Cardinal's Sins

by Mackenzie Wiliams

  Levi then turned and headed toward the door. When he reached it, Levi turned around, his mind cluttered. He grabbed Tessa by the waist and pulled her against his chest. She stared up at him with mixed emotions on her face. Levi leaned in and kissed her lips. He kissed her hard and fast.

  Tessa gasped against his lips before joining in on the kiss. After several seconds, he pulled back from her. She blinked up at him, her cheeks a shade pinker now.

  “Love, I have things to get done, and you’re safe here and…” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence so he simply kissed her again.

  This kiss was slower, and Tessa rested her small hand on his bicep. Levi held in a growl as he released her, stepping back a small step. Tessa’s hand slid off him, and he could read the anxiety in her eyes.

  Damn it. Asshole. That could be directed toward his boss or himself.

  Levi opened her front door and Tessa stepped to him, placing her hand on his back.

  “Levi, when are you coming back?” Her voice cracked on the last word.

  He paused in the doorway, looking down at the ground. “Soon, love.” Levi stepped out the door but turned to face her. “I put my number in your phone. Call me if you need me.”

  Tessa’s eyes started to tear up, and he had to leave or else he would lose the nerve. He nodded at her before turning and marching toward his car.

  This ends now.

  ****

  Tessa watched Levi’s car leaving until it disappeared around a corner. Why did this feel so heavy? So permanent? Had there really been something on her phone, and if so, what? Was he just using it as an excuse to ditch her?

  He said he put his number in my phone.

  A bit of hope and excitement ran through her as she shut her front door. She stepped back and lifted her phone up to check. She rolled through her contacts until she finally found one she didn’t recognize. Sinner.

  A tear slid down her cheek as a slow smile lifted her lips. She clicked on it just to make sure there was a real number behind it. There was. Her heart warmed as another tear slipped free. That proves he still wants to see me. Right?

  Tessa hugged the phone to her chest, thinking about her too-brief time with Levi. How could she ever go back to a life before she’d met him? Suddenly, her phone beeped loudly, caused her to jump. She inhaled sharply and another tear slid down her face.

  Tessa wiped her face before checking her phone. A new text message had just popped up. It was from Brad. She rolled her eyes before walking toward her bedroom. She wasn’t going to respond to him now. Eventually, she’d have to tell him it was really over and to leave her alone. Tessa didn’t want to deal with that now.

  She did, however, need to text her mom to check in. Tessa had called her best friend, Erica, from Levi’s house. She hadn’t mentioned Levi, just that she’d broken up with Brad and she’d call her later with more details. The phone call had seemed unnecessary because her friend hadn’t seemed worried about her in the slightest.

  Tessa had called in sick to work earlier, but she needed to now call and tell her boss she was using her vacation days. She was sick of dealing with real life already, and she’d just started. She exhaled loudly.

  “Levi, are you always so complicated?” Her mind started to wander as she found her mom’s number to text.

  What would I do without him?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Levi slammed on the brakes in a grocery store parking lot, putting his car in park. He grabbed his phone. Coincidently, it chimed as he did. He had a new text from his boss. The caption said, Next photo. Fear and anger mingled in his gut as he examined the picture. It was a picture of his ex-girlfriend and not a flattering one.

  Levi was in business with scum, this was true, but he never had trouble separating himself from them or from most of their trappings. He didn’t do drugs, he didn’t cause trouble in society, except for his small jobs. Unfortunately, the girl he’d dated many years ago was into him mostly because of the scum he knew.

  After dating for a few months, she’d gotten heavy into drugs and other illegal activities. Levi had tried to help her several times but nothing worked. He told himself he’d done everything he could, but deep down, he didn’t believe it. Was there more he could have done?

  Levi had taken her to rehab and to doctors, but Jenny never took to any of it. She seemed unwilling to put any effort into getting better. She actually pouted and threw fits when Levi wouldn’t join in on “the party” and do drugs with her and the few dirt bags she had befriended.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to rid his mind of her voice. Finally, he opened his eyes to force himself to look at the picture he’d been sent.

