Runner

by A. J. Summer

  “Down payment?” I ask LaVaas. More so that he can’t see that I just want to get the fuck out of here. I’ve steered clear of Migelli and his men for six years, and my mom and sister are doing just fine, thank you very fucking much. I’m not messing that up now. LaVaas snaps his finger, and a redhead brings over a stripped bag on a tray. She offers the bag to me, and I take it and open it. Inside is at least a grand. It’s small change compared to what he owes. LaVaas has to pay fifteen times that, but the guy on the other side of the tent is now watching our meeting with keen snake eyes. Time to bail.

  I nod my head and stand up. Mike and Jonah give me a confused look, but I ignore them. I’ll explain later, when there aren’t so many eyes on us. I feel like a damn dinosaur expedition. One in serious risk of becoming extinct. “Don’t worry, Runner, I’m not going anywhere. Tell Reno to relax. He’ll get his money,” LaVaas says with a gleam in his eye. He leans back in his chair and crosses his hands behind his head. And then he looks directly at the guy that’s been watching me. I reach for the gun in the back of my jeans to make sure it’s still there. Mike sees what I’m doing and immediately takes his out and holds it in his hand. Mike is not one for subtlety. He sees a threat, he eliminates the threat. LaVaas smirks at us, and the Migelli guy starts walking towards me. I turn around and make quick work of disappearing into the crowd. I’m not running away. I’m picking my battles, and this is not one we can win. I need to keep my friends safe first.

  “How much did you get?” Mike asks me when we get to the van. “’Bout a grand,” I say, throwing the bag into the glove box of the van. “That’s not enough,” Mike says, starting the van. I check the parking lot to make sure we aren’t being followed. “Go to the loan house. We’ll sleep there tonight.”

  “What? Why?” Jonah asks. Mary is at the cabin; of course he’ll want to go there.

  “Daniel Migelli’s right-hand man was there tonight. Whatever is going down, it’s going down soon,” I say. Jonah grumbles from the backseat but doesn’t say anything else. I lean my head back against the seat. I hope I can figure out what this is before it hits us.

  DAY THREE

  *

  “Kyle.” The soft sob following my birth name makes me sit up in bed. Somehow I managed to answer the phone half asleep. But I’m wide awake now. Nobody has called me by my real name in over six years.

  “Emily?” I ask carefully over the phone. The old Italian lady working for Reno was like a Nana to me after my life went to shit. If she had never let me in to see Reno that day, my whole family, including myself, might be dead right now.

  “There are police everywhere. They say he killed himself. He wouldn’t do that, Kyle. You come quick,” she says when her accent fails her.

  “Fuck!” I yell into the phone and she sobs harder. “Shhh, Emily. Runner is coming, okay? You stay there. Runner will be there soon,” I say. I hope by repeating my name she’ll remember not to call me Kyle anymore. I don’t know who else is in that house right now.

  She clears her throat and speaks a little more composed into the phone, “You come soon Mr. Runner.” And after a last sniffle the phone goes dead.

  “Fuck, fuck, motherfucker!” I curse and throw my phone down onto the bed. True, Reno had a hand in the events that changed my life. But he offered me a way out. At times I might feel it was an unfair deal, but I still had a choice. A choice I made and had to live with. Reno could’ve had me do anything; he could’ve gone back on his deal and killed me anyway. I was a liability to him. I knew too much. But he let me work for him. Gave me a place to stay, fuck, he even gave me a new identity. If it wasn’t for him, my dead body would’ve been rotting in a ditch somewhere. He treated us with respect every step of the way. And in the end, I decided how I lived my life while working for him. I didn’t turn into a ruthless killer or a life destroyer. I’m a very reasonable man. And Reno allowed that.

  What happens now? Was it Migelli who took Reno out? How did they get into the house? Reno didn’t keep a lot of guards around, only Stephan who manned the gate.

  I pace up and down in my room trying to find a way forward. I can’t go back to Bailey. There are too many people who know me. If someone saw me and recognized me, my cover as Runner would be blown. I can’t risk bringing Mom and Mia back into this, not with the only link connecting me to them dead.

