Bullseye

by Monica James

  Jaws licks the blood from his lips. “Fine.”

  “What are the terms?” I ask, needing to get my head into the game. The rules have changed.

  “You get close to Stevie, ensuring he hires you to be his muscle now that Kong is gone.” His voice is dripping with delight at the fact. “I want to know all about the fighting syndicate. That’s easy money for me. I can’t lose betting on the right horse.” He means me. “Find out what you can about his other dealings. Where he gets his shipments from. How much. I want to know everything there is.

  “Encourage him to buy The Pink Oyster. I was going to approach Lotus myself, but the bitch won’t be so accommodating with me. Stevie can get the club for a steal. Money better in my pocket than hers.”

  “How do you know all this?” I ask, wondering just how many people he has working for him.

  “I make it my business to know the comings and goings of people who are of use to me. I found out about your little fling with my sister, now didn’t I? I couldn’t believe my luck when I did my research and found out just who you were—two birds, one stone. It was like destiny brought us together once again.”

  It takes all my willpower not to headbutt him out cold.

  “I was happy to remain in the shadows and allow Carlos to take care of it, but when you walked into her world and she couldn’t stay away, well, it wasn’t a coincidence. It was fate. I see the way she looks at you. She likes you. And you like her. Shame on you. Emotions make you weak.” There’s a bite to his tone. Could he be speaking from experience? “You should know that. It really is poetic justice for you both.”

  His comment throws me off center. I need to derail this because I can only deal with one headfuck at a time.

  “What’s your issue with Stevie?”

  He grins, but nothing is pleasant about the gesture.

  “That’s a story for another day. All you need to know for now is that I want him to think he’s on top when I take it all from him…just as he did to me.”

  This is fucking personal. He is looking for a fall guy—and I fit the bill.

  He makes his to-do list seem so simple, but what he’s asking goes against everything I stand for. A fucking snitch. But I humor him.

  “I do all this; you leave Tiger and Jordy alone?”

  He nods once. “Yes. Not a hair on their heads will be touched. Oh, and this agreement means you leave her alone. You’re dead to her. We clear? You make sure she can’t stand the sight of you. If she goes anywhere near you, or vice versa, it’ll be the last thing she ever does.”

  “And you and Scrooge? What about your heads?” I question, inhaling and exhaling heavily.

  “I promise you a fair fight,” he replies, which has me vibrating violently. “When it’s all done, we will fight, man to man. No guns. No tricks. May the best man win.” He’s clearly confident he’ll win, but he underestimates my rage and the fact I can smell bullshit from a mile away.

  There will never be a fair fight.

  “Fair? There is no fair in this situation! How is what you did to my brother fair?”

  “I hardly remember him, so I don’t know what you want me to say.” His carefree comment is further insult to Damian.

  I can’t do this. I can’t make a deal with the devil. How can I work with him, knowing what I do? But if I don’t…Tiger will pay. And Damian’s death will never be avenged because Jaws will kill me. All of this would have been for nothing.

  My hands are tied. Is my revenge worth more to me than her? I could end him here and now. He is injured, and it wouldn’t take much for me to pin him down and choke the life out of him. But he came here armed—in every sense of the word.

  “I could kill you right now,” I caution, meaning every single word.

  “You could,” he counters, untroubled. “But if my friends don’t hear from me, it won’t end well for my sister. End being the operative word in the sentence.” I don’t need a Venn diagram: I either do what he says or he will end her life as easily as I ended her son’s father.

  “If you’re so powerful, do it yourself. Stevie isn’t hard to find!” I spit, angered.

  “I could”—he purses his lips in thought—“but I don’t want any fallback. It’s not good for business. Neither does Scrooge. He has a family to think of. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer as they say. Besides, it’s more fun this way.”

  This makes no fucking sense, but I am so done with this asshole. I need time to think. And I need to see Tiger.

