Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal

Chapter 4

Jack. 

- 

"Well," I said into my Blackberry. "I'll be right there then." 

"Jack, please don't. I don't want you to get hurt -" Alex tried to say. I hung up on him. I was sick of his "protecting me" bullshit. Plus (though I didn't tell Alex this), I wanted to make sure my money actually got to Evil Russian Dude. Side note: I sucked at nicknames. 

Walking to the same bus stop that I first met Alex at, I paid the bus driver and began my journey to his apartment. 

* 

"Alex?" I called, walking in the front door (WITHOUT knocking this time). 

"Hey," he said quietly, coming out of one of the few hidden rooms in the little apartment. 

"You ok?" Alex didn't even bother responding. He just sat on the couch with the EXTREMELY thick envelope in his hand and stared at the front door. I swallowed heavily and sank down next to him.  

Not a single word passed between us for nearly half an hour. I finally broke the silence by asking where Rian was. "I made him leave. I couldn't take any chances with his safety. You, on the other hand, are too large of an idiot to convince not to come." 

At this, I chuckled. It was true. If I had any brains at all, I wouldn't have even showed up to Alex's to watch the game. If my parents and Tracey found out, I was SO dead. Sometimes I thought they were more dangerous than Evil Russian Dude.  

After that short little exchange, we slipped back into silence. Alex had just gotten up to get a drink when the doorknob rattled loudly. I saw Alex jump. I'm talking literally. He left the floor. "Fuck," he said in a shaky voice.  

I quickly unlocked the door and hopped back as it burst open. There, in all his glory, was Evil Russian Dude. Ok, I SERIOUSLY needed to work on my nicknames. 

He looked at Alex and tilted his head menacingly from side to side. "You fixed your lock." It wasn't a question. 

Alex drew a deep breath. "Yeah. We, uh, made a few extra dollars at our gig last night and fixed it this morning." Evil Russian Dude nodded and got right down to business.  

"Where is the money?" Without asking questions of any kind, Alex handed him the envelope and bit his lip as ERD pulled the money out to count it.  

It took a ridiculous amount of time to even make so much as a dent in the stack, but as the pile shrunk I could tell something was wrong. I mouthed along with ERD's counting. Seven ninety-eight, seven ninety-nine, eight hundred. That was it. There was no more. My blood ran cold and my heart stopped.  

Before I knew it, Alex was in a chokehold up against the wall. "Jack," he whispered. "Get...the fuck...out of here."  

"Just trying to protect your boyfriend?" snarled ERD. Despite the fact that Alex was about to die from lack of air, his cheeks went red. "YOU," he ordered, spinning around to face me. "SIT THERE. If you move so much as a finger towards lover-boy, I will kill you both." 

He freed his hand from Alex's throat and Alex crumpled to the ground, only to quickly and bravely stand up.  

"Where is the money, American?" he growled. Alex stammered and shrugged, accepting defeat. His breathing got loud and quick as ERD stepped back.  

I had to clasp my hands over my mouth so I wouldn't scream as he pulled a gun out of his blazer and pointed it at Alex's head. 

Alex 

- 

I was scared when Asshole-ski stopped counting at eight hundred, his hand empty, and the most impassive expression on his face. I was terrified when he nearly strangled me to death and threatened to kill Jack and me if we didn't behave. But when he took out his gun and pointed it right at me with so much assurance and seriousness, what I felt was more than fear.