18. Rook
“Alexa! Get back in here!”
A high-squeaked giggle, then tiny footsteps racing down the hallway. A small, naked body flashed across the doorway, dripping wet. A woman with disheveled hair, black sweats, and grey crocs, raced after her.
The woman passed the doorway again, this time with a squirming toddler in her arms and a golden retriever on her heels.
A few seconds later, the slam of a car door outside made me turn towards the window.
For the past two weeks, Brent Calvin left Southeastern Financial to follow Kylie Palmer’s car to her grey brick apartment.
They would fuck in her room and, afterwards, she would smoke on the porch while he showered. He usually left without a word, her staring off into the night with a lost and dissatisfied look on her face.
Tonight, he was later than usual.
”Brent!” The woman called out as soon as she heard the front door slam shut. ”What took you so long?”
”I was working!” Brent barked from the lower floor, then his footsteps pounded as he climbed the stairs.
”I didn”t know bankers worked so long!”
”Daddy”s late again!” squealed a little voice, splashing in the bath, ”Daddy”s late, daddy”s late.”
”Dada. Dada,” another little voice joined in, until they were both chanting, ”dada, dada, dada!”
”Will you get those kids to shut up!” Brent growled from down the hallway now.
”If they saw you every once in a while, they might not get so excited.”
A frustrated grunt, then, “Hello Paisley.”
“Hi daddy!”
“Hi Alexa.”
“Hiiiieeeee!” The younger voice squealed, then they burst out into laughter, giggling and splashing, the water hitting the floor.
”Look, I”ll be in there in a second, okay.” I heard his tired voice. ”Just let me change.”
”Fine.”
Light flooded the room as his form appeared in the doorway. He began to shrug out of his tie, the smell of soap hitting my nose as he began to undress.
Finally he froze, one hand on his collar, the other holding a brown paper bag. Green eyes were wide with terror.
”Tell Maya you need to shower first.”
There was a low bob to his throat, a flash of rebellion, his eyes straying to his drawers.
Where he”d kept his handgun, emphasis on the had.
I waited to see what he would do.
After a few seconds of deliberation, he stepped back into the hallway. ”I”m just going to shower first.”
”What?!”
”Be nice to her,” I commanded in a low voice.
Nostrils flaring, he bit down the acidic response I was sure was on his tongue. ”I just need a quick shower, then I”ll read them to sleep, I promise.”
There was a long pause of surprise. Then, “Okay. But hurry.”
“Shut the door behind you, and lock it.”
Brent obeyed, standing still as I heard the click of the lock.
”Now turn on the shower.”
As soon as it was on, I pressed my gun into his back.
”Please,” he begged, his voice tight and nervous, ”I don’t want to die.”
“And I don’t want you to, either,” I responded, “Does that make you feel any better?”
A hesitation. “Not really.”
“Smart man. Sit on the toilet. We’re going to have a talk.”
He sat, hunched over, his eyes on the beige-tiled floor.
Moonlight filtering through the window revealed a modest bathroom, with neutral colored walls and countertops. A small, potted plant added the only touch of life to the space.
“You know Maxon Moreau.”
His gaze snapped to me, eyes wide, the toilet wobbling. “How did you know?”
“Let’s assume I know a lot of things,” I said. “I need you to get him a message from me.”
“But I don—we don’t?—”
“You two grew up together. Your mom worked for his family. They paid her a pittance but she’d hoped it would give you the connections to progress in life.” I cocked my head to the side. “How’s Silia anyway? Oakgrove treating her well?”
His throat bobbed at the mention of his mother. Oakgrove was an elderly community where Brent dumped her once she’d gotten dementia.
“Do I need to go on?”
“But I don’t speak?—”
“You know how to reach him.”
He was silent.
“I’m curious how you feel about your mother. Did she abuse you as a child? Is that why you’ve got mommy issues?”
“She worked her ass off,” he fired off. “And they treated her like—” he cut off, grinding his teeth.
“Let me make my point more clear,” I said. “How do you feel about paying for a large dental bill? She might also need to reattach her fingers?—”
“Okay!” he growled. “I’ll pass a message on.”
“Tell him that I want to talk.” There was a reason Maxon let me go. As head of Saul’s security, he shouldn’t have done it.
I had a suspicion that Maxon wanted to use me somehow, and I was happy to comply—if it would get me closer to my goal.
And Brent here, was going to extend the hand.
“And who are you?”
“He’ll know.”
He sighed. “Fine, I’ll tell him.”
“Make sure you do. I’ll be in touch.”
He nodded, standing shakily to his feet. ”Fuck,” he cursed under his breath, ”I thought you were here about that bitch.”
“What bitch?”
“That girl. The Duvall one.”
I saw red.
“What did you do to her?” Grabbing the back of his hair, I forced him to his knees, the gun to his head. ”I suggest you consider every word you say carefully.”
”I d—d—didn”t know,” his voice filled with panic. ”I sw—swear.”
”You didn”t know what?” I was going to murder him if he touched her.
”I didn”t know she was protected.”
“Get to the fucking point!” I growled, the rage inside me bellowing.
”I didn”t do anything!” Hysteria hit his voice. ”I swear. I didn”t.”
”Tell me exactly what happened.”
”Sh-she came in. To the bank.”
”For what?”
”A loan. And I wanted to. But as soon as I knew, when I heard her name, I stopped. I swear, I wouldn”t have touched her if I”d known.”
Wouldn”t have touched--
”You touched her?” I roared and shoved his face into the dirty toilet water.
