Blowback

by Stephanie Summers

  “Yeah, I don’t know how it’s gonna go. In a fair fight, no doubt I could take him, but this is Niall we’re talking about. I have to be prepared for anything he might pull.”

  “I’ve got your back, J. If anyone tries some shit, I’ll be there to stop them.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to be there.”

  “Like hell it isn’t.”

  “There’s going to be blowback, whether I win or not. If you’re there and you jump in, it’s gonna land on you. Plus, I don’t need help. I got this.”

  “You just said he might play dirty, and now you’re all ‘I got this’? Nope. Don’t think so, my friend. I’m a big fucking boy. I can handle my own, and if someone kills me, well, then that’s how I was meant to go out. Like I said. I got your back.”

  Big was dead serious, but I wished he’d listen to me for once, though I have to say there was a small bit of comfort in knowing I wouldn’t be completely alone.

  We pulled into the driveway a short while later and I asked Big to stick around until I was done. The feeling of nausea washed over me as I entered the front door a minute later. It always felt like more of a prison than a home, but knowing I’d been monitored for Christ only knows how long like an actual prisoner made my blood run cold, chilling me clear to the bone.

  Darting up the steps, I hurried to my room, grabbing a large duffel bag from underneath my bed. I unzipped the bag and opened up the safe that was stashed in my closet. Grabbing wads of cash, I stuffed it all in the bag and zipped it shut when I was finished.

  My next task took a few minutes, but it had to be done. Taking a piece of paper and a pen out of the nightstand, I sat down on the edge of the bed and wrote until everything I wanted to say was out of my head. Tucking it into an envelope I sealed it and stood up, picking up the duffel bag.

  I took one last look around my room, not knowing if it would be the last or not, and closed the door behind me on my way out. I found Big pacing in the driveway while he smoked a cigarette.

  “What you got in the bag?” he asked and got into the car.

  A got into the passenger side and closed the door, but I didn’t plan on leaving with Big. I just didn’t want Niall to hear anything I might say.

  “A future for Evie. If things go south tomorrow, I want you to take this cash to her. She still lives at the same house she did when we were in school.”

  “You’ll take it to her yourself. Tonight. Get in your car and go.”

  “I can’t do that, Big. I can’t put her in more danger.”

  “You really think she’s not in danger already?”

  “Niall doesn’t know about her. She’ll be fine.”

  “She doesn’t care about the money, J. She cares about you, and what’s the big fucking deal if Niall doesn’t even know about her?”

  “I can’t, okay?” I asked raising my voice. “I wrote her a letter and put it in here. If things go my way, I’ll say it all to her myself, but I can’t just let her think I disappeared from her life again. If I end up dead, she has to know what she meant to me.”

  “Okay… but don’t you think she deserves to hear it from your mouth instead of reading it on a piece of paper? She won’t be in danger as long as you’re with her because you’ll fucking protect her, and if she isn’t on Niall’s radar, then she’s not in danger at all anyway. Go have a spectacular fucking night with the woman you love, man, and if things go south, then at least you’ll die a happy man. You deserve that.”

  His words weighed on my decision, fogging up my thoughts. The more I thought about going to her, the more my heart ached for it. Unfortunately, my heart wasn’t a priority at the moment.

  “If I end up dead, get Georgia—she’s staying over at Katie’s for a couple nights—and take her to this guy,” I said, pulling out the business card the private investigator had given me from my wallet. It was a last ditch effort to make sure she’d be okay. There was nothing else I could really do, other than tell Big to kidnap her and get the fuck away from Niall, but then that would just end with him going to prison eventually and Georgia going right back to Niall. At least this way, she’d have a chance to escape him. “Tell him Niall threatened to kill her and that he kidnapped her, too. After you do that, take that bag to Evie. At least I’ll be able to take care of her one way or the other.”

  “You got it, J, since you’re obviously not going to take my goddamn advice,” he said. “Doesn’t matter. You’re gonna come out on top of this, and you and Evie and Georgia are going to be just fine. You know that, right?”

