“Is that why you’ve put up with it for so long?”
He took a long drink, draining his glass. “I don’t know, Mick, you tell me. You’re the expert at psychology, right?”
“Criminal behavior,” I said, as I smirked to myself. It was amazing how life changed. “I’ve seen a psychiatrist a few times. Haven’t had much inclination lately. She’s a ball-buster, you should meet her. Threatens me every time I visit.”
He played with the rim of his glass for a moment, thinking to himself. “Did it help?”
“Apparently not.”
He laughed again. “This city is so fucked up. No one is ever pure here.”
Taking a drink, I watched the amber liquid in the glass for a moment. He was right in a way. From what I’d seen and heard so far, the long reach of the King family had managed to sour most of what we considered normal business and city functions. Mason had done a lot of digging on his own into things and had filled me in before Holly had joined us this morning.
They controlled through the power of intimidation. If one of them had an issue with someone specific, then one of the other family members would start squeezing them in areas they could control. Their children had married well, their extended family bordered on ridiculously rich and every one of them knew how to do the other a favor.
The main weakness of the King family was hubris. Excessive pride and self-confidence. They thought that no one could touch them, stand up to them or make them pay in any way.
If Mason and I continued with what we were doing, building our contacts and gaining friends, then we’d be well on our way to giving them a little bit of their own poison. It was just a matter of organizing, planning and having enough money to make it happen. One of those relied heavily on the club turning a profit, and it would. We’d be doubling what we were making by the month’s end.
I sighed deeply and glanced at Alex. “Your sister is pure, so I have to believe that not everyone ends up choking on the wreckage your family seems to cause.”
“Hmm,” he said without commenting for a moment. “She’s a fighter, she just doesn’t know it. She’ll be good to you, don’t fuck it up.”
I tapped the bar for the tab and the bartender brought the bill. “The thing about your sister, is that she has her eyes wide open at this point. She knows what she’s getting. It may not always be what she wants, but she isn’t walking in blindly.”
“Which goes back to my statement about not fucking it up. Or you’ll deal with me.”
I narrowed my eyes as I glanced at him. “Just when I start to like you, it’s back to the threats. I’m too tired to take this to the parking lot at this point. Can we call it a draw?”
“Definitely. I wiped my appointments today and still need to get my mom after I drop you off, so we’d better get out of here.”
I checked the time on my phone and noticed a missed call from Alisa. It’d been more than two hours since we’d left the club on our errand.
I called her number, but no one answered. She might have been mad that I’d missed our lunch date. It wasn’t like her to ignore an opportunity to lay into me about it, though.
Frowning at my phone, we got back in the car.
I dialed again but it went to voicemail.
Alex was driving through traffic when I started fidgeting with my phone. My next call was to Paul who also didn’t pick up.
“What’s wrong?” Alex asked beside me. “You look nervous.”
“Paul and Alisa aren’t picking up the phone. Alisa, maybe. She takes a nap occasionally. Paul knows to pick up.”
“Trouble?”
“Get us back to the club.”
“Mason,” I said after I dialed his number.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Are you at the club? I can’t reach Alisa.”
“No,” he replied. “I’m with Jack on surveillance. Do you need me?”
“We’re on our way there. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Alright, let me know.”
I hung up the phone, clenching as Alex ran a red light and careened around a corner.
“I hope he didn’t call anyone,” Alex growled. “I swear if he called someone out to hurt her, I’ll kill him myself.”
All the possibilities of what he’d threatened swam through my mind. They may have been idle threats to someone like Denny King, but I’d seen the reality in hundreds of cases. What he’d outlined, rape, torture, murder, made my skin crawl as a reel of past cases played in my head.
Alisa’s face suddenly became the dead and I started breathing hard.
“You okay?” Alex asked as he glanced at me, barely missing a car.
I rubbed a hand on my chest and nodded. “Just get us there in one piece, Alex. I’m fine.”
We came to a sudden halt in the street with a lurch and ran toward the front door which was partially open. The interior looked normal until we got to the main room. Several tables were overturned, broken glass littering the floor. A man lay unmoving on the ground beside the bar.
We ran over and inspected the damage, but as we passed the end of the bar I stopped. Holly was on the floor, hands tied, gagged and moaning. She was sporting a bruise on her cheek with some swelling.
Alex barreled past me, frantically trying to untie her bindings, when I noticed her jeans undone and pushed to her hips.
“Motherfucker,” I growled and ran for the stairs. “Alex get her in the car.”
Adrenaline surged through my system as I ran up the stairs. I found Paul at the doorway crouched and pointing his weapon inside the room.
“Boss, she’s got a gun on her. Killed some delivery man. Guy downstairs was trying to hurt Holly. Killed him before he did anything I think. There’s another guy dead in the hallway that came at me.”
I scanned the room and saw a body slumped on the floor with a package laying near his hand.
“Alisa.”
“This crazy bitch has her in the bathroom. Door is open, but I don’t have a shot. I can see them in the mirror. I got back from getting lunch for the girls and they were here.”
I touched Paul’s shoulder. “We’ll talk about it later. Give me your gun. I have one in the car, go get it.”
