Unmistakable

by Gigi Aceves

  Where is everyone? I’m tired of talking to myself!

  The commotion outside seems to have quieted down some. I’m not hearing anything anymore, other than my foxy-crazy-self talking to me. God, I hope they find me soon. What the hell is wrong with my robocops?

  Then, suddenly I hear that noise…

  It’s that noise I both wish to hear and pray hard not to….I think my heart just jumped out of my chest when the door creaked. My eyes bug out as tears, slowly, roll down my face, and I’m not breathing because said heart is on the floor.

  If this is my time, Lord, please make it quick and painless. Keep Cody and everyone I love safe. My praying stops, because I think about not telling Cody that I love him. Why haven’t I? Girl, you have such perfect timing to realize this now. Focus, Roxy!

  If this is my last chance to tell him, I have to do it now….I have to. How I wish I had told him sooner. I want him to hear those words leave my mouth.

  Me: love you!

  What the hell? How about you send an SOS to save your ass?

  I press send and clutch my phone hard, because the footsteps in the bathroom keep getting closer…slower, but closer. Shit…one, two, three sing Roxy…Go on now, go, walk out the door, just turn around now, cause you’re not welcome anymore…Ha! The damn lyrics are so appropriate. Now, if only I could find a way to make this fucker walk out that door and leave me the hell alone!

  I, slowly, put my phone back in my clutch, ignoring my foxy conscience singing ‘I Will Survive’, and I pull out the pepper spray Cody gave me a couple of days ago. If I’m going down, I’m going down spraying! That’s all you got? You’re going to die! You, will, definitely not survive! Do you know any Lara Croft moves? Find your inner Karate Kid with high kicks and shit!

  As I’m counting down to the end of my life, Cody is the only image I can see. His brilliant blue eyes, full of love, always consoling, never discouraging. His strong arms offering protection, never destruction; his steady hands alleviates, never aggravates; but most importantly, I remember his trance-inducing smile, his laughter zooms and brightens the darkest parts of my heart. It coats my heart without constricting; it covers my heart without concealing…it veils my heart without deceiving.

  Thump….thump….my heart goes…thud…thud…the footsteps walking their way to me echo as my heart stops, and I think, I might just puke my guts out.

  As I stand here and wait, a thought occurs to me. I have to think how Roxy thinks. That’s a scary fucking thought! I’m sure she hears the shots, and knowing my girl, she’ll do the exact opposite of what a normal person would do. Considering everything that woman does, it doesn’t fall within the realm of anything normal. Before taking the first step toward the men’s bathroom, my back pocket buzzes, signaling an incoming text. I have no time for that.

  I’ve never been more scared in my life than I am at this moment. Imagining her getting caught, hurt, or worse, getting killed disarms me. It’s as if I’m a prisoner of war, cuffed, beaten, and bruised while I’m slowly being tortured. I can’t lose her like this. She’s mine to protect…mine to have...mine to love…she’s just mine.

  My love for her, and the hope that someday she’ll learn to trust me completely is unmistakable.

  I push the door as quietly as I can, breathing controlled…pace slow. I slice each section like a pie, my back flush against the bathroom wall, slowly taking a step toward the stalls, my mind clear, except for the face of my love carved in my brain.

  LT’s even voice booms in my ear, “Girl’s head clear. Cody, where the fuck are you?”

  When I hear him say the word clear, I know Rox is here. I ever so lightly tap the first stall door, and it moves making a creaking noise. One down, one to go. Roxy’s a fighter; if I had to bet, I know she’s holding the pepper spray I gave her…ready to blind any fucker who opens this door. That’s my girl. That’s why I have to call out; otherwise, I’ll be on the receiving end of it.

  “Love, it’s me,” I softly say, as I push the door while aiming my gun on the floor.

  The door slowly opens, and I see her beautiful tear stained face, eyes relieved, and lips quivering. She takes two steps and falls into my arms, squeezing me hard. My worry diminishes somewhat, but not entirely since we’re not out of the woods, yet.

  I press on my earpiece and quietly speak while I savor the feel of her breath against my skin, “LT, I’ve got her.”

  LT’s voice comes seconds later, “Relay last.”

