It was true.
Liam was not being very nice to her.
Could she betray him like this?
‘I will kill him if he doesn’t give me his money. It’s an easy problem to fix. He gives me the money, you both get to leave on the plane, start a new life, but if he refuses, then I will shoot him in the head.’
‘You will kill me, too?’ she asked.
‘No,’ he replied. It seemed a genuine response. ‘I wouldn’t hurt a hair on your head.’
‘So, you let us both go if I get him to hand over the money?’
‘Yes.’
Survival came before pride and trust.
‘Okay. I will do it.’
***
‘Nearly there, baby girl,’ groaned Chelsea.
The snow crunched beneath her boots, as she half-guided and half-carried Cassie towards the car. The winds were starting to pick up. Thick drops of snow were striking her from her left-hand side. Mother and daughter were wrapped up in numerous layers of clothes, but still they could feel the chill. Cassie grumbled something beneath her breath. The young girl was slumped over, dragging her feet. It was like looking at someone who had been on a forty-eight-hour drinking session. With each passing second Cassie was becoming heavier, as her legs grew weaker. Chelsea was taking as much as her weight as possible, but the slippery ground surface was not offering much purchase.
‘You have to stand up,’ said Chelsea.
She was practically bear hugging her daughter.
‘Cassie?’
The young girl’s eyes rolled back into her head.
They fell.
‘Shit!’ Chelsea’s cursed echoed into the night air.
Cassie collapsed into the two foot of snow on the lawn. Chelsea instantly felt the horrible damp soaking into her clothes. She had to get her off the floor, but it was almost impossible. Cassie had become a dead weight. It was surprising how heavy a girl of her size could be so heavy. Chelsea changed position and resorted to hooking her hands under Cassie’s armpits. It was not a comfortable position, but it was all she could manage.
‘We can get through this,’ said Chelsea.
It wasn’t clear if these words were for Cassie or for Chelsea.
‘We will get through this.’
She began to drag her daughter through the snow.
***
Travis slammed the car door and flicked the lock. Trucks, cars and motorbikes were parked up in the side street, as two dozen men and women prepared for battle. Weapons were being checked, as bulletproof body armour was being strapped on, and groups huddled around maps talking tactics and using important looking hand gestures. Travis headed straight for Elizabeth. The gorgeous blonde was wearing an all black outfit. She wore ass hugging trousers and a black leather jacket. It was the type of get up the women in his dreams wore. She was slipping a revolver into a holster, as he approached.
‘No Danny tonight?’ he asked.
‘He hasn’t responded to any of my calls,’ replied Elizabeth.
‘Jasmine won’t be happy.’
Elizabeth nodded her head to that.
‘Shall we do this?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘You think we have enough bodies?’ countered Travis.
‘You have me,’ she said, with a smile. ‘That’s all the people we need.’
Travis liked her confidence. It was hot.
He was just gutted she was gay.
This was one woman he would never get to have. It didn’t matter how charming he was.
‘Let’s do this,’ he told her.
And so the mission began.
***
A bedside lamp cast a dull glow over the double bed. Fiona was lying in the centre of the bed. The silk covers covered her hips, which exposed her naked torso. Exquisite breasts were on full display. Danny had noticed them. It was hard not to. She was so fucking sexy. His lips carefully caressed the peak of her erect nipple. He enjoyed sucking her tits, licking them or just holding them. He was drawn towards them.
‘What is your plan?’ she asked, a look of relaxation was etched upon her face.
‘We will remove those closest to my mother first,’ he said, before returning to her tits. Beneath the quilt, his hand was on the move. Unconsciously, she opened her legs for him, as his palm was placed upon the mound of her most private area. His middle finger explored the wet slit. A gasp escaped her mouth, as he slowly moved inside her body. ‘My mother has created a wall of allies around herself. If we remove her most trusted people, then we will be able to get to her.’
‘Can’t we just kill her?’
‘If only it were that easy.’
‘Isn’t it?’
‘No. Her men are loyal. If we kill her, they will kill us. We have to be smart and do this carefully. We cannot be linked to any of the murders.’
‘How are we supposed to do that?’
‘I have an idea,’ he replied, with a smile. ‘The person we will remove first is...’
***
Confusion and frustration were a bad combination. River surveyed the locker room, as he hung up his coat. All twelve members of staff were here. The room still felt too big for them all. The store had been designed with at least forty members of staff in mind, but it meant people had space to change their shoes, put on deodorant, or just take a minute to ground their heads before the long hard slog of the day. By the end of the week, he would have to make his final decision.
Who was going to be fired?
Who was going to be promoted?
Who was going to be transferred?
It was almost impossible to decide.
It made it even harder when all of them were in the same room together, as everyone was laughing and joking. They were nice people, and they all deserved a break in life. He could provide them with that break, but he was also going to have to let some people down. His eyes fell upon Ashley. Something about the stunning red head made a weird bubbling pressure gather within his groin. Today she wore tight black trousers that hugged her perfectly sculpted bum. It looked good enough to bite.
