Alexander (15 page)

Brick had been helpful until he’d realized what was going on. Then he started to quote the contract at him and tell him that he’d not do anything illegal. When he threatened to go to the police, Mik had had to eliminate the problem. So now he was stuck.

But he was only stuck and not finished. The money had to be moved and moved soon. He wanted to be out of New York before winter hit hard and laying on a warm beach with white sand and blue water as soon as he possibly could. And Alexander James was going to make it happen for him. Whether he wanted to or not.

“
Keep an eye on the woman and the kid. Don’t make a move until I let you know. And you know what will happen to you if you’re made, don’t you?” Mik smiled when he heard the fool stutter.

“
Yes, sir. I…me and my brother, we got it under control. Ain’t a soul seen us. We’ve been being real careful like.”

Mik set the phone in the cradle. He was going to be rich in just a matter of days. Looking around the room, he wondered what the person was thinking that had decorated this room. There wasn’t really anything in here that reflected Mik’s tastes, but he had wanted the house and with it came this room and several others he didn’t care for.

He laughed when he remembered the face of the man who had lived here up until several weeks ago. Mik had come to the door and asked the man to move out. Mik had been polite, even asked twice. When the old man wouldn’t do as Mik had wanted, well…it wasn’t Mik’s fault that the guy had to die. Moving out would have certainly given him a longer life. No, now he was living in a concrete pylon on the construction site.

Mik felt he was owed the finer things in life. Certainly the best he could steal. He’d given up the better part of his childhood to the system and had nothing. He’d had to fight his way out of the projects and then climb the ladder to be the best in his neighborhood. He’d had to claw, kill, and do whatever it took to get to where he was today. Yes, he thought, he deserved the best.

Going into the bedroom, he opened his closet and looked at the rows of Alfani and
his grey sharkskin Michael Kors
suits he’d have to leave behind when he left. He’d have no use for them on a beach. He had shoes,
Hugo Boss and
Cole Haan, all custom made for him. His ties were his most prized possession. He had perhaps four hundred of them, all name brands and some of them he’d never taken out of the box. Some women collected shoes, Mik collected ties.

