Chapter 34 (Alyssa)
Last call ended 20 minutes ago.
Jackson, Tyrone, and Ricardo never showed up after the fight.
I've tried calling Jackson's cell multiple times but he still hasn't picked up or responded to any of my text messages.
I would call Momma, but she doesn't believe in cell phones.
It's obvious that something is very wrong. Which is why I locked up the bar and I'm currently standing in front of Jackson's apartment door, pounding on it as hard as I can.
I thought for sure that Momma would be here, but seeing as I'm still not getting a response, that only makes this bad feeling I have worse.
With no options left, I have no choice but to walk down the hall to Lou-Lou's front door.
She answers on the second knock. Her eyes are red and puffy, it's obvious that she's been crying and she's upset about something.
“Look, I'm sorry I'm interrupting whatever it is that you're going through right now, but I can't get a hold of Jackson, and no one is at the apartment—”
“You don't know what happened, do you?” she says, her voice raspy with emotion.
I swallow hard against the lump in my throat and tell myself to breathe before I shake my head.
“There was an accident at the club tonight. Tyrone got stabbed by his opponent when the match started.”
My hand flies over my mouth and a sob escapes.
“Everyone's at the hospital because he's having emergency surgery. That's probably why you can't get a hold of anyone.”
“Thank you.”
I start running down the hall, but to my surprise, I hear Lou-Lou's footsteps behind me.
“It's after 2am, Alyssa. You'll never catch a cab because they're too busy picking up drunk idiots and it will take you an hour to get there on foot. Also, it's not exactly safe to go walking in the city by yourself this time of night. If you want, I can drive you,” she offers.
I nod my head, too shaken up to form actual words. My heart is breaking for Jackson...and Momma. Oh, god, poor Momma.
I pray as hard as I can for Tyrone the entire ride to the hospital.
I give Lou-Lou a questioning look when she pulls up to the front of the hospital but makes no move to get out. “You're not coming in?”
She looks down. “I want to, but I don't think anyone really wants to see me.”
“Look, don't take this the wrong way, but it's not about you right now. Tyrone needs all the positive thoughts he can get. Plus, I think Ricardo would appreciate you showing up and offering your support.”
She gives me an odd look and I can tell she's ready to argue, but instead she gets out with me and hands her keys to a valet attendant. “Do you think they'll give us any information? We're not immediate family and we didn't come in with him. And you already said that Jackson wasn't picking up his phone.”
Crap, I didn't really think about that.
I scan the emergency room. The look on both the security guard's face and the nurse at the desk, tells me they're both going to be hard nuts to crack.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see my doppelganger's blonde ponytail and pink scrubs.
“Penelope,” I call out, while taking Lou-Lou's hand and rushing over to her.
I quickly explain the situation. She looks sympathetic, and before I know it, she's leading us past the front desk and walking us toward a special section of the intensive care waiting room.
She tells us that Tyrone's still in surgery but she'll keep us updated if she finds out any information. I quickly thank her before Lou-Lou and I round the corner to the small waiting room.
That's where I see Jackson and Ricardo in some kind of standoff, looking like they're about to rip each others faces off.
“You've gotta be kidding me,” Lou-Lou mutters. “Stop it!” she screams.
It's no use. In the blink of an eye, Jackson advances toward Ricardo and holds him up against the wall by his throat. “You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?” he sneers.
“You're out of your mind, Jackson. For fucks sake, I snapped that guy's neck. You think I would ever let anything happen to either one of you?”
Jackson shakes his head. “You knew about them switching his opponent before the fight. You had to know something was up. You told me everything was okay right before the fight. But, it wasn't fucking okay. You knew about the meeting because he had to go through you to get one! You knew he wanted out and you never fucking told me. And now, my best friend is in surgery fighting for his life.”
Jackson slams him up hard against the wall again, but I see Ricardo's eyes flash and that strange feeling washes over me. The very same one I had that night Jackson fought Dean in the bathroom and Ricardo showed up.
“I had no idea that any of this was gonna go down, Jackson. I got him a meeting, yeah. But I wasn't privy to their discussion. It was a closed meeting. Tyrone wouldn't tell me why he wanted the meeting either, he just said it was important. If I had known, I would have talked him out of it,” he screams, his voice cracking with emotion.