  In the real world, Kyle Andrews died in a freak accident while on holiday. But in this dangerous realm where men have more power than brains, Danny Migelli’s killer was still alive and Daniel Migelli demanded retribution. To keep his nose clean from the hit, Reno took care of that, and so Runner was born. I don’t know who the guy was that paid for my sins. We left no witnesses at that library, so who could prove Reno wrong? No one. But things have been shaky lately. Reno got spooked, and I’m not so sure that his little deceit went entirely unnoticed. What happened at that house? Why is Reno dead? Does Daniel Migelli know?

  I kick my bedside table out of pure frustration, and for once, the physical pain hurts more than the ache in my heart. I can’t believe Reno is dead.

  I throw my door open and stomp down the passage. Anything to get my mind off this clusterfuck. I’m not claustrophobic, but everything seems in my way, like the walls themselves are pulling towards me. Ready to squash me if I stop moving.

  “Whoa, where’s the fire?” Mike asks when I bump into him. “What is it?” he asks more urgently when he sees my face. I take a few more steps and finally just come to a stop.

  “Reno is dead. Emily just phoned. The police are all over the house. They say he killed himself,” I say, taking a step back and leaning against the counter. There I said it; the words came out easier than I thought. The throb in my head starts up again, and I move quickly, afraid that the walls will start falling in soon. I’m not sure if I fear for my mind or for my physical being. I get a couple of painkillers out of the cupboard and swallow them with water straight from the tap. I need to get myself together. I was bred to do this. To take charge, I will not fail now!

  “What? How? Fuck!” Mike has the same reaction as me. Maybe a bit slower to react but still the same.

  See, the thing is, if we don’t work for Reno, who are we? I’m not even a real person anymore. Mike and Jonah, they work for him because they decided too. I work for him because I had nowhere else to go. He took me in. He saved me; for all purposes of the word, he was my father. He gave me a second chance at life.

  “Where’s Jonah? Let’s make sure everyone is safe. Phone Ana, tell her to stay at Talon’s. Under no circumstances can she leave Talon’s apartment. You will get her when you get to Bailey. Bring her back and take her to the cabin. At least Mary is already here, so that’s one less trip. One of you will have to check on Mia, make sure she’s okay, just a pass by the parlor should be okay,” I say. I start pacing back and forth again, while Mike goes to get Jonah from the room they sleep in at the loan house. Why does everyone I know live in Bailey? Reno, Talon, Daniel Migelli, oh yeah, because I grew up there, FUCK!

  Mike comes back with Jonah who looks just as confused as I feel. “I can’t go to Bailey; there are too many people who know me. You guys will have to go. If you run into problems let me know,” I say, hoping it clears up some of the confusion. I just can’t risk it. I don’t care that I don’t look the same as back then. A cheek job won’t fool people who really know me.

  “Why are we going to Bailey, Runner? Talon can bring Ana home. We can phone the parlor to check if Mia’s there,” Mike says.

  “Go because Emily needs you. Go because I need eyes in that place. Get Ana, bring her back. From there, I don’t know. I’ll phone Reno’s lawyer, see if he knows anything.”

  * * *

  I feel better after my shower and turn on the television. I have a game plan. I had to think of something because my call to Reno’s lawyer was a waste of time. He told me the same thing Emily told me. Suicide. Bullshit. I have to wait for Mike and Jonah to get back, get the details from them. They’ll speak to Stephan
and Emily. From there I should be able to determine who did this and why.

  The news is covering the suicide of local businessman Reno Parker. There’s even a shot of his house. I can’t see any signs of the guys, so they must be inside, keeping it low down, like they are supposed to. Then the news reporter says something about an heir to the Parker kingdom, and I turn the volume up.

  “Local businessman Reno Parker committed suicide last night at around 11 p.m. Mr. Parker’s housekeeper and his bodyguard said they didn’t hear any gunshots, yet Mr. Parker was found with a bullet wound to the side of his head and the gun in his hand. His body was found by his housekeeper this morning. Rumors have it that Mr. Parker left his millions to his unknown son and a man only known as ‘Runner’ who joined Mr. Parker’s employ a few years ago.”

