Part 34 (2/2)
”Then when should I call Anthony?” That would start all of this, put the ball in motion.
”Not yet.” He answered too quickly but gripped my leg to rea.s.sure me. ”A couple more days. There are a few more details to work out. I need to give them information they can do something with, a location, a name. Right?”
I nodded and leaned into him. I just needed to get through this next few days.
”Unless,” his hand was light on my shoulder, ”Unless we didnt tell him anything. It would be easier, less to question, if we just did this without giving up information.”
I squeezed my eyes, trying to think. What was it I wanted? If it was only him, then I should agree. But I had wanted to do more, do something good.
His phone vibrated in his pocket like it had been all night. Hed only go as far as texting back, but now he pulled it out between us, a frown pulling on his lips as he looked at the screen.
I sat up as he put it to his ear.
”h.e.l.lo-Wait, calm down.- Now say it again, what happened?”
He looked towards me, head c.o.c.ked, and put his finger up, signaling for me to give him a second as he rose to his feet.
”When?” He walked down the hallway, and I rose to my feet to follow. In the bedroom he pulled out a clean s.h.i.+rt and pants, kicking off his sweatpants, phone still pressed to his ear. ”Where are you now? Stay there. Well be there soon.” He hung up the phone and turned to me.
The silence stretched between us before he broke it by stepping towards the night stand and picking up his gun. ”I meant it when I said I wanted you by my side for everything. But are you really willing to do that?” He stepped towards me, s.h.i.+rtless. ”You can stay here if you dont want to go.” He extended his hand to cup my face.
”Whats going on?”
”Ians been arrested. There was a raid at the club. That was Cherry. Theyve got nothing on her and have already released her from the police station.”
”So what are you going to do?”
”I need to find out the real details. The things she wont say on the phone. And I need to talk to Viktor.” He stepped back, picking up his s.h.i.+rt and sliding it on, starting the b.u.t.tons from the bottom up. ”Its expected that I would get involved. I cant tip them off before we make our move.” His light eyes lifted to mine. ”So are you coming with me?”
”Yeah. Im coming with you.” I went to the drawer to grab my own pair of jeans to change into, and then I went to my side of the bed and grabbed my gun.
We pulled up to an apartment building outside of the city with a view of the Hudson River.
Cherry stood from the front steps and walked over to the car, a cigarette in one hand and smoke trailing from her lips. Her sweater was huge on her, hanging off one shoulder and covering her to mid thigh, bright patterned leggings underneath. She maybe paused for a half a second when she saw me step out, long enough to narrow her eyes and purse her lips, but she continued her path to Gage all the same. She stepped to his side of the car as he closed the door.
”Ive tried getting to his place, but theyre already all over it. Theyre still all over the club too. This s.h.i.+t is f.u.c.ked up. Theyre pinning it all on him.”
”What about everyone else that was working?” Gage pointed back to the building, and Cherry started walking in that direction. He followed her but paused at the front of the truck, waiting for me to join. And that little gesture was all I needed, it was enough to wipe away the unease I had felt.
”They took everyone in for questioning. Some of the girls, theyre f.u.c.king labeling them as victims and saying they 'rescued them from s.e.x work.” She reached for the door handle and tossed out her cigarette as she twisted around to add, ”Its all complete bulls.h.i.+t, all the evidence is bulls.h.i.+t.”
”What could they have found at the club?” Gage reached for the door Cherry opened, holding it for us to cross through.
We entered into a small foyer with narrow stairs Cherry was already walking up. At the top, she slipped a key into the first door on the right. There were only two doors, one on either side of the hallway.
She pushed open the door and stepped into the tiny living room. It had a lived in look, a blanket draped across a worn in couch, a cigarette pack, pen, notepad, a few half drank cups, and other random things on the coffee table. She tossed her lighter down as she sat and then picked up a pill bottle. Sliding a pill into the palm of her hand, she popped it into her mouth and washed it down with a sip of a nearby drink.
”My nerves are f.u.c.king shot.” She ma.s.saged the palm of each hand with her thumbs, speaking to no one in particular, until she gestured the bottle to Gage. ”You want one?”
”No.” He sat on the loveseat to the side of the couch, leaning forward so his forearms rested on his knees. ”So what did they find in the club?”
