8. Callahan
Chapter Eight
CALLAHAN
Gemini
Everyone has responsibilities, Gemini. But are yours holding you back? Take a hard look at your priorities and reassess what needs to go.
Sweat slid down my back, pooling at the ridge where my skin met the lip of my pants.
The casino was always a touch too hot. All those fucking lights and people milling about rose the temperature.
But that’s not the only reason I was sweating.
Getting called into the boss’s office always made me nervous.
I pulled at the tie that was fastened too tightly around my neck.
“Would you knock it off,” Simon scolded me, hitting my arm with his elbow.
“It’s too fucking hot in here.”
He rolled his eyes and kicked out his legs, crossing them at the ankles.
How he could be so relaxed right now was beyond me.
My insides felt like they were trying to eat themselves.
A part of me knew this was just another one of the Underwood’s tactics—making us wait well past the time we were supposed to meet.
It gave us enough time to twist our worries into something they could use for their benefit.
And I’d stupidly forgotten my vow to not get involved with anyone.
The moment I saw Stella at that diner, it felt like fate was handing me another chance, begging for me not to fuck it up this time.
All the doubts I’d obsessed over before were shoved to the back of my mind like they didn’t exist at all, and before I knew what I was doing I heard myself ask her out. Repeatedly.
Was it too early to text her? I shouldn’t. She was probably asleep after working all night.
A small smile tugged at my lips as I remembered the way that blush coated her body as I’d leaned in so close I could smell her intoxicating scent.
I liked that reaction. A whole fucking lot.
Would she blush for me like that when I had her pinned to the bed, her legs spread wide and my name caught in her throat like it belonged there.
Wait. Was that why they’d called me in?
They knew I didn’t do my job the other night and were looking to find out why?
It wouldn’t surprise me. They had fucking spies everywhere.
You couldn’t step one foot in this town without running into someone that was affiliated with the Underwoods in one form or another.
Nearly every business paid out to them, so even if they didn’t make a shit ton at their casino (which they absolutely did), they also made a killing offering ‘protection’ to the local community, which brought in a hefty sum.
For as long as I could remember, the Underwood’s had the city of Starfell in the palm of their hands.
It was a fact that everyone within the city limits grew up knowing.
Like the ABC’s and the days of the week.
While Starfell technically had a police force, everyone knew that they were another extension of the Underwood’s reach.
That force had been bought and paid for with interest. And they had more than enough cash to buy anything and anyone they wanted.
“Cal. Simon. They’re ready for you,” the secretary, Mavis, said. She wore a tight gold dress that looked better suited for the club than an office setting. Her long straight black hair swayed as she walked, heels clacking on the marble floor.
When I was first brought on, all the flashy decor and distant sounds of the casino impressed me.
But now I saw it for the cheap facade it really was.
This place and the Underwoods were all glitz and no substance.
The only reason they had as much influence as they did was because of their money and fear they inflicted by guys like me.
“Cal! Come on in here! Long time,” Carmine Underwood exclaimed, standing up from behind his desk with his thick arms spread wide. The man had more meat on him than a butcher shop. “Simon, you son of a bitch. Get over here and give your Uncle Carmine a hug.”
Simon did as he was told, and it was almost comical seeing Simon lean down to accommodate Carmine’s hug.
He slapped Simon on the back several times.
It was easy to tell the two were related.
They had a similar build and hair color.
But where Simon’s was thick with a robust rusty hue, Carmine’s was thinning with streaks of gray dispersed throughout.
Carmine gestured for us to take a seat in the two plush black leather chairs that faced his opulent mahogany desk that was covered in gaudy gold appliqués.
A quick scan of the office told me we weren’t alone.
John, Davis, and Burt were standing sentry along the wall. Though their weapons were concealed, I knew each one of them were packing heat.
“So where are we on finding Kenneth’s killer?” Carmine asked, sitting down and leaning back in his chair, his fingers were steepled together in front of his chest as he stared at me, waiting to respond.
