by Rose, Angel
“What are you doing here?” I eyed Nick up and down. I didn’t have a gun. Somewhere between the mansion and here my anger got the best of me and I lost it.
“Jen is in protective custody Michael. You can’t kidnap her.” Nick said without smiling. His look of death towards me was evident but, I could give two shits. He was ready to fight and I was ready to throw the first punch.
“She’s not leaving with you or your bodyguard. This isn’t an official protective custody. I’ve spoken to Marquis. He wasn’t even in the country when Cassandra was killed. Who do you think you’re fooling?” I said arrogantly.
“Michael, make this hard, make this easy. It’s up to you.” Nick said sarcastically.
“Don’t threaten me you son of a bitch! You think drugging Jenesis is the way to get to her heart. I know she loves me! and I know she doesn’t love you! Your making this shit up about Marquis and if you don’t leave now, I’m calling the police!” I shouted.
“I am the police asshole! Hand her over Michael, Now!” Nick stood motionless for a moment, almost pensively. I could see him thinking hard about something. Jenesis squeezed my hand and I looked at her. She looked up at me with those beautiful hazel eyes and today…was the day I would save her life again, even if it meant I would end mine.
“Michael, don’t you remember me?” He said with a smirk. “We’re friends, actually, we’re more than just friends. I lived down the block from you guys, on Conner Street. The little blonde kid with the dirty clothes in the blue house with the black shutters.” I cringed remembering that little blonde shy boy, who was missing his two front teeth. I always wanted to play with him, but I remember him always sitting by himself eating dirt. For some reason, Dave always said to stay away from him. His mother worked at night and most of the time he was alone. I shook the thought from my head. “Your father would bring me food and watch me sometimes… but he never wanted me near you…I was five years old…and I remember. I remember…You.” He forehead creased and his eyebrows furrowed. He coughed a little to clear the ball choking him in his throat. “Then, I grew up…into this tall, beyond handsome, intelligent man in front of you and I always got the girls, not you.” Nick chuckled. Jenesis looked up at me and let go of my hand. She was scared. I could tell in her eyes. She actually seemed as if she was going to get ready to bolt at any moment. “Your dad and I…we were a team. You never wanted to be on our team. You were always running, Mikey, always running away from us.” He laughed.
“What are you talking about? I didn’t even know you? What’s this all about? Damn you Nick! Stop this! Stop this bullshit right now!” I barked.
Nick pulled out his gun and pointed it at Jenesis’ belly. My heart began to race and I could see in her eyes that she was about to have an anxiety attack. She rubbed her stomach gently then glanced at Nick, then at me.
“I’ll kill her. I swear…I’ll kill her Michael and your unborn son.” I stopped breathing. I didn’t move. I squeezed her hand gently.
“What do you want Nick?” I asked cautiously.
“I want Jenesis. She was supposed to be for me…not you. I asked him…no, I begged him and he said no. But, I fought for her you know…” Nick said smiling without blinking an eye.
“What? What do you mean?” My eyes started to blur. I was so amped up I wanted to kill him. I wanted to wrap my arms around his throat and choke the life out him.
“I told Dave to tell Jen he loved her on your wedding day…but he didn’t. She was upset anyway and of course, you popped him in the mouth, but that was expected. Yeah…he called me that night, crying like a little bitch. He was devastated you know, saying “this is wrong. I want Michael to be happy, I don’t want to ruin his life. But, did he remember he ruined mine….no, of course not.” He shook his head and an evil grin spread across his face like the devil himself as he raised his eyes up to mine.
“You lying you son of a bitch! You’re lying!” he smiled.
