39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
BETSY
B etsy walked closer to Daddy's office. He had been working on how they can get Arden Jones and Luigi killed. Apparently they were already talking about Luigi before he came for her.
Daddy was on the phone with some of the other people, coming up with a plan. Daddy didn't say Betsy couldn't be there, but he also didn't say she could. So now she was sneaking closer to the door to hear what Daddy was talking about.
Were they getting closer to finding a way to get rid of them? Did Arden know they knew it was him threatening her? How were they going to get him?
Betsy leaned up against the wall and listened in on the conversation. If Daddy wasn’t going to tell her anything, she was going to find out herself. It was two of them in the relationship and she knew he was keeping her safe, but he was making her worry.
Worry herself sick.
“I’ve looked into Arden Jones more. He is just as bad as Luigi,” Daddy said.
“What did you expect? They are business partners,” an unknown voice spoke.
Betsy hadn’t met all of them men in the Ricci Crime Family. There were too many to count. She also had only known Daddy for a couple of weeks and they haven’t gone out much. Maybe when everything is fixed, he will let her meet some other people.
“Did she really release photos of Arden Jones and not know who he was?” Rogan asked.
“Yes, she did. She didn’t do research about people before I got her but that has changed. Once she gets back into it, I have set rules. It won’t happen again,” Daddy replied.
“Those photos were really risque. I wouldn’t want them on the internet. Especially when he has power and a lot of it,” Miles spoke. “Shit. It probably has ruined part of his reputation. There is no going back on that. Before he could even get his guys to take it down, it was spreading like wildfire.”
That was all part of her plan. When someone wants her to release photos, she doesn’t do a weak job of it. She does an amazing job so they get out there.
“So, what are we going to do?” Daddy asked. “We can’t just go in with guns raised.”
“Do they know you know it’s him?” Angelo asked.
Betsy was getting impatient. She wanted to know what they were going to do. Were they going to take him out today or was it going to take another month or two?
Betsy didn’t want to wait that long. Not when her life was on the line. She wanted to go out and have fun, hang out with Storm and Bonnie, go out to eat with Daddy, and just go out without being worried of getting hurt or killed.
Waiting two months would give Arden time to come after her. What if she forgot and walked outside and got killed? Okay, she wouldn't forget. It was hard to forget when it was the one thing she was worried about.
“I don’t think Arden knows, but he is always on alert so we need to treat it like he does,” Daddy explained. “I don’t want to go kill him and Luigi only to get killed. What’s the point of that?”
“You are keeping Betsy safe,” Dane chimed in.
“Yes, but I want to make it home to Betsy. I don’t want to leave her all by herself.”
Hearing Daddy say that warmed her heart. She knew it was true and it always was, but it was nice to hear it for the first time.
“Then we come up with a plan. We can watch their movements for a week or two and figure out where they are at the same time so we can take them out. We need to be smart about it so we all can come home alive,” Rogan said.
“I could just set up and kill them,” Dane said. “I am a sniper.”
“We need most of their men with them as well. So yes, you could just shoot them but then we would have a blood bath on the streets. We are trying to not create havoc on the street. Everyone will be against everyone,” Angelo added.
“We could set up a meeting with them. Have Ethan’s men sitting waiting for our cue and then we kill them,” Daddy suggested.
Silence.
“Ethan?” Rogan asked.
“Yes, Ethan. I know you guys aren’t buddy buddy but we could use their help. It could put Bonnie in danger if we don’t nip this in the bud.”
Had Daddy already mentioned Dimitri or was he keeping him a secret? Dimitri had suggested using Ethan and his men to help. She figured Daddy wouldn’t take it, but maybe he was.
“We could set up a meeting time in two weeks so we can learn what we can about their movements and other new involvements. And in those two weeks you can get Ethan on board,” Daddy said.
Betsy couldn't wait another two weeks of this. She was constantly worried about Arden coming into the building. He could set an explosive off and kill everyone in the building. She didn’t want to leave the building because he was watching them.
They had come back to the apartment for the day to gather other stuff they needed to bring to the house. Betsy had honestly missed the apartment. It was mostly her room, her Little room. But it didn’t feel as safe anymore.
“I can get in contact with him,” Rogan sighed.
Betsy shook her head. Nope. She couldn’t wait two weeks for things to move. She was just going to have to take this into her own hands.
Gently pushing up against the wall, Betsy made her way to the closet where Daddy kept his guns and knives. He had shown her so in case she needed one while he was gone, she could grab it. Everything was loaded so if it was an emergency and she needed it right away, she didn’t have to load it.
He probably didn’t think she was going to grab one while he was in the house, but he didn’t have to know. He wasn’t going to know until it was all done.
She picked up a gun, looking at the side to see the safety on. Placing it in the back of her pants, she put her shirt over it and grabbed her phone. She was going to have to be really quiet leaving.
Betsy quietly made her way towards the front door, opening it, and stepping out. As she walked to the elevator, she started typing on her phone. It was the burner number Arden had called her on countless times. She just had a feeling he would still have the phone working.
She sent a quick text, telling him to meet her at an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. She was going to take care of this herself.