  Jaws has always been two steps ahead. I need to catch up to speed. But before I go, I want to know one thing that has plagued me for fourteen years.

  “Why?” That single word carries so much emotion. He says he doesn’t remember, but he’s lying. He knows he can do this because I will do anything for revenge.

  He promises me a fair fight because he owes me this. And I will ensure I don’t lose.

  Jaws smirks, a victor’s grin. He knows he’s won. I’ve just sold my soul to the devil. With a casual shrug, he calmly replies, “Why not?”

  And that’s it. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. No resolution. They killed my brother because they could. And I promise here and now that I will do the same.

  This is just the beginning.

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

  He rejoices in victory. “I own you now.”

  But before he has a chance to celebrate, I knee him under the chin, knocking him out cold. The sight of his lifeless body does nothing to appease my demons. But it’ll do—for now.

  “I belong to no one.”

  This “deal” buys me time to devise another plan because once he’s got no use for me, he will get rid of me. There will never be a “fair” fight because that would mean he’s honorable. And that is something he is not.

  Better I be an inside man, gathering enough ammo to bring down an empire, than a dead man.

  Calmly opening the door, I find the room flanked by four bodyguards. Of course, he has backup, which is the reason it’s not his time—for now.

  “Take me to her,” I demand, shoving past them. When one of them tries to stop me, I elbow him in the face.

  I am a live wire, and no one will stop me.

  “Upstairs. Last door on the left,” one of them says, clearly not interested in ending up like his friend.

  Without a moment to waste, I march up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Upstairs is roped off, but when the two guards see me coming, they quickly remove the rope. My gaze is focused on the last door on the left and nothing else. I don’t have a game plan. All I know is that I need to see her.

  I burst through the door, frantically scanning the room for Tiger. I don’t have to look far. She’s sitting behind Jaws’s huge wooden desk. When she sees me, her eyes widen, and she comes to a quick stand, using the chair as a barricade between us. “Please don’t.”

  But I can’t. If I don’t touch her, I’m terrified she’ll run away. “Your brother is the asshole who killed Damian,” I reveal on a rushed breath, needing to get it out.

  She shakes her head frantically.

  “It’s true,” I persist, shoving the chair out of my way. She backs up, hitting the bookshelf behind her. She’s trapped like a scared little rabbit. Usually, nothing would please me more. But not now.

  Her flighty eyes dart to the door. She’s petrified.

  Instantly, I stop, raising my hands in surrender. I owe her the entire truth before I crush her. “You once asked me what my name was. It’s Cody, Cody Bishop. When I was fifteen, four men killed my brother. One of them was your brother and the other was—” She closes her eyes, tears streaming down her face. But I need her to know it all.

  “The other was Lachlan, or Hero. Was he the man you loved? Is he Jordy’s dad?”

  The air is so thick, I can barely breathe.

  “Lily, please, answer me.”

  It’s the first time I’ve used her name, and it has the desired effect.

  With t
he slowest of movements, she opens her eyes and breaks my fucking heart, a heart I didn’t even know could break ever again. “Yes,” she whispers, cementing this clusterfuck once and for all.

  At the time, I thought running into Kong was a coincidence, and the universe was finally cutting me a break. But now I know he was familiar with The Pink Oyster because he knew one of the dancers personally—he knew Tiger was Jaws’s sister. Maybe he encouraged Stevie to go into business with Lotus as a fuck you to Jaws.

  But I suppose I’ll never know.

  “You said his name was Michael? I don’t understand.”

  Tiger sniffs, a look of nostalgia passing over her. “Michael Jordan was his favorite basketball player. That’s where I got Jordan’s name,” she revealed. “When he called, I couldn’t call him by his name because I didn’t want Christopher knowing who I was speaking with. So I called him Michael. The name just stuck.”

  Her nostalgia, however, is about to be ruined by the truth.

