Rory said she wanted to be alone, but as I watch her from the monitors in my office, she keeps searching the room for me. The outer closet door has a lock on it, so even if she figured out I was here, she wouldn’t be able to get in and see just how watched she truly is. In awe of how beautiful she is, I observe Rory for a few minutes while she gets under the blanket and picks up the book I brought her the other day.

In my desk, there’s a burner phone I use to protect my identity. I pull it from its spot in a hidden compartment and turn it on. Like I told Rory, the police are searching for Eric much quicker than I thought. To get ahead of them, I need to contact my good old pale Judge Andrews and see what it will take for him to make this all go away. From my recent call list, I find Blake’s number, and while the line on the other side rings, my eyes are glued to Rory curled up in our bed. The phone rings and rings, but the judge doesn’t, so after the beep, I leave a message. “It’s me, and I need your assistance. Call me back asap.” Son of a bitch.

Instead of putting the phone back in its hiding place, I pocket it and creep out of my office, trying not to disturb Rory. The deeper into the room I get, the more I believe my little slut has succumbed to slumber. She hasn’t flinched, and the only movement is from her light breaths.

I traipse my hand up the edge of the bed, close enough to feel her essence but not enough for her to feel me. Since she’s been through so much today, I’m going to leave her alone and not fuck her brains out while she sleeps like I’d like to. I picture what I can do to her like this for a few more seconds before exiting the room and saying, “I know you’re mad at me, Rory, but I’m going to spend the rest of our lives making it up to you, even if it kills me. I would rather die a death harsher than Eric before causing you this much pain ever again.”

Back downstairs, Nyx and Malachi are waiting for me in the kitchen. The glass has been picked up off the floor, and all the evidence of what was supposed to be our first breakfast in the house together is gone. Nyx spots me first and drops his goofy antics. When his spine straightens, it alerts Malacchi, who is sitting with his back to me, to turn his stool around.

“Great, now that I have both of your attention, WHAT. THE. FUCK, “ I bark, throwing my fist back and punching Malachi in the jaw, knocking him off the stool. They’ve been with me long enough. Malachi knew this moment was coming, and I wouldn’t do it in front of Rory. Nyx rounds the island and tries to block me from causing his friend any more harm. They both know that hit was his one and only warning. If either of them looks at Rory the wrong way, they will filet their own skin and feed it to their pigs as an appetizer before I fucking kill them, and their corpses are the main course.

Pushing Nyx aside, I throw a hand out to help Malachi off the ground. Once to his feet, he wipes his dickies clean, and we all take a seat. “Was that necessary, dood? We're basically brothers?” Nyx dumbly asks. To prevent myself from knocking his fucking lights out, I clench my fists in and out. “ The two of you are more my family than Eric ever was, and that’s exactly why it was necessary dumb ass. That scumbag hurt Rory enough. She will not be disrespected in my home by either of you. He got what was coming to him. Now, let's move on. We have more pressing things to discuss'' I say as calmly as possible. Nyx drops his head onto the marblebled countertop and just nods.

“I’ve called Judge Andrews already and left a message, but I expect the two of you will be heading out within the next few days.“ We sent Blake all the information we found while researching his twin Lydia once the order of protection was null and void. For his continued help, I can already guarantee the cost. Nyx and Malachi are going to find her and bring her back for him. She’s hiding under an alias, but we have pinpointed her location to a small little town in the Midwest, and they are skilled at what they do.

Nyx jumps out of his seat like an excited first grader and says, “Oh, I’ve been dying to hunt that curvy purple haired orphan since we first got entangled with Andrews. This is going to be fun.” Fun is one way to put it. The two of them already know they are to bring her back no matter what boundaries need to cross, and together they’re two of the most deranged mother fuckers I’ve ever met. I can only imagine what’s in store for poor Lydia. “Is that whose lower back you imagine cutting with your butterfly knife while you jack off every night?” Malachi asks, smacking his best friend on the back, and Nyx only grins slyly. See fucking crazy.

For around an hour, the guys and I review new security protocols for the house now that Rory is here permanently and any future cases we may want to take on. There’s one from Woodbororo not too far away, but in all reality, I don’t want to go more than a floor's distance away from my little slut.

