~19~
Nick
I would be kidding myself if I didn’t admit that I’m a little nervous. However, this is how I got to where I am: talking people into giving me what I want. It may have taken me some time to perfect the skill, but I rarely have had anyone do something other than what I have asked of them. It is my business, finding out what someone wants and then talking to another to get it for them: a trade of favors, a concierge for the prominent and wealthy. If a senator needs a lady (or ladies) for the night I make sure he has one- or as many as he wishes, in exchange he makes sure my associate wins the bid for the new city project. If I have a friend who needs a certain amount of narcotics, I find out where the next shipment is coming from and either steal it or make a deal for it and sell it to my friend for a small profit. We both make money and neither has to deal with handling the merchandise across the border. I never handle anything directly, I only talk and offer up solutions to problems. In the process I make money for others and even more for myself. In return for my assistance, I expect my favors to be repaid as soon as I ask. Death is common in my business, I have gotten use to it. You have to make sure people understand that you own them and they have no other choice but to do as you ask. It is the beginning stages that are so tricky: before you own them, before they have taken a bite of what you offer them. This is where I have to be at my best, where I have to convince them that I can solve all their problems, all they have to do is ask and, in essence, sell me their soul.
These types of meetings don’t happen as often as they used to. I don’t need to approach anyone anymore to work for me, because they come to me. This time, I can’t wait for them to come to me. My game with Connor has put me in a position that requires me to act fast and precise. I have to know exactly who to choose from the list Simone gave me. I have to find someone high enough, confident enough, and respected enough to pull off what I need him to. Once I have information on everyone on the list I study it until I am sure, and then I make my move personally. It is nothing to send one of my men, usually Luke or Dwayne, to talk to him. But for me to approach him and offer him what I know he wants, then there is no discussion or debate back and forth. It’s done and we can move on quicker. I know this man, I have seen him at Connor’s side many times and for a long time. Since he was a kid, he has backed Connor and yet Connor still has him picking up his dry cleaning. Connor’s wife, Nadia, has all but confirmed that Reginald Blackstone is the man I need to speak too and she has made sure I can safely do that in her home when he brings her a monthly check from Connor. The meeting is unexpected and I know immediately that he is uncomfortable when he enters the room, but I know he is interested because he doesn’t leave. I explain what I need from the start and then I ask him what it would take to get him to help me. He is shocked at my honesty and that I don’t seem to be trying to double-talk him and coax him into something that he doesn’t want to do. I reason that he can secure a better opportunity with me or take his chances with a falling Connor. I believe I am sitting in a powerful seat in Reginald’s eyes, but if he knows how important Kayla is to me then I lose this negotiation. I make her a bragging right that I refuse to lose, a final order of business before squashing Connor for good. Looking him in the eyes, I hold out my hand to Reginald and with a nod of acceptance he shakes mine and agrees to my deal. There is much insecurity in trusting someone but trusting someone that owes you nothing is what most would call stupid. So I always make sure to find people I can help somehow, give them a favor with seemingly no expectations. Reginald needs a favor, he just didn’t know it until I gave it. The opportunity to stop being someone’s errand boy and finally be someone with a say is something a smart man like Reginald has been secretly aspiring too.
~
With all my boys in place, I stroll into the building appearing to have no fear. As soon as I see him, I am ready to fight. He has no idea what awaits him- I hope. “Connor.” I say with a subtle smile.
“Nicholas, what a surprise.” Connor nods taking inventory of all the corners of the room, where his men stand guard.
With a sharp laugh, “I am sure it is.”
“I guess I won’t bother asking how you found out about my little game. Or how you got in here. But, I am curious as to where your men are.” Connor comments with a smirk.
“They’re nearby. I didn’t think I needed them. I am only here to play a poker game.”
“This is not exactly meant for recreational purposes, Nicholas.”
“My money not good enough?” I said pulling out a roll of cash.
“Is that all we are playing for?”