“You guys are like my brothers. You both are the closest thing to a real family I've ever had. I would never be okay with someone taking either one of you out, ever. I don't care who might have issued the order.”
Order? Taking them out? What is he talking about?
Jackson eases up on his grip and bangs the wall beside his head. “I swear to god, Ricardo; you better be telling me the truth. Because if I find out that you knew about this...we're fucking done in every way you can think of.”
The dangerous intensity in Ricardo's eyes is replaced by sadness. “I didn't know. I swear. I'd let him take me out before I'd ever let him do it to either one of you.”
What should be a somewhat comforting statement, instead forces the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.
Jackson pulls him into a hug. “I don't know what I'm gonna do if he doesn't pull through this.”
My eyes water because the thought of losing Tyrone is heart-wrenching, but the moment turns tense again when Jackson fixes himself and his eyes darken. “Actually, I do.”
Ricardo shakes his head. “No, man. Get that thought out of your head right now. He didn't order it. It wasn't him. I'm telling you.”
Jackson slams him up against the wall again, but Ricardo deflects it and now he's the one slamming Jackson up against the wall.
“It was. I know it was,” Jackson screams. “And you can tell him I'm fucking done.”
Ricardo's hand wraps around his throat. “Don't be stupid. You'll get yourself killed. You can't be done with him. That ain't the way it works and you know it.”
Two thoughts hit me simultaneously at that moment—what else is Jackson keeping from me? And more importantly...what kind of dangerous situation is he involved in?
Jackson lifts his arm and maneuvers out of the choke hold. They face one another again, but this time, it's clear it's not going to end in a hug. Jackson's fist flies out but Ricardo blocks it at the last possible second. Jackson jabs him again, though and gets him right between the eyes.
Lou-Lou and I start screaming our heads off, trying to get them to stop, but they ignore us completely.
“You're not out,” Ricardo says before punching Jackson across the face. “I'm not gonna let you kill yourself,” he screams before he throws another punch.
Jackson has that wild look in his eyes when he issues a kick straight to Ricardo's side. My hearts in my throat because I know that once Jackson gets started and he's in this mindset, the only one who can make him stop is Ricardo, but since he's fighting Ricardo right now—I'm terrified of how this is going to end.
Ricardo spits blood on the ground and motions for Jackson to come at him again. If Jackson's eyes are wild, Ricardo's are purely menacing and downright murderous.
My stomach drops and my hands shake because this time, I know I've seen that look and I'm not mistaken like before.
And I think I might just know what, or rather who Jackson is involved with. But my god, I hope I'm wrong.
Before I can focus on that, though, I have to stop this fight. My instincts are taking over and I surge toward them. Lou-Lou tries pulling me back but I twist away. She lets out an ear piercing whistle but it still doesn't stop me or them.
Both of their arms are pulled back and I know it's the last possible second that I have before they both strike each other again.
Lou-Lou screams my name when she sees what I'm about to do, but I do it anyway.
There's no way to describe how it feels to be punched full force by two massive men at the same time.
Well, except one. It really fucking hurts...a lot. Way more than I thought it would. Enough to almost make me regret doing it in the first place. It's literally the complete opposite of 'double your pleasure, double your fun.'
Jackson's fist lands on my cheek, and Ricardo's fist lands somewhere in my stomach region. Seeing as I'm 5'3 they were both obviously going for some low blows.
I let out a sound somewhere between a cry, a yelp, and a scream before hunching over and falling to the floor. That's when I hear Momma's voice. “Oh my god. Look what you boys did! How could you?” she screams.
Both Jackson and Ricardo drop down to the floor, their expressions horrified. “Alyssa? Fuck, baby. I'm sorry. I...god,” Jackson says. He cups my face and I wince. “I'm so fucking sorry.”
“Me too,” Ricardo says. “I had no idea you were even here. What the hell were you thinking getting between us?”
“I just wanted you both to stop fighting. I didn't know how else to make you stop.”
“What is going on here?” another voice calls out. I look up to find Penelope standing over us concern splashed across her pretty face.
