The Middle Man Read online

  I was closing the door behind me when his mom laughs, “I like her.”

  Sliding my arms around him, I felt his tension and knew words weren’t what he needed. Staying quiet, I listened to his breathing and the sounds of nature. So slowly you wouldn’t even had seen him move, Nix alerts me to trouble. “Go inside,” he says firmly. “Protect my parents.”

  Thanks to a seriously bright motion sensor, I see a giant silhouette come into view and knew immediately, “That’s Vulture.”

  “Finn, my parents.”

  Without another word, I went back inside and before his mom could speak I held my hand up demanding silence. His dad knew, I saw it in his eyes. His mom did not and I saw that in her eyes too.

  “Take her and hide,” I point at him. “No matter what happens, no matter what you hear, do not come out unless he or I come and get you.”

  “What’s happening, Finn?” she asks, trembling in fear.

  “Take her,” I threaten him. “You stay in plain view, you’ll both die.”

  Grabbing his wife, he ushers her toward the basement and before he disappeared, he asked, “Where are you going?”

  “To save the man I love.” But I did stop for weapons first.

  Why? Because I was a God damn professional.

  “Danny, come home,” my mom begged in a voicemail. “We can figure this out. Please, don't do this. You're my son and I love you. Your father will come around, but I need you here when he does.”

  When the message finished, I deleted it and then I blocked the number. Not because I was angry or because I didn't love them. I did it because they deserved better.

  Taking Finn to see her mom was reckless on my part. But we lucked out it was Loon tracking us and meant no harm. My luck, it seems, had run out. I knew coming here was a mistake long before I even made the decision to do it. My need for them to be proud of me overrode their safety and Finn’s.

  Since we arrived, my surroundings felt off. While it was obvious my dad was never going to change, hugging my mom had settled the storm within me. With Finn’s arms around my waist, cheek pressed to my back, I knew she was listening to my breathing and matching it to her own. Coming to my side and tucking herself there, she saw him at the same moment I had.

  She didn’t want to go inside. Not my Finn. She wanted to stand next to me and fight on equal ground. But my parents needed her. They were blameless and they needed protection. While my dad was a hell raiser back in his day, he wasn’t spry anymore. He’d left war behind and like the evil he called me, I’d brought it to his door just as he said I would.

  Stalking forward, his large body eats up the distance and the sick gleam of bloodlust was written all over his scarred face.

  “Phoenix.”

  “Vulture.”

  “Where’s the bitch?”

  See, this is kind of shit I would not tolerate. “Would you like to try that again?”

  Instead of answering me, he lunged forward in an attempt to tackle me. Stepping out of the way, he recovers quickly, running at me again. Only this time, I wasn’t fast enough and he got a hold. Every rule we had went out of the window when he attacked my fucking kidneys. Surprisingly strong, with each strike perfectly executed, I actually took a knee. Jesus, I think I tasted my spleen…

  Before I could rise, Vulture introduced his kneecap to the side of my head. Tipping over in pain, I blinked and his fist buried itself in my temple. Whatever drugs he pumped into his veins was potent. This asshole wasn't feeling a thing.

  “Fucking Phoenix,” he laughs and his spit landed on my face. “Your reign is over.”

  Spitting up blood, I wipe my mouth mumbling, “Brass knuckles, huh? Fucking pussy.”

  “Speaking of pussy,” he says circling me. “I’m going to tear hers apart after she chokes on my cock.”

  Refusing to be baited, I chanced a glance up and saw Finn scaling the roof. My heart chose that moment to fucking seize in my chest. The second he spotted her he'd go rabid. An opening, I just needed an opening.

  “Get up,” he yells, kicking me in the stomach. “Let’s finish this.”

  Vulture was reaching for me when I saw Finn do a God damn front flip off the pitch and her landing was perfectly silent. However, now was not the time to stop and stare.

  Keeping him occupied, we exchange blows and seeing him stagger was gratifying. Like a hot kamikaze, Finn comes up behind Vulture, tries running him through and fails.

