Fletcher: Dick made a call. He mentioned the pool house out back. Heads up, he will be heading that way shortly.
Showing Clint my cell, he takes me by the hand, and we go back out the patio door we danced through earlier. The pool house is several yards away. It was a recently added structure over the last decade or so, but to my understanding hasn’t been used. It was made of brick and glass and didn’t fit the aesthetic of the stone cathedral. We quickly jogged to the double glass-paned doors of the pool house.
“Locked. Fuck.” I groaned, throwing my head back in exasperation after I try the doorknobs.
“Shhhh, Baby Blue, I might have been a little bit of a delinquent growing up,” Clint whispers back as he drops to his knees and fishes out a lock picking kit from inside his tux pocket and proceeds to open the door for us in less than a minute.
We scramble inside, trying to get our bearings in the darkness. I use my cell phone flashlight to quickly locate a small storage closet off to the far-right side. I open it, and we slide in amongst the pool chemicals, and stacked up white towels.
Less than fifteen minutes pass when we hear the jingling of keys at the pool door, followed by several heavy footsteps entering the structure.
The men don’t turn on the lights; I assume not wanting to draw attention to themselves in the glass-enclosed pool house. Looking out the storage closet door slats, I can make out Richard Broussard and three of the Asesinos’ gang members. Under the faint moonlight, I can clearly see their crossed gun tattoos on their necks. While Richard is in a tux, the other three men are dressed more casually, and not trying to hide their gang-affiliated tats nor the guns they seem to have strapped on every appendage.
“Why the meeting, Ricardo? I thought my father made it very clear that while we were interested in helping you move drugs and money from here to Puerto Rico and back, that children and women trafficking isn’t our specialty. Cojones no te metas conmigo. So, don’t fuck with me. Out with it, what is this really about?” The man in the middle gruffly asks Richard.
“Tsk tsk, Dante,” Richard says patronizingly, reaching out as if to touch Dante, to which the two bigger gangbangers step forward, making Richard drop his hands. Fuck, Winnie’s Dante?
“I don’t care what your father says because I know you are going to help me convince him to get in on this deal, or else...”
“Vete pa la puneta! Go to hell! We are leaving, and I don’t take well to idle threats.” The heat coming off Dante’s words could quickly melt a snowman. Dante turns and walks towards the pool house doors when Richard stops him with his next words.
“Not even for my daughter, Winifred?”
Dante’s shoulders hunch up as he turns and stalks back towards Richard, gripping him by his tux's lapels.
“Que cabron eres. You are such a bastard. What have you done?”
Richard takes a step back from Dante and straightens up his jacket as if he weren’t just manhandled by a deadly thug.
“Winifred is being sold.” Clint and I look at each other in horror at Dick’s words as I grip his hand tightly. “If you want to have first dibs on her selling price, you will help me move my product. I have a shipment of women and children coming from Puerto Rico, and I need you and,” he looks around at the other two men, “your fellow associates, to take possession of the container in Miami until my people arrive for them. You can handle that, can’t you?”
“This Winifred. What do I care what you do with her? She means less than nothing.” Dante says, turning his back to Richard though it is plain as day he cares deeply, which surprises even me.
“You forget I have access to something as simple as her cell phone records. You don’t think I have seen your messages back and forth to each other. Dare I say; I think my little girl may be in love with you.” Richard laughs.
“Esta hija de puta no sabe con quien se mete. This son of a bitch doesn’t know who he is fucking with.” Dante says under his breath, turning back to Richard and putting a gun to his forehead. “I could kill you, and no one would care.”
“Ah, but then all the women and children in the container would perish if no one is there to pick them up… and if that isn’t enough to sway you, Winifred has already been taken away, and without me- all is lost.” The crazy psycho Dick laughs again.
I’m shaking right next to Clint as he holds me back from exiting the storage closet. I wish I would have worn high heels so that I could stab him in the fucking eyeball.
“You see, shortly, all the Heads will be getting a notice that my precious daughter has been kidnapped by some gang members with very distinct tattoos.” He taps the side of his neck. “Any minute now, the two bodyguards my homo son had babysitting her will wake from their unconscious state. They will have a vaguely foggy memory of being pummeled within their last breaths by a couple of guys who look very similar to the two of the gentlemen you have with you tonight.” The two gangbangers stiffen beside Dante. “Now, if you want me to smooth things over and clear your gang of any wrongdoings, get you back your girl safely, and make us both a shit ton of money… I suggest you convince your father to accept my delivery.”
With that, Richard smiles his evil smile and walks towards the pool door, holding it open for the three gang members to exit, “Pleasure doing business with you, Dante. I see a big future for you with the Saupoudrer Family.”
__________
“That fucking taint looking motherfucker! I know there is evil in the world, but it still amazes me how low people can be!” I shout while pulling my hair and hitting Holder's car's dashboard, trying to relieve some of the pent-up anger. We waited quietly for Dick to leave, and then went to the car. Clint sits silently with the light from his cell phone screen, illuminating his handsome yet stoic face.
“I know Blue, but we have to be strong for Holder right now. I just messaged him to meet us out front. He has to know what's going on. We have to come up with a plan.” He says while rubbing his palms over his face before cranking the car and putting it in gear.
“We’ll get him Blue. We’ll make him pay, not just for this but for what he has done to Holder.” He growls, grabbing my hand and squeezing. I nod my agreement. My mind is numb, and my heart is pounding in my chest. I want blood. I want Richard’s blood. All of it. I will bleed him dry.
“I’ll tell Holder. You call Cole and Fletch. They need to get to your house and get things ready. We have a trip to take, but I need to make a stop first.” I say between clenched teeth as we pull past the stairs, and Holder steps out in front of his car. His body silhouetted by the headlights. His face is curious. We had plans in place, and now we're changing them. He doesn't like change.
I crawl over in Clint's lap as Holder slides in the passenger seat. Once he is fully seated and looking at me expectantly, I scoot into his lap and put his arms around my waist. “Holder, I want you to listen and not say anything until I’m finished. Do you understand me?” I ask while making eye contact with him. We don't usually bring his need to be dominated out of the bedroom, but this is one of the times that I have to be in control. If he doesn’t have something to steady him, he will go seek out Richard and finish him before we have the information we need. He is haunted by the childhood memories of his father, like I was of my ex Robert. We are the same when it comes to being pushed too far. He will lose control, and his demons will drive his blood lust into a manic need for death.