“Not tonight, Irish boy. Not tonight.” With that, she flicks her wild red braid over her shoulder and walks away from me out the back. I sit in silence as I finish my coffee and croissant, she doesn’t appear again, so I pick up my smoke lighting it inside the shop before walking out the door to my car hidden in the shadows.
This job may just be the test to all of my skills, for my body feels crazy shit while she’s around. Jimmy’s right, I should just kill them all, but Layla, oh the beautiful Layla has gotten under my cemented skin causing my body to feel all kinds of random shit.
Driving towards the Warehouse, I see him walking from church slowly when he stops to speak with the priest pulling him in with a handshake. He’s laughing like he’s a saint tainting the holy house of god.
My knuckles roll over the steering wheel burning in pain as I grip it tight.
Pulling back out onto the street I carry on with the job I have been set out to complete for a new contract the old boy secured from a new organization in the area. My name comes with power, my mind and body hold credentials my grandfather doesn’t mind exploiting much to my mother’s disgrace. I have a 0-79 body count. A 100% job success rate and I have made thousands fighting in the underground for theorganization’s fight nights.
***
I pull up inside an empty garage. Popping the trunk of the Camaro, I grab the black duffel and lift the board inside the trunk, revealing a secret compartment. I sift through the firearms, taking out the extended mags, a Glock, my silenced Ruger handgun and a sub-machinegun. With my weapons holstered, I slip out of the garage and stick to the shadows. Walking across the road I stay out of sight.
On the outside, the building looks like an old school. Venice Beach Automotive Shop is just a dilapidated building. It’s an old school building like that doesn’t raise any questions or suspicions. But men like me, we know better. I know just what goes on inside its walls and just how sick and fucked the men are that run the trafficking ring. I turn the corner and sure enough there they are, crowded in front of the beat-up townhouse that sits next door. Men are playing dice on the road, with beer spilling from their cans as they laugh and joke around.
Taking out my phone I snap a few pictures for Jimmy, sending them to his email. He’s with Lucas, the guy who ordered this hit. Family wanting to kill family I can sympathize with him on that; I want to run Ian from this world the dick bag that he is.
Lowering myself to my haunches, I slip a cigarette into my mouth. Lighting the tip, I watch and smoke while awaiting confirmation.
GO
That’s all I was waiting for.
Stubbing out my smoke I close in on them and the house. I pause when I see the young girl being passed around between the men. They’re drunk and probably high on everything this side of the border.
Well, this fucks up my plans. Really fucks them up. Why did the muppets choose tonight to torment this young girl? The one night I’m there to make them bleed.
Killing a woman doesn’t bother me in the slightest. It does, however, complicate things. Sure, I can do it. I don’t really have an issue. A kill is a kill and really when you look at it, and where she is, there is a high chance she wants to be dead. She’s young. Too fucking young and it’s obvious she doesn’t want to be there. Oh, fuck. I sigh and rake a hand through my hair, making the hood of my hoodie fall from my head. I’m just about to say to hell with it and leave when I hear gravel crunching behind me. My body stills as my pulse quickens holding my breath. I take one step forward like I am walking away, I pivot on the soles of my boots and strike out at whoever is behind me. They dodge the blow. I curse out and his fist comes fast toward my face. I duck and jab at him. Once, twice. He stumbles back and my third punch lands in a harsh, violent blow to his temple. He catches me with a hit to the eye as he falls forward. My fist is balled as I pull my knee up fast checking his chin on his way down. Before he can fall, I snake my arms around his neck falling back towards the gravel while wrapping my legs around his waist. Holding him in place, my arms lock around his head and neck and all my strength goes into squeezing until I hear the distinct pop of a gun. Letting go of him, his body is slack, so I roll it from mine. I stand and look toward the shop. I see that I have been discovered. Shots ring out toward me with men yelling. Fuck me. This isn’t how it was meant to go. It’s messy and loud. I rip my Ruger from my holster, firing off shots into the one advancing on me, hitting him in the shoulder then the head. The next person comes at me fast from the side of the building as I gain on them walking right into their line of fire.
Show no fear.
To fear you have to be alive.
A hiss escapes my clenched mouth as a fucking bullet grazes my arm. Hot, burning pain searing through my flesh.
Right, no plan. Salvage is happening here now. I spot the girl, forgotten, huddled against the wall of the house.
Firing again I hit my target in between the eyes. The girl yelps as her hands fly up to cover her face as he falls in front of her.
I scour the men left firing aimlessly at me. They aren’t the ones I need dead. When the last body hits the ground, I glance around the neighborhood before closing the distance between me and the girl. She’s younger-looking now that I am closer and really look at her. She’s scared, tears streaking her dirty cheeks.
I help her to her feet.
“You hurt?”
She shakes her head. I need to get her out of here. I need to think of a brand-new plan after how epically this one went to shit. Fuck! “You have somewhere you can go?” I ask her as I lift her over the dead man at our feet, kicking him as I step over the fucking piece of shit.
Looking at her as I place her down, she nods at me.
“Ok, sweet. Where?” I ask, taking her hand and dragging her off toward my car.
Chapter Six
Make it rain blood for your sins.
~ Micha Ragen
Two days later, I’m parked in my usual spot watching the stunning Layla from the privacy of my car. It’s officially been two weeks since I was given her file. Two weeks since her father reached out for me to keep her safe. Two weeks of watching her. Two weeks of wanting her. I got here a little later than I usually do. I got held up on one of my kills and I had to check on the girl from the other night. She’s been haunting my mind. The place I dropped her wasn’t any better than the place I took her from.
