Chapter 32 #2
I pulled him further down the hallway, stopping outside the open door of his office. I remembered that room. I had fucked Juliette on top of his desk enough times to always remember it.
Hands still on him, I shoved him through the doorway with one hand, the other out to flick on the lights. I wanted him to know who took his life. Shutting and locking the door behind me, I pushed the trembling man into the seat in front of his desk.
“You get up, I shoot you in the back of the head,” I said as I towered above him. “Are you gonna get up?”
“No!” he cried out, head shaking wildly. “I promise!”
I took a seat in the chair behind his desk, slamming one boot covered foot on to the oak before I followed suit with my other foot. Leaning back in the chair, I made sure to keep my gun aimed at him. He kept looking back at me with wide eyes, his lips trembling.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in here,” I said as I eyed the room.
Bookshelves were up against the walls at the back of the room while the windows on the left displayed deep red curtains that kept anyone from seeing what I was about to do.
My boot bumped something on the desk and I rolled my eyes when I saw a photo of Gordon and Walter staring at me.
I kicked it off the table. “Did you miss me?”
He panted. “What do you want?”
“I wanna kill you.”
“You… There’s nothing in here! I promise. There’s my computer, but—”
I jammed a foot into his computer, sending it toppling to the hardwood floor. “I don’t want that. I told you. I wanna kill you.”
“Please, take anything… All of it… All my watches, my cash. I have a lot of cash in my bedroom, back there. Take it!” He pressed his hands together, pleading with me. “Have it all! It’s yours.”
“I don’t want it. The guys in there want it, but I don’t.”
“Then… I don’t understand!”
“Is this the same desk?” I asked, tapping my heavy boot against it. “It looks like the same desk.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s the same one, right?”
“I told you: I don’t understand.”
“You know…” I said, my eyes landing on the cigar box to my right. I reached out with a gloved hand, flipping open the lid and popping one into my mouth. He had a little black box of matches on his desk that I used to light it. “I used to fuck your daughter on this desk.”
He blinked at me, brows furrowed. “Excuse me?”
“After school, she’d sneak me in here and let me bend her over it. And let me tell you something about your daughter. She had,” I said, banging my boot against the table, matching the beat of my words. “The tightest.” Slam. “Fuckin’.” Slam. “Pussy.” I blew out some smoke. “Still does, actually.”
It took him a second, but he finally let out a long breath. “It’s you. I see you’re out of prison.”
“Two years.” I nodded. “Two long years.”
“You killed her husband, didn’t you?”
“Does he still count as her husband if he’s dead?”
“You’re not going to get away with this.”
“I already did. And I’m gonna get away with killing you too.”
His lips quivered. “You’re still a scumbag.”
I laughed at that. “Your daughter said the same thing to me.”
“You have no reason to kill me. You’re out of prison now. Isn’t that enough? And if you wanted Juliette then you’ve gotten rid of the problem. You don’t need to touch me.”
“Oh, no, no, no.” I gave my gun a little wave. “You’re the piece of shit who made sure she was stuck with him in the first place. I’m not just killing you because you made sure I was behind bars. I’m killing you for selling your daughter off to that abusive cunt.”
“You’re mad she married a man with wealth. She married a man who could give her everything she had ever wanted.”
“Do you even know what she wants?”
“Sometimes she doesn’t know what she wants.”
“You sold her off to some old fuck who beat her up,” I said, pulling the cigar out from between my lips. “You knew about it. You fuckin’ saw him put his hands on her, right?” When he didn’t say anything, I slammed my boot to the desk, watching as he flinched. “Yes or no?”
He fidgeted in his seat. “It’s the price you pay when you marry a man with money.”
I shook my head at him. “She was miserable. She was scared of him. Thought he’d kill her one day.”
“Oh, please.” He sneered. “She’s always been dramatic.”
“Did it ever keep you up at night? Huh? Knowing that she was stuck in that house with him? That he loved putting his hands on her?”
He shut his eyes. “I told you: it’s the price you pay if you want to marry a man with—”
“You have no fuckin’ balls whatsoever. And neither did Gordon, apparently, ‘cause he couldn’t knock her up in those five years she was stuck with him.” I grinned at him. “You know who did knock her up though?”
He grimaced. “Don’t lie about that.”
“You’re gonna be a grandfather. Finally. Aren’t you glad I showed up?”
“There’s no way.”
“She’s so happy about it. So am I. You should be happy too. I did what he couldn’t do. I did it on the first try too,” I said with a laugh. “The guy should have thanked me.”
“You’re lying.”
“I mean, you try and knock your wife up for five fucking years and can’t do it, but then I show up and make the problem go away, and he can’t even shake my hand.” I slowly stood up. “No manners.”
“You need to… You need to let me go,” he stammered. “Juliette will hate you—”
“This was her idea.”
He shook wildly, standing up so fast it sent his chair flying to the floor. “I’m not letting you take my life like you took his. I’m not—” He turned his back to me, his steps rushed, but it was my bullet to his lower back that stopped him in his tracks.
With a thud, he hit the floor, and I gave his body a kick so I could turn him over and see his face.
The blood was already starting to seep out of him and I reminded myself to take it all in.
I wanted to see his dying face forever. Eyes and mouth wide open, chest heaving, lips trembling.
I wouldn’t forget this. I’d see it at night when I went to sleep with his daughter in my arms.
“I’m gonna shoot you in the head next and this will all be over,” I said, voice a little muffled thanks to the cigar.
“Please… Please…” He was begging, trying to reach one shaky hand up, but I kicked it away lazily.
“You didn’t even have to like me, you know?
All you had to do was stay out of my and Juliette’s business, and you’d get to keep on living in this house with your cigars and the desk I fucked your daughter on and whatever fancy shit my guys have probably already packed up right now.
