JC was waiting at the corner he’d told them all to meet at when Justin arrived the next morning. A cigarette was dangling between his lips as he leaned against one of the buildings, hat tipped low over his eyes. He lifted it slightly as Justin approached, but as soon as their eyes connected, JC slipped the hat back down and pulled the cigarette from his mouth, dropping ashes onto the ground. Justin leaned against the building farther down, away from JC.
Nothing was said as they waited for Chris and Joey to arrive, watching the city as it awoke, people moving up and down the sidewalk, heading off to work. Kids running by, heading off to school. It made Justin’s mind flash back to his childhood, to the careless days before he’d become an adult. They were good memories, some of the only good memories he had in his life.
When Joey and Chris finally arrived, Justin moved closer to the small group and listened as JC told them what he knew about Skinny Vinny, his voice barely above a whisper so as not to attract any unwanted attention.
“Curls has had him trailed for a couple weeks. Every morning he heads over to Vanvino’s territory and slips inside a small flower shop. It’s one of Vanvino’s shops. No one’s sure what’s said once he’s in there, but he always comes out not more than an hour later and makes his way back toward our side of town.” JC paused and looked at the three men standing around him. “This morning, he won’t make it back.”
Justin swallowed deeply, eyes shifting to the faces of Joey and then Chris. Their eyes were bright, they were both ready. A deep feeling of dread settled in Justin’s stomach as they started to walk, Justin’s eyes cast down toward the ground. JC’s feet were visible in front of him and he followed them silently, his mind swirling with memories of Vincent Delmarco. He didn’t know Vincent well, but that didn’t make this any easier. Vincent had a family, he had kids. Two of them, a boy and a girl. Justin had trouble killing someone when he knew nothing about them, when they were enemies. How was he suppose to kill this man when he knew details, when he was part of the Timberlake family, even if he was a rat?
It didn’t take long to get to Vanvino’s side of town and before Justin knew it, they were standing outside a small flower shop. The sign on the door said closed, but Justin could see movement inside, shadows shifting across the covered windows. The four of them staked a claim against a building next to the flower shop. JC pulled out his cigarettes and offered them around. Joey took one, Chris didn’t. Justin was surprised when he looked up and met JC’s eyes, the cigarettes offered to him. He could only shake his head and look away. His hands shook and he slipped them behind his back to keep JC from seeing.
But JC knew he was nervous, knew there was no way Justin would be able to go through with this. It showed all over his face. JC sighed, cursing to himself. He just hoped Justin let them do what needed to be done without fucking it up. JC wasn’t expecting him to throw any punches or pull any triggers, as much as Randy wanted that, but he just hoped that Justin could stay the hell out of the way and let them do their job.
They waited quietly, none of them wanting to draw any attention to themselves. They were in Vanvino’s territory and if any of Vanvino’s crew noticed them, there would definitely be trouble. And that wasn’t something they needed. JC had told them to pack light for that very reason. Guns would be a dead giveaway. He had a small .38 caliber revolver hiding inside the waistband of his pants, the cool metal resting against his skin. He knew Joey and Chris had the same. He wasn’t sure if Justin was carrying a gun or not, but he was almost positive he had a blade on him. Justin carried a blade wherever he went, although JC had never seen him use it.
Finally the door opened and Vincent Delmarco slipped outside, pulling the door tightly shut behind him. It wasn’t until he’d taken a few steps that he looked up, his eyes meeting JC’s immediately before moving to the other three men standing there. There was no question as to if he knew who they were or not. He was part of the Timberlake family. And even if, because of the massive amount of people involved with the Timberlake’s, not everyone knew everyone else, everyone knew JC. And Justin was the Don’s son. His curly hair was unmistakable. Vinny faltered, his steps slowing for a moment before a smile spread across his face in greeting.
“Morning fellas. Interesting thing, meeting you over here.” His voice was high and JC caught the shakiness of it immediately. In the years he’d been working for Randy, horning his skill, he’d trained his senses to pick out when people were scared or tense immediately. And Vincent was both. With a slight nod of his head, JC motioned to Joey and Chris. They moved immediately, standing on either side of Vinny, each grabbing an arm to keep him from escape, and moved toward the alley between the flower shop and the building next to it.
Under the cover of darkness from the buildings around them, Chris shoved Vinny, sending him flying against the brick wall of the back of one of the buildings. He hit it hard and slid down for a moment before climbing to his feet. JC saw blood dripping down his face. It’d hit the brick and caused a gash to appear, deep crimson sliding down his cheek and onto his shirt. He stood shakily, hand moving to the blood on his face. JC could see the fear in his eyes, see the slight tremors in his body. And that only spurred him on more. He moved so he was standing in front of the man, arms held tensely at his side, standing straight. Vincent was about the same height as him, but the confidence in JC’s stance compared to the almost stooped stance of the man in front of him was intimidating. And JC liked being intimidating, liked when people feared him. It gave him a sense of power.
