"Did Katie give you that money?" Punk asked, having made his way to Invictus after getting up and showered, finding his father sitting at the empty bar, somehow managing to swig over a brandy, despite it being 11am.
"Yeah." Jack nodded, "I told her we'd have it taken care of by the end of the week." Jack told his son who nodded.
"And who is taking care of it?" Punk asked, taking a seat beside his father.
"Well since you fucked the girl last night, I'm thinking it would be appropriate if you done it." Jack said, "Unless you don't want to." He looked at Punk in the eye. Punk knew that 'unless you don't want to' really meant 'unless you're a pussy'
"She wouldn't stop crying last night." Punk said, "We normally don't have girls come to us. How did she get in contact with you?" Punk asked.
"I don't know." Jack said truthfully, "But all I know is, she's going to give us a considerable amount of money for something that is so damn easy for you to do. Just have it done for the end of the week, and the money is ours." Jack said.
"Where do I find him?" Punk asked as Jack smiled.
"My boy." Jack slapped Punk on the back hard, "Come into the office, she left me his details."
"Mommy, mommy… how did I do?" Toni ran into her mothers arms, having just finished her class.
"Oh, baby. You done great. You're going to be so good up there." Elise smiled, crouched down and holding her daughter by her little hips, pressing a kiss on her head, spotting AJ over in the corner packing her back up along with the stereo, "Go get your shoes changed and your bag, sweetheart." Elise said as Toni nodded, running away into the corner to change out of her ballet shoes and grab her bag, whilst Elise approached AJ in the corner.
"Hey." Elise smiled.
"Hi. Are you ok?" AJ asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"Yeah." Elise nodded, "I promised Toni I would take her for a burger tonight after practise. I was just wondering if you'd like to join us. It's not very often we get company from anyone." Elise admitted. She had taken a liking to the ballet teacher. She was so sweet and kind. And she hadn't gained many friends whilst living here.
AJ was touched by the sweet gesture. In all her time of living here in Chicago, she'd never once been asked out for a simple burger with a friend. She felt like a giddy high school teen who'd found a new friend, "I'd like that. Yeah." AJ nodded with a smile, "It's not very often I have company either." She admitted as Elise nodded.
"Settled then." Elise smiled, "Toni will be over the moon that you're joining us. She really does love you." Elise said, walking towards the door with AJ, waiting on Toni getting her things from the corner.
"She's a great kid." AJ admitted, "She reminds me of myself when I was that age. Dancing just to keep myself smiling." AJ said, "She's great for a four year old." AJ admitted as Toni came running over.
"Hey, baby. Miss Mendez is gonna join us for dinner." Elise said as Toni smiled with glee.
"You can call me AJ." AJ smiled as Toni giggled. She was thoroughly enjoying Elise and Toni's company. It was great to be gaining a new friend, and it was strange that it was through a young student. But she'd never experienced a friend like this, and she wasn't going to decline the offer.
"How long have you taught ballet?" Elise asked, sitting across from AJ in a steakhouse, keeping an eye on Toni closely as she enjoyed playing in the soft play area that was joint to the restaurant.
"I've taught it since I was twenty five. So five years. Which means now you know my age." AJ laughed unfortunately as Elise smiled.
"That's not that old." Elise insisted, "Is ballet all you've ever done?" Elise asked, amazed by AJ and her passion for ballet, such a discredited art of dance.
"Yeah." AJ nodded whilst sipping on her water, "I've been a student since I was five. Teacher since I was twenty five." She said, "I spent a year in France. I was a dancer in a lot of theatre productions." AJ said, "That helped me get my qualifications to teach." She said, "There's a lot more to teaching ballet than people think." She admitted, "What is it you do?" She asked.
"I work for the radio." Elise said, "I don't actually speak or anything." She chuckled after watching AJ raise her eyebrows, "I make sure everything works right, you know… speaker and technology wise. I'll play the songs that are up next. Stuff like that." Elise shrugged, "I enjoy it."
"Doesn't sound all that bad." AJ said, "You have any family out here?" AJ asked as Elise shook her head.
"No. I actually moved out here to get away from my family." She laughed and looked down at the ground, "My mom died after giving birth to me. My dad and older brother are just… horrible human beings. Not worth knowing. So I moved out here and had Toni." She smiled.
"That's so sad to hear." AJ sighed, "But I understand how it feels." AJ nodded, "My parents were killed when I was eight. My older sister took care of me since." AJ said, "Everyone tells me it was a car accident. But I know it wasn't. Everyone just tries to protect you from the bad stuff when you're a kid I suppose." AJ laughed.
"Nope. Not my brother and father." Elise said, "I guess we don't have much people left in our life, huh." She admitted as AJ nodded.
"Doesn't look like it." AJ said, "But we're stronger for it." AJ said as Elise nodded, "I'm sure growing up in a male led house toughened you before your years." AJ laughed as Elise smiled.
