by T. L Smith
“Yes.”
He sits in the seat opposite me. “Name?” he asks me.
I raise an eyebrow in confusion. He just said my name, then I realize he’s speaking of who this job is about.
“Toska.”
“Black! Hey, man, haven’t seen you in ages.” Someone pulls his attention away from mine, and he turns slightly to face the man standing next to our table with a coffee in hand. “How’s Rose?”
The guy I now know as Black turns back to me, not answering him and practically dismisses him without a word. The guy rubs his jaw with his eyebrows pulled together before he starts walking away.
“Black,” I say out loud. “That’s an unusual name.”
He sits back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m an unusual man.”
I think it’s a joke, but I could be wrong, so I don’t laugh.
“Price?” I ask him.
He writes it down on the napkin in front of him then pushes it to me. My eyes bulge from my head at the numbers in front of me.
“Shit!” I say out loud.
“My price is fair and never changes.” He stands, dropping a five-dollar bill on the table then starts to walk away, and just before he reaches the door he stops and glances back to me. “Tell Taj I said no.”
Then he’s gone. Walking out, dressed in his perfectly-fitted suit. He slides into his large truck and drives off.
Could I have really gone through with it? Probably. For her.
Maybe not so much for him.
Grabbing my things, I head straight back to Taj’s. Pulling up at his front door and getting out, he’s already waiting for me.
“He said... no?” Taj laughs and shakes his head crossing his arms over his chest similar to the way Black did.
“He did. He was—”
“Oh yes, Black’s his own species.” His hands drop, and he straightens up. “You should leave this town, Jaya, like I told you to.”
“I plan to. But I have to remember... I have to know about that night. What happened?”
“You think staying is going to bring your memory back?” he asks me. I hear him say Syler’s name in my head, then Taj says Toska’s name.
“You were there, weren’t you?”
Taj tries to hide it, but I see it pass through his eyes before he covers it back up.
“You were.”
“Some things should be left buried, Jaya.”
“That’s not answering my question, Taj.”
“It’s better if you leave, Jaya. Trust me.” He steps inside his house, shutting the door, locking me out, and leaving me on his doorstep with no more answers than when I came here. No. He just leaves me more confused than before.
Chapter 18
Another Party
The next day I stepped into the bank, my check in hand, ready to cash it. I had no more answers or ideas about what I was going to do. Toska was a problem, and I knew if I didn’t solve it, she would get to me first, but I didn’t want to deal with any of it anymore. My heart didn’t want to deal with it either. I didn’t understand the exact moment I became her new toy, it may have built up over time, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. Maybe it was that night?
Shaking my head, I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. Turning, I run straight into a hard body. Looking up, I see it’s the man from the café, the same one Taj set me up with to try and rid me of my problems. Checking to the left of him there’s a small woman, blonde and beautiful. She smiles at me, but he doesn’t.
“Hi,” I squeak. “Sorry.”
Stepping back, the blonde lady smiles even brighter.
“No need to be sorry, Liam here is just a klutz.”
He grunts at her words as she clings to his side, his arm tightly around her.
Maybe he’s keeping her there.
“I’m sorry,” I say again because I can’t think of any other words to say.
“That problem of yours sorted?” His voice is low, clear and defined when he asks me this question. I glance at the blonde to see her smile hasn’t left her lips.
“No.”
He doesn’t give me any reaction, just speaks as if it’s a normal everyday occurrence to plot to kill people.
“I wouldn’t involve, Taj. You will owe him otherwise. You don’t want to owe a man who already has everything he wants.”
“Taj’s a sweetheart.” This comes from the blonde. “I’m Rose, by the way.” I shake her hand and scrunch my eyebrows in confusion at her words about Taj.
“Nice to meet you. But have you met Taj?”
Rose laughs at my honesty. “Yes. Maybe it’s because of who my husband is that he’s nice to me.” She shrugs her shoulders. “But either way, he’s always been good to me and mine.”
I nod my head and raise my eyes back up to Black.
“That’s because I’d kill him otherwise.”
A man walks past us and almost falls over at his words with eyes wide. Black doesn’t even seem to notice or basically give a damn.
“Well, if you need someone to talk to, I live the next city over. Here’s my card.” Rose passes it to me. Checking out the card, I notice she works in charity. How can someone seemingly so sweet be married to someone who’s so dangerous?
“Don’t call,” Black says as he starts pulling her from the bank. She shakes her head at his words, offering me a quick wave as they head out.
Stepping up to the nearest teller, I cash my check, putting it all in a new bank account. One that Syler will have no idea about, but then again if he searched I guess he’d find it. It’s his specialty after all.
IT’S THE WEEKEND, AND that means one thing for Toska and Syler: parties. Walking into my room, I find the most provocative thing I can find to dress in. It’s a little blue dress that slips over my hips and curves around my breasts perfectly, and I pair it with some sky-high heels. Checking my image in the mirror, even with a slight touch of makeup on, I feel overdone. But that’s what I want, I want to be someone else, someone different. Because me, I’m not even sure who I am anymore. Everything has been so up and down, I don’t even trust myself. Adding some lipstick, I walk out, passing my father who’s glued to his cell phone. I leave without him noticing. Finding parties in our neighborhood is easy, you just have to know who to ask.
