“What did you do?” I twist my body to glare at my brother, who has constantly been a thorn in my side.
“I’m sorry, Ben. I’m sorry, okay? I just got in a little too deep on my debts. I promise I’ll be better after this. I just need your help one last time.”
“That’s what you always say,” I spit out. “Can I have a week?” I ask to the henchmen, praying they will accept.
They look at each other, talking low, and come to an agreement before turning back to us.
“One week. No longer,” the first guy growls. “He stays with us.” He grabs the back of Mark’s collar, pushing him toward the door.
A flash of light catches my eye, and I spot the pistol tucked into the back of the big guy’s shorts. My heart races as I scramble.
“What if he stays here, with me? I’ll make sure you get paid and that he doesn’t go anywhere.”
The guy turns back to me. “He comes with us. You have one week.” He doesn’t have to say the rest.
Or else.
The guy glances around and walks to the shelf, picking up a few frames and looking at the pictures inside. He turns to me with one, holding it up as he cocks his head to the side.
“Your girlfriend?” He points to Pepper, raising one eyebrow, a smile curling his top lip up to reveal a set of teeth that have seen better days.
I swallow. “Nope.”
“Don’t lie. You don’t want her to get hurt, do you?”
What? Is this a shakedown?
“Thirty thousand. One week. And don’t involve the cops.”
I knew Mark was doing dumb shit, but I didn’t know how deep he was into this. I didn’t know what kind of people he was involved with. This is Mafia-type shit. He knows better than to mess with those kinds of people.
Or does he?
I nod, rooted in place as they leave, the door shutting as loudly as it did when they came in. It takes a few minutes for my heart to stop racing.
Holy fuck, he had a gun.
He had a gun. What is my life?
Wait a minute.
He threatened Pepper. He fuckin’ threatened Pepper. And he had a gun.
I can feel my crutches shaking, and I realize that it’s my hands causing the movement. I quickly shuffle over to the table and pull out a chair, sitting down before I fall over.
I’m so angry with Mark for getting us into this, but I’m also angry with myself for enabling him. I know he’s an adult, but I should have said no. It’s clear that he didn’t use the money I had given him to pay debts. He probably spent it on more gambling.
I groan as an ache rolls over my leg. I want to punch something or someone for the predicament I’m in now. I have a week to come up with thirty thousand dollars, or who knows what will happen to Mark?
At first, I thought the guys were just trying to act all big and bad and intimidate me. But guns? They mean business. And I’m now their business.
Is it too late to get a new identity and flee the country? Where did Mark even find these guys in Tennessee? This is some Chicago shit. Las Vegas shit.
I throw my head back and groan again.
It just gets better and better.
Now, I have to decide what to do.
Do I call the police even if they told me not to? Do I tell Pepper what’s going on?
My first instinct is to tell her and get her input, but the goon holding the picture flashes through my mind. Maybe it’s better if I try to protect her, and then all of this will blow over.
I shouldn’t tell Pepper. I can’t put that stress on her. Shit.
She probably won’t even want to be in a relationship with me after all this goes down.
Who wants to date someone who gets visited by gun-toting henchmen? It looks good in the movies, but in real life, not so much. I’m pretty sure she values her life.
I shudder as I glance over at the picture frame Guy Number One was holding. No, I can’t tell Pepper. I’ve got to get her out of here. And I know her. If I tell her and then try to get her to leave, she won’t. She’s too stubborn. She stubbornly held out for me.
You know what they say. If you love someone, let them go.
I guess they were talking to me.
27 Pepper
I climb into my car, exhausted and ready to get home and cuddle with Ben. It’s the highlight of my days now, getting to see him every time I come home. The sex has slowed down. We have only done it once or twice more since then. It’s hard to find different ways that don’t bother his ankle.
That’s not to say we don’t both get off. No, we’re perfecting the art of third base almost every single night.
I shoot a quick text to Ben, asking if Chinese food sounds good tonight, but I don’t get an immediate reply.
I decide to go get it anyway and just show up. Who doesn’t like surprise food? I thank my lucky stars that I don’t have to work tonight, planning on crashing right after dinner. No fun Friday night out for this girl. But definitely a fun Friday night in.
Is this what getting older looks like?
After grabbing the food, I head home, pulling into my regular parking spot. As soon as my feet hit the pavement, the hair on the back of my neck prickles. I reach one hand up to touch it while I glance around the mostly empty lot. It almost feels like I’m being watched, but that’s silly. There are a few cars parked nearby, but they are regularly here, probably belonging to people who live in some of the adjacent apartments. I shiver and walk quickly to the door, unlocking it with a shaky hand, almost dropping my keys. I don’t know