  With a grunt, he whirls to face her at the same time I take him to the ground. Squeezing his fat throat, I demand to know, “Where in the fuck did you get the sword Finn?”

  Staring at it, she shrugs, “It was hanging on the wall.”

  “It was on the wall because it’s an antique.”

  “It’s also dull as fuck,” she says in a bored tone. “Anyway, since slitting his throat is out. What’s the easiest way to kill this guy?”

  “Are you serious?” I argue squeezing tighter which wasn't working.

  “Yes, Nix, I am. I’ve worked with props sharper than this.”

  So focused on her, Vulture broke free and eyed both of us with so much hate that if it could kill, we’d be dead. “What are you staring at, Blue Jay?” she taunts him. “It’s the crooked mohawk, sorry.”

  “He can’t save you,” he says producing a gun.

  “He can’t save me, you want to kill me…Is there a third door?”

  “I’m going to enjoy shoving my cock—”

  “Gag,” she fakes. “Is your cock as evil as you are? You know, I looked your name up and it just so happens you’re the king dick of your species. So apropos.”

  Pointing the barrel at her, he instructs, “Get next to your bitch.”

  “Who are you referring to?” she asks twirling her hair. “Him or me? I’m going with him since I’m the one with the sword.”

  Without blinking, he fired, I flinched and Finn started dancing in place. “Am I hit?” she asks, but before I could answer, she squeals, “What the fuck is the matter with you!”

  “Next round goes in his head,” he smirks. “Come to me, female.”

  Moving forward, I grabbed her but she threw me off with, “I got this,” and sauntered forward. As for me, I was dizzy and fading fast. Attempting to follow, she was a few feet away when the motherfucker threw a hook that not only connected with her perfect face, but sent her flying. Shockingly, my pain evaporated at the same time she found her footing and cracked her neck. “That all you got, Blue balls?”

  Charging her, Finn escaped him by flipping, twisting and even doing some Matrix shit. Vulture wasn’t built for endurance or flexibility so it didn’t take long for her to wear him down. Jabbing him in the face once, twice, Finn swept his legs sending him to the ground. I was in complete awe watching her do the very thing I could not.

  With that fucking sword in her hand she continued trying to slice him unsuccessfully screaming, “Die already!”

  As for me, for the first time ever, I was not operational. My arms refused to work, breathing was difficult and my vision was winking in and out. Hitting the grass knees first I beg her to, “Run, Finn!”

  “Fuck that,” she says breathlessly and the words cost her. With a blunt kick, he sent her ass over elbows and this time she struggled to get up. “I think I just ate my ovary,” she coughs holding her stomach.

  Crawling toward her, prepared to throw myself in front of him, Vulture stood over my woman smiling as he pressed the barrel into her forehead.

  “Pussy,” she spat, and in Finn I saw no fear. Me however, I was paralyzed with it.

  “Finn,” I whisper in desperation.

  “See you on the other side,” she says softly. “I loved loving you, Nix. As far as adventure goes, you'll always be number one on my list.”

  And then she closed her eyes.

  Crawling to her on my elbows and using my knees, I was close, so close. Which meant when Vulture’s head suddenly exploded, both of us were covered in it.

  Having no idea
what the fuck what happening, but knowing I was about to black out, the last thing I saw was Finn reaching for me and my dad holding a sawed-off shot gun.

  He even had a smile on his face.

  We had been on set for sixteen hours and the scene was not coming together.

  I was bone tired and frustrated and so was he. For a full hour we argued about the execution of the shot, and because I was right, I refused to back down. But he refused to listen. When the director called it a night, I stormed off-set with Ryan hot on my heels. Throwing an arm over my shoulders he said, “The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.”

  Thinking on that, I looked up at him and smiled in gratitude. Thank God for Ryan, truly. “Who said that?”

  “Leonardo DiCaprio.”

  “Are you sure it wasn't da Vinci?”

  Taking me into his arms and swinging me in a circle he said, “What I'm sure of is that tomorrow when you reshoot that scene, he'll listen.”