Working at the cinemas, we spoke to a lot of the younger kids who sometimes even hosted the parties. One of the first parties I received information about was not too far from my house. Pulling up outside, I parked my car and walked in. I spot his car straight away, so I know they’re there.
Where? That’s the question.
My cell starts ringing. I look down and notice it’s Taj’s name that flashes up on the screen. Ignoring it, I keep on walking until I reach the front door which is pulled wide open. The house is packed full of people.
Most people in this town prefer house parties. The bars shut down too early, and the music is usually country. What screams through these speakers right now is anything but country—pop, rock, hip-hop, that’s all you can hear. Drugs, alcohol, everything will be everywhere. I used to go to a few when I was sixteen until I turned eighteen, then I never ventured back after that.
Until her, that is.
The ages of everyone is varied. You can tell who the adults are, they’re more careful of showing their drugs around. The younger ones do it wherever they see fit and don’t give a fuck about anyone seeing.
Turning past the makeshift bar, I walk to the back of the house. It’s then that I see Toska, her back to me, but I can pick her out a mile away. Just as I go to step forward, someone bumps into me, spilling their drink all down my front. They apologize as I try to brush them away, but hands start brushing the front of me.
Glancing up, I don’t even recognize the person, so my words are harsh when I speak them, “Just leave it.”
His hands go up in surrender and words leave his mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Someone knocked me.” I go to apologize for being a
bitch, but as I glance around behind him, I see her again. Hands are threaded through her hair, hands that I recognize.
Stepping around the guy who I should have apologized more to, I step closer to them. His eyes are glassy when he raises his vision up to me. His lips leave hers, and he looks, well, fucked. Not something I’ve seen from him.
I don’t think Taj is sober enough to recognize me, but Toska offers me a surprised smile. Stepping closer, her hand goes around his midsection and tightens. He glances down then back up to her. He appears, off....
“I didn’t think I’d see you tonight, Jaya.” Taj’s head comes up. He looks from her to me, and I know straight away something’s wrong with him.
“Jaya.” My name leaves his lips. He checks around, trying to find his bodyguards. They usually aren’t too far away from him, but I don’t see any at all.
“You won’t find them.” Her hand leans in and brushes the side of his face. He goes to pull back but she seems to have some kind of hold over him.
“Why don’t we go back here a little further?” Her hand touches his side as she looks to me. “You’ll want to join us, of course, Jaya.” She turns, keeping her hold on him and pulls him back with her. His steps are sloppy, just the way his eyes seem to be jittering everywhere. She opens the door to what seems to be a bedroom. Stepping into it and pulling him with her, I follow them. It’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but I can’t seem to stop myself as I follow, the door shutting behind me.
She flicks on the lights. Taj is seated on a sofa, and Toska stands next to me. My guard is up, but her... well, her crazy is up. Her eyes leave mine and stare at the floor next to me. My eyes are wary of leaving hers but I follow her gaze anyway. Next to me are two bodies, all dressed in black, two men I recognize instantly—Taj’s bodyguards. Her hand touches me, and I jump back as an evil laugh boils up from her belly at my reaction. My hand snatches out fast and pushes her back into the wall as I stand in front of her.
“What have you done?” I seethe at her. Her hollow cheeks suck in as she smiles. Her smelly breath from too many cigarettes brushes over my face.
“You didn’t think he could protect you from me when he can’t even protect himself?” She laughs and gazes behind me to Taj who’s still on the sofa. Stepping away from her, I walk to him and shake him with my hand.
“That won’t work.” She smiles.
“What did you give him?” Staring at her, she shrugs her shoulders.
“Something to make him compliant.”
“You drugged him.”
“It’s quite funny when you think about it. He doesn’t do drugs. No. Taj is the bad boy that doesn’t touch that shit. Yet, here I have him flying off his fucking face.”
He groans next to me as he moves slightly.
Doing the only thing I can think of, I slap his face hard trying to snap him out of it, but he doesn’t budge. Standing, I cover his view with my body. I don’t trust her. She already killed two people, and I have no idea what she has planned to do with him. Checking out the two guys next, I notice they both have their necks sliced from ear to ear, and blood is pooled around their bodies.
It’s all too familiar.
It gives her the second she needs to knock me down to the floor and sit on me, trapping me. Trying to buck her off as my hands are pinned under her knees she stays exactly where she is.
“It won’t work. Years of practice, sweetheart.”
“Taj... Taj!” I scream his name, hoping he will come to.
Toska never did when she was high, but I don’t know what she gave him, and I’m hoping it might be different. Her drug of choice is always the needle. I don’t think she could have gotten a needle into his arm, she wouldn’t be that quick.
“Where’s Syler, Toska?”
She sneers at the mention of his name and lifts her knee, so it goes to my throat and applies pressure, almost cutting off my air supply. One hand is free, and I try to reach for her face to knock her off of me, but there’s no luck as she has the upper hand.
