Stalker - Clarissa Wild Page 0,96
camp out with you.”
Phoenix leans back. “What?” He cocks his head. “Are you saying he was here for a reason? You know something, don’t you?” Phoenix growls.
The guy holds up his hands. “You know I can’t do anything about the rules, dude. It was just a job.”
“What?” Phoenix yells. “You’d better fucking tell me the truth now, DeLuca, or I’ll rip your fucking head off, too.”
“Nix, think about what you’re doing. You know you can’t win from me.”
Phoenix stands in front of him so close they’re up in each other’s face, shouting. “Watch me.”
“Fuck you,” DeLuca says. “Look, I’m sorry we got you into this mess.”
“Damn right, it’s your fault. You brought him here in the first place.”
“He was supposed to help me with this job.”
“What job?” Phoenix sneers.
He glances at me, and suddenly I feel very exposed. “Killing her.”
An itch goes through my body, circling around until goosebumps cover my skin. The mask that I’ve worn all these years has been shattered as despair slips through my pores, covering my body with dirty sweat.
I suddenly get the urge to jump into the shower to wash the jitters off.
“YOU CAME HERE TO KILL HER?” Phoenix’s voice is off the charts loud.
“Dude, calm down,” DeLuca says.
“I AM NOT CALMING DOWN!” Phoenix is breathing like a bull again, and I have no clue what to do. Should I go there and try to help? I don’t know the guy, or the other one … but something about the anger in Phoenix’s voice tells me this DeLuca guy actually means something to him. Which says a lot.
“She’s on your fucking hit list? That’s why you came here?” Phoenix yells.
“We got the job; I can’t help it. I didn’t know she was the girl from your story until I saw the house, and by then, I knew it was too late. Drago had already gone over the fence. I couldn’t stop him.”
“And you fucking went along with it without telling me?” Phoenix pushes him until he’s up against the wall.
“What else was I supposed to do?” DeLuca says. “I had to do it. They wouldn’t accept me back in if I didn’t complete the job.”
“Who gives a shit about the organization?! She’s mine, and I told you that I was going to do this alone!” Phoenix screams, grabbing his collar and shoving him up the wall.
“You said you were going to kill her. I thought she was already dead, dude. I didn’t think we even had a chance of success.”
“So, what, you thought it was okay to let that fucker just roam the house? You knew he was going to search for her. You fucking knew he wanted to kill her, and you let him get away. You fucking let him do your dirty work for you.”
“It’s not like that. I honestly didn’t think she’d still be alive,” he says, swallowing, holding up his hands. “I mean it. It’s the truth. I know you, Nix. You wouldn’t keep any victim alive. Ever.”
“Except me,” I mutter.
Both of them now look at me as if I’m a complete loon. I blush, but not because they stare at me … it’s because he said Phoenix always kills his victims, and yet he didn’t kill me.
Yet.
Phoenix immediately returns his attention toward DeLuca. “I trusted you. You’ve got some fucking balls, dude.”
“I swear to fucking god, I didn’t mean to intrude. I just wanted to confirm her death with you so we could relay it to the organization and get it over with. I expected the job to be cancelled, so we could get another one.”
“And yet you forget to bring up that fact the moment you appear at the front doorstep,” Phoenix says. “I fucking trusted you; I took you with me, and this is how you repay me?”
“I’m sorry, dude. Really, I am. I know I should’ve acted differently, but I didn’t. We all make mistakes. Again, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“Damn right, it won’t,” Phoenix growls.
“Phoenix,” I say, stepping forward.
He swallows, glancing back at me. I see the regret in his eyes. I know he doesn’t want to kill his friend. After a few seconds, Phoenix lets him go, and he drops to the floor, grasping for his own throat.
“Get the fuck out,” Phoenix says without looking at him.
“Nix, please, let’s talk about this. It’s all a misunderstanding.”
“I don’t fucking want to talk to you.”
“But—”
“Get out!” Phoenix screams so loud that it makes DeLuca jolt up, and then run past him.
We briefly exchange looks before