Motown Showdown (18 page)

He tucked me in like I was precious. Making sure the covers were just right, that my head was on his chest and that his arms were keeping me safe. Even in a dead woman’s bed it was perfect. Then he whispered in his sleep and his words damn near had me crying. This business may not affect me, but it does him. For years, his handler sent him out on jobs deep down he knew were wrong. That’s what these nightmares were about. Guilt.

Snuggling in deeper, I kiss his chin and my resolve to put an end to this was resolute.

By any means necessary, Gage ‘Gadget’ Kane would never lose sleep over death again.

Gage was still o-u-t, and I was hungover.

God bless children’s Motrin and bacon, shit works like a charm.

Because I’m an antsy person (Bobo says all the cool kids had ADHD and that I should embrace it) the second my body gets enough rest I wake right up. Slowly disengaging from him, the second I’m free he reaches for me in his sleep. Since I started having sex (at fourteen, don’t judge) no one has ever reached for me. Probably because I never stayed long enough to let them, but it tugged at something inside of me when he did it.

From the beginning, we’ve needed each other in strange ways. By sharing advice, venting and my own need to watch over him. Very quickly I realized he was necessary to me. Never did I think I could ever be necessary to him. A control freak from birth, I have issues admitting I need people. I’m a problem solver, a multi-tasker, a badass and good at keeping my guy safe.

The purpose of the wire was to keep tabs, yes. But it was to help each other out, have a support system, and I liked knowing if I needed it, the guys would kill for me. Over the years, I’ve done it for almost every one of them. But for Gage I’d take out cities, families and even his partner.

Gage though needs no one outside of his family and even them he doesn’t lean on. That kind of thinking is dangerous. Hearing Rome’s story yesterday made something in me snap. Rome was free, but he wasn’t, it was a dark cloud that followed him around. He still felt imprisoned, and I could see why. Taking a life is not something most people ever do, wouldn’t even consider, but I wasn’t most people. So two hours later after coffee and talk of next steps, when Gage hopped in the shower, I hopped in a car.

Gage had a conscience; I did not possess one.

You kill for those you love

Vengeance is mine

No brainer

Thirty minutes later, I left the safety of the car I was in to do something I rarely did, make myself noticed. Walking in through the front door, I find her easily. Let’s be real, ugly is not hard to find. Evil, even easier. Cameras are anchored in nearly every corner, and still I proceed. Those cameras wouldn’t slow me down. As far as the world was concerned, I didn’t exist.

Ten yards away I could sense her evil, and I wanted it extinguished. My nipples hardened at the thought of her blood coating the floor. Her face, dark deed and her death already memorized, I knew I’d savor this for the rest of my life. Grabbing a seat in front of her desk, she looks up and yeah, the years have not been kind.
Like she could compete with Kandace? Please
… “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to speak with you about Roman Peterson,” I tell her quietly. Sucking in a breath I see fear on her face as she looks around. “This is girl talk, can you take a five-minute break? We can chat outside I’m dying for a smoke.”

“Uh…” she says nervously. “Roman Peterson?”

“Yeah, black guy? Panty-dropping good looks. He brushed me off for some boring white girl, and I’m not happy about that. He brushed you off once too, thinking we might have something in common. I need your help, and I don’t mind sharing.”

Fear was replaced with cunning, anticipation and
excitement
.
Filthy soon-to-be-dead bitch.
“Come on,” she says easily. “We can
chat
in the garage.”

Following her out we take the elevator down to parking level B, and when we get to her car, she turns and smiles. “So what did you have in mind?” she asks practically salivating at the thought of hurting him further.

“Nothing too crazy,” I say stepping forward making sure my back was to the camera. “Just killing you.” Then before she could assimilate my intent, I had my hands around her throat. Michelle Porter was twice my size, but it made no difference to me. I was in shape, focused and
strong
. Driven by the need to kill, to put her brand of evil to rest, I was as strong as any man. She pounded at my wrists and forearms but I was unmovable. Only when she started to lose the fight did I ease off.
Too easy.
Hitting the ground knees first, she goes for her own throat while gulping for air.