JC saw Justin out of the corner of his eyes, standing off to the side, eyes on what was going on in front of him. But he had no time to deal with Justin right now. Vincent was his main concern.
“Who you been talking to, Vinny?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I ain’t been talking to nobody,” Vinny said, pressing back against the wall, trying to get away from JC’s hard glare. JC saw his eyes dart around, searching for a way out. But Joey and Chris stood behind JC, arms crossed, ready to stop him if he ran.
“What were you doing in the flower shop? Seems a little shifty to me. The place wasn’t even open yet. So let me ask you again, who you been talking to?”
“Honest, JC, I ain’t been talking to nobody.” He finally met JC’s eyes for a moment. They went wide when he saw the bright blue blazing back at him and he gasped, sliding against the wall again.
“I don’t like being lied to,” JC said, motioning to Joey. Joey moved forward swiftly, landing a solid punch to his stomach. Joey threw his fist again, pummeling the side of his face, his ring slicing another gash across Vinny’s cheek.
Justin stood silently, trying desperately to get up the nerve to step up there, stand tall and proud beside JC. But his feet wouldn’t move. He was rooted to the ground as he watched Joey punch Vincent over and over. And all Justin could see in his head was Vincent’s two children, running across the yard to leap into their father’s arms as he returned home from his day. All his mind could wrap around was that those children would never see their father coming up the walkway to the house again.
Joey drew back and stepped behind JC again, arms immediately crossing over his chest. JC moved forward, hand reaching out to grab at Vincent’s collar, pulling him forcefully to his feet. Vincent struggled, trying to find leverage, his body weakened from the blows he had suffered. Once he was standing, JC pushed his body weight into Vinny’s, holding him against the brick wall. He was a mess, covered in his own blood and dirt from the alley.
“Let’s try this one more time.” JC brought his other hand up. “Who. Have. You. Been. Talking to.” Each word was punctuated with another punch to Vincent’s stomach. He was heaving heavily, trying to draw in a substantial breath with little luck.
“I swear. I swear there’s nobody.” JC let him go, watching as he fell to the ground, curling in on himself, breaths short and ragged. He stepped back and regarded the man before him for a moment.
“Wrong answer, Vinny.” And without warning, almost without movement, a sharp blast sounded, echoing loudly off the brick walls. Justin jumped back, eyes going immediately to JC, to the gun clutched in his hand, pointed at Vinny. Vincent’s scream came seconds later, filtering around them, resounding through Justin’s ears. He clutched his leg tightly, blood seeping between his fingers. JC took a step closer again, eyes moving for a moment to the hole in Vincent’s leg before looking to his face again. Pain was etched sharply across his features and JC could see his eyes watering, tears threatening to fall over. But he was trying his hardest to keep them at bay. “Tell me what you’ve told Vanvino.”
And then, the pain still evident across his face, but his fear running deeper than the pain, Vincent began to talk. He spilled every secret about the Timberlake family that he’d shared with Vanvino. He told JC every plan that he’d informed Vanvino about. He stumbled over his words, gripping his leg tighter as blood continued to seep from it, but he finally got it all out and collapsed back against the wall, eyes closing tightly.
JC stepped back, arms crossing over his chest as he regarded Vincent. Once JC had played it all in his mind again, once he was sure Vincent had told him everything, he turned to Joey and Chris.
“Finish him.” He saw Vincent’s eyes go wide and he heard him begging for his life, mumbling almost incoherently. But JC turned, grabbing Justin’s arm, and took long strides out of the alley.
*****
Justin stumbled out of the alley, pulling his arm from JC’s tight grip. Once he was standing straight again, he lifted his eyes to meet JC’s. The truth was, he was kind of in awe at what JC had just done. He’d taken a man, turned him into this scared, shaking mass of flesh, and gotten the answers he wanted out of him. He’d stood tall, imbedding fear into another human being. Justin was always in a slight state of awe whenever he witnessed JC do his job. And he realized, not for the first time, why his father held JC so close to him in his professional life. It had nothing to do with the fact that JC was like a son to him. It was because he did his job well.
But at the same time, JC had just ordered a man killed. A man who had a family, a wife and children. And as Justin looked into his eyes, searched his face, he saw absolutely no remorse. And even with the awe of JC’s skill surrounding him, Justin was angry. Angry that he could harm another man so easily, and with absolutely no guilt.
“What the hell was that?” JC asked, eyes boring into Justin. But Justin didn’t back down. He knew, even with all the animosity that ran between them, that JC wouldn’t hurt him. He wouldn’t dishonor Randy like that. He wasn’t afraid of JC.
“How can you do something like that, order another man dead, and not have any remorse, not feel any guilt for it?” Justin’s voice rose and a few people turned to look. But he didn’t care. This was something he needed answered.
“It’s not really that hard, Justin.” JC’s arms crossed over his chest, a smirk reaching his lips. He’d gotten Justin angry, he’d pushed him without even trying, and that amused him.
