Page 53 of Max

"Stop that, you look like a fish opening and closing your mouth like that, "Irene snapped. "Well, I'm sure you have many questions, so I'll educate you."

She stood before me, her hands clasped in front of her, her face wearing a plastic smile.

"You didn't really think Nico was behind all of it, did you?"

I decided to go back to being silent. It was a good call since Irene kept talking, and she hated it when someone interrupted her.

"You did? Oh, you poor, simple girl,” faking pity. “Don’t you find it strange that, two weeks after Kiki crawled back into your life, Nico stepped in it, too?”

I looked to Kiki and then back at Irene when she kept talking.

“You see, Kiki here, owed me huge. That little habit of hers was expensive. And she didn’t feel like selling her pussy to pay it off. I have to admit; she’s a fast one. She overheard a conversation that she shouldn’t have, in which we discussed a lack of storage for our products,” she said the word products like she was talking about shampoo and not drugs and human slaves. “I was losing my patience with her, when suddenly she found a perfect solution. She had a cousin that she grew up with, and that had a soft spot for her. Took her whenever she surfaced long enough to take a breath and get some energy, before she went right back down to me, to party.”

She started pacing before me. As ever, she looked like she just stepped out of a magazine.

Not a hair out of place on her Raven black head, crème suit, silky white blouse, and nude pumps.

“I was skeptical, but she took me here, and it was perfect, secluded, no cameras, no nosy police, and big enough to store what we needed. We cleaned Kiki up, that took some doing, and sent her to you. And you, Skylar,” Irene stopped to smile a cold smile at me. “Did just as she said you would. Hook, line, and sinker. We got you just where we wanted you. And then it was time to send in Nico to win you over. It’s unfortunate that Kiki’s pussy lost all allure once he laid eyes on you. It would save all of us a lot of trouble.”

She eyed me.

"You look like hell."

She turned to Kiki," Was that really necessary?" she indicated to me with her head.

I didn't know what was necessary and why she was questioning it. I didn't understand. I thought Nico was behind everything.

"She kept begging to let her go, and I lost my patience," Kiki shrugged.

"Oh, well. At least now she learned," Irene smiled a smile full of malice.

"What do you want from me?"

"You, my dear," Irene came to me, took a strand of my hair between her fingers, then made a face as she touched garbage and dropped it. "You owe me a debt. And before I leave, I'm here to collect."

I stared at her, lost for words. I didn’t have any idea what I owed her, but I knew it wouldn’t end well.

“You see,” Irene started talking again. “I had to kill my son because of you.”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

“I arranged for him to get out of the country, but he insisted he take you with him. I know it’s unbelievable, but he really did love you. I can’t tell you how many times I had to push him to discipline you. But, Mom, she didn’t deserve that. But, Mom, I love her. But, Mom, if I hit her, she’ll start hating me eventually.” Irene laughed without merit. “On and on, he went about how special you were, how beautiful, how talented. Even after you left him at the altar, I had to make sure he had my man with him to teach you a lesson. I knew that Vinny guy was good for nothing. And look, he turned out to be a cop.”

She turned and held a gun in her hand.

“So, you see, you are at fault I had to put two bullets in his head. You did that. And now you have to pay.”

She looked to a smiling Kiki. She was enjoying this.

“Well,” Irene snapped. “Cut her loose. I want her running when I shoot her. I feel like playing.”

Kiki came at me, bent, and started working the handcuffs.

“Why are you doing this?” I could barely talk.

“You took everything from me.” she released my hands and brought me up by gripping my shoulders. Before she threw me to the floor, she muttered, her eyes crazy. “You took Jacob from me.”

Max