Steel, p.24
Steel, page 24
He nods, unzips his hoodie, and releases his gun from his chest holster.
One of Los Salvajes, who resides in the neighborhood, knocks on the door. "Laura?"
After an eternity of waiting, she answers, "Who is it?"
"I wanna get some of Steve's stuff. I got the money."
"He ain't here."
"Stop playing. Like you don’t deal his stuff." He sighs loud, exaggerated. "Look, you don't need to open the door. Give it to me through the chain. Hurry up, I got some people who need it."
Five minutes pass, then the lock clicks and the door drifts back as far as the protective chain can go. The man holds his money out, forcing her to bring her hand out. He puts a hundred-dollar bill in her hand and she tries to move away. He and the guy next to him throw their bodies at the door, taking the chain off its hinge. She tries to scream but one of the guys grabs her by the shirt and covers her mouth. Los Salvajes and Noah enter the house and close the door. They round the family into the living room.
It's Laura, her mother, two kids and younger sister. Noah stays silent while they question them. He holds back, watching, getting a read on the people.
"Where the hell did Steven go?" Gon asks.
"I don't know nuthin’," she slaps out the last word like an insult.
"You've been around him long enough to know when you're caught against the wall. You better talk or we'll get him to make you talk."
Her eyes dart between them and land on Noah.
He hates this part of the job. The last thing Noah ever wants to do is threaten a defenseless woman. Except, this woman is not defenseless. The scorn is her eyes is alive and she's looking to stick it to them.
"Laura, think of the kids."
She sucks her teeth in, dismissing her mother's plea. "We ain't rats. Mom. I ain't saying shit."
Fuck. It was going to be the hard way. He reaches under her arm and pulls her to her feet. “You’re coming with me. Give me shit and my friends here will start shooting.”
46
Hope can be the vilest, grimiest word in the world. It's ugly, dingy, dark. It can make you believe what you should know is not possible. Hope flourishes in a pile of dung, in a war zone, or in an apartment across from the man that hates your husband enough to kill you.
When Bas says he wants to talk about how Brook and I can walk out of there today, hope slithers into my heart and I almost, almost, almost sigh with relief. I know better. I know him. What he's done to me. To Leandro. To our family. I shut the door on hope, but don't lock it. I keep the chain on, so we can talk.
I look at him with the doe-eyed blink Carissa swears I do so well. "I thought you were going to kill me."
Somewhere I can almost hear Leandro scream at me, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't ask that. I want Sebastian to know I refuse to play his game, and in the process, I play one of my own.
His smile is instant, natural, one you would see on a longtime friend. It scares the hairs on my neck straight. "I was but I'm thinking of a better plan."
He takes a step closer and I battle to stay still, not to flinch and scream like I did with the gutter rat in the parking garage. He lifts one of Brook's curls. "She's beautiful and incredibly sweet."
"She doesn't know you that well."
His eyes frost, his gaze like a cold stab through my skull. "I love your spirit, Mel. I do, but I'm not Leo or my brother. I will not put up with your insolence. There's no need for rudeness. Don't make me yank the kid from you."
A desperate lump forms on my throat and I have to swallow it so I can breathe. I can't let him take Brook. I need to go with the flow. "I'm sorry."
He nods, like a professor, maybe a normal father—not mine, Jose Solis wasn’t a normal dad, of course—and takes a step back. "If I knew how cooperative these kids would make you…"
This fucking asshole. I close my eyes and breathe away the red behind my eyelids. I want to put Brook down and fly at him. "If you want me to behave, you need to stop provoking me."
He laughs, a sharp-edged-mental-asylum bark that has me holding the baby tighter to me.
"I've always liked you, Mel. At first because I thought I could save you. I thought you were the type to spread your legs for convenience. It was quite the surprise that you became my best tool against the mutt."
Don't let him get to you. I hold down my temper. "Tell me how Brook and I can walk out of here."
