CHAPTER 4
“What'd you say to look out for?” I asked James as I sat in the park on a bench.
The pool was in front of us. There were chairs all around that were empty. Except the one I was sitting in. I had sun glasses and a baseball hat on as I laid back in the chair pretending I was asleep. Sam was in the bathrooms that were across from the pool area. James was sitting in the white van watching out for Kyle.
“James?” I asked, “You hear me?”
“Yeah, what? I said to look out for a blonde.” he said.
“But, Kyle's not a blonde...” I knit my eyes.
“No shit, I'm talking about Molly.” James snorted.
I huffed, “Okay gay boy.”
He mumbled something in Russian and gave a loud sigh.
“Why are you so pissed?” Sam asked him.
“Why am I not there?” he asked.
“Because he'll know he's been messaging a 40 something year old caveman.” I joked.
“You're just like your father, jerk.”
“Watch it!” I spit.
“What? That was a complement, friend.”
I shook my head and adjusted my sunglasses, “Sure it was...”
I saw someone in a red jacket approaching the pool and knit my eyes.
“Is it time yet?” I asked James.
“We still got 15 min left, why?”
“Because I think I see Kyle.” I informed.
The guy made his way towards the pool as he fixed his hair. I noticed he had a large yellow flower in his hand as he opened the pool gate and closed it. Pushing the lock down.
He then turned to me with a huge grin on his face.
“Yep, that's him.” I whispered and sat up.
“You're going to have to leave sir, I'm having a very sexy babe meet me here and you can't be here.” Kyle spoke.
I stood up and slowly approached him with a smile.
“Did you hear me correctly?” he asked, mockingly.
I nodded and took off my sunglasses, “Yeah kid, I heard you.”
His face went flat and he glared at me, “What did you do to her?”
I knit my eyes, “Wha—”
“Molly!” he yelled and dropped the flower.
James started to approach with the white van and Kyle looked around.
“You're times up, Kyle.” I stepped towards him.
He shook his head, “You just don't give up do you, Joey?”
“Me?” I raged, “You were the ones that murdered my team and that kid! You and Ryan just don't give up,” I laughed, “But, you're going to this time.”
He shook his head and smiled, “Not this time.”
I dropped my sunglasses as he charged me. His unexpected force knocked me off my feet and we both took a dive into the shallow end of the pool. He was on top of me holding me against the bottom of the pool as he put all of his weight on top of me.
He put his hands around my neck and I tried to fight him off but the force of the water and the panic that set in as I couldn't breathe made it difficult.
A whirlpool of bubbles appeared next to us then James appeared and quickly grabbed Kyle's head and yanked him backwards. His grip around my neck loosened and I quickly got to the surface and started gasping for breath as I wiped the water from my eyes.
“You alright?” Sam called from the edge of the pool.
I nodded and coughed as James pulled Kyle above the water by his hair and looked into his eyes.
“You go to sleep now.” he said then pulled his hand back and struck him in the face.
Kyle went slump and James threw him over his shoulder and started out of the pool. I took a deep breath and followed behind James as we came out of the pool and went to the van.
“You okay?” Sam asked me as I shut the van back doors after James jumped in with Kyle.
I looked at him as we went to each sides of the van. We opened the doors and both got in.
“Yeah, why?” I asked him and started the van then pulled off out of the park driveway.
“Because you nearly drowned in the shallow end of the pool.” he pointed out, looking over his shoulder into the back.
“Yeah, well,” I made a left turn into traffic, “I've been through worse.”
“What is the deal with that man?” James asked randomly from the back.
“What? Who?” I knit my eyes and looked into the rear view mirror.
“That man at your safe house. Your, uh, father.” he said.
“What about him?”
“You said you didn't like him? How could someone not like his own father?” he asked.
I sighed, “It's complicated.”
“So what?”
I stopped at a red light and looked behind me, “So what?”
“Yeah, so what? He's your father. He raised you and Josh. Why you no give him respect?”
I huffed and faced forward, “Maybe because he never respected me and my sister. Or the fact that the last time I saw him he had put me in the hospital?” I looked down, “And the fact that every day I wake up and look down at the scar on my side from where he had stabbed me, and it reminds me of what hell I went through. What my sister, Megan, had went through before she—ya know what? I pity him. It's been years and he's still the same old douche of a father I grew up with. I don't like him because he never gave me anything to like.”
The light switched to green and I sighed and stepped on the gas as I looked up and shook my head. The van was quiet and James let out a cough.
“I am sorry. I, uh, did not know.” he said.
I nodded, “Me too.”
I made a right turn and rubbed my eyes.
“So, what're we going to do here?” Sam spoke up.
I looked at him, “What you mean?”
“You're seriously not going to bring Kyle to your safe house with your dad are you?” he asked.
I shook my head, “Oh hell no. I, er, I was going to bring him to my house... but I guess that's out now that I think about it...”
“Where are going then?” James questioned.
I quickly pulled to a stop and slammed on the steering wheel, “Son of a—he ruins everything!”
Sam looked down as I put my head on the wheel.
“I don't need this. Not today.” I ripped my phone from my pocket and punched in Josh's cell number.
I pressed it to my ear and it rung. Seconds later Josh's voice was heard.
“Joey? Everything okay?”
“No, I need you to get him out of my safe house.” I blurted.
“Joey, I—”
“Now, Josh!” I spit, “I can't do what I need to with him lurking over our shoulders.”
The line was silent as he let out a long sigh. I put my arm over the steering wheel then rested my head on my arm as I was repeatedly tapping my foot on the bottom of the car.
“Josh...” I let out a shaky sigh, “I can't go through this again man. Please, don't put me through this. You don't—”
“They're calling me. I gotta go, Joey. I got work to do.” his voice cut me off.
“No, Josh. Wait—”
Clink!
I shut my eyes and locked my phone as I let out a calming sigh.
“Everything okay?” Sam asked.
I put my head up and caught his eyes then nodded and put the van in drive.
“Yeah, it's all good, Sam.” I told him.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“James do you still have that safe house?” I looked into the rear view mirror at him.
He nodded, “Vinny is there.”
“Can we?” I raised my eyebrows.
He closed his eyes and nodded, “Of course. You know where it is?”
I sighed and made a U-Turn, “I know exactly where it is.”