Frank Zafiro - Blood on Blood

But how? My advantage with him was speed, and he’d taken that away when he cracked my ribs. He was bigger and probably stronger. He had the edge.

Then I realized that he didn’t. Not anymore. I had the edge because I didn’t care what happened to me. Jerzy was a classic narcissistic sociopath. He always wanted to win, but survive. My goal wasn’t survival, it was to kill him. If I could strap a bomb to my chest and blow us both up right now, I would.

But where? That was the more important question. Where in the hell did he go? And how could I find-

“Good Lord, my son! What have you done?”

I looked up to see the young priest staring at me, shocked.

“Father,” I started to say, but he interrupted.

“Have you no respect for the departed?” he asked me.

“I didn’t do this,” I said.

“You’re covered in the remains of that poor soul,” the priest said, incredulous. “How can you kneel there and lie to me? Here, in the house of God?”

I swallowed thickly. “My brother did this, father. Not me.”

“For what purpose?”

I hesitated, then shook my head. “It’s too complicated to explain.”

“Most things are, until you break them down.” He shook his head at me and pointed. “But I think you’d better explain, before I decide to call the police. Disturbing the dead, even the cremated once interred, is a felony.”

I almost laughed at him then. A felony? He was full of shit, but that wasn’t the funny part. How many felonies had I committed in the last week? All that time I spent over the last few years trying to live a right life, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter, does it?

Instead, I said, “Father, my brother is an evil man. He hated my mother because our dad loved her more than his mother. And because dad wanted to be beside her after he died.”

I pointed to the shelf where Gar’s urn stood. The priest followed my gaze, then looked back at me. His expression was flat, but he was listening.

“The old man’s death pushed him over the edge,” I continued, the partial lie spilling out easily. “He couldn’t deal with the anger. He knew Gar left an item with my mom. He took it.”

“What did he leave her?”

“A trinket. A small piece of jewelry. It matched the cross that he leaned against her urn.”

The priest nodded. “Aye, I remember the little cross.”

“I have to get it back, father,” I said earnestly.

The priest was quiet for a moment. Then, he said in a whisper. “Yes, I suppose you do, lad. I suppose you do.”

“Will you help me?”

He cocked his head at me curiously. “How can I help?”

“Do you have a car, father?”

“I do, but-”

“Can I borrow it?”

He hesitated. I waited. Then he shrugged. “Aye. If it be God’s will.”

As soon as I was away from the church, I took out my phone and called Ania. She answered and I could immediately feel the tension crackling across the connection.

“What’s happened?” she asked.

“Jerzy has the diamonds.”

“Oh, God.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m…I’m at the Holiday Inn Express. Damen and Armitage.”

“What room?”

“Three forty.”

“Is that Jerzy’s room?”

She hesitated, and I knew it was.

“Get out of there,” I said. “He’s probably coming there now.”

“I…I can’t,” she said. “Even if I run, he’ll find me. I can’t hide from him my whole life.”

“If you leave Chicago-”

“Mick, you have to help me.” Her voice was breathless and bordering on panic. “You have to save me. Come to the hotel.”

“I’m already on the way.”

“Thank you,” she gushed.

I’m not coming for you, I started to say. But then I knew it wasn’t entirely true. I was coming for it all. Revenge on Jerzy. A fuck you to the old man. The diamonds. Ania. All of it.

A new life.

“Keep him talking,” I told her, “until I get there.”

“Hurry,” she said, and I could tell she was crying. “I’m so scared, Mick. I never should have taken up with someone like him. I should have-”

“It’ll be all right,” I told her. “Just keep him talking.”

“I will. But hurry, Mick. Please hurry.”

The connection broke, and I drove faster.

Jerzy

On the elevator up to the room, I still can’t believe what I’ve got wrapped in this handkerchief. I’m thinking Florida might be the ticket as a place for us to go. For a whole shitload of reasons. Just one of them being I know a few guys down in South Beach.

The money is all over the place down there. Some young and stupid, but some smart money, too. Needs to be a quiet deal. These things will go for some big dollars to the right guy. A serious collector or a reseller who will turn them around again.

The elevator dings on the third floor and I head for our room. I shouldn’t, but I just gotta show her these babies. Maybe even let her hold them up in the mirror like she’s wearing them. I want to see her eyes when she’s doing that.

I slide the room card in and open the door. She should have bolted it. There is a small entryway with the bathroom on the left and the main area further in. Shades are all drawn but every light is on. The bathroom door is shut and I can hear water running in there. Not the sink but the tub. It’s fuckin’ gushing.

“Hey, babe!” Sounds like a waterfall in there.

No answer.

“Ania?” I put my ear to the door and try to listen over the water. “ANIA?” I say it loud, right next to the closed door and then try the knob. It’s locked. I glance down at the strip of light under the door. At least there’s no water on the floor. I jiggle the door handle again.

“Jerzy?” Her voice sounds frazzled and I hear the water shut off. I also realize I can breathe again. I was actually scared something had happened to her. What the fuck is up with that? Why can’t I control that with her?

You know why, dumb ass .

Most of the time I like that inner voice. Sometimes, though, not so much.

“Yeah, babe. Me.”

I shake my head back and forth slowly, knowing I’m totally hooked on her. It’s like I’ve said all along, that ain’t a good thing. Then again, I can’t stop grinning.

“Everything all right in there?”

“Oh my God. You scared the shit out of me.”

“Hey, I’m a sneaky bastard. Now let me in.” I’m still grinning like a chimp.

“I just got in the tub, baby. Trying to soak out the tension. I’m so nervous I’m about to jump out of my skin.”

“Let me in and we’ll soak together.”

“This isn’t the Hilton Suite yet, hon. I can barely squeeze into this thing by myself.” There was a little splashing around. “Give me twenty minutes or so?”

“Fifteen, tops. Then I’m coming in whether you open it up or I bust the door down.” I put my forehead on the door and slowly bump it twice.

“Sooo…is everything all right? I mean, even though it didn’t turn out like you wanted today?” She says and then there’s more splashing. ”Are you okay? That’s what I mean.”

“Oh yeah. I’m okay, we’re both okay.”

“That kinda sounds better than just okay.” She giggled and I heard more water being run now. “This hot water feels so good but I won’t be long. Promise.”

“I have a little surprise here waiting for you. I want you to see something, babe.” As I’m talking, I look down and unfold the cloth. They looked even bigger now. “You got twelve minutes before I come in there like it’s a damn DEA bust.”

“So we’re checking out of here, right?”

“You bet. We’ll head over to the Hilton, get Patrik’s present, have dinner, hit the road tomorrow morning. Driving too. Travel light. Early. We’ll buy whatever we need, and then some, when we get there.”