The Dark Knight

3. King of the Streets

Jerry sat behind the battered desk in their cramped hideout, eyes sharp beneath the dim light. Around him, Diesel and Julian exchanged nods. The war they’d ignited with the hit on Bog Joe was no longer a whisper in the streets — it was a roar, echoing with danger.

“Guys,” Jerry said, voice low but steady, “we started a war with that hit on Joe. Now we’ve gotta put a tight ring of bodyguards around me, Lucy, and her family. No mistakes.”

Diesel leaned forward. “The men are already stationed, Boss. I’m training a kid—Vince. He’s raw but hungry. Soon, he’ll be ready for your personal detail, ready to learn everything we throw at him.”

Jerry smiled faintly, a distant gleam in his eyes. “Good. I’m also thinking… we need a new house. Somewhere far from this neighborhood. Somewhere safe.”

Julian grinned, the familiar tease lighting his face. “For you and your childhood sweetheart, right?”

“Shut up, Julian,” Diesel muttered, shaking his head.

Jerry laughed, the tension easing for a moment. “Yeah, for me and my sweet Lucy,” he said, wiggling a brow.

Julian snorted, “She can stay at home with her sister and your aunt, right? No need to uproot everyone.”

Jerry’s laughter died abruptly, replaced by a hard stare. “No way. After last month’s hit, Joe’s crew is broken but they’ll regroup. They’ll want revenge. We can’t take chances.”

Julian’s smile faded as he absorbed the weight of Jerry’s words. “So… we change all our addresses?”

“Every single one. Offices, homes—everything,” Jerry said, eyes locked on Diesel. “You start making the moves. Get the ball rolling.”

Diesel frowned, “Do we even have the funds for all this? Seems like a heavy lift.”

Jerry shot a knowing look at Julian. “That’s your job now, man. Time to put your IT skills to work and get us the money.”

Julian nodded, pride flashing in his eyes. “We’ve been rolling since the orphanage days, right?”

Jerry’s grin softened, “Since we were kids. Have I ever let you down?”

“No, Boss. You’ve been my protector since fifth grade,” Julian said with a laugh.

Diesel blinked, confused. “How so?”

Julian chuckled. “I wasn’t always this muscle-bound. Back then, when the other kids picked on me, Jerry was the one who stepped up and laid down the law.”

“Oh, right,” Diesel said, remembering the stories Julian told. “You guys grew up in the same orphanage?”

“Yeah,” Julian said quietly. “Before his Pops — our community plumber — took him in. God bless that man.” His voice cracked at the memory.

Jerry’s face tightened. Since losing his foster dad, he’d spiraled into the streets, becoming a feared assassin — the King of the Streets. Grief had carved him into something hard, something untouchable.

He shrugged, looking away. “Back then, they called me Mr. Black Eye.”

Diesel raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Black Eye?”

Julian laughed. “Anyone who crossed him ended up with his signature left hook. Black eyes all around.”

Jerry laughed with them. “The Black Eye Effect.”

The laughter faded, replaced by the click-clack of keyboards as they settled into work.

Diesel’s voice broke the silence. “What about Marx? You told me to finish off Joe’s men but spared him. What’s the plan?”

Jerry shrugged, pulling his laptop close. “You let him live, so you decide.”

Diesel looked uneasy but nodded. Julian smirked as he powered on his own device.

“Boss,” Diesel said, “Marx is in the hospital. Surgery went well. Doctors say he’ll fully recover in a couple of months, but he’ll need physiotherapy.”

Jerry grunted. “Next double-cross, he’s dead,” Julian said sharply.

Diesel pleaded, “He was your right hand, Jx. He’s remorseful. Maybe give him a chance?”

Jerry’s fingers hovered over his keyboard, expression unreadable. “Trust is everything in this business. He’s lost mine. That’s final.”

Diesel sighed, standing. “Okay, Boss.”

Jerry’s eyes gleamed with a new fire. “Julian, crack their mainframe. Let’s start siphoning funds from all the criminals connected to Joe. It’s time to hit back where it hurts.”

Diesel chuckled, “I’ll handle security and moving the houses. You two break their systems.”

Jerry nodded, already immersed in the digital war.

Two months later…

By the pool of Jerry’s new house, the air buzzed with relaxation and quiet victory. Meredith and Katie were visiting Lucy, who lay in the sun, dressed in a bikini, radiating warmth and peace.

Julian sipped his drink, lounging near Jerry. “Boss, instead of running assassins and hits, why don’t we just take over these criminal empires through cyber warfare?”

Jerry chuckled, accepting a drink from Diesel. “Yeah, right.”

Marx, recently welcomed back after his hospital stay, added eagerly, “Look at what we siphoned off Joe’s empire. We’re killing it.”

Jerry’s eyes softened as they landed on Lucy. “Serves him right for trying to hurt my sweetheart.”

Marx grinned, “You love her, huh?”

Jerry studied him for a long moment before giving a single, measured nod. “Yeah, I do.” Since his recovery, they had settled into a fragile truce, but Jerry refused to let his guard down around him. Trust, he made clear, was something that had to be earned all over again. Marx understood this well enough — and he was willing to try. His survival, his daily bread, came from Jerry’s hand, and he knew better than to gamble with that.

Meredith’s matronly voice rang out from the doorway. “Lunch is served, kids! Come eat!”

Katie’s bright voice trilled, “Let’s serve outside! The weather’s perfect!”

The men chuckled, eyes momentarily drawn to Katie, who was young, radiant, and fiercely protected by Jerry’s unspoken rules.

