“Oh this is not good,” Elijah says looking the large man over.
“Maybe we should shoot him in the leg or something,” Luke suggests.
“And what, anger it more?” Elijah rebuts.
“Dwayne seriously I have a great offer for you.” I say as the bull moves forward focusing only on the wallet in my hand.
“Give me my wallet …” He grumbles until Elijah and Luke both jump onto his back. Dwayne still moves forward carrying my friends like an amusement park ride. “Get off me you fools.” Dwayne throws them from side to side like a bucking bull. I nearly start laughing at them trying to hold on until they finally trip him up and get him on the ground. I jump in, thinking I can help, but all I do is make a bigger mess. Dwayne has us all in a bear hug before we can get any kind of advantage. “Give me my wallet,” he growls.
“Oh, this worked out beautifully, Nick, now I am going to die by an elephant,” Luke yells.
“Are you calling me fat?” Dwayne asks, dropping us and bearing down on Luke.
“No, I only meant your height.” Dwayne growls louder as Luke backs away from him. “What? You are in great shape. You are quite … appealing?” Luke shrugs. Elijah and I glance at each other unsure of how to proceed. “Are you guys going to help me out?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Elijah says shaking his head.
Luke decides to run full force into Dwayne, but ends up upside down and screaming as Dwayne spins him. Thankfully, Luke somehow throws Dwayne off balance, and sends himself and Dwayne to the ground. While the giant bear is tired, I take my opportunity to talk to him.
I stare down into Dwayne’s bulging eyes, “We need your help so listen to m, and I will make sure you will be taken care of for the rest of your life.”
“I don’t like him,” Dwayne says, in regards to Luke.
“None of us really do,” Elijah says, earning a glare from Luke as he cleans the trash off himself, “but he does grow on you.” And that was the beginning of a new friendship for us all - except Luke.
I feel great about my new ally. Dwayne allows us into Bonnie’s office and to transfer funds and information at will. We take over his strongholds and kill him with his own hired guns. We quickly are able to build and become strong enough that Harvey backs off and minds his own business. I concentrate on destroying my brother Connor, while Elijah decides it’s time we go our separate ways. My long time best friend leaves me with a handshake and a final promise, “Brothers for life, Nicky.”
Chapter 27
~Nick~
My home is finally completed, feeling incredible pride, I tour the grounds with my new guards. The interior of my house is done to perfection, elegant with a comforting warmth. I don’t want to feel like a prisoner in my own home, but I want it secure, and most of all, I want my secrets secure. I have been adding in extras to my home for business sake.
“Nick, I think you are really going to love it. I have been working on it ever since I got out of rehab,” Tanner says bubbling over with excitement.
“You didn’t have to work all day and night, Tanner. It would have gotten done eventually,” I say, happy to see him happy.
“No, no I owe you everything and wanted to prove to you that I can finish something now. I am a changed man, and I can do any task you will have me do. You are my nephew, and I want to make sure you of all people are proud of me.”
“I am proud of you, and I will hire you on, but no one is to ever know we are related.” He nods with a defeated expression. “It is not because I am embarrassed about, you, Tanner, it’s so you won’t become a target. Now show me this hidden room you have been working on.” Tanner leads me upstairs to one of my guest rooms and shows me the beautiful new cabinet he made for me that conceals all my secrets and everything I want no one to find. My computer, notes, transactions, clients, workers, and a key. In a hidden slide out within the cabinet, I place my father’s key and promise myself never to look back. I close it all up and wander my new home with ideas and expectations of what I want most in my life. I want to know how she can see all of me and not be affected at all.
Everything I could ever want is now going to be mine, but will my life ever include her? The only thought that rings through my head is the words of my father, “No will ever truly love you.” So why bother trying? I ask myself. It’s because I am curious. How does she make me feel for her the way other women feel for me? She has captured me, the awkward girl with no fear is the angel I have long waited for and has to be the one my father told me probably didn’t exist. I have to know for sure, can she overcome me yet still love me?
~
She walks down the street to the same window that she explored the day before. Only today the shop owner comes out, yells at her to go away, and then quickly wipes her hand prints off his glass. Kayla walks away looking back with a sadness that penetrates me to the core. Once she is long out of sight, I try to breathe calmly before stepping out of my new car. I walk up to the sparkling clean window and to the old book being displayed upon its golden stand. In my new expensive wares, the shop owner greets me with respect. I wish he had done that for her, and then maybe I would be a little more forgiving of him. “I want that book in the window. No need to wrap it.”
“Oh no, sir that book is not for sale. It is an expensive addition to my own collection,” he says, moving away to show me some other books for sale.
“Did I ask if it was for sale? I said I want that book and that book only.” I move to the counter to wait to pay for my purchase and turn to look at him. “No need to wrap it.” I leave the store and head straight to someone who I know will appreciate the book.
Braylin always has a bright smile on her face when I visit her. “Hi,” she says running up and hugging me. “Wow, you look so handsome.”
