A cold hand reached for my shoulder.

Wham.

"Fuck, Johnnson!"

Hearing someone use my actual Name made me hesitate. I was just about to bend my attackers arm in an unnatural angle behind his back in order to pop out his shoulder, when I changed my mind and kicked him in side instead. He growled.

FUCK.

"James?"

Another growling, apparently his way of agreeing with me.

"Oh God, James. I am so sorry!"

I got on my knees to help him get up

Growling "Bitch!" was his way of thanking me. Well, we had worse encounters.

"What are you doing here?"

James coughed with a crooked smile on his lips while padding down his jeans to remove the dirt covering him. His former white shirt was ruined.

"Can't a brother just show up to visit his sister??"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sure, that would be a valid reason.... ", I poked him in the chest and he almost fell back to the floor. "But you are not my brother!"

He laughed.

"Thank god for that. Kind of Brother-in-Law then"

The dirty looks he gave me, made my skin crawl. I suddenly really just wanted to take a hot shower and scrubs it all off. James himself was still struggling to get back up on his feet, cowering partly standing, partly sitting position in front of me in order to regain his stand.

Was he drunk?

I grabbed his loose, dirty T-Shirt and pulled him closer to my face. A loose strain of his dark hair fell in front of his brown eyes from which he tried to focus on me. With a passing glance he might have looked a little bit like a young Johnny Depp - just less handsome. Now that he was this close, I could smell these oh so predictable withering alcohols. I sighed.

"Nice to see you honey! How about a kiss?", he mumbled when I didn't say anything for a while.

According to his looks he couldn't have shaved in a week. Or showered for that matter. The big scar running from his ear to his chin was covered with stubbles. Freshly showered, shaved and in a nice suit, one would might have considered him good looking. Handsome even. Now he just looked like a hobo with a black soul - which, practically, he was.

With my stretched out arm I hit him over the head which caused more dust and dirt to fall out of his hair. I coughed.

"Good'ol Ash I see!", he laughed, rubbing his back of the head.

"And good'ol James it seems!", I shot back waving my hand between us in an attempt to get rid of the fumes coming off of him.

"Touché"

For a moment I considered to just leave him in this cowering position and go home. Nervously a started biting my thumbnail. A nasty habit I had tried more than once to leave behind. Apparently tonight all those ghosts from the past wanted to stop by and haunt me, so I gave myself a pass on falling back into old patterns. With that, I got down myself in order to help him back up.

As soon as we got back on our feet, I gave him another shove (with much less force this time. I didn't want to send him right back on his ass - just create some distance)

"What the actual fuck are you doing here?"

I hadn't told a soul where I was or that I was leaving. Not that anyone would have cared really. Especially not Thomas brother James. Unsure of what to make of this situation I eyed my former kind of brother-in-law. He was scanning our surroundings making a sound of disapproval. "Could ask you the same thing!"

He pointed at the bar, disbelieve in his eyes.

"Merlottes? Your a barmaid now?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

Taking a job as a barmaid seemed like a valid cover when I first arrived in this small homey town. You got into contact with a lot of people, heard the newest rumours and where able to blend right in.  With time, the job actually started to be kind of fun to be honest. Sure, the money could have been better, but the moment I liked what I had created for myself...

"I watched you today. There is more to this than your telling, right?"

James eyed me intensely and I suppressed my sudden urge to dive away. Instead I tried to force the muscles in my face to show indifference instead of the fear that was creeping up inside me. I had seen with my own eyes how cruel and unreasonable James could be. Calm and charming one minute, a complete psychopath the next. If he wanted something, he wouldn't let go. 

Not even with me. Jesus, especially not with me!

"I need the money", I mumbled trying to get this over with quickly. The sooner we were done catching up the sooner he'd leave again, right?

James scared me half to death. Something in eyes must have told him something he wanted to know, because all of the sudden, his expression changed. Gone was the partly unfocused vision of a drunk. His eyes were clear, his gaze sharp. Awoken was the hunter inside of him. Not. Good.

„Bullshit. I know you. You have more than enough lying on some shelf or hidden under some mattress. Our last gig almost added up to 200K each. You have something left. And you are planning something!". His expression grew firm and he stepped in closer.

His fingers caressed my arm. With his other hand he curled a loose strand of hair around his finger before tugging it behind my ear. Hopefully unnoticed, I stepped back.

