Hell Has A New Name

2

"Here's a burner phone. Tully will call you on it. Passport, ID, social security cards, etc is all there. Said he'd call in case you decide not to write.
Juice reluctantly accepted the items and sat them down.
"So i'm a free man?"

The man nodded and then smiled. "There was one thing Tully wanted from you. Well I should just let him tell you."

Juice rolled his eyes in exasperation. He was ready to leave this dump and move on. "What is it? Just fucking tell me." He asked pointedly.

The redneck laughed a dirty laugh and grinned. The teeth he did have were driving Juice crazy, he was tired of looking at this idiot.

"You see, Tully has a kid. A girl, about twenty three. She ain't into the brotherhood, won't marry off to any of them despite her daddy's efforts. Thinks she better'n us. He wants 'er with someone he trusts, someone not affiliated. Says you'd clean up nice, look respectable on the outside an all that shit. Maybe she'd take to you. 'Er mama died last year, the cancer got'er, bout killed Tully even though they's divorced. He don't want'er to be alone. She don't got nothing to do with us. Only sees her daddy at Christmas. She even moved, out to Nebraska somewhere. You go there, find er and let er know he sent you. You can work out the rest."

Juice was completely flabbergasted if he were honest. The monster he wanted to forget wanted him to find and take care of his child.  He wanted to refuse, tell this stupid fucker no! However he knew he'd have to agree. 

"Do, do you have an address? How do I find her? Whats her name?" He stuttered the words out. 

"Information is in that packet. After today you ain't gonna see me again. Make sure you answer for Tully. If you do see me again, it wont be a good meetin. 

He choked on his own spit and his eyes got wide. He felt like the world was closing in on him. He had traded a jail cell, and the freedom death would have given him for a ball and chain Tully was pulling tighter and tighter. The man tipped his ball cap as if it were something fancy and slammed the door as he left. 

Juice laid back on the bed his stomach turning. He didn't want to look at the contents of the envelope but he knew he had too. After today, as soon as he opened the envelope he wouldn't be Juan Carlos Ortiz anymore, he'd be whomever was inside the packet. He felt as if he needed to mourn his own passing. He looked down at his chest, he could feel the weight of his tattoos beneath his shirt. He would have to have them removed at some point and that was whole other stripping of his identity. 

He was in the shower when the burner phone rang. The ringer was on as loud as it would go making him jump. The steam in the room made the screen fog up so it was hard to see the number, though he knew in his gut it was Tully. He opened the phone and put it too his ear, in his panic he'd forgotten to turn the water off and he knew he was going to come to regret that decision as soon as the other man heard it. 

"You there sweetheart?" He heard the drawl of his deep voice in the phone, making him shutter. 

"Ye-Yeah. Can you hang on for just a second? He tried to keep his voice steady but he was failing. He knew he sounded nervous. Tully didn't answer verbally just a noise of agreement. Juice sat the phone down so he had both hands and turned off the water, wrapping a towel around himself. 

"Okay, I'm back. Sorry."

Tully chuckled his creepy throaty laugh. "Its okay baby. You answered the phone, you're such a good boy. You know that?" 

"What do you need Tully?" His tone radiated his resentment. He was glad however that the man hadn't made any sexual or otherwise inappropriate comments about the shower.