“Thank you. You look beautiful today.” I grasp her waist, keeping her close to me so I can take full control of her lips. “I found something for you today.” I hand her a bag, “A friend of mine was throwing out some books. This one looked interesting so I pulled it from his trash. I thought maybe you could give it to that moody sister of yours.” Braylin happily pulls the book out. “Be careful it is old.”
“Wow, it really is. Hey, maybe you stumbled upon something valuable. Whether it is or not, Kayla is going to want to thank you herself for sure,” Braylin says kissing me.
“No, don’t tell her I gave it to you. Tell her a customer left it as a tip for you. That would be more believable. I get the feeling she doesn’t think that much of me.”
“Kayla isn’t too fond of most men, but I like you.”
“Well, then maybe you can thank me for her.” I say, earning a gleeful smile from her. I want to ask her a million questions, but I don’t, instead I take Braylin to dinner and then home. Kayla’s sweet eyes, briefly eye us both before rushing back into her room. Focusing on Braylin, I reach for her, kissing her before I pick her up and carry her to her bed. I don’t need her on her knees. I only need her to resemble someone else for the night. It isn’t perfect, but it eases my frustrations all the same, and that is all I can ask for now.
~
Business is good. I sit back in my chair, feeling like I am exactly where I need to be. There is a battle coming our way, but I am confident.
“Jayzon, I suspect since you are here that you will be excepting my offer,” Perry says with a twinge of excitement. Perry Bilson, is a long time crook who for the longest time thought I was beneath him and not worth his time to talk to. I have tried to work with him, but was always met with a closed door. Now things have changed, and he calls me with an offer. He wants to take down Joseph Estrella, and split the rewards with me, sixty percent for him and forty for me. Not exactly a fair deal considering he wants me to lead the attack while he himself stands in the shadows waiting for it to be over. For his part, he promises weapons to do the job. It seems like a good opportunity for me, Luke even was excited that we have the opportunity to work with the great Perry Bilson. I, however,
believe we can do better.
I take a moment to look around the area, verifying the placement of my men and then I smile. “Actually, Perry, I have decided to go a different way,” I say, causing his smile to fade. I hold up one finger and give the signal to round them up.
“What is this?” Perry demands.
“This, this is me taking you over,” I say, staring him down and waiting for it. A win like this is a lifetime in the making. This will set me up as the main power hold for this city. I already control Estrella, unbeknownst to Perry, and now I am going to use Estrella to own Perry’s large hold. However, I know it is not going to be that easy. Perry will never go down to me without a major fight, so I prepare to do something I promised myself I would never do again.
Perry furrows his brows and opens his mouth, “You are going to die, Jayzon. Kill him!” he yells out, as I focus on meeting his eyes perfectly.
The fire shooting through my veins feels amazing. The control over my enemy only increases my desire and increases my strength. I walk up to my enemy as he fights for breath from his knees and look down upon him. The whole room is silenced by his struggle, I say, “I now own all that was yours. Do you want to know why?” He grips his collar with burning eyes. “Because you’re dead.” I say, walking away from his lifeless body.
I meet Braylin for dinner later that night to celebrate. She doesn’t understand, but it doesn’t matter. I have what I want, and now I get to spend the evening with a beautiful woman. Braylin sits smiling uncontrollably in the beautiful new dress and jewelry I bought for her. I enjoy being around her and spoiling her terribly. Today especially I feel like no one can stop me. I agree to take Braylin back home so she can check on her sister. I have nearly put Kayla out of my mind the last few weeks. Braylin is so perfect for me that there is no reason for me to be distracted by her sister. It must be her attitude towards me that makes me crazy. She’s the one girl who seems to dismiss me, but I am sure she is no different, she just hides it better. We arrive back at their place, and I feel incredible, until I hear Kayla screaming. I rush in expecting to kill some intruder that is hurting her, but instead find her asleep. Kayla grips me and cries for me to help her, and for a brief moment she looks right at me with her bright beautiful green eyes. Once again, I tremble.
Braylin pushes me and my gun out of the way, immediately takes hold of her sister, and wakes her. Kayla cries and cries, but finally calms enough to go back to asleep.
My heart is still racing when Braylin returns to me. “She’s okay now. I’m sorry, she has nightmares sometimes. Usually she only needs her blanket wrapped back around her, but I guess it laid in the floor too long. That ruined the mood, didn’t it?” she asks wrapping her arms around me. She’s right it did ruin my mood, not simply the sexual desires I had, but the controlling, powerful one I had. I have never felt so calm before.
~
After I leave Braylin, I meet up with Luke to talk to a guy who has been giving us trouble. He is a pain in the ass, and Luke feels if I talk to him myself that I can resolve the issues much faster. I stand back watching Luke argue and argue with this man, waiting for me to jump in. “Listen, asshole, we don’t need you. We can just as easily get someone else to do it. So either you help us or you can disappear, and we will get someone else to take your place,” Luke says glancing back at me.
“All right, I have had enough of this. What do you want to get this done?” I ask the man to Luke’s surprise. I negotiate a deal I can live with and walk away.
