Passion.

Chapter Thirty One

"You sure you know how to fly this thing?" I yell. "Yes! I was a pilot way back in my day young woman. I may be old, but I'm not blind or deaf yet!" Sal yells. "Good!" Demetria chimes in and I laugh. We've been coping with our losses over the past few hours, and Sal has brought us some joy. Getting to it, Sal knows how to function on this helicopter. He knows how to work every button, every throttle, he's a pro. It's a rough beginning getting started, but eventually we're up in the air and on our way. No one knows the location except for Sal, so I ask where he's taking us, but he ignores me. "How are you holding up?" I ask Demetria. "Not good. I miss him, Claire. I know you're not new to this world, but I am. I don't kill people like you do." I'm a bit offended by her words. "I don't kill people voluntarily. I don't shoot them voluntarily either. I do it because I have to, and as a matter of fact, If I didn't kill the four men that bursted into your apartment, you'd be as dead as Cody right now." She gasps, and I realize my words have come off as harsh. But what I said was true, and after I saw Roan with blood all over his hands, literally and figuratively, I changed. Something in me changed. I got a little colder, more protective, and more understanding. "Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that, but it's true. I'm doing everything I can to protect myself and you, and the few people I have left that actually mean something to me. I fell in love with people that maybe I shouldn't have. But I love them, and now whether you like it or not, you're in this with me." She wipes her tear and takes a deep breath. "Okay. We'll protect each other. As long as you don't take me get into another helicopter for at least a month. I'm terrified of heights." "Okay. Bet you didn't think when you found out you had a half sister she would fuck up your life like this." I laugh. "Enough chit chat. We're here." Sal says. I hadn't realized we had been sitting and talking, yet also sitting in silence for so long. The landing is rough and hard, but we make it. "You okay, old man?" I ask Sal. "Yes young lady." He laughs. "Where are we?" Demi asks. "My fathers lake house. No one knows about this old joint, but it's a hell of a place." I ask the obvious. "Are you sure no one knows about it?" "Unless they know old Earl Grey, no." I trust his words. It's ironic. How even in the midst of every horrific thing going on, my men still know how to take care of me. They care. So even if being with Roan and David Smith has put me through hell, even if it has killed two people that were close to me, even if I've somehow become a killer, I'm still grateful. I get to love two people so epically, that even through the bad, I find good. I never thought a man would be able to love me. Let alone two men. "Let's head in." I grab my little suit cases from the helicopter, and we walk in. It's actually stunning. The room is filled with wood and funny sayings like, "Here at the lake we don't hide crazy, we parade it on the dock and give it a beer." Though, I'm hoping the crazy dies down for this upcoming week. Sal shows us to our rooms, and I begin to unpack. I put my clothes in two separate piles, one for Demetria and one for me. I separate other things like our toothbrushes and hair brushes. Sal knocks on the door and I let him in. "Hey kiddo." He says. "I'm not a kiddo. I'm twenty four." I laugh. "Ahh, twenty four or eleven, same difference." He laughs along. "What's up?" "I wanted to talk to you." He sits on the bed and pats beside him. I sit next to him. "Believe it or not, I used to be involved with a mafia leader of my own. His name was Henry." Oh, he's gay. That's not a surprise though, the fact that he was involved with a mafia leader is the surprising part. "He was my lover. The greatest guy I've ever known. But Claire, they took him away from me. I watched the man I loved get killed right in front of me. I know how much death hurts. It is easier to die, than to watch the ones you love die." "I'm so sorry Sal." I pat him on the back. "It's alright, I've learned to cope with my loss. But you have to know one thing Claire. As much as those boys are doing everything they can to protect you, we need to protect them just as much. When you came into the picture, Roan and David sacrificed something. They made a deal with the devil." He hesitates continuing the conversation. "The deal is that as long as they are alive, you cannot be killed. You can be hurt and tortured, but no one from The Mafia is risking taking your life because they know the Smith men will come after them. But Claire, if they kill either Roan or David, they can kill you. They're planning on murdering one of them, and simply torturing the other with your death." "Who did they make this deal with?" I ask. "Reggie Richardson's brother." What the fuck? "Reggie Richardson has a brother? What's his name?" I ask, shocked. He takes a pen and paper from his pocket, and makes a shh sound as he puts his finger to his lips. "Michael Richardson." He writes down. I take the paper and thank him, leaving him with a hug. I immediately open my phone and google the name Michael Richardson. The first thing that comes up is "Michael Richardson feud with Brother Reggie Richardson over British mafia." It also says that Michael is the leader of the British Mafia. Oh. Now I get it. Reggie and Michael hate each other. Reggie isn't in charge of the British Mafia, but rather the Russian one because his brother took over first. As to why Michael possibly wants anyone close to Reggie killed. But what would Roan, David, or even me, have to do with a bastard brother? This is all so consuming. But I do have a question for Sal. An important one that could possibly change Roan and David's fate. So, I ask for him to come back into my room. We sit back down on the bed and I ask, "When Henry died, was there anyone offering to help? I know people are greedy and everything comes with a price, but I need someone to protect them. No one is looking out for them, they have each other and Reggie. But even then, I don't know if Reggie is someone I could trust." "Let me stop you right there. I go way back with Roan, before David was even alive. Before your time. Reggie Richardson is the only real friend Roan has. No matter what either of them have done, they've stuck by each other. Reggie lost someone very close to him five years ago, and since then they've become brothers. Roan's men know not to mess with Reggie's and vice versa. If there's anyone you need to call right now, it's Reggie." Making light of the situation I say, "Yeah, but he's so annoying. I mean the prick is, well, a prick." "Theres something that happened to him that made him the way he is, but with you he's soft. Just like Roan and David. I've never seen such harsh men so whipped for a young woman, like they are with you. A man is only as good as the woman he adores. And you Claire, are quite the catch." "Thank you Sal. I'd say Henry is pretty proud of you." He smiles and leaves the room. I sit down on the bed, dirty clothes and all, and am ready to go to sleep when I hear a gun shot. I jump out of bed and grab my own gun, rushing to the living room. "What happened?!" I yell to Demetria, and she appears. A tall, big man is standing over Sal's body, and I look down and see a bullet in Sal's head. He's dead. Before I can process this though, I yell, "Who are you?!"
"Hello ladies. I'm Michael Richardson."