Evan Arden 03 Otherwise Unharmed (34 page)

I pushed myself up on my elbows and focused on the body of Kyle Davies lying near my feet.  There was a gaping hole in the back of his chest and blood everywhere.  I looked over to Lia who held my Beretta in her hands.

Her face was white.

The dust was clearing, and as my vision returned
, the nausea subsided.  I looked around the room to see Rinaldo standing in the middle of it, a gun in each hand.  He was looking over the scene with his knuckles white against the pistol grips, his nostrils flared, and his eyes blazing.

There were no more shots.

I made my way over to Lia and kneeled in front of her.  She still held the gun out at the ready as she looked into my eyes.

“I killed him,” she whispered.

“I know,” I replied.  “It’s okay.”

She shook her head rapidly, and her hands clenched.  I needed to get the gun out of her hand before she inadvertently fired it again.

“Give me the gun, baby,” I said softly.

Lia’s eyes were still wide, and her chest rose and fell rapidly.  I reached forward and placed my palm over the barrel of the Beretta and gave it a bit of a twist, freeing it from her fingers.
  She collapsed into a heap as soon as I did, and I dragged her closer to me.

“It’s all right,” I told her.  “You’re okay
—I’m okay.”

“I killed him,” she said again.

“I know.”  I held her to me.  “You had to, baby.”

Rinaldo
was holding Luisa gently by her good arm as he picked his way through the rubble, kicking at Rurik’s body in the process.  Victor and Matthew both lay still, but I couldn’t tell if they were dead or just unconscious.  Milena was holding Nick’s head in her lap, but his eyes were open and he was talking to her as tears ran down her cheeks.  I looked toward the window and saw Micah’s body bent at an awkward angle on the floor.

“You okay?” Jonathan asked.

“I think so,” I said.  I looked down to my leg.  The tear in my jeans revealed the bullet wound across my calf.  “Hurts like a bitch, but it’s not serious.  We need Doc Franklyn.”

“I’ll get him,” Jonathan said.

“Call in a cleaning crew, too,” Rinaldo called out as Jonathan stood and headed out.

By the time the doctor arrived, Jonathan and Rinaldo had moved Matthew and Victor’s bodies to one side of the room and Micah, Rurik, and three of their cohorts’ bodies to the other side. 
Johnson—or whatever his name was—and Davies were still right where they fell.

Jonathan had cleared an area in the center of the room for Luisa to relax and for Rinaldo to pace. 
Nick was sitting up, but like me, he had also been shot in the leg.  The wound was deeper, and the bullet was still inside, but Franklyn didn’t think he would lose his leg or anything.  He bandaged it, but said he wanted to take him to his office to get the bullet removed and his leg properly patched up.

Luisa’s
scalp needed a couple of stitches, and her arm was put into a sling until Franklyn could get everything he needed to reset the break and apply a cast.  The doctor checked over Rinaldo, but other than a few scrapes and bruises, he was fine as was Jonathan.  Franklyn bandaged up my leg after agreeing that it wasn’t anything too serious and then handed me a bottle of antibiotics, which I pocketed after taking one of them.  He was more concerned about the obvious concussion I had suffered, but I told him to get off my ass and deal with the others.

Rinaldo looked over to me as the doctor wrapped my leg.

“It’s on,” he said as he looked around to everyone in the room.  “No one comes to my house like that and lives.  We’re taking out all of Greco’s organization and the Russians.  None saved.”

“Retribution,” Luisa hissed.  “Those fuckers are going to pay
—all of them.”

Milena held on to Nick, but he just looked between his father and sister before he nodded his head in agreement.

I turned my attention back to Lia.

She was still white as a sheet, and I had the doctor come over an
d check her out.

“She’s in a bit of
shock,” he said.  “Keep her warm and yell if she gets worse.  She’s going to have a nasty bruise there on her leg, but she’s otherwise unharmed.”

