Heartless People

SEVENTEEN

VERONICA

What is a king to a God? What is God to a king?

-AUTHOR

Shoving my knife into my boot, I pulled open our trunk and sifted through Lucy's clothes in order to find my new guns.

"I thought we didn't kill on Sundays?" she asked me, gathering up our things around the room.

"Camila and Lauren don't . I'm not sure why. It is as though they really believe God appreciates it," I muttered as I loaded bullets.

Laughing, she came over and wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. "You speak for God now?"

Rolling my eyes at her, I grabbed my silencers. "No, but a murder at 11:59 p.m. and one at midnight is still murder."

"It never bothers you?" she whispered into my ear.

I Didn't answer; I just loaded my gun.

"Veronica."

"No, Lucy, it has never bothered me. It never will bother me. I want us to be safe," I replied, looking into her eyes. "I enjoy knowing that our family is safe, I enjoy being a reason why our family is feared."

She simply nodded. "Can I come?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Veronica, I said I may be pregnant. I can fire a gun. I'm good. You know it." She groaned, releasing her hold on me. I missed her touch.

Rising to my feet, I kissed her, as I grabbed her thighs to lift her up and press her against the wall.

"We can have this fight after we get you to a doctor, G.I Jane." Dropping her, she scowled but it disappeared when my lips met hers.

"Go cut off someones finger."

"I'll make you a necklace." I laughed as her face bunched up in horror. Gathering my jacket, I walked out the door to find Monte already waiting for me at the top of the stairs.

"Do they know?" I asked as we descended. It had been no less than four hours since Lauren gave the order. We were out numbered, obviously, but that didn't matter if they were too hung-over to fight.

Heading out the backdoor, I met Antonio and Daniel, along with Gavin and Kieran; six to thirteen wasn't that bad. Both of them had been with us for years, but worked mostly in the streets, keeping an ear out for any dealers who might be skimming us—or worse, talking— then they came to me. I didn't trust them enough to allow them to spend too much time with either Mila or Lauren.

"All they know is that were hurting some people," Monte replied. Nodding, I looked them over quickly before pulling out my gun.

"The men who pulled out guns on the Bosses, they don't get to see the light of morning. Kill them quietly. If anyone gets in your way, dispose of them as well. Any questions?"

None of them spoke, two pulled out knives, and others guns before leaving. I watched them retreating into the dimming darkness like monsters from the depths of hell.

Breathing in the wet grass and the fresh air, I looked up at Shamus home to find Lucy staring down at me. She winked before closing the window.

Stalking forward like the monsters before me, I couldn't help but think about what a lucky woman I was, how revered our family was, and I couldn't wait to share that greatness with any child we had. Walking forward against the howling winds, I stared at the flame shining through the window of Old Man Doyles home.

It was the only thing that really made his home stand out from the rest of the broken down buildings. When we were kids and Lauren, Chris, and I would come visit Shamus, and we would always find him here; smoking and drinking himself into a coma with a deck of cards in front of him.

No matter how hard Lauren had tried to sit in that room with us, she couldn't. The smoke hurt her lungs so badly she would have to leave.

Shamus would tell her to stop lingering where she didn't belong, and Old Man Doyle laughed each time, telling Chris and I how we needed to teach our sister how to be the leader.

"Lauren is never going to amount to anything. Its a sad fact that sometimes not all men are not created equal, sometimes the weak fight and then die off."

Neither of them knew it, but I saw Lauren at only twelve years old, standing at the door. She had gone out just to take a breath and came back to prove herself. With a haunted look in her eyes, I watched a
part of her die. Through the fog of smoke, she met my gaze and I knew she would never forget. She walked out the door, pretending she was never there to begin with.

"I was expecting Lauren." Old Man Doyle sat across the poker table with a cigar in his mouth and his pistol on the table.

Walking forward, I took a seat at the table. "This is below my sisters pay grade."

"And not yours?" he snickered, dealing out cards for me.

"I'm doing this as a gift to my cousin, no payment required," I replied, grabbing the cards.

Laughing, he shook his head. Who would have thought that the little mutt would become all this?

Staring at the Royal Flush in my hands, I simply shook my head.

"I did," I said, showing my hand. He stared at it for a moment before reaching for his gun. But before he lifted his hand, I put a bullet into the side of his face. His body crashed onto the floor and his blood flowed towards me like wine on the surface of marble, forcing me to rest my legs on the card-riddled table. Grabbing his cigar, I smoked the rest just as my phone rang.

"Yes, Chris?"

"Tell me you're having a shittier time than I am." He sighed into the phone.

"No can do. I just won a poker game and I have a pretty good cigar in my hands. Life here is good." I smirked, looking down at the old man.

"Well, fuckiedy-do-da-day, then. Can you please tell me who the hell this Roy bitch is? I just got word that he's got high-end snowcones for sale."

"High end snow-cones? Where did someone like him get that much smack?"

"I don't really give a fuck. Were still trying to figure out who put a bullet in President Monroe. I had almost forgotten about that."

"Deal with the presidential shit. I'll let Mila and Lauren know about Roy. Were heading home in a few hours, then you can hand back the crown."

"Heavy is my head," he replied.

"Chris, was that a Shakespearean reference? When did you learn to read?" I laughed.

"Fuck you!" he said, before hanging up.

"Love you too, cousin," I said to no one. Rising from my chair, I walked towards the window and blew out the lone candle.

"Goodbye, Granduncle. Tell Grandfather I said hello."

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Thank you sososos much for reading!!!