MICHELLE

 

Tony and the rest of his gang had a rundown shack all to themselves. It was on the outskirts of Ivory without much else around it. The middle of nowhere was the perfect place for a thug like him.

I knew it was a stupid decision to ride along with him. There was no telling what he was capable of doing. I somehow convinced myself that I would be able to talk to him and see what the hell he really wanted. If anything did happen, I took comfort in knowing that Declan wouldn’t just let it happen. Even a dangerous punk like Tony would get what was coming to him.

“All right, boys,” Tony said. “Clear out. I need some time with my old lady friend.”

The other four members of his posse moved to one of the other rooms in the shack. I could still hear how loud and obnoxious they were through the walls.

There wasn’t much in the room I was in. Just a table that had seen better days with a couple of chairs scattered around it. There was a refrigerator off to the side that was still running. The loud generator outside gave the place just enough to power the place.

“Have a seat,” he said.

“I’m fine, thanks—”

“I insist.”

Tony stared at me. I knew there was no point in trying to defy him. Not yet anyway. A smirk formed on his lips when I sat down.

He poked his head into the fridge and pulled out a six-pack of beers.

“I’m sorry about what happened back there,” he said. “But I figure your man knows a thing or two about his ride. He’ll be able to fix that thing up real nice.”

“He hurt his leg.”

“He’s strong, too. He’ll walk it off. You wouldn’t have married a guy who couldn’t handle a tumble on the pavement now, would you?”

He cracked open his beer and took a loud sip from it.

“Help yourself,” he said.

“I’d rather not.”

“A little alcohol will make this easier for you.”

“No. I can’t drink.”

“You used to drink a lot when we were together.”

“Let’s get one thing straight…”

I leaned forward across the table. He was still smiling even though I was trying everything I could not to reach over and slap him.

“…We were never together. I was young and stupid. It was a mistake—”

“Yes, yes. Just a girl looking for a good time. I get it. But a beer won’t hurt.”

“It might.”

“Why? You allergic to beer all of a sudden? Or maybe you’re pregnant?”

I looked away from him. The last thing I wanted to talk about with him was my personal life.

“Yeah,” he said. “That’s it. You’re carrying his baby. The old man finally slipped one past the goalie—”

“What do you want, Tony?”

“I just wanted the pleasure of your company. It’s been so long. All those years. Don’t you miss me?”

“I spend every day trying to forget.”

“Ouch.”

He cackled to himself as he gulped down the rest of his beer. Another can open, he nonchalantly took a sip. I sat there and stared at him, my arms crossed as I waited for him to say what he had to say. There was something on his mind. That much was obvious. My job was to make sure that Declan didn’t have to get involved.

“I’ve come all this way and you can’t even greet me warmly,” he said.

“Tony. Get to the point.”

“I want something from you.”

“You’re never gonna get it. If you even get close enough to sniff me, I’ll make sure Declan breaks your nose.”

“I’ll mind my manners. I’ll stay right here on my side of the table.”

He gulped down his beer and let out a disgusting belch. Then he crushed the can and tossed it to the side of the dirty room.

“There is something I need from you,” he said.

“You’re not gonna get it.”

“Oh, I think I will. But it’s not what you think it is.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. I had to do my best not to show my surprise. He leaned back in his seat and sighed.

“I know your husband and his club have a deal with the Triads,” he said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Your husband and his club have a deal with the Triads. I don’t care if you know about it or not. They do.”

“And?”

He moved forward across the table. His eyes locked on me, the smile suddenly left his face.

“I want their deal,” he said.

“…What?”

I blinked my eyes in confusion. The way Tony looked at me now, I knew he was serious but I still couldn’t believe it.

“I want their deal,” he repeated. “The Chinese pay well. Those chinks have more money than they know what to do with. I figure it’ll give me and the boys a good chance to make some good scratch before we’re back on the road.”

“Why are you asking me? Why don’t you tell—”

“Your husband is planning on killing me right now. You know him better than anybody else. Do you think I’d be able to negotiate a deal away from a man that’s making so much money?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Talk to him. Tell him to let me in on the deal. My club will make some money. Enough money to live comfortably for a long time before we hit the road.”

“Why the fuck would I do something like that?”

“Because you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.”

“And what exactly do I have to gain from this?”

He chuckled softly to himself, that obnoxious smirk still on his lips.

“You don’t care about me,” he said. “Not like the way you used to.”

“I never cared about you.”

“It doesn’t matter. I know you want me to leave. I may be blind in one eye but even I can see that.

“Tell your husband to let me in on the deal. Tell him to let me make some money. When I make my money, I’ll leave Ivory for good. You’ll never have to worry about me being around again. You have my word.”

I scoffed at the idea. The thought of Tony doing something for my benefit was a joke.

“Your word,” I said. “What good is the word of a man who can’t keep it? You shot out my husband’s tire in the middle of a race.”

“I had to do everything I could to win that race because it was the only way I could talk to you.”

“Is it? You could’ve just talked to me when you saw me at the flower shop. You could’ve told me what you wanted then and there.”

“But you wouldn’t have taken me seriously. Now you know I’m serious.”

He stayed staring at me. One eye locked on me and his other white eye as haunting as it always was.

I turned away from him. I let out a frustrated sigh through my nose, trying to put all of the details he was giving me together.

“I’ll only be here for a week,” he said. “Maybe two. Then I’ll hit the road and you’ll never have to see me again.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Your pussy was good. But you were some young slut. Now you’re old and used up… With the money I can make from the deal, I’ll be able to buy some new, fresh pussy.”

He cackled to himself. The way he stuck his tongue out made him look even more sadistic than I already knew he was.

“Think about it, Michelle. You’ll never have to worry about me again. I’ll be out of your hair. And you’ll save your husband from having to get more blood on his hands. I know you’re getting too old for this shit. Married to a man who has to kill to keep the peace. You say your time with me was wild and forgettable. A mistake you made when you were young. But the truth is, being married to a man like Cunningham, you’re living the same kind of life. He just does a better job of hiding what kind of a man he is.”

I clenched my jaw. My fists balled, it was taking every ounce of me not to reach out and slug him.

“You and Declan are not the same,” I said.

“Whatever. I don’t care what you tell yourself. I’m not the one who needs convincing. The only thing I do need is the deal.”

He opened another beer and took it all down in one gulp. He let out another satisfied belch and tossed the can to the side.

“I’m getting pretty sick of this cheap shit,” he sighed. “It’ll be better when I finally have some real cash on me.”

Tony raised his eyebrows at me then held his hands out.

“Well? Do we have a deal?”

There wasn’t enough time to go over everything. It was obvious Tony was up to something. But I didn’t know what it was. The only thing I could do at this point was play along.

“Talk to your husband,” he said. “Tell him I want in on the deal.”

“And what if he says no?”

“…You don’t want him to say no. You of all people should know what I’m capable of. I don’t give a shit about this town. Ivory could blow up for all I care. I might even enjoy it.”

I swallowed to keep my nerves in check. Tony wasn’t smiling anymore. He was just staring at me, waiting for my response.

“If you’re serious—”

“I am.”

“I’ll talk to Declan. I’ll tell him what you want. But the only way I can do that is if you take me back to him.”

“Of course. We can head back right now.”

He stood up from his seat and walked right next to me. I didn’t look up at him. I just kept staring straight ahead while he whispered to me.

“What’s wrong? Afraid I might do something—”

I jumped up to my feet and spun around for the exit.

“Come on,” I said. “The sooner I get back to Ivory, the sooner I can get you what you want.”