by L. Wilder
“Sure, let me grab my stuff. I went back to the staff room to get my purse and to let Tony know I was leaving, and then I met Max back out front. Once we were in the car, I turned to him and asked, “So, you were in the Marines?”
“I was. For almost three years,” he answered as he started the car and headed back towards the condo.
“How did you go from being in the Marines to working for Nathan?”
“I was on leave and flying home. We were on the plane together and got to talking.”
“Seriously? You two just started chatting, and you agreed to be his bodyguard?”
“I’m not exactly his bodyguard, Tristen.”
“Then, what are you?”
“It’s complicated.”
“In other words, you can’t tell me.”
“You’re learning.”
“I’m trying.”
When we got back to the condo, Max followed me upstairs and waited for me to open the door. As I stepped inside, I turned to him and asked, “Is he really okay?”
“He is.”
“Okay.” I was about to shut the door when a thought came to my mind. “Hey, what’s the point of driving me to and from work, and watching over me like a hawk, when you’re just going to leave me here alone?”
“I’m not going far, and there are always eyes on this condo. You don’t have to worry,” he assured me.
“What do you mean you aren’t going far?”
“I live in one of the condos below Nitro.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “Of course, you do. Don’t tell me any more. I’m taking a bath and going to bed.”
After my bath, I stepped out in the hall and looked down towards Nathan’s room. The door was open, but the lights were out, making it seem empty and dark. I just couldn’t face sleeping in there alone again, so I crawled into my bed and pulled the covers over me. Feeling a twinge of hope, I reached for my phone and checked the screen. My heart sank when I saw that he still hadn’t called or messaged me. With my phone in my hand, I laid back on my pillow and started flipping through my old pictures. There were several of me and the girls at the club and then they rolled into pictures I’d taken with Josie. Just seeing her face made me miss her. I looked at the time and knew it was late, but against my better judgement, I called her.
It had only rung once before she answered, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just calling….”
“Tristen, do you have any idea what time it is?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called so late. I just got home from work and was looking through some of our pictures. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I could hear the worry in her voice, which made me regret calling her even more.
“I’m fine. I guess I was just missing you a little.”
“Oh, sweetie. It’s okay. I miss you, too. Maybe we could meet for lunch or something one day this week.”
“I’d like that.”
“Was work okay tonight?”
She was fishing, but I decided to just ignore it. “It was really good, actually. They are training me to run the bar. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m pretty excited about it. I’ll be making much better tips working there.”
“That’s great.”
“And I got my books for my classes. I’ll be starting next week.”
“That all sounds really good! So, why don’t you just tell me what’s really bothering you?”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Okay, then just tell me. It might make you feel better to talk it out.”
“Nathan had to go out of town the other day, which isn’t a big deal. I know he has his business thing going on.”
“But?”
“Well, he hasn’t called or checked in since he left. I mean, he responded to my message, but it was short. He basically cut me off.”
“So, what exactly are you worried about? Are you thinking he’s in some kind of trouble? Or do you think this has something to do with you?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know.”
“Tristen, it’s the same way with the guys at the club. You know this. They don’t discuss business. As crazy as it sounds, they really do think they’re protecting us. They don’t realize how crazy it makes us when we don’t know what’s going on.”
“So, you wouldn’t be worried if Big hadn’t touched base with you in days?”
“No. I didn’t say that,” she scoffed. “I’m saying it’s something that goes with the territory. I knew that going in, so I can’t really fuss about it when it happens, and it does happen, Tristen. More than I’d care to admit.”
“I guess.”
“Has there ever been a time when you didn’t talk to him every day?”
“Yes.”
“And was everything okay when you finally did see him?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Then, I think you have your answer.”
“You’re right. I’ve just been worried.”
“Well, stop. At least until you know you have something to worry about.”
“Okay. I’ll stop freaking out. Thanks for listening.”
“That’s what I’m here for, and I’m serious. Let’s get together for lunch this week. Just text me when you have a free day, and I’ll come meet you.”
“I’ll check my schedule and let you know.”
“Sounds good. Now, get some sleep.”
“Will do. Night, Josie.”
While I felt better after talking to her, the ache was still there, creeping over me in the quiet of the night. I rolled to my side and looked at the empty spot next to me, and even though he wasn’t there, I could still feel him, smell him, and I wanted him home. I missed him. Without even realizing I was crying, tears started to stream down my face. It would’ve been one thing if it were only about his business, but in my heart, I truly believed there was something more going on. The thought of him shutting me out hurt. I hated that it bothered me so much, but there was nothing I could do to stop the dull ache in my heart. Giving in to my own sadness, I let myself cry, praying that the next day things would be different.