“We haven’t found any more leads yet. We retraced their steps, so we’re still seeing if someone saw anything of note,” I replied, feeling that sweat increase.
I would have to change my shirt if I got out of here.
Despite his show of warm emotion earlier, I knew how quickly Carmine’s good mood could turn deadly.
“Good. Well. Keep searching. We can’t have that stolen information leaking to say… the FBI.”
I nodded my head in understanding. In other words, he was saying hurry the fuck up and get this handled or they’d make it my personal problem.
To my great relief, Simon kept quiet, not giving away the fact that I fucked off last night when I should have been searching for the killer. He might have been related by blood to the crime family, but he was my brother by choice.
“And, Cal, when you do find who stole from us…” his words hung in the air as I waited for him to finish his sentence. “… I want you to shoot them and leave them in the street for everyone to see what happens when you cross our family.”
I swallowed around the lump that had formed in my throat. “Sure thing, boss.”
He smiled at me, the wrinkles around his mouth pulling back like an accordion. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Those unspoken threats rang around in my head as Simon and I headed back to the apartment building. “Hey, thanks for not outing me in there,” I said to him after a few minutes, squeezing the car steering wheel.
“Cal, no one does more for my family than you. And if anyone deserves a night off, it’s you. How many fucking times have you saved my neck?”
“Fifteen,” I muttered.
“What? I swore it was twelve.”
“You’re probably forgetting that week in Thailand.” I turned down the street that housed our building, careful to avoid the few pedestrians that were milling about.
“Oh. Right. Well. Even so. I wouldn’t be here without you having my back. The least I could do was have yours. Now, are you going to tell me why you had a stupid grin plastered to your face when I picked you up or am I going to have to guess.”
The car lurched as I pressed too hard on the breaks when I pulled into park.
“No reason.”
He turned and gave me his full attention then. “Oh really? It wasn’t due to the gorgeous girl that made you come in your pants?”
I cut the engine and glared at him. He looked like a kid that just had a piece of candy he wasn’t supposed to eat. “What of it?”
“Oh nothing, just thought that it was about time you actually started seeing someone. You’re not getting any younger you know?”
“Really? We’re going to pull the age card to bully me into dating? You know what my lifestyle is like. How come you don’t go and get yourself a girlfriend?”
“Ah, see I am living my best single life. You? You’re living like a fucking monk. When was the last time you got laid? No wonder you came in your pants.”
At that, I exited the car, slamming the door harder than necessary.
I hated that he was making sense. So, what if I had been a little solitary?
I liked it that way. All I needed was myself, my spider, and the music of Fleetwood Mac.
Those things had never let me down. And while, yes, I had been feeling resentful because I was craving more, he didn’t need to know that.
Simon was right behind me as we walked into the building and began following me up the stairs.
He’s lucky I loved him like a brother, or I’d be shoving him down those steps without a second thought.
“You know I’m right. And you can keep running from me, but the truth will catch up to you eventually. ”
“And what truth is that?” I asked, despite my better judgment. I shouldn’t have been encouraging him, but sometimes my mouth had a habit of responding before my brain had a chance to catch up.
“That you, my friend, want more than what you have. You want a partner.”
“Why would I need a partner when I have you to keep me company?”
“Aw. But as pretty as you are, you’re not my type.” I rolled my eyes. “Think about it. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
The worst thing? I could bring Stella into my life and by doing so, put her in danger by association.
She could end up dead because of me. Carmine might have liked me for now, but we both knew if I upset him in any way, he could put a bullet in my head without a second thought. And no one could do anything about it.
“Look. We both know we have a dangerous job, but life comes with risks regardless of what you do. You could be hit by a bus tomorrow just walking across the street. Splat. Brains and limbs akimbo. And you know what you’ll be thinking when you’re a ghost looking down at your broken body?”
“How much I hate you?” I said, putting my key into my door and twisting it. He followed me right into my place.
“No. It’ll be, fuck, I really wasted my life not doing what I wanted and living it for someone else.”
