshot, his face reddens almost purple as he clutches at his neck. His legs flail to and fro as he coughs and struggles.
We all stand watching the man who has brought me so much grief, the life fading from him with each gasp, each jolt of his body, and it’s like another hit to my soul. I know a life’s being taken by our hands, but his life wasn’t a worthy one. He was a predator, not only because he spreads news and gossip, but because he’s a vulture, a hunter of the innocent. It might seem like we’re the ones doing an evil deed here, but to me, we’re doing the right thing. Correcting the wrong in more ways than one. Sure, I’m helping myself, but we’re also stopping this guy from any future issues he would have inevitably caused.
His body struggles but slowly lists to a still. His eyes bulge out of his face, and as he takes his last breath, it makes me let out the one I didn’t know I was holding. I glance at Torque, he dips his head, and we get to work making sure to make it look exactly like a suicide.
Then we leave.
With no regrets for the life we took.
With not one witness to what we’ve done.
Who knows when they’ll find him? All I know is that I’m in the clear. I also have his passwords, so anything that might pop up as a result of his death, I’ll be able to fix.
The problem now, I still can’t be with Neve.
The issue of the story leaking is solved, but the minute Neve hears that Eric has died, she’ll know. She will put two and two together and realize he didn’t commit suicide. She’ll know it was us. But more importantly, she’ll know it was me, and that, that right there, is why we can’t be together. Because she knows, and it makes me no good for her.
ACE
Christmas Morning
It’s been forty-two days since I last spoke to Neve, and waking up this morning strikes me hard. The idea that it’s supposed to be a day of giving and loving those around you, only makes me think of one person I want to be spending my time giving everything I have to.
Brody and Grier are doing better and are on the mend, but they’re trying to figure out their next move. I can honestly say I’m moping around the clubhouse without Neve, without Cindi, without fucking motivation to do anything as another year draws to a close.
Noah’s off watching over the girls along with the new security detail I hired to protect them while Danny’s still missing, but there’s been no sightings or word from him. It’s like he’s fucked off with his tail between his legs.
Good riddance.
The Andrettis have gone radio silent too. After Enzo’s funeral, Bianca gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy making us all happy for some good news. Franky’s taken over the leading role of capo di tuttu capi, so now we have no idea what’s happening with the regroup of the Andrettis. Though I know Torque’s still in contact with Enzo’s wife, Bianca, and checking in to see how she’s going with her newborn. We’re all eager to know how he grows up.
Everyone’s moving on with life. Cindi’s still filming with Neve, they’re going to be wrapping soon, and anything we had will soon be a distant memory. I feel like a fucking lovesick puppy, though I can’t say for sure what Neve and I had was love. Hell, we were only together for a fraction of a second, but to me, it was the most real thing I’ve ever known. And in her world, a world where everything is make-believe, it’s good to know maybe she felt a little bit of reality too.
The dull hum of carols echoes from the main clubroom, and I roll over in bed. I k
now I have to get up and get into the festivities, but I’m not in the mood. A gentle knock on my door makes me pull back my covers. “Yeah?” I call out as the door opens slightly, and Sparx pops her head in. She takes one look at me letting out a heavy exhale then lets herself in fully closing the door behind her as she strolls over to my bed.
Fucking hell, this is the last thing I need. Trax probably hates the fact she’s in here right now, so I pay full attention. “Look,” she murmurs sitting on my mattress. It dips beneath her as I take in her smell. She smells like gingerbread. This early in the morning. How is that possible? “I know you’ve been sad since you had to end things with Neve and that totally sucks, Ace. I’m so sorry you have no idea. I really wanted her to be the right one for you. I only want to see you happy, you know that, right?”
Fuck me! Now I have to put up with the third fucking degree. “I know.”
“But, I can’t stand you moping about like this anymore. It’s rubbing off on me and making me depressed. We all know I can’t get depressed.” She pulls her lips in tight trying to hold in her laugh.
Yeah, that was a low blow even for her. Sparx is bipolar, her playing that card is kind of an evil genius move on her behalf.
“Plus, it’s Christmas morning, my kids need their Uncle Ace to be happy today. They’re gonna be opening their presents from Santa and everyone else. I want them… you… and everyone to have a really great day, and…” She pauses her eyes misting up a little as I reach for her hand. She lets me take it to comfort her. “I fucking hate seeing you like this, Ace. You’re always there to comfort me when I’m a miserable shit. I hate I haven’t been able to do the same for you.”
I pull her to me in an embrace. “Sparx, you’re such a great friend, always have been, and trust me, it’s not you who can’t pull me out of this funk, it’s me. I’ve never been in this situation before.”
She pulls back from me tilting her head as if asking ‘what situation.’
“Where I have no control. I like to know what’s going on, every possible scenario. I like to know the hand that’s being dealt, all the cards on the table. Right now, I’m drawing a blank. Neve and me, I can’t see a way out of this. I’m always going to be the biker who’s bad for her image, and even with things cleaned up on my end, the press won’t look at me in any way other than bad for her. And I’m not sure she’ll look at me the same either when she finds out the lengths we went to, to make sure everything was recovered from the reporter. We can’t work, I don’t know how I ever thought we would.”
She squeezes my hand. “I can’t tell you whether this is meant to be or not. All I can tell you is things have a way of working out the way they’re meant to. If you and Neve aren’t meant to be, it’s for a reason. Maybe for you to find someone else, someone more suited. Or if you and Neve are going to make it, it will happen… some way. All I know is, Ace, you just have to let things happen, and in the meantime, you shouldn’t let life pass you by.”
“You just want me to come play with your kids.” I scoff.
“Exactly, so get out of bed, get dressed, and come have Christmas breakfast with your family because even though the woman you love isn’t here, the family who love you is.”
