Authors: S. W. Frank
He started the engine the minute her seatbelt clicked and tore off down the road, making her ass bounce up and down on purpose.
“Hey, it’s not funny E!” She shouted.
She was too lazy to pronounce his full name, now he was E. He hit another bump and her head collided with the roof and she looked pissed, “What’s wrong with you?”
He laughed at her expense. She left make-up products on his sink, took liberties with his boxers…his boxers, refused to cook, whined and every chance she got tried to jump his bones. He figured she deserved payback, E-style!
When she bounced up and landed down in her seat, she fol
ded
her arms
across her chest and refused to speak to him.
“Oh such a baby!”
“It’s not funny, I did my hair.”
He
smiled;
actually she looked really pretty with it tousled. “You’re not going to a fashion shoot.”
She became quiet and several minutes later asked, “Why are you being mean to me, do you really hate me?”
He scoffed, “Hate you, no. I think you’re a liar, that’s all.” Another bump was coming. He aimed directly for it and the
y
both bounced out of their seats and Jessica laughed when he slammed his head.
“Ouch!” He exclaimed rubbing the top of his hair.
“How you
like your own medicine?”
He grinned, “Okay, laugh.”
“I want to understand why you keep calling me a liar, can you explain yourself?”
“You said you didn’t know anything about drugs, yet you had them. You were scheduled to check out last Saturday, said you would, but you stayed in Miami. Should I keep going?”
“Cu
t me slack. I fibbed once and you’re making it a felony offense. You’re being unreasonable about this whole thing.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. You’re using the situation to not talk about us.”
He exhaled with a whistle, “Whoa, Jess. Your best friends
are dead from a drug overdose
, isn’t that a big deal?”
“Yes, but I didn’t give them drugs, or buy them drugs or feed them drugs, so I don’t see why you’re mad at me?”
“Let me try to make it simple. You gave them the money which bought the drugs. See the link?”
“Don’t be an ass. Haven’t you ever loaned
money to
a friend before and do you police what they do with it?”
His mouth tugged down. She had a valid point. “Okay, maybe I didn’t see it that way.”
“Maybe, you need to start trying to view things from another perspective more often because you’re highly judgmental for a former car thief!”
“Whoa, where is this coming from?”
“A place of anger.”
He smiled, “You’re angry at me?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Why?” He asked driving slower.
“Because, you send mixed messages.
You used me and I’m angry!”
“I used you?”
“Hell yes!”
He found it funny and simply chuckled. She was the one
hitting on him
. They hooked up because she wanted to, well, he did too, but she instigated it.
“Jess, you expect too much from people.”
“We’re not talking about people, plural. This is about you, singular. I expected you’d fess up and say hey I want you. Let’s see where this goes and if it d
oesn’t
work
, then we tried. Instead, you bolt and hide behind lame excuses.”
A few cars sped by and he elevated his speed to stay with the flow of traffic. “They weren’t excuses.”
“Okay, then be honest. Do you like me?”
His eyes bulged, “Yeah.”
“Did you like fucking me and tell the truth since you hate liars?”
“Yes, yes I did,” he answered reluctantly.
“Can you see us as a couple?”
This felt like truth or dare. He stayed honest. “Yes.”
“Then why are you pushing me away?”
“Because I don’t want to be disappointed if it doesn’t work out, then it’ll be uncomfortable for both of us.”
“What if I tell you, I’m afraid of the same thing, but I’m willing to
dive in because what if it turns out wonderful?”
“
J
ess you were in my apartment for a couple of days and I wanted to evict you immediately.”
“Because you were angry.
When we were in Miami, we went out, had fun, you like
d
me then. See the link?”
He snickered, “That’s true.”
“Okay. Here’s my proposition.”
“I can’t wait to hear it.”
“When things settle down.
We hang-out. Do fun stuff. See where it goes.”
“Not a bad proposition.”
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“Since we’re not in a hurry, why
don’t we
go back to your place
you know?”
“You have a one track mind.”
She scooted over and caressed his ear, “I didn’t lie when I said I love you.”
