Closer Than Your Shadow

Escobar's Prodigy

December 1st 6:46 p.m.
New Jersey
Exit 4b

We crossed the states border 30 minutes ago. Now we were taking a side road made of dirt past fields.

"Are you scared princess?" Natasha mocked. She had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shift.

"Do you have a gun?" I asked.

"I brought two." She pointed to the glove box.

"Then no. I'm not scared. Who are these people we're buying from anyway? Do they have a grow house out here? Or a farm?"

"Something like that." She smiled and I went back to staring out the window in agony. "Do you even know how to shoot a gun?" She mocked.

"My mom had a couple. And Dom took me shooting down by the warehouses." Just to shoot cans like I was still a child but effective nonetheless.

"Hmm. Your mom? You never talk about your parents. Were they shitty?" I craned my neck to look at her.

"No one ever cared to ask. And no, they weren't. They were good people. Really good." I exhaled as I rolled my eyes.

"So what? You had this happy little life in suburbia then they sputter out and poof your all alone in downtown Gotham. Gotta be tough."

"It's hard to find any suburban places in Gotham. What about you and your dad? When's the last time you went to visit him?"

Last time Dom heard from Natasha's father he was still in Venice with no intention on coming back.

She stopped her bombardment for a minute.

"You must think you have it so good compared to the rest of us." She began and I clenched my fist.

"I pity you. And both of Dom's boys. Your brother." I nodded along in agreement.

"Why? Why do you hate us so much when we brought you in to our family?"

"You didn't bring me in. Dom picked me off the street. And I'm grateful. I don't know how many times I have to say it, but I thank all of your family for what they've done for me. I just don't want to kill people. So, are you really going to hold that against me?"

"Yes. Because you're not like the rest of us. When Dom invites you to family dinners and meetings it's because he's grown so fond of poor orphaned Claire that he can't let her fly the coop. Can't let her get too far away. He has to make sure his little dove doesn't hurt her wings as she leaves the nest. He's always been like that with you. We don't get to live our lives like you get to."

"Is that what this is? Your feelings for me are based on Dom's favoritism? Grow up Nat. He put me on the line like all of you when it came down to it. You and Jacob actually like this shit. I know you do."

She didn't spare me another look for a while. Then she pulled down a gravel road. It went on a little before we got to a mobile home in the middle of a field. Natasha put the car in park and turned the engine off.

She leaned over me and hit the dashboard with the side of her fist and the glove box swung open. Two black pistols were sitting on top of a stack of papers, and she threw one at me. It landed in my lap, and I checked the safety. It wasn't even on. I put it in my waistband while Natasha stashed hers in her jacket.

I hadn't held a gun in a while, a few months at least. The last time I had an encounter with one, someone died. I tried not to think so hard about it.

Before we got to the trailer's front door Natasha turned to face me, "These guys are serious. Don't say the wrong thing because they'll kill you. No hesitation."