  “The night my brother died… he, your beloved Michael, was the one who could have called an ambulance. Your brother gave him the choice, but he chose wrong. He ran away like a fucking coward, leaving Damian to die. Although he wasn’t the one who delivered the fatal blow, your brother was the one who did that. He held my brother down like he was nothing but a rabid dog.”

  “Stop,” she pleads, but I won’t. She deserves the truth—finally.

  “Scrooge broke his wrist and then stole his championship ring. Hero pressed his boot on Damian’s spine, while your brother pissed on him. Kong held me back, leaving me helpless as I watched them. When your brother split Damian’s head open, he killed me too. They all did.

  “So when I found Hero”—I deadpan her—“I had no issues ending his life.”

  “He changed after that. I knew something had happened. He wasn’t like them,” she says, enraging me.

  “I’m glad it took my brother’s death to change him into your Prince Charming!”

  She turns her cheek, wounded, but I have no regrets. The only regret I have is letting her in.

  “He was going to propose to you,” I reveal, without emotion, while a stunned gasp leaves her. “When I shot him, he was reaching into his pocket to show me your engagement ring, to thank me for sparing his life. I wasn’t one for sentiments, however. He took that away from me.”

  “Oh my g-god,” she sobs, muting her cries behind her hand.

  “So maybe you’re right. Maybe he did change. But that change came at the expense of my brother.” I can’t stop the venom from spewing. I need to hurt her because I am angry, so fucking angry. She is standing in the way of my revenge.

  But I’m not angry with her—I’m angry with myself for being so weak. If only I had fought her harder, they’d all be dead. But now, I have to sacrifice everything I’ve learned to keep her safe.

  I already destroyed her once before. I can’t do it again.

  “Michael was terrified of Jaws. He didn’t mean to—”

  But I storm forward, gripping her chin hard. “Don’t you dare make excuses for him! Scared or not, he should have done the right thing. But he didn’t. And he paid with his life. And so will your brother.”

  “I beg of you, don’t hurt him. Christopher is all I have—”

  “Then I feel sorry for you, Tiger,” I spit, leveling her with nothing but pure disgust as she begs for his life. If only she knew what he thought of her. “You had no issues turning a blind eye before you knew who it was.”

  Her lower lip trembles as she casts her eyes downward, ashamed. “Everything is different now.”

  “You’re right. It is. Your brother, he’s the enemy. And so are you if you side with him.”

  “He’s my flesh and blood,” she reasons, sealing this forevermore. This is the last time I will ever feel anything again.

  Letting her go, I slam my lips to hers, owning, possessing, and devouring her because she is mine. She always will be. She gasps, then wraps her arms around my neck, violently kissing me back. I thread my fingers through her long hair, committing the smell, the taste of her to memory because this is the last time. Our goodbye kiss.

  Our tongues collide in a frenzied union, unable to keep up with what our bodies want to say. She is the only person I am willing to sacrifice everything for—and to do that, I have to hurt her. To keep her safe, I need her to hate me. It’s the only way.

  Her small whimpers, and the way she twists herself around me, regardless of what she knows, shows me that what she feels for me is more than just a casual fling. And I feel the same way. I wondered if she meant more to me than revenge, and the answer is yes. She does.

  “Let her go.” That voice. I’ve missed that voice. But I suppose I can hear it now because finally, for the first time in my life, I’m doing the right thing.

  With a final kiss, I do what Damian says…I let her go.

  Her eyes flutter open, unsure why I stopped. Kissing the tip of her nose, I cup her cheek, hating myself more than I already do. “I will kill your brother. And I’ll…kill you too if you stand in my way.”

  She blinks once, turning a sickly white. “Wh-what?”

  There is no emotion in my eyes. It’s gone. And I doubt it’ll ever return.

  I stumble backward when she shoves me off her. I silently praise my fiery girl. I knew she was there. She just needed a little push.

  “I remember thinking nothing could be worse than when you told me you killed someone. That someone turned out to be the only man I ever loved. But I was wrong. We are so done. Over. If you come anywhere near me or my son, I will fucking kill you.”

