Love and Sacrifice (3 page)

“Yep, him and his nice little tail of a girlfriend. I plan on having a lot of fun with her.”

“Good. I’ll let you know when you can,” Mickey tells him.

“Tommy, I want you to take care of the daughter. I want you to rough her up a little bit. Let Roman Pierce know that he isn’t safe.”

“Wouldn’t that give cops a reason to sniff around?”

“Not if you make it look like an accident. Besides, you’ll finally get to come home.”

“I got a better idea.” I don’t know why I’m saying that and Mickey looks a little offended.

“Oh, really?
You
have a better idea?”

I sit up in my chair. “I think the Pierce girl likes me.”

Mickey’s eyes light up. “Really?”

“Yeah, I figured I play around with her. Maybe I can get some more insight on Roman. Maybe we can take over whatever he has left underground.”

He’s hesitant at first, but slowly grins. “Good thinking, have fun. The rest of you know what to do.” He points to Terry. “I want you to stand down until I give you my word, which hopefully will be very soon.”

“Alright,” Terry reluctantly says. Everyone exits the office, leaving me and Mickey alone.

“So, how is everything else going?” Mickey asks me.

“Good.”

“You know you’ve had me worried ever since Leon. Really, I’ve been worried ever since you got out.”

“I’m fine, Mickey.”

“You still my number one guy?” 

“Yes.”

“You still got my back?”

“Of course, Mickey.”

“Okay. Go have fun.” Mickey gives me his usual sinister smile and I give him one back.

Am I evil? I don’t know. Is Mickey evil? Yes, no doubt about it, but I owe him everything. There is only one thing I’ve ever known and that is loyalty. I am loyal to Mickey.

I head back downstairs where the richest men of New York are betting their children’s trust funds away. I eye Venus and see she’s working a customer. I could go over there and disrupt it, but strangely I don’t want to. I kind of want to go somewhere else.

Before I go back to the suburbs, I want to visit my mother’s grave. She’s buried at Saint Angels Cemetery, where all of God’s angels look after the fallen. That’s what my mother always told me.

I get there and sit in front of her gray headstone. I should have brought flowers. Lilies were her favorite.

What the hell?

I look past my mother’s headstone and I see someone else eyeing me. It’s Ella Pierce. You have got to be kidding me.

Chapter 3

“Ironic Coincidence”

Ella

             
Okay, now this is weird.

As I’m visiting my brother’s grave, I look across the graveyard and there he is.

Tommy.

He looks at me, probably as shocked as I am. I don’t even know why I’m walking over to him right now. The guy obviously came here to show his respects to someone here. Or is he following me? You never know, especially given my family history with people kidnapping and killing us.

              “Hi,” I hesitantly say to him. He’s still looking at me, dumbfounded.

This was dumb.

              “Hi,” he finally speaks.

             
“This is weird.” I let out a little ha-ha laugh to lighten up the mood.

             
“No shit.” He seems a little angry.

“Okay, yeah, I’ll go.”

“Wait,” he stops me from walking away. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little… I don’t know, really.”

“This is a big coincidence, isn’t it?”

“You have no idea.” I’m confused by his answer. “Who are you here to see?”

“My brother, Christian. Half of my family is buried here, my grandparents, uncles, cousins. It’s the place where God’s angels look after the fallen.”

He seems to be bothered by what I’m saying.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

“Yeah,” he laughs and shakes his head. “It’s just that… my mother.” Now when he says ‘mother’ it sounds more like
mutha
. It’s cute. “She used to say the exact same thing to me.”

“My mom used to tell us that when we were kids too.” I hesitate to ask him my next question. “So… who are you here to see?”

He points to the headstone in front of him. I walk up next to him and read the name.
In Loving Memory of Lyra Dumas.

“My mother,” Tommy says.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“I’m sorry too.”

“Dumas, that’s French, right?”

“Yeah, my mother was French and my father was Italian.”

