Stalker - Clarissa Wild Page 0,59
with that same wretched smile on his face.
***
PHOENIX
I close the door behind me and focus my attention on the call.
“Back,” I say.
“What’s going on?” the man on the other end of the line says. It’s Antonio, one of the organization’s contacts for the jobs. I guess he has a job for me, which comes at a really inconvenient time.
“Oh, nothing, just some personal business,” I say.
I can hear Vanessa screaming in the background, as well as Paige, so I guess Antonio can hear them, too.
“Sounds like murder business,” he muses, chuckling a little.
“You could say that again.” I clear my throat. I have to cut this conversation off because I’m not going to discuss my personal vendettas with him. “What’s up?”
“Yeah, I got this job for you that I really need you to fulfill,” he says. “I already sent you the details.”
“Well, I’m sure you could tell that I’m very busy right now.”
“Yeah, but see, that’s the problem. You should not be busy right now.”
“That’s not your call, dude,” I say, tapping my foot on the floor.
“Except it is. Or did you forget who got you out of jail?”
My lip starts to twitch and I have the urge to punch holes into the wall in front of me. “As I recall, I was the one who dug out the hole, not any of you shitheads.”
“Keep talking like that, Nix, and you might end up as the next hit.”
“Be my fucking guest,” I say. “I know you won’t fucking do it because you don’t have the fucking balls. You know as well as I do that you need me.” I’m breathing like a fucking bull now; that’s how angry I am. “And in case you forgot, I was the one who looked after DeLuca. Not you. Me.”
“The boss paid the guards to get you the freedom you needed to dig that hole in the first place. You owe us.”
“You weren’t the one standing in the shitty rain digging up some shitty earth, you hear me?” I yell into the phone.
“Calm your fucking tits, dude. I’m only relaying a message.”
“Well, tell your boss that I don’t owe you anything,” I spit.
“All right. We’ll get someone else to do the job. But I’m warning you, Nix. You’re not going to like it when the boss finds out you’re being stubborn.”
“I don’t give two shits. He wouldn’t fucking hurt me. DeLuca won’t let him,” I say.
“I don’t know, Nix. The boss never listens to anyone but himself.”
“I don’t care. I have other things on my mind right now that are far more important than some job.”
“You don’t want the money?” he asks. “You just got out of jail, Nix. You need something.”
I sigh. “Like I said … I don’t need anyone or anything right now. I just wanna be left alone.”
“So, you don’t want to work for us anymore? Because you know what happens if you don’t …”
“I said not now! I didn’t say never,” I say.
“Then when will you be able to resume work?”
“Soon,” I say. “I’ll contact you.”
“Fine. But I gotta warn you, Nix, the boss isn’t going to like this.”
“Too bad. And don’t call this number again until I call you first. It’s way too risky.”
I turn off the phone and tuck it back into my pocket, taking a deep breath. That goddamn phone … I knew I should’ve gotten a brand new one. They sent this old one to me after I got out of jail. It was DeLuca who picked up the goods in a PO box. No wonder. Son of a bitch.
Well, no matter. They know what I’m doing now. I know Antonio could hear the screams, so the organization should know I shouldn’t be disturbed right now. Which means I’ll have plenty of time to toy with my princess.
But first … I need to go pick up something special. Something that will make this playtime even better.
***
VANESSA
Thirty minutes later
The pain is unbearable, and the fact that I don’t know how long it’ll last only makes it harder. I scream because my body commands me too, not because I believe it’ll end my suffering any sooner. Pain shoots through my veins when I think of why I’m here. This is my own doing. My punishment for trying to persuade him to give me what I want.
It’s how I’ve always been, how my mother made me. Someone who manipulates others into doing what they want. But Phoenix doesn’t fall for it … he never did. He always sees through