“It doesn’t have to be.” I eye him waiting for it.
“You want Kayla?”
“Yes, I would like her back. You have stolen a great deal of money from me when you took her. There are some special clients that she handled personally for me.”
“Oh please, Nicholas. This has nothing to do with business, although it is nice to see that you do have a heart after all, little brother. I was beginning to think you were too much like our father.”
“He only hated you, Connor. You were his least favorite illegitimate child.” I said as Connor raises his eyebrows but he quickly realizes that I am not going to divulge any more family secrets tonight.
“Lucky for me, my mother was smart enough to marry up.” Connor said with his typical snobbish attitude.
“How is he by the way? Still the most popular one on his cell block? I heard he had a new boyfriend- or should I say boyfriends?” I said as someone brings me the tea I requested when I entered.
“The son of a bitch died, there was a misunderstanding among his friends.” Connor said taking a glass of his favorite bourbon.
“Did the broomstick up his ass go too far?” I asked with a smile.
“Let’s get to it, Nicholas, I assume since you are here you are willing to do just about anything to get her back. Let’s talk about your book of secrets and the details of your operations. I can only imagine who owes you favors.” Connor said boldly.
“If I know Kayla is safely set free, I am willing to negotiate a few details.”
“Well, you are insane but I will take it. How about we make it a little more interesting though?” Connor waves his hand towards the table, “I will give you a chance to win it all back, including her.”
“I am supposed to believe that?” I asked.
“Believe what you want, but we both know I need to make you look bad in front of my associates. So just destroying you is not enough. I need for them to see that I am able to outsmart you and gain the upper hand- despite recent events.” He said eyeing me with a twitch that remains from the pain I last inflicted on him. “If I win, I get you kneeling in front of me- surrendering. And if you win, Dear Brother, what is it that you would like besides your precious sweetheart …?”
I get closer to him with a tensed jaw, “I want you. I want you on your knees, begging for me to kill you.”
“You didn’t come to the right place for that. This is my house, Nicholas. How in the world do you think you are going to get me here and walk out alive?”
“I told you. You’re going to beg me to kill you- at least after I beat you in poker.” I continue to smile as Connor reluctantly tries to match me.
“I can’t wait to have you dead and buried in my backyard, little brother.” Connor said eagerly.
While we wait, the other gentlemen arrive in awe, watching me as they whisper among themselves. They send out messages through their phones, presumably to locate my men and see if I am truly vulnerable. I am not convinced that he will give up Kayla, but I am still hopeful she will be able to escape before the action begins. After a few minutes pass, Reginald comes in nearly holding Kayla up. The jackass has dressed her like she is going to a big event in a fancy dress and heels, even going as far to do her hair and makeup. She is so drugged she is barely able to open her eyes. I approach her taking her feverish face in my hands, “Kayla?” I said.
Connor storms toward us and pulls her away from me. “I still own her. In fact, as far as I am concerned she is still part of the winnings. So take a good look, Gentlemen, and put in your bids. Trust me, she is worth the money.” Connor said eyeing me with a smile. “This is my game, Nicholas. You want her? You have to win her.” Connor places Kayla on display, antagonizing me even more by ripping her dress slit up past her thigh. “There. Now you can get a better idea of what we have to play for.” Connor smiles and sits with the other men at the table as they all make jokes about what they would like to do to her.
It is all I can do to stay calm and not kill them all. “Let’s play then.” I said shedding my jacket and sitting down at the table with Connor across from me while four other men sit down with us. As time passes, one man gets up to admire Kayla and boasts that she is his prize.
“Well, you know Jack, you’re welcome to feel a little more up that dress- get to know her a little more, because I might be willing to take a cash offering for her instead.” Connor smiles at me.
“Really? Well then maybe I would like to fold now and take her home so I can enjoy the rest of my night.” Jack said as two other men get up to drool over her.
“I wouldn’t touch her if I were you.” I said without looking their way.