“Since it’s only a thirty mile drive to the location, Malachi and I can hit it up on our way out of town,” Nyx suggests, and I’m not hesitant to agree. They will have to go in the same direction to pick Lydia up anyway. I’m about to tell Malachi to set it up, but a notification from my phone goes off instead. “This better be the goddamn judge,” I say, pulling the phone out of my jeans pocket and pressing down a button on the side to light the screen. I have one missed text message, and sure as shit, it’s from Blake Andrews. Without opening it, I switch my gaze between the two of them and rhetorically ask, “What the fuck is up with everyone surrounding me being terrible with taking goddamn directions?” Nyx must not have understood the rhetorical part because he laughs and says, “Hey, I listen, boss man. Last night was a one and only occurrence.” Fucking idiot. “Stay here,” I demand, exiting the kitchen.

It may not even be noon yet, but I v-line straight to a full size modern bar in the living room. It’s made from dark mahogany wood and has a granite marble top that matches what's in the kitchen. On the bar top, I drop my phone and grab a small one ounce glass. I'm skipping sipping bourbon and going straight to whiskey shots. Not giving a shit if it’s cheap alcohol, I yank the first bottle in hands reach off the shelf, pour into the glass and throw it back. As the amber liquid warms my esophagus as it trickles down my throat, I pour another one and toss it down. I prepare a third shot, but before I finish the bottle, I should read Blake's message.

BLAKE: Meet me at 2400 South Grand Ave in an hour, and come alone.

HA. Who does this mother fucker think he is ordering me around? I may need his help, but I am not opposed to going a different route to force him into it. Not one to waste anything, I finish my shot, put the bottle back in its place, and yell for the guys, “Bring the SUV around. We’re going to meet the Judge. Nyx, bring one of your special paralytics just in case the good old judge tries something.”

It’s a thirty five minute drive to where we’re going, but we’re leaving early to devise a plan. From the driver's seat, I hand Malachi my phone with the city's street cameras displaying on the screen. “Type in the address and let me know what you see,” I say, accelerating out of my driveway and to the closest interstate.  It’s silent while he works, but a few minutes later, he says,” We’re going to an abandoned church in a lower income residential neighborhood. There are no street lights, but plenty of the surrounding homes have those doorbell security cameras.” 

It will be easy enough to wipe any proof of us being there off those home security cameras, so I'm not too concerned about them. I bet Blake is banking on nothing going ary, being surrounded by homes with families inside them, but they won’t stop me. It was his choice to meet in person. If he fucks up, he has to pay the consequences. We could have stayed virtual acquaintances who benefited from each other equally. Whatever happens from this point further is on the good judge.

We’ve been driving in silence for twenty five minutes. The only noise is a random chuckle from Nyx watching something on his phone with Bluetooth in the back seat. It’s serene watching the mileage markers turn into family owned business signs and horse pastures. “Jace, there’s movement at the location. A black pickup parked in the dilapidated garage on the property.” Malachi says, interrupting my zen. Looks like we were the only ones thinking of coming early. He’s a government official. If he is doing all of this in broad daylight, he can’t have bad intentions. “It’s Blake, and he has one other person with him. They’re entering the building now.”

Entering the drive for the church, I take a quick look at our surroundings. There’s a culdesac across the way with small ranch style homes, and Malachi wasn’t lying about this place being abandoned. By the looks of it, no one has been here in at least the last five years. The windows are half haphazardly boarded up, and it’s like I'm trekking through a forest of overgrown weeds trying to get to the entrance at the front. 

Nyx and Malachi go ahead of me, and once they both give me a nod to signal it’s safe to enter, I follow. The church's inside is even more run down than it’s outside. Plywood two by fours are hanging from the rafters, the pews have all been destroyed and are piled together like someone was about to burn them, and there’s trash by the truckloads all at our feet. Who knows what Blake was thinking about setting this meeting here, but it better be good. If I need a tetanus shot after this, he’s footing the bill.

Blake is behind an altar at the front of the room like a goddamn Priest ready to give a sermon. He can preach to someone else. In the past thirty seven years, I have never believed in god, and I’m damn well not going to start now.  To his left is a single bodyguard who Blake must have a lot of faith in because, after a quick scan, he’s only carrying a single pistol on his hip and a hunting blade around his ankle. In the time it takes for him to draw his weapons, Malachi will already have him detained, and Nyx will be injecting him with the paralytic. 

“What are we doing here, Andrews? I made it clear in my message you were to call me back. There was no need to discuss things face to face.” I say, stepping over broken glass and used condoms to get to the altar. Can I kill them both now and get this over with? I can leak Eric's records my damn self. Fuck. The closer I get, Blakes lackey slyly moves his hand to his hip as if I wouldn’t see him, so I nod for Malachi to be ready. Not even a minute in the building, and this mother fucker is taking things in the wrong direction.

