LIGHTER

by Cole, Mila

  I squeezed through the back of the gate and slid behind a row of cars, headed straight for Derosa’s parking spots. He had six of them, and Tony always parked in the same place. Ducking down, I walked quickly and quietly in front of the row of cars so no one would see me there. The garage was stuffy, surrounded by concrete walls. I could feel the sweat beading up on my forehead. I was three cars away from Tony’s truck, and I watched as they got out of the vehicle. My eyes scanned around for the SUV, but I couldn’t find it. There must’ve been twenty black SUVs inside the garage.

  Where’d you go?

  Something was wrong. You know how you can just feel when something isn’t right? I could feel it, only that feeling was stronger than ever. Something bad was going to happen.

  I slid between two vehicles, still hunched over and walking slowly to the back of them to get a better view. When I reached for my cell phone, I nearly cussed out loud. That was the second time I needed it and didn’t have it on me. Footsteps caught my attention, and they sounded like they were heading in my direction. I backed up, crouched down on the ground, and put my back to the car on my right. They would see me if they were looking hard enough. They didn’t though. Three men in suits passed the vehicle, their dress shoes clacking against the cement floor. I couldn’t get a good look at them because I didn’t want them to see me there.

  Once they had passed, I peeked over the hood of the dark blue SUV that was parked next to me. I had a clear view of the elevator. Tony and Lighter stood there waiting for the door to open as the three suited men walked toward them.

  It was that moment that Tony finally noticed them. He had catlike reflexes for an older man, and he obviously sensed the same danger as me. He moved swiftly, putting Lighter behind his body, and that’s when I noticed that the men had guns drawn—all of them pointed toward Trim and Lighter.

  My head was spinning. I had to stop this somehow.

  Think, Slick.

  I was inching my way around cars, ducking low, trying hard not to be seen. The elevator made a dinging noise, and one of the men stood there waiting for whoever was coming out.

  It was Derosa. He stepped out of the elevator, and the man snatched him up. Derosa’s back was against him, and the man had an arm around his neck and the barrel of a gun stuck to his temple. He was going to blow his head off right there in front of his daughter.

  I heard Lighter’s cries and Derosa’s grunts, but I wasn’t close enough to make out what the men were saying. Tony still had an arm in front of Lighter’s body, and he was saying something. I couldn’t read his lips, but he was talking to one of the men. When I got closer, it was like a bad scene from a movie. Someone was going to die. My heart knew it as it thumped like a beating drum in my chest. It sounded so loud in my ears that I thought they could probably hear it too.

  I had to get Tony’s attention. We didn’t have guns, and we were clearly outnumbered, but we had to try and stop them somehow.

  When I was just a couple of cars away from them, I could finally hear what they were saying, and it was the first time I caught a glimpse of the men’s faces. I recognized the main guy. It was the Italian man. The one who was supposed to be partners with Derosa. The one that made Lighter uncomfortable.

  When my hand moved next to my body, I noticed that it was making a shadow on the wall directly across from Trim. I hoped like hell it wouldn’t capture those men’s attention.

  An idea hit me.

  I made an X with my hands and placed it in front of the light.

  Come on, Tony. Look over.

  Yes! Good girl, Lighter.

  As soon as she noticed, she whispered something to Tony. He knew immediately that I was there. His eyes flickered in my direction for a brief second, and he nodded slowly. I had to make a move soon.

  Derosa’s voice rose as he told the man to let Lighter go. She wasn’t a part of whatever beef he had with these men. Everything he was saying was just pissing them off more. The Italian was spouting off all sorts of demands, telling Derosa that he’d get what he wanted one way or another.

  I couldn’t wait any longer.

  I held three fingers in the light for Tony to see the reflection.

  Then two.

  Then one.

  Time’s up, motherfuckers.