"I don't think our little ace already feels like retiring...", i mused taking another step towards me. He placed his hand on my mouth, stopping me from answering him. His fingers smelled like Tobacco.  .

"Queen, King, Ace."

He didn't even mention "Jack" the playing card his brother used to occupy. Like he never existed. I shivered, pulled my head back and raised my hands to stop him from talking.

„Pssssst!"

He rolled his eyes because of my reaction but talked a bit quieter now. 

"Oh come on! Those little heists have been month ago. Even in New York they are old news. I honestly doubt that your little codename and our "fame" made it all the way across country to the south. Especially not in this horse-shit town!"

Again he scanned our surroundings and snarled in disagreement.

"Must be a big thing considering you've been around here for month now. Still looking to partner up?

"I left that behind when I left New York. I'm done!"

That lit a dangerous spark in James eyes. He growled. By now, the dust of alcohol seemed to completely vanished. Instead his gaze was cold. Emty, calculated, hungry.

"Your dour done, when I say your done!"

His fingers grabbed my wrist, stronger now. Pulling me in with on swift motion, I lost my stand. Our faces only inches apart I tried to keep my composure.

"Me and Lindsey, we need our Ace!"

Lindsey and him used to be Queen and King of our little Playing Card-Gang. I had a thing with computers (as in I wasn't half bad in hacking into security systems) and proved to have  organisational talent which got me the nickname and Ace. Plus, it was conveniently close to my nickname Ash and James wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed - to be polite.

James, Tom's sorry excuse of a big brother felt it was important that him and his bottleblond girlfriend with to much body glitter to be King and Queen -  the strong and leading cards. Tom had just shrug his shoulders taking on the role of "Jack" even though his job as lookout and contact man was the more important and dangerous role. James and Lindsey where hot-headed and their code names seemed to fire up some their already air-headed minds. The more the media came too notice us, the more they grew more everything started spiraling out of control. James started to order us around, got reckless, shortsighted and impulsive. Dangerous. Deadly.

I wanted out. Leave it all behind and start new. Take Tom and run. But just like me, James wasn't willing to let go of Tom. Because James was the only family he had left. No matter how he was treated by James, he wouldn't take off. Or demand respect, ask for any kind of recognition from James like become "King" of our little amateur gang.

"Having you by my side already makes me feel like the most envied King of the World.", he'd just whisper in a husky voice. Like always just thinking of him felt like being stabbed by a butterknife and took my breath away. Trying to rid myself of this feeling I shook myself. before further memorise would try to resurface. In my emotional turmoil I tapped back into my never leaving anger. Still feeling James alcoholised breath on my skin, I wanted to free myself from his grip and take a step back. At the same time, this motion would look weak and like a form of defeat - so I stayed where I was.

"Lindsey and I", I corrected him.

"Huh? What about Lindsey and you?"

God, give this man some brain!

"Its Lindsey and I, not I and Lindsey, you bigheaded baf-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I heard the slapping sound. Than there was the pain. I stumbled back a pack. James had slapped me had, leaving my ears ringing.

"Correct me one more time...", he growled angrily.

Did I mention before, that James had a thing for violence? That because of him I wasn't only wanted for robbery but for armed robbery, assault and they cherry on top: for murder? Yeah, a real winner that guy. Kind of ironic. From an early age on I learned to avoid aggressive and short-tempered people. Yet somehow I was like magnet for those characters to sort me out. A magnet for danger, violence and pain.

For the probably tenth time I felt my newly trained muscles ache to react to his attack. Vibrating in anticipation to show of my fighting skills but I kept them under wraps. Being able to fight would only make me more interesting for James purposes. Something I wanted to avoid at all costs. All I wanted was for James to leave me alone . He was suppose to believe Tom's death had left me a broke shell with no use for him whatsoever so he*d leave me alone for good. That I had lost my spark -  was useless.

So I grinded my teeth and bit my tongue till I tasted blood.The pain of his slap was already starting to recede. Honestly, I barely felt it. I had felt worse, much, oh so much worse.

So I stayed still.

James made a sound of approval and praise.

"Maybe you actually did change Ash..." He turned his head to the side and grinned. "I remember when you and your nasty mouth would have gotten you in trouble much worse, leaving you with a few more bruises."

