My Funny Valyntine: Book One - The Pull

Chapter Eighteen - Four Brothers

i.

"Where are we going?" Valyntine asks as Taboo drives the old Standard south, deeper into the East Borough. She's confident he wouldn't be taking her into the West or North boroughs. But he is still an unknown, and she wants to know if he has a destination in mind.

"I know a place down in Orleans," he says, both hands on the wheel, checking every mirror, driving down the back streets of Lafayette like he knew them intimately. Headlights off, he slows at each intersection before rocketing out and whipping down another side street or back alleyway.

"Orleans?" Valyntine asks. It had been where Latin wanted to go, where his sister lives. "Why?"

"Born there. Only part of the city I know. Should be safe enough to talk. Should be safe," he repeats, distance in his voice. More thunder.

Staring out the window, Valyntine wonders if she's really sitting in this auto, traveling with a man who called himself 'Taboo.' Had she woken up in the back of Skylark's longboat? Had she killed Sugar Plum and the one in the backseat with her? What was his name? Flamingo? Or, was it Mingo? She killed someone whose name she didn't know. What does that say about her?

"Why were you following them?" Valyntine asks, needing to break the silence and to confirm this was, in fact, not a dream.

"I tried getting to you in Moonburn. I was too late," he says, shaking his head. "The gangs and the others already showd up." He slows at an intersection, peering up and down both sides of the street, then takes the Standard down a narrow alley. "I wasn't far away, watching when you and Golightly got stopped in the street. Saw you both run when the gunfire started."

More thunder as Taboo takes in a long, deep breath before exhaling slowly.

"I waited for everyone to scatter or give chase, then I tried to find you. I drove past the alley in time to see those two monsters take out Golightly. Then, you started to back away. I watched those men get torn apart but couldn't see who fired. I saw the woman get out of the LongShore and hit you," he jerks his thumb behind him, referencing Sugar Plum, "and then drag you into the auto. I managed to make it around the block before they drove out of sight. So, I followed. Guess I got too close."

"Did they... Did they kill Latin?" Valyntine asks, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Don't know. Had to get you out."

"Why? Who are you? Why were you looking for me? How did you know I was in Moonburn Port?" Exasperated, she adds, "The fuck is going on?!"

"Please, stop," Taboo says, his face contorting with frustrated guilt, one hand moving away from the steering wheel, pressing against the side of his head. A jagged shattering of lightning splits the sky into a thousand pieces. "I can't answer everything at once." Taking in another deep breath and exhaling, the same as before, he says, "We're not far. I'll answer your questions. But, I can't..." he pauses, gripping the wheel with both hands, taking another deep breath.

"Fine," Valyntine concedes, irritated. She wants to press him, but instinct tells her it won't work. He got her away from the three hyenas in the sky-blue LongShore. Right now, he is driving her further away from where Skylark said the Good Man waited.

Valyntine's mind folds over dozens of questions as she stares out her window, into the dark. Nothing about the past few days makes sense. The whole city feels on the verge of a shift. And, somehow, she seems to be the catalyst for open war in the streets of the East. Were the other boroughs experiencing the same thing? Shifting her attention to the blackened scenery passing by her window, she notices the borough's landscape changing.