And with all his collection, he was still not happy. He pulled out the picture he’d taken from his office. Alexander had gotten away. He’d also made of fool of Mik by not trusting him from the beginning. Mik traced a finger along the man’s chest. He would shoot him here as soon as he had the money. Then he would spit on his body. No one fucked with Mikhail Black.

~~~

Willow liked Heather immediately. She wasn’t sure what it was about her, but she did. She hated to use a cliché, but she had a quiet strength that made Willow want to stand beside her in a fight and protect her at the same time. And Willow could only hope to raise a son like hers. Jack was sitting very quietly at the dining room table doing his homework and eating a snack of carrot sticks and celery with a glass of milk.

“
Where do you go to school at, Jack?” He glanced at his mother before answering. Cautious. She could appreciate that.

At her nod, he answered. “Mason School for the Gifted. I won a scholarship when I was six.”

Willow looked up at Heather. “That’s a great school. Alex went there too. He was seven, though. And he was in the…let me see, fifth grade when he was ten. How old are you?”

The kid had a grin that would melt hearts and his eyes were going to get women to fall all over him. “I’m not ten yet. I’m in the ninth grade. I have a photographic memory so I’m not really smart. I’m just very good at memorizing things.”

“
Jack, we talked about that. Remember?” Heather took his hand in hers and waited. “Tell her.”

“
I’m smart because I work hard and I want to succeed. I do too. I’m going to buy my mom a house she never has to fix things in and a car.” He picked up his pen again. “And I’m not really smart, I just pretend to be.” Heather burst out laughing. Willow did as well. The cheeky kid winked at her.

When the timer went off, Heather stood up and went to the kitchen. When she returned, she had a plate of chocolate chip cookies and another glass of milk. Willow could feel her mouth water and reached up to make sure there was no drool on her chin.

“
That smell has been driving me crazy since I got here. I hope you’re going to share.” Willow reached for a hot cookie and tossed it back and forth in her hand to cool it off. “My dad said you were the best cook he’s ever tasted.”

“
My mom doesn’t eat cookies. She hates them.” Jack picked up a cookie and without making a chocolate mess like she was, bit off a small bite and put it back down. “She doesn’t like sweets at all.”

“
Jack, I’m sure Mrs. Stone doesn’t give a fig about my eating habits. If you’re done, please put your things away and do your chores. I’ll be in soon.”

They both watched as he left the room with another cookie. He kissed his mom on the cheek and told Willow it had been a pleasure meeting her. After he left, Willow looked over at Heather.

“
He’s a great kid. You’ve done well with him. And he’s very handsome.” Heather stood and began pacing. “What is it?”

“
I don’t know why you’re here. I mean, I know it’s your brother’s house and all, but I told you he wasn’t here. You said you wanted to give me clothes when any fool can see that I’d have nowhere to wear them. So I’ve been thinking that you came here for other reasons.”

“
I did. I wanted to meet you. I do have clothes for you. I’m going to have a baby in a few months and I wanted to clear some room out of my closet.” Willow picked up another cookie and played with it. “And why do you think you’d have nowhere to wear them? Aren’t you and Alex seeing each other?”

Heather stopped suddenly and sat down at the other end of the table about as far as one could get from Willow. “So that’s it. I see. He’s told you then. Well, I suppose that’s okay, it’s no secret. I would prefer you not tell Jack. He’s too young to understand.”

“
Told me what?” Willow could feel the woman’s anger. It was a palatable thing. “That you’re living here? I’m pretty sure Jack knows that. I’m sure—”

“
Told you that I’m his whore is what I mean. Yes, I can see that he did. When you have your baby, you’ll see that a mother will do whatever it takes to keep a child safe.” Heather looked at her hands on the table and Willow wasn’t sure if she should be pissed or feel sorry for her. “I made my bed so to speak and I don’t have a problem lying in it.”

Willow didn’t believe her. “I think you do. Has Alex done anything to make you…no, I’m not going to ask you that. I know my brother well enough to know that he wouldn’t. What happened?”

Heather was quiet for so long that Willow wasn’t sure she was going to answer. She continued to look out the window as she spoke, her voice soft and full of emotion.

“
I was fourteen when my mother remarried. I never knew my father. He was…I’m not sure what he was, but if he spent more than an hour with my mother he had more than likely known enough to hide. Steven Baxter was his name—my step father I mean. From the very start he made me feel…I guess, dirty. He would open doors that I’d shut and walk in. He’d touch me…not in an adult to kid way, but personal.”

“
Did your mother know?” Willow asked her just as quietly. At Heather’s nod, Willow decided to find the bitch and teach her a lesson in child rearing.

“
I told her before they married and after. She never believed me. Or she did and didn’t want to. I’m not…it doesn’t matter. He kept at it and at it until I saved my money up and bought myself a lock to put on my door. But the more I developed, the more advanced his touches got. Until I turned fifteen. My birthday.”

