Dirty Deeds

Enemy

Tori

“What do I need to do?” I asked him when I crawled back under the covers after cleaning up, “Illegal s**t, I’m sure.”

He didn’t look at me as he scrolled his phone, “You’re just a driver and I’ll let you know it advance when a hit is coming up.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked him.

He stopped scrolling and turned to me, “I never should have brought you here, but it is what it is.”

“I thought we were over this,” I told him, “I’m here and that’s all. You’ll let me go soon, right? When the smoke has cleared?”

Tommy nodded, “Right.”

I didn’t believe him, but having him close to me made me feel oddly better and I loathed that feeling with a passion. I shouldn’t have craved that so much—needed it even.

“The truth is what you really want,” Tommy said, finally looking at me and placing his phone on the nightstand, “Lexi and Hazel never left.”

“But I thought they just enjoyed this life,” I said, flippantly.

Tommy narrowed his eyes, “They were born into it so it didn’t take long for them to assimilate to us.”

“How long, Tommy? How long am I going to have to do this?”

“Until I think Shane and Donnie aren’t going to hurt you,” He confessed, “They’re assholes so who knows.”

My stomach turned. It could very well be forever if they had their way.

“I understand that this is all crazy, but can you just trust me?” Tommy almost pleaded with me.

“How? Why?”

“Do I make you feel safe? Good?”

“Are these the questions you asked Lexi and Hazel?”

“Why?” He smirked, “You jealous?”

Tommy

I had no clue why I was trying to get her angry. She was actually adorable when she tried to be mad at me.

“I am NOT jealous,” She said, crawling back into the bed with me, “Can you not see how crazy all of this is?”

I shrugged. My life was different from Tori’s and I understood that. She must have been doing mental gymnastics over what was happening. There wasn’t much I could do.

“My dad is off this weekend so don’t bother me,” She said, rolling over to sleep, “Please.”

“I know your schedule,” I never said I wouldn’t bother her, though.

“That’s gonna help me sleep better,” She said, softly, “Don’t try anything while I’m sleeping.”

“Tori, you’ve been more than willing so I don’t have to,”I snarled, waiting for her to reply with something pulled from straight out of her sarcastic brain, but she was already sleeping. After a few minutes, she rolled over and was facing me again—still asleep. I couldn’t help but watch her. I wanted to protect her, but I also wanted to corrupt her.

Maybe it was wrong. I mean, she’d lost her mother in such a brutal way. To know the person was still out there must have weighed on her mind all the time and here I was, not giving a f**k—or at least pretending like I didn’t. Her dad had put most of my friends in jail, my family, he’d even been the one to crack the case against my dad and here I was—in bed with Tori Loomis.

I remember approaching Tori the day my dad was sent to jail. She was even more innocent than she was now—little braids down her back and a Hello Kitty t-shirt on. She was probably 13 or so and I shoved her into the locker. I don’t like hitting women, I don’t typically do unless they hit me first—sometimes I deserve it, but I was mad and I wanted my father and I didn’t believe he killed anyone maliciously, but here she was—Tori f*****g Loomis—all rainbows and sunshine and a nice life with both of her parents and a white picket fence... I hated her.

I stopped hating her after a while and it became a deep dislike. I kept remembering her apologizing to me when I pushed her into the locker and then crying after. I liked to see her tears then, but now? I thought I would, but I really didn’t. I wanted to stop her from feeling sad and that irked me.

I’m sure that Xanax worked because there was no way this woman was sleeping in the same bed as me, but then again, there was no way she’d leave the room without me—not anytime soon.

I might have been too hard on her. She was just a little girl when I did that, but I was so mad. Once everyone saw me react, then everyone else followed my lead and hated on her—even bullying her so badly that I think she tried to transfer schools, but it never happened.

I guess you could say I was the reason she had no friends really. She knew it, too, and avoided me at all costs. I mean, nowhere was safe for her. She wasn’t really a rat though. Not once did anyone get punished for what they did to her.

Our school district and the town had gotten pretty rundown and plagued with people like me. I didn’t ask to be dragged into the s**t—my brother and I were born into it and that was always my defense. Tori was definitely showing me what she really thought of that excuse and I wanted to hate her for it, but I couldn’t.

I truly was the villain in Tori’s story.

Tori

I just wanted to go home.

Lexi and Hazel had been shocked when I admitted Tommy and I had not slept together. I didn’t need to relay to them what we’d been doing. It wasn’t their business. but I felt a strange connection to them and that scared me too. I was almost too afraid of my shadow and I just needed to be home, watching corny sitcoms with my dad.

I knew in my heart Tommy wasn’t done with me and I felt like I was stringing him along. He might have thought it wasn’t killing me to deny him, but s**t I wanted him inside of me with more than just his fingers and tongue.

I knew getting AWAY from the warehouse and all of them would do me some good.

Tommy walked me out of the warehouse and to my car. He watched me drive off and it felt weird, but I couldn’t put it into words –he looked sad? Is that what it was?

No, not over me. Tommy had plenty of girls to taunt, sleep with or both! He didn’t need me to do these things with, but I wanted him. So help me, God, I couldn’t keep giving in to his advances.

I could smell my dad’s shampoo and hear his 80s pop blaring in the background. It made me smile and it felt good to be home. I felt safe.

“There you are!” He walked out into the living room as I flopped down on the couch, “Have fun with the girls?”

I nodded. He seemed to love Hazel and Lexi and that annoyed me because I knew they weren’t big fans of his.

“I’ve got the weekend off so what does my princess want to do?”

I rolled my eyes, “Dad … ”

“No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my princess, Tori! Wanna make pancakes? ”

“Chocolate chip? ”

“You know it! ”

I felt so much relief, so happy and my dad was excited to have me home.

We watched movies, cooked, danced to his 80s classics and talked a little bit about Mom. My dad wasn’t a saint, but he was a good man and I looked up to him. Not one time did he steer away from being a decent cop.

Unfortunately, that did bring some enemies on the force–the few bad apples who wanted my father to break from his duties to protect and serve and just become as crooked as they were. The two of us were on our own it seemed.

I had such a good day with my dad. It was nice to see him smiling for a change. I did my dog walking job for the neighbors down the road who were out of town for the week. I noticed they’d left me some extra money if I watered their plants so I was on cloud nine.

Dad and I went to bed close to 11 and I was dead to the world. I passed out almost immediately.

I was suddenly shaken awake by my phone buzzing.

Of course, it was Knox.

Tommy: Are you awake?

Me: I am now...

Tommy: Just checking on you

Me: Why

Tommy: Shane and Donnie went drinking and I just wanted you to keep an eye on yourself and your dad.

Me: Thx

Tommy: So, I’m right outside your window if you need me