by T Gephart
“No, I was careful.” She straightened her back and her head did the tell-me-it’s-not-so. “No one followed me, I checked.”
I pointed to the back of my head where there was still a decent size reminder on how even I wasn’t careful enough. “Do you think they got the jump on me because I had my head up my ass?”
There wasn’t a chance to elaborate, my cell phone vibrating, demanding attention.
“Yeah.” I gave my standard greeting, the caller ID tipping me off it was Jimmy on the other end of the phone. He sure seemed to find out about shit super quick these days. And I was really getting tired of the micromanagement.
“You’re alive.” There was a distinct note of dissatisfaction in his voice.
“Awww, Jimmy, and here I thought you cared.” The mention of her father’s name made Sofia still, her eyes boring into the phone like the connection might give her ears more than what they were getting.
“I need you to meet me.”
Words I’d been hearing all too frequently lately.
“Yeah, well I’m not taking any meetings right now, so whatever you need to say will have to be over the phone.”
“You know that can’t happen.”
“Need I remind you, Jimmy, that you’re the reason that we are where we are?”
Franco knew more than he should which meant someone was talking. Chances are that leak was coming from Jimmy’s house, because it sure as shit wasn’t mine.
He took a pause, the breath he sucked in causing him to cough. “Where is she?” It sounded like he was trying to kick gravel up his throat. “You need to bring her to me.”
“Yeah, because that is gonna happen. Think of a different plan.” Not a request.
Sofia was getting antsy, one-sided conversations would do that to most people, especially when they knew they were the topic of conversation.
“I need a secure line,” Jimmy coughed out. “Five minutes, send me a suitable number.”
“Will do.”
Goodbyes weren’t exchanged, both lines going dead simultaneously as I lifted my ass off the bed.
Hmm.
Getting vertical so fast wasn’t such a great idea. My arm extended and caught the wall as my feet stayed in the same spot even though I swayed like a tree in the breeze.
“Fuck.” I tried again, hoping this time my legs might decide to actually operate.
“Let me help you.” Sofia’s shoulder shifted under my arm, not waiting for me to accept her offer. “And before you say anything, I know you don’t need it, but it will make this go quicker so just let me do it.”
I had to hand it to her, she had a point. And I wasn’t really in a position to argue. “My desk.” The only direction I gave her as we made our way out of the bedroom and into the space next door.
It was interesting I still had my phone, I would have assumed when Franco took my guns he would have taken it too so either he had been sloppy—not likely—or it was part of a grander plan. Either way, the thing was history, the SIM card snapped into two a second after I’d messaged Jimmy some new contact details.
“There’s a furnace all the way toward the back, it’s in the boiler room. I need you to toss this in and burn it.” I handed her the broken SIM and the phone.
“You don’t want me around when you talk to him.” She took the pieces but stayed where she was standing.
“No, I don’t and I also should have gotten rid of this last night, but I had an issue with consciousness so need it taken care of now. You still so sure you weren’t followed and everything is fine?”
“Fine.” She turned, her dark hair flicking over her shoulder as she moved toward the direction of the boiler room. I had maybe five minutes—ten if she stayed and watched the fucking thing burn.
While my head wasn’t pleased with being upright, my body was happier with the change in position. It was also good to have access to a gun again, the forty I had in the top drawer of my desk finding its way into my hand before I had even pulled in my chair. You never knew when the next threat was going to come and that steel against my skin was going to make me feel better than anything else.
As far as secure lines went, my computer was as locked down as I could make it. I was running two fifty-six bit encryption with routers bouncing my IP address every thirty seconds. And one of my newer toys was a program which had end to end encryption on voice and data calls.
I’d barely rebooted when I was alerted of an incoming call, my finger accepting it a second later.
“So talk. And no more surprises.”
“He offer you money? Santini?” Even though the call was secure, Jimmy was being cautious. His emphysemic spluttering, the punctuation mark.
“What does it fucking matter?” I couldn’t believe he was wasting time with this shit. “I would say what’s more important is that everyone seems to know where she is, considering what you hired me to do, that doesn’t speak wonders for your housekeeping.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t take the deal.”
“I didn’t say there was one.”
“You didn’t say there wasn’t.”
“How did he know?” I was done playing this bullshit back and forth, and Jimmy knew a lot more than he was telling. I didn’t like surprises and I especially didn’t like being blindsided.
“You need to bring her to me, Michael.” He took a long raspy breath. “Things have gone further than they should have.”
“No offense, asshole but how did you not see it going this way? Someone in your camp has been talking out of school.” Oh, and he was still avoiding which was starting to piss me off.
“We’ll rectify that. Bring me the girl.”
The plan had always been to keep Sofia safe until he made other arrangements. Whatever those arrangements would be weren’t my concern, that’s not what I was hired to do. So bringing her back to her father seemed logical, sensible even, but the timing was off. He’d had days to call me in, and his insistence to have his daughter back seemed too desperate. It didn’t sit well in my gut and that had nothing to do with the beef stroganoff I’d eaten for breakfast.
