Chapter 4
A talk with Johnny Kidd
Matty waited patiently for a meeting with Johnny Kidd. He'd meet the young man a couple of times at his father's house but really didn't know Kidd that well. The only thing he was sure of was that Kidd was dangerous and he needed to deal with situation as soon as possible.
"You can see him now." Matty stood up and followed the man down a long hallway.
Once inside he saw two men waiting for him.
Johnny stood up and smiled at Matty while extending his hand. "Mr. Demaret it's nice to finally meet you formally."
Matty nodded then shook Kidd's hand. "I hope I am not disturbing you."
Johnny laughed then offered Matty a seat. Matty sat down and looked over at the man sitting on the couch.
"That is Dmitri Arapovic"
Matty smiled then focused back on Johnny.
"What can I do for you?" Kidd asked.
"Well, I was told that an employee of mine came to see you earlier today."
Johnny nodded then said, "Yes Charlie."
"I was hoping that she didn't upset you, she was only speaking out for her friend. I hoped that you would understand." Matty made sure to choose his words carefully.
"Woman are always fussing about something, I didn't take Miss. DeAngelo very serious."
Matty paid much attention to Johnny's body language as he spoke. He was liar and for a tough guy that wasn't the best quality. There was more to this story and Matty understood that this meeting wasn't going to stop what had already been put in motion.
~~~~~
After Matty left Kidd's office he drove across the bridge into the city. He drove in front of his father's home. Feeling of regret filled him. Was he doing the right thing? Could he put the past behind him? When he finally made his way home, Matty began thinking of Sophia. Her face seemed burned
into his mind. He closed his eyes and saw her face. This was strange, Matty wasn't used to feeling this way. For so long, his love life wasn't a big deal. It was only now that he found himself dwelling on that fact.
~~~~~
A couple of weeks later
Matty had called Sophia and asked her out. After their first date which was on a Tuesday, Matty found himself seeing her everyday after that. Charlie paid little attention to the fact, she was still dealing with what happened with her and Taylor.
Taylor stayed away from the bar, the only time he would show up was when Charlie wasn't there. He wasn't in the mood for hostility. Taylor also wanted to check out Johnny Kidd's organization. He would spend late night outside of warehouses and club taking notes and breaking down Kidd's chain of command.
Late on Friday night, Taylor found himself face to face with Charlie. He was almost inside he and Matty's place when he heard a noise coming from upstairs. He made his way up the stairs and found Charlie's door opened. Once inside he saw that something had happened. There were papers everywhere. The small table she had in her kitchen was turned over and her couch was cut up. Anger filled Taylor's body. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie lying in the doorway of her bedroom.
Charlie opened her eyes and saw Taylor looking down on her.
"I have to get you up and out of the apartment, I'm not going to hurt you Charlie." Taylor told her in a reassuring voice.
She whimpered when he pulled her up in his strong arms. If I find out who did this!!! He could feel her shaking against him. He told her everything was going to be all right before taking her downstairs.
Taylor brought her to his bedroom, the spare bedroom didn't have a bed in it and he wasn't going to put her on the couch in the living room. He gently put her down on the mattress and then took off his jacket. Charlie only stared up at him, she never said anything.
"I'm going to get some towels and some ice to put on you. I'll be right back."
Charlie watched as he exited the room. She looked around his room then pulled the covers over her body. Her body was aching and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Taylor yanked the ice tray out of the freezer and slammed the door shut. Why if they....??? Resse just stop it! Calm down and be cool about this. He returned to his room and found her curled up under a blanket.
"Charlie you can't go to sleep I need to see if you're bleeding," he told her after he came to stand by the side of the bed.
She let out a sigh then pushed the covers off of her. Charlie knew that Taylor figured out that she didn't have anything under her robe. She'd been getting ready for her bath when she was attacked.
"Tell me where you hurt," he said while sitting on the edge of the bed.
Charlie was still laying on her side, she moved the robe so that her leg was exposed. Right above her knee on her outer thigh there was an enormous bruise.