” I pressed a boot to his stomach. “This is your fault. You asked for it, just like Gordon did. You both have a bad habit of asking to be hurt. You can’t blame me for just giving you what you want. ”
“Please…” he said again, a whimper leaving his lips.
The sound was starting to annoy me, so I aimed my gun at his head, watching as his eyes managed to widen even more, and pulled the trigger. The popping sound of the gun stayed nice and low as his head snapped back, the bullet lodging right between his eyes. Thank God for silencers.
For a moment, I stood there and watched. The pool of blood that was escaping his stomach met with the blood that was seeping out of his brain, swirling together to make a beautiful, red mess. It was all his fault. I did what any man in love would do.
There was nothing left for me in that office as I left it behind. It was the last time I’d ever be in it. I was about to make a beeline for the master bedroom, but Chase and Bennett were already storming towards me, bags in hands.
“We got ten minutes,” Bennett said. “Let’s go. We need to leave.”
“Hey, where’d you get the cigar from?” Chase asked.
I pointed a thumb over my shoulder. “His office. He’s in there, though,” I warned.
“Okay,” was all Chase said, and then he was in and out in seconds, a lit cigar between his teeth. “You did a good job. Time to head out, though. You boys ready? One last exit before it’s all over…”
We were out of the house in less than a minute, throwing the bags into the back as Nolan drove us out of Branmore. When we got to the motel, we gave Nolan his cut before he took off back home.
The motel room was warm when we got inside and my eyes found Juliette instantly on the bed, her back against the headrest and her thumb between her teeth as she bit down on it. Her head turned fast, a deep sigh leaving her as she leapt off the bed and into my arms.
Holding her against my chest, I used my other hand to cup the back of her head. “You were worried, huh?” I chuckled.
“Please tell me that’s the last time you do that,” she said, her fingers clinging to my shirt.
“Yeah, princess, that was the last time. Promise there’ll be no more of that.”
I let myself get lost in the moment for a second.
That sweet smell of her hair hit me and I sighed as it took over.
Honey mixed with cinnamon and home. My girl, my anchor, my everything, the love of my life, my future, my Juliette.
I could feel it all in that little old room as I kept her pressed to me, where she was warm and safe and loved.
“Is…” she said, words a little muffled. “Is he?”
“I’m hoping you don’t regret asking me to kill him, because he’s definitely dead,” I said.
She squeezed me tighter. “Thank you, Bridger.”
“I hate to break this up, but time to split the loot,” Chase said, throwing the bags next to us on the bed. “Your parents had a shit ton of cash in that safe.”
“How much did you manage to get?” Juliette asked, still pressed to me as she looked over her shoulder at Chase.
“Few hundred thousand,” he said.
I whistled. “I love rich people.”
“Nolan’s already received his cut,” Bennett explained. “We also had to steal some watches and jewelry—just to make it look like a robbery gone wrong, you know? I guess we’ll split them up evenly? How should we do this?”
My head shook. “I don’t want those. You guys keep it all. Just the cash is fine.”
Chase eyed me closely, yanking out a deep green Rolex box. “You sure? I swiped a bunch of these. Juliette, your dad loved his Rolexes.”
Juliette rolled her eyes. “I know. Tacky.”
I shook my head again. “That’s for you guys.
A thank you for tonight. This was a risk.
It’s not what we normally do. Thank you for helping me and Juliette.
You guys take all that stuff. Sell it, spend the cash, enjoy it.
What I got now…” I turned to Juliette, taking in her pretty eyes and little smile. “Is so much better.”
“If you insist,” Chase said, zipping his bag back up. “What time are you guys leaving in the morning? I still can’t believe you’re moving to fucking North Carolina.”
“It’s really beautiful there,” Juliette said. “You guys should come visit us.”
“I’d love to come see your home.” Bennett smiled. “Right by the beach. How peaceful. No more skyscrapers…”
“That’s exactly what I want,” Juliette said.
“Well, it’s getting real late.” Chase looked at the clock before turning to face me. “I guess this is it, man.”
Finally moving away from Juliette, I sighed. “Yeah, this is it.”
Chase pulled me to him, giving my back a hard slap. I returned it before yanking Bennett in close. It hurt more than I thought it would. Two guys I met back in prison, back when I had nothing, and now when I looked at Juliette, I felt like I had it all. I had more than I ever thought I could.
“Goodbye, Juliette,” Bennett said, arms wrapped around her as he pressed his lips to her cheek.
“Take care of her,” Chase said, giving Juliette’s shoulder a squeeze. “And that baby. I’m gonna spoil her. Or him. Do you know yet?”
Juliette shook her head. “We kinda want it to be a surprise.”
“Yeah, we’re happy either way.” I smiled down at Juliette. “Really happy.”
Me and Juliette gave Chase and Bennett a couple more goodbyes before they left with their stash. Juliette shifted to sitting at the end of the bed and I kneeled in front of her, eyes landing on her stomach before I met her gaze.
“It’s all over now,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about them.
Your dad or Gordon. Both of them. Neither of them are getting close to you now.
I’ll never let anyone touch you again, Juliette.
You and the baby. I’ll spend the rest of my life looking after you two.
I mean it. You don’t ever have to feel afraid… ”
She gave me a soft, little smile. “Thank you. For everything. For what you did to them. And for saving me.”
“You would have got out of there without me.”
“But you gave me something I was missing. Courage, maybe. Or strength. Or both.”
“No, it was there. It always was.” I stroked a thumb against her knee.
“Don’t ever think for a second you weren’t strong, that you weren’t fighting.
You didn’t need me to do anything. Maybe you just needed to know someone was on your side.
I wasn’t your savior, baby. Just… your safe harbor. Always, always your safe harbor.”