"I would tell you to stay in the car but you won't listen so pay attention right now. I'm serious Maria. Listen carefully," He said. I nodded. "Keep your head down, don't speak unless spoken too. Don't ask any questions. And don't even think about running your mouth," He said. "Got it?" He asked. I nodded. "No, I need to hear you say it," He said. "I got it," I said.
He stared at my face for a moment. "Put these on," He said handing me his shades. I put them over my eyes. He gave me a once over, staring at my legs. "What?" I asked. "Nothing, just try not to catch too much attention," He said.
We exited the car and walked towards the laundromat. There was a women posted outside of the building. "Hey Shonda," Will called out. "Hey!" She waved back. I shot her a smile. Will opened the door stepping aside to let me in. It looked like a regular laundromat. A few people were scattered around doing their laundry.
Will led us to the front desk. I read the clerks name tag JoJo. "Hey, is Steve here?" Will asked. JoJo sat up, "Whose asking?" He asked. "I'm a friend of his, can you call him up here?" Will asked. JoJo nodded turned around and pulling out a bunch of keys. He picked out a key and unlocked the door beside him disappearing behind it.
A few moments passed and JoJo walked back through the door with another man. "Who sent you?" The other man spoke, it must have been Steve. "I'm a friend of Nick," Will spoke. Steve smiled, "Your Nick's boy? Why didn't you say so? Man, get down here, I think your uncle's about to loose it," He said. We walked around the front desk and towards the door. There were stairs leading downward, long stairs with a corner so you couldn't see the bottom. I followed Will as he started climbing downward. The sound of voices started to get louder as we traveled further down.
When we reached the bottom heavy cigar smoke filled my lungs. It was a concrete room painted black from top to bottom. About twenty men had been standing around a poker table watching a few play as they smoked their cigars. It was hot and sweaty, they were too busy discussing and watching the game to pay attention to us. Beer cans littered the floor and a single lamp hanging from the ceiling was the only source of light. I was almost too busy analyzing my surroundings to notice the piles of real cash littering the poker table.
"Look who we got here! Willy and his lil girlfriend!" Steve yelled out. Will tried to keep his composure. "Hey! I thought you were supposed to be here last week? What happened?" A man said standing up. "I got caught up," Will said. The man looked over at me and back at Will. "I can see that," He said. "Come and give your uncle Greg a hug," The man said outstretching his arms. He was a tall overweight man with a balding scalp. He was wearing a wife beater drenched in sweat, like most of the men in here. I was keeping my head down like I was told but I couldn't help looking around a little. I noticed a man sitting at the furthest end of the table. He had two bodyguards on either side of his seat. He must have been the leader.
"How's my niece and nephew!" Another man jumped in. "Their fine Uncle Vinny," Will answered while hugging his other uncle. "I keep telling you that you should bring them down here, get in touch with this side of the family, let them know their roots," Uncle Greg spoke. "That'll never happen," Will spoke sternly. Uncle Greg burst into laughter, "Probably better if they don't huh?" He said smiling.
"Who's this? Come here legs, I don't bite," Uncle Vinny spoke. "She's not anyone, I just came for an exchange," Will spoke. "Oh? Not anyone? Well you know the rules William! If you aint claimed her she's free game. Come here sweetness, i'll let you sit on my lap, play a few rounds," Uncle Vinny spoke. I briefly made eye contact as he smiled at me with sweat dripping down his face. He was also older and overweight.
"Uncle Vin, just leave her alone. She's nobody. I only came for an exchange," He said. "Let the lady speak for herself, how you feelin' sweetness? Wanna hang out with the boys for a while?" He asked.
I shook my head no. "C'mon just a couple of hours then you can go home, just hang out for a bit," He said. "No thank you," I said again. "I won't ask again sweetness, just relax for a while," He said. "I won't hurt ya, unless you want me too-Uncle Vinny!" Will screamed loudly and sternly. I flet chills crawl up my spine hearing the authority in his voice. Uncle Vinny stared at his nephew wide eyed. Will leaned on a chair breathing heavy trying to keep himself together. His head hung low and his hair fell to the sides of his head. "Take it easy, I was just messing around," Uncle Vinny said.
Will took a step closer to the table, with a calmer demeanor. "Jimmy, I got some merchandise," He said. The man sat up from his chair taking puff of the cigar between his fingers. It was silent, everyone was waiting for the boss to speak.
"Let me ask you something Will," He spoke his voice rough. "Does this look like a pawn shop?" He asked. Silence once again filled the room. The family reunion demeanor changed completely. The atmosphere turned cold. "Hey boys, does this look like a pawn shop?" He asked again. A chorus of no's filled the room. "You didn't answer me Will," He said.