“What do you think of the name Lila?” Lainey whispered softly. It was late, but neither of us could sleep. We’d gone to her latest OB appointment and found out we were having a girl. I didn’t care if the baby was a boy or a girl as long as it was healthy. I knew I loved her the minute I’d found out she’d been conceived, but I could tell Lainey was relieved. She was worried she wouldn’t know what to do with a boy, even though I’d told her I had plenty of experience in that area. For some reason, though, that didn’t set her mind at ease. After we’d gotten the results, we’d gone by to see her parents. Once we’d told them the news, we stopped over at Mom and Pop’s to tell them. By the time we got home, we were both wiped and crashed on the bed.
“I like Lila, but I thought we were going with the name Grace.”
She ran her hand over her round belly and smiled. “We were, and I love the name, but….”
“Are you changing your mind?” I teased.
“Maybe.”
I rolled to my side and faced her, placing my hand next to hers on her belly. “I’m sure peapod will love whatever name you choose. For that matter, we could just use both names and call her Lila Grace.”
Her eyes lit up as she looked at me. “Lila Grace. That’s the perfect name.”
“It is.”
“I love you, Nathan.”
She leaned over and was just about to press her lips to mine when all of the color drained from her face and she frantically moved her hands to the side of her belly. Her eyes dropped to the blood gushing from her bullet wound. Her hands were soaked in blood as she cried, “Nathan! Help me!”
“Lainey!” I shouted as I reached for her, but her image started to fade, leaving me grasping at nothing but the pile of pillows at my side. My eyes flew open, and I was wet with sweat as I sat up in the be
d. I looked around the dark hotel room and shouted as I threw one of the pillows across the room. “Goddammit!”
I was running on empty—only a few hours of sleep in the last three days and barely a bite to eat. I knew I needed to pull myself together, but that old darkness had found its way back into my heart. I’d tried to fight it, but the need for vengeance had burned through me with no regard for anything else. I was tired, angry, and frustrated to the point that I wanted to yell and scream to let it all out, but like always, I kept it bottled up inside. There was no point in losing it. The DeMarco brothers had a debt to pay, and no matter how long it took, I was going to make sure that they both paid in full.
It had been three days since I’d seen Lenny in that fucking taco restaurant, and I’d nearly convinced myself that I’d imagined the whole damn thing until we got our first lead. It had taken some time, but with our contacts in the area, we’d found out that Lenny and Joey were going by different names, Manny and Dash. We’d also discovered that they were working with a guy named Calhoun, a big dog who ran many drug and prostitution rings in several cities, including Seattle—just a few hours from home. We were getting close. I could feel it in my bones. It was only a matter of time before we found them.
I’d managed to get a couple hours of sleep before the dreams set in. I knew that once they started, they wouldn’t stop, so I got up and went downstairs to the hotel lobby for a cup of coffee. I sat down with my coffee at a corner table and tried to watch the news. Their voices seemed muffled by the chaos going on in my head, and I could feel my impatience rising. Even though I’d only been sitting there a few minutes, I was becoming restless, so I took my coffee and headed upstairs. I was just about to step on the elevator when I ran into Ryder. “Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just figured you’d want to hit the ground running this morning.”
“I do. I just came down for a cup of coffee.”
“I see that. I could use one of those myself,” he grumbled as he stepped off the elevator. “That and a pack of cigarettes.”
“I’m headed up for a shower. I’ll be back in ten, and we can head out.”
He nodded and started towards the lobby. I took my shower and rummaged through my bag for the last of my clean clothes. Once I was dressed and had everything sorted, I went back downstairs. I found Ryder out in the parking lot talking on his cell phone. “Thanks, brother. We’re headed that way now.”
He turned to me and smiled. “We got the motherfucker.”
“You got his location?”
“He’s with some chick at one of the hotels downtown.”
“Anyone else with them?”
“No idea. Guess we’ll find out when we get there.”
We both got in the rental, and adrenaline surged through me as we headed to the location Ryder’s contact had given him. As Ryder started down the road, I only had one thing on my mind—Lenny DeMarco—and everything else faded into the background. Hell, I was too amped up to even know which way we were going. My pulse was racing, and my mind was bombarded with thoughts of coming face to face with Lenny. I wanted to wrap my hands around the motherfucker’s throat and watch the life drain from his body. But that death was too easy, too quick. He deserved a long, miserable death, and I was going to make sure that’s exactly what he got, as soon as I found his brother. I had to get them both. It was the only way I’d ever find peace.
My thirst for revenge had driven me to the edge, and as we pulled up to the hotel, I had to fight to keep myself under control. Luckily it wasn’t crowded; there were just a few people checking out and loading their cars. As soon as Ryder parked the SUV at the curb beside the front door, we both checked our weapons and went inside. Once we were in the lobby, Ryder motioned me over to him.
“I’ll do a walkthrough and see if I can find him.” I nodded and waited for him to go into the restaurant. Seconds later he came back to the door and said, “He’s here. As far as I can tell, it’s just him and the girl.”
“I want them both.”
“How do you want to play this?”
“We wait. When they start to leave, we make our move.”