A wave of fear washed over him, as she looked up and smiled.
Did she see him checking out her arse?
‘Shit...’ he cursed under his breath.
One by one the others began to leave and head for the staff room. That would be where the morning briefing would take place. Ashley seemed to wait until everyone was gone before walking over to River. Her light blue blouse was a tight fit and showed off her slim sexy figure and large breasts. She had big tits for a woman of her build and River had noticed this a thousand times over.
‘Do you mind?’ she pointed to the necklace that hung half an inch above her cleavage.
River licked his lips.
‘W-What...?’ he stuttered.
‘My necklace,’ she smiled, ‘could you help me with it.’
‘Oh, yes.’ He smiled, it was full of relief.
He had thought she was pointing at something else for a moment.
Ashley turned around, knocked her hair to one side and offered him her neck. River swallowed hard. Was everything she did sexy? Her neck looked good enough to kiss. He gave his head a quick shake. What was wrong with him? He wasn’t a womaniser. He had never looked at another woman before, but now he gets turned on by everything Ashley does. Is it because she looked like Ariel? Is it because he and Ariel haven’t been intimate in so long? All is it because deep down he really does have a soft spot for Ashley?
‘Thank you,’ she said, as he unclipped the necklace.
She turned to face him.
They were but a hair’s length apart. Ashley looked up at him with big blue eyes. And it was then that he noticed it. There was something naughty lurking within the windows of her soul. Slowly, she moved forward, or at least that was what it looked like. River suddenly pulled back and smiled. He tried to act casual, but his cheeks were turning an interesting shade of red.
‘Shall we head up and meet the others?’
&
nbsp; ‘Of course,’ smiled Ashley. ‘I will be there in two minutes.’
***
Observation was the name of the game. Jillian stood to one side and slightly behind Liam, as he stood in front of the desk. JR was watching him with a great deal of concentration. Jillian didn’t like his eyes. JR had a pretty face and looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, but there was something about those eyes. They looked like the eyes of a cold hearted killer. They were dark, haunting and frightening eyes. Liam looked at the map spread across the top of the desk. It was a map of North City. Different sections of the map had been split up and colour coordinated. The airport was coloured blue, which showed JR territory. The Riggs Crew section was red and had to cover at least eighty percent of North City. The Green section belonged to the Murdock Crew and the Twelve Families. The yellow section belonged to the religious faction known as Gaia.
‘What do you say?’ asked JR.
He had offered Liam the same deal as Jillian.
Give up his money in exchange for a free flight out of here.
‘You are ripping me off,’ said Liam.
JR’s face tensed up, slightly, but he quickly shook it off.
‘Ten percent of your money, and a free pass to freedom, it is not really ripping you off.’
‘You could be dead,’ said one of the men behind us.
This got a few laughs out of the men. JR smirked.
‘I-I...’ Liam stuttered.
‘This is a good deal,’ Jillian decided this moment was the right time to step in.
JR’s eyes momentarily lit up. This is what he wanted to happen.
‘What?’ he looked at her, disgusted.
‘They are going to kill us,’ she whispered into his ear. Liam looked up nervously. He continued to listen. ‘Ten percent of the money still gives you more than what you need to survive.’
‘It’s my money,’ he whispered back as harshly as he could.
‘I know this, but the money is no good to you if you are dead. We can go anywhere. Why not escape to Old Europe. We can start again, but we will be alive.’
‘I...’
She shut him up. ‘You don’t have a choice. This way we leave with something.’
Jillian stepped back, leaving Liam with his thoughts.
It felt like an eternity of silence went by.
‘Fine,’ said Liam.
‘Good.’ JR’s smile nearly consumed his eyes and ears it was so wide.
‘I will give you what you want.’
***
They stood alone in the hallway. The scene around them was so formal. Red carpet lined the floor, as purple wallpaper with patriotic stars covered the walls. Framed photos of North City landmarks hung on the wall. John Riggs Senior had wanted it this way. It gave the place an important feel and today they were here for important matters. Melissa stepped into his personal space and fixed his tie. Marcus couldn’t take his eyes off of his step-sister. She was captivating. Her smile battered away the nerves he was feeling. How was it possible that such a simple gesture brought him so much peace? She truly cared for him, but then again he cared for her if only she knew how much.
‘You look like a leader,’ her words came no louder than a whisper.
‘There will be consequences,’ he replied, almost as if he was talking to himself.
‘There are always consequences, but I am with you.’
It was his turn to smile.
‘I couldn’t do this without you.’
‘You will never have to. I will always be by your side.’
For a long moment, they just stared into each other’s eyes, as silent signals were bounced back and forth between the two of them. These were not mere words. Melissa truly meant everything she was saying. Marcus knew this. It was why he was doing this. She was giving him the strength he needed to make this next move.
‘Let’s go.’
Marcus turned around and opened the door behind them.
A wave of voices crashed over them, as he approached the podium.
The world’s media was ready.