“It was an accident,” I say. When she raises an eyebrow, I stand up. “Honest, Penelope. I was the one who got in the middle. They didn't even see me.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “I'll get you a few ice packs.” Then she looks at Jackson and Ricardo. “Gentlemen,” she scoffs that word. “This is the intensive care unit of a hospital. This is not a zoo. Keep your hands to yourself. If it happens again I will have security escort you out,” she snaps, before she turns on her heels and storms out.
“What were you boys thinking?” Momma whispers, her voice shaking.
She looks so heartbroken and devastated right now, I feel myself break.
Jackson and Ricardo stand up. “We're sorry, Momma,” they say at the same time. “It will never happen again,” they promise.
Then they walk over to her and wrap their arms around her.
I hear her sobbing softly and I lose it. I'm not the only one though, Lou-Lou's also weeping quietly in the corner. I don't miss the look Ricardo gives her. For a moment, I think he's going to walk over to her, but instead, he gives Momma and Jackson one last hug and leaves the waiting room altogether.
I look at Jackson and I want to confront him, but with everything else happening, I don't have the heart to just yet. I don't want to accuse him of lying to me and committing the ultimate betrayal until I have absolute proof and I know for a fact that it's DeLuca he's involved with. I'm going to need a little more to go on than just a gut feeling about Ricardo.
That doesn't mean I'm not still pissed to know that DeLuca or no DeLuca he's obviously been keeping something from me.
He walks over to me and holds out his arms. I take a deep breath and look down before he hugs me. He senses my hesitation and says, “I'm so sorry, Alyssa. I would never hurt you on purpose. Please forgive me.”
The tears fall harder then...because if he's lying to me about DeLuca...I'm not sure that I can. Hell, for all I know, Jackson could be the one setting me up for DeLuca.
Oh, god. What if he is?
That thought sends a chill right through me and I have to push myself away from his embrace.
The look he gives me breaks my heart, but I can't stand the thought of being in his arms right now.
I slowly back away from him and he looks both crushed and stunned.
Luckily, Lou-Lou comes to my defense by taking my hand and saying, “I think she's in a lot of pain, Jackson. Probably not the best time to be hugging her. She did just get punched by two huge guys, remember?”
He winces and rubs his face. “I'm gonna go get those ice packs for you.”
Momma looks at us. “I'm gonna go see if there's any news.” Before she leaves, I run over and throw my arms around her. “I'm so sorry, Momma. I know he'll make it through this. Because he's tough just like his Momma.”
She hugs me tight and gives me a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. That's when Jackson's eyes connect with mine. There are so many emotions in those eyes of his right now, I have to force myself to breathe.
He walks over to me and hands me two ice packs. “Here.” Then he turns and walks out the door.
“I'm being a real bitch, aren't I?” I ask Lou-Lou, because let's face it, who would know better than her?
She considers this for a moment before saying, “It's probably not the best time to be so angry with him seeing as Tyrone's still in surgery and we don't know the outcome.” She shrugs. “However, you can't really control how you feel when someone you love hurts you. And the fact that you can't even stand being touched by him combined with that look you gave him...tells me that whatever Jackson did to you was unforgivable.”
I turn around and face her. “Like what Ricardo did to you?”
She closes her eyes in agony and I feel bad for even asking the question. “No,” she says, opening her eyes which are now glassy. “Let's just say that I've been right where Jackson's standing. I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of that look and have the man you...” She pauses and wipes a tear. “The man you love, look at you like the thought of touching you is unbearable and he'd rather die.”
She clears her throat. “I'm gonna go grab some coffee. You want anything?”
I want to know more about what happened between her and Ricardo, but I know she's not going to tell me. I sit down in one of the chairs. “No, I'm good. Thanks.”
She leaves and I curl my arms around myself while saying another prayer for Tyrone.
A moment later, I look up to find one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen in my life staring at me. Her eyes are bloodshot and there's a look of utter despair on her face, but that does nothing to diminish her beauty. Her skin is smooth and mocha colored, her dark hair falls around her shoulders in soft curls, and her bright green eyes are mesmerizing.
“I'm sorry. The nurse told me this was where everyone was waiting. But I must have been mistaken, seeing as there's hardly anyone in here,” she says in a Southern accent.