“You would like to know that, wouldn’t you?” She presses harder, my breath leaving me as my nails scratch into her skin. “He isn’t all mine anymore, is he? And that’s all because of you. I should have never let you play with us, it was a mistake.” Just as she reaches behind her for something, her body is lifted enough from mine, and the only thing I feel is the whoosh of air that follows. My breathing returns and my eyes reopen from the shock.
Getting up, I manage to get on to all fours. Taj has Toska by her neck pinned to the door. He’ll kill her, if he’s lucid enough, of this I have no doubt. Her hand rubs his shoulder, and his arm relaxes. He shakes his head like he’s trying to clear it, but it’s too tough to fight.
“Jaya,” he says my name and I manage to stand and walk over to him, and place my hand on his, covering her neck. He drops it, dropping her. Clasping his hand in mine, I reach for his trousers where I know he keeps a knife and pull it free, raising it to her throat.
“Step the fuck aside, Toska, we’re leaving.”
“You came here to finish me, didn’t you? Why don’t you try, Jaya?” she taunts me.
Does she want me to?
Is that her whole end game?
“Fucking move. Now.” She steps to the side so I can pull open the door. Taj leans on me as we start walking, and just as we hit the party goers, I hear her cry. It’s loud and stings my ears.
Fucking crazy insane bitch.
Chapter 19
Confusion
I stayed with him all night. Deciding his house was not an option, we went back to mine, and I managed to get him into my room without my father noticing. He passed out the moment he hit the bed, and I passed out on the floor staying close to make sure he kept on breathing. He groaned a bit during the night, but other than that he stayed in the same position unmoving.
“Jaya.” Rolling over, my back is sore from sleeping on the floor. He’s sitting up on my bed staring down at me with a confused look on his face.
“You’re awake,” I say smiling. He rubs the back of his hair, still appearing confused.
“And you’re on the floor...” his eyes search the room, “... of a girl’s room. I have no fucking idea where I am.” His eyes land back on me. “How did I get here, Jaya?”
I sit up, and he waits for me to answer him. “You don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
“The party?”
He nods his head. “Toska!” He says her name as if it’s evil. Let’s face it, it is.
“You remember, then?”
He shakes his head. “No! They wanted security, and I took my men there. Had a drink. Then...” he pauses so I finish the sentence for him.
“She drugged you.”
“That’s why I have a fucking raging headache.” He rubs his temples, groaning. “I’m going to fucking kill her.” He then looks up at me. “Why am I here?”
“I may have followed her. I may have seen you with her.”
“And, Jaya?”
“She killed your men, in that room... both of them.” He stands, and his fist goes to punch the wall, but then he glances back to me.
“Your father home?”
I shake my head, he took a case last night. I wonder if it was that one.
“Thank fuck.” He steps over to the door, pulling it open and walking out. Wondering what he’s doing, I wait for him to come back. He brings in two bottles of water and sits back on the bed.
“I’m going to kill her, Jaya. So you can leave and have a guilt-free conscience.”
“He’ll come after you then,” I say, referring to Syler.
Taj shakes his head at my words, “Wrong. He’s starting to see...” He pauses. “Why do you think he wasn’t there last night?”
I shrug my shoulders. “He could have been busy.”
“Syler is only busy when he has you, and now he doesn’t.”
“You don’t know. He doesn’t want me, all he cares about is
her.”
He shakes his head, standing, and moving over to pick up his cell from the nightstand which I placed there last night.
“I get it, you’re as blind as he is.”
I go to tell him differently, but the words don’t leave my mouth.
“Don’t worry, Jaya. Soon she won’t even be a problem.” He walks back to my door. “I’m going to kill her, Jaya. This I promise you. She thought you were a game that she would eventually win, and maybe she would have. But she decided to play with me, instead. You don’t bring other chess players into the game late, Jaya. Especially when they’re the king, and you’re only a pawn.”
Getting up, I walk him to the front door. He touches my face and strokes it with his fingers.
“If our hearts hadn’t already been stolen, I could have wanted more, but selfless people stole them from us.”
I nod my head in understanding. Even if I didn’t know he loved someone before, I do now, and I can see that I never stood a chance with him anyway. He let me use him for what I thought I needed, and he never complained as I took what I wanted.
“They don’t deserve us,” I say more to myself than to him.
He nods his head. “Maybe you’re right, or maybe we just shielded ourselves too well. We didn’t fully let them in. Either way, you need to work out when to walk away. I think your time is now, Jaya.”
“Will you tell me when you have her? I want to see.”
His hand drops and scrubs at his jaw. His eyes are hooded when he says it. “Is it something you really need to see?”
“Tell me when you have her, Taj.”
He nods then walks off, leaving me standing there on the porch watching him walk away.
“Jaya, Jaya, Jaya... you’re making bad decisions with your life.”
My head turns to the left to see Betty standing at the edge of her garden watching me.
How long has she been standing there? I didn’t even see her when I walked out.
“Good morning, Miss Betty.” I offer her a small wave, and she shakes her head at me.