Paul handed me his weapon and I switched places with him. Looking through the open door to the restroom, I caught a flash of the two occupants, but not enough to see who it was.
“Alisa?” I called into the room.
There was a muffled sound in the bathroom, then Alisa’s face passed by the mirror. Behind her was Heather.
I spun and aimed when I heard an unfamiliar noise behind me, ready to drop whoever was stupid enough to sneak up on me. Alex threw out his hands as I lowered the weapon.
“It’s Heather, she has Alisa in the bathroom. How’s Holly?”
“Scared as hell, I sent Paul to her. He said to bring you a gun. She said she wasn’t hurt but her jeans…”
“We’ll talk to Paul later. See what happened,” I replied with my eyes on the mirror. “I may need your help with Heather. Just get her out of the bathroom. You know how to use that?”
When I glanced back at him, he turned the gun in his hand and took the safety off. “It’s been awhile, but yes.”
“Okay, hand it to me, I’m going to have it on my back if you need it.”
I slipped the weapon in the small of my back and into my jeans. Entering the room, my back was to the wall as I kept the bathroom in view. Alex came in after me but stood a little further in front, nearly blocking my view. He was shit at this, but he was at least here and willing to help.
“Heather?” he called. “Are you in here?”
“Of course I am. I’ve already told Paul that I want out of here and you’re in my way. And now that I know Mick is here, you might want to put a leash on him. If he takes a shot at me, it’s bye bye, baby.”
Alex moved to the side, blocking my view further so I shuffled to the side and crouched. I’d shoot his knee and drop his ass if it meant a clea
r shot at Heather.
“Hey, what’s this about? Come out, let’s talk. There’s no reason to do this.”
She came to the edge of the door and scanned the room. When she spotted me, she put the gun to Alisa’s face.
Rage started to boil in me as Alisa spotted me across the room. With a look of relief on her face she tried to take a step forward.
“Don’t move, you stupid slut,” Heather sneered as she tapped the gun on Alisa’s forehead. “You’re my little ticket out of here and I’m cashing in.”
Alex held up his hands. “Heather, why are you doing this?”
“Since I’ve told Alisa, I’ll give you the short version…”
As she explained about planning to kill Alisa long before I came along, it sounded like Denny wasn’t interested in her whole plan until she was seen with me. It alarmed me how many missed attempts had been made on her life just in the short period of time before I’d really known her. And the dick at the club was one of them.
I shifted slowly to the side, trying not to draw attention. One glance at the camera on the wall told me it was functional and recording.
“So, Denny was behind this?” I asked as I cut her off mid-rant.
“He was involved,” she replied with a smirk. “Just like he is with everything else. He’s the dirtiest man in Kingston. Bribes, theft, and now attempted murder of his precious daughter.”
Alisa strained against Heather’s hold. “I guess he didn’t tell you that I’m not his daughter.”
Heather smiled. “Oh, he did. And he told me in remarkable detail what happened to your mother. Would you like to know who your father really is? He had a paternity test.”
She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Well it doesn’t now, he’s dead. Poor George, didn’t see it coming. But you don’t run for mayor without Denny’s permission. I guess that means you’ve gained two new half-brothers, J.D. and Tyson. Won’t that be fun at family reunions. Cops as brothers and your precious, Mick, mingling together.”
“Heather, that’s enough,” Alex said in a stern voice. “Put the gun down and let’s talk.”
“I don’t think so, not unless we’re talking money.”
“Whatever you need,” Alex replied as he took a step forward. “There’s always a mutually beneficial compromise. I’m sorry I was mad at you earlier, but my father explained.”
Heather gave him a heated look as I tracked where her gun moved. With every word that came spilling out of her mouth about Denny, she was sealing her coffin and his.
When she tilted the weapon to the side, I stood up and took aim.
Heather quickly ducked behind Alisa as Alex started backing away. When he was beside me I stepped in front of him.
“Not today, Mick,” she hissed as she maneuvered the gun down Alisa’s body. “Precious cargo aboard. Wouldn’t want you to miss.”
My eyes swung to Alisa’s then down to her stomach where Heather was pointing the tip of her gun.
I felt movement at my back and the gun I’d tucked in my jeans lift away from me.
“Heather, honey,” Alex said. “Concentrate. He’s not going to do a damn thing. He works for me.”
I wanted to laugh at that statement, but Heather’s eyes lit up at the possibility. Her main problem was a craving for power and greed. So, instead I gave a short serious nod in agreement.
Glancing at him, I noticed he’d transferred the gun to his back pocket.
Alex held out his hand to her. “We have a lot to talk about, let Alisa go.”
She peeked over Alisa’s shoulder and gave me a haughty glare. “I knew they couldn’t do it on their own. Alex, we have to get rid of them. Your father promised me that you’d inherit everything if she was out of the way and we married. Don’t you see we were meant to be together? We have the same friends, run in the same circles.”
“I can’t get rid of them. That’s not how this works.”
Her face changed from one of desperate pleading to anger immediately. “You’re a fool, Alex. I should have been a King, I understand what it means to make sacrifices no matter what the cost. I can’t believe you’d choose them over your destiny. You were made to rule this city, just like your father and uncles. She’s the one holding you back.”