The accent gives her away and I immediately know who she is. “Shelby?”
She blinks and looks surprised. “Why yes,” she says. “I don't believe we've ever met before. I'm not from around these parts. How do you know my name?”
I stand up and hold out my hand. “I'm Alyssa. I'm Jackson's—” I don't have a chance to finish that statement because her arms are around me and she's hugging me so tight I have to force myself not to yelp.
“I've heard so much about you, Alyssa,” she says. Then she starts sobbing. “Have you heard anything? Is he still in surgery?”
“The last I heard he was. I know a nurse who works here, she's my—” I pause because I'm not entirely sure what to refer to her as at this point. “Friend and she promised to update me as soon as she can.”
“Thank you, tell her I appreciate it. I'm so scared, Alyssa,” she sobs. “I won't be able to go on if I lose him.”
“He's a fighter, Shelby. He's going to make it.”
She pulls away and wipes at her tears with a tissue. “I can't believe this happened.” Then her green eyes turn angry. So angry I become alarmed. “I swear, if that son-of-a-bitch DeLuca did this to him. I will raise hell.”
My heart constricts and I'm pretty sure I make a choking sound from somewhere deep in my throat.
There's a world of a difference between suspecting something and having it outright confirmed.
Because now I have to face facts, I have no choice but to acknowledge what's happening.
I have no choice but to realize that DeLuca wants his revenge. I have no choice but to accept that Jackson was setting me up.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall Jackson telling me not to go to the club. But before it can hit the surface of my thoughts, I stuff it down. He has to be setting me up, this is the only reason I can come up with for him lying to me. Why else would he be actively working and fighting for a man who he knows brutally killed my father?
The room spins and I'm struck with the feeling of wanting to call Ford for some kind of protection, but I force myself to stay strong. Despite my father, I already know that I can't trust Ford, he's already shown his true colors to me. There's no way in the world I would ever put myself at his mercy again.
“Alyssa?” Shelby calls out.
Her name sounds so far away now but I don't know why. It's only when Jackson's face appears right in front of me and I let out a scream that I realize I'm on the floor.
“Talk to me, baby. What happened?” Jackson says, searching my face.
I quickly crawl away from him and stand up. I look up just as Lou-Lou walks in the room.
The face Jackson's makes when I walk over to her and reach for her hand is unlike any I've seen.
As messed up as it sounds, it's my way of letting him know that I'm on to him. It's my way of telling him that I'd rather hold Lou-Lou's hand than ever touch him again, the traitorous motherfucker.
He steps closer to me, but to my surprise, Lou-Lou lifts her chin and glares at him. “Leave her alone, Jackson. I have no clue what you did but she doesn't want you near her for the time being. You need to respect that.”
His eyes narrow and he opens his mouth, but the look I give him halts him and he looks taken back.
I thought I'd break down over his betrayal. But I'm not, far from it actually. I'm straight up seething. I'm so outraged I want to put my hands around his neck and strangle the shit out of him. I want to eliminate him and wipe his beautiful face off the planet.
They always say there's a thin line between love and hate and right now, I'm standing on it, planting my fucking flag, ready to build a goddamned house on my newfound land made out of pure wrath. “Touch me again and you'll be in a jail cell,” I say deadpan while pointing to my cheek.
Shelby's eyes open wide and she gasps.
Jackson takes a step back and shakes his head. “That was an accident and you know it. I would never, ever hurt you on purpose. You stepped right in the middle of a full-on fight between two grown men, Alyssa. I didn't even see you until it was already too late. You have to know that I would never hurt you! I love you!” he screams, his voice thick with emotion.
He looks completely wrecked right now and part of me wants to take back what I've said, but then Momma and Ricardo walk into the room and announce that Tyrone's out of surgery and the doctor will be updating us on his condition momentarily.
Any altercation brewing between Jackson and I goes on the back burner as we wait for the doctor to enter the room.
When he finally does, we all hold our breath, until he says, “He made it through surgery.”
There's tears, shouts of happiness and smiles.