  Thirty

  Lighter

  It all happened so fast. Slick jumped out from wherever he was hiding and tackled the man holding my father, the three of them falling forcefully to the ground. Trim had another guy around the neck and was using him as a shield against the other guy. Guns were waving, a shot was fired, and I was in full-blown panic mode. I was just standing there watching it all unfold right before my eyes, but my feet were glued to the floor and my body wouldn’t move. It was like my body was there, but empty.

  Slick knocked the guy out on the ground. At least that’s what I was hoping. His body was limp with no movement. He went straight for the legs of the guy waving the gun at Trim. The two of them barreled to the ground. Fists were flying. I could hear the grunts and groans as the punches landed. A yelp escaped my lips, but that was it. I was seriously stuck. My feet felt like they were glued to the ground.

  Another shot fired off, and I ducked.

  I’d finally moved. My instinct wasn’t completely broken.

  When I saw my father scrambling to get up, I tried to go to him. My feet were moving, but before I realized what was about to happen, I was already on the ground. The man with Trim had broken free from his arms, and he took a swing at my face. It connected and knocked me down to the ground. The pain was delayed, but when I finally felt it, I thought I was going to die. My head throbbed worse than any migraine I’d ever felt. The pain was so intense that I felt an instant need to vomit. My stomach heaved as I lay there in agonizing pain.

  When I glanced up, the man had the gun pointed right at me.

  This was it. I was going to die by the hands of this man. My body shook and a small cry escaped my lips.

  Trim leaped in front of me, screaming, just as the gun fired. It felt as though it happened in slow motion.

  My eyes closed tightly waiting for death to take me.

  But it never came.

  I released a ragged breath, my heart constricting in my chest.

  Opening my eyes, I saw Slick standing there with his hands on the man’s neck. There were dark protruding veins pulsing in his arms as he squeezed the man tightly. One second the man’s eyes were filled with fear, and the next second they were lifeless. Slick had twisted the mans neck, snapping it until he fell to his death.

  Lying on the ground before me was Trim.

  I scurried over, my breath completely kicked out of me, and looked down at the man who’d saved my life. A man I’d grown to love and respect. The man who took a bullet in the head for me.

  Trim was dead.

  “Nooooooooooooo!” I screamed. I didn’t recognize the cry that escaped my body.

  “Please, no,” I cried, shaking his chest with force. I was begging and pleading for him to open his eyes. “Open your eyes, Trim. Open them. Please. For the love of God. You can’t die. You can’t.”

  I was sobbing uncontrollably.

  When I looked up and saw Slick’s face. The look in his eyes gutted me. I was lost in a sea of tears.

  He stalked over to where Trim lay lifeless and picked up the gun lying next to his foot. The look in his eyes was torture. His best friend was gone, and he was furious. The darkness settled in his eyes and on his face leaving him cold and murderous.

  I looked back down at Trim, wishing this whole thing was a nightmare and that he would just wake up. Slick took the gun in his hand and turned around.

  There stood my father.

  He lifted his hand and yelled, “Don’t fucking move!”

  Thirty-One

  Slick

  “If you move, I will blow your fucking head off your shoulders.”

  Derosa’s eyes were wide as he stared at me. He was about to escape. He was about to lea
ve all of us there to face the wrath.

  “He’s dead!” I shouted. “Because of you, my best friend is dead.”

  I stomped closer to him and put the gun on the side of his head, daring him to flinch. If he made one single move, I was going to blow his brains out.

  I sucked in a deep breath needing a second to process it all. Tony was gone. He’d saved Lighter’s life but lost his own. My heart was broken into tiny pieces, and it was all because of the man who stood before me—that heartless man who cared for no one but himself.

  With my heart shattered beneath my ribcage, I wondered if it would ever beat right again. Furry flowed through my veins. My finger itched on the trigger of the gun tempting me to end the son of a bitch’s life, the way he’d ended Tony’s.

  “There is no reason for you to be alive. I should just kill you right now.”

  “Lighter,” he said.

  I pressed the gun harder into his head. “Don’t say another word. Don’t you dare speak.” My voice was powerful, venomous, and he knew just how serious I was.