He shoots a reproving look my way. He obviously wants to go down the way of exposition and telling me of his stupid, psychotic plans. I hold his gaze. Nope, not here for that shit.
"What would you do to get out of here, Mel?"
"With Brook?"
He nods.
I don't hesitate, because for this I don't have to think, lie, or act. "Anything."
Patience. I scratch and grab for it around me but it's getting harder as the clock ticks by. I've had to stop Alec twice from stalking out of the van and into the building. Noah's not answering the phone and Gia's in a corner reassuring Carissa.
Amelia's being Amelia, which is more nerve shattering than anything. She mouthed off to Alec but, I had no worries. Alec would never hurt a woman. Sebastian would have shot a pregnant Carissa if Nelly hadn't jumped in front of the bullet. When he tells her he won't tolerate her insolence, my palms itch, lusting for my gun. And yet, I can do nothing. I’m fucking tied up in this fucking van.
"She's doing well, Leo," Jack says over his shoulder. "She's gotten him to the bargaining stage. Now all we need is to go into the building and start picking them off. Anything from Noah?"
Alec looks at his phone. "No. Last text says he was going in the building."
"Carissa, I need to call you back. I need to get Gon on the phone." Gia blows a mouth full of air. "Alec, talk to Carissa."
Alec rushes to the back of the van. My eyes return to the screen.
Sebastian opens his arms and she takes a step back.
"Come on, Mel. She's sleeping and getting heavy."
The camera shakes from side to side. "I'm fine with her."
His lips form a tight line. "Let me put her down on the couch." It wasn't a request this time.
Her breath comes out in ragged spurts. "I'll do it." She doesn't move from where she is.
"You're trying my patience. Put her down."
She obeys, heading to the couch on the other side of the room. She lays Brook down but sits next to her.
He tsks tsks. "No, come sit over here by me. Let's talk like adults, now that we put our baby to sleep."
His mocking tone almost makes me flinch and I'm glad Alec's in the back in deep conversation with Carissa. I can't worry about him too right now.
"Can you please tell me what you have in mind?" Amelia's voice is firm. Good, stay in control, Virus.
"Can Leo hear us? Where's your wire, Amelia?"
My stomach clenches and Jack looks at me over his shoulder. His forehead wrinkles but otherwise no reaction. I know what that means. We're about to be fucked.
I hold my transmitter. "Everyone prepare to storm from all angles."
"What are you talking about? I'm not wearing a wire. I would never risk Brook’s safety or give you reason to hurt her." Amelia's voice rises in the end. "But you have cameras, don't you? I almost forgot you're that perverted."
No, she didn't. She never forgets a thing.
Sebastian shrugs. "You shouldn't be so disdainful of cameras. They love you. You were a true star at Leo's place."
"Asshole."
He warns her with a look. " You were magnificent. So passionate, insatiable. What was that you called him? Papi? Daddy, right?"
I close my eyes and red explodes behind my eyelids. Don’t take the bait, Virus.
"I hope you enjoyed the show."
Jesus. I need to get her out of there. She's going to get herself killed.
"I didn't, then. But I plan on it tonight."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"It's easy. If you want to walk out of here with Brook, on your own two feet, all you have to do is make a sex tape with me."
She laughs, too loud, too sharp, way past the usual Amelia sarcasm point to an edge of desperation. "You're kidding me."
He shakes his head, slow, like he has all the time in the world. "No, I'm not. You show me a couple of hours of passion and I'll let you leave."
"What would that do for you? You must know how repulsive I find you."
He flicks something from his cuff and then leans back on the chair. "It's two-fold. Like you said, it will be on video but I know that doesn't worry you after your days’-long performances."
Please don't take the bait. I beg her over and over.
"What's the other fold."
That's my chick.
"I want to show the mutt I can make you feel good too."
Heat rises and spreads, and I’m about to crush the phone in my hand.
"There's more. There has to be more. He's just not going to let her walk out, no matter what." I turn to Gia. "We're going to attack. We can't wait for Noah."