Until the Doctor's face falls. “He's still not out of the woods quite yet, but we're hopeful about his recovery from the surgery.” He pauses and looks at Momma. “But there was extensive damage inflicted to his spinal cord. Specifically his thoracic vertebrae region, and more specifically, his T11 and T12 thoracic nerves.”
Momma shakes her head, confused. “I don't understand what that means, Doctor.”
Beside me, Jackson closes his eyes. “It means he's paralyzed, Momma.”
Momma gasps and Jackson walks over to her and envelopes her in his arms.
The Doctor nods sadly. “Yes. Although we won't know the full extent of the damage or his injury level until he wakes up, recovers from surgery and we can do further testing. And now that the surgery is over, I'll have to ask that only immediate family remain here to see him. The rest of you can come back tomorrow during scheduled visiting hours.”
The Doctor leaves after that and no one says a word, but there are sniffles and sobs from both Momma and Shelby.
Jackson and Ricardo look like they're about to lose it but are trying to remain strong. Lou-Lou looks down and her lower lip trembles.
My heart just breaks for poor Tyrone. I'm so happy he's alive, but this is devastating in its own right.
A few moments later Momma and Shelby hug everyone goodbye. Jackson didn't want to leave but when he heard that I was going back to my own apartment and not his, he said he'd be back later.
The four of us walk down the hallways in a clusterfuck of awkwardness. Lou-Lou and I walk side by side huddled up together, the tension between her and Ricardo and Jackson and me is so visible that even the nurses stop and give our group strange looks.
“You need a ride back to your apartment, right?” Lou-Lou says after we walk out of the elevator and make our way toward the parking garage. Fortunately, Ricardo and Jackson went out a different way.
“Yeah, if you wouldn't mind. I'd really appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
Far behind us, I hear both Ricardo and Jackson's footsteps.
Lou-Lou and I exchange a glance wondering why they're still following us, but we soon find out when we look over our shoulders and Ricardo tosses his keys in the air before Jackson catches them.
“Don't wreck my baby,” he warns.
“I won't. I appreciate the favor.”
“You owe me,” he says before he begins walking closer to Lou-Lou at the same time Jackson walks closer to me.
“Oh, shit,” Lou-Lou whispers.
“What?”
“Alyssa, I suggest that if you don't want to be manhandled by Jackson—you start running, now.”
She doesn't have to tell me twice. I start running like there's a fire up my ass. I have no idea where I'm running, I just know that I'm toast if Jackson gets his hands on me. Especially knowing what I know now about him.
I'm not in the least bit turned on like I was during our last cat and mouse game at the bar. My brain and my body are fully aware that this is for survival. I'm sprinting so fast I'm surprising myself.
However, I'm still no match against Jackson. In a flash, his arm wraps around my waist and his large hand covers my mouth so I can't scream as he drags me in the direction of some red Mustang.
In the distance, I see Ricardo doing the same thing to Lou-Lou; only he's shouting, “Give me your fucking keys,” in a dark tone that makes me incredibly nervous for her.
Then I have that moment, that moment where I say to myself— 'Fuck this shit.'
I'm not letting him manhandle me. He's not taking me out of this parking garage without a fight.
I start kicking my legs and twisting as hard as I can against him. I even go as far as to bite his hand which causes him to curse.
Then I go limp and will my body to become a ferret. This way, I'll be able to slinky myself right out of his hold.
He seems to sense what I'm doing because he gives me a sinister laugh and says, “Nice try, Damsel.”
The fact that he's using that name with me again makes me so mad I lift my head and spit in his face.
That's when he lifts me up and puts me right over his shoulder. “Why don't we save the exchange of bodily fluids for after we get home, baby?”
I grunt and smack my hand against his back. “I'm not going to your apartment, Jackson,” I scream. “I know who's fight club you work at. I know how you betrayed me.” I kick him. “And most of all, I already know that you're either going to kill me yourself or you're handing me right over to DeLuca himself to do it.”
At this, he stops moving entirely. “Jesus Christ, you're crazy. You know that!” he roars.
“Tell me, Jackson. How much are you getting paid to be his lackey? To do his dirty work for him?” Then I give him a sinister laugh of my own. “You really had me going with that whole Lilly story. How long did it take you to come up with that? Hell, there probably is no Lilly, is there?”
