2:46 a.m.
The phone on the nightstand rung loudly, waking up the two men in the room. With an angry groan, Jake scooted over and grabbed the phone off the nightstand.
"Yea, Matt…OK when?…Alright see you later." Jake tossed the phone back on the nightstand and sat up on the bed. "Yo, Mick you up?"
"Yea. What's up with that damn ring tone?" Eliot asked while sitting up on the couch.
"It was like that when I got it. Matt wants us there by 7:00 a.m."
"And where is there?"
"Woodside. He has property there and wants us to meet up."
"Ok, then let's go."
"Mick, its only two in the morning."
"So."
"So…we got five fucking hours before we have to be there. What the hell are we leaving now for?"
"I don't know about you but I need a change of clothes. Clothes are at the house. House is in Cooperstown. By the time we change, we'll have enough time to get to the meeting."
Jake looked down at his clothes and then back at Eliot, "I didn't think of that. Alright then, lets go." Jake grabbed the car keys and waited for Eliot to put his shoes on. While waiting, he noticed Bonnie's ring on the table near the couch.
"When did you get that?" Jake asked pointing
Eliot looked in the direction Jake was pointing, "What the ring?", Jake nodded, "Bonnie asked me to give it back to Kelly. I guess last night pushed her to the edge."
"Did she give that to you before or after y'all little chat?"
Eliot looked up Jake, shook his head, and walked to the door, "Let's go Bandit."
"Ooh.. Did I upset you Mr. Kane?"
"Did I upset you Mr. Kane?" , Eliot mocked Jake
"I don't sound like that."
"Yes you do."
"Yeah if I was an eight year old girl."
"Then you must be deaf."
"Fuck you, Mickey."
The two men got on the elevator to go to the lobby. When the doors open, both were surprised to see Bonnie who was wearing some gym clothes with her hair in a ponytail.
"Hey you two. Where are you going?"
"Kelly set up a meeting and we're going to get a change of clothes from the house. Why are you up?" said Jake
"Woke up like an hour ago and couldn't go back to sleep. Decided to come to the gym for a quick run on the treadmill." Bonnie answered back.
"They sell clothes in the gym?" Eliot asked while looking at her outfit.
"Yeah and do they sell them in a bigger size? Those pants look like they could be your damn skin." Jake said.
"You know what, it is too early in the morning for your nonsense, Jake." said Bonnie.
"I agree. We have stuff to do so we'll talk to you later Bonnie." Eliot said as he and Jake started walking off. Bonnie called after him, "Hey Kane. Can I talk to you? It'll be quick, I promise."
Eliot looked at Jake who had a small smirk growing on his face, "Go head and handle your business, Mick. I'll be waiting in the front of the hotel."
With Jake gone, Eliot walked back to the where Bonnie was standing.
"So…when are we going to talk about…last night?" Bonnie asked
"Right…that kiss was-"
"Kiss? Maybe the first time but that second time…way more than a kiss."
Eliot laughed, "Well whatever it was, maybe it shouldn't had happened. You were caught up in the moment-
"Whoa, I was caught up in the moment? I remember you bringing me closer for the second kiss…you could of just walked away."
"It seems to be me that your memory is kind of cloudy, sweetheart."
"Cloudy my ass!", Bonnie yelled out, causing people to look their way.
"Don't be so loud! This is not a good time to discuss this. I'll see when I get back." Eliot walked away before she could respond. He rushed to Jake's car and hopped into the passenger seat. He tried to appear as if nothing happen but the look on Jake's face told him he failed.
"Aw what's the matter? You two broke up?" teased Jake. Eliot responded with a death glare. "Damn…was it that bad?", Eliot continued to glare at Jake as he patted him on the shoulder, "It's okay Mickey. It's more fish in the sea."
"Would you just start the fucking car?!"
Jake laughed, "It's a shame that something so natural ended so fast"
"Jake I swear to God…" Jake laughed and started the car
"How long is this drive, anyway.?"
"About 3 hours."
"3 hours? I'll have us there in a hour and a half.", said Jake before speeding off.
Woodside, NY , 7:12 a.m.
