“I can’t see Victor bringing anymore heat on himself,” I said, not buying what Jack was trying to sell me.
“Maybe I’m wrong but did you ever have a gut feeling that nagged and nagged at you? I can’t shake this feeling I have that my brother was just another chess piece to Vic.” He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. “Give me something, anything, the one thing you want more than anything in this world.”
“What?” I asked trying to figure where he was going with this.
He snapped his fingers as the light bulb went off in his head. “The daughter.”
I didn’t like where this was going and for the first time I turned around and stared aimlessly across the street, noticing the black car out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head and stared directly into the driver’s tinted window, a moment later the car purred to life and peeled out of the spot.
“Hear me out, brother. You yourself thought it was odd that Victor was leaving the job to me and not to one of his men. Something doesn’t add up, and you know I’m right. I don’t give a fuck what that report says, my gut tells me Victor wasn’t just going to sit back and let me handle the situation. If he didn’t do it someone within his organization did.”
I turned around and looked him in the eye.
“I don’t know what you expect from me Jack.”
“I expect you to do the right thing and I swear I will make it beneficial for the both of us. Man, all you have to do is name your price. Put yourself in my shoes Bianci, if it was your sister in that house would you sit back when everything inside you screamed foul play?”
“No, I wouldn’t,” I sighed heavily. “You asked me what I want,” I continued lifting my eyes to meet his. “I want out.”
“What?” He looked at me blankly.
“I want out of the organization. I want to live a normal life, to provide security and…”
“You want to make a life for yourself so that the girl and her kid can be safe with you.” He said speaking my truest desire.
“Yeah,” I said, gruffly. “So if I agree to do this, we do it my way. I’m not looking to get clipped before I get the fuck out so discretion is key.”
“Fair enough.”
“If Victor or someone within his organization had anything to do with Danny’s death I will find out. I’ll dig around until I get the proof we need but until we get it you continue to do business with him and I will be the loyal soldier he thinks I am.”
“And when we nail the fucker?”
“Then you do what you gotta do but not before I use the proof we find to secure my way out of this shit life.”
“Blackmail.”
“Call it what you want,” I said, “Do we have a deal?”
“You bet your ass. That motherfucker will pay for what he did to my brother.”
“Play nice Jack,” I responded warningly. “If you think he made your brother disappear don’t doubt he’ll fucking bury you and I alive, so we keep cool. You keep your dealings with him steady, provide protection for him when asked, do your end and I will mine.”
“You got yourself a deal. Vic will be Satan’s Knights number one priority.”
“Good,” I grabbed my keys from my back pocket and tipped my chin up towards him. “Do yourself a favor and lose the Santa disguise.”
Jack wiggled his eyebrows and ran his hand over his big fat fake belly. “Ho Ho Ho”
“I want my hundred dollars back you con artist.”
“Anyone ever call you the Grinch, Bianci?”
“Bah Humbug,” I snapped with a laugh before turning around and heading to my car.
“Merry Christmas!” He called out causing me to stop in my tracks and look over my shoulder at him.
“You too, man. Try and keep your spirits up,” I replied, knowing that even though Jack probably hadn’t spent a holiday with his brother in years, he’d still feel the loss on the first holiday without him.
My phone rang inside of my back pocket and as I pulled open my passenger door, throwing my gym bag inside, I accepted the call without looking at the caller ID.
“Bianci.”
“Oh my God, you answered on the first try.” It was funny how the sound of my sister’s voice melted the ice inside of me. I hadn’t spoken to her much since I had been home, figuring she was busy getting her nursing degree and all. Every once in a while she’d drop me a call or send a text.
“Hey Lau,” I greeted as I climbed into my truck.
“Where are you? You know what, I don’t even care because I’m calling you to tell you that you have like a half hour to get to Mom’s or else we’re bringing Christmas to you.”
I chuckled slightly. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, come on Ant, you weren’t thinking about skipping out on Christmas were you?”
Telling her that was my exact plan was most likely a bad idea so instead I sighed and lied through my teeth. I was getting good at it. Too good.
“No, Lau I was just going to stop off at the bakery before I came. Anything you want in particular?”
“Hmm…get cupcakes.”
“Cupcakes?”
“Yes, vanilla frosted or if they have those character ones.”