“What did you do?” I asked slowly, the leather of my office chair creaking under curled fists.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” He sighed, regret not something he was known for.
“Like what?”
“Why did you think I hired you in the first place?” he shot out, impatient I hadn’t put together whatever fucking puzzle he’d supposedly given me.
“Jimmy, enough with the fucking riddles.” It was my turn to be impatient. “Either say what you fucking mean or get off the phone.”
“This was supposed to be done already. The incentive was there. I gave you ample opportunity.”
“Sofia?”
“Yes, the bounty on her head? That was my doing,” he cursed out with so much annoyance, I could almost feel him in the room with me.
“What. The. Fuck.” The headache I had was nothing on what was taking up in my frontal lobe right now. “Why the hell would you hire me—” There was no reason to finish the sentence, I knew why.
It all made sense.
The reason why it was me and not one of his own men who had been tasked with the job. He wasn’t worried about loyalty; he was worried about saving face.
Asshole couldn’t take care of his own problems so he needed a fall guy, someone not connected to any family. That kind of thing would have the capacity to make World War III play out on the streets of Chicago. Avenging the death of a child isn’t something you can just forgive, not in the eyes of your enemies. It was all about keeping up appearances.
“There was no leak of information, all the players knew the plan except me.” I fought the urge to put my fist through a wall.
“I honestly thought the money was going to be enough.” His death rattle caused him to pause more than usual. “You had an opportunity for more money than you’ve ever earned. And I handed her to you on a silver platter. I’d never
guess you’d act honorably.”
“You motherfucker.” I hated to be played, and I was beyond pissed I hadn’t fucking seen it. “I’ve met a lot of pieces of shit in my time, but you take the fucking cake.”
“Don’t pretend to be offended.” Jimmy laughed, like the cocksucker was fucking amused. “This was business. There was no way for me to sanction a hit on my only daughter. Not publically. You honestly think I didn’t have the means to protect her if I needed to? It had to be you.”
“So Franco was what?” The last time those two assholes were in the same room, three people died. Their vendettas ran deep. “A motherfucking charade? You two hate each other.”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Jimmy rasped, his voice getting hoarse from the conversation. “You ever hear that saying? In this instance we needed to work together. Like I said, it was business. But he was getting impatient and thought you needed more persuasion. He was never going to kill you.”
Oh, good to know. Because being fucking double-crossed is totally cool as long as the asshole doesn’t kill me.
“Go fuck yourself, Jimmy. This isn’t how I operate.”
“You’re right, and maybe I should have been more upfront.” He had the nerve to sound apologetic. “Saved the time, but it is what is and I couldn’t risk her mother finding out. The shock . . . well, it would kill her and I would already be mourning my daughter.”
There weren’t a lot of times I’d been speechless, but this was one of those times. Not because of what he was asking me to do. I’d killed for a lot less money and even less motivation. But I was no one’s fucking puppet and I refused to have my strings pulled so some asshole sleeps better at night.
“Finish the job, deliver her body and you’ll get the money.” Jimmy filled the silence when I didn’t speak. “It’s time this ends.”
“And what if I don’t?”
“Don’t pretend you grew a conscience.” His words were slow, breaths jagged as he tried to form the sentences. “We both know you have no soul, why do you think I picked you in the first place? You have a gift, son. You can do what other men are afraid to do. Don’t fight your nature and kill her, take the money.”
I didn’t bother with a response, ending the call with a click of my finger. There was no need to turn around and see Sofia; I’d felt her eyes on me while I was talking. Part of me had wanted her to hear it, wanting her to know that her father thought her life was worth nothing more than a bundle of cash.
“You won’t kill me.” She came up behind me and rested her hand on the back of my chair. “I know you won’t do it.”
“You should have run.”
The gun in my hand was pointed at her before I’d even realized what I was doing, the barrel pressed up against her stomach. All I had to do was pull the trigger. Just one squeeze, and like Jimmy said, end it.
“You have a soul, Michael.” She kept her eyes locked on mine, refusing to acknowledge the gun at point blank range. “I’ve seen it. There’s good in you. Don’t do this.”
“If it’s not me, it will be someone else. I’ll make sure it’s quick.”
I stood slowly, rising to full height as she stayed in place in front of me. She had to be afraid but she wasn’t showing it, her hands idle by each side as I watched.
Never had I seen anyone confronting their death with not even a twitch. And yet, for whatever reason she didn’t move a muscle. Like she’d become a statue in front of my very eyes.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
I’d seen it before—the superficial stuff at least, the pretty face, hot body—but it was her fucking courage that was currently giving me a hard-on. In all these years I’d never met anyone so fearless.
“I know you are capable of doing this. Maybe you even want to, but don’t.” She raised her hand slowly, showing me her open palm before she rested it on my heart. “You have a soul, I promise you.”
And fuck me if I didn’t want to believe her.