“No, I’m not. But don’t worry. I encouraged him to be the sick bastard he was before he died.” He shifted the gun towards me. “For Christ’s sake…Dave was turning into a little girl…I couldn’t let that happen.” He turned to Jenesis. “You’re a little selfish Jen, he did pay for your wedding after all. Gave you a job. Made me give you a ride home every night.” He walked towards her and she took a step back. He whispered in her face. “You know, that old asshole actually thought he was going to get with you. Can you believe that shit? Though at the end he had to take it from you…forcefully.” He kissed her cheek and she trembled as the tears slid down her face. “Then, Margaret…poor, poor Margaret. She loved Dave but she needed to go. She loved you too much Jenesis, she was a liability. She knew too much, especially about me. So I brought her to my mansion, fooled around with her for a couple of weeks so she could think I was falling for that wrinkled–bitch whore. Then I fucked her senseless so many times, smacked her ass hard, beat her with a flogger and she actually thought I was in love…women really are stupid, horny, worthless, whores…Just like Dave said… But, eventually she got what she deserved.” He said smiling, leaning against the car in the parking lot pointing the gun in the air. Max stared at Nick in disbelief, he even seemed frightened. “You remember those plans Michael, when you would get the prettiest girls and then your father would take care of the rest?”
“Shut your fucking filthy mouth Nick.” I said through clenched teeth.
“Well, what’s wrong? I’m sure you told Jenesis all about it. Confessing your love and your crimes of the heart at the same time.” He smiled.
“You’re sick, you know that.” My hands started to tremble. I wanted to rip his fucking head off.
“You’ve always been a follower, never a leader like me. That’s why Dave respected me more…he never respected you… you were always the compassionate one; the pretty boy; the one everyone loved and wanted!” His anger grew in his voice and I started to notice the deep, hurt look in his eyes. He shook his head as if to erase a memory. “You see Michael…That dirty little blonde boy no one wanted to play with or pay attention to, had a father.” He grabbed the gun tightly and pointed it directly to my face. Jenesis gasped. “That’s right Michael, Dave was my father, too… he fucked my mother and then left her like she was a worthless piece of shit he walked around cautiously not to step on. She was a whore, though, my mother.” He said casually, “but she threatened to tell his wife, your mother. So he decided to shut her mouth. He let her live…but only for a while. He took care of me financially. He paid for my boarding school when she sent me away. When I came back home, he got me into the academy, and then hired me at the precinct. He looked over at Max. “I remember the day our father killed his mom, little Michael sat on the front porch for weeks without lifting his head. I sat and watched him from across the street.” Max looked at me then at Nick. “It was for the best though…he treated me like a son when I got to New York and all I had to do was be on his team…and I was.” He walked up to me staring at me directly into my eyes, pointed the gun in my face, then placed the gun in my mouth. “Open wide. That’s right pretty boy. You’re my brother, Michael. Is it okay for me to blow your fucking head off now? Now, that I made my confession?” My anger was building inside of me and I was ready to explode. I lifted my hand to remove the gun from my mouth. “eh…eh...eh, don’t Michael. I really hate you and pulling this trigger will actually make me come in my pants. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of my future wife.” Nick was a liar, but there was something about his eyes that told me he might be telling me the truth. “What? You don’t believe me?”
“Go to hell.” I mumbled with the gun in my mouth. He removed it quickly cutting my lip, the pain ripping through me like I was cut by a piece of glass.
“He told me how he killed your mother. He told me all about it. That made me kind of happy, to know that you suffered, too. I wasn’t the only one. When he killed my mother, I was actually happy. That bitch threw me away like a piece of trash.” He smiled then g
lanced over at Jenesis. “But wait…Jenesis…I didn’t finish telling you the story…I know how much Margaret meant to you.”
He sat on the trunk of the car in the parking lot holding the gun in his hand in between his legs as if he were hanging out with his friends ready to smoke a cigarette. “This is really good. So, I lied…I made Dave think Margaret was seeing your ex- boyfriend Carl whom Dave couldn’t stand…I’m sure you can attest to that Jen.” He glanced at Jenesis and smiled almost politely. “And, Dave lost. his. mind. I told him Margaret was cheating on him with Carl. You know how he feels about cheaters, right Michael. Your mother was a whore.” he laughed. He laughed so hard spit came out of his mouth. I approached him and he pointed the gun towards my face. He lifted his hand “Wait, You’re ruining the story Michael.” he said calmly. “Dave lost it and when you called for Margaret to pick you up, he got so angry, he killed her and staged the car accident, with my help of course.” Jenesis started trembling and I saw her grab her stomach. She squeezed my hand.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m cramping.” She whispered. I squeezed her hand as Nick continued his tales of terror. I know I needed to do something. If she was cramping, something had to wrong.