He griped the edge, fighting me. I yanked him up. He sucked in a deep, choking breath. “—told you! I didn”t know!”
”Which hand did you use?”
”It was just her nipple, God, please, I swear--”
”Which hand?” I grit out. “The right. Or the left?”
When he didn’t answer, I shoved him into the toilet again. Water bubbles popped the surface. A panicked gurgling noise.
After a long moment, I yanked him upward. Water splashed upwards. “Which fucking hand?”
“The right, the right! But it was just a nipple. I swea?—”
I shoved his face into the toilet again. He thrashed, trying to fight me. But this time, I didn’t let up.
He’d touched. Her. Nipple.
I let him sit in it. Know that his life was in my hands. Let him choke on fucking toilet water until his face was blue.
I finally pulled him out. He fell back onto his ass, coughing. His whole front was completely drenched, his hair stuck to his face. The heat from the running water fogged the room, giving it a surreal atmosphere.
“Now, tell me exactly what happened.”
“I didn”t even open an account. As soon as I saw her last name was Duvall, I told her to leave.”
”So, let me get this straight. She came to the bank for a loan. Yes?”
He nodded.
“You told her you would give her one, in exchange for fucking your dirty dick.”
”But as soon?—“
”Is that what happened?” I demanded.
”Ye—ye?—”
Grabbing a washcloth from the shower, I hauled him to his feet. ”Put this in your mouth.”
”Why?” He sobbed, “Please. I have a wife. Kids.”
“All the sudden your wife and kids are important to you?”
“Please,” he begged. “I swear, I’ll talk to Maxon. Convince him to work with you.”
“Put this in your mouth,” I repeated, shoving it in there myself, “you”re not going to like what comes next. Plus we don”t want Maya or the kids to hear you.”
“Nonononono…”
Grabbing his wrist, I slammed it onto the toilet seat, holding it firmly in place. ”Now, you”re going to do exactly as I say, you understand?”
He nodded, his eyes wide. ”Ples,” his reply muffled.
Gripping his wrist, I retrieved my knife. I hadn”t planned for this tonight, so I had to make do without my garden snippers.
“It’s not right to take advantage of desperate girls. So I”m going to teach you a lesson. And you”re going to be a good boy and take it, do you understand?”
He sat there, shaking.
”Nod your head,” I instructed, ”tell me you understand.”
He shook his head vigorously, “Yeth, sir. I understmph.”
”Good. Now, bite down hard.”
It happened quickly. The top of his finger dropped into the toilet. Crimson red spilled and spread.
His muffled scream was satisfying. He fucking touched her.
I waited patiently until he was only breathing heavily. Then, “Know this, the only reason you’re still alive is because you backed off once you knew who she was. But if you ever touch her again, your children will need a new mommy and daddy. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” he moaned, the washcloth dropping to the toilet.
I stroked his head, the knife still clutched in my hand, moving his sweating bangs from his face. “You”re going to call Summer. Apologize for your terrible behavior. Ask her how much she needs. Then I will give you that exact amount. Her name will never go in the system. You will take every cent I give you, and pass it along to her. And when she tries to pay it back, you”re going to find a way to deny her. You understand?”
He nodded, clutching his bleeding finger to his chest. His face was pale, sweat dripping. He looked like he was going to pass out.
I slapped his face to wake him up. “If I discover that you took a single penny from that money, I will kill you in front of your wife and children. Say you understand.”
”I understand,” he nodded again, “but she doesn”t need it.”
I grabbed him by the neck, shaking him. ”What do you mean?”
”We got the list today,” his teeth clattered I was shaking him so hard. ”He-her name was on it.” His green eyes blinked sleepily, his blood making the tile below slippery.
“What list?” I snapped.
”The list of names we aren”t allowed to touch. The Magnolia sends it out weekly.”
“What does that mean?” I roared.
“She signed the contract with the Magnolia yesterday.”
Fuck! How the hell did this happen? I”d taken care of everything for her.
I shoved him to the floor, the desire to drown him in his own blood surfacing. ”When?”
”She signed it. Ye-yesterday.”
I quickly made my decision. Tucking the gun into my pocket, I pulled out my burner phone and shoved it in his face. ”In two days, I”m going to call you on this phone. I don”t care what the fuck you”re doing, you”re going to answer it. And when you do, I”m going to have an email address for you. I want all the names and schedules of the men who”ve put in an application for her. Every single one.”
“How do I?—”
“You’ll figure out a way,” I growled, growing impatient with his whiney ass, “Is that clear?”
He nodded, taking it with a shaking hand. ”Yes, sir. I”ll have it.”
”Don”t run. I will find you.”
“I won’t. I swear it.”
At that moment, there was a pounding on his bedroom door. With one last warning glance, I strode from the bathroom.
Maya stepped backwards in surprise as I swung the door open. ”You”re going to need to call a doctor.”
She just blinked, staring at me.
”Mommy! Who”s that?”
”I”m daddy”s friend,” I said, squatting down to look at the two drenched kids, wrapped in towels. I pulled two peppermints from my pockets and held it out to them.
The younger one immediately grabbed one. It was in her mouth in seconds.
The older one was more hesitant, glancing upwards at her mother for permission.
Then, at her mother”s anxious nod, she hesitantly took it from my hand.
”Good kid,” I bopped her nose with a teasing smile, and she giggled, now sucking on the peppermint.
Shutting the front door, the scream was at my back as I stepped into the darkness of the night, fuming.