Yellow Ghost: La Femme Selita Prequel (12 page)

“I haven’t done anything.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, I have been completely loyal to Mr. Dragon.” He coughed blood. “You broke my teeth.” He spit a piece of tooth out of his mouth.

“You know how I am?” He hadn’t seen me in years. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.

“I think you’re Dragon’s adopted daughter. You went away somewhere and I hadn’t seen her for years. You look like her. Selita, you look like Selita.”

“Yes I am Selita.”

“What is this?”

“Before I was Dragon’s daughter I was Martika’s daughter. You know Martika?”

I hoped he wouldn’t play dumb. My tolerance for B.S. was at an all-time low.

“Everyone knew Martika. She danced at the FunClub years ago. She worked for Dragon.”

I walked around his chair in a complete circle, twice. The silence loomed as I gathered my thoughts. I was letting my unbridled anger get the best of me. I tapped my stilettos on the floor just to calm myself.

I glanced over at the locked door. Frank was standing there with no discernable expression. I walked over to Frank. He read my thoughts and handed over my gun that was now in the holster under his arm.

I removed the safety. I marched back over to Antonio White and pointed the gun at his shoulder. BLAM! One blast from the gun and he screamed in excruciating pain. I could hurt someone without provocation. My Father loved that about me.

Mr. White had not yet experienced the pain I was willing to inflict upon him.

There was something liberating about this. This was a way to right every wrong I had ever done. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew that killing was wrong. I knew there was probably a special place in hell for me. We all tried to justify our murderous actions. It was just I felt like I was righting a wrong. I was going to give a starving man his just desserts.

Martika was an innocent. She had never hurt anyone but me. Antonio had no right to condemn her to death. Today I would rectify that senseless murder. The thought of prolonging this kill drifted into my mind. Did I have time to drag this entire nightmare out longer than it should be? This execution was actually eleven years overdue.

I was brought out of my introspection with the sound of his whimpering.

“You just knew Martika.” I chuckled thinking of how clueless he really was. “You play with me again and I shoot your other fucking shoulder. Do not get me confused with that frightened little girl that walked into the strip club. I am no longer a girl.”

“I can see that Selita. Please don’t.”

“Do you think I am a joke?”

“No, of course not. This is a big mistake.” He begged.

“A mistake.”

“Yes just call Dragon, your father, please, and we can clear this up.”

I shook my head and glanced over my shoulder at Frank. His face was stoic but I believe he was enjoying seeing me in action. Father had faxed me Frank’s impressive résumé but I still know very little personal details about Frank Manley. That is if that is even his real name. We were together a lot in Boston but he had never seen me in kill mode. I was a force to be reckoned with. He said he heard about the Yellow Ghost but he never thought it was a woman. I think he was somewhat impressed by my extensive training and combat skills.

“I’m not calling my father you fucking idiot. He is the one that told me you killed my mother.”

“What? No. Hell no!”

“Yes. He has been saving you for me all these years. I was trained to one day take your ass out.”

“Selita, I didn’t kill Martika.”

“You liar!” I slapped him hard across the face with the gun. “You killed my mother! You lying motherfucker!” I sound like my mother. It was her voice and the words jumped right out of me.

“No, no.” He mumbled and under all those muscles he seemed to be just a steroid freak show punk.

“So you’re calling the Dragon a liar?”

I could see him thinking about the question. “No, no I didn’t say that. Selita, you’re confusing Martika with that other girl.”

“You couldn’t be this stupid. You killed three girls that we know about.”

“What? No.”

I knelt on the floor by his feet. I was level with his knees. I looked up at the blood that oozed from his shoulder.

“Look Antonio, if you just tell me the truth I won’t kill you. Granted I will probably shoot you again or break your legs but you will still get another chance to live some kind of a life in another state far away.”

“Selita please.” He begged.

“Stop it!” I stood. “You’re too fucking big and brawn to beg. That please shit is just pathetic.”

“Selita I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“The truth is what I crave. Why? Why did you kill my mother?”

“Selita, come on. You’ve known me since you were a little girl. I never did anything to you.”

“True and that’s only because my Father would have killed you. We’re not talking about me. We are talking about my mother. Keep up with the conversation. I’m in law school. You know that right?”

He looked at me confused. He spit blood from his mouth. “Yes I know you went away.”

“The truth, that’s all I care about. I’m going back to college. I don’t give a shit about the past. I can spare your life. My father wants you dead. My father doesn’t have to know I didn’t kill you.” I was lying but he didn’t deserve the truth. “Frank is my personal bodyguard. He’s not going to tell Dragon I let you go.” I turned to Frank. “Are you Frank?”

“No, Lita, I won’t say one word. You’re my boss.”

I loved how Frank played along. He was the best bodyguard I had thus far. I would like to keep him.

“See Antonio, your confession is safe. Do you think I really cared about Martika? She was just some crackhead whore that gave me life. She wasn’t a real mother. Look Antonio, I just want the truth. I want to tell my father I killed you. I can help you disappear. In my heart I’m not a killer. I’m a college student. I just want to get back to hanging with my friends. I hate it here in California.”

“What, what do you want to know?”

I paced in front of him and only stopped to ask my question. “Did you kill my mother?”

“Yes. Yes. I’m sorry.” An avalanche of tears flooded from him and it pissed me off. Really was he crying? Was I supposed to feel some empathy for this man? I didn’t have it in me. This was the third innocent woman he killed, that we knew of. I walked to him and wiped his crocodile tears with my hand. I held his chin in my hands and raised his face to look directly at me.