"Noah says give him five minutes. He's going to get us help from the inside."
I don't know if I can. I don't want Amelia that close to him. "He's too calm, almost detached, and he’s asking her for a passionate sex tape. He wants to humiliate me and then kill her.”
“Yes.” Jack answers. “We have a better chance of saving her if we have someone from the inside. Let Noah work his magic.”
He's right. I can't go in guns blazing. He will kill her and Brook right away if he thinks I may get to him. Think and follow your head and your gut.
I step back. I have no choice for now. "Text Gon, tell him they have three minutes."
“No need,” Gia says.
The door to the van flies open and Noah walks in, hauling a woman by the arm. Her black hair is messy and her outfit disheveled, but her eyes are wary and her lip upturned.
“This is Laura. Her man Steven is one of the guys inside. He’s one of the two that picked up Mel from the parking lot,” Noah says. “I keep telling her that she needs to cooperate, but she’s said nothing on the way here.”
He makes emphasis on Amelia’s name and that’s my cue. Laura is half my size and she is trying to protect her man. Still, I can’t let her matter. All my fucks fly to the wind now.
“Gon, get your people back at the apartment on the phone.” I take two steps toward her and her eyes widen. “Laura, I’m Leo. I don’t like to hurt women, but you see that screen behind me?”
I take a step back and let her see the feed. “The woman in the room with that lunatic is my wife. And my goddaughter’s also in there. She’s not even two years old and that monster took her. Right now, I would do anything to get them out. I won’t lose my wife and if I have to shoot you, your mother, or anyone else…”
I stand in front of her, put my hands on either side of her chair. "Tell me about Steven and his buddy."
Her bravado fades away. "We'll get killed if I talk," she screams.
"We can protect you, but if you don’t talk, I’ll fucking kill you myself."
I look over her head at Noah and nod. “She doesn’t care about her mother or her kids. Pick the first one and shoot.”
Knowledge dawns in her eyes and her words rush out. "No! Steven’s helping Rebel Kin. He has a big job and told me he'll be home early tomorrow."
"When was the last time you talked to him?"
"An hour ago. He said he picked up something and will call me when it was all over."
Noah hands me the phone they confiscated from her. "You're going to call him and tell him to go somewhere he can talk, alone."
"But…"
I shoved the phone in her hand. "If you pull some shit, Gon is going to have them shoot your mother and then your kids. Nothing matters to me but my wife. Don’t force me to show you the monster I can be. Call him."
She breathes hard and grabs the phone. Her fingers shake as she finds his name on her screen. The phone rings four times and then Steven picks up.
"Bae, I gotta talk to you."
"Laura, whaddafuck are you doing calling me for? I'm working."
Her face darkens. "Steven, move your fucking ass to the side. I gotta talk to you."
"Okay, okay.”
She shoves the phone at me.
"Laura?" Steven sighs.
"Nope, not Laura."
"Who the fuck is this?"
"Listen to me, asshole. We got Laura right here. Los Salvajes are with her mom and your kids. We have another set of people at your mom’s. Apartment thirty-two, right? She's sitting on that sticky plastic couch with a gun down her throat."
"What the fuck…"
"If you do as I say, everyone lives. If you fail, Los Salvajes gets both sides of your family and Laura. I get you."
"Leo," Jack signals that we need to move soon.
"Leo? Oh, shit."
I chuckle. "You've heard of me. Do as we say and we never have to meet."
I’m lying. Laura and her family will live but I’m going to kill this motherfucker too.
"What do you want me to do?"
47
"What's it going to be Mel?" Sebastian sing songs like creepy game show host.
My heart is bouncing around in my chest. He wants me to make a video, says that's all it would take for Brook and me to walk away. He must think I've yet to cut my milk teeth. I can see right through the affable face, and those fucking eyes. There's such coldness in his gaze.