"You could say that, yeah." Elise nodded, "Are you still in contact with your sister?" She asked.
"Not as much. She lives in France permanently. She dances too, but all types of dance." AJ said, "It was always just ballet for me." She admitted.
"So you're just out here on your own?" Elise asked.
"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Don't worry. I'm used to it. I prefer it now." She said.
She was enjoying this dinner with Elise, who seemed to be a new found friend for her. She'd never experienced this before. She never knew how good it felt to talk to someone who listened, and talked to someone who could relate to her. It was a great feeling.
"How is it you don't get on with your brother and father?" AJ asked curiously.
"They're just bad men." Elise said bluntly, "They'll get what's coming to them one day." She said as AJ nodded, noticing it was a touchy subject, leaving the conversation be and moving onto another topic.
Elise enjoyed having the company for a change that wasn't just her four year old daughter. She actually related to AJ more than she ever thought. It was nice to have someone with her to listen and talk to. She felt like it was a friendship blossoming brightly.
The next night, Punk had set out on his quest to finish dirty work of the lady who had came for their aid. Jack had told him he would get the money once he had done the work. He knew his targets where abouts and when he was going to attack. He was told he went home through the gate to the back garden to go in the back door.
He was dressed in black and crouched down behind a crash can. He hated this. He hated doing this. He wanted to convince himself that he was cut out for this, but he only was knowledgeable to it because his father had brought him up into it. He still had good inside him, he was just never allowed to show it. But how could he possibly say there was good inside him, and make people believe that, when he was about to pounce on an innocent man and take his life. Affair or not, the man was completely innocent to him.
He listened as he heard the gate open, pulling out his pocket knife, quickly standing his hooded figure up and slamming the man against the brick wall of the side of the house, plunging his knife into him and back out, listening to the guy wince and curse with confusion and stun.
"Shut up." Punk whispered violently, throwing the guy on the ground, wounding him again until his body came to a standstill and his pulse was no more.
He stood up, lifting the guy up under the arms, dragging him along the side of the fence, looking out into the quiet street, opening the automatic trunk of the car, using his muscles to pick the guy up, throwing him in the trunk of the car and shutting it over tightly, locking it and making his way back to the scene of the crime, grabbing the water hose from the garden and spraying the pavement which had blood stains, picking up his knife with his gloved hands and cleaning it with the powerful hose.
He put everything back in place, making sure it was all the way it was when he first came through the gate, leaving and getting into his car, speeding off into the night with no better intentions than what he just had. He already knew he was going to hell at this point.
Half an hour later, he stood in a grovelled open space beside his car, looking on at the river he was parked beside, having just disposed his dirty work, turning around and pulling a trash can from the back seat of his car, stripping his clothes off and throwing them in the can. His gloves, t-shirt, jeans and sweater was all in the can.
He changed into the clean clothes he brought and pulled out a bottle of spirits and bleach, pouring it into the can with his clothes, lighting a splint next and throwing it into the can, watching fire rise up, burning his clothes to a crisp as he watched.
He was stuck on this illusion that it was too late now for him to change his ways. This was who he was. He couldn't go back now.
"It's done." Punk found his father in his office in Invictus, "I want my money." He demanded as Jack smiled.
"I'll let Katie know." Jack smiled, pulling out the cash, about to count it when Punk snatched the lot from him.
"One of the boys has taken my car for a service." Punk told his father as he slid the money into his jean pocket, "I burned my clothes, I'm in fresh stuff right now, but I'm going home to shower. I'm taking a day off tomorrow. Don't bother me with anything. Ok?" Punk made himself clear as Jack nodded.
"No problem, my boy." Jack smiled, "You have a rest." He smiled as Punk nodded, leaving the office and making his way through the crowded people of Invictus, heading out of the club and walking down the street, heading home after a tough night, despite getting the job done quick and clean, if he could even get away with saying that.
Punk enjoyed a long, hot shower, washing any remaining blood or dirt from his body whilst standing, pressing his hands against the tiles whilst bowing his head down, enjoying the warm water spraying on his back.
He'd come to the point of just accepting this life and what he had to do. He sometimes wondered what it would feel like if he lived a normal life. If he had a normal job, and a normal father who encouraged him to do well at school and go to college, instead of ordering him to go out and kill.
The quicker he accepted it, the easier it would get he suspected. He could only tell himself that he was made for this. Just like Jack told him… it was in his blood.
He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist as he walked into his bedroom, walking over to his night stand and picking up his lit up phone, rolling his eyes at the message from his father.
Phil, I need you at my house tomorrow morning sharp. Info regarding Elise. Men following her we don't know. Bad. Don't let me down. Dad
Punk rolled his eyes, sitting down on the edge of his bed, throwing his phone across the room and sinking his hands into his damp hair. So much for his day off.
Pretty grim stuff, Punk! Will Punk bump into AJ whilst checking out things with Elise? Will he even agree to go? Is Elise actually in danger? What is Jack up to next? All coming soon.