"I have a… little bit of bad news." Punk admitted after returning back home, having called his father into the office in Invictus.
"Is it fixable?" Jack asked before letting Punk tell him.
"Not exactly." Punk said, watching his father sat down behind his desk, placing his hand on his forehead and looking up, as if preparing himself, "A girl saw me tonight when I was taking out that guy." Punk sighed, "But… don't worry, alright." He put his hands up as he seen his father stand up in a rage, "It's ok. She's Elise's friend. You know, the one who you've seen with her a few times?" Punk said, "I think I scared her enough. I don't think she'll say anything."
"How can you be so sure?" Jack asked, "You stupid boy." He spat.
"Hey, why don't next time, you go out and do it?" Punk asked, "I'm the one that does all the work around her, and I don't get shit for it." He said, "She's dealt with. Ok. Just don't worry about her." Punk shook his head.
"You're right… You're right. I'm sorry, son." Jack apologised, getting a hold of himself, "You do a lot for me. But… what did I tell you about being careful?" He said, "Who is she… what's her name? I… I'll have to keep a close eye on her."
"No." Punk shook his head, "Just leave her alone." Punk said. On his drive home, he'd thought about the poor girl who'd really just stumbled upon trouble that she didn't want to find. She didn't ask for any of this, and he didn't want her being followed. He somehow trusted her not to say anything.
"Phil… how do I know this bitch won't say anything?" Jack asked.
"She won't. Trust me." Punk said as his father nodded, smiling slightly as Punk looked to him with confusion.
"Did you screw her?" Jack said, "You did, didn't you?" He laughed a little.
"No. I didn't." Punk said, "She won't say anything. Alright. Just leave it at that." Punk said as his father nodded.
He did in fact feel some guilt and disappointment in himself for hurting the poor girl earlier on. She was beautiful. In fact, he couldn't get her out of his head. Her big brown eyes, that soft tanned skin. She was perfect, but that didn't matter, because she knew and seen stuff she shouldn't have, and he had to make sure she kept quiet, whether she was a nice girl or not.
"Ok." Jack nodded, "Ok, but it's taken care of?" He asked.
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "It's done." Punk said.
"Ok. On you go, get home. I can handle this place for tonight." He said as Punk nodded, walking out of the room and out of the club, putting his hood up and walking out into the dark night.
The next day, Elise had dropped Toni off at kindergarten, and having agreed with AJ last night, she was on her way to pick her up to go out for brunch. Since it was her day off too, as well as AJ's, they decided last night that it would be good to go out for a bit and enjoy their day off together.
She waited outside her house for around five minutes before switching the car engine off and walking up the steps, knocking the door as she watched AJ come to the door. She was pale white and her eyes were wide and alert, as if she hadn't slept and was doing her best to stay awake.
"AJ, are you ok?" Elise asked with concern in her voice.
N-No..." AJ shook her head, shivering as Elise walked into the house, shutting the door over behind her and wrapping her arm around AJ.
"What happened?" Elise asked, "What's wrong?" She said, worried for AJ. She'd never seen someone so shook up before, "Have you slept?"
"You have to promise me you won't tell him." AJ pointed to her. She knew her life was practically on the line.
"Who? Won't tell who? AJ, has someone hurt you?" Elise asked.
"Your brother." AJ said, "Last night… when I was walking home." AJ said as Elise's arm fell from around her, watching her stumble back, scared of what she might say next. She knew her brother like no one else. She knew what he was capable of.
"What did he do to you?" Elise asked, frightened to hear.
"Nothing… well, nothing really." AJ explained, "When I was… I was walking home, I realised I'd forgotten my phone so I headed back to your house, and then… I saw him down an alley way. He was… covered in blood, and there was a body..." She gasped, still not believing that last night happened. She still couldn't believe it. She didn't sleep at all last night.
"Oh God..." Elise ran her hand through her hair.
"He took me with him to dump the body and he… he threatened to kill me if I told anyone. Even you." She whispered with fear crackling in her voice, "He… He's terrifying, Elise." She gasped.
"I know." Elise nodded, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry you had to… see all that. I'm sorry, AJ." She couldn't apologise more.
"It isn't your fault." AJ said, "I don't know why he killed who he killed. He didn't tell me. But he told me what he and your father do." She said, "No wonder you left them." She said.
"I'm gonna kill him." Elise began pacing as AJ shook her head.
"No… no you can't. He can't know I told you. Or else he's gonna kill me."
"He's just trying to scare you." Elise said, "I won't have him threaten you like that." Elise spat. She was embarrassed and ashamed of her brother and what he had done to her clearly innocent friend.
"I don't think I can live with this on my conscience, Elise. I… It was terrifying." She gasped. She could still relive it all. It was still horrifying, yet she still remembered how he smelled, those colourful tattoo's on his chest that something inside her wanted to touch. He was very much a horrible man that she did not respect in anyway, but she couldn't deny how attractive he was. Had he just showed a little more compassion and comfort, she would have been won over. She seen good in him. But it was too buried underneath the bad.
"You don't have to." Elise said, "I'm gonna have my neighbour pick Toni up from Kindergarten today and look after her." She said, "We're going to a little place I used to call home."
"Dean, can you stop smoking in here?" Punk asked, snatching the lit up cigarette from Dean's mouth, burning it off on the ash tray and walking away to open a window, "Those things are damn disgusting." He spat.
He was enjoying his off day with his friends after a well rested sleep. Sometimes they'd come round and watch some hockey, football or baseball, whatever was on really, and order a pizza. It gave Punk some time to chill out from what had been going on with his father, which at this point, was a lot.
"Are you really gonna make me go outside?" He asked.