We all think he hates Leandro, but Doctor Jacinda is right. To hate, just like to love, there has to be heat. The way he's looking at me right now. There's no emotion there. That makes my diaphragm tighten even more. Someone beyond feeling is methodical. He fluctuates enough to make him even more dangerous. He could decide to just kill us.
I need to get close enough, but I have to wait for a sign. If I took him out now, his men would come and kill us anyway.
I glance at Brook, so sweet and sleeping peacefully. It took me being here for her to feel safe enough to sleep.
Sebastian shoots to his feet and in less than a second he's by the couch. I set out after him, but he's got Brook in his arms.
"I try and try to make this easy on you, but you insist on forcing my hand. You won't take the gift I'm trying to give you, the gift of life. Anyone else would have killed you already. I'm being kind, but you keep spitting in my face."
"Put her down. Don't wake her."
"You see how disrespectful you are? I'm talking to you and you're not even answering me."
I take a deep breath. I need to concentrate, coax him into putting the baby down. I will never get a chance to make my move if he's carrying her. I’m so terrified that he’ll go crazy and harm her.
"I'm sorry, Bas. I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you. I just…I would feel awful cheating on Leo now that we…"
He nods, much like a Catholic priest during communion. "You want to be a faithful wife."
The shift in his tone makes my heart tremble.
"It's what my mother taught me."
"Your poor mother. If you learned anything from her, it shouldn't have been that. Your dad was a drunk and she stood by him, supporting the household and enabling an alcoholic and a deadbeat."
Fury rises over my skin. He's not lying but I hate to hear our truths from this hateful fucker. "Can you please put Brook down? We can go back over there to talk. I'm willing to listen."
His lip curls. "I don't want you to just listen. I want you to make a decision. I'm tired of waiting and I'm eager to send both you and Brooklyn on your way."
But he approaches the couch and lays Brook down. His hand lingers on her curls. He stares at her like she is a curious object he's never seen before. My breath strangles. She has Carissa's curls and I worry that's what he sees.
"She looks like Alec when he was kid."
I can't gulp enough air. "Really?"
The smile that fleets around his lips is wistful, almost affectionate. "Shel and I were happy to have a little brother. Like her, he was smart and we taught him words and games. He used to follow us around like an eager little puppy."
A little puppy. So much for those fond memories.
He takes his seat away from Brook's couch and I exhale, eager like a pup myself, to put distance between him and her.
"You seem to have liked Baby Alec."
He chuckles. "They're always easy to like when they're small and know their place."
"Is that why you hate him now? Because he didn't stay the eager little puppy?"
Just like that his gaze changes. "Stop trying to distract me. Are we going to make this video or not?"
My eyes go to Brook. Still sleeping, innocent of what's going on. I want to keep it that way. I look back at the maggot in front of me. "Yeah, but not here. Not where she can see us."
48
The moon still high in the sky, a slight chill in the midnight air, and the piss smell clinging to every brick on this roof, all the things I couldn't give two shits about.
There's a way. We got two people on the inside, working for us. There's a way to get to Amelia. That’s all I can hear and think about. I'm going in, getting her out and killing that sonofabitch.
We need to make it fast. The two men on the roof turn away from each other, walk ten steps in different directions. They're taking their last breaths and they don’t even know it.
The sound of the silencer is just a decibel above the moaning of a fly. Two quick moans of my gun and two bodies drop. We're trying to get through with the least amount of casualty. Despite what people may believe, I don't enjoy killing. I just happen to be good at it. But I would kill all these fuckers without a second thought to get to my wife and Brook.
I stand, wave a hand at the Los Salvajes on the building on the other side. Joe, Jack's partner, jumps over the small roof wall and joins me. He pulls out the infrared sensor device and we all take steps back while he scans the roof. He lays the device on the floor and beckons me over.
"You see the red figures? There's about six people in the floor below. Some are lined around the hallway. That leads me to believe they're watching, guarding something. In this area right here." He stops to circle the area on the device. "There are three. One here, another here, and two more in close proximity."
