I can’t risk staying here. What if one of the Russians or those nasty Vultures spotted me and wanna do something big for the boss? I am sure my father has shown my face to his men with the orders to bring me in if I’m ever spotted. I would land anyone a big fat bonus for Christmas.
I was so stupid to have followed my brother’s wishes and come back here. I am only one person. What can I do against a syndicate like my father’s?
Nothing is the answer to that.
A big fat nothing. My brother will have to find another way.
But tonight isn’t a total bust. I pull out my phone and sigh with relief when the video plays with no problem. I watch a few seconds just to make sure.
Yep. It has everything. My father’s twisted business partner Veles, his men, my father’s men and the Vultures. Now that I have a second to breathe and think, I remember everyone and whose team they are playing for. None of them are on my side except for my brother.
I stop the video and shoot it off to the number my brother gave me. I pray he knows the mess he’s about to get into with this. I hope he has a plan.
“Momma, der you are.”
The patter of socked feet running across the carpet pulls me out of the darkness I barely lived through. I quickly darken my phone’s screen and turn around just in time to catch my baby girl as she jumps into my arms.
“Hey sweet baby girl. Come here. Let me hug you.” I give up a prayer of thanks for helping me come back to my girl alive.
Behind Kaylee is a woman in her mid-sixties with curly gray hair and an easy smile.
“All okay?”
She knows what my brother and I are fighting for and offered to help with Kaylee while I helped my brother.
I shake my head. “Nothing went as planned. We have to go. It’s not safe anymore. In fact, come with me.” I start toward the back of the house to grab our bags, but the older woman comes up and rests a hand on my arm.
“No, I haven’t let that man run me outta town yet and I’m not about to start now.”
Before I can press her on the matter, a girl in her teens with fire engine red hair, black lipstick and shit kickers with thicker soles than Phantom’s steps into the living room.
“Chloe, who is this?”
“My granddaughter. She’s waiting for her mom to swing by. She won’t be here long.”
Good manners have me extending my hand, but the chick clicks her tongue and pops the gum in her mouth instead. “Damn girl! And I thought I got into paintball tag.” Chloe’s granddaughter comes over and passes a finger through the red “paint” on my shoulder and winks.
My heart stops.
Oh, God.
I quickly grab her finger and clean off the blood before she can look too closely.
I plaster on a fake smile and hope I haven’t scarred the poor girl. “Yeah, sibling rivalry and all that,” I urge adding in a huge eye roll. “Hey, would you mind grabbing the bags for me while I speak with your grandma? We gotta go. I forgot I have a meeting in the morning and we gotta get back.”
“Yeah sure. Come on Kaylee. Let’s go get your toys.” My two-year-old wiggles free and runs off with her new bestie. The girl makes friends with everyone.
As soon as they are out of earshot, I start talking. “Chloe, my father is moving major amounts of drugs through here. He hasRussians, his men and those fuckers the Vultures all working to push that shit. I got it on video and it won’t take him long to hear about it and start pushing for information. I know he will come here looking for answers when he finds out it was me. And he will. You have to come with me.”
Chloe calmly listens to my frantic pleas but when I pause to take a breathe all she does is pat my hand.
“He won’t do anything to me. You go and protect that sweet baby girl of yours. I’ll be fine. Your father and I go way back.”
I fight to keep my shoulders from locking up with tension, but it’s not working.
I try again.
“Please. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