Taylor ran a hand over his head then placed some ice on her bruise. He knew it was killing her that he was taking care of her. She probably wished someone else would have found her.
"I doesn't look like you're bleeding. I'll go and get some pain medicine for in the morning, it's going to hurt."
Taylor went to stand up but she touched his hand. He looked down at her then asked, "What?"
Charlie pushed her robe off her shoulders very slowly. Taylor understood what she was doing so he helped her. She laid on her stomach. Taylor pulled her robe down further and saw the bruise's on her back.
"Who the fuck did this!" Taylor yelled.
Taylor calmed himself down, he knew his anger would only scare her. He slowly cleaned her opened wound. Whoever did this, caught her with a boot and it broke the skin. After he finished, Taylor pulled out a tee shirt and a pair of shorts.
"Charlie can you put these on?" he asked after she turned back onto her side.
Charlie shook her head yes and then watched as he put the clothes down by her and exited the room.
~~~~~
Taylor gave her a while to change. When he walked back in his room, Charlie was fast asleep. He picked up her robe and brought it the living room. He silently waited for Matty to come home.
Matty walked in and found Taylor sitting on the couch.
"Are you planning on watching TV again?"
Taylor stood up and walked over and handed Matty the robe.
"What's this?" Matty asked as he examined the robe.
"Charlie was paid a visit tonight. I found her on the floor upstairs."
"Where is she, is she OK?"
"She's in my room sleeping. He did this!" Taylor said.
"Did you call the cops?" Matty asked.
"No, nothing they could do. What did he say when you talked to him?"
Matty ran his hands threw his hair then said, "Played it off like it didn't matter. This isn't just about Michelle. He wants the bar and he 's not going to let anything stop him."
"Why don't I go over there and pay him a visit?"
"Don't that's what he's expecting. We lay low."
Taylor didn't want to lay low, he wanted to make Johnny Kidd feel the pain that Charlie was feeling. But he trusted Matty and knew this was the best thing for them to do. He couldn't let his personal feelings sway his judgment.
~~~~~
TBC
A talk with Johnny Kidd
Matty waited patiently for a meeting with Johnny Kidd. He'd meet the young man a couple of times at his father's house but really didn't know Kidd that well. The only thing he was sure of was that Kidd was dangerous and he needed to deal with situation as soon as possible.
"You can see him now." Matty stood up and followed the man down a long hallway.
Once inside he saw two men waiting for him.
Johnny stood up and smiled at Matty while extending his hand. "Mr. Demaret it's nice to finally meet you formally."
Matty nodded then shook Kidd's hand. "I hope I am not disturbing you."
Johnny laughed then offered Matty a seat. Matty sat down and looked over at the man sitting on the couch.
"That is Dmitri Arapovic"
Matty smiled then focused back on Johnny.
"What can I do for you?" Kidd asked.
"Well, I was told that an employee of mine came to see you earlier today."
Johnny nodded then said, "Yes Charlie."
"I was hoping that she didn't upset you, she was only speaking out for her friend. I hoped that you would understand." Matty made sure to choose his words carefully.
"Woman are always fussing about something, I didn't take Miss. DeAngelo very serious."
Matty paid much attention to Johnny's body language as he spoke. He was liar and for a tough guy that wasn't the best quality. There was more to this story and Matty understood that this meeting wasn't going to stop what had already been put in motion.
~~~~~
After Matty left Kidd's office he drove across the bridge into the city. He drove in front of his father's home. Feeling of regret filled him. Was he doing the right thing? Could he put the past behind him? When he finally made his way home, Matty began thinking of Sophia. Her face seemed burned
into his mind. He closed his eyes and saw her face. This was strange, Matty wasn't used to feeling this way. For so long, his love life wasn't a big deal. It was only now that he found himself dwelling on that fact.
~~~~~
A couple of weeks later
Matty had called Sophia and asked her out. After their first date which was on a Tuesday, Matty found himself seeing her everyday after that. Charlie paid little attention to the fact, she was still dealing with what happened with her and Taylor.