“Dad still in the picture?”

“No. He’s not. He was a bastard.” He pulls out a cigarette and lights it. I try to hold my breath when he exhales the smoke. “Your brother, how did he die?”

“He was killed by crooked cops. I’m surprised you haven’t heard the story.”

“The story of Roman Pierce who goes legit, moves to the suburbs and loses one son while the other hooks up with the daughter of the assistant U.S. Attorney, who turns out to be corrupt himself?”

“Pretty much,” I say.

“The dark-haired girl at your party. That was her, right?”

“With my brother? Yeah. She moved in with us after everything.”

“Really? Your father let that happen?”

“Yeah, we saw how much they loved each other and said what the hell.”

“Your folks are cool.”

I laugh a little. “Yeah, they are.” I glance at the time on my cell phone. “I have to go. I promised Dina I would meet her at the carnival at six.”

“You need a ride?”

I wish I needed a ride.

“I drove my car. You’re not going, right?”

Please say you’re going.

“Do you want me to go?”

I chuckle. “Well, that was ballsy.”

“It’s a simple question. Do you want me to go?”

Instead of staring at his eyes, I stare at his lips because a guy with confidence and mystery makes you want to do that.

“Yeah,” I answer.

He flashes that sexy smirk. “I’ll see you there.”

The fact that we just flirted in a cemetery should already give me a warning about this guy, but I’m choosing to ignore it because of those adorable hazel eyes.

Tommy

             
There is so much irony and coincidence tonight.

First, Christian Pierce is buried in the same cemetery as my mother. Second, the same saying my mother said to me about Saint Angels Cemetery is the same saying the Pierce kids grew up knowing. It’s crazy how the next time we see each other, I don’t have anything to do with it. Is the universe playing a trick on me? I mean, it’s one thing to run into someone at a store or on the street, but to run into them at a sacred place is another thing altogether.

It was fun flirting with her, though. I knew when she said she wanted me to come to this carnival, I was in.

Chapter 4

“Fear”

Ella

             
“Who are you looking for?” I jump at Claudia’s question.

             
“What?”

             
“You keep looking around. Who are looking for?”

             
“She’s looking for the hot waiter,” Dina informs.

             
I roll my eyes. “His name is Tommy.”

             
“Oh, so you
are
looking for him,” Dina smiles.

             
“Wait, who is Tommy?” Claudia asks us.

             
Before I can answer, Dina does it for me. “This really sexy waiter guy from Ella’s party; we ran into him again yesterday at the mall. He saved her from being harassed by your ex-boyfriend.”

             
“Wait, what?” Claudia is pissed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

             
“It doesn’t matter,” I assure her.

             
“Eric said some real foul stuff and Ella punched him dead in the face. Then here comes hero Tommy to pin him down.” Dina sounds as if she is writing a melodramatic novel.

             
Claudia’s mouth drops. “You punched Eric in the face?”

             
“He had it coming,” I tell her.

             
“See what you miss when you decide not to come to the mall with us and have sex with your boyfriend?” Dina tells her.

             
“Ew!” I cringe at the thought of my brother having sex. “Dina, please. I really don’t feel like throwing up right now.”

             
“We didn’t just do that,” Claudia laughs. “We had to drop off Emile at the train station.”

             
“It’s interesting how the day after Jade goes back to school, Emile goes right ahead too,” Dina says what we’re all thinking.

             
“Yeah, it is obvious. I just wish you and Donovan weren’t going back tomorrow either,” I tell her.

             
“I know, but Donovan is getting his apartment and I have to put the down payment on ours and I have to get ready for the summer writing program.”

             
“And you two want a place to yourself for the summer. Don’t try to act like there’s another reason. The summer program starts next week.”

             
Claudia rolls her eyes at me. “Whatever. So what about this Tommy guy? What’s his profile?”

             
“She’s still getting to know him.”

Oh, shit.