Well. Fuck me. He’d hit the nail on the goddamn head.
“Am I right? See?” He pointed to his head. “So much more than a pretty face.”
“Get the fuck out.” I said, pointing towards the door as I kicked off my shoes and pulled at my tie.
He put both his hands up in mock surrender like I was threatening his life. “All right, don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m going. But think about what I said.”
I slammed the door shut and locked it behind him, shaking my head. He really was a pain in the ass.
“Can you believe what he said to me, Stevie?” I asked my tarantula, lifting the top of the cage and letting her crawl into my hand.
Her black furry legs scuttled against my palm while those big black eyes shined in the afternoon light.
“You hungry?” I asked her like she could respond.
Her little legs moved and I took that as a yes, setting her back down in her tank on her favorite branch.
I dumped a fistful of crickets in there, latching the top.
With the unpredictability of my job, I always left her with more food than she needed just in case it took me longer than expected to get back.
It’s why I didn’t opt for a cat or a dog who relied on that set feeding schedule.
When I looked around at my apartment, I realized maybe Simon had a point.
It was a sad, undecorated room. There were no family pictures on the walls.
No personal touches, save for my Stevie.
My refrigerator was packed with only a carton of milk and a few Snickers.
I had no keepsakes. No one to share my days with either.
If I were to die tomorrow, there’d be no trace I’d actually been here.
They’d probably move someone in to take my space before my body was even cold.
Was this to be my life? My legacy? A whole bunch of nothing?
All I really had to my name was a list of kills I’d tracked by inking my back. Honestly, it was a pathetic existence.
Those few minutes of flirting with Stella were the most alive I’d felt in a long ass time. That’s probably why I decided to whip my phone out from my pocket and pull up her number. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds, heart hammering away in my chest.
“So, about that date?” I texted before I had time to chicken out. The fact that I felt more nervous about texting Stella than I did pouring poison into a wine glass was something I didn’t want to examine too closely.
The read receipt popped up almost immediately, making my stomach clench and hands sweat.
“What did you have in mind?” She answered.
Holy shit. She actually responded.
Now what.
I hadn’t been expecting her to answer. A part of me thought she’d read it and then block me.
Thankfully, my brain decided to kick into gear because I responded with, “How about I take you to Artemis on one of your days off? It’s a new rooftop bar with zodiac sign drinks.”
“Sounds interesting... But I have to know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Does it bother you? What I do for a living I mean? Most guys can’t handle it.”
I texted back quickly. “Absolutely not. Money is money. It has to get made somehow.”
Those three dots appeared again. Then disappeared like she wasn’t sure what to say back to that.
I knew guys like that, who were possessive and insecure.
And while the thought of sharing her with anyone else made my middle clench uncomfortably, I meant what I said.
I wasn’t some macho, insecure asshole who felt the need to stake a claim on her.
I wanted her just as she was. Job and all.
I wasn’t interested in changing a thing about her to fit neatly into some insecurity I didn’t even have.
“That’s good to hear. I have to admit I was worried about it. I’ve seen some of my friends’ boyfriends freak the fuck out. It’s no secret that I strip for my money, so I don’t want some bait and switch behavior later if the date goes well…”
“So, you’re thinking about our future?”
“No. I mean. Fuck.”
I smiled so wide it made my cheeks hurt.
She was thinking about me. About us. About the possibility we could be more than just two strangers who were insanely attracted to each other.
And while, yes, she got my cock hard as fuck, I also wanted to know her.
Wanted to know what made her blush and see what I could do to make her smile.
I could see us curled up together, sheets tangled around our bodies and my hand threaded through her hair while she told me about her day.
About her dreams. About nothing and everything in between.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been thinking of it too.”
“I don’t know what to do with that.”
“Me either. But I’d like to see where it goes.”
‘… fine. Friday night. 8pm. I’ll meet you at Artemis.”
Holy fuck. We had a date. I clutched my phone to my chest, feeling my heart racing against my ribs. Friday couldn’t come soon enough.