“How did you do it?”

“I choked her.” He had turned into a blabbering mess.

“Why?”

“She said she was clean and couldn’t hang around me if I was going to do coke. I just got mad. She was different. She was acting like she was better than me.”

Is he serious?

“Antonio. I’m glad you told me the truth.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Yes I know.”

“Please Selita.”

I took a step back to look him in his cold eyes from the short distance. “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day…and I’m feeling good.” I quickly raised my Glock and I pumped two smoking hot rounds into his forehead. Maybe it was corny but I think he deserved a few words from me. That was what came to mind because it was true. I did feel good. He was dead. My mother was avenged. I’m twenty-one and this is how I roll.

24 YEARS OLD

Finally I finished law school. I felt good but I knew it would be short-lived. Father may let me practice law for a time but I know he’s going to want me back in his camp. It was time for me to go own with my life.

Saying goodbye to Jeremy was difficult for me. I don’t know why I had a connection to him. I cared about him and maybe I loved him. I prefer not to think about it.

Jeremy and I discussed my departure in advance. He didn’t actively fight me. He didn’t protest. He did propose I stay in Boston to practice law instead of moving back to California. It was his passive aggressive way of asking me to stay. So when that didn’t work he proposed a marriage of convenience. This made me feel bad. I never entertained his suggestion. He was trying to keep me with him but I could never be kept. I’m wild and free and I don’t even believe in marriage.

Jeremy was losing me and he was losing Frank. I never imagined they would be comrades. I think they’re close in age but I’m not sure. I’ve never asked Frank how old he was.

My Father always made a point that I should never get too cozy with the help. I think the incident with my former bodyguard made him overprotective. It was easy to deal with Frank because he was all business and never personal. Frank never asked me any intrusive personal questions. He just did his job. His job changed from bodyguard to personal assistant. There was no threat to me in Boston. So he became the grocery shopper, the landscaper, the handy man and the guy that entertained my boyfriend when I had to study for my classes.

Jeremy and I managed to keep our relationship a secret. I encouraged Jeremy to go on dates a few months before I was to leave town. I didn’t want him to be alone. I even promised him a baby. After years together he knew I had the means to deliver a child for him to adopt. I had the means to make the adoption look lawful and legit.

He couldn’t have kids and I felt I owed him. He clearly loved me and wanted me but I wanted much more than he could offer. Our time together was special but Brookline, Cambridge and Boston were just stepping-stones.

I left him alone with a telephone number where I could be reached.

***

Leaving Jeremy affected me more than it should. I jumped into work. I had a job working at a firm a few miles outside of L.A. Father was okay with me working as long as I continued to train and look after his business affairs.

I used my new combat trainer Sergio to get over Jeremy. That’s what normal people did. They moved on to the next lover so they could get over the last lover. Sleeping with my trainer seemed to work for me. Going to actual job helped fill the void but I really couldn’t replace Mr. Cavil with work and another man. Jeremy was my first. He held a title strictly reserved for him.

Frank had turned into my chauffeur. He dropped me off at work and picked me up. It was one of Father’s conditions. I didn’t protest because I didn’t feel it was protest worthy. Frank was like my right hand. If I didn’t so him everyday it would be odd. I strolled out the high rise and walked around the corner where I knew Frank would be waiting for me.

He was there. He was never late. I opened the rear passenger door of the Benz. I took my regular rear passenger seat. He pulled away from the curb.

“How was your day?”

I was startled by his voice. We usually ride in silence.

“Um, it was okay.”

“I have bad news and bad news.”

Did something happen to Father? “Spill it Frank.”

“Your father put a hit out on Sergio.”

“What? Why?” Sergio, my trainer?

“Very simple explanation.”

I couldn’t think of one. “Well, tell me today Frank.”

“Rule one, do not sleep with the bosses daughter.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“Yep, I shouldn’t even be telling you this.”

“Why would my Father care? I seduced Sergio.”

“I know that and you know that but Dragon has his rules.”

“That’s a stupid rule.” I gave Frank’s words a little credence. “It’s that a real rule?”

“It’s the damn law.”

“I don’t even love Sergio. Its just sex.”

“Well too bad for him. He’s a dead man. The hit goes into play in twenty-four hours.”

The rest of the drive moved in silence. I was pissed. I mean Sergio was going to die because of me. How ridiculous?

I barely let the car stop before I jumped out. I was on fire. We were legit now so killing people for stupid reasons just seemed beneath us.

I entered the house and stormed right into Father’s office. He was on the phone. I looked around the room. He never changes the décor. It has been this way for years. He hung up and looked up at me. I decided to cut to the chase.

“I know you put an order out to kill Sergio.” Frank wasn’t a liar. All his information was always on point.

“Where did you here of this?”

“I hear everything. Father please give me the common courtesy of the truth. I think I deserve that much.”

“Fine. He was supposed to instruct you in the art of combat and weapons. He was not supposed to take your virginity.”

“He didn’t take my virginity. I got rid of that a long time ago.”

“Is that so?”

“It sure is. Killing him is going too far.”

“You’re my daughter. He betrayed me. He signed a contract. This is the way I conduct business.”

“I understand that and under normal circumstances I would be all for slitting his throat but he is too good at his job. He is a valuable asset.”