Guard My Heart (6 page)

The Asian guy walks up behind Jonah and presses the gun
against the back of his head. Jonah freezes and works his jaw.

“Wait!” Mike barks out quick and sharp.

Silence fills the room. All eyes are on Mike except the
Asian guy who is staring at the nose of his gun lodged against Jonah’s blond
mohawk.

“Speak and make it quick,” Migelli says, wiping his face
with the white handkerchief from his suit pocket. He still has a splatter of
blood on his cheek, but I’m not going to tell him that.

“We don’t have the bag, and we don’t know who took it. But
we’ll find it. Give us a chance to find it,” Mike pleads.

“Why?” Migelli asks.

“Because we don’t want to die,” Mike says on a dry laugh.
“Twenty-four hours. If we don’t find it, then you can kill us.”

“No, twenty-four hours and we kill everyone you love.
Starting with your whore, Ana. Seems only right that it starts with her. She is
the reason the deal went wrong,” he says to Mike. Migelli turns toward Jonah,
waving the gun at him. “Then, we start with your girlfriend. What’s her name?
Ah Mary, the Sunday school teacher,” Migelli says pointing the gun at Jonah.

Jonah takes a step forward. He looks like he wants to say
something but then presses his lips together and just stares at Danny Migelli.
Jonah has a girlfriend with the name Mary, who is a Sunday school teacher—the
irony isn’t lost on me.

“Thought so,” Migelli says. Then he walks over to me. He
taps the nose of the gun against my chin, and I exhale heavily through my nose.
I know what he is going to say. The very reason I started this shit is now in
danger. My stomach sinks. The black SUV was Migelli’s men watching my house.

“You have a really pretty sister. My men would have a lot
of fun with her once I’m done,” Migelli says while tapping the gun harder
against my chin. I move my jaw from side to side and swallow hard. My blood
rushes in my ears, drowning out any other sound except for my pulse pounding
through my veins. You know the moment you make the decision that changes your
life? But it’s not now. You don’t take on a bear when your hands are tied. You
lay down and you play dead until it loses interest. And then—when he doesn’t
expect it—then, you strike.

The big boss never shows. No one else dies. What will
happen to Ethan’s body I don’t know, but by the time the bag is pulled back
over my head and I’ve walked the ten steps down the passage, five down the
stairs, and hear the crunching under my boots, my breathing is almost back to
normal. Mike and Jonah haven’t said another word. We have 24 hours to get the
bag back, or our loved ones pay price, and I can’t think of any other hell
worse than living without those you love. I don’t doubt Migelli and his men
will break Mia before they kill her, so I have to find that bag. I just don’t
know how.

We are dropped off at our own black van in the parking lot
of the local supermarket, and I stand and watch the tail lights of the
kidnappers’ panel van fade in the darkness. Then I speak and I make sure I’m
heard. Mike’s eyes go big when my hands close around his throat.

“Where the fuck are we going to find the bag?” I growl in
his face.

He puts his hands on my chest, but he doesn’t push me
away.

“Fuck off, Kyle. I just saw my best friend being shot. I
have to tell his wife he’s dead. His three-year-old will grow up without a
daddy. I don’t need your bitch fit,” Mike says defeated. “I bought us some time
alright. It’s more than what you did,” he adds.

I let go of his throat and sit down next to Jonah. He
seems tired, worn out. Jonah is going to run. I can feel it. He is going to take
Mary, the Sunday school teacher, and run away. If I was smart, I would do the
same, but how do I explain to Mia and Mom that we have to move? And with what
fucking money?

“I’m going home. Tomorrow is my last day of school, and if
I’m not dead, I’m heading to the beach the day after. Text me,” I say before
walking down the street and away from the chaos that has become my
life.

When Mom comes to wake me, I’m already dressed. I thank
her for the coffee and sip it on my way downstairs. I don’t wait for Mia and
decide to walk to school. The black SUV is again parked on the other side of the
street. I can’t see shit inside the vehicle, but I flip the bird to whomever
the unlucky bastard assigned to watch over an 18-year-old kid is. Fuck them.
Fuck the whole lot of them.

I stop by the community center before school. It’s still
closed this time of the morning, but Dominic, the guy who runs the center,
stays in a small wooden cabin on the premises. I’m not sure why I’m here, but
Dominic has helped me before. He took me in when I got kicked off the school
martial arts team. Gave me a teaching post, working with some of the kids from
the area. He also taught me some of the MMA moves that they don’t teach in high
school. I went with Dominic to my first MMA fight; he’s like an older brother
to me. I knock on the wooden door of the small cabin. After the second knock
the door swings open.

“Kyle—” Dominic starts but stops. Something on my face
must tell him there’s a big problem, because he steps aside and holds the door
open for me.

“Talk,” Dominic says around the cigarette in his
mouth.

“Danny Migelli,” I say. I watch Dominic’s face. I need to
be sure I came to the right place. But his face betrays nothing, complete poker
face.

“Danny Migelli,” I say again.

