Chapter 30
Mary Jane
The lady of a house had a simple-minded slave. But when she got a peek at just how thick his other head was also, she lusted after him. She put a mask over her face so that he wouldn't recognize her, and played around with him. Joining her game, he had sex with her. Then, grinning as he usually did, he reported to his master: "Sir, sir, I fucked the dancer and the mistress was inside!"
–Philogelos (The Laughter Lover)
The limo ride back to Din City was pure chaos. 305 drove. Mo sat up front with him. It was obvious that Aristotle needed a straitjacket, resulting in Fuji and Crusher needing to hold him down while he fought and wrestled the entire drive.
“Let me go back to her! Let me go back!” Aristotle slapped and hit, kicked and bit. “Let me go! She’s mine! She told me so.”
Noah said nothing. His gaze remained on the house as we drove away. I stared at it, too, hoping that the damned thing would explode like they did in horror movies. Nothing happened. As soon as we got in the limo, the big doors simply closed.
Once the house left our view and 305 sped us away, Aristotle slowly calmed. With each mile, his fight lessened. His eyes shifted to a different sort of gaze. Noah still remained silent. Once we reached Din City’s limits, Aristotle had quieted and passed out in Fuji’s arms.
“Look.” Noah turned his attention to all of us. “We don’t talk about this. What happened tonight, we keep quiet.”
“Okay.” Crusher nodded. “Where will Aristotle stay?”
“Somewhere in the loft.” Noah ran his fingers through his hair. “Apparently, my place is a refuge for the crazy.”
Crusher offered, “Harmony could be in my room.”
“Not now, Crusher.” Noah sighed. “Not now. I need a minute.”
Fuji spoke up. “What do we do about Aristotle’s house?”
“That place has been alive longer than us,” Noah said. “Not a damned thing right now. I have enough going on.”
Snores sounded from Aristotle.
Noah looked my way and pulled me into him. “That was a good idea you had about shooting his hair.”
“Was it my idea?” I leaned on his chest. “Right now, everything is a crazy blur. I feel like I snorted coke. Actually, I feel like snorting some coke right now.”
“I’m never going to put you in a situation like that again.” He kissed my forehead.
“You didn’t put me there.” I leaned away from him. “I went there knowing it was cursed. Not really believing you, but still. You can’t keep me away from these things anymore. If we’re going to get you out of this craziness and take down Butterfly, we’re going to have to do it together. I’m not really sure what happened at that freaky house, but one thing I know for sure is, we should always stick together.”
Across from us, Fuji and Crusher whispered amongst themselves. I think Crusher was trying to convince Fuji to let Aristotle lay on him. The poor guy was still naked and covered in mangled dreadlocks and blood. I wouldn’t have wanted him on me either.
“Mary Jane.” Noah looked at me with regret. “Baby, we have to separate for a while.”
“What?”
“Aristotle is crazy, but he had a good plan. Butterfly will come out of her hiding place if she thinks I’m alone and unarmed.”
“Maybe it was the house’s plan. Those freaking dreadlocks pumped blood I think. Pumped blood into the house or something.”
“Doesn’t matter, baby. The plan was genius.”
“I-I don’t know.” Fear hit my heart. “What are you going to do?”
“Aristotle said that I should appear isolated. Like I’m all alone. Like I need her and have no one else. And then I go to her with no one else.”
The more Noah explained this plan, the more a burning sensation shot through my gut. I worked up the nerve to ask some more about it. “But didn’t he say something about a kiss of death?”
“Yes.” He looked away.
“Kiss of death? It doesn’t even make any sense.”
“It makes sense to me.”
“What is it?”
“Mary Jane, we have to make it look like we’re not together. I got to get her out of whatever hiding place she is in and make her think that I’m weak and alone.”
I blinked as my hands shook. “I don’t like this plan.”
“It’s the best one I’ve heard so far.”
“Maybe, we should think of more.”
“Mary Jane—”
“I don’t want to be away from you.” Desperate, I grabbed his arms as if he was about to float out of the limo. “Let’s think of something else.”
“We don’t have time—”
“We do.”
“Do we?” Noah wiped the tears that fell from my eyes. “Baby, we just fought an evil house. I don’t have any answers to anything anymore. All I know is that I have to destroy any enemy in front of me and do it fast. I won’t sit on my ass while Butterfly or something else gets in our way. This shit ends soon.”
“I don’t want to separate.”
“If we don’t get rid of Butterfly now, then we may never be together.” He held my chin and lifted my view to him. “She’ll try to kill you. For now, she hasn’t touched any of our families, but she will. Do you want that?”
“No.”
“This will just be for a short time.”
