I snatch the ring from her, shove it in my pocket, and turn to Jimmy. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He’s relentless in kicking the guy until he doesn’t even moan in pain anymore. I grab Jimmy by the back of his shirt and pull him off the schmuck. If this jerk off put his fucking family first, shit like this wouldn’t have had to happen but he was selfish and put his habits before his woman.
His wife’s cries ring in my ears as we walk out of their house and into my truck. Jimmy is out of breath from the beating he threw and is trying to regain it beside me, studying the eight rings on his fingers, making sure all his diamonds are intact.
“Mother fucker! I lost a diamond,” he says, reaching for the door handle.
“Get the fuck in the car,” I say roughly. “You’re not going to find the fucking thing anyway,” I peel away before he can open the door, glancing in the side view mirror memorizing the house number.
“You’re paying for my stone to be replaced,” he says shrugging his shoulders as if to say it’s no sweat off his back. I grip the steering wheel tightly, doing my best not to throw him the fuck out of the car and run him over. “Take me home, I’m covered in that jerk’s blood. I’ll put in a call to Tony the jeweler, take care of the ring, and meet me back at the club and we’ll give Vic the cash.”
“I can handle it, don’t need you making calls on my behalf.” I say through my teeth. The ring feels like it’s burning a hole in my pocket and I can’t wait to get rid of it. The longer it’s in my possession the more karma will kick me in the ass.
I drop Jimmy at his house, happy to rid myself of my accomplice and go about getting Vic’s money. There’s an extra thousand in the envelope, which will make the boss happy and unsuspicious. I drive by Tony the jeweler, give him a thousand, and tell him if Jimmy or Vic asks he took the ring and gave me an extra grand because he had an eager buyer. Tony used to be in Jimmy’s pocket but shit’s changed since I’ve been home. I’ve made Tony a lot more money in the last year than Jimmy had in the three years I was gone. I know his loyalty rests with me.
I walk up the stoop to the darkened house and knock softly on the door. The wife of the man Jimmy beat the fuck out of, the woman who looked at me as if I was the devil, stares at me much the same way she did two hours ago.
“Please …,” she begs, choking on her sobs. “We have nothing left to give you.”
I stay silent, reach into my pocket, and pull her ring out, displaying it in the palm of my hand. She stares at her ring before lifting her skeptical eyes to mine.
“Take your ring. Make your husband get help,” I order as I reach for her hand and place her engagement ring in her palm, closing her fist around the diamond. “Then, and only after he’s been clean, tell him his debt to Victor is paid,” I look at her for a moment, wishing I could wipe the shocked expression off her face. “If he doesn’t get clean all bets are off and I will be back. Do you understand?”
I watch her nod in disbelief for a moment before turning around and walking down the stairs.
“Thank you,” She calls out her voice unsteady as if she’s not sure thanking the man who fucked her husband up is the right thing to do.
I look over my shoulder briefly while walking back to my truck. I can’t explain why I needed to give the woman back her ring. I just did. Lord knows I’ve done a lot worse shit than beat up a junkie who didn’t pay. Getting into the truck, my phone goes off inside the console but I don’t bother answering it, I’d get to my next meeting when the fuck I got there.
*****
I walked through the back entrance of Vic’s lounge hearing all sorts of commotion going on behind the door to his office. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Vic’s shit it had been a long fucking day. I had a long weekend ahead of me, going up to Pennsylvania to keep an eye on Mike and Maryann Valente. I go once a week, never on a set day so I can get a better idea of what’s going on with Val’s family. Sadly, Maryann works all the time and when she’s not she keeps to herself. Mike’s a mess; running around with no direction whatsoever. It’s sad, the kid had a lot going for him with sports, but he had to go and get himself injured. It’s discouraging nothing ever works for guys like us, just neighborhood guys trying to get by in life.
“Daddy, I’m telling you it’s not good,” Nikki said anxiously as I entered the room. She glanced at me before looking back at her old man.
“I said I’ll take care of it,” Victor rumbled, losing his patience with his youngest daughter.
I tugged Nikki’s ponytail teasingly before sitting down in front of Vic’s desk. She was standing next to the desk with her arms crossed when she glanced down at me and frowned. I winked at her so she knew I was just joking around with her but her frown remained in place.
“This is your fault,” she said despicably.