by S Cinders
How could Gina have been sleeping with someone else?
I know that I’m a thug and an ugly mother fucker. But shit, I’m not trash, she should have told me. Fuck, I want that baby to be mine. Why didn’t I ever man up and tell her how I felt?
Yeah, because I knew how she really felt. I was just a good lay, not forever material.
I want to know who the prick is. I’m going to kill him. Okay, maybe that isn’t the best idea for the kid.
I want to kill him anyway.
Will texted me that he had a doctor call in a prescription, so I went and picked up a thermometer, a box of antibacterial wipes, some vitamin-c, and a few other random items. I’m not used to taking care of someone else and I never get sick.
I also grabbed some bandages for my hand that looks like a meat grinder got to it. After picking up Shay’s prescription conveniently called in under my name. I headed back to the mansion.
The moment I walked in the door I passed Doc Travis, he has patched all of us on more than one occasion.
“Hey Marco,” Doc said in a pleasant tone, “That leg giving you any trouble?”
I looked at him for a moment trying to remember what in the fuck I had done to my leg. A robbery three months ago, knife wound—the details trickle back to me.
“Right as rain, Doc,” I try and smile, and I know it looks more like a grimace.
He gives me an intense look, and all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there.
“Well, it was good to see you,” he says finally, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“You too, Doc.”
I walked into where Shay had been earlier, but it looks like they moved her up to her bedroom. Taking the stairs two at a time I navigated my way back to the room where Shay had been staying. But it’s empty all but for Gina who is packing up some of the things Will got for Shay.
“What’s going on?” I asked gruffly, not wanting to rehash what had happened earlier.
My nerves were already on edge and I didn’t want to snap at her.
Gina’s cheeks flushed, “Shay insisted that she didn’t want to be alone, and Will insisted that she lay down. So, he has taken her to his room. She asked me to bring a change of clothes for her.”
I nodded and turned to leave, but Gina’s voice stopped me.
“Please don’t be mad at me, Marco,” I look back and see her long dark hair that is pulled haphazardly into a bun. Her dark thick hair has always been a turn on for me.
Her deep brown eyes looked sad and I noticed the strain around her eyes.
“I’m not mad, Gina,” I said gruffly.
I was pissed as hell so that is a lie. But I didn’t want to hurt her. Even after everything that’s happened I still want her to be happy. That is all I have ever wanted.
“Do you need anything?” I added, not bothering with a smile that I knew wouldn’t come.
She shook her head, “No, we are fine.”
We.
Gina and the baby.
Not Gina and me.
I turned and walked up to the mansions master bedroom. With a brisk knock, I waited until Will answered the door. Then I thrust the bag into his hands.
“I’m going to work downstairs.”
Will nodded his head, “Sounds good. I will stay with Shay until she falls asleep and then we can talk more about the Demarco file.”
I winced, “Sorry, how is she?”
Will folded his arms across his chest, “She’s got strep throat. Doc Travis said that vomiting is pretty common with that. But he gave her something to settle her stomach and the antibiotics will help get the infection under control.”
I nodded, “Glad that she’s going to be okay.”
CHAPTER 11 – Shay
STEP 9: Whenever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed.
“No, absolutely not,” Will’s jaw clenched, and his eyes flared, “You are not to contact those people, Shay. For all, we know they are behind the hit that’s been put out on you.”
I couldn’t help noticing how very attractive he looked in his fitted jeans and a black t-shirt that was stretched across his fantastic chest. We were sitting in the living room. I was in my pajamas with a blanket and my feet curled up underneath me.
This was the first day that I had felt like joining the human race again after being sick. I woke up determined to clear things up with Mandy. I still wasn’t convinced that she was behind the attack and I was aware that she would most likely never forgive me.
In point of fact, I was positive that she wasn’t behind the attack, but I didn’t know her husband very well. In any event, I had approached Will with my intentions and he quickly shut them down.
“This isn’t up for debate,” Will frowned, “I don’t know how I can stress this enough to you.”
I moved my legs out from under me, they were starting to get that tingly feeling. Will reached over and took my feet into his lap. When he started to rub the instep of my right foot I rested my head against the back of the couch and closed my eyes.
A moan of appreciation escaped my lips as he kneaded my aches and tingles away.
Absentmindedly I murmured, “Who knew what a keeper you would turn out to be?”
His hands stopped, and my eyes blinked open. I was grateful to see that he didn’t look angry if anything there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“I’m glad that you found one redeeming quality,” Will said wryly.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I flushed and tried to move my feet, but his large hands held them still.
“I’m not finished,” he said gruffly, and I sank back into position as he worked on one foot and then the other.
It felt amazing to have his hands on my skin. His touch was enough to send electric shocks coursing through my body. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to be getting a lady boner from a foot massage, but damn if it didn’t happen anyway.
My moans bordered on indecent and I murmured things like, ‘don’t stop,’ and ‘you have magic hands.’
I probably should have been embarrassed, but I wasn’t, it felt too good.
“I want to marry your hands,” I called out and heard Gina giggle from the office across the hallway.