  “Slick.” Lighter’s voice caught my attention. I glanced over at her. She had tears running down her face. “Please don’t do this. No one else needs to die today.”

  My breathing grew heavier. This was just another one of Derosa’s games. He couldn’t walk out of here like nothing happened. I wouldn’t allow it. I never wanted him to walk again. He was smug, always thinking that he could get away with anything. Not this time. I was going to enjoy watching the life leak out of him. The sick bastard didn’t deserve to breathe another second.

  “You’ll never change,” I told him.

  “Slick, please,” Lighter pleaded once more.

  She moved to stand directly in front of her father. Every emotion you could imagine flashed through her eyes. She knew I was serious. She knew that I’d likely kill him, so she spoke to him. Her eyes never looked up at me.

  She sniffled and then said the words that seemed to be weighing her down. I’d give her this closure.

  “You’re not my father,” she started. The words were harsh and cold. “I’ve never had a relationship with you in the eighteen years that I’ve been on this earth. I didn’t realize it before, but I see it now. You’re selfish, greedy, and a monster. You don’t love me, or you would’ve never put me in danger like this. Everything ends here. I won’t be a pawn in your game.” Derosa’s eyes filled with tears. It was the most emotion I’d ever seen in the man, and he deserved every bit of it. “I don’t ever want to see you again. You will call off your trolls. You will leave me and my mother alone. You will never come near this man”—she looked up at me—“and his family. You’re getting everything you deserve. If I ever see your face again, I will shoot you myself. I don’t love you. Drop the gun, Slick.”

  She looked up at me.

  I could hear sirens in the distance.

  She held up her phone.

  “Drop the gun,” she told me once more.

  I realized what she’d done. He wasn’t going to die by my hands. Not that day.

  The gun slid from my hand to the floor, just as the cops rushed in on us.

  I pulled Lighter to my chest and held her tightly. I needed her, and she needed me. We were the anchor that held each other together.

  When I looked across the floor and saw Tony’s body lying there, I lost it.

  I broke.

  Lighter cried too.

  My best friend was gone. The man who I wanted to be like. The man who was the uncle to my baby girl. The man who did everything in his power to make sure I was okay, and to keep me on the straight and narrow path. I owed so much of my life to him.

  Just like that, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

  My mind was in a deep haze when the ambulance showed up and we were rushed off to the hospital. I couldn’t focus. Everything seemed like a blur, like one gigantic fog hovering around us.

  Several grueling hours later, I had to get a few stitches at the hospital from a bullet graze to the arm, and the police had a thousand questions for Lighter and me. She had to be checked out too. The doctors were afraid that she’d suffered a concussion and gave her a shot in the ass for the pain in her head.

  We answered everything that the officers asked us. Both of us were in the dark about the things that Derosa had going on behind closed doors. We could only tell them what we knew, but it sufficed.

  Turns out, the police had an ongoing investigation they were working on against Derosa. They were happy to have him in custody, and they weren’t going to let him walk free. Deep down, I still wish I would’ve killed him. A part of me was taken away because of him, and prison was too soft. He should’ve suffered the same fate as Tony, but that didn’t happen.

  Knox dropped Chloe off to me at the hospital but left in shambles. I understood. He’d just lost his father, who was the only family he had in his life. I told him that I’d be by his house in the morning and that he could stay with us tonight if he needed to. He just nodded before he left. I’d never seen him so shaken. This wasn’t going to be easy for him. Tony was his whole world.

  I was crushed. But seeing that boy’s face made it worse.

  Chloe was in my arms snuggled up against my neck while Lighter walked beside me holding my hand, as we made our way outside through the automatic doors of the hospital.

  “Lighter,” a voice called out.

  “Mom,” Lighter gasped. She let go of my hand and ran right into the arms of her mother.