“Excuse me?” Jack said from behind me.
“It would be in your best interest to step away from her.” I said as Connor tenses ever so slightly. “I mean unless you have a death wish.” I sit back with a smile and the men slowly begin to sit back down silently. I know each of the men well and the sudden tension that is building between Connor and I is causing them to become uncomfortable. If I know them like I think I do, they won’t stay in this game much longer. Confidence is my strategy, and it is the only card I need to win this game.
Checking the time, I lean back and smile wide at Connor as the first hour passes. And with that, two men fold and leave barely saying good-bye. Thirty minutes longer and I check my watch again and simply adjust my sleeve and the third throws in his cards and grabs his coat with a wave. Ten minutes passes and I cough and the fourth folds, leaving his coat and running out the door. The deal Connor was planning to make tonight just folded up and I didn’t even have to get out of my seat. Walking in here with a boldness that put a fear into each of them makes them believe Connor doesn’t have the power to protect them like they thought. If I can make it out of here alive, then I scored each of them as my own business partners and Connor knows that.
“Proud of yourself?” He asked.
“Pretty much.” I said folding my cards down on the table.
“That was a lot of money you cost me, but you know that, don’t you?”
“Costing you money, Connor, means I make money.”
“Not if you’re dead.” Connor said with intensity.
“You haven’t won yet.”
“Neither have you, Nicholas.”
“Oh, I think I have.” I said turning over my cards. Connor eyes my royal flush and throws his cards across the room.
Pushing himself from the table, he stands up with a gun pointed at me. “I don’t know what you think you have planned but you are going to die before you are able to see it through.”
“Sit down, Connor, before you hurt yourself. Come on, let’s play another game. I will give you a chance to win your life back.”
“No fucking way, you son of a bitch! Get up and give me your gun. I know you have one. No way you walked in here without it.”
Sitting back in my chair, I relax and fold my hands together. “No.” I say calmly as I raise my eyes up to his, “you hand me yours,” I growl with pleasure. Connor’s stunned expression is priceless but none more so than when he realizes his own guards have just turned on him. “You should pay your people better or, at least, treat them better.” Connor pulls the trigger of the gun pointed at my head, again and again until he finally realizes it’s empty. Sighing with a smile, “You think I didn’t think to take care of that? Oh, Connor, I guess being older hasn’t made you the least bit wiser.”
“Okay, Nick, what now? You going to kill me? Torture me? What?” Connor concedes eyeing his own men with disgust.
“We are going to take a ride.” I let Connor’s own men get control of him, while I pick up Kayla and carry her out with us. Tanner pulls up just in time. “Tanner take her home and get the doctor. She is burning up. Put her in my bed and make sure she has whatever she needs.” I said placing her in the car. Covering her shivering body up with my jacket, I caress her face and kiss her before sending her off with Tanner. “Okay, let’s go.” I said as I get into the car next to Luke. Connor reluctantly leaves with us and it is all I can do to keep Luke calm. He is shaking the entire car, he is enjoying this so much. When we arrive at our destination, Connor seems shocked again. I simply smile and watch as Luke kicks him in the rear all the way inside.
“Move it, Chubby Nuts!” Luke yells with laughter.
My boys have already gotten control of things inside, tied up his men, and have his warehouse opened up for the visitors that are coming shortly. They restrain Connor while I look things over, praising my boys for their work.
“Okay, Nick, I am not sure what this is all going to accomplish for you, but I know I am going to eventually get out of it, and I will get you back. Not to mention, I am not begging for my life as you stated so dramatically earlier.” Connor laughs.
“Oh, but, brother, have you not figured out what the real plan is? I mean, yes, the cops will be here soon to arrest you, but on top of that, you will be suspected of giving up some very important suppliers of yours. Now the cops will never be able to touch them because … well, I am sure they will take care of the only loose connection they have against them.” Connor pales. “I don’t know, how do you think they will do it?”