“Look at me,” she does and I memorize this moment. I was grossed out when I saw it would include the puddle of piss she was sitting in but, I’d deal with that later. Blood seemed natural to me, but urine belonged in a toilet not running down your legs to the drain. Meh, we all have a hard limit I suppose.

“Pro bono,” I tell her kneeling down, so we’re face to face.

“W-what?”

“Pro bono,” I repeat. “Normally a hit costs a lot more than you’ll ever make. But you? I’m doing for free. And when I’m finished here, I’m tracking your father. He’s almost as filthy as you are…
almost
.”

“Why are you doing this?”
Oh bitch, you know why
.

Standing back up, I order her to look at me. When she does, I smile. “Rome and Kandace say hello.”

One round, quick and easy.

Straight into her forehead with brain matter coating the driver’s side of her silver Honda. Sucking air through my nose, pulling my cheeks together, I work up as much saliva as I can before spitting on what’s left of her face.

Enjoy hell, whore
.

Walking over to my empty casing, I pick it up, drop it in my pocket and call for my ride to pick me up at Starbucks in ten minutes. I wasn’t even to the elevator before the goosebumps broke out.

You kill for those you love
(I loved Kandace and Rome)

Vengeance is mine
(Vengeance was theirs)

Sitting outside after grabbing my delicious soy vanilla latte, my phone rings and I smile before answering. “The Happy Hitter, where every shot counts. How can I help you?”

“Where the fuck are you?” he yells into the phone. “I tried calling a dozen times!” Liar, he called eighteen times but who was counting? Okay, I was. How sweet was that?

“Went for coffee,” Just then my ride pulls up. “Be home in fifteen.” Then I climb in and on my way back I wondered if this would ever get old. When I smiled wider, I decided it wouldn’t, I
liked
knowing it wouldn’t. I could see the appeal of helping others now. I imagined the world had millions of stories like Roman’s. Heartbreaking, life-altering stories. Stories that will never see justice prevail. Stories where the system failed. Yeah, I could see the appeal now.

Climbing out and thanking my driver, I wasn’t even to the steps when he stormed out to have a showdown with me on the lawn. Then he started to yell again which brought the lovebirds out, and then I smiled again because I thought family affairs were fun.

“Explain,” he growls.

“Coffee,” I show him holding it up.

“You’re armed,” he says pulling my shirt up.

“I’m always armed,” I remind him. “Plus people do crazy shit at coffee shops, this one time---”

“Your face is red, your pulse is racing and you’re
smiling
.”

“This is the weirdest shit I have ever seen,” says Rome looking over at Kandace. “He’s pissed she’s armed and got coffee?”

“Mornin!” I offer to the lovebirds. But they were too stunned by Gage’s behavior to do anything but stare. I knew him to be temperamental, alpha-like and bitchy. From where I was standing (on the lawn no less) it was clear Kandace was seeing her brother for the first time. It was also clear she didn’t know what the fuck to think.

“I’m always smiling,” and showed him so by highlighting all of my teeth. “I’m a fucking ray of sunshine.”

He did not agree. To prove this, he knocks the coffee out of my hand before grabbing them and flipping them palms up. In about three seconds, he would know. He would know because after I kill my hands shake, don’t know why, they just do, and I told him this years ago.

“Where were you?” he says low, and I knew he wasn’t fucking around but neither was I. I have a daddy. He’s dead and last time I checked; I didn’t get parenting advice from heaven so…

“Out.”

“Out? Without your car?”

“I called Uber.”

“Where did you go?”

“A quick hit,” I said casually but was pissed I lost my coffee.
Shit’s expensive
.

“You called Uber to drive you to a fucking hit?” he asks as if this is absurd. It was not absurd. It was the responsible thing to do.

