TAINTED LOVE ▸ BILLY RUSSO

chapter ten - new friends

It had been some time since that happened, I didn't give up but I wasn't working as hard as I was before. I had received a CD with Micro written on it, when I put it on my computer I see one of the videos I had seen before, one of the reasons Rawlins tried to fry me in my own house. I had it as evidence and was ready to give it to the police but it got burned with the rest of the things I had.

My phone starts ringing. No caller ID. I hesitate but eventually pick up.

"You got the CD?" A man asks on the other side of the line.

"I did. How the fuck do you know where I live?" I ask harshly, grabbing a gun and walking around the house, worried that someone was in there with me.

"I'm not in your house, Stacy." He says and I swallow hard, closing all the windows, getting ready to shoot everyone who tries to get in. "You're not the only ghost in town."

"Yeah, you sure as hell will be a ghost when I find you." I threatened him.

"I don't any problems. We're looking for the same person. Agent Orange." He tells me and I look through the openings in the windows.

"Yeah?" I ask buying time.

I finally see him and grab a snipper, placing it carefully on the window and focusing on him.

"I have a gun pointed to your head right now. Give a reason not to shot you." I threatened him.

"Frank Castle." He says and I raise my brows. "He's alive."

"You're telling me this, why?"

"Because we want your help." Micro states and I scoff.

"Who says I won't turn you both in to Orange and get on with my life?" I ask him.

"You've been killing his men. You don't want him to leave you alone, you want him dead." He says and I lick my lips nervously, knowing he's right. "Today at eleven pm, on the end of the street." He hangs up.

I keep the gun on him as he walks away. Eventually I put it away, hitting my palm on the table to put out the stress.

The time seemed slower than usual, Billy wouldn't leave my mind. Billy was the enemy, I saved his life, he saved mine in return, we were even. He said it himself, he didn't like me. He didn't need me. Not the way I needed him.

I look at the clock on the wall. Seven pm. I put my gun in my bag and walked out of the theater to the end of the street. This was a stupid and incalculated decision.

I could see a car and I went against my instincts and walked in it's direction. No one was there. All I could see was the car and the empty street.

"Frank no-" I hear someone half-whisper, half-scream before something hits me in the head.

——

I wake up with water being thrown at me. When I notice, I'm tied to a chair in a place I've never been before. In front of me was no other than Frank Castle, and against the wall was the guy who had called me.

Castle was covered in blood and had a piece of glass into his arm. Not to mention the wound in his head.

"You said I could trust you." I look at the phone guy who points at Castle clearly annoyed by his actions.

"Who are you?" Castle asks and I scoff.

"You fucking called me." I reply, confused. "Why the fuck did you hit me in the head?!"

"How do we know we can trust you?"

"What the hell do you mean?! I'm the one tyed to a fucking chair!" I snap at him.

"Frank-"

"Shut up." He says to his friend as I keep trying to force the zip ties off my wrists.

I'm so done with this.

"Look, man. Your friend told me to meet you. Apparently you want my help to find Agent Orange. I can't do that if I'm tied up." I try to talk some sense into the man but fail.

"What's your relationship with Billy Russo?" Castle asks as soon as I stop talking.

I swallow hard and shake my head.

"I saved his life, he saved mine in return. Nothing more." I lie.

"You worked for him."

"You've been spying on me?" I tease. "I was trying to kill him. I didn't."

"Why didn't you?"

"Jesus Christ. Why the fuck does this matter?!" I snap, not wanting to talk about him. "Let me go, Castle. Fuck, if you changed with your mind about wanting my help I'm more than grateful to not see your faces again. If you're gonna kill me just do it."

He takes his knife from his pocket and I close my eyes, deciding that he was about to kill me. Imagine my surprise when he cuts my restrains instead of my throat.

"Thanks." I touch my red wrists. "How can I help?"