***
Delicate fingers rotated the chicken soup until the label was facing forward. She glanced out of the corner of her eye. River was about twenty feet to her right. He was also stacking shelves from a flatbed trolley. Kerry let out a heavy sigh and returned her attention to the shelf. How was she going to do this? How does she even go about approaching him? Several years ago she had seduced Malcolm, but that had been easy. He had fancied the pants off of her. Has River even looked at another woman since he has been with Ariel? The man was infatuated by his fiancée. How could she catch his eye? He hadn’t even flirted with her in all the years they have known each other. Not once has he checked out her tits or ass. Was it even possible to seduce him?
***
Her reflection was exquisite. Ariel knew she looked good. A low cut dress was her choice for the day. The dark blue fabric hung down below the level of her knees, and mapped out every sensual curve upon her body, but it was her breasts that were the key. They were practically spilling out the front of her top. It wasn’t subtle in the slightest. She knew what he liked, and he was going to get an eye fall. Yesterday she had been a little naughty and touched him, but that wouldn’t happen today. It was all harmless flirting. Things with River were rocky, but there was no way in hell that she would cheat on him. This was just a release. It was a harmless release, which felt incredible and ended with an orgasm. She didn’t even have to touch herself to cause the sexual explosion. That was the beauty of the lust dust drug. It made you climax. She just liked the way he looked at her. She loved how horny he would get. The whole thing was naughty and taboo, but it was fine as long as she didn’t cross the line. A little bit of boob never hurt anyone.
***
‘You did well,’ said JR, he was looking pretty proud of himself.
‘Thanks,’ replied Jillian.
She was sat in a red cushioned armchair to the side of his office. A warm cup of tea was held within her grasp. This was not a woman that looked relax. Jillian’s posture was scrunched up as if she were attempting to make herself as invisible as possible. This had not gone unnoticed. JR might be young, but he had a good empathic ability. It was one of his strengths. His mother had always said he was more like a daughter than a son because of how emotionally sensitive he was.
‘You don’t have to be afraid of me,’ he told her.
It was like hearing the words spoken by a bear that was about to maul you.
The man gave out an aura of death and destruction.
‘I don’t kill women.’ He said to disarm her. ‘It isn’t fun.’ Her guard went straight back up.
‘What do you want from me?’
‘Do I have to want something to enjoy your company?’
‘I am your prisoner.’
JR waved a hand in the air. ‘You are a guest.’ He rephrased the word.
‘I am your prisoner. You only want me for the money.’
‘You have no money,’ he told her, flatly. ‘Your husband does. I just want to talk to you.’
‘Why?’
‘You get it...’ His words trailed off for a moment.
‘What is it I get?’
‘You get what it is like to grow up in this world. You know what it is like to be the child of one of the most influential men.’
‘I do.’
‘Your father gave you away in marriage. You were just a child. He did it because it strengthened business relations with other men of power. My father had similar things for me. I was a bargaining tool. My brother, Vince, was his favourite. I was just someone to be overlooked until I was worth something in a business deal. It is why I broke away and took something for myself. Haven’t you ever wanted to do that? Haven’t you wanted to just build something for yourself?’
Jillian thought about this for a moment.
‘I have,’ she admitted, ‘I just never had the means to have such a freedom.’
‘You do
now.’
‘I do?’
‘Join me,’ said JR. ‘I want this city. I want to be in charge of everything. I want to bring peace to North City, but striking deals and talking about sanctions doesn’t do shit. I will change the world with an iron fist.’
‘War isn’t the answer.’
‘Perhaps, but I have no option. Look at the situation I am in. Join me, Jillian. We would be a great partnership. Your knowledge and business know-how would be an excellent tool for me. You are a kind person. You are not driven by wealth or power. You could help build a world so that no one else has to experience the life you have had.’
Could she really do that?
It sounded too good to be true.
‘Just think about it,’ said JR. ‘I am preparing a room with a nice hot bath for you. Join me for dinner and tell me your answer. You can live with that money hugging bastard of a husband and escape to Old Europe, or stay here with me and build a brighter future for humanity.’
***
Laughter filled the house. The tiny puppy skidded around the back of the couch, did a cute little run, and then tripped over its own paws. It landed face first on the living room floor with its bum in the air. Its tail wagged happily.
‘He did it again,’ said Anne.
‘Come here, Girl,’ called Hazel.
The puppy practically jumped into her lap, as she knelt on the floor.
The laughter continued.
Anne felt drunk she was so happy. This is all she wanted from life. She didn’t care for fame, or wealth, or glory. She just wanted to provide for her sister. She wanted to give her a good long and happy life. And she had. Travis had given her an opportunity, and Anne had taken it with both hands. The two of them were starting an operation of mutual gain. Her eyes fell upon the sports watch on her wrist.
‘I have to go in a minute,’ she announced.
‘Do you have to?’
‘I have to go to work.’
‘Can’t we come with you? I promise to be good. I don’t like it when you leave.’
Anne sighed.
She hated the thought of her sister feeling lonely. Could she take her out on this job? Yes. She could. This was a straight forward job. They should all be safe.
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