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“Yeah, Junior.” I sigh. “You want to rule the city. You want me to back off. You want to flood every street with drugs and shit and filth, and you don’t want me there to stop you or even say anything about it.”
Junior flinches as though I’ve unfairly stolen his chance to reveal some grand scheme.
As his teeth grit and his eyes glare, my mind goes to Jennifer, to the way her lips tasted, and she moaned against me.
I also think about what I’d be doing, the hellfire which would be inside of me, if Junior had taken Jennifer instead.
“You read my mind,” he says, like a petulant little kid.
“Why not just kill me?” I say, then smirk when he flinches. “I get it, Junior. You weren’t too scared to kill your old man. But you’re fucking terrified of me.”
“You wish, Jamie.”
I smirk wider, taking a step forward, looking at Lance to ensure he stays back…then keeping my gaze fixed on Junior. I stare over the top of the phone, which he still holds, showing me Kelly’s pacing.
“You’re telling yourself, I could end him here—a bullet to the head. I’m human, Junior. You could’ve hidden a gunman anywhere.”
I checked all the angles and was reasonably sure when I walked in here, but it’s still true. I haven’t got X-ray vision.
“But you know what would happen if you tried and failed. You know how bad it would be for you.”
Jamie shakes his head slowly. “You’re deluded.”
“Sure I am.”
Finally, Kelly sits on the bed, staring down at her clenched fists.
“What do you want?” I snap. “Specifically.”
“You’re going to sell your tattoo parlor and leave the city. Then I’ll arrange for Kelly to be returned to you. You can try and seduce her again if you want, but to be honest, I don’t think she ever loved you. She was real keen with me.”
He says this, trying to hurt me. I can tell it pisses him off when I grin.
I only want Jennifer. Forever.
“But even if she doesn’t give a shit about you, I know you, Jamie. You can’t let a civilian die. And sure as hell, not the only woman you’ve ever been with. Oh, and if you try to return to my city once Kelly’s safe, just know I won’t be so lenient next time. You may be tough, Jamie, but numbers always win. Always.”
My mind spins over, trying to think of a plan. It would be simple if Kelly wasn’t a hostage.
Raise the gun, sight his head, and pull the trigger.
Done.
Would I kill in cold blood to keep this city safe, to stop a father-killing lunatic from taking over?
Yes, yes, I fucking would.
“You used to be a funny kid, Junior,” I tell him. “Now I hear stories about you making waitresses dance as you fire your gun at their feet. I heard you forced a wife to come to bed with you on her wedding night.”
There it is – the sick smile, satisfied with himself. It reveals everything. But then he shakes his head.
“All lies, Jamie. I just want what’s best for this city.”
“By flooding it with more drugs and violence and other crime.”
“Life’s just a matter of perspective. Do you we have a deal? If not, I can make a phone call. Do you want to know what happens after the phone call?”
“No need,” I say.
It’s obvious. Bad stuff, to Kelly.
The details don’t matter, not to me. I don’t need any extra motivation. Kelly’s a civilian. She’s innocent. And, most of all, she’s Jennifer’s sister. I won’t let this piece of shit steal her away.
But I’m not sure how to stop him either.
“It’ll take some time to sell the parlor,” I tell him. “Plus, if I’m leaving the city, I’ll need to make arrangements.”
“How long?” Junior hisses, sounding like a little kid ready to throw a temper tantrum.
“A couple of weeks,” I tell him.
“So you agree? You’ll leave?”
“What choice do I have?” I snarl. “You’ve taken the only woman I ever gave a damn about. If you’re telling the truth, and your dad was the one who ordered the hit on Matt….”
“He was,” Junior cuts in.
“Then you’ve done me a favor,” I say. “This city isn’t special to me. But Kelly is.”
I’m sorry, Jennifer, I whisper silently.
I don’t mean it. If Kelly is special to me, it’s only because she’s Jennifer’s sister.
“Did you hurt her?” I go on. “I didn’t see any clear injuries, but….”
“We wrestled her a little to get the bag over her head. But she came quietly after that. She wasn’t seriously hurt.”
“And she’s not going to be.”
“Not unless you mess me around.”
I nod, slowly backing up toward the door, gun still at the ready.
“Two weeks at the most,” I tell him. “Then you’ll get what you want.”
I pause near the door.
“But you need to do something for me. Or the deal’s off, and we go to war. Today.”