"No, its not a pawn shop," He said. "What days do we run the pawn shop Will?" He asked. "Thursday," He said. "Then I'm confused as to what the fuck your doing here. You know this isn't a pawn shop, you know when the pawn shop runs yet here you are. Trying to pawn me shit in the middle of my fucking poker game," He said. "C'mon Jimmy, Thursday is six days way, I need the cash," Will said.
Jimmy sighed, taking a puff. "Who's the girl?" He asked. "Nobody she's just followin' me around-take of your shades," Jimmy cut Will off addressing me. I looked at Will for some help but his eyes were trained forward on Jimmy, he was clenching his jaw. He seemed really pissed off. I did as I was told.
"Whats your name?" Jimmy asked. "Maria," I said. A few voices started to pick up around me. "Well Maria, you look like a smart girl. Is today a Thursday?" He asked. "No?" I said. "Ah good, you picked a smart one, today is not Thursday. Did you hear that Will? Listen to your smart girlfriend, so you don't get your dates mixed up," He said.
"Jimmy come on, I have wallets with credit cards. The longer you wait the faster they'll get cancelled," Will said. "How many wallets?" Jimmy asked. "Enough," Will replied. "Just wallets?" He asked. "I got jewelry too," Will said. Jimmy leaned back in his chair contemplating. "How old the wallets?" He asked. "Not even two days," He said. Jimmy narrowed his eyes thinking harder.
"You got them on you now?" He asked. "In my car, send a couple of your boys out to the parking lot with cash, we'll do the exchange out there," He said. Jimmy scoffed, "Your too smart for your own good. I always wonder how you and these other losers are cut from the same cloth," He said.
"Thanks Jimmy," He said. "Let me see your gun, what are you carrying? A nine millimeter? Take a .40, just got a new shipment this morning," He said. Will pulled his gun from his waist band and slid it across the table. One of the body guards picked up a wooden crate up from the floor. Jimmy opened it up and slid back a nicer, cleaner gun.
"How much you pawning the merchandise?" Jimmy asked. "Thirty thou," He replied. "That many wallets?" He asked. "And jewelry don't forget," Will said. "Thats not bad," Jimmy said. "Yeah, I know. I just need the money," Will said. "If you stick around for when I resell to Tony and his people you might make a bigger profit," He said. "No, I don't like getting mixed up in all that," Will said sticking the new gun in his waist band, picking up the box of bullets Jimmy slid over. "Fair enough, keep your head low, don't cause to much trouble," Jimmy said picking up some of the stacks of cash on the table.
He counted a few stacks and called Steve and a few others over giving them the money and some instructions. Steve packed the money in a black bag and tied it off. The men started climbing the stairs and we followed behind them.
We walked around the front desk and back onto the parking lot. They all collectively waved at Shonda. We walked across the parking lot and will opened up the back seat, he pulled out all the plastic bags filled with jewelry and wallets, taking the cash out and dumping it back into the car he gave the wallets and jewelry to the men. Steve handed him the black bag. He shook his hand. "Nice to meet you," Steve said. Will only nodded. We climbed back into the car.
It was quite.
"That wasn't that bad," I said. Will chuckled, "No, No it wasn't," He said turning the car on.
-
We went so some crooked money transfer store a few blocks over. Will took ten grand from the bag. "How about my cut?" I asked. Will reached behind and handed me a fistful of the stolen cash from all the robberies. "How much is this? I at least deserve ten grand since I did a third of the robberies," I negotiated. He scoffed, "Five grand and the loose cash," He said. "Ten grand! You can keep the loose cash!" I said. "That's not me negotiating, that's me stating I'm giving you five grand out of the kindness of my heart. Take it or leave it, and no you did not do a third of the robberies," He said. He wasn't messing around. He seemed tired, over it. It had been a really long day.
He exited the car taking the bag with him. He mentioned earlier about wiring money to someone. His siblings? Maybe. I didn't know if I should ask. I didn't follow him this time. I didn't need too. He was really fast with it , he came back out in a few minutes.
He climbed back into the car and started driving down the road. I recognized the same street from earlier, we were going back to the fancy hotel. He parked the same place as before, I watched as he climbed out of the car once more crossing the street to where his cousin stood beside the revolving door. He handed him a few hundreds. I watched as his cousin bear hugged him.
Will jogged back to the car, sliding in. "Where to next?" I asked. "I need to find a pay phone," He said. "I think I saw one on the street corner we just passed," I said.
-
I watched as he dialed a number on the payphone. I was leaning on the hood of the car, we were enough lucky to find a street parking spot right next to the pay phone.
