Hit

“A simple word.” I shook my head and rubbed a hand over my face.

“What’s it mean?” Matt asked as he angrily ripped the paper from my hand. I paused and looked up at them.

“Fear.” I shook my head. “He knows he has an effect over me, he knows he messes with my mind…and he loves it.” I sent a grim smile then fell back into the couch, which was incredibly painful. It is such a simple, simple word to the boys, but to me, it sent a flashback racing through my mind. ‘Fear’ was the first, last and only word Mark said to me, right before he tried to rape me. Such a small word, but it’s a word that affects me in so many levels.

“Guys, sit down, let’s talk this over.” Val said as she sat next to me and placed a hand on my arm.

“Okay, so this means Mark is still alive.” Jimmy assumed with his head tilted to the side. ‘Alive’, that word made my skin crawl. I shot up as quickly as I could and started to pace, the boy’s eyes following me as I mentally broke down in front of them. I ran my fingers through my hair, ready to pull it out.

“Katie…” Johnny started.

“No, no, no, no. I can’t deal with him anymore. Someone had to come get him; he couldn’t walk out of the building with his throat slit! I know I didn’t kill him right away…but, goddamn, blood was pouring…shit!” I started to ramble. My heart started to race and I had the over-whelming urge to either punch something or tell a joke. I struggled to sit back down again, rested my arms on my knees and rested my chin on my fist. I soon felt a soft hand on my arm; I looked up and saw Val crouched down in front of me.

“Come upstairs with me.” She whispered with her brows furrowed. I slightly nodded and took her hand, following her up the stairs and into her and Matt’s room. We sat on the bed and she started right away. “Tell me about Mark.”

“Obsessive, stalker, asshole, bastard…constantly messing with me, always tries to scare me. It’s like he thinks if I’m scared enough, I will run to him.” I snickered.

“Cry.” She simply said. My eyes shot to her, the smile fell from my face.

“I don’t know how to cry.” I responded. “I don’t know how to show fear…” I turned to her. “I-I don’t know how to show any emotion…I don’t feel anything.”’

“You do feel it, but your way of dealing with it is sarcasm, or laughing. Instead of crying, you laugh like it doesn’t affect you…but it does.”

“Of course it does, but I won’t show it. I know, I’m making jokes and laughing all the time…but I am an entirely different person when I’m working, it’s when I get into trouble, that’s when the sarcasm comes out.”

“Well you won’t be getting into trouble anymore…we are going to get this fucker!” Val said with a fist in the air. My eyes shot open.

“Val!” I laughed. “I didn’t expect that from you.”

“Oh…I have my moments.” She giggled pulling me into her for a hug. As we climbed down the stairs I heard the boys laugh.

“We have a plan!” Brian calls.

“Me too…we kill him.” I shrug.

“Damn…that’s pretty complex.” Matt laughs.

“Took me a while to think of it.” I sat on the couch next to Zack and Jimmy, but got up in a few seconds and hobbled to the kitchen. “Anyone want anything to drink?” I called while my head was buried in the fridge.

“Beer.”

“Beer.”

“Beer.”

“Beer.”

“Milk.” Ugh…Brian. “I like the Vitamin A.” He shrugs his shoulders.

“Calcium you idiot!” Zack yells with a laugh.

“No! I’m pretty sure there is at least some Vitamin A in milk! Duh!” Brian tries to defend himself.

“I hate him.” Someone mumbles. I return to the living room with the drinks and sit back down on the couch.

“So how are we doing this?” Johnny asks, cracking his knuckles.

“Patience, Tinkerbell.” I pat his shoulder. He sends me a glare but smiles. “We wait for him to come to me. He’ll come tonight, when everyone is asleep.” Their heads snapped in my direction.

“Nooo.” Matt laughed.

“That’s the only way.” I try.

“How is that the only way?”

“Mark thinks he’s sneaky, if you guys are all in my room, or outside waiting for him, he won’t do anything. Just let him come to me, I will take care of it.”

Since I thought tonight would be eventful, the day flew by. I already lay in my bed, blankets pulled tightly around me, my gun and knives buried under the blanket with me. He has to come through my window, even Mark isn’t stupid enough to walk through the front door, which is locked. So before I fell into bed, I closed and locked the window, hoping that would slow him down, even if it was just for a few seconds. I lay still for maybe ten minutes, till I heard the floorboards squeak. I lifted my head and felt my chest clench when I saw a shadow near my door…okay maybe he is stupid enough to enter the front door. I quickly grabbed my gun and aimed. The shadow continued its slow walk into my room, and I finally saw its face.

“Damn Brian! You can’t do that to me!” I harshly whispered. He held his hands up when he saw my gun pointed at his heart. I put my gun back where it belonged, then flopped back on the bed.

“Just checking on you, we aren’t comfortable with us sleeping, while you wait for the guy who wants to kill you, come get you.” He said as he laid his head gently on my stomach. I clenched my muscles but slowly relaxed when I realized the pressure helped.

“I know, but it’s the only way he will come.” I rested my hand on his back and almost smacked him when I heard him snore. “Brian…”I mumbled. Soon, another shadow emerged at my door and Zack walked quietly but quickly into my room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Brian passed out on my stomach. I put my hands in the air and shrugged as best as I could.

“Just coming to check on you, when did he get in here?” He asked as he sits on the bed next to me, leaning against the headboard.

“Not even three minutes ago.” I laughed. “He’s such a kid, how did he get into this business? I mean the tattoos and muscles are kind of intimidating…then he opens his mouth…” Zack smiled and nodded his head, agreeing. “How ‘bout you. How did you get involved in this kind of business?”

“Well, I was born into the mob…my grandfather was actually great friends with Giuseppe. But, ah, the mob wasn’t my place, I wanted to go to medical school. I was in school for about four years, but I came back.” He stared at his hands in the dark while he spoke.

“Why?”

“To make my father happy.”

“Do you regret it?” I ask.

“Yes and no. The thing with this job is, I’m sure you know, once you’re in, even for a fucking day…you’re stuck. There is no way out. There’s no way to just brush it off and start over, you’re in it forever. Stuck.”

“I understand.” I whisper. “But just think, if you didn’t come back you wouldn’t have met the guys.”

“I did know them while I was in school, they’ve been involved longer than I have, but if I didn’t come back we wouldn’t be as close.”

“You guys okay?” Matt asked from my door. He took another step in a scanned the room looking for anything unusual.

“Everything is fine Matt.” I smile. “Go to bed.”

“Just call us.” He said as he patted his hip which was armed with a gun. He waved a final goodbye then left the room.

Zack and I talked for another hour then we both fell asleep. I woke, maybe an hour later and looked at the window. The glass was still intact, nothing appeared different. I was about to close my eyes until something silver caught eye.

“Brian…Bri.” I whispered as I lightly pushed his shoulder. He mumbled something then rolled off of me. I painfully stood up and stumbled to the window.

“Kate?” Zack mumbled as he sat up. I raised my hand, wanting him to wait a moment. I soon felt Zack and Brian behind me. We stood in front of the window together looking through the glass at the knife that I slit Mark’s neck with.

“Fucker brought me back my knife.” I growled.