“Then Eddie, poor Eddie. When Dave finally realized,” he sighed, “he couldn’t have you, he tried to hold on to Tilly. That British Bitch was a real freaky whore. She fucked Dave like it was going out of style. Fat ass, though, isn’t that right Michael? You had a taste of that. But you know what, when she told Dave she was pregnant, he was a little disgusted, but he still needed her. So he asked me for a favor. Her no good, boring ass boyfriend Eddie needed to disappear. So, I killed him. Shot him right between the eyes then had Max go over there and…decapitate him. Ain’t that right Max?” Jenesis glanced my way. The tears in her eyes plummeting down her cheeks.
“Michael, I think I’m going to be sick.” I held her around her waist as she buckled over and threw up on the ground.
“She needs a doctor Nick.” I said.
“Not going to happen, Mikey.” He smiled.
“Please Nick, I can’t lose this baby, please.” Jenesis pleaded holding on to my hand for dear life.
“I think you should call an ambulance Nick.” Max said.
“Excuse me, you don’t give me orders, you take them, now shut the fuck up!” Nick yelled.
“Listen to me Nick, I’m not going to let a baby die just because you want to be an asshole!” Max shouted.
“It’s not your baby, what do you care!” Nick laughed. “Calm down asshole. I never really liked you anyway.” Nick pointed the gun to Max’s head and shot him at point blank range. Max’s six foot two frame hit the pavement in the middle of the parking lot. I swallowed hard, looking down at Max whose bullet wound to the head was oozing what seemed like gallons of bright red blood. “You see how easy that was…now push her over to me Michael. We have to go home…don’t we sweetheart.” She grabbed my arm and started to cry hysterically.
“No.” I whispered.
“Michael, don’t be stupid. No one can hear us or see us back here. I’ll shoot her. I shot Max and he was my friend for five years, and a really good friend at that. He made some awesome butternut squash soup. I can give you the recipe if you’d like?” I noticed the crazed look in Nick’s eye and every moment that he held that gun in his hand was a free for all. We were his targets and I wasn’t waiting for him to make his move.
“Stop this, now.” I said softly.
“Don’t make me do it.” I glanced over at Max as I rubbed Jenesis’ back. She kept vomiting and vomiting. “But, I wouldn’t kill you because then she’d hate me. Come on Michael, we’re brothers. I’m tired and I drove all this way to get my Jenesis.” He sighed then pointed the gun towards me.
“Nick, just let Michael go. I’ll leave with you.” Jenesis said wiping her mouth. Nick stared at her lovingly. A slow grin forming at the side of his mouth. He lost himself for a moment and that’s when I took over.
“The hell you will!” I leaned forward and with a quick smack, I knocked the gun out of his hand. We struggled, grabbing each other by the arms. I freed one hand and punched him in the face. That punch knocked him against the car. Nick was tall but not taller than me. His hands were weak. I threw him up against the trunk of the car and pounded on him until he stopped fighting me.
“Nick…stop…please, don’t do this! I have to help Jenesis.” Nick’s back was against the trunk of the car. I held him down. “Jenesis, call an ambulance.” I watched as Jenesis continued to throw up and shaking her head no. “Go into the hotel, go!” I shouted. Jenesis walked quickly towards the hotel. Nick stopped moving and stared at me.
“He told me Michael,” He whispered laughingly. “He told me…you weren’t his son,” he grinned weakly.
“He lied…I am his son…his only son.” I whispered in his ear. Nick’s eyes were closing on him. He seemed disoriented. I stared at Nick for a moment and I almost felt sorry for him. The more I thought about Dave, the more I realized what a monster he was.
“He didn’t love me Nick, or you…He used us both, like he did everyone else.” I whispered. “Jenesis will never be yours, never. Dave ruined my life. Jenesis’ life and your life…and so many others.”
“Wait…” He whispered.
“What?” I said.