Willow didn’t want to hear the rest. She was sure she knew what he’d done anyway. But she let the woman talk, afraid if she didn’t then something vital would be lost between them.

“
My mom had a charity thing to go to. I didn’t go because I’d been grounded. Steven had grounded me on my birthday because of some injustice he’d said I’d done to him. He would tell my mom all sorts of things I’d done to be able to whip me. She put a stop to that after the second time he’d done it. But it didn’t stop him from trying. He told me to eat my dinner then get to my room. I was happy to go. With the lock, I felt safe.”

Willow got up and walked to the other end of the table and sat down across from her. Heather never looked up, nor did she seem to notice when Willow took her hands into her and held them. They were ice cold and clammy. The tears were there too and Willow doubted that Heather was even aware of them.

“
I ate my dinner and put my dish in the sink. The glass I took with me to my room. I hated milk, but he told me to finish it. I started to feel sick almost right away. I just managed to get my door locked when I ran to the bathroom and started throwing up. After I’d sicked up all my dinner, I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes. It was the last thing I remembered.”

“
He got in, didn’t he? He got into your room and raped you. The fucking bastard. Tell me where I can find him and I’m going to castrate him for you. Hell, for all women. And your mother too. She needs someone to teach her a lesson or two.” Willow hadn’t meant to speak out loud, but just thinking about the little girl Heather had been made her mad enough to murder.

“
Yes, he got in. When I woke up…when I woke up, I was tied to the bed. He’d taken all my…I was naked. I don’t know how long I was out. I guess it had been a while. He’d busted down my door, you see. It lay against the doorway broken. The gag in my mouth prevented me from screaming, but I did try. I swear to you that I did.”

Willow wasn’t surprised at the venom in her voice. What she was surprised about was her need to say it. Willow would bet her last dollar that Heather’s mother had accused her of that and had told everyone that she’d let the man do it.

“
I know you did. I know it. Go on, honey, tell me the rest.” Willow held her hands while Heather continued.

“
He told me…he told me that he’d done it before. That he only married women with virgin daughters. He said that he didn’t really care for my mother, but she was a means to an end. A way to…I was just the prize, he’d said.” Heather wiped at the tears before she continued. “He raped me, but he didn’t hurt me. I mean, he could have. I had no way of…there wasn’t any way for me to fight him. But he didn’t…do you understand?” Willow nodded. “My mother didn’t. She told me that she wished he’d killed me.”

“
Christ. She’s a real peach, your mom.” Heather didn’t say anything as she continued.

“
After the trial, I was—”

“
He went to jail? Hot damn, there is justice after all. How long does he have? I’m hoping he has at least five more lifetimes left.”

Heather smiled before answering. “He’s dead. He was killed in prison not long after Jack turned one. I read about it in the paper. My mother blamed me for that as well.” Willow let go of Heather’s hands when she pulled away. “I found out about Jack a few weeks later. I didn’t tell anyone. I suppose I should have, but I knew that she’d…my mother would make me get rid of him. She didn’t want anything to remind her of what I’d put her through. As it was, she’d changed her name back to her maiden name as she’d done after my father left. Or so she said. I’m not sure if she was married to him, but that’s neither here nor there. But the shame of me being pregnant was too much, I guess. And she threw me out.”

Willow was sure there was much more to it than that—a child of fifteen pregnant and alone, a mother screaming at her to get rid of him. Willow’s assessment of the woman went up several notches. Willow wasn’t sure she would have been able to do it at that age, even as smart as she was.

“
I’m not sure why I told…you must think I’m a very whiny person, don’t you? I don’t blame you. I’ve never told that to anyone before. Not all of it anyway. The police, I guess, and Jack knows some of it. But I’ve never told anyone before. I’m sorry. I do hope you can forgive me.” Heather stood and Willow with her. “I should go and check on Jack. He’s got school tomorrow.”

Willow pulled her into her arms and hugged her. Heather was stiff at first, but after a few seconds, she leaned into her and hugged her back. “I don’t think you’re whiny. I think you’re one of the bravest people I know.”

Willow left an hour later. Their friendship was new to them both and tender, but they both seemed easier around each other. Heather took the clothes, though she told her that she wouldn’t wear most of them. She’d told Willow that she wasn’t a fancy person. The pile of clothes mostly consisted of jeans and flannel shirts.

~Chapter
16~

Alex looked at the letter again as it lay on his desk. Brick had known that he was going to be killed. Known and had said nothing to him. He’d even been afraid that Amy would be as well. He picked it up and read it again.

Dear A,

If you’re reading this, you are either an incredibly nosey bastard or I’m dead. I’m hoping it’s the first, but I’m reasonably sure it’s not.

First, I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I should have listened. Mik is into some major shit and he only wanted us, or me I guess, because he figured as a young company, we’d be better to take the fall than he would. He’s taking robbing banks to a whole new level.