  I applaud her slowly. “Try it, darlin’. I dare you.”

  “You ruined my life, and then you threaten to kill me. I should tell Franca what you’ve done.”

  Her threat is empty. She wouldn’t do that. No matter how badly she’d like to think she could, she won’t. It’s the reason she didn’t call the police when she found me covered in blood.

  “Do what you gotta do, and I’ll do the same.”

  She doesn’t flinch as she slaps my cheek. “You don’t stand a chance against Christopher.”

  “We’ll see,” I challenge with a smirk, moving my jaw from side to side.

  Everything good inside me, the good because of her is washed away, leaving behind the blackness I’ve carried for fourteen years.

  “Your brother isn’t a good guy,” I warn, wishing I could tell her everything I know. But what would be the point? She wouldn’t listen. I am the boogeyman, after all. I am the man who destroyed her life.

  “Neither are you,” she counters, daring me to argue. But I don’t.

  “I never said I was,” I deadpan.

  Her expression hardens as she pulls herself together. Every part of me hopes she will fight, fight for me. I need her to be the one. As selfish as that is, I can’t be the one who walks away. But Tiger proves just who has the bigger balls. “Shame on me for not listening. It won’t happen again.”

  She shoves past me, a newfound confidence running through her veins. This is her claiming back her life, putting an end to an era of doubt. She saw herself as someone unworthy of love because everyone left her behind. But now that Jaws is back and she knows the truth about Lachlan, she realizes that she is worthy.

  She always was.

  She looks at me like I’m nothing, and I am. What I did to her, to her son, unmasks the monster within me. And I like it. This depravity makes me feel alive.

  I’ve orphaned three children, and if I had the choice…I’d do it again. I may be in bed with the devil, but the finale will be worth the burn.

  “If you’ll excuse me, it’s time I told my son the truth. It’s time I told him all about his father who didn’t leave us, but instead, died an innocent victim because of you.” And there it is…hatred.

  Finally.

  “He will never be innocent. Never forget that.”

  “No one is,” she counters with fire. “But with Christopher back, we can t
ry to be a family again.”

  “You can try,” I patronize with a smirk.

  “Fuck you.”

  “Been there, done that,” I say with a shrug. “It wasn’t worth the trouble.”

  Tears of anger burn her eyes, which is what she leaves me with as she storms out the door. When it slams shut behind her, I inhale deeply, pushing down the urge to run after her.

  Once I’ve calmed somewhat, I round the desk and take a seat behind it. I run my finger along the polished surface, whistling at all this wealth that I will enjoy burning to the ground. Reaching for the phone, I dial a number, ready to kick-start this shitshow right now.

  “Hey, Stevie. Bad news,” I say when he answers. “Kong split. Something about Jaws gunning for all of your blood. He wants your empire, man.”

  And watch the web I spin.

  Somehow, I thought killing Kong would make me feel better. But all it’s done is make things so much worse. I suppose with every action there is a consequence, and this is mine. Killing Kong has changed the course of everything, but I suppose that’s the case when you rob someone of their life.

  Poetic justice, some may say. I shouldn’t have thought it was ever going to be this easy.

  “Fuck,” he curses, the panic clear in his tone.

  This is the moment I swoop in and save the day. “Now that you’re a man down, how about you let me show you what real muscle does?”

  “You want his job?”

  “As I see it, you don’t have a choice. You need protection. I need money.” Leaning back in the chair, I place my feet on the desk and cross my ankles casually. “So what do you say?”

  “Come see me tomorrow. I’ll text you the address.”

  I hang up. The job is as good as mine.

  It shouldn’t be this easy, but it is.

  Gripping the medallion around my neck, I finally feel at home. This is one step closer to getting what I want, because the world is a jungle, and we’re all just fucking animals—we’re Jaws, Bull, and Tiger, and we’re ready to tear one another apart.

  Book Two Coming April 30th 2020!