My hand twitched, wanting to drop her, but still following the movement of her weapon as she slid it along Alisa’s stomach.
My eyes slid up to Alisa’s as she silently cried. Her hand slipped down to her belly, covering it like it was the most important thing in her life. She’d make an exceptional mother because she was already an exceptional woman. Kind, sweet, attentive, with a backbone of steel. She was my other half, and now she was carrying my baby. Something I’d never really considered in my life. A child. My child and my woman together.
Heather’s grip on Alisa tightened as she walked slowly to the side and toward the office door.
“Where are you going, Heather?” Alex asked. “Let’s stay here and we can work it out. We’ll talk about it.”
“There’s nothing to work out.” She laughed. “If I can’t have you then I’ll have your father. Simple. But like I said, this bitch is my way out of here. If you don’t want her to take a nasty fall down two flights of stairs, then you’ll back the fuck off.”
Alex wasn’t getting anywhere with Heather. He’d made his point clear enough to her at his father’s house and by refusing to help her get rid of us, he’d cut off any possible chance of negotiating with her. I could see it in her expression that our lives meant absolutely nothing to her.
Stepping forward, keeping my eyes only on Alisa, I gave her a small smile as I spread my arms to my sides and dropped my gun.
“Mick,” she whispered. “No.”
Heather’s glare swung to me as I kept my eyes on the beautiful woman in front of me. She was my life and she’d be the person to give a wonderful life to our child if Alex could drop Heather. I remembered Alex’s words to me weeks ago, and my smile spread while I looked into her beautiful blue eyes.
Recalling his words, the situation seemed ironic now. You’re fucked. Either way someone loses in the end. You or her. Make sure it’s you.
It was going to be me. It always was.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alisa
God, what was he doing? My gut clenched when he smiled at me. The moment I saw him in the mirror, I knew he’d save me from this evil bitch.
She was twisted by an upbringing in the most affluent circles, convinced in her self-delusions that she was entitled to things that she desired. She was the epitome of what my father wanted out of me. Immoral, depraved and deviant. She stood for everything that was honestly wrong in my family, and in the city. She was murderous by choice and corrupted by circumstance.
Then Mick had come to get me. The furious look on his face earlier was only a small hint of what the room suddenly felt like. The heat of his stare had nearly undone me when he’d looked at my stomach. He wanted this baby as much as I did. Which meant he’d do anything to protect us. I knew he’d kill her then, and oddly, the thought didn’t even bother me.
But now, I was worried. He raised his hands to hip level and dropped his gun while he stared back at me. Then he moved forward, keeping his eyes on me the entire time.
“Mick,” I whispered, when I realized what he was doing. “No.”
Heather’s grip on my arm tightened and the gun swung toward Mick.
He kept moving forward toward me then gave me the widest smile I’d ever seen on his handsome face. It was genuine, honest, like nothing I’d ever seen. He was happy.
Not in the way that he normally was. Not the subdued laughing, the soft loving smiles. This was Mick letting go and the man he said he’d been before the demons of his ordeal had taken hold. He was unburdened by them now, and he was giving me that small glimpse of him. No one else, just me. That man had been there all along, it’d just taken this moment for him to see it too.
Heather’s stepped out fro
m behind me and bumped into me in her haste to raise her weapon. The gun jerked in her hand in my peripheral vision and his smile turned to a grimace.
“No!” I screamed.
A shot rang out, and her gun jerked again. Mick dropped to his knees.
Two shots went off in rapid succession. Heather doubled over, then folded. Her body hit the floor beside me as I cringed from the sounds.
Alex lowered his weapon and looked at me, but my eyes were already swinging back to Mick. He was on his side, blood soaking his shirt.
Flying across the room, I stumbled and fell to my knees beside him.
“God, Mick, no!” I screamed as I pushed him to his back.
My gut clenched when I saw the blood spreading over his shirt near his ribs. My hand immediately went to the area and covered it. Desperate to stop the life from leaving his body, I pressed down and heard him moan.
Glancing up at his face I let out a high-pitched sob. There was a long gash across his face that was pouring blood down his cheek.
“Alisa,” Alex said beside me.
Focusing on his voice, I looked up as he knelt on the floor with me.
“Not him, Alex. Please not him. Please, I can’t do this.”
“It’s okay, we’re going to get him some help. Crazy bastard just stepped right in front of her. What the fuck was he thinking?”
Alex peeled his jacket off and took his phone out. He pressed the material against Mick’s face to stem some of the blood flow as he dialed.
“Yeah,” he said after a moment. “I need an ambulance and the police at Erebus Club. There’s been a shooting. Two dead downstairs and one bleeding. Fuck, just get here, and someone call Chief Galloway, his son is the one that’s been shot.”
He listened for a moment then tossed the phone aside.
“They’re coming?” I asked between sobs.
“Yeah, they’re coming. It’s okay. God, I’m sorry, Alisa. This is my fault. I should have seen it a long time ago. She could have killed you. I’ve been so damn blind.”
Mick: Kingston Corruption, Book One Page 23