She ran her long fingers through her hair, gripping the back of her neck. ”Drugs. Thats for f.u.c.king sure.” She swiped her hand over her face with a groan and kicked the table in front of her with the bottom of her heel, only scooting it a couple of inches over the carpet. ”f.u.c.k. Me. I dont know what they found about the human trafficking theyre trying to claim hes the center of, but I know they found a s.h.i.+t load of c.o.ke in the back.” She pounded her fist on her forehead. ”A s.h.i.+t load, and now I dont know what the f.u.c.k to do about that delivery.” She swiped her eyes to Gage, dropping her hands out in front of her. ”Who the f.u.c.k eats that cost? Us? I dont have that type of dough and f.u.c.k if Ian does either, especially now that hes going to be up to his eyeb.a.l.l.s in legal fees.”
”I got questions about that s.h.i.+t, but first, what about the money? The books? They get that?”
She smiled then, and even laughed a little, a sound that reminded me that she was still young. Probably only nineteen.
”No. I remembered what you always said, so that was the first thing I did. I hid that s.h.i.+t out back in the woods. They got me on the street, pulled me over and took me in for questioning,” She stood and went to the back room as she talked, returning with a duffle bag. ”I went back and picked it up as soon as they let me out. Dont worry, I made sure they werent following me first. n.o.body saw.” She laid the bag at Gages feet and stood there like a dog waiting on a treat, a good word, some sort of approval.
”Good.” He brought his feet in front of the bag, scooting it behind his legs with his heel. ”Now about the drugs. What the h.e.l.l was going on? I hadnt heard about a drop off at the club, were supposed to use the warehouse now.”
”Well, plans f.u.c.king changed, and we couldnt get a hold of you so we had to make our own decisions.” She dropped herself back onto the couch, crossing her arms. ”It was only going to be temporary, only supposed to stay at the club for the day. But the timing of everything just f.u.c.king sucked, and thats when s.h.i.+t went down.” She kept slipping from calm to anxious, and now she was back to hitting herself in the forehead. ”f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k.”
”What about Ian, does he have a lawyer yet?” Gage slid his phone out of his pocket. ”I can call-”
”Already done. He called Feller in right away.”
”Good. Im calling him now, going to see what he knows so far.” Gage had the phone to his ear. ”Yeah, its me.” He stood in a smooth movement, one hand covering his other ear. ”I heard youre with him now. So what are they saying? How bad does it look?” He walked to the kitchen off of the main room as he listened to whatever was being said.
Cherry slid a cigarette out of her pack and lit it. Taking a drag, she narrowed her eyes at me as she blew out smoke. ”Surprised to see you again.” She tossed the pack back on the table, lifting one leg to perch on the edge. ”Where have you been hiding?”
”Ive been around, but thats none of your concern.” I dismissed her question and looked to the door Gage had walked through. I wanted to follow him, but didnt. Instead, I faced the girl still watching me with a smirk I didnt trust.
”Actually it is my concern, considering youre sitting in my living room and whatever the h.e.l.l youve been doing has affected business. Hes been off his game, distracted, and I think that has everything to do with you.”
”Im here now, and thats all you need to know.”
She smiled with a light laugh as she sucked in another puff, dropping her leg down to lean towards me. ”For how long this time? How long before you break and run again?” She blew the smoke out with force. ”I just dont understand what such a strong man like him is doing with such a weak thing like you.”
”Oh Please.” I sat back in the seat with a laugh, getting a hold of myself a breath before I snapped and broke her neck. ”That just shows how little you know. Because the only weak one here is you, I can feel the jealousy dripping from you. But face it little girl, youll never have him. And it doesnt matter what you think of me, hes mine all the same. So back the f.u.c.k off because you dont know me at all. And Ill f.u.c.king kill for that man.”
”And thats where youre wrong,” She hissed as she leaned even closer into my s.p.a.ce. ”I may not have him like you, but Im fine with that. You have him at home, in bed. Ive got him everywhere else. I have killed for him, with him, and Im the one he turns to when he needs someone. Im the one he can depend on. Im the one-”
My fist connected with her cheek before she could finish. Before she even registered that I had stood up, I had her slumped back on the couch as I punched her again on the same cheek, and then another time, satisfied with the stream of blood coming from her lips.
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