“But—”
“Fuji and Crusher will be with you.”
My voice cracked at the end. “I want you with me.”
“I’m sending you to my parents. I’ll have some more men following your mother around. She doesn’t know it, but there’s five guys watching her every movement.”
“What?”
“Apparently, she loves the all-male-revue downtown on the weekends.”
I scrunched my face up in disgust. “You’re lying.”
“It’s true.” Noah grinned.
“Wait a minute. You’re trying to get me off of the topic of you leaving me.”
“There’s no other option.”
“I’m not fucking going.”
“Trust me, Mary Jane. You will.” He gathered me into his arms and held me as he stared out of the window. Rain blurred the view of Din City. “I’m done with always coming close to losing you. I’m done with these crazy moments being a daily part of our lives. I’m done with the streets and having to shoot another gun. I’ve seen enough shit now. I just want a simple life.”
“We could take her down together,” I begged again.
“No, baby. She’s my problem. I’ve got it.”
I won’t let him separate us. Whatever he tries I will stop it. I can’t be without him.
We said nothing else. Once we arrived at his nightclub, 305 parked in the back. All three guys carried a sleeping and nude Aristotle into the building.
“Stay right here.” Noah climbed out.
“What?”
He closed the door behind him.
I tried to open it, but Noah wagged his finger no as he continued to block the door. Crusher and Fuji returned to the limo. Noah spoke to them and I tried to make out the words, but couldn’t catch anything. And then Fuji got in the limo and sat next to me.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Plan B,” Fuji said.
“What’s plan B?”
Crusher raced back into the building.
Noah walked off to the parking lot toward a white car—something new. If I’d been a car person, I might’ve been impressed. Wait. Where is he going? He climbed in the vehicle that had a futuristic look to it. Something right out of a science fiction comic. Knowing my man, Noah had probably spent hundreds of thousands on it.
“What’s Plan B, Fuji?” I reached for the door.
Fuji yanked me back and held me to him hard like Crusher had trapped Aristotle to his body earlier. “He wants you to stay with us. He’s going after Butterfly.”
“But he didn’t say goodbye!” I pushed Fuji away and tried to go for the limo’s door. “Noah! Are you fucking kidding me? We don’t have to separate now!”
There was no way Noah heard me. Not even glancing my way, he started the expensive car and sped away.
“Noah!” I pushed at Fuji again, but the big guy wouldn’t let up. He knew all of my moves, making sure to cup his groin just in case I tried to knee him. “Noah! Wait!”
I must’ve tried to fight Fuji for a good two minutes before passing out in exhaustion. The man had too much mass. He wouldn’t let me get out of that car. I might’ve had better chances with a brick wall than him.
Fuji clamped my hands to my sides. “Sorry, MJ.”
Tears fell from my eyes and then a Volvo pulled out of the parking lot too.
Who’s in there? What the hell is wrong with you, Noah? You should’ve said goodbye. We could’ve spent tonight together. We could’ve kissed or said something. It would’ve hurt less.
I knew he would be back. Knew he’d win. Knew he’d kill that bitch. Knew that this couldn’t be the end of our story.
Yet, doubt lingered in my heart. Fear pummeled my mind, triggering scary thoughts.
What if this is the last time I see him? What if Butterfly somehow convinces him that she’s better? What if he doesn’t make it somehow? What if he is happy being away from me? What if. .
Fuji offered me a sad smile. “Everything will be okay, MJ.”
I had nothing else to say to anyone. The pain hurt too much.
He just left.
I wiped away the tears and slumped into the back seat.
Minutes later Crusher returned with Harmony in his arms.
“Boss didn’t say you could bring her?” Fuji said, when the scary, silent girl in the rainbow sequin dress scooted inside, sat in the Indian position, and shivered in fear as she watched us.
“Boss didn’t say I couldn’t bring her, either.” Crusher slammed the door, moved to the front, and drove us away. My heart ached. Fuji finally let me go. “I really am sorry, MJ.”
“Just don’t say anything for a while. Okay? I get it.” I scooted toward the other side of the limo and leaned my face against the window. The rain had returned, scattering hard drops along the glass. No one walked or drove on the streets. The city appeared empty and storm ridden.
Why wouldn’t you say goodbye or at least just give us this night?
Some stupid song filled the limo.
Is that Beauty and the Beast?
I almost wanted to scream. Inside of me a storm churned darkness and pain, and Crusher had the nerve to be blaring a fucking Disney love song through the speakers.
I’m going to slap you when I see you next, Noah. First, I’ll hug the shit out of you and cry, but then I’m going to knee and slap you. Why would you just leave me like that? Why did you have to run off and save the day so soon? Why couldn’t you give us one more night?