I looked at Will who was grinning at me, “Was that loud?”
He shook his head, “Not at all.”
Gina called out, “When is the big event?”
“Piss off, Gina,” I called out with a smile on my face.
She walked into the room and Will stopped rubbing my feet.
“You were right,” she addressed Will while handing him a paper to look at.
“Fuck!” he moved my feet off of his lap and stood. I tried not to notice that he was sporting a pretty impressive hardon it looked like I wasn’t the only one affected by his, erm—hand job.
“I tried to reach out to Renaldo, but his minions wouldn’t let me though,” Gina huffed, “They think they are so bad ass. I wish that you would let me teach them a lesson.”
That got a small smirk out of Will, “You can’t fuck up everyone that looks at you funny, Gina.”
She rolled her eyes, “What do you want me to do boss?”
“I will contact Renaldo to see if he knows who is putting these hits out. Until we know for sure every mercenary in the country is going to be after Shay. Whoever she pissed off isn’t playing around.”
I sank back a little, “Another hit has been put out?” My voice was scared and suddenly the severity of my situation came crashing back in. I had put it in the back of my head, minimizing what was truly happening.
“They upped the reward from a million to three million,” Will said grimly. “Stay here with Gina.”
He grabbed his coat and yelled for Marco to follow him. He picked up a firearm before they left the house and again another shock of reality hit me.
“Where are they going?” I asked Gina.
She sat on the couch where Will had just been. It was strange that I didn’t feel
the warmth and comfort that I had when he was sitting there.
“There is another crew like ours that works in the city. Renaldo is his name. To be honest, he’s a scary mother fucker that I would never work for in a million years.”
I wrinkled my brow, “How is one assassin different from another?”
She shook her head, “Will isn’t an assassin in the respect that he will take any job. He only takes the ones where the suspect deserves to die.”
“How can know the difference?” My stomach was churning. I didn’t want to think about this aspect of their work.
“There are a lot of bad people out there, Shay. Not just cheaters and petty thieves, but murderers, drug lords, molesters, child trafficking, embezzlers, you name it. Will doesn’t take on a job unless he has thoroughly investigated the suspect and they are without a doubt guilty. Because he is the best in the business he can be picky about what jobs he will accept.”
“Kind of like a modern day, Robin Hood?” I asked trying to gain some perspective.
Gina laughed, “I suppose, but he doesn’t share what he earns with the poor. Not to say that he isn’t a generous employer because he is. But Will doesn’t have altruistic motives, he isn’t a superhero.”
“Then explain to me why he only takes out really bad people?”
I wanted to know more about him. To understand this dark and scary aspect of his life. I wanted to know why someone like Gina, who seemed so normal, could go out and kill people. One would expect a killer to be heartless and cruel. But Will just spent the last twenty minutes rubbing my feet.
I thought of his smile, the way his lips would curve up almost against his better judgment. The way his eyes would fall on me in concern or amusement. The person that I was getting to know wasn’t a hardened criminal.
Gina shrugged, “I guess we all have standards of what we will and won’t do. At some point, you have to look in the mirror and be okay with who you are.”
I was quiet for a moment and Gina nudged my foot, “What are you thinking?”
“I am a bad person, Gina. Maybe Will should have taken me out,” my voice was hardly more than a whisper. When she tried to protest I stopped her, “Look, I cheated with a married man and destroyed a family. I betrayed my best friend in so many ways that I can’t even count them. Shit, I stole, lied, and even sold my body for drugs. I’m one of the bad guys.”
Gina’s tone was firm when she spoke to me, “You need to get those fucking thoughts out of your head. They are toxic, do you understand me? You made some horrible mistakes, Shay. I’m not saying that you’re an angel. You fucked up big time. But there is a difference between making bad choices and being a bad person. You served your time in jail, you helped to get the man arrested that murdered your friend’s parents, and you got yourself clean from the drugs. There is a time to hold onto the past, and there is a time when you have to make peace with it and let it go.”
I felt my throat tighten with emotion. I wasn’t used to someone defending me. I had destroyed every healthy relationship in my life. Even my momma was weary about coming around because of what I had taken from her.
“How do you let things go?” I choked out.
She looked right at me and I saw the pain and heartache written across her face. Suddenly I remembered the pregnancy and Marco. Here I was complaining about my shit and she was carrying a burden without uttering a word of complaint. There was a lot I could learn from Gina, and what was better was that she gave it to me straight.
“I will let you know when I figure it out,” she said at long last.
CHAPTER 12 – Will
After combing through some of the seedier parts of the city Marco and I were able to drum up Renaldo’s nephew on his wife’s side. It didn’t take long before we were able to encourage Frankie to call his uncle for help.
The kid had to be in his late teens or early twenties. He was of medium height and had glossy dark hair that was slicked back in a retro gangster type of way. I have expected him to start breaking out into show tunes from Greece.
He obviously had no business being in the business.