  “Fuck!” How could Reno be so stupid? He should’ve known the media would have a field day with him leaving me anything. He should have taken better precautions. It’s only a matter of time before they find out Runner is Reno’s other son. How did they get the information so fast? Damn it, he should’ve done this better! I already knew the loan house and the casino would go to me. It was the one thing Reno’s lawyer was sure to tell me this morning. The house and the shares all go to the long-lost love child. The same love child that is probably the reason for Reno’s death. I’m sure Daniel did this. But I don’t care that the prodigal son is inheriting a shit load of money. What I do care about is the Indigo. Me and the boys worked hard for the casino, and I’ve wanted to get rid of the loan house for some time now. That and who the hell killed Reno? And how do I prove it? What do I do once I can prove it?

  “Runner,” I answer my phone on the first ring.

  “Hey, Mia is safe. Jase is home,” Mike says.

  I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing my sister is safe and that’s she’s not alone.

  “Ana is gone. I can’t find her anywhere. Talon said she went out last night and never came back. I’m thinking she’s passed out somewhere. I’d rather deal with the Reno issue first and look for her tomorrow. Talon will give us a call when she shows up. Listen, there’s a guy here. Xavier. He says Reno was his dad. He’s asking a lot of fucking questions, and I don’t know what to tell him,” Mike says. He sounds annoyed. I know he doesn’t like to be in Bailey.

  “Tell him to speak to his dad’s lawyer. Tell him we are only employees or technically business partners. According to the news, we own the casino and loan house. Congratulations,” I say, trying to sound upbeat. I’m not even fooling myself.

  “You saw that? I hope they aren’t going to come looking for you,” Mike says.

  “I hope not. My secrets are finally catching up to me.” They won’t find anything that can’t be explained, my conscious whispers. I know I overthink most of this shit anyway.

  “We’ve got this. Speak to you later,” Mike says, and the line goes dead.

  I can’t sit around like this and do nothing, so even though I just lost the man that was as much of a father to me as my real dad, I get ready for work. I drive slowly to the casino. I’m not in the mood for the meeting that is waiting for me. The staff should all know by now, if any of them watch the news, but I probably have to tell them myself anyway.

  I make it all the way to the Amanda’s desk before the head of security catches up with me. I hold up my hand and speak to Amanda. For once, she’s at her desk when I need her and not making out with her boyfriend on the fire escape. Maybe that’s because her boyfriend is now on a different shift. “Call a meeting, casino staff and hotel staff. I’m only doing this once, so if it has to be late, make it late.” Then I walk into my office and close the doors. It’s Saturday and lunch time. The casino is going to be busy. This meeting won’t happen until shift change tonight. Even then I won’t have all the staff in one place. Can’t leave the tables unattended or the customers thirsty. Five minutes later my desk phone rings. “Yes?”

  “Mr. Runner, the meeting is scheduled for 9 p.m. on shift change in the conference room. Mr. Walters suggested that would be best,” Amanda says. “Thank you.” I put the phone down. I walk over to the window and look out at the hotel. All this belongs to me. I know I deserve it. I worked for it, but what is it going to cost me now that the whole world knows about me?

  I stay in my office until Amanda comes and knocks on my door. Her shift ended four hours ago. I’m tempted to ask her what she’s still doing here and sending her home, but I just don’t have the energy.

  The conference room is packed wall to wall with Indigo employees. Nervous murmurs and damp air fill the room, making my tongue heavy in my mouth. I run my finger inside the collar of my shirt in an attempt to alleviate the choking feeling that’s got a hold on me. I walk up the podium and look down over the sea of employees. It doesn’t feel quite right, me up here and them down there. I’ve never seen myself as being better than the next guy. I should know, coming from a dirt-poor home. I’m tempted to climb down and give the speech from the floor, but I remember what Reno said about respect. And even though I feared Reno, I respected him. Yes, he was a hard man, but he did what was right, always.

