We Come Out At Night 3

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Two Days Later.
Shadows
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When she finally finished screaming her head off and pounding on the door, I went back and explained to Izzy what Mari had told me about her father and what he had planned to do with her. I managed to convince her that the basement was the safest place for that girl to be right now; of course, I didn’t tell her that Vengeance was watching after Mari. Izzy would have ripped my head off if I’d shared that little bit of info.

Izzy had been part of this lifestyle for over two years now so she knew the ropes. She knew the ins and outs of how things worked where my business was concerned. What I say goes and that’s it. I’m in charge. Sure, she could throw her tantrum, but when she was done, the fact still remained that I call the shots here.

Kristina on the other hand was another matter. Yes, she’s been around the casinos a lot longer than Izzy, but she wasn’t on the inside until now. During all the time she spent at the casinos in this town, she was simply an employee where as Izzy started out right at the top of the food chain being Marco’s girl. So, one had the sense to know that business was business while the other didn’t have a clue as to what that phrase meant.

I’d spoken to Gates yesterday about Kristina and her lack of restraint along with her lack of respect. We both agreed that she needed to be spoken to about the way things worked around here. Gates had told me that he hadn’t spoken to her in the last two days and was pretty much giving her the cold shoulder. We both agreed that it would be best if I was the one to enlighten her as to “The Business” that took place here. If after, she didn’t like what I had to say, she could leave. The fact that she threatened to call the cops was a big no no.

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Gates
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For the last two days, I ignored Kristina and pretty much treated her like she wasn’t even here. Today it seemed she gave up on getting my attention. This morning when I walked into the kitchen to get coffee, she was sitting at the counter having a bowl of cereal and she didn’t even look at me when I walked in.

I told Shadows that she would be in the office that her and I shared around 6. She usually ate dinner and then went into the office to study. She had taken the whole college thing a lot more serious than I expected she would after she got her G.E.D., but I was happy for her in that respect.

After she had her breakfast, she left the kitchen and went to take a shower. She passed me on the way to the bedroom and didn’t say a word or look at me. Maybe, I was being a dick, maybe I wasn’t. Today wasn’t going to be the best day for her on any count. It was Olivia’s birthday and I knew she was going to the cemetery. That part I did feel bad about, especially for the fact that even though she wasn’t showing it, I knew she was hurting inside. Yeah, I suck at the boyfriend thing, but if she didn’t hate me now, she would tonight when Shadows got here.

I was sitting on the couch when she walked out of the bedroom an hour later and took her purse from the coffee table. She never said a word to me when she walked out on her way to spend her daughter’s birthday at her gravesite.

As hard as the day already was for her, it was going to get a whole lot harder when she got back and had to deal with Shadows.

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Vengeance
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Let the games begin. That was my first thought when I walked into the basement. Mari was already awake and sitting up on the cot with her knees bent and her arms wrapped around them. When she looked at me, her face paled instantly. Fear. I like it.

I walked over to the cot and sat down beside her. She never turned her head to look at me, too scared I guess. “I hope you like bagels with cream cheese and coffee. I have no idea what people your age eat and I’m out of cereal so, here.”

She took the plate from me and set it down her lap. When I handed her the coffee she set it down on the end table. “Thanks.” She said, but still didn’t look at me.

“So, there’s a change of clothes for you in the bathroom. I guessed you to be about a size 4.”

She nodded. “That’s my size.”

“You’re afraid of me aren’t you?” Of course she was, but I needed to hear it from her for myself.

“Yeah.” She nodded and took the top off her bagel. I watched intently as she dipped her finger in the cream cheese and brought it to her mouth.

So young, so innocent, I could mold her into what ever I wanted. “Well, you don’t have to be. I’m not going to hurt you.” Yes, I am and I am going to enjoy every minute of it.

“You already did.” She said with a quiver in her voice as she brought a finger full of cream cheese to her lips again.

“Yes, but you have to admit you did try and break into the mansion so, I was within my right to do worse then what I did. It’s different now though, Shadows thinks we should protect you from your father and I agree. Trust me, I never agree with Shadows, so that’s a good thing.”

She turned her head in my direction and looked at me with inquisitive eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Vengeance.”

The look on her face was priceless. “Vengeance?”

“Yep, that’s what I said” I smiled trying to be nice about it and ease her fear a little. The goal was to get her to trust me after all. “So are you going to eat that bagel or just scrape all the cream cheese off?”

Her eyes cast down at her plate and she scraped up another finger full of cream cheese and put it in her mouth. “You’re supposed to eat it like this. That’s why they put so much cream cheese on it. It’s a fact.”

“Well, that’s a new one for me.” I laughed, it was a reflex. Not that I thought she was funny or anything. “So, you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

She picked up her plate and set it down on the end table. After grabbing the coffee she looked back at me. “I guess. It’s not like I have to answer it.”

What a fucking smart ass little brat! Oh this was going to be fun! “Why didn’t your mother stop Marco from using you as part of that deal?”

“I’m sure she would if she was alive.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know.” I really didn’t care, but it was the right thing to say.

“I wish I had a cool name like Vengeance.” Now it was me who was giving the inquisitive look back.

“What’s wrong with your name?”

“It’s stupid. Marisol means loneliness or lonely. Who wants a name like that?”

“Hmmm, what would you like your name to be?”

She shrugged, but didn’t say anything. “Well, why don’t you go shower and change, and I’ll give you a tour of the mansion. Maybe we can come up with something to call you that you’ll actually like.”

“Ok.” She nodded. She was playing right into my hands.

When she walked into the bathroom, I got up and took her plate back upstairs. She seemed to be warming up to me, but I could still sense a little bit of fear. Shadows would probably kill me for taking her out of the basement, but Shadows had no say in my plan.

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Gates
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Kristina didn’t come back until 5pm as I expected, she spent the whole day in the cemetery. When she walked in, I was sitting on the couch and there was a part of me that had expected her to come to me for comfort, but she didn’t. She just set her bag down and went to the office to crack the books. I guess I made it hard for her to be around me. I was hoping Shadows would take mercy on her and not show up, but I know that was asking too much and Shadows doesn’t go back on his word.

From where I sat, I could see her. She had gotten up to get herself a cup of coffee and was just sitting back down behind her desk. I wanted her to look at me, but she didn’t.
Instead, she sat there with her elbow on the desk and her hand on her cheek while she looked straight down into her book. She stayed posed that way as she read and never once looked up except to sip from her coffee cup.

Right on time, at 6pm, Shadows walked into my living room. I nodded towards the office where Kristina was studying and he headed straight for it. He closed the door behind him and sat down in front of her. Although the door was glass, I couldn’t see Kristina for the fact that he was sitting right in front of her and his build blocked her from my view.

When Shadows wanted to get a point across, it usually never took more than 15 minutes, but after the first half hour passed, he didn’t show any signs of getting up any time soon.
I couldn’t hear a word that was being said, but Shadow’s body language showed him to be calm.

He didn’t come out of the office for another hour and when he did his face looked white as a sheet. I don’t know what Kristina said to him, but he looked physically ill. He didn’t say anything to me on the way out, he just nodded in my direction and left. When I looked back at Kristina, she had already slid back into the same pose that she was in before he got there. I would give my right arm to know what she said to Shadows.