I definitely know that deep voice. I look at Claudia who looks confused and Dina whose mouth is wide open. I slowly turn around and see Tommy smirking at us with his hands behind his back.

“Hi.” That’s all I can say right now.

“Hey.”

“Um.” I blink twice, trying to get my brain back working. “This is um… my friends. Well, you know Dina.”

“Hello, again,” Dina says with a smile.

“And this is Claudia. Claudia, Tommy.”

“How are you?” He shakes Claudia’s hand.

“Hi, nice to meet you.”

We follow that with an awkward silence.

“So, how about we get on this gigantic Ferris wheel?” Dina breaks the ice.

“Sure,” Claudia agrees as Dina leads us to the huge white Ferris wheel in the middle of the carnival. It’s clustered with red and blue lights on it. Personally, Ferris wheels are kind of boring to me.

“He
is
gorgeous,” Claudia whispers in my ear.

“Claudia, how about you and I get in this one?” Dina pulls Claudia with her.

“Yes. I would love that,” Claudia says.

Could they be any more obvious? We watch as they jump in the first cart.

The man working the Ferris wheel ushers us down three carts behind them. He lowers the rail and locks us in and I notice Tommy looking a little unhinged right now. After a few minutes the Ferris wheel takes off. I glance at Tommy and see he’s stiff and peeking below as we go up.

“Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah,” he lies.

“Are you afraid of heights?”

“What?” He looks offended. “Hell no!”

“Yes you are.”

He gives me a look. “Okay. I get a little nervous in high places.”

“Why did you agree to get on the Ferris wheel then?”

“Because you were getting on the Ferris wheel.”

“Well for future reference,” I lean in closer and whisper, “I don’t like Ferris wheels.”

“So there’s a future?” he smirks.

“No.”

He leans toward me and whispers. “Liar.” I smack my lips and look the other way to keep him from seeing me blush.

We talk a little and five minutes pass. I decide to ask the question I’m dying to ask.

“So what did you go to prison for?”

“Wow. You don’t waste any time, do you?”

“Nope, might as well address the elephant in the room.”

“I did one year in
juvie when I was thirteen. Two years in prison for assault and possession.”

             
“Wow, there’s a kicker.”

             
“Ready to jump off the wheel?”

             
Ignoring the question, I continue. “Do you regret what you did? Any of it?”

             
“No,” he answers without hesitation.

             
“Did you assault a woman? A kid?”

             
“No.”

             
“Who did you hurt?”

             
“This guy who liked to talk a lot of shit.”

             
“What about when you went to juvie? What did you do to get in there?”

             
I can tell by the look in his eyes that I hit a soft spot, but he’s saved from answering when the Ferris wheel stops.

             
We’re stuck at the top until they let everyone on the bottom out. I look down at all the people scattered around the carnival and hear Tommy flick a lighter. Ugh, he’s lighting a cigarette.

             
“You know those things will kill you, right?” I keep my eyes on the bright lights of the carnival.

             
I can’t see it, but I swear I can feel him smiling a little. “Either way, we're all gonna die someday.”

             
“Yeah, well.” I finally look at him. “Doesn’t mean you have to go too soon.”

             
“I think that only matters if you have something to live for.” I can tell by his tone that he really believes that.

The Ferris wheel starts to move again and when we reach the bottom we are let off. Claudia and Dina are waiting for us, giggling like little school girls at me and Tommy.

              “You guys have fun?” Dina asks us.

             
“Why yes,” Tommy answers.

             
After a few more rides and games, the carnival starts dying down. Claudia has to leave early tomorrow with my brother and go back to school, so we decide to leave.

             
“So, can I get your number?” Tommy asks me.

             
“Yes, she would love for you to have her number,” Dina says with excitement. Claudia laughs while I give Dina a stern look.

             
“Yes, you can have my number,” I tell him myself. He pulls out his cell phone and I enter it in.

             
“Hey, Ella.” We look up to see Lionel Cass and James Rich, these assholes from my school. “How about you give me your number too? We can have fun for old time’s sake?”