“What the hell was that about? Why didn’t you beat the fuck out of him?”
“What good would that have done?”
“It would have showed we meant business,” Luke says.
“I think we have made ourselves clear to people by now. There is no need for violence every time we leave the house.”
“No need for violence? Nick, we can control everything if people continue to fear you. All you have to do …”
“Is what, Luke? Continue killing with no feeling at all?” He looks at me strangely. “I don’t want to become a killer. That was not my goal. My goal is to build up a business, businesses and not have to worry about money ever again.”
“And your brother?”
“My brother’s time will come, but right now, we need to concentrate on business.”
“I don’t know. What is wrong with you? Yesterday you were ready to take down the world, and now you want to be some typical suit?” He continues to rant. “Nick!”
“What, Luke? I already told you what I want. If you don’t want that, then go off on your own and do your own thing. No one is stopping you,” I yell back at him. He forces Tanner to stop the car, and he gets out and refuses to speak to me any longer. Tanner looks my way within the rearview mirror and smiles with obvious approval.
~
I have spent a lot of time with Braylin lately, and I keep telling myself it’s because I like spending time with her, but I am always eager to take her home at the end of the night, only so I can see Kayla. Their house is even worse than the one I grew up in, but it is loved, so it is comfortable despite the springs poking me in the back. Braylin lies next to me, motionless, when Kayla begins crying out. I have heard her a few times over the last few weeks, and I have gone to see to her on my own, but only if Braylin doesn’t. Tonight Braylin isn’t moving, so I do. Dressing myself more appropriately, I ease Kayla’s door open and look over her as the moonlight hits her pain filled face. The cure is simple, I pick up her blanket off the floor and wrap it around her, and she quiets down. Simple except tonight she grabs my hand and pulls me in. I haven’t touched her since I thought there was an intruder attacking her, but the feeling rushing through my veins is even better than the day at the diner when she first touched me. Kayla’s touch instantly puts my whole body at ease. She won’t let go. She believes me to be someone else, someone more deserving of her. Her lively dream sucks me in, and before I know it, I find myself laying next to her, telling her a story, pretending to be hers and she mine. My smile is so wide it hurts. I wish to kiss her, to carry her away from her pain. I wish … to be by her side forever.
Kayla sits up against me and I run my fingers through her hair, stroke her cheek, and breathe her in when she suddenly opens her eyes and looks deeply into my heart, “I love you,” she says. “Do you love me?”
My mind races, my heart pounds and everything within me comes alive like never before. “Yes,” I say without any doubt. My confession is instantly rewarded with a kiss. The touch of her lips is intoxicating, my head spins, and my heart nearly pounds out of my chest. I open my eyes wanting to take her into my arms, but reality becomes real again. Kayla begins talking of her castles, kings, and all the other fantasies within her dream world and I again, become nothing, but a participant in her fantasy world. Yes, I love you. I love you so much it pains me like no other, but you, will never love me.
I have tried everything to get Kayla out of my head, but nothing works. Her hold on me is paralyzing. I have to push Braylin away to keep from having to see Kayla anymore. I concentrate on work, on building up my businesses, and on taking down my brother piece by piece every chance I get. Still, at times I find myself watching Kayla from afar, dreaming of her saying to me what she did that night. Running up to me with that sweet smile and looking up at me like she does no one else. I have tried every woman I can to erase her from my memory, but no other compares.
Chapter 28
~Nick~
After a long day, it ends with me discussing business with a new client. He is no more than a bundle of greed, which makes it easy for me to negotiate with him. A new political disgust that is anxious to rise to power, and all he asks for is more money and access to his opponents’ private information. I am thankful to finish our meeting early and walk back out to my car. However, when I step outside, I notice Luke speaking to someone I haven’t seen in some time.
“Nicholas.” Savage speaks with an eager tone. “Did your dinner meeting go well??
??
“It was wonderful, but now I have other business to take care of, if you don’t mind.” I say, nodding in his direction.
“Of course, I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of a growing entrepreneur. It is nice to see you again, Nicholas, I hope that perhaps we can meet again for a social dinner soon. I am curious to see how you are doing since our last meeting.”
“Perhaps …” I say, glancing towards Luke as he smiles widely. “It was nice to see you again, Mr. Savage.” I crash into the car, meeting Tanner’s eyes and telling him all my fears with one look. When Luke sits down across from me, I eye him until he looks up at me. “What did you talk to him about?”
“Who? That old man? Nothing, he only wanted to know how you are doing. Why? Who is he?” he says, as I sit back and continue to look him over for any sign of deception. “Damn, Nick! Why are you looking at me that way? I swear I am still loyal to you and only you. The old man wanted nothing more than to ask me if you are happy.”
“And what did you say?” I ask.
“I don’t know, I didn’t say much of anything to him,” he yells back at me.
“You don’t know, or you don’t remember?” I ask him but all he can do is huff and shake his head. I realize he doesn’t remember, which worries me even more.