  And Ryan was right, he did. From that day on, I chose my battles.

  Two showers and a lot of bourbon later, I was sitting next to Nix waiting for him to wake up.

  I had cleaned him as best as I could and even dressed him in his dad’s clothes, which I'm sure he'd thank me for later. I was hoping he’d be so pleased about that he’d thank me with orgasms.

  His mom was in the kitchen trying to stay busy while his dad just stared at me.

  What did I even say? Was it my place to try and explain a self-explanatory situation?

  But fuck it, I couldn’t take the silence anymore.

  “He really did quit for me.”

  “But?”

  “The head honcho put a price on my head, a big one. He convinced him that my death would leave him with no choice but to come back.”

  “How much?”

  “Ten million,” I laugh asking, “Thinking about cashing in, dad?”

  “No,” he says solemnly. “I don’t give a shit about money. I give a shit about my boy. My boy who ain’t never been right but is better than killing for cash. Guess if he’s gonna walk away, you’d be a good reason.”

  “He loves me,” I say simply. “And your son didn't just kill for cash, there was a higher purpose involved.”

  “You love him?” he asks, ignoring my last statement.

  “I commandeered your sword, scaled your roof, and tried unsuccessfully to stab an assassin to death on your back lawn. Yeah, you could say that I love him.”

  “How does being a stunt woman factor in with dating a killer?”

  “It doesn’t.”

  “No?”

  “No,” I smile brightly showcasing my confidence. “Because I quit too.”

  “He’s going to get you killed,” he growls low. “Just by associating with him. You understand that, right?”

  “We’re all going to die, dad,” I say, testing it out a second time. I’ve never had the privilege of calling anyone dad and figured it may as well be his dad. “And if I go out fighting next to him, I’m not complaining.”

  “Fuck,” he scrubs his face. “Why’d you go up on the roof?”

  “No one ever looks up,” I explain simply, and to that he only blinked, which depressed me. It's really a simple concept, that for some reason people struggle to understand. “Look, all my life I’ve taken risks for the rush it gave me. I lived for the next big thing. Then I met him,” I say brushing his hair from his face. “The high I get his from his love is more potent than any adrenaline rush man could offer.”

  “You gonna give us grandbabies?”

  At this, his mom peeked in, and I noticed her hands covering her mouth and her eyes shone with tears. Happy tears. At least mom liked me… “I’m going to tell you a story,” I begin and for the next half hour explained how we met and the circumstances behind it. When I found myself in the present tense, I shrugged and said, “Nix saved me too.”

  “Nix?” he asks.

  “Pet name.”

  Shaking his head, he stands ready to leave the room. But on his way out he squeezed my shoulder mumbling, “Lots of grandbabies.”

  Chuckling to myself, I lean down pressing my lips to his, whispering, “I know you’re awake.”

  When his arms came around me I let him position us, gladly taking the role of being on my back. “Never fucked in my parents’ house.”

  “Because hookers don’t make house calls,” I joke quietly.

  Biting my bottom lip, he whispers, “Finn, I’m going to make you come on my mother’s couch.”

  And oh God, he did. Twice.

  Drowsy, sore from having my ass kicked and incredibly comfortable in his arms, I was dozing when his mom yells, “Dinner’s ready!”

  Laughing into my neck, Nix asks, “How many grandbabies?”

  Everything inside of me clenched. Kids of our own? We haven’t even survived the threat yet…But, I loved him, he loved me. The idea of kids didn’t suck, so instead of replying, I gave him a stealthy blow job on his mother’s plastic covered couch. I did this for two reasons. One, if we made it out alive, we could revisit a future with kids in it and two, mouths don’t get pregnant.

  Standing in the pole barn while the women did women shit inside the house, my dad wanted to ask questions but clearly didn't know where to start. I owed him the truth and even if I couldn't give him all of it, I could share, “I'm called Phoenix.”

