Page 206 of Malice and Surrender
“The accident wasn’t an accident. My normal partner was off sick, but I think he was threatened or paid off to stay home. The guy in his place let me drop from seventy-five feet in the air.”
“What the fuck? Did you piss in his cereal,” Kai asked.
“So funny. No, of course not. He wanted my spot and was pissed that I beat him out. I didn’t die because we had a hidden emergency net that pulled up if one of us fell. Dying in front of people watching doesn’t go over well.”
“But you still messed up your knee?” Kai picked up single pieces of each snack and popped them into his mouth. I was morbidly fascinated with his eating. Refocusing, I continued with my story.
“I wouldn’t have, but shocker, after my first bounce, the line snapped on one of the corner cords, and I landed on my leg all wrong. It bent one way, and I bent the other.” I demonstrated with my hands. “That line is designed to handle more than a dozen of us dropping on it at a time. It never should’ve snapped. The insurance company ruled it an accident, but I know it was sabotage.”
“Did you at least get compensated for it?” Kai seemed very interested in my story, which I appreciated, yet…it was weird. Maybe he was actually trying, but I was skeptical.
“They paid for all my medical and this new surgery I have to have. I didn’t want to sue since I knew it wasn’t the company, but they offered to pay anything I needed to recover, so I agreed.”
“Why did you never tell the cops,” Kai asked.
“When I was in the hospital after my first surgery, a delivery guy showed up with a large flower arrangement. When I opened the card, there was a picture of Jace with a red line through his face, and on the back, it said, One word is all that it will take.” I shrugged. “The fact he knew about Jace at all freaked me out. We are always so careful and back then we rarely saw one another.”
“Damn, that’s cold,” Kai said. “Smart and devious, but definitely cold. I get why you wouldn’t say anything. What’s this guy’s name?”
“I don’t know if I should say. After I got out of the hospital, I did some digging, and it turns out his family is part of the mafia,” I picked up my beer and gulped the rest. “He ruined my life so he could have fifteen minutes of fame. He did like two shows and quit.” I shook my head.
“I hate him. I’ve had two surgeries, and now I need a third to replace my knee and reconstruct my ACL. They’re saying two or three months before I’m okay, and that’s only if it takes and I’m diligent with my physio. So much pain, and for what? So this guy could say he got to headline in Vegas and then turned his nose up at it.” My hand squeezed the glass hard, and I had to take a deep breath before I broke it. “I try to be a good person, Kai, I really do, but this guy…let’s just say I wouldn’t mind him going missing.”
Turning my head, I looked at Kai. He was quiet, his stare intense. “What’s his name?
I licked my lips. I hadn’t said his name since that day. It felt like bringing bad energy around me if I did.
“Julian Fiore.”
“Okay.”
“What does okay mean?”
“It means okay. Consider it done. Don’t ask questions, don’t pass go or collect your two hundred dollars. Just let it be, and it will be taken care of,” Kai said, his voice calm.
“You mean you’ll…you know?”
“I mean, it’s best not to ask questions that you really don’t want answers to, but I can say he will be taught a lesson, and you can sleep better at night.” Kai tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it like he wasn’t just talking about killing someone. I stared at him for a long time as my mind took in and chewed on what he said.
“Thanks.” Unsure what to say to that right now, I pointed at him. “Okay, your turn.”
“I know who attacked Raine.” My mouth dropped open. “I also made sure that one of the three would never breathe again. The other two I’m closing in on, and I found pictures of her assault.”
He picked up his beer and took a sip before setting all the snacks on the table. It wasn’t so much what Kai was doing that freaked me out. It was what he wasn’t saying. He would destroy whoever it was until there was nothing left to find.
“Does Raine know who they are?”
Like I hit a light switch, Kai whipped his head in my direction, his lip curled up, and his eyebrows drew tight as the anger radiated off him. “No, and I want it to remain that way. Two of the three men were people she knew and trusted. She already had to live through thinking I hurt her. I don’t want to put any more nightmares in her head.”
I nibbled on my lower lip. “I’d want to know, Kai. If it were me, I’d want to know,” I said softly.
“Well, Raine is not you, and she’s been through a lot. I’m not putting this on her as well. I’ll find them, and I’ll take care of them. When I’m good and ready, and Raine has had more time adjusting to all of this.” Kai demonstrated my home with his hands, but I think he meant all the changes in general. Her growth, not just the new walls around her. “Then I will find a way to tell her, but not before.” His face grew darker, like he was casting shadows in the room with his glare. “I will deal with them in my way. I owe her that. I owe myself that, and I won’t rest until it happens. You wanted us to have a sharing session and a bonding moment, then there it is. You don’t say a word to her about this.”
We were quiet after that, and one by one, performers walked up to the stage to accept their awards. It seemed like forever before they called the names of those nominated for Best Rock Song. The announcers on stage made a joke, but I just wanted them to hurry up. My heart was pounding faster as I stared at the television.
“And the winner is…Grimhead Crew!”
“Yes!” I yelled and jumped up, pumping my fist into the air, immediately regretting it as pain shot through my knee. “Fuck” I grumbled as I flopped back down and held onto the joint. But even my stupid knee couldn’t stop the happiness or the smile from spreading as the camera swung to Jace and Raine.
