Mafia Betrayal

6

Kate drifts in and out of consciousness. Dreams and reality become mixed. Kevin is dead. The relief that brings her surprises her. What surprises her the most is that there is no grief attached to it. She had loved Kevin so fully how is it that news of his death doesn't hurt her? She can understand the relief, after all he did hurt her badly, but still, shouldn't she mourn him at least a little?

But then if the words of that stranger are true, Kevin has been dead for three years and she's already had a chance to mourn him. Yet, if that was true, how come she doesn't remember anything from the last three years?

It's that last thought that forces her to wake up. She needs answers. She's afraid the only one that has them is that stranger that scared her so badly last time. He's bigger than Kevin was and Kevin was easily able to hurt her, there would be no protection from him.

She looks over towards the door as it opens. She sees the doctor and she is able to relax a bit, she still doesn't trust him though.

"Miss Kerrington, you're awake? Very good." The doctor checks her vitals before standing to her side, trying to be as non threatening as possible. "Are you hungry? You can ask for whatever you want." The doctor hopes that food will help her a bit. She still seems overly nervous.

"How did that man know me?" Kate ignores the question the doctor has, "Who is he? And don't lie to me again."

"I'll talk to her, Dr. Davison." Aaron says from the doorway. Aaron looks over at the terrified woman. "I'll stay here if it will make you feel safer."

Kate is too terrified to actually speak and can only nod, so Aaron leans against the doorjamb and starts talking to her.

"Two days ago, almost three now, I was lured to the warehouse where we keep our merchandise before transporting it to the proper location. One of my lieutenants told me there was a problem. Trusting the man I kept my back to him. He stabbed me, then he and I don't know how many others loaded me up into a vehicle. I was too busy trying to staunch the flow of blood to pay much attention to anything else. Just about the time I lose consciousness the car stops and I'm thrown out like trash.

"I pass out, I don't know for how long. The next thing I know is someone tripping over and falling on me. They see I'm hurt and help me to my feet and take me to their house and call for medical help.

"That person was you, Kate Kerrington. My name is, Aaron Shapiro and I took over the Fire birds when Kevin was killed three years ago, in your arms on your doorstep." Aaron stops and just lets Kate absorb everything he just told her.

"I wouldn't let Kevin near me after what he did," Kate says coldly.

"He was killed on your doorstep. Kevin never told us the name or location for his girlfriend, so we had no idea. All I knew was that the woman made him smile and laugh like I hadn't seen him do since he was little. Then one day he came in and looked like shit. He told me that he fucked up.

"He spent days drinking and trying to come up with ways to get his girlfriends forgiveness, but she wouldn't even speak to him.

"One day he said that he was going to her house and would be begging her on his knees if he had too, to give him a second chance. He never got the chance to do so.

"You saw the car coming, but had no idea, that his own people were going to shoot him. His body protected you from the bullets. When he fell on you, he took you down as well. That likely saved your life. You were sent back to the hospital because of it though.

"Somehow, all evidence leading to the name of the witness disappeared. I've been searching for my boss and friend's killer for three years." Aaron gives a bitter laugh, "Then they hand deliver me to the only one that can tell me and you did."

"So, why can't I remember any of this?" Kate asks after silence falls for several minutes.

"After you called for medical aid for me, you showed me your medical report from what Kevin did to you. It was so unlike him, I'm not excusing what he did in any way, understand that. I don't blame you for not wanting anything to do with the Fire birds now.

"All you did after I threatened you with a gun, was pack a couple of bags," Aaron gestures to the bags sitting on a chair not far from her bed. "You set a candle on fire in the bathroom and then turned on your stove, blowing out the flames. Then you warned me that I should leave before the house became a fireball."

Aaron gives her a bit of a smirk, "You even helped me when I stumbled. You got me to safety and retrieved your bags just before the house went up in flames. My man showed up about the same time. 

"You held a gun on him and then when you were reassured that he's the one that I called, helped him load me in the car." Aaron can see that she is getting more than a little impatient and so stops prolonging the story.

"Long story short. He stood behind you and gave you a panic attack. You fainted before he could move back and hit your head on the door. That's why you needed stitches in your head. 

"The doctor isn't sure if the amnesia is from the head being hit or from the trauma of dealing with Fire birds members again/losing your home." Losing your family, but he keeps that part to himself. He's willing to bet that not having her son is playing a large part in the amnesia.

Kate looks at him blankly. "I want to talk to my brother," Kate says finally. She'll only believe this tale if she hears it from him.

Aaron stiffens up. The last thing he needs is to have her brother coming after him. "I will let you call him, but I personally don't have his number. And before you speak, I'll need to tell him what happened about your memory loss or he'll kill me. I don't need to worry about him while I'm dealing with my own traitors."

Kate looks at him and smiles slyly, "Why don't you offer the contract to kill them to my brother? I'm sure that if what you told me is true, then he'll want to kill whoever killed Kevin. They would have deprived him of the chance to take out his vengeance on the one that hurt me."

She knows for a fact that she didn't tell Dustin after the attack that Kevin was responsible. But if Kevin is dead, then she would have told him.

Aaron stands up straight, "You think that he would take the job?"

Kate smiles smugly, "Oh, yeah. He's not a very big fan of  the Fire birds after what Kevin did. He was reluctant to let me date Kevin in the first place. A chance to kill some of the top members of Fire bird with no reprisals? He'll be on it like flies on shit."

Aaron doesn't waste anymore time and takes out his phone. He carefully walks into the room and gently hands the phone to Kate. "I won't hurt you, Kate."

"I never thought Kevin would either." Kate says and takes the phone and enters a number. She memorized it because sometimes you don't have your phone and have to use a different one. She has Dustin's and Angela's numbers memorized.

She hears it ring a couple of times, then, "Who is this? How did you get my private number?" Dustin answers angrily.

"Hello, Dustin. Mr. Shapiro would like to talk to you, would you please listen? Then I need to talk to you as well."

"Kate, thank goodness. Yes, I'll talk to Mr. Shapiro." Dustin says and is about to continue when Kate hands the phone to Aaron.

"I need you to listen and not get angry until we're done talking, okay?" Aaron is quick to say, cutting into Dustin's monologue.

Dustin is silent for a moment, "If you hurt her..."

"Please, I just need you to listen," Aaron says keeping his cool but is finding himself sweating.

"Talk." Dustin says quietly, but very menacingly.

Aaron spends the next ten minutes explaining everything to Dustin.

"Let me talk to my sister," Dustin says softly after he finishes. "I'll talk to you about the contract after I talk to her."

"As you wish," Aaron says.

"This isn't the Princess Bride and I sure as hell ain't no buttercup." But Dustin isn't upset, his sister is safe, even if three years of her life are missing. She doesn't even remember Jesse. He swallows heavily. He just hopes to hell that she remembers. That little boy needs his mother, no matter what she thinks.