"Jake, I'm never getting in a car with your stupid ass ever again."
"Man stop complaining. I got us to the house with damn near three hours to spare. If you would of let me drive, we would have been here hours ago."
"We were almost in three car accidents!"
"The keyword in that sentence is almost", Eliot glared at Jake, "Okay, I'll admit, driving isn't one of my best hobbies."
"Ya think?!" Eliot got out the car with Jake right behind him
"Well, it ain't something I always do! I'm usually security. Driving was Lenny's job."
Hearing his friend's name made Eliot think of the last time he saw Lenny: laying on the ground with four gunshots to his body, looking almost lifeless.
"Hey man", Jake started as he noticed the change in his friend's face, "He's fine. Before you know it, he'll be up here with us, cracking and talking about how important he is to everyone."
Hearing Jake say that reminded Eliot of that day in San Francisco when Lenny was screaming about no one caring if he had died in that car with him and Bonnie. He laughed to himself as him and Jake walked to the front door of the warehouse. Walking in, most of Kelly's guys were in the room. All of them were staring at Eliot and Jake so they must know what happened last night.
"What the hell is everyone staring at?" Jake asked very loudly
"They probably know what happened last night." replied Eliot
"That still doesn't answer my question."
"The reason they're staring is the same reason why Kelly left us at the hotel. Somehow, what we did was wrong."
"Hey Kane! Jake! Kelly wants to see you." they heard Mike call from upstairs.
Eliot and Jake continued to walk through the warehouse with everyone just glaring at them. Even as they walked up the stairs, Eliot could feel their eyes just beaming on his back. He ignored all of that as he walked into the room where Kelly was sitting alone. He stood up from his seat and sat in the front of the desk to get a better look the two men in front of him
"You two have been on my mind since I left the hotel. You see…I'm kind of split on what to do. One decision is to show you two…exactly what happens when the guys on my payroll don't follow orders. And then there's the other decision…the choice of reason. I let you guys get away with this one cause despite last night's commotion, you two stayed with Bonnie and made sure her and family were safe. Even though I hate what happened, that is what I pay you to do." Kelly stopped talking to constantly look between Jake and Eliot. It was obvious that Jake and Eliot weren't scared of Kelly but mainly irritated because of his scare tactics.
"Are you going to do something or not? Cause if not, I'm pretty sure we got much better shit to do than to sit here having a staring contest.", Jake finally said, breaking the silence.
With a surprise look on his face, Kelly started laughing, "See what you did Kane? You got my best man talking to me like he loss his fucking mind."
"Nothing to do with Kane, Matt. Just tired of your old ass scare tactics." replied Jake.
"Well you sure have grown some large balls since he got here. But you're right, Jake. We do have better shit to do. Go wait with the others."
Jake stood up but didn't walk when he noticed Eliot was still sitting, "Mick let's go, man."
"Actually I think ima stay right here. I don't think Kelly's done with me yet." Eliot replied without breaking eye contact with Kelly.
Jake looked at the two and noticed the weird tension growing in the room. He silently walked out the door to be with the other guys downstairs. Back in the room, Eliot and Kelly were still staring at each other. Both were mentally stirring up the right words for the conversation they knew was coming. Kelly broke away from Eliot's glare to pour him a drink from the stash placed nicely in the back of his desk. Getting his drink, he took a seat his desk. He took a long sip before starting to talk, "You've worked for me about two months, right? And in those two months, a lot of shit has happened. I mean… first the Gallerina incident. Then the San Francisco shit that lead to my home being demolished. My friends, my men, my girl…barely made it out. So I started thinking about what went wrong…maybe my enemies are getting smart. Or maybe I was so worried about keeping everyone safe, I became careless about my business and enemies. So I had a bright idea: moved away from all the bullshit happening, get my head together and maybe the heat would just blow away. And I was right for about 2 weeks. But then there's more fuss and I am right back to where I started. I come here and suddenly Cassio has my goddamn number on speed dial. Now let me ask you a question Kane: Is a man like me suppose to think that all this a coincidence or am I simply ignoring the obvious?
