~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter Five~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Billy looked down at Jen sleeping next to him. She
looked as innocent as she had when he had first met her
that day at college. They had been in their sophomore
year. Billy had just transferred in, and he was wandering
around campus when...
he spotted her. She was sitting in the middle of a
nearby field, talking to someone or something. He stepped
closer, and he saw what the girl was doing, she was
comforting a wounded fawn. It was amazing enough that she
was able to get close to it, but the fawn seemed to trust
her enough to snuggle against her when it spotted him.
She turned and looked, and upon seeing Billy, she had sent
him for help. When he returned, the fawn was asleep in her
arms, and he knew he was in love.
That fawn was what she reminded him of now, innocent
and trusting, if a little wary. He brushed a strand of
hair out of her eyes.
Billy regretted that his boss wanted her dead. Jen
had always been strong-willed and law abiding, and her few
months as assistant D.A. had won her some powerful enemies,
his boss amongst them. She’d sent him to prison, and it
was up to Billy to take his revenge. And that was the last
thing he wanted to do. Not then, and especially not now.
He wanted desperately to get out of the game, and if
he could, he’d take Jen with him. His boss would just get
more hitmen, but he could protect Jen. They could be like
Bonnie and Clyde, only without the crime spree. They’d
have to lay low, maybe change their whole identities. But
it would be worth it.
* * *
When Jen opened her eyes the next morning, sunlight
was streaming into her window. Looking around, she spotted
Billy dressing on the other side of the room.
"Oh," Jen groaned closing her eyes again. "Bright
light!" She buried her head under the covers.
"Good morning, beautiful," Billy called out cheerfully.
Jen popped her head back out. "Is it morning already?"
Billy walked over, sat down next to Jen,
and kissed her. Jen snuggled into his arms.
"I’m afraid so," Billy confirmed. "And
if I don’t leave soon, I’m going to be late
for my meeting."
"What meeting?" Jen asked groggily.
"Just business," Billy answered. He
kissed her forehead. "And I’m going to be late if I don’t
finish getting around."
Jen sighed, thinking about a day four years before when
Billy had said something quite similar.
"I will be back," Billy said, reading Jen’s mind.
"Don’t go making promises you can’t keep," Jen told
him, grabbing her bathrobe from the floor and heading to the
bathroom.
Billy followed, but Jen slammed the door in his face.
He sighed, knowing that nothing he could say would convince
her otherwise. He’d have to prove her wrong through his
deeds. If that was even possible anymore.
* * *
Jen pulled up to the curb behind Trent’s ‘Vette and
stared at Thunder Karate in dismay. The front window had
been broken outward, and the interior looked to be a mess,
as well!
Climbing out of her Mustang, she went inside to find
Trent, who, along with his students, was picking up the mess.
"Trent, what happened?" Jen asked, wandering over to him.
Trent spun around, startled, and not at all happy.
"Your friend decided to do some redecorating last night,"
he told her, picking up a broken trophy.
"My friend?" Jen asked, puzzled.
"Billy Bowen," Trent answered, picking up another damaged
trophy. He set the pieces in a box.
"Billy?" Jen questioned. "Trent, that’s impossible!
Billy was with me all--" She stopped, suddenly uncomfortable.
Trent glared at Jen. His sour mood was infectious.
"What, Trent?" Jen asked angrily, feeling no need to
explain her actions. "I know Billy didn’t do this!"
Trent didn’t answer. Ignoring Jen, he packed his broken
memories away.
"Don’t you have any other suspects?" Jen asked. When
Trent continued to ignore her, Jen went on. "You’re a private
investigator, Trent. This is what you do best!"
"What I do best," Trent snarled, "is work alone."
Jen, startled and hurt, fought to keep the tears out of
her voice.
"If that’s the way you feel, Trent, then I quit," she
told him icily. She turned and walked back out of Thunder
Karate.
* * *
"It’s about time, Bowen," the gray-haired man Billy knew
as Vernon Kydon greeted him as he walked in the door. "Is it
done?"
Billy, studying the two big men standing to either side
of Kydon, shook his head. "Not yet."
"And why is that, Bowen?" Kydon asked, eerily calm. "Why
is this girl different from the rest?"
Billy could give him a hundred reasons, but he knew better
than to say any of them.
"She didn’t sleep last night," he told
Kydon. "She was really hyper, and she talked
and talked. And she knows how to take care of
herself. I thought it best to wait until her
guard is down."
Kydon nodded. "I know about your feelings
for this girl, Bowen. If you do anything stupid,
like even think about running out on this contract, we’ll kill
you. And we’ll kill her first and make you watch."
* * *
"Trent, what did you say to Jen?" Tommy asked, stepping up
behind his brother with an empty box.
"She just quit," Trent answered tersely.
"Quit?" Tommy asked, surprised. "You can’t let her quit!
If she doesn’t have a reason to stay in Dallas, she might move
away, and we’ll never see her again!"
"Some things can’t be helped, Tommy," Trent answered.
"And I don’t want to talk about it."
"Don’t want to talk about what?"
Trent turned to find Carlos in the doorway. He’d been
there earlier, when Trent had first reported the vandalism.
"I’ve got more info on that Bowen guy you asked about
earlier," Carlos said.
Trent grabbed a broom and started sweeping up the floor.
"I don’t want to hear it, Carlos."
"You don’t want to know that Jen’s friend Billy is a
professional hitman?" Carlos asked. That got Trent’s
attention. Trent stopped sweeping and looked at his friend.
"He’s what’s known as a ladykiller," Carlos continued.
"He introduces himself to his "hits," seduces them, and then
kills them while they sleep."
"My God," Trent said, his anger with Jen turning to
concern.
"Bowen dated Jen for three and a half years," Carlos
added. "He walked away one day four years ago, and straight
into a life of crime. He now freelances, but he was recently
hired by Don Giorma."
Trent thought for a moment. "Wasn’t that the...?"
"Mob kingpin Jen sent away for murder?" Carlos finished.
"Want to lay odds on who the next "hit" is supposed to be?"
Trent paled as understanding arrived. He shoved the
broom into Tommy’s hands and raced out of Thunder Karate, with
Carlos at his heels.
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