  The picture was of Jenny lying in an alley, obviously high. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, and she was filthy. Regret mixed with his other emotions, and Levi quickly deleted the picture. He hastily texted his boss back.

  STOP! I’ll do it.

  He tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and leaned his elbow on his door, holding his head in his hand. Levi closed his eyes and a slow memory then began to play. He tried desperately to kill it, but it persisted. Jenny stood before him, swaying, obviously not sober. She shoved her finger into his chest before reaching up to slap him in the face.

  “You fucker.” She slapped him again. Levi did nothing. “I knew you’d fuck me over and throw me away like trash.”

  The memory finally faded, and Levi took several deep breaths until his phone beeped. He retrieved it to read the response.

  Meet me at the hotel. Twenty minutes.

  Levi dropped his phone back onto the seat and gripped the steering wheel. He stared off into the distance, rage slowly building in his gut. He’d left for a reason. Did he really believe that this was the last one? The last job?

  He slowly twisted his hands over the steering wheel, thinking. I’ll make sure this is the last time Dave feels like he can reach out to me. It was true, Levi’s boss had many secrets, but Levi knew one would be his true trigger.

  Dave’s son, which he bragged about repeatedly, wasn’t his son. The man who was to take over the family business wasn’t who everyone thought he was, and Levi had ways to prove it. He was going to bring this dog out, and if his boss knew what was good for him, he’d keep his promise that this was Levi’s last job.

  Levi groaned, clenching his jaw tightly. He jammed the car into gear and peeled out of the parking lot. A car honked at him when he cut them off. Levi cussed under his breath as he sped off down the street. He was beyond pissed off. One thing he hated above almost anything else was not being in control of his own destiny.

  “If I have to move Tessa and me out to the middle of nowhere, this is over after this job. Done.”

  ****

  “All right, thanks.” Tessa pulled the phone away from her face, clicking it to sleep.

  She’d just spoken to work and taken the next week off. She had days to spare since she rarely called in sick. She worked for a veterinarian office. Mostly, she was in charge of answering the phones, sometimes on the weekends, but the best part was when she was asked to take a dog for a walk or maybe keep an eye on a cat. Tessa was an animal lover, although, she had no pets of her own.

  She smiled to herself, thinking about what it would be like to have a pet. A dog with Levi, maybe. Tessa rubbed her hands together, picturing Levi throwing a ball in his backyard. Her smile started to fade as doubt crept in. Did he want that “normal” life? And if so, did he want it with her?

  Tessa sighed as she made her way to her bathroom to take a shower. She’d texted her mom, and it had seemed unnecessary. Her mom had no clue she’d been “missing” for the past few days. That was just as well. Now she didn’t need to field questions.

  After briefly looking at the texts she’d missed, she worried that Levi was angry after seeing several from Brad. He had no real reason to be upset, though. Brad and Tessa had just broken up, and she hadn’t talked to him since their fight. I hope he’s not mad at me
because of that.

  She set her phone down on the counter and turned on the water in the shower. Tessa started to remove her shirt but was halted when her phone rang. Instant butterflies filled her stomach as she pictured the word “Sinner” showing up on her phone.

  Tessa was crushed immediately when she read on the screen, Brad.

  “Fuck.” She swore under her breath. “No time like the present.”

  She turned off the water and angrily answered her phone with a groan. “Listen, Brad. I don’t want to talk to you.”

  “Tessa? Where’ve you been? You haven’t answered any of my texts. Are you okay?”

  “Oh, now you care about my wellbeing. I’m good. Actually, great. We’re over. Completely over. Lose my number.”

  She started to pull the phone away from her face but stopped when Brad screamed, “Damn it, Tessa!”

