TAINTED LOVE ▸ BILLY RUSSO

chaoter twenty - reputation

It's been a day or two. Unlike what I thought, sleeping with Billy didn't do me any favors. He didn't love me. Not like he used to.

I had found out that Castle was in town and I was determined in finding him. I wouldn't kill him, I would hurt his friend. So bad she won't remember him at all, and if she does, I'll do it again until she doesn't. Karen Page.

I grab my gun and walk out of Krista's house, driving to Madani's.

I park the car and get up to her apartment, knocking on the door. When I feel her coming closer, I shoot the lock and open it in her face.

"Hello, Dinah." I point the gun to her face. "How's your head?"

"Fuck you." She spits and I laugh in her face, hitting my gun in her head and closing the door with a chair so that no one would get in.

"Frank Castle. Where's he?" I ask and she scoffs.

"Frank Castle's dead."

"So am I. I know you brought him here. A kid too. Where are they?"

"I don't know what your talking about-"

"You liked getting shot in the head? Billy missed. I won't." I push it to her head, stepping on her leg. "You're gonna take me to them or I'll empty this gun on you and leave you here to bleed out."

"Go ahead." When she says this I shoot her hand.

"It sucks doesn't it? It's nothing compared to what you and your friend Frank did to me and Billy." I step on her bleeding hand. "Try getting your face dragged through glass. I bet it hurts. Or even better, try being a stranger to the person you love."

"You killed the hostages-"

"And I'm gonna kill you if you don't talk." I say back, shooting her arm. "I don't care if you're a cop. I have nothing to lose. When I die, I'll take as many as you with me as I can. Why do you protect him? He's worse than Billy." I take my feet from her hand. "Look, I get it. Billy used you. He killed your friend. Sure, whatever. But you're friend, Frank didn't do shit. So tell me what he is."

"So what? You can kill him?"

"Kill him? No." I frown. "He doesn't get to die. I didn't."

"I'm not telling you shit."

"Okay." I nod. "You don't die either. Not now at least. When you least expect it, I'll be here. I found you once, I can find you twice. You don't get to take my life away from me and live yours in peace."

She looks at me and I take a deep breath.

"I'll see you around, Dinah."

I walk away from her apartment and to the car, ready to go to my next stop. If Castle knows I'm looking for him, he'll come to me.

I walk into the building and enter the open door.

"Hello, Curtis." I say and the one legged man looks at me. "You know who I am?"

"Unfortunately." He sneaks his hand behind his back. "Came here to do the job Billy couldn't?" I scoff at his accusation, sitting in one of the chairs.

"No. He thinks you're his friend. Even Frank. He has no idea."

"And you didn't tell him?"

"What good would it make? Make him have a mental breakdown? He's fucked up enough." I scoff. "And he would kill Frank. None of us want that, do we?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I went to your friend, Madani, before coming here. You were a paramedic, right? You should check on her, I might have shot her a couple of times." I smile at him as his posture changes and I put my gun on my legs, pointed at him. "Where's Frank, Curtis?"

"I don't know." He replies and I take a deep breath. "Look, just walk away-"

"Walk away? I can't walk away! There's fuck knows how many kill orders on me!" I get up.

"Calm down, Stacy-"

"You go and tell Frank I'm gonna mess up Karen Page's brain so much she won't even know her name." I say through gritted teeth. "An eye for an eye, right? He should know that better than anyone."