"Hello? Dammit Bri, what did I tell you about calling? Huh? Don't call Nick anymore, its not funny," He scolded. "I don't care. I told you I was the one who was gonna keep in touch correct? If you keep calling and they link you to me-I said I don't care! Its for your safety, Jesus! Don't call Nicky, or Aunt Linda, or Uncle Greg, don't call anyone. It's not funny, you know better than anyone why you need to lay low," He said. "How is he?" He asked. "No problems? Complications?" He asked. "Good, I sent a wire, listen carefully. Go to western avenue, do you know how to get there? Its not far just take the morning bus, the same one you take across from the motel. Instead of stopping at the hospital this time wait until the third, did you hear me? What stop? Good. When you get off, its on the wrong side of the road so make sure to look both ways while crossing the street. Chazz's money transfer should be right in that shopping center. There's a pay phone so call me if you have problems, only if it's serious, okay? Thats it. Go in inside Chazz's and ask to pick up a wire. The security code is mom's birthday, its gonna be a lot of cash so bring your backpack. Once your done deposit two grand into you bank account, you remember how? Don't catch an attitude, I don't care how old you are, anybody can be stupid," He said.
"What do you do next, do you remember? Yes, make sure you right it well, put all the zeros in the right place with the coma and spell it out correctly. Google it if you have too. Make the payment, don't spell the hospital wrong. I'll call you tomorrow night, you should have everything done by then, do you hear me? Ill talk to you and Jax tomorrow night so just stay at the hospital that night," He finished.
"Yeah. Don't worry about it. I said don't worry about it Bri, I told you I'll be home in a week, alright? Love you too," He said.
It was his siblings, he was taking care of his siblings. He ran his fingers through his hair hanging up the phone. He turned around and looked at me. "Lets go," He said climbing into the car. I followed too. This was the first time I was seeing any humanity in him. He had been arrogant and cocky this whole time with his innuendos and threats. Today I met some of his family, crime ran in his family. No wonder he was the way he was. I saw the traits he carried within other family members. I was struggling to hold a grudge after finding out a little bit about why he was the way he was.
And why he was stealing, to take care of his siblings and I think one of them was sick. Fuck, it was getting harder to remember this was my kidnapper. I sighed, I was okay with only getting five grand if it ment the rest was going to a sick child. I didn't ask any questions, letting him relax a bit. He leaned his head back staring blankly ahead.
"Take the ten and go Maria," He said. "Take a plane back home and forget this all happened," He said. I reached for the black bag. But I felt torn.
What was I going back too? A dead end job and an empty home? Is that what I wanted? Did I know what I wanted? "Whats gonna happen to you?" I asked. He shrugged, "I don't know. Gotta figure out how to make more money. I don't know if I can keep robbing places. They got sketches of me on the news. I can't ever step foot in the state of Texas again, that's for sure," He said. "How are you gonna make money? For your siblings I mean," I asked.
He turned his head. "Don't worry about me, whatever I decide to do it'll be for the best. You met my people today. This is who I am," He said. "Will, don't say that. Your life is worth more than to just throw away," I said. He smiled teasingly. "Maria, you were right. You are better than me. I'm not anything more than a criminal, don't waste your life away for another loser 'cut form the same cloth," He said.
He looked into my eyes. "You don't have you worry about me, trust me. I'm not much," He said. "Will, your sacrificing yourself to take care of your family. It may not be the best way but like you also said I know nothing of your life. I don't doubt you had absolutely no other options," I said.
"Will, the truth is. Even though it started pretty awful, I haven't felt like like this before. My life has always been about getting through the day. I mean it, each day I wake up just to trudge through the day, I only live to keep the suffering going. I didn't even know I was suffering before I got kidnapped, I didn't know I could feel anything else other than dread, pure mind numbing mundaness," I said. "You may think your not worth anything but your worth a little something to me. Your worth so much to your siblings, to your cousin, your life isn't just something to be sacrificed. You could have so much more if you wanted, anything if you wanted," I said.
He continued to stare deeply into my eyes.
"Anything I wanted?" He asked. I didn't know what he was implying but I felt it. It felt like he was talking about me.
I slowly nodded my head. He leaned in. Closer and closer eliminating the gap between us. I wasn't moving, the only thing I could hear was my heart beating out of my chest.
His face was centimeters away from mine. His smooth skin and dark eyes overtaking my conscience. He was so good looking. My eyelids shut preparing themselves along with the rest of me to meet his pillowy soft lips.
"Take ten, and go home Maria," He whispered so close never placing his lips on mine. His deep breathy tone erupted shivers throughout my form. When I opened my eyes he was pulling back, leaning himself back onto the head rest, staring blankly straight forward.
"No," I said.