  “I’ve got her.” I hope he can sense the relief in my voice.

  Roxy’s still glued to my neck; and I think I hear her say something, but I can’t be sure. While waiting for LT’s instructions, I take the opportunity to give my love a kiss on the side of her head.

  God, thank you. Please, protect her always. I don’t think I’ve thanked God so many times in my life. Thanking Him and praying to Him has been my standing mantra since I heard the damn gunshots.

  She breathlessly whispers, “I love you.”

  I think I’m dreaming, because I would never imagine her saying that to me…ever. Her words….those words are like a magic fucking potion that strengthens my resolve…they give my heart a power boost to continue. I’m about to ask her to repeat them when LT’s voice cuts in, of course, his perfect timing ruins my moment. Damn his balls to hell!

  “Take smart ass on two. You have ten; move your ass!” LT’s solid command puts me back in work mode.

  “Copy that,” My response is quick as I map out in my brain how I’m going to execute our escape.

  I whisper my instructions to Roxy, looking at her intently, “Love, we need to move. Stay behind me, okay? Hold onto my belt. Remember, what we practiced?” She nods once. “Just in case I need your help, if I say ‘clip left pocket’, you have to get it and hand it to me. Grip it like you mean it, okay; like when you hold my dick.” I wink at her to ease the tension. “…You ready?”

  She rolls her eyes at me. “Okay, stay behind, hold belt, clip left pocket, grip well, hand job…got it.”

  I give her a smirk for her ‘hand job’ remark, kiss her one last time on her soft lips, and nod once. I move, and her hand clamps tightly on my belt, staying behind me. Slowly, I open the door, inch by inch, squeezing my boot between the door and the doorjamb, then slightly moving forward. My gun following my head’s direction; the hallway is clear, ten paces, and one right turn I’ll be kicking the back door open, and we’ll go to location two on foot. Painstakingly slow, we move like a fucking snail. I’m sure, LT’s providing cover for me as soon as I hit air.

  Finally, we get to the back door, and as soon as I feel the cool air on my face, I breathe a sigh of half relief if there’s even such a thing. I know, I won’t be able to enjoy complete relief until Roxy is safe.

  We’re at the alley now and continue walking alongside the wall, using darkness as cover. We need to haul ass a mile to the next trendiest restaurant in La Cienega where celebrities and paparazzi’s hang out, giving us the necessary cover we need. I put my Glock back in my shoulder holster and reach for Roxy’s hand as soon as we get to the end of the alley. Before heading to the wide open space without darkness and the wall blanketing us, I give her another set of instructions as I look deeply at her.

  “We need to blend in, okay? Relax, give me deep breaths.” She focuses on my eyes as she counts silently. “…good. Let’s go.” Never breaking eye contact as I grip her hand.

  A steady flash of trust flows through her eyes, aimed at me as she says, “Here we go.” We step out into the open.

  My ass pulses again, signaling an unopened text. Whoever the fuck is texting me right now, will get shit from me. While staying alert with everything around us, my left hand holding her right, I reach for my phone in my right back pocket.

  She scoffs at me, “Are you serious? We’re trying to dodge yo quiero Taco Bell and you’re checking your phone!”

  I can’t help, but grin. We’re in a stressful and very precarious situation, and she decides to cra
ck a joke. I quickly look at my phone, and I see her name on the screen. Her text to me says that she loves me. So, I didn’t imagine hearing her say those words in the bathroom. If we weren’t in this situation, I’d be loving the shit out of her while I pin her against a wall, on a table, or practically anywhere as long as she’s underneath me. With Roxy, it doesn’t matter where we are. What matters is she’s nearby….as close to me as humanly possible where I can feel her heart beating against mine.

  I raise her hand toward my lips, kissing it. “I love you, too, Rox. I’m glad we’re on the same page, but seriously, we need to hustle. I need to keep your ass safe, first.” I pick up the pace, not waiting for her reaction.

  LT’s voice rumbles in my ear, “I’m right on your six. Keep moving.”