“You always acted like I never existed Michael…why? Why did you push me away?”
“I didn’t. He never let me in your life. I didn’t know that I had a brother until a month before I killed him. He never told me it was you Nick. He said he knew he knocked someone up out there, but didn’t know who his son was.”
“That lying piece of shit. He denied me to the end. He never told anyone about me. I’m glad he’s dead.” He chuckled with tears streaming down his face. “I used to dream about you, you know. That we were friends.” I held him by his shirt tightly around his neck.
“We could’ve been. Maybe in another life.” I was losing control. I was feeling sorry for him. He was my brother for God’s sake.
“Maybe. Let me go Mikey. We can fix this. Please.” he whispered in my ear.
“It’s not your fault you know…who you turned out to be. I’m sorry. But you killed enough people to know you can’t get away with murder.” I shook my head. I felt nothing but pity for Nick. I actually wanted to let him go. I knew I couldn’t help him. I stared into his eyes, seeing myself, seeing Dave. Then, he grabbed my hands that were clenched tightly on his shirt and tilted his head to the side. The twisted, contorted look of a psycho killer emanated over his face. He wasn’t Nick anymore. He was a stone, cold…killer.
“But I did. I did get away with murder.” He smiled graciously. He pulled me towards him and whispered. “I’m going to kill you Michael. I’m going to kill you, Jenesis and your son when I get out of prison. You’ll never be rid of me…never.” I swallowed hard and I knew I had to do something and do it quick.
“Good bye Nick.” I grabbed him by the shirt tight, reached for the gun near the pavement that I knocked out of his hand. I placed him in a choke hold and started to choke him out. I clenched my fist around the gun and swung from Jupiter and hit him with full force on the side of his head. “Lights out, motherfucker!” He tried to struggle, but after I hit him he went down fast. I knew he would wake up eventually. I had to move fast. I wiped the gun with my handkerchief from my back pocket and placed the gun in his hand. I looked down at Max then up at Nick. The blood on the concrete started to thicken and Max was turning blue. I needed to get the fuck out of there fast.
I got in the car and drove to the front of the lobby and saw Jenesis. I got out running to her side. She was sweating profusely; her black hair was matted against her forehead. She was pale. I lifted her in my arms and ran like a maniac to the car as her legs dangled in the air. I placed her in the front seat. She moaned grabbing on to her stomach.
“It hurts Michael!” she yelled.
“Hold on baby, Hold on!” I was
in overdrive. There was no way she was going to lose this baby.
“I feel like I have to push! Oh God! Please, please help me! My baby, my baby!” She screamed.
“He’s fine. Don’t push Jenesis. Don’t push. Hold it. I promise I won’t let anything happen to the baby. Hold on, Jenesis. Hold my hand. Squeeze it every time you feel like pushing.” I grabbed her hand gently and held onto the wheel. She cried silently. I held my breath. If she lost this baby, we would never have another one. I prayed for the first time in a long time. I prayed to God, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I prayed as I looked into the sky and saw the tiniest star blinking lightly. If that was a sign, then I prayed for God to take my life instead of the baby’s. Death was better than watching my baby die.
She stared at me, the sweat dripping down the sides of her forehead. She closed her eyes and lost consciousness. She flinched. Then I saw it. The blood seeping through her pajama pants and making its way down the leather seat.
I found the nearest hospital and took Jenesis in. I left the car in the front, engine running, screaming for help as I lifted her out of the car. They ran as fast as they could and placed her on a stretcher. She disappeared into a room and I was pushed out of the way and told to wait outside.
My hands were bloody. Stained with the blood of my child. The blood of my son. I couldn’t breathe. I walked outside through the emergency room doors and punched the concrete pillar on the side of the building. I felt all of my knuckles crack, the blood gushing out of the skin that split in half. The pain felt good and I needed to hurt because my heart couldn’t take it.
“Sir, are you okay?” a woman in a dark blue hospital uniform asked.
“Please, just leave me alone.” I whispered.
A few minutes later, a nurse and the hospital security escorted me back into the ER. The nurse closed the wound and bandaged my hand.
“How do you feel?”