             
“Fuck you!” I snap.

             
“You’re such a piece of shit, James!” Dina yells at him.

             
“Hey, Claudia how is that bullet wound?” Lionel laughs.

             
I glance at Claudia and see that she is cut by what Lionel says. Donovan told me that she still gets nightmares about that day.

             
I start charging towards Lionel and James, but Tommy pulls me back.

             
“What are you doing?” I snap at him.

             
He’s calm, but he has more rage in his eyes than I do. He points past my head and I turn to see four cops standing around, scanning the crowd.

             
“Let’s get out of here,” I tell Claudia and Dina.

             
I don’t even think about saying bye to Tommy. I just need to get away from the carnival and away from Eastbrook. God, I can’t wait to get the hell out of here.

Tommy

              I didn’t like that. In fact I’m furious and enraged that some preppy assholes would even have the balls to say that to a woman and call themselves a men. I don’t care if she has fucked the whole football team. I. Did. Not. Like. It. I would have been happy to join her in kicking their asses, but once I saw those cops, I couldn’t let her get in trouble.

             
But now I can do something even better.

             
After Ella and her friends leave, I watch James and his buddy laugh about the jokes they made and get in his BMW. I follow them to their high school football field, probably wanting to relive their glory days. I watch as they laugh and pass their vodka bottle while sitting down on the grass. I see the guy James smiling and enjoying life. I see the other guy and think about what he said to Claudia about her being shot. I don’t like people like them. The only time I like them is when I’m kicking their ass. I get out of my car and walk across the field. They both see me and laugh.

             
“Look, it’s Ella’s friend!” the friend says.

             
“Here to ask us what she’s like in bed?” James laughs.

             
They both stand up, tall and mighty, thinking they’re gonna kick my ass.

             
“That’s really funny,” I say calmly as I walk faster towards them.

             
Once I get to James, I jab him right in the nose. His head goes all the way back as the blood splatters across his face. His friend swings at me, but I duck and throw my right fist into his stomach, then give him a left hook to the face.

             
“What the fuck is wrong with you, man?! You broke my nose!” James holds his nose with both hands.

             
“Oh, did I?” I pull him up. “I’m sorry.”

His friend gasps for air while he holds his stomach. “All this for a bitch?”

I throw James on the ground next to his friend and pull out the gun that is tucked in the back of my jeans. Both of their eyes jump out of their skulls when they see their death sentence staring them in the face.

“Hey, man, please! Don’t do this!” James begs while his friend starts crying and screaming like the pussy he is.

“You see, guys like you really get to me. You can have anything you want, you’re rich, good looking. You didn’t grow up the way I did. So I just don’t get why you act like shit.”

“I don’t know why either, man.” Now James is crying too. “Listen, we’re sorry!”

“Say that you were lying. Better yet, tell me what all happened with you and Ella?”

“What?” James looks confused.

I press the gun against his head. “Tell me.”

“It was just sex!” James yells.

I pull the trigger. “AHH!” The sound of the click sends James in a spiral.

“You see James, every chamber isn’t loaded, so you better start giving me details because who knows when it might just…” I pull the trigger. Click again. “Go off.”

He shakes and all of a sudden a wet spot appears on the front of his khaki pants.

“Did you piss yourself, James?”

“Yes!” James has the ugliest crying face.

“Details,” I demand one last time.

“I lied! After Eric Anderson hooked up with her, he said she was easy. I took her on a date and tried to get her to give it up. She didn’t want to. We kissed, but that was it!”

“Oh, so she isn’t a whore?”

“No.”

“Okay, well from now on, I want you to tell the truth.”

“Okay.”

“And James, if I hear that pathetic and bitch ass lie come out of someone’s mouth again, I will come for you.”

“Alright,” he snorts.

I pointed my gun at his friend. “And you. What’s your name?”

“L─Li─Lionel,” he stutters.