  I pull on Roxy, and my love doesn’t even complain, instead she tries to match my pace as she sings ‘I will survive’. Her tenacity is one trait that makes her amazing in my eyes. My knowing she’s able to hold her ground in any given situation brings a sense of pride that makes my heart swell. It gives my heart the assurance that if I die, she will survive. It’s me who won’t survive if she dies…if she dies on my watch, under my care…it’ll be the end of me. My life for hers is the only equation my head and heart will ever understand.

  LT appears at her side in a matter of seconds. “Brian’s parked right in front of Koi, be ready to jump in, Roxy.”

  LT’s proximity to Roxy, surprisingly, doesn’t bother me as much anymore, not after knowing what I know and hearing her tell me she loves me. I can’t even be happy about it because of what’s facing us, right now. However, once we get home and she’s safely in my arms…then, I can finally enjoy the moment. Though delayed, I know the feeling won’t diminish, not by a long shot.

  As soon as we spot the Escalade, our pace picks up considerably. The need to get the hell out of here is our primary goal. In synchronized fashion, LT pulls back a bit to give us cover, then I open the back door as Roxy jumps in.

  LT gets in the front passenger seat and yells, “Go, go, go…B!”

  After driving a block from where we were and nothing happens, everyone’s demeanor relaxes. Apparently, a few minutes of reprieve is all we get.

  “Fuck, LT, someone’s on my six!” Brian yells as he gives me a quick glance through the rear view mirror.

  “Cody, move the girls. Now!” LT yells. “I’m on point, B, make a hard right now, two lights another right,” LT barks out instructions as he rapidly moves his fingers across his phone.

  I crawl to the back and signal for Tami to sit next to Roxy. I close my eyes and take a slow deep breath, blowing it out as slow as possible, calming my nerves. I push that fear to the back of my head, and now, I have a tunnel vision of just getting the job done, and keeping the girls safe….keeping my love safe.

  “Have we lost them, yet?” Roxy asks as she leans toward LT.

  “Get the fuck down! You move as much as an inch, and I swear to God, Roxy I’ll make you pay,” LT yells again.

  Brian is quiet, concentrating on driving while my eyes are glued facing the black SUV right on our ass. A nagging thought invades my brain. It keeps telling me to switch the girls’ mind set from panic mode to relax mode. It’s imperative I do just that. Brian is the one who’s good at this, but since he’s pre-occupied at the moment, I have to do it.

  “Roxy, eyes on me,” I calmly say as she turns her head slowly with eyes wide open, looking up at me from her crouched position on the car floor. “Right here, love.” I make a V using my pointer and middle finger, pointing at my eyes. “…focus on me. Deep breaths…beautiful.”

  I turn toward Tami, she’s already looking at me with the same fearful look as Roxy. “T, breathe. Nice and slow…Brian needs you alive, or else, Gunny will castrate my boy.”

  Brian swerves; the motion causes Tami to land hard on top of Roxy. The impact results in Roxy hitting her head against the door, making her whimper in pain. Knowing she’s hurt, makes me want to blow these fuckers to kingdom come.

  “We can’t shake them, LT! We’re on a soft-skin. Call it the fuck in!” I yell back as the damn SUV rams us, causing the girls to launch forward seconds after they righted themselves. “Fuck! This is gonna turn into an O.K. Corral in the damn streets of L-fucking-A!”

  LT’s grave voice thunders loudly in the car, “Cody, you know we can’t do that. Hang tight! We’ll shake them.”

  A few minutes pass, the damn SUV slows down considerably, leaving a two car length space between them and us. Glancing quickly to my left, I realize the reason why. LT’s next instruction will definitely cause the girls to scream, but it would calm me down a bit.

  “Brian, step on it. We got our Hail Mary! Finally, lady luck shows the fuck up. Cody, calm the shit out of the ladies!” LT shouts, relief evident in his voice.

  LT gives me the instruction, knowing the girls would react after he told Brian to run a red light. If the cops see the girls panicked, we’ll be questioned and detained a lot longer than what a ticket stop entails.

  “What?” The ear piercing shriek comes seconds later from freak one and freak two.

  Holy fuck! The damn sirens don’t have anything on my girl’s vocal chords.

  “Calm down, or the cops will know something’s up. Close your eyes and imagine you’re in your happy place,” I instruct the girls. “For you, love, imagine me on top of you.” I turn to Tami, scrunching my eyebrows. “Well, for you, Tami, I don’t know, imagine playing with your boy toy.”