“I heard ya,” Dominic says, sitting down on his double
bed. There’s not much space in the cabin. It’s only one room. Bedroom, lounge,
and kitchen all in one area, a small bathroom to the back.

“Reno Parker. Go see Reno Parker. And do it now. Don’t go
to school, don’t go home, and don’t take a piss until you speak to Reno
Parker,” he says, standing up and shaking my shoulders.

“Okay.”

Dominic scribbles an address on an old envelope and hands
it to me.

“Thank you,” I say, stuffing the envelope in my jean
pocket.

“Thank me if you don’t wake up dead tomorrow,” he says on
a smirk.

I shake my head and walk out the small door.

When I get to the corner, I look up and down the street,
and when I’m sure the black SUV isn’t following me, I get my cell out and phone
a taxi.

When the taxi turns onto a gravel road and the tiny
peddles bounce off the side of the car, rounds of fear uncoil in my stomach like
a snake ready to strike. Déjà vu hits me so hard my stomach flips its shit and I
almost puke all over the back seat. We stop at the big iron gate blocking the
drive.

“One,” I say out loud.

“What?” the driver asks looking at me in his rearview
mirror.

“Nothing,” I say back. I open the door and climb
out.

“Hey, you have to pay me,” he calls after me.

“Right, shit,” I say, backtracking to his
window.

I hand him a bill, not even checking what it is, and head
for the intercom built into the wall surrounding the property.

This is the same place we were last night. I can hear the
dogs all the way from here. Why would Dominic send me to the same people I’m
trying to get away from? My head is so messed up. I don’t know who to trust.
But I’ve always trusted Dominic in the past, he has been like an older brother
to me. I don’t know for certain, but I think he’s done this before, before he
changed his life around. He wouldn’t send me to my death. Would he?

I take a big breath and press the button.

“Hello? Parker residence?” A female voice thick with an
Italian accent creaks over the speaker. She sounds so unsure of herself. Like
she isn’t sure where she is.

My lungs ache, and the air I wasn’t aware I was trapping
in my lungs rushes out of my mouth. I clear my throat and speak into the
microphone.

“I'm here to see Mr. Parker,” I say, trying to sound like
I’m supposed to be here.

“Okay,” the lady says.

And with a heavy click, the gate starts rolling back. That
was easy. I walk down the long driveway past a big three-tier fountain with
various colored fish swimming around the bottom level. The water I heard last
night. To the left there are two Rottweilers barking furiously. The same dogs I
heard last night. Their mouths dripping thick saliva down their muzzles. I
don’t want to make friends with those beasts.

I count the stairs. One, Two, Three, Four, Five. When I
get to the top step the heavy, dark wood door opens slowly. A short, old,
Italian woman smiles up at me. She nods her head at me and motions for me to
follow her. I do, because I doubt she’s going to whip out ninja stars or a
samurai sword on my ass.

Ten steps down the passage and there’s a door to my left.
Goosebumps dance over my skin; I know what happened behind that door. Where was
this woman last night? She leads me further down the passage. Five more steps
and a turn to the right. There are pictures of a man and a woman with long
blonde hair on the wall. In one, the blonde woman is staring lovingly at the
man next to her, but he is looking to the left of the camera with a heavy scowl
on his face. Next to that picture is another picture of a young boy with light
hair. He is smiling brightly at the camera; a big black dog sits next to the
boy. The rest of the wall decorations are art. Expensive looking
art.

The small woman stops in front of a door and knocks
softly.

“Come in,” a deep male voice calls from the other
side.

The woman opens the door and steps inside.

“Mr. Parker, you have a visitor,” she says, gesturing
towards me with a big smile on her face.

“Damn it, Emily!” The old woman jumps from the loud bark
directed at her. “How many times have I told you not to let anybody in here?
Where is Danny?” Mr. Parker asks her sternly.

Emily’s old face crumples, and her eyes fill with
tears.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Parker. Danny he is in the bathroom. I saw
the boy on the television screen. I didn’t know,” she says shrugging her frail
old shoulders.

“That’s all, Emily. You can go now.” Reno Parker is a man
who demands discipline. His body radiates authority, but there is softness in
his eye when he speaks to the old woman.

Emily hangs her head and retreats through the open door. I
stand rooted to the spot. Luck put Emily at that screen. If it was Danny
Migelli or any of his goons, I wouldn’t be standing here. I say a silent prayer
and take a step forward.

“Kyle, what can I do for you?” Reno Parker
asks.

“I, uh. What?” I say, buying time to sort out my jumbled
thoughts. Wait, he said my name. He knows who I am?

“I know everything that happens in this house. And
everything that idiot nephew of mine does. My question is, why are you here?”
he asks, staring at me.

“A friend said you could help.” I snap my mouth shut. I
don’t know what it would mean for Dominic if I tell Reno Parker that he’s who
sent me.

“Why would I help you? You owe me money,” he says not
taking his eyes off me.