  Her mom smiled up at me as she held her baby girl in her arms. The two of them stood there embracing each other. Chloe looked up at them. She still didn’t understand what was going on, or why I was hurt, but she was so happy to see me. I kissed her sweet little cheek.

  “I’m Rebecca. I’m Lighter’s mother,” she said to me. Two bodyguards stood behind her. I could see the swarm of paparazzi standing away from the entrance. Police were warning them off, but they were desperate to get their story. I could barely look in their direction without getting upset.

  Rebecca was kind of young, or at least she looked that way. A slightly older version of Lighter minus the lavender hair.

  I held out my hand to her. “I’m Jensen, and this is my daughter, Chloe.”

  She shook my hand and smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “We should head back to the house. I’m exhausted, and we have a lot to do tomorrow.” I was thinking about the arrangements for Tony. He was likely going to be cremated, but I knew Knox would want to have a little something in his honor. I wanted that too. I didn’t get to say goodbye.

  Lighter’s eyes grew wide, and her face fell sullen. “Please don’t go.” She threw herself against me, wrapping her arms around my waist. Her body was shaking.

  I looked at Rebecca, whose eyes filled up with tears.

  “You can come with us if you want,” I said to Lighter. Truth of the matter was I didn’t want to be parted from her either. We’d been at each other’s sides since the incident, and I liked the comfort of having her there. She was safe with me.

  “Yes.” She nodded her head against me. “What about you?” she asked her mother.

  “I’m fine. Don’t you worry about me. I’m going to the penthouse to get some things in order. I have plenty of security with me, so I’ll be okay. We can get together tomorrow. Things are going to be okay.” Rebecca hugged her once more. “I know I won’t have to worry about you though, and that will help me sleep easier. You’re in good hands.”

  That was a good feeling. Knowing that her mother was okay with her being with me. The woman didn’t know me at all. She was offering me blind trust, which I was grateful for.

  They said their goodbyes, and then the three of us slid into the back of the SUV that Norman was driving. I sat in between my two girls and held them all the way home, thanking God that nothing had happened to them. They were both warm and safe in my arms.

  The rest of the night slowly ticked by. Our hearts were heavy. We never spoke abou
t what had happened. We took comfort in the silence. I think we were both still in shock and exhausted, just ready to put it all behind us. For the night, at least.

  I sat in the oversized chair in my living room and watched Chloe and Lighter as they were sleeping on the couch. I could hardly peel my eyes away from them, scared that I’d blink and they’d be gone.

  The sound of someone knocking on my door made me jump.

  Who could that be? I wondered.

  Glancing out the peep hole, I saw Knox.

  It was after midnight.

  I opened the door to let him in. Tears were overflowing from his eyes as he sobbed. I pulled him tight against me, hugging him hard. The poor boy was lost. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through and wondered if he’d ever fully recover from it.

  We stood there holding onto one another for a long minute. I knew that was what he needed. Maybe it was what I needed too.

  I patted his back and nudged toward the kitchen. I grabbed both of us a couple of beers, and we walked out onto the back patio, trying not to wake up the girls. We sat outside in silence for a bit, just taking everything in. Seeing Knox so emotional tore me up. I couldn’t stop the tears that ran down my face.

  When he finally started to talk, it was mostly about good things. About certain times he’d shared with his father. We shared a couple of good laughs talking about some of the funny shit Trim used to say. That man was sure going to be missed.

  Once we had gotten to a better place in our conversation, the two of us talked about the cremation and decided it was best. He’d be able to take his father with him wherever he wanted or scatter his ashes someplace beautiful. Tony would’ve wanted that. So we agreed.

  The glass door slid open, and Lighter stepped outside on the patio with us. The poor girl had cried herself to sleep earlier, and she looked exhausted. I knew she was upset about Tony taking that bullet for her. But no matter how many times she replayed that scene in her mind, it would always end up the same. He would’ve always taken that bullet. It was the kind of man he was. And I knew that he really loved Lighter. They’d become close friends in the short amount of time they’d known each other.