  That earns death glares from the girls. LT and Brian are cool as a cucumbers while I busy myself diverting the girls’ thoughts.

  The second Brian ran the red, a black and white pulls right on our ass, leaving the assholes behind. It’s better to get a ticket than bullet holes. I see the SUV pass us as we pull over and a huge sigh of relief escapes my mouth. Where were the damn cops when they were ramming us?

  As soon as the cop gives Brian a ticket, we drive straight to Gunny’s house, instead of driving home. This situation has escalated, the cartel’s stepping it up by attacking us out in the open. What happened tonight is by no means a warning; it’s a clear attempt to kill Roxy.

  As soon as we’re safely on the freeway and sure no one is tailing us, the tension in the car dissipates considerably. Tami, who’s visibly shaken hugs Roxy from behind since we switched seats. I need to be near her. I need to be the one giving her comfort, because I need her to trust me…to trust US.

  I grab Roxy’s hand, twine it with mine, and she, finally, cries. She allows her nerves to take over, and I let her. While Jake hates to see Trish cry because it pains him…I on the other hand, though it hurts me, would rather see Roxy cry and lose it in front of me…with me. I need her to know that she can trust me with everything….everything.

  I whisper in her ear, “Let it out. I’ve got you.”

  She answers me with a nod, and I remember the day when control started slipping from my grasp….

  When I first saw him in Gunny’s office, I wanted to rip him apart, because the flashback of how Roxy was anchored to him at the hospital replayed in my brain. However, after hearing what he said, fear for my own heart took the backseat, and what over powered was my fear of how Roxy will handle it. Ultimately, how will this affect us?

  “Cody, take a seat. I need you to clear your head, son,” Gunny said.

  I sat down slowly. My eyes never left the guy sitting across from me. I sure as hell was sizing him up. He was the same height as me, same build. He had brown hair, troubled green eyes that have seen better days, chiseled jaw. This dude wasn’t even standing, yet I felt the power and command that flowed through him, just by looking at him. What caught my attention, was the determination set in his eyes that was smoldering like an inferno. It was then, I realized I was in for the fight of my life.

  Gunny cleared his throat, and when he spoke, he shocked me for the lack of a better word. “Cody, meet Damien. He….”

  It took me a minute to comprehend what Gunny just said
. It was a simple introduction, but it was an introduction that left my mind blank, my mouth speechless, and my ears muffled. The fear I thought my heart would be subjected to disappeared, instantly. In its place was the anxiety blanketing my heart and mind, knowing how this would hurt Roxy?

  “What? Why now?” I pointed my accusatory finger at him. “Do you know how much she suffered? She’s been with Jack since she was ten fucking years old. Do you know how many people she trusts? She only trusts four! Four! Do you think you can just waltz your way into her life, and everything will be fucking hunky dory?”

  “Before you crucify me….I suggest you listen well….. leading a double life…. kept a secret…” Damien stopped for a second as he closed his eyes while my brain short fucking circuits. His words were going in one ear and out the other. “Now, you tell me how would you have handled it? I’m here to fix it and….”

  I can see his mouth moving, I can actually hear the words he’s saying, but my fucking mind can’t understand a word. I looked at Gunny for guidance, because everything he said was like a jumbled clusterfuck in my brain. How the hell was I going to help him iron shit out?

  “Cody, I asked Damien to work for me, to help us with the situation we’re dealing with. He’s well qualified for the job, and you very well know it. I need you to make it work between you, him, and Roxy, alright? Are you on board, because it’s a go whether you are or not,” Jack said, stress evident in his face.

  “You gotta give me more than you just want to fix it. If she’s going to get hurt more, then I’m out,” I said wanting to know the truth from the horse’s mouth.

  If I were going to stick my neck out for him, he had better been worth it.

  LT leaned toward me. “It may not seem that way to you, but there’s a reason behind everything I’m doing. I need her to be ready, mentally, and that’s where you come in. I need her to get to know me better before I tell her. Dylan introduced her to me. I’ve seen her a couple of times before D and I got shipped out, but I haven’t seen her since. I need more time!”