I break eye contact first and look at the room around me.
Like I’ll find the answer to my survival written on the wall. This room looks
the same as the one from last night. But where the other room had a thick
carpet on the floor, this one is outfitted in glistening red wood. It gives the
room an old and classical look. Yeah, I’m definitely in a Bond movie
now.

“Come on, boy. You are wasting my time and time is money.
You don’t want to be more indebted to me than you already are.”

I clear my throat and swallow hard, trying to get my dry
mouth to work.

“I need help. Danny Migelli is going to kill my mother and
my sister. I need help,” I say, raising my hands then dropping them helplessly
to my side. I feel like crying, but I won’t let the stinging moisture behind my
eyes form into the tiny droplets that will expose my weakness.

For this man to believe I’ll be of any use to him, he
needs to believe I’m tough. That I’m brave. And I am. I’ve just had a really
shitty week.

“Why would I help you?” he asks.

And why should he? What do I have to offer him? I’m here
because I’m going against his nephew for crying out loud. Blood is thicker than
water. I’m going to die. No, my family is going to die. That thought
strengthens my resolve. No. Fuck that. For ten years we’ve merely been
breathing, now it’s time to live. It’s time to be alive.

I suck in a deep breath and look him straight in the
eye.

“Because I will do anything. I will owe you everything,” I
say as slow and steady as I can.

“You already owe me, Kyle. The question is, how far will
you go? My nephew and I don’t get along that well. He is a reckless fool.
Killing and whoring like he runs this town. I run this town, but Danny, he’s
gotten money hungry. He wants the key to my throne. Will you kill for your
family?”

I run his words through my brain. Filtering the
information. He wants me to kill his nephew? Why doesn’t he just do it
himself?

“Why?” I ask. “Why don’t you kill him
yourself?”

“Ah, that’s the right question. His father. You see, Danny
and his father aren’t close. I took Danny in when he got tossed out of his
father’s empire. But his father is a powerful man, and I think the two of them
are conspiring my demise. If I kill him, I will start a war,” Reno Parker says
with a glint of maliciousness in his eye.

“But if I kill him, how will I know my family will be
safe? Who will protect me?”

“That’s another good question. No one. You will die. Your
family will be safe because you will be dead. Your life will belong to me,” he
says.

That’s bullshit. I don’t want to die. Plus, that’s two
sacrifices for one. I have to kill his nephew and give my life to him for my
family’s safety. I turn to leave but stop in my tracks. I can’t be selfish. Mia
and Mom will be safe. What is my life for theirs? I started this mess. I should
end it.

“Okay,” I say.

“You would die for your family?”

“Yes.”

The decision was easy, the consequence was death. Never
have I made an easier decision or one of more importance.

***

I swear I can feel the cold steel of the gun right through
my pillow. I’m in my room, waiting for the text from Pete telling us where to
meet Danny Migelli. Reno Parker told me to send a text to Pete telling him I
have the bag. Then he stuffed a black backpack in my hand and sent me on my
way. I found a gun inside when I got home
.

I’ve packed my bag for my trip. I don’t know if I’ll get
on that bus tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll make it home. I don’t know anything.
Reno Parker only told me to kill his nephew and continue as normal. Then I wait
to die. He said my life would be his. My life for my mom and my sister. Easy
trade, dire consequence.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The sound of my cell going off jerks me into a sitting
position. My heart fights in my chest. The little spike of adrenaline makes my
head spin.

Pete.

“Warehouse, now. Bring the bag.”

“No. Send me the address,” I text back. I can’t risk Pete
checking the bag.

“Don’t fuck with me, Kyle.”

“Send me the address.” I send again.

“I’m sending the boys to your house,” he texts
back.

“Just send me the fucking address. They might be followed.
Let them meet me there.”

“Town library. Move your ass.”

I slip the gun into the back of my jeans and sling the
empty bag over my shoulder. It’s 10 p.m. and the house is quiet. The light in
Mom’s room is on. The stepdad hasn’t been around in two days, thank fuck. The
TV is on in the lounge, and Mia and Jenna are watching some chick flick. I slip
past them as quietly as possible and leave through the back door.

The thirty minute walk to the library is the longest walk
of my life. When I turn the corner, the shadowy front of the library comes into
view. The black van is already waiting for me. When I step under the first
light post, Mike and Jonah get out of the van and meet me on the front steps of
the library. I’m sure we look just as suspicious as this feels. I extend my
hand to Mike, and he reaches out hesitantly, but then he closes the space
between us and shakes my hand. He frowns at me then steps back and shoves his
hand into his pocket. I stretch my hand to Jonah, and he shakes it without
hesitating.

“So where did you get the bag? Or did you have it the
whole time?” Jonah asks me.

“What? You were lying next to me in that truck. Where
would I have hidden this big bag? In my ass?” I ask sarcastically.

“Nah, I didn’t mean it like that,” he says shaking his
head. The dimly-lit light casts shadows over his face, but it doesn’t mask the
fear in his eyes. I’m terrified, but I’m not letting them know that.

The black SUV pulls into the parking lot of the
library.