  I nodded but couldn’t shake the feeling that all hell was about to break loose.

  CHAPTER 28-JET

  I stared in the mirror of the small bathroom, psyching myself up for what was either going to be the end of my life or the beginning.

  You’re the man who’s going to end Niall.

  You’re the one who’s going to take control of your life.

  You’re the one who’s going to determine your future.

  You’ve got this.

  I hadn’t even had a chance to change into what I was going to fight in when my phone buzzed, interrupting my pre-fight ritual.

  Pulling my phone out and sliding my finger across the screen to unlock it, I wasn’t surprised to see that Niall had sent the text. No doubt it would be an effort to get me to call the whole thing off or to rile me up that much more.

  My heart pounded as I tapped on the message. The last thing I’d ever want to see from him damn near caused me to drop the phone. There on the screen was a picture of Evie standing in the driveway of her house. The message under the picture said, “Found out who the gash is. Guess it’s time for me to cut those ties for good.”

  I stood and almost threw the phone across the room, but I caught myself before I could do it. Immediately calling Niall, I half expected him not to answer. Slipping into my boots, I grabbed my helmet and started toward my bike when he picked up.

  “Have I got your attention, boy?’

  “How long have you had her?”

  “I don’t have her. Not yet, anyway. Just had someone do a little surveillance the other day and thought I’d share one of the pictures with you.”

  “She dumped me. No need to drag her back into this. She can’t stand the sight of me, and all this shit is between you and me. Leave her out of it.”

  “You must think I’m a fool. I saw how broken she looked when she left that hotel the other night. That was not the look of a woman who planned on never seeing you again.”

  “How do you know who she is?”

  I felt like a snake, coiling and preparing to strike as he continued on, fueling my venomous rage. Too bad he wasn’t in front of me or I’d have ended him then. The fact that he had locked in on Evie made the whole being-signed-over-to-Niall-by-a-mother-who didn’t-care thing seem like nothing at all. I didn’t give a shit about those people. They weren’t my family. Blood wasn’t always thicker than water, and Evie was my other half.

  “Funny story… Stop me if you’ve heard it. There once was a prostitute who fucked the boss’s son. In order to regain the attention of that son, she concocted a plan to make it seem as if she’d been beaten and raped by one of her clients. When in reality, she’d been paid—extremely well—and lied to the boss about it all so that the son might be her knight in shining armor. You see, the son made her heart pitter patter so fast she couldn’t ignore it. When the boss ordered the son to kill her for lying and for being a bad little whore, he couldn’t do it and sent her on her way, never to be heard from or seen again.

  In an effort to smooth things over so she could remain in the city where she had drug connections and a steady income, she reached out to the boss and confessed, mentioning a name that was of particular interest to said boss before he ended her like the son should’ve done. The name was one he hadn’t heard in many years, though the boss was aware of a special lady via an overheard conversation at the best friend’s house. No name was given
then, but once the boss connected the pieces, he remembered what he told the son if he didn’t cut ties.”

  “You son of a bitch,” I yelled. “Don’t lay a finger on her or I swear to God I’ll kill you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, boy. Dodged that bullet today, didn’t I? How stupid do you think I must be to willingly face a man trained to fight people to the death? But don’t worry. I’ll give you one last chance to see her before I gut her like a fucking fish. Just hope you can make it here in time. Her death is on you. You should’ve left things alone and done your goddamn duty.”

  “Your fight is with me. Don’t fucking touch her. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

  “She’s out at the moment, but it’s only a matter of time before she gets back, and I’ll be waiting.”

  The phone went dead, and my heart stopped. An eternity passed in the seconds it took me to text her. I didn’t have time for a conversation, so a text would have to do.

  Don’t go home. Please, don’t go home. Trust me.

  I got on my bike and sped off down the road toward Evie. I estimated I could make the trip in twenty-five minutes or so if I pushed the bike to the brink and didn’t get pulled over along the way.