Taylor stayed away from the bar, the only time he would show up was when Charlie wasn't there. He wasn't in the mood for hostility. Taylor also wanted to check out Johnny Kidd's organization. He would spend late night outside of warehouses and club taking notes and breaking down Kidd's chain of command.
Late on Friday night, Taylor found himself face to face with Charlie. He was almost inside he and Matty's place when he heard a noise coming from upstairs. He made his way up the stairs and found Charlie's door opened. Once inside he saw that something had happened. There were papers everywhere. The small table she had in her kitchen was turned over and her couch was cut up. Anger filled Taylor's body. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie lying in the doorway of her bedroom.
Charlie opened her eyes and saw Taylor looking down on her.
"I have to get you up and out of the apartment, I'm not going to hurt you Charlie." Taylor told her in a reassuring voice.
She whimpered when he pulled her up in his strong arms. If I find out who did this!!! He could feel her shaking against him. He told her everything was going to be all right before taking her downstairs.
Taylor brought her to his bedroom, the spare bedroom didn't have a bed in it and he wasn't going to put her on the couch in the living room. He gently put her down on the mattress and then took off his jacket. Charlie only stared up at him, she never said anything.
"I'm going to get some towels and some ice to put on you. I'll be right back."
Charlie watched as he exited the room. She looked around his room then pulled the covers over her body. Her body was aching and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Taylor yanked the ice tray out of the freezer and slammed the door shut. Why if they....??? Resse just stop it! Calm down and be cool about this. He returned to his room and found her curled up under a blanket.
"Charlie you can't go to sleep I need to see if you're bleeding," he told her after he came to stand by the side of the bed.
She let out a sigh then pushed the covers off of her. Charlie knew that Taylor figured out that she didn't have anything under her robe. She'd been getting ready for her bath when she was attacked.
"Tell me where you hurt," he said while sitting on the edge of the bed.
Charlie was still laying on her side, she moved the robe so that her leg was exposed. Right above her knee on her outer thigh there was an enormous bruise.
Taylor ran a hand over his head then placed some ice on her bruise. He knew it was killing her that he was taking care of her. She probably wished someone else would have found her.
"I doesn't look like you're bleeding. I'll go and get some pain medicine for in the morning, it's going to hurt."
Taylor went to stand up but she touched his hand. He looked down at her then asked, "What?"
Charlie pushed her robe off her shoulders very slowly. Taylor understood what she was doing so he helped her. She laid on her stomach. Taylor pulled her robe down further and saw the bruise's on her back.
"Who the fuck did this!" Taylor yelled.
Taylor calmed himself down, he knew his anger would only scare her. He slowly cleaned her opened wound. Whoever did this, caught her with a boot and it broke the skin. After he finished, Taylor pulled out a tee shirt and a pair of shorts.
"Charlie can you put these on?" he asked after she turned back onto her side.
Charlie shook her head yes and then watched as he put the clothes down by her and exited the room.
~~~~~
Taylor gave her a while to change. When he walked back in his room, Charlie was fast asleep. He picked up her robe and brought it the living room. He silently waited for Matty to come home.
Matty walked in and found Taylor sitting on the couch.
"Are you planning on watching TV again?"
Taylor stood up and walked over and handed Matty the robe.
"What's this?" Matty asked as he examined the robe.
"Charlie was paid a visit tonight. I found her on the floor upstairs."
"Where is she, is she OK?"
"She's in my room sleeping. He did this!" Taylor said.
"Did you call the cops?" Matty asked.
"No, nothing they could do. What did he say when you talked to him?"
Matty ran his hands threw his hair then said, "Played it off like it didn't matter. This isn't just about Michelle. He wants the bar and he 's not going to let anything stop him."
"Why don't I go over there and pay him a visit?"
"Don't that's what he's expecting. We lay low."
Taylor didn't want to lay low, he wanted to make Johnny Kidd feel the pain that Charlie was feeling. But he trusted Matty and knew this was the best thing for them to do. He couldn't let his personal feelings sway his judgment.
~~~~~
TBC