  Closing his eyes, he gives me a half nod, and knowing he's listening I continue. “I have never taken an innocent’s life, never a woman or a child either. Some jobs I serve as the middle man, negotiating for both sides to broker a resolution. Believe me, you want these men to resolve their issues. Our country wants them to resolve their issues. But there are also times where my orders are termination, not negotiation. That's who I am, dad.”

  “Are you proud of who you've become?”

  As I told Finn, I was not a liar so I confessed, “Until meeting Finn I didn't know who I was, now I do and yes, I'm proud.” Seemingly pleased by that, he stepped forward doing something he hadn't initiated in years.

  Man-to-man, dad shook my hand.

  Because of Finn, the door and the line of communication was open to see my parents again.

  While mom tended to stay in the background letting my dad take the lead, it was obvious they both approved and loved her. How could you not? At the mention of kids, I saw her face soften at the same moment my cock swelled. Finn carrying my children, feeding them, rocking them… it was an attainable dream if we made it out of this alive.

  Not only did I find my other half, I trusted her with my life.

  Which was why I was trying not to panic as Finn finished securing the harness.

  When I thought of harnesses and Finn, my thoughts had taken me in a different direction.

  Several actually, and this one didn’t factor in.

  We had been driving, minding our own business when she demanded we stop to watch a group of jumpers prepare to free fall. Never in a million fucking years did I expect to get roped into the bullshit.

  Literally.

  “There,” she says satisfied with herself.

  “Why?” I grate out trying not to look down.

  “Why?” she laughs securing her own now. “Because you have to get over this fear of heights, honey. That’s why.”

  “I fucking refuse to jump off a perfectly good God damn bridge, Finn.”

  “Normally, I would offer to go first, but you’ll punk out and wait in the car. Call it a feeling.”

  She wasn’t wrong. If I wasn’t rigged out, I’d have run for it.

  “Where does the fear come from, Nix?”

  “Uh, dying?” I grunt. “My job doesn’t require me to jump off fucking structures!”

  “But it could,” she shrugs. “You never know. Better to be prepared, right?”

  “Release me,” I actually beg. “I’ll climb a tree or jump off a roof, just not this bridge, not today.”

  Standing in front of me, she cups my face remin
ding me, “I love you, Phoenix.”

  “And I you, Finn but—”

  “And it’s because you love me that I know you’ll forgive me.”

  “Wait—”

  Backing up a step she clears her throat, smirks, focuses on me and I fucking froze. “Finn—” my voice cracked.

  “This,” she says huffing hard. “Is,” she roars. “Sparta!” and fucking punts me over the side.

  Since becoming a killer, I have prided myself on my composure. But as I plummeted to my death I won’t lie; I screamed my fucking head off. And like an angel of death, I watched in horror as Finn dove off the ledge following me down.

  When the latex cord snapped, I shot upwards and the oddest thing happened.

  I relaxed, I enjoyed, I was experiencing true freedom.

  Because I had truly flown for the first time in my life.

  And I never wanted the feeling to end.

  I got it now, what drove her to put herself at risk. Because that risk held a sweet reward.

  Swinging in the air I felt invincible, alive and aware of everything around me.

  I was finally in tune with myself and even more in tune to her.

  Slowly, the men below lowered us to the ground, removed our rigging and with blood roaring in my ears, I grabbed her by the hand, dragging her into the woods.

  Far enough away that we wouldn’t be heard or bothered, I took Finn to the grass, flipped her onto her knees and tore her pants off. Watching over her shoulder, the adrenaline was riding her as it was me and only I knew of one way to burn it off. Freeing myself, I gripped her hips and plunged inside.

  And like an animal, I rutted with her in the soil.

  ---Lots of grandbabies---

  ---You will fail---

  ---And she will die because of it---

  As if my head wasn't spinning enough, those words played on like a broken record.

  I was normally not one to obsess over things I could not control. However, that woman telling me that I was going to die refused to go away. I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling it either because, for every mile that brought us closer to Detroit, Nix’s demeanor grew darker while I was growing fidgety.