Rescuing Atticus

Meeting his friend Draven

Song: Counting stars- One Republic

"Well...I'll introduce you to one of my good friends. This is Draven and his wife Bethany. They are here to visit and eat dinner with us." He looks back at the both of them. "This is Atticus." Draven reaches down and shakes my hand. He makes eye contact with me and has a very firm handshake. I wonder if I should be shaken up by the way he looks back at me. I see pure evil in those eyes of his, even if he does put up a front.

His wife on the other hand smiles my way. I don't see how this guy ended up with a girl like that. She is classy...looks more like a model...perfect figure with just the right amount of curves. She has on this dress that covers up everything. The only thing I notice are her nice slick legs...dam...I bet she is flawless underneath that material. Her eyes have a slight sparkle to them and I watch as her lips start to move. She was about to say something however we are all distracted by the little runt that runs and jumps in the pool splashing water all over us.

She tries to smile politely with her lips shut rather tightly but it's more of being almost embarrassed by the kid. "Oh...I'm so sorry...Mekh...you need to behave now." He doesn't even bother looking back up as he swims to the other side of the pool. Draven ignores the whole thing like he has no say in what the kid does so I assume she does all the parenting. Unlike my step dad he would have said a few words and more than likely end up with a slap to the back of the head. She glances over me a little embarrassed.

After a few drinks we all go inside and sit around the table. When I go to sit I feel all the muscles in my leg pull and the skin feels like it stretching under every little stitch. I grunt under my breath."Are you alright...looks like you had a rough go with Zane in the ring." She smiles again at me but this time it's like a friendly smile...not one of those hey you want to fuck me smiles like earlier.

"No...just some guys jumped me. I will be fine." I reach for my fork and start eating.

"Oh heavens...that's awful." She takes a bite of her steak and looks at me with a caring look but it doesn't last long due to the look her husband gives her.

Draven glances over at me and changes the subject. "So Atticus...I hear you are Zane's new man. Hope he is training you well." He starts to laugh; then he looks over at Zane. "This man can give you a run for your money. Back in the day we use to go up against each other looks like he needs to teach you a few more skills. " He makes this laugh deep in his throat and it makes me want to cut it out of him.

"Yeah well...he has taught me well. My car was rammed by a truck and then several guys jumped out and beat the hell out of me with a ball bat. Don't worry they will get what is coming to them." I quickly change the subject. "So you two use to fight...really...wow...who won; I got to hear this story." I give a fake smile and tilt my glass in his direction before taking a sip.

Both of them start laughing, even Bethany starts to laugh. Damn she even has a nice carefree laugh. "It was usually always a tie...Addi..." She stops in mid word and cast her eyes downward at her plate, hating to bring up her name. "I mean I would have to make them stop before they killed each other. Some days they looked almost as rough as you do right now." I know she was going to say Addison.

 I ignore that part and hope the guys did as well. "So what changed?"The room goes silent like I said something wrong. Ashton gets up from the table along with Phillip and Marian. I don't know why everyone wants to keep her name out of this house. I know it has something to do with Addison but no one says a word. I get that it was the love of his life and I know they all know about Scarlett but hell they all need to get over it. She has moved on they all need to move on as well.

Zane grunts while he finishes the sip of wine in his mouth. "Things just change. We still do a few jobs together...just not like we use too...right Draven?"

"Right man." He finishes his drinks and gets up to grab another.

After we eat we go back out to the pool area to let the kid play outside. The little boy runs around with a dart gun and is shooting at objects, mostly beer bottles. He would rather shoot at his parents but he already seems to know that if he bothers them again he will get in more trouble. Yet I am distracted yet again when this little five year old comes around the corner and shoots me directly in the chest. I glare at him. He runs off and starts laughing as I break the dart into in my hand.

Bethany must have seen my reaction and she scolds him. "Mekhi...if I have to tell you again I will take that away now stop aiming that thing at people." She then looks back over at me with those big blue eyes of hers. I noticed her eyes. Hell I noticed everything about her. Her full red lips, her hour glass shaped body. Her honey golden hair bounced every time she took a step. I will say she is one fine woman...if she was only a little younger. I would place her about my mother's age...maybe a little older but damn she is one fine woman. "I'm sorry about that. He is so much like his father." She was about to say something else but then sees her husband's reaction so she gets quite and goes back in the house.

 I drop eye contact with her in that split second. He saw the way that I was looking at her but he doesn't say anything. I'm sure he is use to men gawking at her. I turn my head and look back out at the empty pool. Now it is just men out here, besides the kid running around but he is not even listening to our conversation.

 I find out that Draven has been a hitman for over twenty-five years. He started out as a in the military and ended up on the Elite seal team. He retired from the military then went out on his own. He goes around the world snipping people like it's nothing. I also found out that they had several jobs together in the past and that is how Zane got most of his jobs. Whoever hires a hitman also hires a cleaner and that is where he comes into play. They have been doing this for years apparently.I wonder if Bethany knows about his job and if she does I guarantee she doesn't tell a soul about it. I wonder how she doesn't mind that her husband goes around killing people but I don't dare ask.

Once they all go home Zane comes back out to the pool. "You should really get some rest."

"I will...so does she know about her husband?" The reason I ask is because if she knows and she can still love him for who he is then maybe so can Sara.

He smirks at the question. "Does it matter? Look if she does she does. Bethany has always been by his side. We use to all be close until...until she left me. Hell they were best friends back then."

"So when she left...she left everything, even her friends?"

"You can say that." He downs his drink and set the empty glass on the table between us. "Do you want him to bring Tony and the other assholes down? I can arrange that."

Oh...I'm sure you could do that, I think to myself. "No...all due respect this is my battle and I will take care of Tony and his goons if that is alright with you."

He grins. "That's what I had hoped you would say. Let's get you completely healed and then you can bring them down." He stands up to go back into the house.

I blurt out, "Do you know how to kill like he does?"

He stops to look back at me. "Yes...I can...I just chose a different path than he did. Why?"

"I want you to teach me to shoot...to kill."

"Son...once you start killing there is no going back. You can't take that feeling back of taking a life. It changes you."

"Yes...but they are already going to die...or should have died by someone else's hands. I mean we have to at times don't we? What is the difference?"

"The difference is they are already dead...you just helped along. Look if you want I will teach you but I don't want to hear how it will destroy you." He walks on back in the house.

I sit there and think about it. Hell I can kill an animal and I have had to finish a life of one that was shot but not dead when we arrived at the house. I don't know how it would ever change who I am...this is who I am. I am a Cleaner...but if I have to, I know I can be a killer as well. As for Tony...I'm going after his ass.