  Every mile that went by, I prayed to a God I didn’t even really know that I would make it in time. I’d give my life for hers, and I’d make damn sure I’d do everything in my power to make sure she survived, even if I had to die to do it.

  CHAPTER 29 – EVIE

  As I pulled into the driveway in the new car I’d purchased a couple days earlier, I was feeling hopeful. The car had alerted me that I had a text from Jet, but I was still learning all the cool gadgets of the car and hadn’t quite figured out how to have it read it to me.

  Reaching for the phone, my fingers trembled as I hoped for good news. Reading the text caused my heart to skip a beat, and for the first time since Jet had come back into my life, I felt truly afraid for my life. I instinctively looked in the rearview mirror so I could put the car in reverse and back out. A black SUV pulled in behind me, blocking me in. I went on high alert and bolted from the car, hurrying to the front door in an effort to get inside before whoever it was could get out. There was no chance of driving away since I’d been blocked in, but I had to do something to try and save myself. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw the form of a man moving toward me.

  A voice called out calmly, but firmly, “If you want to live, you’ll stop.”

  I stopped just as I stepped up onto the front stoop, turning to face him. His slicked-back blond hair shined in the sunlight. His suit—crisp and expensive—made him look like he was worth more than the prick he actually was. I’d never seen Niall Flanagan face to face, but I’d seen this man from a distance at the warehouse. There was no mistaking that was who he was.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked, standing my ground. Fear was the last thing I wanted to show him even if I did feel like I could shit my pants at any second.

  “Let’s go inside and talk, shall we?” he asked as he strolled up to my front stoop.

  “I don’t know who you think I am, but I think you might have the wrong person,” I said, trying to keep my cool.

  “You’re exactly who I think you are, and if I had to guess, I’d say you know exactly who I am, too. Now let’s not prolong this. I’d hate for a neighbor to see. I’d have to kill them, and that would only turn into a headache and a mess I don’t need right now. Jet will be along shortly. I can promise you that. Now, move your ass inside before I slit your fucking throat right here,” he said and produced a knife from the inside of his jacket. “I don’t think that’s what Jet would want to see first thing, do you?”

  I turned to open the door, my body trembling when he pressed himself against me. His arm went around my waist, preventing me from going inside and slamming the door in his face before he could enter. That’d been my first plan, but I’d have to come up with another one quick.

  “Is anyone inside?”

  “Just my dog and my cat. Please, just listen to me,” I said, unlocking the door and pushing it open. “I left Jet. I don’t want anything more to do with him. We aren’t right together.”

  “Shut up, or you’re dead before he gets here,” he said and pushed me inside. “I want him to see everything I’m going to do to you.”

  I fell forward, landing hard on my knees. The palms of my hands skidded across the carpet, burning my skin. I immediately flipped over to my butt and looked up at him. The whites of his eyes turned red with rage as a vein in his forehead bulged. He took a step toward me as I scooted backward on my butt.

  A dark brindled, growling mass came charging from the dining room toward Niall. My one-hundred-and-fifty-pound Mastiff rushed him, knocking him to the ground as she snarled and bit at his arms, torso, and neck.

  She’d given me the only opportunity I might have to save myself, so I took it and scrambled to my feet. He blocked the way for me to get out through the door. I did the next best thing and darted up the stairs to my bedroom. In an instant, my dog was off him and following close behind me. Entering the bedroom, I slammed the door shut behind us and clicked the lock. I nearly tripped over my own feet trying to get around to the other side of the bed. As I dropped down to the floor, a loud crack startled me as he slammed into my door. A scream caught in my throat as I looked over at my dog, Buffy.

  He slammed into the door again, causing her to growl and the hair to prick up along her spine.

  “I’m going to kill that fucking dog,” he screamed. “Then I’m going to stick this goddamn knife in you and gut you, you fucking cunt! I’m going to cut you from your whore mouth to your fucking pussy. You’ll be a puddle of blood and guts on the floor by the time Jet gets here.”