“I know you didn’t.” He paused, “When is your birthday?”
“October third.”
“How about I officially take you out for your twenty-first?”
“I have to wait months?”
“
If you’re serious about us, then we do it right. Twenty-first birthday, I’ll step to your cousin like a man instead of sneaking and shit and we take it from there.”
“Does that mean we don’t hook up with anybody else?”
He scoffed, “If you’re
with somebody by then, then it is what it is. We’ll remain friends.”
“Okay. Fourteen weeks, my birthday. I can wait that long for you.”
He smiled. Maybe she could but he wasn’t going to abstain from sex that long. Condom
s
baby!
CHAPTER
TWENTY
-
NINE
Two
dark
vans
drove
up
to
an
old warehouse, not far from the pier.
Nico climbed out
the truck and
opened the
padlock
ed doors to the receiving dock
then waved the vans inside. Once they were in he locked the door
s
from the inside and waited for everyone to emerge.
Alfonzo came to him, “Lead the way.”
Nico led them through the wide space to a backroom and unlocked the door. The room was black.
He
hit
a
switch
and light flooded across the spacious area, once belong
ing
to a meatpacking company. He heard his twin brother Vincent chuckle
in amusement.
Their father was nicknamed ‘The Butcher,’ his specialty,
slaughtering
men. This place held equipment
similar to those used by their father
, courtesy of Nico. He even provided an electric chainsaw
and plastic bins for the body parts.
In
a corner, chained to the floor
like beasts
, their eyes and mouths duct taped were two men in
their expensive
suits. They mumbled loudly, unaware of the faces of their visitors until Nico strolled over and ripped the duct tape
off taking
skin with it. Neither screamed, although
Nico
was sure it hurt like hell.
He took a few steps back and waited.
“Fucking bastard!”
Dominick spat at him.
Nico’s
foot collided with
the man’s
jaw and he
quickly
shut up.
Alfonzo walked up, “You didn’t think I was going to be nice after what the fuck you did, did you?”
“What did I do to you
,
spic?”
This time it was Alfonzo’s fist impacting with Dominick’s face. The nasal bone fractured and the man screamed, “
Sonovabitch
!”
Alfonzo took the pointed part of his boot and kicked the shackled man in the throat, “You just won’t shut up. Maybe that’ll convince you!”
Dominick gurgled and stayed quiet.
Alfonzo turned to the guys, “This is an example of what happens when anyone tries to lay a hand on me or anyone in my family!”
Everyone was quiet. They got the message.
Giuseppe walked over to the chainsaw and yanked the cord. The motor h
ummed loudly and he gestured for two of his crew and they
rushed forward
to hold Dominick down. The man twisted and squirmed.
Giuseppe got in position and winked at his cousin.
“
Half and half –even
.” Alfonzo reminded him.
Dominick pleaded for his life as the serrated blade hovered over his stomach. Giuseppe clamped his mouth
shut
and carved
straight across Dominick’s belt
. Blood splattered
everywhere.
The body lay in half. “I get the torso.”
Vincent was laughing, “You two are worse than me and Nico. He came forward and peered at the mutilated body, “He’s been cut down to size, I’d say.”
Nico smirked. His brother’s jokes came at the strangest moments.
Alfonzo directed Vincent to take the heart
.
“Oh yeah and cut off the fingers, I need those also.”
The man chained nearby squirmed, Alfonzo suspected he shit his pants judging by the foul odor rafting through the room. As Vincent was hard at work, Alfonzo used the opportunity to talk shop. “
Okay, anyone having second thoughts about where their loyalties are?”
“No
, n
o.” They mumbled as they watched Vincent expose the man’s chest and carve through it like a skilled surgeon with the sharp knife. When they saw the heart come out, they grimaced.
“Okay, moving right along. Dominick is no longer a problem, we agree?”
A chorus of, “Yes. We agree.”
“Our only problem is ourselves. Becoming ambitious and double-crossing each other makes for bad business. Then you don’t know who to trust, isn’t that right?”