"And just what is the obvious Kelly? That I am responsible for everything that happened to you?"
"Oh no, I'm not saying that at all.", Kelly finished his drink, "But now that you mention it, it sure as hell explains everything."
"Explain what?! That you're fucking paranoid?!", Eliot yelled out.
"Come on, Kane. You can't deny that all the shit doesn't go hand in hand with each other. I mean think about: someone is trying to get rid of me and their tactics are bold. The only person who has the balls to do some shit like that is Cassio. And it's a fucking coincidence that around the time I decline his offer, you come to California and ease your way right to the top of my business."
"How the hell was I suppose to know about the shit going on between you and this Cassio? You didn't exactly mention any of this when we met. And if he's such a badass then why didn't you just give him what he wanted?"
Kelly stood up from his seat and began pacing around his desk. Eliot assumed that the question frustrated him. Kelly stopped by the window and answered Eliot's question, "The piece Cassio wanted was already in the process of being moved."
"Okay…you could of just got in back from whoever you sold it to." said Eliot.
"That's not what I meant… I was keeping it for a special reason.", Eliot looked at him, waiting for the answer, "I gave it to Bonnie…"
Eliot knew exactly what Kelly was talking about, "If you talking about this", Eliot pulled the ring out of his pocket and tossed it to Kelly, "she doesn't want it." Eliot watched as Kelly stared at the priceless diamond ring. The hitter couldn't figure out it he was angry or shocked but he certainly wasn't happy. "Look Matt, you got your ring back. If that's what Cassio wants, then just give it to him."
It seemed as if the hitter was getting to the man. But Kelly's stoned face made it hard to decipher what he was thinking. All of a sudden, Kelly shoot Eliot a death stare and rushed over to where Eliot was sitting. Seeing this caused the hitter to rise out his seat and stand his ground. Him and Kelly was now face to face. The two men were so close Eliot could smell the alcohol on his breath. The two stood there staring each other down. The look of frustration was all over Kelly's face while Eliot face showed no emotion but his eyes said it all: he refuse to back down.
"Why do I have a feeling that you're the reason she gave the ring back?", Kelly asked sternly.
"Must be that paranoia of yours" replied Eliot
"Noooo, it's not paranoia. It's a gut feeling."
"Maybe you need a checkup. Cause that gut of yours doesn't seem to be working too good for ya."
Kelly chuckled a little, "You're a funny guy, Kane. I would hate to lose you… But if my broken gut turns out to be right, I have no problem taking you out."
Now that made Eliot laugh, "I would love to see you try, bubba."
"If these coincidences keep happening or Bonnie keeps flipping out, then your wish will come sooner than later."
Just when Eliot was about to reply to Kelly's threat, someone knocked on the door.
"What?!", Kelly yelled out while staring at the hitter.
"Oh! I didn't know I was interrupting-"
"You weren't interrupting anything. Me and Kane were discussing some business. What do you need, Mike?", said Kelly
"Um…the guys were getting anxious wanted to know when you'll be ready.", said Mike
"Anxious?! They're rushing me?! Did they forget they're on my fucking payroll?! I swear the this sudden growth of balls is started to get my damn nerves! Mike, you tell those fuckers that if they have to wait in this fucking place 'til tomorrow fucking morning then I don't want hear not a goddamn peep cause I pay them! Not the other way around!", Mike hurried out the door and Kelly diverted his attention back Eliot. He pointed his finger in the hitter's direction, "You…Get the fuck out of my office."
Eliot smirked and walked out the office. When he closed the door, he heard a glass shatter against the wall. He continued to walk to down the stairs, ignoring all the stares he was getting from the guys. Walking nowhere in particular, he spotted Jake near the window and started walking in that direction. Almost near Jake, he stopped when three guys got in his way. He recognized the three from California. Paul, Brent, and Ray were three guys who Eliot tried to avoid at all cost. Mainly because they were close friends with J.C.
"Is there a problem, boys?", asked Eliot
"Yeah and it's pretty fucking big.", replied Brent
"Is that right?", Eliot watched as they nodded their heads, "Well I suggest you tell someone who gives a shit. Cause I can tell you right now, it sure as hell ain't me."