The phrase made me cringe.  I knew by the look in her eyes that she was anything but
—it was a look I’d seen many times before, often in the mirror.  I took her face in my hands and tried to get her to focus on me.  As soon as she did, she broke down and started to cry.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her as tightly as I could.  She’d saved my life, no doubt, but right now
, she couldn’t see it for what it was.

“He would have killed me, baby,” I whispered into her hair.  “If you hadn’t
pulled the trigger, he would have killed me just like he did Odin.”

Lia clung to me, sobbing against my bare chest as her fingers gripped my shoulders.

“It’s over now, baby,” I told her.  “It’s over.”

“Take me away from here,” she whispered.
  “I can’t do this anymore, Evan—I can’t!”

“You don’t have to,” I said.
  “I love you, and we’re going to leave.”

Nothing
would stop me from taking her far away from all of this.

Lia wasn’t happy about it, but I insisted she stay at Rinaldo’s southern house while I bought replacement items for the things that were destroyed when Davi
es wrecked the apartment.  I also had a few other things I wanted to get done before we left, and I couldn’t do all of those things with her in tow.

I
also needed a little time to myself.

I kicked at the curb as I loitered and wished I had put on a warmer jacket.  It was only late October, but the wind from the lake was chilling.  After a few minutes of waiting, I looked up to see
Mark Duncan as he was coming out of his office.  With a shout and a wave, I flagged him down before he could get to his Land Rover.

“Hey, Mark!”

“Evan?”  He stepped away from the vehicle and walked over to me on the sidewalk near the office building.  “What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to tell you I was leaving town,” I said.
  I shoved my hands into my pockets to provide a little warmth.

Mark snorted out a sharp laugh through his nose.

“Now you decide to tell me something?”  His shoulders rose and fell with his breath, which froze into vapor as it came out of his mouth.  “Where are you going?”

I reached up and scratched at the back of my head.  I needed another haircut.

“Not sure exactly,” I said.  I really did have a place in mind, but I hadn’t even told Lia where it was yet.  I wasn’t sure how thrilled she was going to be with the location, but we could always move somewhere else later.

“So what made you stop here?”

I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but what had always been there—genuine concern for me.  It felt odd to recognize it for what it was, but I knew it had always been there from the beginning.  Maybe I could see it now because of Lia and her influence over me.  I didn’t know for sure; I only knew she made me see things differently—clearer and with a mindset more toward what I could be, not what I have been.

“Well, I thought you might like to know I don’t think I’ll be seeing that kid anymore,” I said.  “You know
—the one with the bombs strapped to him.”

“I remember.”

“Yeah, I think he’s gone.”

“Why do you think that?” Mark asked.

“Because now I know why I kept seeing him.”

“How did you figure that out?”
Mark asked as he appraised me.

“He told me,” I said with a shrug.  He raised an eyebrow
, and I snickered.  “I guess I told myself.  Anyway, it’s kind of why I’m leaving.  Well, partially.”

“Are you taking Lia with you?”

“Yeah, definitely.”

“I can only hope this is a good move for you, Evan.  Let me know where you end up, and I’ll recommend someone to continue your treatment.”

“Sure,” I said.  I looked into his eyes, and we both knew I wasn’t going to do it.

“Are you going to be all right?” he asked.

“I’ll manage,” I said.  “Thanks for trying to help me.”

Mark reached out his hand, and I
shook it.

“Good luck, Evan.”  His tongue darted out over his lips.  “If you do ever need anything, let me know, okay?”

“I can do that,” I said with a nod.

We parted.

I finished my shopping and then joined Rinaldo at his office.  He shooed Nick out of the room so we could talk privately.

“
There’s only one real kind of retirement in this business,” Rinaldo said flatly as soon as we were alone.

I stiffened in the chair across from him.

“So we’re going to say you’re on sabbatical, got it?”

I took a calming breath.

“Yes, sir.  Thank you.”

