Chapter 15

Blair peeled out of Greystone with squealing tires. She drove straight to the motel where she had left Todd.

Storming in the door, she cried " I want him dead!"

Todd smirked, "Didn't go the way you hoped?"

"He dies. You got it? And I want him to suffer!"

Todd rolled his eyes and said, "You cheat on me, the loser hurts you, and I have to kill him. This is becoming quite a pattern, don't you think?"

Blair's eyes were wild with rage. "Just get it done."

"Fine. But this is the last time."

XXXXXX

Later that afternoon, Max and Johnny walked into Greystone a few steps behind Stone and Jagger.

"Boss, here are the two gentlemen from Miami, just as you requested," said Johnny

Sonny didn't bother to stand up from behind his desk. He glared at the brothers and said, "I wouldn't call them gentlemen. Not when they shakedown widows to make their living. I don't know if there is a lower level of scum."

"Carly said you want to make good on her debt," Jagger said "So lets get to it, without the sermon on morality."

Sonny tossed the envelope of money onto the floor. "Take it and get out of my sight."

xxxxxx

Skye Chandler lived a nomadic life. She left Pine Valley and her Daddy's money behind at 21, the day she graduated college. And then never used her business degree even one day of her working life. She didn't belong in that world. She belonged here in a smoky bar, with her stand-in father figure, Robert, and his partner, Luke, who drove her crazy for the few months they dated, years before, and who drove her even crazier now.

Though she put up show for Luke when he asked her to come home and use her skills with explosive on their latest heist, Skye did miss the crew, and nights like this.

Luke's Club was closed down for the private engagement party in honor of Jason and Carly. They were making it legit-finally. Skye smiled as she watched them dancing by the juke box. If they knew anyone else was in the room, it didn't show.

"Chandler, don't you always hit on seventeen?" Robert asked

"You always do, Boss," she said with affection. "The rest of us, not so much."

"And that is why he always," Luke started his normal answer

"Loses his ass in blackjack," Spinelli grumbled out the rest of the often repeated retort. "Could someone change the script?"

"What's wrong with The Jackal?" Skye asked Robert

Robert gave her a look.

"Oh," Skye said

Luke had heard about Lulu's late night visit to see Spinelli. Gia woke up and spotted her out the window. She told Emily who told...everybody, as she was prone to do. Now he watched the younger guy moping at the bar, throwing back shots.

"Lets go down to Front Street," Luke offered to him.

Spinelli gave him a cold look. "You think a whore could replace her?"

Luke's jaw clenched. "I didn't say that. You like Front Street. You never complained before."

Spinelli stood up and said, "I walked away from her once. That is all you can ask of me. It was your one card and you played it. She came back to me on her own and like an ass I hurt her again."

He threw back one more shot. "She calls me Jack, did you know that? Not some silly The Jackal anymore. Jack."

Luke didn't say a word. He saw in Spinelli's eyes that he hated himself right now, and loved Lulu, and nothing Luke said would change that.

"I'm out of here," Spinelli said.

Carly was walking over, with her arm around Jason, she cried "No way. No one leaves till we have a toast."

Everyone gathered around.

Carly stared at Lucky.

With a blank expression he asked, "What? Oh, I am doing this. Okay."

"You are my own flesh and blood, Romeo. Do you think you could muster up a few well wishes?" Carly asked

"I could think of a few things," Luke said

"NO!" Carly cried. Then bumped Lucky with her shoulder.

"Okay, okay, okay." Lucky said. "Raise your glasses everyone. We all know that it wasn't easy for these two to admit they don't want to kill each other. But now that they have, I wish them nothing but good times and barring that...strong bullet proof vests."

Carly rolled her eyes.

Zander said, "To The Hitter and The Heartbreaker."

"The Hitter and The Heartbreaker," the whole room repeated.

The clinked glasses and then Bobbie added, "To love."

"To love," Jason agreed as he gave Carly a long look filled with heat.

XXXXXX

Anna picked the lock on the front door of Luke's club and walked inside. Several guns pointed her way.

"Hey, crew."

They lowered their weapons and broke into smiles.

Robert watched his ex as she slowly made her way over to the bar.

Skye stood and gave her a hug. "Good to see you."

"Lets dance, Luv," Luke said

"Only I call her Luv!" cried Robert

"You haven't called her Luv in a year," Luke taunted him.

Robert gave him a dirty look.

"I didn't come here to dance," Anna said. She pointed at Robert. "Back room."

He followed her without a word.

When they were alone, they regarded each other warily.

"Thought you had no use for me?" Robert asked

"This is business."

His face fell. "I don't talk business with traitors."

"Oh, now I am a traitor? I thought I was just a cheater?"

"The minute you were one, you became the other," Robert said as he walked behind the desk and sat down.

"You don't know me at all. After all these years..."

He couldn't even look at her without thinking of Mac's lips on her body. "The feeling is mutual, Luv."

She winced at the savage way he said her nickname.

Anna sat down, crossed her legs and gave him a cold look. "I need the number of that guy we used in Beirut on the 85' job."

"You and my brother getting yourself in deep overseas now? You think that is wise?"

"The name, Robert."

"Is this about the art exhibit that is going through there at the end of the month? That your latest job? I thought you were out of this life? Isn't that what made you leave me? Because Mac was willing to give up everything for you and I wasn't."

Anna was glad to see that her ploy to make him think she was working a different job than going after The Ever Faithful had worked, but was devastated to feel how palpable his anger still was for her.

She snapped. "If you don't want to give me the name I'll find it on my own. Maybe I'll borrow The Jackal's skills."

Robert jotted the name down and passed it to her.

"Don't get yourself in trouble, Luv."

"I pulled your ass out of more trouble than you can even remember," Anna said with a smile.

Robert couldn't smile back. "You should get home. Mac is probably missing you."

"Do you miss me?"

She held her breath as she waited for his answer, and prayed her eyes did not give her heart away.

NOTE- I don't know when I can update this again. I am struggling to pull all the threads together and finish up this story.