James pulled me closer. Real close. So close, that I felt how much he really liked this situation, the brutality and power. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse and covered with lust.

"It's almost to bad. I always enjoyed our little spats. Enjoyed breaking your spirit."

He looked deep inside my eyes holding my chin in place so I wouldn't be able to look away.

"My brother was one lucky bastard, you know?", James started to explain like we were having a polite chat while drinking a cup of tea on a front porch. He didn't even flinch when mentioning his deceased brother. Instead he licked his lips and gave me an unmistakable jurning look. I suppress my gag reflex. 

Turning my head in a swift motion to my left, I loosed his grip. He clicked his tongue, watching me with caution and interest.

"You're in and this discussion is over"

I clenched my jaw together so intensely I was afraid I'd chip a tooth. How could have he spend 200.000 Dollar in a few short month? Even I had money left, even though I had spend a lot of it on bribes, private detectives and fighting gear, not even considering my new papers.

"You are going to help us plan our next heist. Understood?"

His question was hypothetical. I opened my mouth to answer nonetheless but he raised his hand - a motion to warn me his eyes narrowed to slits. "Or the police is going to get a call informing them about the whereabout of one of their "most wanted"

I closed my mouth again.

"You wouldn't dare! You would get yourself in trouble", I tried to convince him, my Poker Face in place. He pouted his lips.

"Maybe, maybe not! Guess we would be long gone when the shit hits the fan tho. You sure you want to risk me being cautious?", he asked. Sure as hell not. James was never cautious, that was my job. Toms job - when he still had been alive. James noticed my defiance and clapped his hands.

"Thought so." he giggled. "Next time honey, if you change your name, be more creative than using our mothers maiden-name, alright? Simmons..."

He laughed. God I hated James. Like it was he one and only purpose on this godforsaken planet to ruin everything. Even my name, the maiden name of his own mother, Toms mother, he didn't leave alone. He had to make of fun about it.

"Since you've been at this charming place quite a while, I assume something is holding your here ", he looked around again moving his hand pointing at the trailer and the bar. "Although I can't imagine it is this ...establishment."

I grinded my teeth.

"So what is it. Lover or Job?"

When I refused to answer, he took my silence as a form of agreement. So he continued.

"Let's look at this whole situation reasonably. This is a small town. It would be easy, letting your past become public knowledge. A whisper here, a little hint there and voila, just like that, your real identity is out!

This bastard had my at my metaphorical balls.

He stepped in closer once again and placed his hand on my cheek like a caring father figure.

"Don't pout Cinderella!", he whispered his voice covered by a thick layer of sarcasm. "Of cause, that doesn't have to happen. You can enjoy your new found freedom. All you have to do is use that handy little brain of yours behind your innocent blond curly hair and do on last tiny job with us and where out of your business for good before you can get used to us!"

I considered his proposal, staggered up the pro and cons in my head. The best solution for the moment seemed to be to just give in to his demands - for now. He was right. I had to stay under the radar for now. Urgently. A heist would make this more difficult, but getting the local gossip about me started was just as risky and under the wrong circumstances dangerous, as a well planned "gig". I wasn't so naive to believe this would stay the only favor he would ask of me, but all I had to do now, was buy myself some time to sort things out. .

James breath, heavy and drowning in alcohol, touched my face. He waited for my answer. When I nodded my head he clapped his hands in excitement.

"Playing Cards-Gang at it again!"

I stopped him.

"For the last time, partly reunited!"

He looked at me with an intense look, like he wanted to add something but eventually just nodded. Than his hands reached for my throat.

"But I'm warning you honey! Don't do something stupid. That shit won't fly anymore. Not with me, I'm not my brother."He squeezed a  bit tighter. "Got it?"

I nodded. Panic filled my eyes, spots started to dance in my vision.

He let go. "Wonderful. Looks like I got quite a lot to do than, but for the moment, you seem to be right where I need you. Be a good girl and stay," he scratched his chin. "Man- it's like destiny dropped you right in my lap."

Right. Destiny. What a bitch.

"Be ready. I'll be around!"

With a last nod, James seemed satisfied and as unexpected as he arrived he was gone again. My clock officially had started to run out of time - I had to get my plans moving sooner than expected. Only problem, I hadn't even started to plan.