“Jace, call off your hounds. This is a peaceful meeting,” Blake says as if his bodyguard isn’t trigger heavy. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to judge? Mr. Badass over there had his hand on his piece since we entered the building. I guess you haven’t told him who the fuck I am.” I say sternly, walking around the altar past Blake and halting in front of his bodyguard so we are face to face. He’s got me beat on height by a few inches but is a scrawny mother fucker who probably never discharged his weapon in his life.

The dumb fuck doesn’t even see it when I take his piece right from the holster and kick around one of his legs to knock him over. “You broke your own rules by bringing him. It’s only fair I keep these until our conversation is over,” I say, unloading the clip, pocketing the bullets, and dropping the barrel on the floor.  To be on equal ground, I step behind Blake and say. “I’m assuming you want something since we’re in the middle of bum fucking nowhere, so let's get this over with so I can get back to my woman.” It takes a second for him to accept he won’t be the one in charge here today, but finally, he turns around.

“You’re the one who called me Jace, so you obviously need something from me. I asked you to meet me here because this building is part of what I require for payment.“ Well, at least he isn’t dragging this out and is getting straight to the point. I can appreciate that, so I nod for him to continue. “There are a lot of foster children roaming the streets in this neighborhood. Since Lydia never had a place to go, I want to turn this into a center for all the children to come to. Whether they need to escape the outer elements, they're looking for a meal, or simply want company in a safe environment, this will be it.”

Nyx and Malcahi met as teenagers growing up together on the street, and I don’t have to look at them to know their interests are peaked. Either of them would take a bullet for me, so for them, I will do this, but first, the judge needs to agree to my terms. “Without going into the why, I need all the hidden domestic violence charges on Eric to be unlocked for public access, and when a warrant comes across your desk for his phone records/internet search history, you sign it ASAP. Is my help creating the youth center all you need in return?” I’m only asking because I was sure he would want us to reunite him with his sister.

Without facing me like the weak man that he is, Blake mutters something under his breath while looking down at the ground. Nyx disapproves of the blatant disrespect and goes to pull the judge's head back by his hair, but his partner stops him before he makes contact. “Do you know who you’re talking to, mother fucker? Look him in the goddamn face if you want something.” Malachi, who usually remains silent and ready to attack, says.

Blake’s knees buckle like he’s about to pass out, but he doesn’t.  Instead, He straightens his spine, composes himself, looks me in the eye for the first time, and says, “I have one other request.” Knew it. “ I read over the information you sent me on Lydia, and it’s a little vague.” For a reason. “Even with my resources, I can’t locate her. I can do whatever you need, but besides helping me with the center, I’d like you to bring my twin home.” Bingo.

Removing the bullets from my pocket, I drop them on the floor at the lackey's feet and signal the boys to prepare themselves to leave. To seal the deal, I toss my arm out to Blake, and when his hand enters mine for a shake, I squeeze tightly and say, “ I will have Lydia back within the month, but the records need to be unlocked no later than nine pm this evening.“ Releasing my grip, I step around the altar and saunter towards the exit with Nyx and Malachi at my back. The screen door is cracked, and as I am about to step back into the jungle, I stop and, over my shoulder, say, “ It’s been a pleasure. You’ll be hearing from me shortly, Judge Andrews.” He can take it as he pleases. It will only be used as a threat if he doesn’t follow through.

“Alright, take me home. I’m ready to get back to my little slut.”
  
𝑸: 𝙒𝒉𝙖𝒕 𝒔𝙝𝒐𝙪𝒍𝙙 𝙄 𝙩𝒊𝙩𝒍𝙚 𝙉𝒚𝙭, 𝑴𝙖𝒍𝙖𝒄𝙝𝒊 𝒂𝙣𝒅 𝑳𝙮𝒅𝙞𝒂'𝒔 𝒔𝙩𝒐𝙧𝒚

I𝐟 𝐲o𝐮'𝐫e l𝐨o𝐤i𝐧g f𝐨r s𝐨m𝐞t𝐡i𝐧g n𝐞w t𝐨 𝐫e𝐚d w𝐡i𝐥e y𝐨u w𝐚i𝐭 𝐟o𝐫 𝐭h𝐞 𝐧e𝐱t c𝐡a𝐩t𝐞r c𝐡e𝐜k o𝐮t
𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝑾𝒂𝒔 by MinervaLaurent