Betsy paced back and forth in the front lawn of the house. Twenty minutes had passed since she sent the text. Five minutes since she had gotten to the house. Daddy was no doubt looking for her or just about to check on her.
That was why she turned her phone off before she left the building. She didn’t need Daddy following her and getting to her before Arden did.
She was going to get this done.
Did she know how? No, but she was going to figure that out. Was it dumb? Absolutely but she was tired of living in fear. She didn’t want to stay in the apartment or house, not knowing when things were going to happen or not.
She took a deep breath and sat down on the steps leading to the front door. She knew the person who had died in the house. A sweet old lady who had taken care of her when she first moved to New York.
Now it was abandoned, no one wanted it and the city was just letting it rot away. Why? She had no idea. Maybe it was because of the location. Outskirts of town in a not so good area. Yeah, that was probably why.
Crime had gone up around this neighborhood, people moving out to find someplace safer. It was a shame. When she had first visited, it was a much better neighborhood, safer.
“You’ve got this,” Betsy whispered to herself.
Nerves were running rampant inside of her. Was she really going to do this? Maybe she shouldn’t. He hadn’t replied to her message. Maybe he wasn’t coming. Maybe he had forgotten about her and what she did.
Betsy turned and started walking towards the direction of the bus stop. If Daddy knew she took the bus, he would be livid. Something about safety, but so many people took it and were safe. She had taken it several times and was always safe.
But Daddy had something against public transportation. She didn’t know why, but he did.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Gasping, she turned around and raised the gun. Arden Jones was standing right in front of her.
“Didn’t think you would show up,” her voice was shaky.
“You aren’t going anywhere.”
Betsy took a step back, keeping the hold of the gun pointed at him. Her arms were shaking, but she knew she needed to keep it up. Arden didn’t have a gun out but she could see the outline of it.
“How are you going to fix this?” Arden asked. “Your time is up.”
She shook her head. “You gave me until Friday.”
“Last Friday.”
Dread filled her stomach. Was it really last Friday? It couldn’t be.
“I think I know how you should pay,” he slowly said, taking a step forward. “Would you like to know how?”
Betsy stayed quiet. She hadn’t thought this through, coming to meet him. She just knew she needed to. Maybe she should have taken some time to think of a plan. Was she going to kill him? Were they going to work things out?
“Well?” He yelled. “Would you like to fucking know how you are going to pay?”
She dropped her arms, keeping the gun by her side. She needed to think logically about this. But nothing was coming to her mind. Never had she been in a situation like this.
“Fucking answer me, you bitch!”
Flinching, she took another step back. Could she make it to cover before he drew his gun and shot her?
“Y-yes,” she whispered. “I w-would like to know.”
Did she really? Absolutely not.
“I’m going to take every single one of your fingers and toes off. Slowly pulling them, letting you feel the tearing and ripping.”
Her eyes went wide as she took another step back.
“I was just doing a job!” she rushed out. “Some girl you cheated on wanting to make you pay!”
Maybe that would save her from getting tortured. Betsy didn’t know if she would be able to kill him to get away.
“I don’t fucking care. The other girl has been taken care of and now you are the last loose end,” he took another step forward, chuckling. “I am going to have so much fun torturing you for hours. Getting you close to the brink of death, give you a little time to recuperate and start all over again.”
“No,” she whispered.
“No?” he laughed. “What are you going to do about it?”
What was she going to do about it? That was a really good question.
“Shoot you,” she said before she could stop herself.
Did she know how to shoot a gun? No, she didn’t. But it couldn’t be that hard, right? Aim and shoot.
Arden laughed. She probably would have to if she was in his position. There was no way she was going to shoot him, none.
“Oh, I needed a good laugh,” he said, calming down.
Betsy pointed the gun at him again. “I’m serious. I’ll shoot.”
He chuckled. “You won’t shoot.”
“Watch me.”
Was it all talk? Absolutely. Maybe Daddy was on his way to her and would end up killing Arden. But she couldn’t guarantee that Daddy would come before Arden shot her or took her with him.
Arden pulled out his gun, pointing it at her.
“Who do you think will shoot first? You or me?”
She stayed silent, focusing on pointing the gun at him. Ten seconds of courage. That’s all she needed. She clicked the safety off and positioned her finger on the trigger. She needed to be prepared to shoot.
“I think I will. You don’t have the balls to shoot me. I don’t even think you would hit me.”
“Think again. I’ve been practicing,” she lied, taking another step back.
“Take another fucking step and I’ll shoot you,” he growled. “Don’t fucking move.”
Everything in her wished she hadn’t contacted him in the first place. She would have been better off letting Daddy take care of it and it would take a week or two. She didn’t even get to tell Daddy she loved him.
Arden took a step forward. “I’m going to have fun torturing and messing with you,” he said. “Make you feel the way I felt. Exposed. Maybe I’ll even let my men have a turn with you. Be their little whore every minute of the day, no breaks. You begging to be killed.”
Fear filled her and she shook her head. “No.”
He took another step forward.
“I’ll shoot!” she cried out.
“Not before I shoot first.”
Betsy closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.
Bang .