  There’s a guy in the crowd looking up at me, about my age. His white button-down is ironed within an inch of its life. His black slacks are straight and crisp, but I can see just a hint of a tattoo sticking out of his shirt sleeve. Does that mean he is going to steal and rob the casino bare? I know better than that. The guy holds my gaze for a second longer before he lowers his eyes. The rest of the employees all seem anxious, some seem worried. Did any of them know Reno? I don’t think so. He never came to the casino. I find Kelsey in the crowd, and she smiles at me. My lips quirk slightly and I clear my throat. I keep my eyes on Kels.

  “Thank you all for coming. As you might have heard, Reno Parker, owner of the casino, passed away last night.” There’s a collective murmur and gasp of surprise. I suppose me saying it makes it more real. Or they really don’t watch the news.

  “For those of you wondering if the casino or hotel will be closing, the answer is no. Most of you already know that those belong to me, and whoever didn’t know, the news report would’ve confirmed it to you this morning. Yes, Reno had a son, and I can assure you that won’t affect any dealings here.”

  Again there are a few speculative murmurs and gasps, and then my phone rings. I take it out of my pocket and see it’s Mike calling me.

  “You can go back to work now, or home for those of you that have finished up for the day. Thank you,” I say and rush out of the room to answer the phone.

  “Yes?” I say but the line is dead. So I dial Mike and walk back to my office.

  “Runner. I’m going to fucking kill her!” Mike curses down the phone. It sounds like he is driving.

  “Mike, what?” I say, closing my office door behind me.

  “Ana, I’m going to fucking kill her. You would not believe where the little bitch is!” Mike says slamming on his brakes, or at least that is what I think that horrible sound is. I can hear Jonah in the background, telling him to calm down.

  “Where is she, Mike?” I ask. I don’t want to get angry at her just yet.

  “She’s at a party at Mia’s house.”

  I drop the phone and it clatters to the floor. Okay, now I’m really mad at her. Of all the stupid things Ana can do, she does this. She doesn’t know Mia is my sister, and I bet the reason she’s always going with Talon to Ray’s garage is because she’s got an eye on one of the boys that work there. We don’t need to draw that kind of attention to ourselves! I wonder briefly who the stupid-ass wart is that will fall for Ana’s antics. Is it Lewis? Is it James? I know it’s not Jase.

  I finally pick the phone up with shaky fingers. The adrenaline is spiking high in my blood. So high that I’m afraid I’m going to keel over from an artery rupture.

  “Runner? You there, man?” Mike asks frantically on the other side.

  “I’m here,” I say, trying to sound calm. But truthfully, I sound kind of rabid. Like a rabies-ridd
en animal foaming at the mouth. “I’m here.” There, that sounds almost normal. I don’t want Mike running in there like a crazy person. I don’t want my sister or Jenna to get hurt in the fight I know is coming.

  “Take Stephan with you and get her out of there. Do it quietly. I’m coming to Bailey. I’m leaving now.” And then I put the phone down. What the fuck did I say that for? I haven’t gone south of the Square since I got here. The thing is, I hate shit being out of my control. The last time that happened it cost me my life.

  TALON

  Ana is dressed to kill. Either herself or someone else because she’s already had one too many drinks for heels that high. If she doesn’t fall over and kill herself, she might knock someone else over.

  I walk around my old scrappy car and open her door for her when she’s sure that this is the house we are supposed to be at. I think this is the house, because there are already a few cars parked out front and a truck with a bunch of guys playing music. I push the passenger side door closed, and it swings back open, almost knocking me off my feet. Ana laughs loudly and I scowl at her. It is actually quite funny, but this piece of scrap metal is all I can afford on my bartender salary.

  I heave the door up slightly and push it closed with a final click. I hope it’ll open later. Ana walks ahead but stops at a black truck in the driveway and checks her lipstick. She sways a little, but I grab her arm and hold her straight. Then I check mine. I’m not looking to hook up tonight, but a girl has to look good. I’ve had my fair share of dating disasters lately. I don’t need any more drama.

  Last night was my breaking point. No man will ever break me again. So I broke him. I did what I had to do, fueled by demons from my past, I did something monstrous and now there is no turning back. Hopefully this will all be over soon, and I can put this nightmare behind me. I’ll have to face a different kind of horror then, but I’m ready for it. I crave closure so much that I need it.