"Yes." Punk spat, "Get your ass out there." He pointed to the door of his apartment as he huffed whilst Sami sniggered, walking over to the door and swinging it open, watching as two girls stumbled into him, looking down and noticing it was Punks sister and another girl.
Dean chuckled, "Yo Punk, we have some company." Dean turned back into the apartment as Punk looked over, "Just like old times..." Dean turned back round, looking Elise in the eyes, smiling to her as she looked up at him, "Excuse me, ladies." He divided them as he walked through them, running down the stairs to go have a smoke outside the apartment block.
"Sami… give us a minute, huh?" Elise asked as Sami nodded, turning to Punk who nodded in agreement.
Once Sami left the apartment to go join Dean outside, Elise slammed the door shut behind her as AJ stood behind her timidly, not looking Punk in the eye, but having a good look around his pretty basic and normal apartment.
"I swear to God, you're pushing it." Elise spat.
"I take it your friend has a death wish?" Punk looked past his sister at AJ who looked at the ground, "I thought we agreed, April." He spoke in an insane tone, "You promised me." He said, rather disappointed in April.
"How dare you..." Elise shook her head. She didn't think her brother could stoop any lower.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault she seen me." Punk argued, "I was saving your ass actually. I was taking out a guy whose been following you around."
"Dad's orders then?" Elise folded her arms.
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Yeah, you're damn right it's dad's orders. Because guess what? The old bastard actually does care about us." He told her as she laughed.
"Oh, stop. Don't make me laugh." Her laugh faded, "If he cared about us he wouldn't have brought us up in this life. And now you've poisoned another innocent person." She said, of course referring to AJ who stood behind still not saying much, just looking on.
"It's not my fault she seen me. She just has to deal with it and move on."
"Not everyone is like you, Punk! We can't all just kill people and move on." Elise said, "I want you to apologise to AJ." She demanded as Punk folded his arms.
"For what?" Punk said, "Oh, I know." He nodded, "I'm sorry, April that you've somehow found a friend in my sister. She's a stupid little brat, that I don't know how you can tolerate." Punk spat, watching Elise pick up the lamp on the table beside the couch, pulling the plug out the socket and launching the heavy metal across the room at him.
AJ had never seen siblings hate one another so much. She knew it would be hard for a brother and sister to get on. But this was just hatred on another level. She appreciated Elise sticking up for her, but she felt like matters were being handled for her, and she was never the type of person to let people handle her own business.
"Ok, stop it!" AJ yelled just as Punk was about to make his way over to his sister, "I didn't ask for any of this." She told them as they both looked at her. Despite Elise having left and made something of her life, AJ knew that she was still aware of everything going on. She was still in shock, and she just needed things to go slow at the moment. Shouting wasn't going to help her.
"Can I talk to Phil?" AJ asked Elise as Punk just rolled his eyes.
"I'm not leaving you alone with him." Elise shook her head as AJ tilted hers, begging for her friend to leave her be.
"Please." AJ said quietly as Elise looked over to Punk who was wiping his bloody cut on his face that she had created, nodding to AJ and walking out of the apartment.
"You're lucky she came with you." Punk looked over at the girl, who he could see the damage he had already created inside her, just from their encounter last night, "I really thought you would have kept last night to yourself."
"Last night is not something I just shake off and move on from." She said firmly, "Surely you can understand that." She said.
She could sense that everyone viewed this man as nothing but a cruel killer. Especially Elise. But she seen more. She wouldn't admit it to him. But she seen a good man dying to come out of him. She believed he could love and be loved. But there was no denying he had made so many mistakes. Maybe too many.
"Well how do I know you won't go to the cops? Because let me tell you this… you take me down? I'm taking you right down with you. You were there. You watched me dump that body in the river. You helped me get rid of the evidence." He looked across at her.
"I didn't help you do anything." She shrieked.
"But that's what I'll tell them." Punk said, "Look… I am sorry. Alright, there… I said it. It was wrong of me to put you through that last night, but it really wasn't my fault you seen me. I'm sorry for putting my hands on you and hurting you." He admitted. It was very rare that he apologised to anyone, but he seen this girl as an exception, which was unusual. He usually categorised girls all in the same line.
"Well I appreciate your apology." AJ nodded. She knew there was more of that goodness inside him. She couldn't believe she was saying this about a cold blooded killer, but there was more to him.
"So is that it? You just wanted some poxy apology and that'll keep you quiet?" He asked suspiciously.
He couldn't help look at the young girl and feel something when he looked at her. She was beautiful, and his world of violence and horror, she was like a small, delicate, blossoming flower that brightened his day up. He knew he shouldn't feel like that when she was really capable of putting his full life at a standstill, but he did have some sort of strange liking towards her that he hadn't ever felt for anyone. Not that he would ever show it. Definitely not. He would continue to be a prick like he was to everyone.
"I just wanted to come here with Elise to sort it out. I guess I can feel a little better knowing she knows. I couldn't stand it if I couldn't tell anyone. I'd go insane." She admitted, "But… I won't say anything." She nodded to him.
She was willing to keep his secret. Despite it being the wrong thing to do. She just wanted no part of his life or him for that matter. Even if she did find him attractive and intriguing in some weird way, she didn't want anything to do with the messed up guy, whose father clearly poisoned him like Elise continued to tell her. She wanted to move on and at least try and pretend last night never happened.
"Good." Punk said, "Now get out and take my sister with you." He told her, watching her as she turned her back, leaving out the door and shutting it behind her as he collapsed down on his couch, sighing into his hands.
Let's hope AJ understands who she REALLY is dealing with. Will Punk be able to be at peace knowing she still knows? Will Elise feel guilty for somehow getting AJ involved in this? Will AJ be able to go on with such a thing in her conscience? Will her and Punk think of each other anymore? All coming soon. Review and enjoy!