  Tessa gestured with her hand as her anger took over. “You listen carefully, Brad. We are absolutely done. And if you don’t stay away, my new … friend will make you sorry. Got it? You cheated on me, remember? You left me in the dark on that street. Now you’re free to fuck anyone you want. Good luck.”

  She ended the call abruptly, setting her phone down. Tessa leaned on the counter, her breathing ragged and harsh. She gripped the side of the counter tightly as a sob tried to work up her throat. She had made a last-second decision to not add “boy” in front of that “friend.” She wasn’t even sure if that was a lie or not.

  Tessa stared into the mirror before slapping her hand down on the counter. “Done!”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Levi reached over to the glove compartment and retrieved his handgun. He climbed out of his car, his face hot. Levi slid the gun into the back of his jeans waistband. He then slammed the car door shut and took a minute to close his eyes, lifting his head. He took a few breaths through his nose.

  He needed to keep his head in this meeting. If he went off the handle, as he wanted to do, he would be right back to where he was earlier with Tessa getting photos that he certainly didn’t want her to see.

  Yes, she already knew that he’d committed other crimes before her, but having it shoved in her face was a different beast. Levi knew that his boss had quite a few pictures he could send her. Some that were crimes a bit worse than kidnapping.

  A slow-motion movie played out in his head. A rough-looking man was hunched over a table, blood running down his face. The sick sound of breaking bones echoed in Levi’s ear before he opened his eyes, groaning.

  “Fuck me.”

  He headed toward the office of the hotel which was really a headquarters for all types of sin and crime. When he arrived at the door, he took another series of slow breaths before knocking on the door. After a few seconds, the door opened. There stood a man with a gun holstered on his hip.

  “Levi. Boss said you were coming, but I didn’t believe it.”

  Levi only nodded as he stepped forward, forcing the other man to step to the side. The man closed the door, and Levi noticed another man in the corner rolling a joint. Levi ignored the man when he nodded at him and headed back to where his boss was sure to be. A medium-sized office that had been gutted and turned into a living room with a few blush couches and chairs. There was a large entertainment center and a fridge.

  Sure enough, Dave and two other men were in the room. One man was laughing while the other was eating a sandwich. Dave was holding a cigar, making a funny face, obviously in the middle of a comical story.

  The man with the sandwich noticed Levi and waved. His boss turned around, and his face lit up when he saw who his visitor was.

  “Aahh, Levi. I’m happy you made it. And on time.” He pointed down at his gold watch. “Want a beer? Sandwich?”

  “I’m not here for socializing.” Levi clenched his fists.

  His boss’s expression fell, and he looked Levi up and down. “Fine.” He turned toward the other two men. “Clear out.”

  The men stood with no protest, one grabbing his food while the other grabbed his beer off the coffee table. They both gave Levi a quick nod when they walked past him. Levi did his best to look calm and indifferent as they did.

  Finally, Levi moved to the couch opposite Dave and took a seat. He leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs. Partially because of the gun in his waistband but also to show that this wasn’t a “hang out” moment. He wanted to get down to business and end this shit once and for all.

  “I’m fucking here. Now tell me what this is about so I can end this.” Levi clenched his jaw tightly.

  “Sorry. Did my picture hit a nerve?” His boss puffed on his cigar.

  I’ll fucking show you hitting a nerve. He inhaled deeply. “Yes, you got my attention. That better be the last one she receives.”

  Dave took another pull on his cigar before setting it in a large ashtray. “It will be if I get what I want.”

  “This is it, Dave. Last job. If you come for me again”—he pointed at the man—“I’ll expose Justin’s true heritage. Your next in line.”

  His boss sat up a bit straighter. “You leave my boy out of it.”

  “You started this, asshole. You went for Tessa. Not cool. Your pathetic secret will remain just that if you keep your word. Last job.”

  His boss flicked his stare around the room, obviously not expecting Levi to bring this subject up. His lifted his hand to his mouth, biting his nails in an unappealing way.