“What do you mean it’s not that hard? He has a family JC, he has children. Doesn’t it bother you at all that those children are never going to see their father again? Don’t you care at all?” Justin’s hands were flailing around as he spoke angrily. He saw JC pause, the smirk falling from his eyes.
“Of course I care. I care just as much as you do.”
“Bullshit!” Justin yelled, interrupting him. But JC just smiled again.
“I do care. But the difference is, what we care about are two different things.” Justin’s hands dropped to his side, his eyebrows creasing together. “That man was selling Randy out. He was leaking information to Vanvino. Don’t you get that Justin? Yes, he has a family, he has children. But what he was doing could have potentially hurt your family. It could have eventually lead to the death of your father.” Justin’s eyebrows shot up. He’d never thought of it that way. “Now tell me Justin, which is more important to you; Vinny’s family or your own? Cause the way I see it, you’re thinking Vinny’s family is more important.”
“You know that’s not true.” Justin eyes were hard as he connected with JC’s own gaze again.
“Well I wouldn’t think so, but all you were worried about in there was the fact that Vinny’s kids would never see him again. Doesn’t seem to me like your family is more important to you.”
“Lay off,” Justin said, hands balling into fists at his side. JC saw the anger displayed across Justin’s features, saw the tension in his body. He saw Justin’s fits clenching tightly. And he knew this is what Justin needed, this anger was what would allow Justin to get past his guilt and remorse. This anger was what would enable him to do the job Randy wanted him to do. So he decided to push it further.
“How do you think your pops would take it if I told him you cared more about Vinny’s family than your own flesh and blood?” JC sensed rather than saw Justin move toward him. “I don’t think Randy would be pleased. Might even see it as a sort of betrayal.” Justin’s fingers flexed, his body twitch slightly in anger. JC could see it, almost feel it coursing through his body. JC knew Justin was livid, knew he’d hit home. “Maybe if I tell Randy that, you’ll be the next one I get to bump off.”
And then, before JC could react, before he even saw it coming, he was flipped around, his back pressed tightly against Justin’s chest. Justin’s arm was around him, holding him tightly and JC knew there was no way he could escape. He felt the cold steel against his neck and it took his mind a moment to realize it was Justin’s blade, the one he always carried with him. JC was in shock at how fast Justin had pulled it out.
“I could slit your throat,” Justin whispered. The barely contained anger evident in his shaking hands, his low voice. And JC felt the pressure against his neck, felt the blade dig into his neck, felt the blood start to trickle down. Justin’s left hand, the one holding JC, was shaking profusely, but his right hand, the one holding the blade, was completely still, completely steady. His concentration was solely on the blade in his hand, on the pressure applied to JC’s neck.
JC’s eyes shut and he swallowed tightly. This was the reaction he’d wanted to get out of Justin. He wanted the anger to surface, wanted it to boil over until Justin was forced into action. But the anger wasn’t controlled very well. It wasn’t something Justin was use to dealing with. And that’s what scared JC. His body was shaking slightly and he knew Justin could feel it. He was pressed right up against him, there was no way he could miss it.
Then, as quickly as it had happened, Justin pulled the blade away and shoved JC, causing him to stumble across the sidewalk before straightening and turning to Justin again. Their eyes met and JC could see the fear buried in Justin’s. But the anger was still there as well. He reached a hand up, wiping at his throat, looking at his blood-covered fingers. It wasn’t a deep cut, and aside from a small scar, no real damage was done.
“That’s what you need, Justin. That’s what you’ve needed all along.” His voice was soft. He knew right now wasn’t the time to scream at Justin, not with the anger still burning in his eyes. “That anger is what you have to have in order to do this job. Now that you’ve found it, don’t lose it.”
Justin heard the words, but all he could see, all he could feel, was JC pressed up against him, the blade pressing into his neck. He’d almost killed someone, could have with an easy flick of his wrist. His body was still shaking, the anger still coursing through him. But there was also fear. Fear that he’d not only almost killed someone, but that someone had been JC. He couldn’t grab onto a thought fast enough and he knew he needed to get away, needed to be away from JC. Eyes flashing toward JC’s one more time, Justin turned and ran. He didn’t know where he was heading, but he knew he needed to get as far away from here as possible.
JC watched him go and shook his head, still panting slightly. He never showed fear, hated the weakness that people knew was there when fear was evident. But this had scared him. His body was still shaking, his muscles tense. And he knew Justin had seen it, felt it. He knew Justin knew that he’d been afraid.
Cursing, he swiped at this neck, removing most of the blood. It had stopped bleeding and the dried blood had stained his neck. He was angry at himself, angry that he’d let Justin get to him. Because now Justin knew he could. And that wasn’t something JC wanted. Looking once back toward the alley, he turned and headed back toward his apartment. Chris and Joey could finish the job. And one of them would find him when it was done. He knew they’d be ok without him. And right now, he needed to be alone. He needed to get himself under control again before he dealt with anyone, but most of all he needed to get himself under control before he had to go face Randy with the news of the afternoon.