Women had touched me before, but only while I was fucking them and only with my permission. But her hand on my chest didn’t feel like that, the connection not sexual. It made my skin heat, and I had no idea if I liked it.
“I don’t want to kill you.” I meant it too. “But this is who I am.”
“No, it’s not.”
I wanted her to beg for her life. I wanted her to cry and get down on her knees and pray. I wanted to see fear in her eyes. It was what I was used to; it’s what was safe. But she wouldn’t give me any of those things. And it was scrambling my head so bad I almost wanted to turn the gun on myself.
“How do you know, Sofia?” I grabbed her arm, her skin probably bruising under my fingers. “How do you fucking know?”
“Because you are standing here considering an alternative.” She didn’t pull away even though I was sure I was hurting her. “Let me be the alternative.”
It wasn’t easy to hear your own father say he wanted you dead.
I’d always suspected he’d do whatever it took to further his own interests, even if it meant getting rid of me. I just never thought he had the guts to actually do it. Turns out, I was right on that part. He wanted me gone, but he didn’t want to get his hands dirty.
But Michael was conflicted. His instincts were telling him one thing while the humanity he’d tried to deny was telling him something else.
And I knew.
In order to save myself, I was going to have to save him first.
I had to believe both of us would make it.
Slowly the gun moved away from my body, his hand still gripping my arm.
“Fuck.” He shook his head, and pushed me away. “FUCK!” The chair he’d been sitting in flew across the room in a fit of rage. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He backed further away, widening the distance between us.
If he was trying to scare me, he was doing an awesome job of it, but my feet refused to move. Watching him freak out in front of me as his body flexed in agitation. His eyes darkened as his hand raked through his hair.
“So, what’s the alternative then, Sofia?” He stalked closer, the light catching on the rise and fall of his bare chest. “Because I’ve got nothing right now.”
“My father will assume you’ll kill me.” I forced my eyes up to his. “So they won’t be able to predict what we’ll do next.”
“We?” He said the word like it didn’t quite fit in his mouth, his brows knitting in confusion.
“Yes, we.” My eyes connected with his as my hand slowly reached out to his fingers. “Give me the gun, Michael.”
“I won’t kill you, Sofia, but you aren’t getting my gun.” He looked down at the forty he was still palming and lowered it onto the desk. “I’ve not totally lost my mind.”
“Well that’s a start.” I tried to smile, which was ironic seeing as there was little about this situation that was actually funny.
“So, what’s the plan?” He folded his arms across his chest and waited for me to respond.
It had been the first time he’d ever asked me for my input, and I had a hunch he didn’t make a habit of asking people their opinions.
“Leverage.” I pointed to the desk and to the computer sitting on it. “Give me a few days, let me get some evidence together.”
“I told you, I won’t be a rat.” His jaw tensed.
“You won’t be, I will.” I took a breath. “Not that anyone will actually know it’s me, the information will be sent to various sources anonymously. And then I’ll disappear. At least then, it will be worth it.”
There was no way I could go public, and it had nothing to do with being afraid for my life. Well, not totally for that reason, anyway.
“The information is going to be illegally obtained, which means that unless it’s discovered by someone not connected with the investigation, it won’t be admissible in court. I’ll take myself out of the equation. They may have suspicions, but they won’t be able to prove it’s me, and by that time I’ll be gone anyway so it won’t matter.”
My father had shown me how to play the system before I’d even learned to drive, but there were two sides to that coin. How we played it now only I would decide. And there would be so much evidence there was no way all of it could be suppressed. Not without a huge public outcry and backlash from constituents.
“And how will you disappear?” He smirked, not offering any other commentary.
“That’s the we part. I’m going to need your help.” I bit my lip, knowing there was no way I could do this successfully without his assistance. “I know you hate that I looked at your files.” I lifted my hands defensively as I started talking faster. “But you have been living without an identity since you were fourteen. Nothing exists that ties you to the person you once were. Help me do the same.”
“You want to disappear?” He stalked closer, watching me intently. “Then you will have to be willing to do things on the other side of the law. You think you can do that? That your God will forgive you?”
“Yes. Whatever it takes.” I didn’t hesitate.
Whatever I did or had to do would hopefully be justified in the end. It was the only thing that mattered. That one way or another, my life would have meant something. Something good. Something positive. It had to.
“You have no idea what this is going to involve.” He shook his head and for a second I was convinced he was about to say no. “But fine, I’ll help you.”
I could have cried with relief, my body sagging as the tension eased out of it.
“What are we going to do about my father?” The call had been pretty clear and while there hadn’t been an agreement reached one way or another, he wasn’t the kind of man who liked waiting.
“You better start working your magic; you think you can get what you need in a couple of days?” Michael tipped his head toward the computer. “This isn’t going to be cheap either.”
“I have my trust fund, I can wire—”
“Paper trail.” He shook his head. “You want to disappear, you can’t leave one of those. I’ll take care of it.”
He sat back down in front of the computer, his fingers busy until there was a voice coming through the speakers.
