Poisonous

Chapter Nine

                "So how do you feel?", Kennith asks. "I feel better", I admit, "I can walk around and it doesn't hurt as bad as it used to. And I no longer need help or have to hold onto the rail as I make my way up and down the stairs. Still hurts when I sit down though, but overall I would say I'm better". "Good, as soon as Duncan comes and takes your stitches out in a couple days you can go home", Cain sneers. I roll my eyes and lift myself up off the couch. "Where you going?", Kennith asks. "Somewhere he's not", I sneer as I make my way to the back door. I slide it open with ease and close it behind me. I look around and watch as members of the Tigers play basketball and lounge around on the lawn. I make my way over to a hammock and carefully place myself inside of it. I lay in silence as I stare up at the clear blue sky, watching as the breeze sways the tree branches. It's peaceful here, aside from the hollering coming from the basketball court.

~~~

               "I thought you were being nice to her", Kennith eyes me suspiciously. "Just because I was nice to her for a couple days doesn't mean I'm going to constantly be nice to her. I do have a reputation to maintain", I retort, "Plus it's fun pissing her off". Kennith chuckles, "You're terrible". I shrug and sit down on the couch next to him. "So have you heard from Gina?", he asks. I quickly put my finger to my lips and motion for him to follow me to my office. We quietly get up and make our way to my office, closing the door behind us. "She wants to meet up in a couple days, so I'm going to need you or Nolan to take Nikki home after Duncan finishes with her", I inform. He nods and leaves my office. I wait a few minutes before I leave my office and make my way to the backyard. As soon as I'm outside I look around the yard and spot Nikki in a hammock. I chuckle and make my way over to her, stopping when I notice she's asleep. I silently watch her. She looks so peaceful. My heart skips a beat as I watch her chest rise and fall, the hammock swaying lightly with the breeze. Damn woman, what are you doing to me?

~~~

               "Ouch, you do realize that you're pinching the shit out of me right", I whine as Duncan focuses on my abdomen. "And you do realize you're being a complete baby right now, right?", he prods, "You did better when I took the stitches out of your forehead". I groan and lay still on the counter, watching as he removes the final stitch. "And that's it, you're done", he says proudly. I lower my shirt and sit up, swiftly lifting myself off of the counter. "Thank you, Duncan", I say as he packs his tools away in his bag. "I don't see why you had to do that in the kitchen", Kennith whines, "I'm hungry". "I needed a room with great lighting and a flat surface", Duncan replies. I chuckle and watch as Duncan makes his way out of the kitchen. "You ready to go Nikki", Nolan asks excitedly. I nod my head and he leads me to the front door.

~~~

               "Do you have what I asked for?", I ask impatiently as I watch Gina sit down across the table from me. She nods and pulls out a large envelope, "It's all in there". "What can you tell me about what you found out?", I ask. "Well in order to understand the agreement you have to know what Lewis did", she explains. I sit up in my chair and wait for her to continue. "Lewis and I have had many rough patches in our marriage, we've cheated on each other a lot. Well one of his mistresses just so happens to be Zabrina Mack", she explains. "As in Isiah Mack's wife?", I ask curiously. She nods, "They had an affair behind mine and Isiah's backs for months and it turns out that Zabrina got pregnant. There's a sonogram in that envelope that proves it". "Okay, but Isiah's wife never had a child, she was killed", I state. Gina nods again, "Lewis killed her. From what I gathered she told Lewis about it and was going to come clean about their affair and Lewis knew that Isiah would flip if he found out, so he killed her", she pauses, "In the agreement with Mauricio he requests that the Deckerz protect him and his family from Vice. It seems Mauricio agreed but only under the terms that Nikki married him after she turned eighteen". I sit there in silence taking all this new information in. "He changed his mind then didn't he?", I ask. "Knowing my husband, despite how he feels about Nikki, he would never actually give one of his kids to a gang leader. He was desperate for protection and agreed to it, but I know him and he never would have followed through. I mean clearly he didn't, Nikki's safe and away from the Deckerz. He covered his tracks when he sent her to college and if you look at the deed for Nikki's house, you won't find her name. For all the Deckerz know she left Covul", she explains. I shake my head, "They know she's here in Covul". Gina looks at me shocked, "How?". "They're the ones who shot her Gina", I explain. "Cain you have to protect her, if they know she's in Covul they won't stop until they have her. And they'll come after Lewis for keeping her from them all this time", she pleads, "I beg you, keep her at your manor until I figure out what to do about this situation". "My men have already taken her home and there's no way she'll stay at my manor willingly", I inform. "Okay. Okay, maybe it's better if she goes home. If you try to force her to stay she might suspect something is up", Gina brainstorms, "Just keep to your promise and keep her safe please, I'll give you your money on the first of the month". I nod and she quickly stands up, "Thank you Cain, I know you're only in it for the money but it means a lot to me that you're doing this for me". I watch as she makes her way out of the diner and I sit back in my chair. What the hell have they gotten Nikki into?