A meeting place was set for one of my empty warehouses. I had made it plain to Renaldo when I picked the kid up that he had an hour to appear or Frankie would be disappearing. It was a calculated guess, but somehow as much as I knew the bastard could have cared less about his nephew. I figured that Mrs. Renaldo might be of another opinion.
Fifty-eight minutes later a man opened the side door. I had Marco train a gun on him as I waited to see what kind of bullshit that Renaldo would try and pull. Gina was a better sharpshooter but I didn’t want her in the line of fire now that she was pregnant. I am all for equality between the sexes, but I’m not about to mess with an unborn child.
“Where’s Frankie?” the goon calls out as he fingers the gun in his pocket.
I don’t answer him because there is no reason for me to interact with this idiot. I can see that he is nervous, and a nervous gunman is always a threat. But I stare at him without an ounce of emotion on my face.
There is a reason I have the reputation as a cold-blooded killer.
That is who I am, larger than life, I am a bad ass mother fucker that you don’t want to knock on your door.
The man caves as I knew he would, “I need to call the boss.”
And now I speak, “By all means, use my phone.”
He pales because he knows that if he wants to avoid a shot in the head he will do things my way.
It’s like a choreographed dance only my opponent isn’t aware of the steps. I know how to carry myself, when to move closer and what buttons to push.
With hesitant steps, he came closer to me and reached out his hand.
“Give me the number,” it’s a command, not a question and the man repeats the phone number.
After two rings Renaldo picks up, “Jennings.”
Renaldo doesn’t pretend to not know who I am or why I’m calling. You don’t get to the top of this field without learning to calculate the statistics of any given situation.
“Is my guy still alive?”
He asked me this in the same tone that one would inquire if you wanted a turkey sandwich.
“For the time being,” I reply and motion for his man to back away from me.
Marco takes this cue and hauls Frankie forward. His gun was still trained on the other man. Frankie isn’t a threat. The poor kid pissed himself earlier and I almost felt bad—almost.
“What about Frankie?” Renaldo asked.
I held the phone out and Marco yanked Frankie’s gag out of his mouth.
“Say hello to your uncle,” I instructed and Frankie did as he was told.
“Satisfied,” I put the phone back to my ear and waiting to see if Renaldo was going to play or not.
Renaldo cleared his throat, “We don’t usually step on each other’s toes, Jennings. What is this all about?”
“You have a new job, the hit on Shay Montgomery.”
I heard his intake of breath, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
I rolled my eyes and looked over at Marco who immediately releases a single shot into the air.
Renaldo panics just like I expected him to.
“Wait a minute, fuck, just wait a minute.”
“Time’s a wasting, Renaldo,” my voice is threatening because I know that this bastard is secretly a coward.
“It came in this morning,” he grunts unhappily. “Why do you care? Who is the girl to you?”
I want to deny even knowing her, but a kneejerk reaction is what he is looking for to gain the upper hand.
“This is my job,” I say menacingly, “Are you stepping on my toes, Renaldo?”
I could picture the little Italian man sweating like a pig, he’s as predictable as he is cowardly.
“I didn’t know,” he blurted out. “I won’t touch it, I swear.”
“Not fucking good enough,” I reply. “Who placed the hit?”
This i
s a tough one because Renaldo knows that if he tells on his source he’s a dead man. And if he doesn’t give me the information I want, they are all dead men.
“You know I can’t do that,” he tone was almost pleading.
I nod my head at Marco who proceeds to shoot the unnamed man in the thigh. The sound reverberates through the empty warehouse just as I knew it would. The man’s scream is akin to a pig squealing but I don’t even flinch. I am done playing this game.
“No more chances, Renaldo.”
“Redmont,” he blurts out, “Fuck! Don’t shoot anyone else! Look, he wants the chick dead, he’s upped the price to five million.”
“Why?” I fought to keep the emotion out of my voice. It’s critical that I don’t give him any leverage over me or my team.
“She ratted out one of his best dealers,” Renaldo began.
“Kill the boy,” I interrupted. I know that Marco won’t shoot Frankie. If anyone did that it would be me and the kid doesn’t deserve to die.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!!” Renaldo screams, “I will tell you!”
I remained silent because he needed to be reminded of how deadly I could be.
“It’s his girlfriend, he’s fucking crazy about her and she hates the chick. He doesn’t care about the money, you know that is a drop in the bucket to him. But his girl wants Montgomery dead.”
I clear my throat, “Are you trying to tell me this is a chick fight?”
He’s started to piss me off and I crack my neck to keep myself steady at the moment.
“I swear it,” Renaldo was singing like a canary.
“What’s the girlfriend’s name?” I reply shortly.
“I don’t know her last name, fuck, it’s something like Emily or Elaine—no, it’s Emma. The girl’s name is Emma.”
“Why does she have it out for Mongomery?”
Renaldo is quick to reply, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know.”
At this point, there is nothing left to be said. Renaldo is a coward but not a stupid fuck. He knows that if he crosses me his ass will be singing with the angels.
I end the call and hand it to the man who is trying not to let his leg bleed out. Marco knew right where to shoot him to avoid major arteries, but the man is crying like a pussy.