“Uh yeah,” I say looking at the lovebirds who were wondering why I would do such a thing. “Our cab service isn’t exactly safe, try and keep up.”

“Get in the fucking house,” he says reaching for me.

“Don’t,” I warn losing my patience.

“Get in that fucking house or I’ll
put you
in that fucking house.”

“Guys,” says Roman coming to stand next to me. “Neighbors are watching, let’s take this inside.”

Squaring my shoulders and pushing past Gage I stomp up the stairs. Before I reach the door, I turn and let him know, “You owe me another latte, fucker.”

The lovebirds wanted to stick around for the fallout, but Gage ordered them to leave. Slamming the door, he rounds on me but I put my hand up to show him I wasn’t playing either. “You killed my buzz,” I snap. “Both adrenaline
and
caffeine. I’m not sure you get the difference between fucking me and
fucking me
. But that shit back there was not cool. You do not get to go papa bear on me in front of the lovebirds, ever.”

“Woman---”

“I have a reputation!” I even stomped my foot again to show I was serious.

At this, he blinked saying nothing. However, I knew it wasn’t over. Gage was just warming up but so was I. You do not mess with Camo’s coffee.

“Ever cross the line?”

“Every day,” she laughs into the phone. I could feel her close by. My mark was due to show at this deal any minute. I didn’t know the specifics and I didn’t much care. Drug dealers weren’t on my radar, but I figured taking one out did a lot of people a favor.

“By the way,” she says. “The mark in question is some big shot pharmaceutical douche. He’s been stealing drugs that aren’t approved, still in trial phase. You’re doing the world a solid. Happy hunting, homeboy.”

“How do you fucking know this?”

“Eyes up, sexy,” she says seriously. “I’m here if shit goes south.” Then she hung up. Shit did not go south; it went smooth. So smooth, that night I slept well. But when I woke up I realized she never answered my question.

I was going to kill her.

She was gone one hour and forty-two minutes.

I didn’t know where she was, if she safe or if she for once,
needed me
.

Now we were having a showdown in a dead woman’s living room, and I knew she wasn’t going to budge. She killed for me again; it was always for me, and I was sick of her having to do it. I chose the wrong partner; this was my mess, and it wasn’t her job to clean it up.

“Who was he?” I ask nicely enough. Kill her with kindness was my intent because, with her, threats were useless. While my dick was twitching in my pants, I wanted to kill her with orgasms too but that would have to wait. Camo mouthing off in person fired me up.

“She.”

“There’s a female playing?”

“No,” she says crossing her arms over her perfect chest. “As if I’d allow that,” she snorts. “I’m the alpha vagina, you know this.”

“Camo,” I warn approaching. “Knock it off, who was she?”

“Better off dead,” was her answer.

“Enough!” I yell up at the ceiling calling on patience. “Last time before I walk out that door, who was she?”

“Walk and I’ll track you,” she says losing her usual good nature. The killer was simmering right under the surface wanting back out. Camo, while generally a very happy person was more bloodthirsty than most. That happy go lucky façade was just that, a façade. “She had nothing to do with our current problems. She was responsible for someone else’s problems.”

“Level with me,” I ask calling on my patience once more. Camo in that moment was wearing vengeance like a second skin, and she didn’t do that, ever. This was personal for her; Camo didn’t do personal either.

“Let it go, Gage,” she warns. “I watch you; you don’t watch me. Remember that.” Pissed off, I spend the next several hours ignoring her but watching her none the less. She was up to something. Whatever that stunt was about wasn’t over with. Not by a long shot. If anything, she was just getting started.

“Guys!” Kandace yells barging in with Rome right behind her, both out of breath. They live four steps away, they shouldn’t be out of breath at all. “They just found Michelle Porter’s body in a parking garage at her work.”

“The back of her head was blown off---” Rome starts, then stops, looks at Camo and just…
stares
.