"YOU DON'T FUCKING GET IT, KANE! YOU'RE THE PROBLEM!" yelled out Paul, the shortest of the group.
Paul's yelling caught the attention of the warehouse and now everyone was staring at the four men.
"We know what you did to J.C. and we aren't impressed.", said Brent
"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time so I'll speak up… I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! AND THAT GOES FOR YOU GUYS AND THAT PERVERTED ASSHOLE YOU CALL A FRIEND.", said Eliot
"Oh we heard you loud and clear. Now you listen to us: you fucked with one of us. Now, you gotta deal with all of us." Brent said as him, Paul, and Ray closed in on Eliot.
"Wrong idea boys", Eliot thought.
He was getting ready to fight when he saw Jake pull Brent back and walked around him so that he was in the middle of him and Eliot.
"What the fuck's your problem, Jake?", asked Brent
"I should be asking you the same question. What's going on?" Jake was looking back and forth at the two men.
"Let us handle this, man. This aint none of your business."
"It nobody's business. You don't know what happen so why you so worked up?"
"CAUSED THAT MOTHERFUCKER DAMAGED OUR FRIEND. HE GOTTA PAY!", yelled out Paul
"Shut up, Paul! Jake… I respect you and there's no beef between us. So just move and let us deal with this our way." said Brent.
"I get all that but I can't let you do that to my boy." replied Jake
Brent looked at his two friends behind him, looking for some mentally advice. With a shrug of the shoulders, they started walking towards the two with aggression. Once again, they were stopped by two guys who stepped in front of Jake and Eliot.
"I think y'all made your point. Just walk away." said Mike
"MIND YOUR DAMN-"
"WALK AWAY!" barked out Mark. Mark's appearance alone could scare anyone away. Add his booming voice to his 6'4 height and his 300 pounds, he could scare a grizzly bear away. With no hesitation, the three scattered away as fast as they could.
"Okay, the show is over! Go back to do whatever the hell you were doing.", yelled out Mike. Everyone went back doing whatever as Mike and Mark turned their attention Jake and Eliot.
"Is it me or are you two a magnet for violence and aggression?" asked Mike
Jake laughed, "No, man. It just so happen that every time we do something, someone has a problem with it."
"Yeah. Big, fat ass problems.", Mike turns to Eliot, "I'm sure you figured out that everyone knows what happened last night and I'm letting you know right now, Mark, myself and some others are on your side."
"Well that's nice to know." replied Eliot
"As of now, everyone is spilt on what to think. Some are on your side. Some are on J.C.'s side. And others are still confused on what the hell happened." said Mike
Eliot nodded his head to the "office gossip" that Mike just told him about. He felt as though a response wasn't really necessary because he could care less about what anyone thought of him.
"But since I know what really happen and I know what kind a person J.C. is, I'm with you man.", someone called Mike's name, "I'll see you around, Kane."
Mike left and went somewhere else in the almost full warehouse. Ever since the hitter started working for Kelly, Mike has always been a cool guy. Even though he was treated like shit by Kelly, he somehow powered through all that and gave off an easy going attitude. It kinda made since to Eliot why him and Mark work so well together. Mike was average man with the typical California golden boy charms and Mark was the complete opposite. Guess opposites work after all.
"I know you two could handle anything but if either of you need some help, I'll have your back." said Mark before he walked away from Jake and Eliot
The two men watched as Mark walked away and then looked at each other. Before they could strike up a conversation, they heard someone say that Kelly was on his way out. They walked over to a spot near the stairs and waited for Kelly's grand entrance. At first they were standing there silent, listening to the other talk about a variety of things. As usual, Jake couldn't stay quiet and had to have the first word.
"I use to have friends. I use to have respect. People use to break their necks to just for me to say hi and my enemies…use to cross the street when they saw me."
"And you're telling me this because?" replied Eliot
"Now…" he looked at Eliot who met his gaze, "I just got you. And I have no idea what's going to happen."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Eh…50/50.", Jake replied with a smile.
Not my best chapter but it's something new. Keep reading! xoxo