Ryder got us a table at the door which gave us a clear view of Lenny and his girl. Life hadn’t been good to Lenny. He’d grown old with thinning hair and thick wrinkles around his eyes and forehead, and his gut had all but doubled. The old, fat fucker was completely oblivious to the fact that we were there watching him. He sat eating his eggs and bacon like everything was right as rain, having no idea that I was about to turn his entire life upside down, just like he’d done mine. I watched with repulsion as he reached for his girlfriend’s hand. She was a young blonde, maybe in her late twenties, and she was wearing jeans with heels and a black low cut tank. From the way she looked at him it was clear that she was crazy about him. I wanted to shake her, to tell her all the horrible things he’d done, but I knew a girl like her wouldn’t believe it coming from me. But I knew she’d figure it out soon enough.
“They’re about to make their move,” Ryder told me as he stared in Lenny’s direction.
“Let’s see which way they go. It’d be best if we could get them both in the parking lot, but we’ll make it work either way.”
“We need to play this smart, brother. There’s no way to be sure who’s watching.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” I growled. “I’m not leaving here without them.”
Just as the words left my mouth, Lenny and Blondie got up from their table and started walking towards the door. I took a deep breath as they walked by us and past the hostess’s desk. To my relief, they were headed out towards the parking lot. “Let’s go.”
Ryder and I followed close behind as Lenny led his girl over to a new, bright red Audi TTS. Thankfully, most of the people had already packed up and gone, leaving us alone in the parking lot. Just as Lenny opened the passenger door for her, Ryder stepped up behind him and placed the barrel of his gun against his back. Surprise crossed his face as I stepped in front of him and smiled. “Hello, Lenny. It’s been awhile.”
As I reached for his girl’s hand and moved her away from him, she started to resist, crying and pulling away from me, until I pressed my gun against her temple. She froze with tears streaming down her face as Lenny shouted, “Get your fucking hands off her!”
“That’s not gonna happen.”
His back stiffened as he glared at me angrily. “What the fuck do you want?”
“I’m here to collect a debt that’s been a long time coming, DeMarco.”
Ryder jabbed his gun deeper into Lenny’s back, “We’re gonna take a little ride, motherfucker. Now move!”
“Look… let’s talk about this,” Lenny stammered. “I’ve got money… drugs… women. Anything you want. Surely, we can work something out.”
“Like you worked things out with my father, you piece of shit? Now, move your ass, or I’ll put a bullet in her pretty little head.”
“Manny!” the blonde yelped as I pushed her forward.
“I’ll do whatever you want… just let her go!”
“Where’s your brother?”
“I don’t know,” he lied.
With her whimpering and blubbering like an idiot, I pushed the girl forward, forcing her towards the SUV as I said, “That was your one and only chance, Lenny.”
After we got them in the truck, Ryder took Lenny’s phone, tossed it to the ground, and then zip-tied both their hands and feet. My hands were literally shaking from all the adrenaline as I covered their mouths with duct tape. After all that time, it had finally happened. I’d found him.
Once we had them secured in the backseat, Ryder slammed the door and walked over to me. “What’s the plan?”
“We’re taking them back to Washington.”
“Why not just end the fucker here?”
“This isn’t over until I get his brother, too.” I got in the passenger seat as I said, “We n
eed to go by the hotel, grab our shit, and get the fuck out of here.”
When we pulled out onto the road, I was thankful for the darkly tinted windows. The last thing we needed was for someone to see that we had two people bound and gagged in the backseat. Ryder pulled up to the back of the hotel and waited as I went in to grab our stuff. In less than twenty minutes, we were back on the road and headed to Washington. Lenny’s muffled grunts and groans echoed through the truck as he fought against his restraints, and I relished in the sound of him being scared out of his mind. I wanted him scared. I wanted him completely terrified, just like Lainey and my father had been the night he’d killed them. I wanted him to suffer like they had, and by the time I was done with him, he’d be praying for fucking mercy.
We drove straight through, only stopping for gas and necessary breaks, and managed to make it back home before midnight. We took them to one of my warehouses up in the mountains. It was a more discreet location, one where no one would think to look for them. We got them out of the truck and took them inside. Ryder took the girl into a separate room, while I led Lenny into the back of the warehouse. This particular warehouse had once been used as a deer processing center, so there was a large freezer in the back. Panic washed over him as I took him inside and secured him to a chair in the center of the room. As soon as I ripped the tape from his mouth, the incessant pleading began.
“Just let me go. I’ll give you whatever you want. Anything. Just name it.”
“The one thing I truly want, you can’t give me, Lenny. You took that away from me ten years ago.”
“It wasn’t me. I didn’t do anything. I swear. Just let me go.”
“You didn’t go into my father’s house and put a bullet in his head? You didn’t shoot my mother and Lainey? You didn’t kill my unborn daughter?” Rage surged through me as my fist grew taut, and I slammed it across his jaw. Once the first punch was thrown, I couldn’t stop. I just kept hitting him, over and over again, while I cursed his very existence.
I was still laying into him when Ryder came up to the door. “Nitro.”