  His body slammed against the door again, causing the wood to split. A few more seconds and he’d be inside. I scooted against the closet door and opened it.

  “Buffy, get inside,” I commanded. She did as she was told, and I closed the door. She would attack him again, but he’d be ready for her this time. It was better to barricade her in than to risk him killing her.

  Another loud thwack and a fist came through the door.

  Finding my footing, I carefully stood, grasping the only thing I could get ahold of to defend myself.

  The door burst open. A second later, Niall marched in, his eyes bulging out of his head as the vein in his forehead doubled in size. He still clutched the knife, but he now had a gun in his other hand.

  I raised my weapon and pulled the trigger before he could take another step. An explosion so loud I nearly went deaf for a second echoed throughout the room. He fell to the ground in an instant. Blood gushed from all the places the buckshot from my shotgun had made contact.

  A blood-curdling scream erupted from me. My mouth hung agape as I gasped for air. I stepped out from the side of the bed and fell to the floor, never taking my eyes off him. Blood gurgled in his throat. His head lolled to one side. Darkness settled over his eyes as he struggled to breathe. I kept ahold of the shotgun, just in case he miraculously recovered and got up.

  “Evie,” a familiar voice screamed from downstairs, but I couldn’t tell if I’d really heard it or if I was losing my mind.

  Buffy clawed and scratched at the bottom of the closet door. Her weight pressing against it, causing it to bow. I reached up and opened the door, letting Buffy out. She flopped down at my side, panting loudly. My hand instinctively went to her back as I stared at the dead man lying on my floor. I set my shotgun down on the floor and tried to find my breath.

  A moment later, the face of the man I loved appeared in the room. Jet’s brows furrowed as he assessed the scene.

  Looking down at Niall and over to me, he settled his eyes on Buffy. Her ears perked up and her body stiffened. She began to stand.

  He stood still, not making any sudden movements.

  “Evie,” he said in a low, smooth tone. “I need you to calm down. Call your dog off.”

  A gulp of air managed
to find my lungs as I looked over at her. “Sh-sh-sh,” I managed to stutter while patting her back, and with that, she laid back down.

  He knelt over Niall’s body, pressing his fingers to his neck.

  Standing, he approached me cautiously. My whole body shook violently and my stomach churned.

  “I sh-sh-shot… I shot him,” I cried. “He’s dead. He’s dead… He’s dead,” I whispered, rocking myself back and forth as I wrapped my arms around myself. Jet took me in his arms, pulling me to him. “Am I going to go to prison?” No matter how many gulps of air I took, I couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears that it almost drowned out Jet’s words.

  “No, baby. You’re not going to prison. He came after you. You acted in self-defense… Now, take a deep breath for me and hold it. Can you do that?” he asked and pulled himself away from me. Taking my face in his hands, he searched my eyes. “Breathe in.”

  I nodded and pulled air into my lungs, sucking in slowly through my mouth. My nose was no use. It was completely clogged up and runny from all the crying and screaming.

  The distant sound of sirens grew louder and louder before finally pulling up outside my house.

  “They’re here,” I said. “Don’t let them take me away,” I begged, gripping Jet’s arms. “I don’t want to go to prison. Please, don’t let them take me.”

  “No one is taking you away. I promise you that. You might have to go in for some questioning, but don’t worry about that. If it comes to it, I’ll confess to killing him.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “Police,” a deep voice from downstairs shouted. “We got a call about a gunshot. Is anyone on the premises?”

  “Two of us upstairs,” Jet yelled. “Someone broke in and threatened to kill the woman living here. He’s been shot and is dead.”

  “Where’s the gun now?”

  “On the floor,” he answered.

  “I’m coming up. I’m gonna need you to put your hands up and keep them there. Understood?”

  “Yes,” Jet yelled.

  “I’m going to need to hear confirmation from both of you.”