  “I have documentation about his birth and medical tests, Dave. How would your employees view you after they heard about your wife fucking your own father? Better yet. How would your boy feel if he knew that you killed his real dad? Well, both his dad and his grandfather.” Levi smirked. “And how was it raising you brother slash stepson?”

  “All right!” Dave leaned forward in his chair. “It’s a fucking deal! Last job. You won’t hear from me afterward.”

  “And neither will Tessa.” Levi scowled at him.

  “And neither will that girl.” Dave gave him a deep frown before grabbing his cigar again.

  “I’m glad we understand each other. Now grab me that beer.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Damn it!” Tessa dropped her phone onto her bed.

  She’d managed to wait a mere hour before trying to reach Levi. An hour later, she had called him three times and each the same result. His phone was off or on “Do not disturb.” No ringing, it went straight to voicemail each time. Tessa couldn’t even be sure it was the right number because the voicemail had a generic robotic voice saying the person she was trying to reach wasn’t available. No Levi voice to at least greet her.

  Why would he give me his number and then not answer? Wait. She turned to look at the mirror on the wall. What if he gave me a fake number on purpose? He didn’t want to go through the fight of breaking it off so he … ditched me.

  Tessa slid to the side of her bed, staring at the floor, a sick feeling rising into her throat. How could she be so stupid? An admitted criminal, who had kidnapped other women, would just magically fall for her and want to settle down.

  She leaned forward, putting her head in her hands. Tears were soon falling from her eyes. I’m an idiot. Boyfriend? So stupid.

  Tessa sat up straight, letting a deep breath rush from herself. There was still a little bit of hope in her heart. Levi had really made her feel like he cared. Was he just used to doing that with women?

  She turned and grabbed her phone. She decided to text him once or twice to see if he would answer her.

  “Just don’t sound desperate or clingy.” She instructed herself as she started to type.

  Hey, where are you?

  Tessa paused and then erased part of her message, typing a new one.

  Hey, do you want to meet for supper?

  She hit send, then wiped her wet cheeks with her shirt sleeve. “I guess nothing to do but wait.”

  She huffed out a deep breath and stood from the bed, heading to the kitchen for a meeting with a large box of cookies. />
  ****

  “So here’s the thing.” Dave leaned forward. “The reason it has to be you this time is because I’m dealing with Scab.”

  Levi pulled the beer bottle away from his lips. “Scab?”

  He hadn’t heard that name in a while. Now Levi completely understood why he was here. Scab was notorious for his bad temper and his intolerance of almost anyone. Levi was an exception. That was why his boss needed him so desperately. Scab worked with very few people, and Levi was probably his favorite. They’d been friends in real life before either of them started in this business.

  “Yes, Scab. He has an encrypted key fob that one of my clients would pay through the nose for. This is very time sensitive, like we needed the thing yesterday.” He gestured with his hands, making him look anxious. “You know Scab won’t just hand over this kind of stuff to anyone. He trusts you. I need you.”

  “Fob?”

  “Well, an encrypted fucking flash drive or some bullshit. Something that will give my clients access to a program and data that they currently can’t get to. All I know is it’s damn important and illegal.”

  Levi took another drink from his bottle before setting it down on the table between them. He leaned back, resting one arm on the back of the couch. He took a moment to process the situation. He supposed this was pretty time sensitive and an extremely lucrative deal for his boss. Now Levi was going to cash in, too.

  “All right. We do this fast so I can get back to my life. And as for my money, what’s my cut?”

  “Your cut? I don’t…” Dave nervously rubbed his hands together.

  It appeared that Levi’s boss was expecting Levi to just do it so he’d stop sending pictures to Tessa. Sorry, you aren’t getting off that easily.

  Levi himself didn’t need the money, which was probably why Dave thought he could get away with not paying up. However, when Levi had did a bit of research on Tessa and her family just before they took her, he learned that the nasty divorce between her parents had left her mom near penniless.