His entire body starts shaking and his hold on me tightens, but I keep going. “Or maybe there was. Who knows? Maybe she was a disgruntled ex-girlfriend of yours? Maybe you were the one who really killed her. Tell me, Jackson. Where did you bury Lilly's body right after you murdered her, huh!”
“Shut the fuck up! You have no idea what you're talking about!” he screams so loud I jump.
He opens the door to the Mustang and throws me in the passenger seat. The vein in his neck is bulging and there's sweat pouring down his face. I've never seen him this upset before, not even in the cage.
I open my mouth again, but he opens the dashboard and pulls out a roll of duct tape. Then he slams it across my mouth. I roll my eyes and proceed to peel it off but then he forces the seat all the way back, crawls on top of me and before I know it, both my wrists are being bound behind my back with the duct tape.
This action only further confirms my suspicions regarding his intentions with me.
I kick my feet up and try to kick out the windshield. He sighs and says, “Please, sit still. I know you know about my involvement with DeLuca. But there are some things that you don't know and I would like to explain them to you. Will you let me do that?”
I ignore him and kick the windshield again, until his hand slams down on my thigh and he gets close to my face. “I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to kill you. But I swear on all that is holy, if you don't cut this shit out, I will throw your ass in the goddamned trunk, Alyssa.”
At this, I finally stop kicking and relax in my seat.
He starts the car but points a finger at me. “I'm warning you right now, do not try and do something that will run us off the road.”
I want to tell him that since it's New York City, there really would be no point. At most, we'll be going 20 miles per hour before he has to slam on the breaks again. He should worry much more about me making a run for it during one of those stops.
Provided I ever get this duct tape off that is.
He starts driving in the direction of his apartment complex, which throws me for a loop. Doesn't he know that Momma could walk in at any time? Last time I checked, it's bad to have a witness when you commit a murder. It's just one more loose end that you'll be forced to take care of.
Oh god. Would Jackson actually kill Momma?
When we reach his apartment, he pulls in the back and parks in a hidden spot I've never seen before. All I can think is. This is where he's going to do it.
But to my surprise, he gets out of the car and opens my door. My eyes dart around contemplating where I can run to, but he anticipates this because he picks me up and it's back over his shoulder I go.
On the bright side, at least the surveillance footage will catch him carrying me into his apartment building like this.
My murder will be solved. I'll get my lifetime wish and be headlining the 6'o'clock news after all.
I lift my head as we begin walking and spot Lou-Lou's car parked across the street. Since her windows are tinted, I can't see them...but I definitely hear all sorts of shouting.
The door to the complex shuts behind us and Jackson begins making his way up the staircase.
When we get inside his apartment he heads for the kitchen and sits me on a stool by the counter. He cracks his knuckles and rolls his neck. I can't help but stare at him, that is totally a mob guy move. He notices my face and pinches the bridge of his nose before reaching for the tape across my mouth and tearing it off.
I don't waste the opportunity, I start screaming my head off. Mariah Carey has nothing on my vocal chords right now.
Jackson grunts and covers my mouth with tape again. “Fine, I guess I'll go first,” he says. “First of all, I love you—despite how batshit crazy you're acting right now. Secondly, I would never hurt you or kill you. It kills me that you would ever think that. And lastly, yes I do technically work for DeLuca, but it's not because I want to...got it?”
I shrug because I'm not really sure what he means by that. New York is an 'at will' state, if you don't want to work for someone you don't. Not that the mob really adheres to bylaws and regulations, but still. If Jackson didn't want to work for him, he wouldn't. Besides, why would DeLuca want to keep an employee on the payroll that didn't even want to work for him in the first place? That's just bad business.
Unless DeLuca is holding something over his head? But what the hell could DeLuca use for leverage?
Jackson begins pacing the floors. “Every single thing I told you about me is the truth, Alyssa. I know a small part of you has to know that. I mean, I put it all on video tape for you for crying out loud. You think I would confess to a murder that I didn't commit?”
He has a point, I guess.
I shake my head and he walks back over to me and removes the tape. “Don't scream. Just let me explain. Okay?”
I nod my head because maybe things aren't what they seem after all.