“You saved my daughter,” he said.  “You’ve saved me a number of times.  I owe you a little something, but don’t ever forget I may need something from you one day in the future.  I’ll respect what you need, but that doesn’t mean we’re parting ways forever, capisc
e?”

“Capi
sce.”

“I made sure the contracts were removed from both of you,” Rinaldo said.  “That should keep anyone from following you.  I also had Lia contact the police in Phoenix and resolve the missing person’s report her ex filed on her.  She talked to her mother as well.”

I’d forgotten all about that.

“Thank you, sir.”

“In case you were wondering, all the charges against you have been resolved.  You’re on probation, but don’t worry about checking in—Jonathan is covering all that for you.”

I blinked a couple of times.

“Seriously?”

“Apparently, he’s got an app for that.”

I laughed.

“Your mental state coupled with the extensive treatment you are currently undergoing is enough for the state.”  Rinaldo smiled.  “Everything else has been wiped clean.”

“Damn,” I muttered.  “That’s pretty good work.”

“If you
would have talked to me in the first place, maybe it would have happened a little sooner.”

I glanced down at my hands and swallowed hard.

“You made some bad choices, Arden,” he informed me.

I looked down, the scolding leaving me feeling genuinely contrite for once.

“If you get yourself in a bind, you fucking talk to me about it.  We could have figured this one out together, and maybe we wouldn’t have the fucking disaster we have now.”

“I know, sir.”

“That said, I’m not holding you accountable.  I know what you’ve been through, and I appreciate that.  You’ve always been of great service to me and my family.  I can’t discount that, even if you did demonstrate shit judgment on your part.”

“Yes, sir.”
  I took a breath and looked up at him.  His expression softened.

“If you ever need anything from me
in the future, you just let me know.”  Rinaldo leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms as I nodded.  “And let’s not make it putting you down, all right?”

I smiled.

“Yes, sir.”

“You and Lia going to leave right away?”

“As soon as I’m done with a few errands, yes.”

“
Do you know where you’re going?”

I shrugged noncommittally.

“Not saying?”

“I’d prefer to keep it to myself, sir.  If someone decides to look for me, I’d rather no one in your org know my location.”

Rinaldo nodded.

“We’re going to be busy with all of this.  Even with the Russians mostly out of the picture, we’ve still got Greco to deal with.  Once we’re
reorganized, he’s going to have to pay for everything he’s done to this outfit and my family.”

“I’m sure he will, sir.”

“If I get wind that he’s looking for you out of town, I’ll let you know through your email.”

“I’ll keep an eye on it,” I promised.

Rinaldo stood, and I copied his movement.  I thought he would reach out and shake my hand, but he came around the desk and hugged me instead.  I returned the gesture a little awkwardly at first but then with tightened arms around his shoulders.  We parted, and I took a slight step back.

“I’ve got your back
,” Rinaldo said.  “I hope you decide to stay in touch.”

“Maybe eventually,” I said.  “I’ve got to try and figure out this whole real life thing, you know?”

“All of this hasn’t been real enough for you?”  He waved his hands around the office and smiled.

“Nah.”
  I shook my head.  “I think I slept through most of it.”

Rinaldo laughed.

“I hope you will rest easy now.”

“With Lia, yeah,” I said, “I think I will, sir.”

“Take care, son.”

My heart raced as I looked at him, nodded slowly, and turned to leave before I
decided to change my mind.  I made my way down the back steps without looking back.

It felt strange to walk out of his office with no intention of returning.  I knew there would always be the possibility of him calling in a favor
—and I would probably do whatever he asked—but for now, he would leave me in peace.

I looked out at the Chicago skyline as I boarded the bus and found two seats together so I had a place for my packages.  It was equally strange to know I wouldn’t be riding around on the
same CTA buses, looking up at the same buildings, or walking along the lake with Odin chasing seagulls and pigeons.

