19. Chapter Seventeen
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
KRIK
K irk had gotten a text message several minutes ago from Betsy. He had wanted to read it and respond, but right as he was about to, Rogan asked him a question. He hoped it wasn’t something important.
Before he left the apartment, he told her to call him if it was anything important. She had told him she wouldn’t because she wouldn’t need anything while he was gone. That’s when he had to reiterate it just in case. He wanted her to know that no matter what, if she called he would pick it up and answer it. But texting was a different ballgame. He needed to get better at checking whenever he did get a text message.
“Kirk?” Rogan called his name.
“Hmm?”
Kirk looked over at Rogan. Several of them were in the room, talking about their next move.
“Just give me the word or sign and I’ll blow his brains out,” Dane stated. “Even if it’s just a blink. But before, tell me that the blink is the sign and I’ll be good.”
Kirk shook his head and tried so hard not to laugh. Did Dane not realize that telling him what the sign was before would ruin it being a sign?
“What did you find on the guy?” Rogan asked.
It took Kirk several seconds to realize what they were talking about. He had been so distracted thinking of Betsy and if she was okay or needed something. Hopefully she actually called him if something was wrong.
“Kirk,” Rogan growled, clearly frustrated. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Maybe he has something up his ass,” Dane suggested.
Kirk glared at Dane. “Fuck off. That’s not it.”
“Do you want me to check?” Dane asked.
He ignored Dane and looked back at Rogan.
“Luigi as we know is a business partner with Arden Jones. Both of them are bad men. Luigi was caught buying underage girls but let go an hour later. Nothing in the system so they had or have blackmailed whoever was processing him,” Kirk explained. “He’s got houses all around the world where he stocks these girls. I’ve read places and have confirmed that if the girls do anything wrong, even for the simplest things, he’ll kill them without a second thought and throw their bodies to his dogs or dump them in the water.”
Kirk hated the guy and wanted him gone, but they couldn’t just take him out. There were too many variables.
“Arden wants to work with us, have our man power since he doesn’t have it,” Rogan said.
“And you’re actually considering it?” Dane asked. “I can fucking blow his brains to bits. No one will know who it was. No trace back.”
“Dane, not right now,” Rogan replied.
“What’s wrong with what I said? You know I’m an amazing assassin. Use me and I’ll get the job done.”
Before anything else could be said, Kirk’s phone went off. Everyone looked at him as he pulled it out of his pocket.
Betsy.
He immediately stood up. “I need to take this.”
Kirk answered the call. “Betsy?”
Right after he spoke, the phone went dead. What the fuck? What happened? Looking at the phone, he realized she hung upon him. What was going on? Why did he call and hang up? Was she in danger?
Kirk pulled up his cameras, pulling up the feed for his apartment.
“Shit,” he said, turning to Rogan. “I’ve got to go.”
He didn’t wait for Rogan to respond. Running towards the exit, he pulled out his keys and got into the car.
“Call Angelo,” he called out.
His phone started to call Angelo as he drove to his apartment. What had happened to Betsy? Why was she lying on the ground near the front entrance? Was she okay?
“Yes?” Angelo answered.
“Come to my apartment now. I don’t care how many laws you have to break, you get here as fast as you can. Betsy is on the ground.”
“Is she alive? Breathing?”
Panic went through Kirk. “Fuck.”
“You’re not there.”
“No. Fuck. I’m almost there. Just get to my apartment as fast as you can. I don’t fucking care about you wanting to make sure people are safe as you drive. You fucking get over to my apartment as fast as you can!”
“On it.”
Kirk pulled up to his apartment parking lot, barely making it into a parking spot before he was out of the car and running towards the front entrance.
“No time for elevators,” he said as he opened the door to the stairs.
Skipping several at a time, he made it to his floor in record time. He was breathing heavily but he needed to get to Betsy and fast. Kirk pulled out his gun and held it as he made his way over to his apartment door.
Closed.
Unlocking the door, he quietly walked into the apartment. His gaze found her form laying on the ground. He was torn. Look around the apartment and make sure no one else was in there or check on her first.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
He took several steps into the apartment and looked around, gun in hand. There was no one else in the big living room. Holstering his gun, he made his way back towards Betsy. First thing he needed to do was check if she was alive.
Placing his hand on her neck, he found her pulse and felt it beating strong and steady. What could have happened? Had she fallen from standing and hit her head?
Kirk wanted to pick her up and hold her against her as they waited for Angelo to arrive, but he didn’t want to in case she was hurt. He didn’t want to make something worse. But he also didn’t want her to lay on the cold hard floor.
“You’re okay,” he whispered.
He knew she couldn’t hear him, but he needed to say it. Maybe it was more for him or maybe there was a slight chance she could hear him.
“Angelo is on his way. Everything is going to be okay,” he whispered, emotions clogging his throat. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Kirk started to run his hands through her hair, trying to comfort her in a way.
“Everything is going to be okay. You’re okay and Angelo is coming over to check on you,” he calmly said. “You had me and Angelo worried. You still do. But everything is going to be okay.”
Everything had to be okay. He wasn’t ready to lose her. There was no way he was going to lose her.
Betsy moaned as she tried to move her head, but his hand kept it in place.
“Shhh, you’re okay,” Kirk whispered. “Everything is going to be okay.”
She tried to move her head again, but Kirk stopped it.
“No moving,” he gently commanded. “Everything is okay but you need to stay still until Angelo comes. He should be here any second.”
The doorbell rang.
“The door is open!” he yelled.