“I think they will start by cutting off his toes and then work up until there is nothing but a head left.” Luke laughs.
“Nah, they will probably remove his eyes and then take turns stabbing him, like a Marco Polo fight.” Dwayne remarks. I shiver and smile.
“Well, I got to go. My girl is waiting for me and I don’t want to be away from her any more than I have to be on her first night back at home. The cops should be here any minute. Your list of shipments is laid out and that should help point some fingers clearly for you. Have a good night, Connor.” I start to walk away, but before I can help myself, I storm back, sliding my gloves on as I take hold of a nearby screwdriver. “Just to make sure you don’t go anywhere,” I say, knocking his feet out from under him so he is on his knees. I force his hand against the bottom of the wall and send the screwdriver through his palm. His scream is gratifying, but the knowing in his eyes is what gives me pleasure.
Dwayne grabs hold of me, “We should go.”
I walk out as Connor begins screaming for me to kill him, as my so-called only brother he says I should do him this one favor and shoot him. As we sit safely away, Simone pulls up with what seems to be every cop in the city. They cautiously sit outside yelling for everyone to come out. We laugh as they wait and no one comes. Finally they make a move inside and find what we left them. “Let’s go home, boys.” I said anxious to get back to her.
~
"Kayla is real sick, Nick." Tanner says as I enter the house. "The doctor says she needs to be in the hospital."
"No! No hospitals, she is too vulnerable there." I say with a fire raging up into my throat. “Simone was appreciative for the help on Connor's arrest. He let me know the district attorney, Spencer Welch, has decided to come after me, now that they have Connor. The greedy son of a bitch is out to run for senator. He’s determined and will do whatever he can to get me and that includes risking Kayla's life."
"But Nick ... if she dies." Tanner reasons.
"She isn't going to die!" I yell back at him, before understanding his fear. "Let's give it until tomorrow, if there is no improvement, then I will make the necessary arrangements. I can admit her under a fake name and hope
she gets better before anyone figures it out.” I leave Tanner behind and find Kayla clearly ill and weak. She is sound asleep when I crawl into the bed next to her. Caressing her body closer to me, I kiss her shoulder and up her neck until she wakes. “I was worried about you. Where did you go?” She murmurs.
“I see that, so worried you were sound asleep.” I whisper into her ear, with a soft laugh.
“The doctor gave me some medicine. I tried to fight it but … I was still worried about you ... while I was sleeping.” She said burying her burning head into my chest.
“I guess I can forgive you then. But there was no reason to be worried, I was only finishing a card game with the boys.”
“Cards? With that smile, I assume you won.”
“Oh, Princess, I won big. Real big.” I said holding her frail body tight to my chest, determined not to let her go. Now that I have her back, I will protect her at all costs.
~20~
Nick
The doctor warns me again, while I watch Kayla struggle to even breathe. I have no choice, I have to move her to the nearby hospital but I am going to make sure it is a private room and under a false name. I put my own people at her door to guard. Connor isn’t dead yet and I’m not taking any chances that he doesn’t still have some power left to make one final execution order.
As it turns out, Kayla has pneumonia, the jackass left her freezing and too drugged up to fight it. Her injuries are healing, but the sight of her laid up in that hospital bed makes me wish I hadn’t promised Simone that I would let him handle Connor. I assumed he would be dead by now but they are doing a better job than expected keeping him protected. I don’t know what they are protecting him for, he isn’t ever going to tell them anything. He is better off trying to get bail and shooting himself before his associates get a hold of him. The cops have already raided one associate’s warehouse and cleaned him out, but they somehow lost the contents. Luke nearly busted a gut reading that story. I never expected that to happen but the fact that it did only makes Connor that much more of a target. The cops won’t protect him much longer, they won’t need to if they keep arresting people. Even better, I picked up some new business and I found a warehouse full of narcotics to sell to one my associates for cheap.