There were so many memories, so many things I had done here, but more often than not, they weren’t pleasant things.  I rode the bus to where my car was parked and then found myself driving around Lake Shore East Park.  Someone had fixed the warning sound for the parking garage.  It wasn’t as loud as it used to be, but it still made me cringe.  There was a spot open, so I parked the car and looked up to the balcony of my old apartment as I walked around the park.

Without actually meaning to, I went inside the dog run.

There were a few people hanging out there, and I sat down on
a bench for a minute to watch the dogs sniff and bark at each other.  A golden retriever mix came up to me, and I rubbed his head before his owner called him back.  Memories of Odin flooded through my mind, but they were all good ones.

I left the park,
drove to Giordano’s, and ordered a pizza.

After I had stuffed myself, I walked by
the 676 Bar and Grill, but I didn’t go in.  It was too early for Michele with one “L” to be working, and besides, the last memories I had there were of Davies.  I’d known then he was hiding something, but I thought he was just planning to turn me in along with the rest of Greco’s group, not kidnap and try to rape my girlfriend.

My hands clenched into fists.  Lia hadn’t said anything else about it, but I knew she thought about it.  She’d woken up last night in a cold sweat
, crying.  I held her against my chest until she fell back to sleep.

I supposed I owed her a few nights of that.

I was pretty sure she and Luisa had talked about it more, and I was glad she had another woman to go to because I couldn’t even deal with my own traumas, let alone help with hers.  I could be there for her, but I didn’t have any words to take away what had happened to her.

After all of that, she still felt guilty about taking his life.

I only regretted not doing it myself.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I turned away from the lake wind and made the trek back to the car.  I drove slowly through downtown traffic and watched the tourists with
their shopping bags and Chicago-themed sweatshirts walk up and down the street, looking at maps and smartphones as they tried to figure out where they were.

I drove by the corner where Bridgett used to hang out and wait for tricks.

“You need to stop this shit,” I told myself.  “Too many fucking memories.”

With a quick twist of the wheel, I got myself on
to Lakeshore Drive and headed toward the less damaged of Rinaldo’s homes.  When I arrived, all of Lia’s things were in a pile on the porch next to mine.  As I pulled up, she came outside with Luisa and Jonathan behind her.

“Ready now?” she asked.

“Definitely,” I replied.

Luisa and Lia shared a
n awkward one-armed hug, carefully avoiding bumping the bright pink cast over Luisa’s arm and elbow.  They spoke a few soft words as I threw the last of our things into the car and shut the lid to the trunk.  Jonathan came over and clasped his hand on my back.

“You take care of yourself,
brotha,” Jonathan said as he shook my hand vigorously.  He was wearing his Save Ferris T-shirt, which made me smile.  “You ever need anything, you know how to find me.”

“Thanks, dude,” I replied.  “You sure you’re okay with taking care of…of Odin?”

“It’s my next stop,” Jonathan said.  “He’s getting the biggest fucking stone in the pet graveyard, so if you ever come back, it’ll be easy enough to find.”

We looked at each other for a long moment, but there wasn’t anything else to be said. 
As strange as it was, given how many bodies I had disposed of during my tenure with Rinaldo’s organization, I couldn’t bring myself to take care of Odin’s.  The very thought of it brought me to the point of vomiting.  It could have been left over from the concussion, but I didn’t think so.  When Jonathan had volunteered, I knew my dog would get the best final services he could.  Thanks wouldn’t have been anywhere near enough, and Jonathan already knew how I felt about it anyway.

“Don’t put up with any shit from this guy!” Jonathan said to Lia as he gave her a quick hug and opened the car door for her.

She laughed.

“He wouldn’t dare,” she said with a wink to me.

I rolled my eyes, waved goodbye to Luisa, and got behind the wheel.  Lia settled in beside me, and I pulled around the circular driveway and off into the street.

“We need to make
one last stop,” I said.