“Hell if I know at this point Dani. You know my parents trips to Lexington and Louisville were their idea of recreation. I know shit about climbing hills or directions apparently.”
“Did you hear that?” She asks.
My body stiffens because I did. It sounded like branches snapping. Someone’s coming. We stare at each other in panic and then Dani nudges with her head and points to a big rock behind her. It’s not much but we make our way to it as quiet as we can to hide. Once we crouch down behind it, we sit and wait. When she grabs my hand, I hold on as tight as my numb fingers will let me.
“Alright bitch it’s time for you two to come out. I know you’re here, Irish tells me I don’t have time to watch you squirm anymore. It’s time we finish the game.”
I would have thought he was bluffing if I hadn’t heard a gun cocked on my right side. It sounds so chillingly loud even over the man’s yelling.
I look over to see one of the last faces I expected. I almost feel relief but the other guy’s words register in my numb brain.
“Irish?” I ask confused.
“Sorry Nic, just business. You got caught up in it. It’s time Dragon is brought down and sadly girl you are a sure way to keep him so wrapped up in his head he has no idea what’s going on,” he says grabbing my arm and pulling me up. He lets me go, then grabs Dani by the hair of the head. He holds a gun to her as he urges us around the rock.
Another man is on the other side holding a gun. I don’t know him. In fact I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen him before.
“How could you betray Dragon like this? He thinks of you as his brother?” I ask Irish. I’m not really trying to stall at this point. My mind is racing on how to get out of this, but really I’m pretty sure I’m going to die. I try to keep the tears from falling though; I don’t want to give them that victory.
“Just business Nic. Dragon and Dancer pissed off the wrong people. The same people offered me a sweet deal to help them get revenge. Club makes a fuck of a lot of money, but Dragon’s gone soft trying to keep everything in the legal. Once I’m in control and part of the Phoenix’s pipeline, I can live in the Bahamas and rake in the cash.”
“So you’re betraying your brother for money?”
“Fucking shut it. What are you doing telling this whore our business?” The other man hollers out.
Because he’s a moron!
Bad Nicole whispers and though that is a hundred percent certainty, I fear I know the real reason.
“What does it matter anyways? She’ll be dead and we’ll be long gone by the time Dragon finds her or her friend.”
Oh yeah see, I totally knew the real reason.
“It matters. You don’t follow instructions well! I know I told you to make sure Dragon didn’t find out about this until the deed was done, yet here we are.”
“I had to report in after Nailer came through, if I hadn’t it would have been too suspicious. This way I can still play my role and spy on Dragon until you make your big move.” Irish defends.
The other man looked totally unconvinced, but instead of responding asks, “Which one of you killed my friend Tiny?”
I should feel guilt that he died, but I can’t seem to drum it up.
“That’d be me. Though I thought he survived, you’ll excuse me if I don’t shed any tears over him,” I say trying to sound badass. In truth I’m shaking inside terrified. If I somehow survived this, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the way it feels to have a gun pointed at you.
“Oh he lived, but I had to kill him for being such a fucking moron.” The man explains as if he’s talking about his grocery list.
“Well since you’re doing the world a favor and ridding it of morons, maybe you could turn the gun on yourself,” Dani piped up and if I hadn’t been so terrified I would have smiled.
The man looks at Dani and curls his lips and then…shoots her. I scream and go to her, falling down as I try to catch her. He shot her in the leg, and while that’s a good place to get shot, if you had to get shot, there is instantly a lot of blood. I tear her shirt and try and stuff it at the wound, pushing it tight while the two men above us are laughing.
“A pity, Tiny spoke highly of you. I was going to add you to my stable. Can’t stand a mouth like that though. Of course if you survive I could cut your tongue out and still use you. Hmmm…” The pig seemed to truly be considering this.
“I’m going to meet up with the others. Take care of the whores and meet us at the docks.”
“Might be more powerful if Nicole here is a gift,” Irish suggests cryptically and I don’t know what this gift is, but I’m thinking it’s not good.