My stomach flips.
The woman I love.
Do I love Neve?
Is that possible?
I’m not sure, but Sparx is right. I need to spend Christmas with my brothers, with my family. “Ruby and Hayley better have made eggnog and French toast, or I swear I’m coming back to bed.”
Sparx giggles. “Eggnog for breakfast?”
“Don’t knock it till you try it… hand me my cut?”
Sparx stands and walks over to my desk to fetch my cut as I get up and grab my jeans from the desk chair then yank them on followed by a hoodie.
She hands me my cut. “Hope I’ve helped.”
“More than you know.”
She dips her head then turns for the door. “See you out there. Don’t be long. The kids want to open their presents.”
“They’re twenty-months-old, Sparx, to them they’re just bits of paper to rip. They’ll be more interested in the boxes, trust me.”
She giggles. “Okay, fine. I wanna open presents. Just hurry the fuck up!” she chimes then walks out my door with a spring in her step.
Once the door closes, I let out a sigh. She did help, her energy always makes me feel better, but it doesn’t detract from the sinking feeling in my stomach. I glance at my cell on my bedside table, and I wonder if I should message Neve.
I stare at it.
Aimlessly.
Wondering if today should be the day I break.
Would she want to hear from me?
Does she care about me at all?
Does she miss me like I miss her?
Does she crave me?
It’s all too much as I let out a frustrated grunt shoving my desk chair to the side forcefully. It slides on the carpet then catches and falls over on its side with the intense shove. I groan but don’t bother to pick it up or my cell. Instead, I bend down to put on my boots, then walk straight out into the clubroom to try and celebrate Christmas with my brothers, with my family, without thinking about Neve.
This blows.
Merry fucking Christmas to me!
NEVE
New Year’s Eve
The music blasts from the DJ decks outside the lavish mansion, the clock ticking down the hour as the party moves into full swing. Another splash from the infinity pool sends a wave of water across the sandstone pavement toward the door I’m currently sitting at. I’m sipping a mojito with a freaking umbrella in it, the night a nice sixty degrees here in Miami compared to twenty-three degrees in Chicago. Not that I’ve been checking up on what it would be like if I were there right now instead of here, at my co-star Carter’s Miami mansion for his annual New Year’s Eve party.
No, I’d never wish to be somewhere else than a star-studded party… right?
I slump back into the folding cabana chair as I watch the television. I can’t hear the sound over the DJ spinning the tunes, but I can read the subtitles and see the pictures clearly. I should be watching the fellow Hollywood heavyweights at the party and mingling with them, but I honestly can’t be bothered. I know it’s a new year, and I know I should be moving on with my life. Filming’s finished, and I’ll be on to my next project soon. I can forget all about Chicago, but that means truly letting go of Ace, and while this radio silence has let me get on with my job and allow me to focus on getting this movie done, in my downtime, all I have wanted, all I have needed, is him.
The number of times I’ve stared at my cell willing it to ping with a message or for it to ring and to see his number flash on my screen has been countless. I’m fucking miserable, and with Cindi back in Chicago, my ties to him are all but severed. Maybe it was never meant to be? Perhaps this is for the better? I just don’t see how. I take another sip of my drink as another A-lister dives into the pool, splashing the pavers with the excessive water overflow.
I grunt as I yank up my sarong to stop the water from wetting it, my eyes moving back to the television. Suddenly, a picture of Eric Forsythe flashes on the screen. I almost choke on my mojito as I sit taller trying to figure out what the report’s saying. Without hearing it, it’s hard to actually make it out.
Then the subtitles kick in.
Eric Forsythe, the investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune, was found deceased today in his holiday home at Lake Geneva. It seems he’s been missing from his inner circle for over a month. From the coroner reports, the circumstances of his death appear to be a suicide, and the Chicago Police Department is treating it as such. A simple suicide note was typed and left at the scene. His funeral will be held on Friday and is open to the public to attend.
Sitting back, I take a small sip of my mojito while shaking my head. Suicide my ass.
What if Ace was the man to do it?
How does that make me feel knowing he’s capable
of something like this?
Do I actually care?
My heart races a little faster as I think this over.
It’s simple.
The answer is no.
I should.
I should care that he and his brothers have taken a life.
But Eric was a weasel and his so-called ‘suicide’ is probably for the greater good. I don’t claim to know exactly what happened to Eric, but he got what was coming to him. He caused a lot of pain, pain I’m still suffering because of his actions. I hope Ace feels a little relief from knowing his past is now hidden with Eric’s body. If anything has to come from this, I hope it’s that. Maybe I’m being harsh because Eric did bury the information he found on Ace, but it’s the aftermath of those actions that has me feeling this way.
My lips slowly turn upward. It’s callous. It’s not like me at all to smile knowing someone died, but I can’t help it. I think about Ace and his story being leaked by Eric. What ramifications it would have had, not only for Ace but for his parents, his aunt, his cousin, and the judge. So many people would have been affected.
This was the only outcome for Eric.
I knew it deep down.
It was always going to go this way.
Throwing back the remainder of my mojito, I stand from my chair to go in search of another drink. I wobble on the spot. I know I’m half wasted, I’ve drunk my body weight in misery. I miss Ace and tonight is all about celebrating the new year with those you love. Christmas was hard enough, but bringing in a new year knowing I’ll probably never see Ace again is agonizing.
I stumble toward the bar and take a seat slapping the bench. The bartender looks at me knowing he shouldn’t serve me but continues to make me another anyway. The thing about celebrity parties is the bar doesn’t cut you off when you’ve had too many. In fact, they’ll probably serve you two while someone draws out a line of cocaine for you to snort. But I’m not like that. Never have been. It’s not my scene and while this is definitely that kind of party, not everyone gets into that sort of thing here.