What Jerry didn’t say aloud—but every man in the circle knew—was that another test of loyalty was constantly at play: Katie. She had grown into a woman who caught the eyes of every single one of them. Diesel, Julian, even Marx before the betrayal, all had felt the pull. But Jerry had laid down the law early: Katie was family, Meredith’s pride, and therefore untouchable. “Hands off Katie” was more than a rule; it was survival. Still, behind stolen glances and the heat of long nights at the hideout, sparks had quietly danced between Katie and Diesel. It was subtle, hidden in half-smiles and excuses to linger when she poured him a drink, but it was there. A secret, fragile, doomed flame that neither could fully acknowledge—not yet.

Meredith shook her head, smiling as she and the men went in to bring the food and plates outside to the poolside table. Their laughter carried across the water, but Jerry motioned Lucy over, and she laughed, shaking her head but coming anyway. Katie whistled as Lucy sashayed toward him.

“Stop that whistling, Katie,” Lucy teased over her shoulder.

“No way! Go get some lovin’!” Katie called, grinning.

Jerry hid a smirk as Lucy settled into his lap, hands on his chest, eyes shining.

“Hi,” she whispered shyly.

Jerry brushed his lips across hers. “Hi.”

Their foreheads touched, breath mingling. Lucy’s voice trembled, “Where do we go from here?”

One moment, she was a quiet salesgirl by day, exotic dancer by night, struggling to get by. Now she was protected, pampered, loved.

Jerry’s gaze held hers. “We make it official. I’ve always had a crush on you, babygirl. Now it’s full-blown love. If you’ll have me, I’m yours.”

Lucy’s heart soared. “Of course, baby. I’ve grown feelings for you too. I’m glad you brought me into this life.”

Her fingers traced his cheek. “But… I don’t like the life of crime. I love you.”

Jerry’s eyes closed briefly, struggling with her words, but love won over. “I’ll work it out. Trust me. I love you.”

They kissed again, deeper this time — and when Jerry pulled back, his eyes were burning. Without another word, he took her hand and led her behind the curve of the garden wall where the palms hid them from view, laughter echoing faintly through the open patio doors, but here, in the sun, time belonged to them.

Jerry’s mouth claimed hers again, urgent now, while his hands slipped beneath the thin straps of her bikini top. Lucy arched into him, whimpering as he cupped her breasts, his thumbs teasing until she trembled, arching into his touch. Her hands moved eagerly, sliding beneath his shirt, nails dragging over his hard torso. Lucy gasped softly as he pressed her back against the stone, their mouths crashing together again.

With one swift tug, her bikini slipped free, baring her to him. Jerry lowered his mouth to her breasts, worshiping every inch while Lucy’s thighs shifted restlessly, rubbing against him. He unfastened his belt, her fingers already helping, desperate for him. The world blurred—the only sounds were the splash of water nearby and their ragged breaths.

Then his fingers slid down her body, tugging the thin fabric aside, and she moaned when he pushed inside her with a hard, desperate thrust. She clutched him tight, the thrill of being taken there, in the open air, crashing over her. Jerry moved with raw hunger, each thrust claiming her, binding her to him, as Lucy writhed beneath him, matching his rhythm. Her moans grew louder, and Jerry silenced them with deep, consuming kisses, their bodies slick with heat, the sun blazing down as they reached for release together.

The coupling was quick, urgent — bodies colliding in raw need, her nails raking his back as he drove into her again and again. His hips ground against hers, filling her until her thighs tightened around him and she shuddered with release, muffling her cry against his shoulder. He followed with a sharp groan, holding her close as he spilled into her, his mouth locked over hers to swallow her trembling gasp.

For a moment, they stayed pressed together, breathless and trembling in aftershocks, before Lucy gave a shaky laugh against his chest. “Wow, Jerry… that was reckless.”

He smirked, brushing a thumb over her damp cheek. “Worth every second”, kissing her forehead tenderly. “Forever, babygirl. You’re mine.”

Her smile was soft, content. “Forever.”

Just then, the men brought out dishes, laughter and teasing filling the air.

The lovebirds straightened themselves quickly, smoothing clothes and catching their breath, then slipped back to the poolside just as the others were setting the plates on the table. To anyone looking, they were just another smiling couple — Lucy perched sweetly on Jerry’s lap, cheeks still flushed, eyes glowing.

Katie grinned, “Food’s here, lovebirds! Spare us already!”

Jerry and Lucy only laughed, joining the others around the table, blending back into the moment, as though nothing had happened between them. But the look in Lucy’s eyes as she stole a glance at Jerry promised that what they shared by the pool was only the beginning.

Meredith watched, hope shining in her eyes. She prayed Jerry and Lucy would one day leave this dark life behind and join her and Katie in church — to pray for peace, pray for love.

----------

In a smoky backroom, Ken, Bosco, and Dan counted losses, the weight of their ruined empire heavy in the air.

“It’s been three months since the tavern burned. Businesses closed. Joe’s gone,” Ken said, eyes hard.

“Did you find who did it?” Dan asked.

Bosco’s face darkened. “We know. But confronting him? That’s the problem. He wants us dead. We’re in hiding, waiting for the right time to strike back.”

Ken smirked, “So you’ll reopen Joe’s bar?”

Bosco sneered, “When Jx thinks we’re gone. We’ll hit back hard.”

Dan suggested, “We could approach Gary for funds to reopen. Repay once the bar makes money.”

Bosco nodded. “I’ll run it underground, front man in place.”

Dan frowned, “Jx will strike once he’s aware. I’m not sure we’re safe.”

Bosco mused, “Harry might loan us money. He had deals with Joe.”

Dan scoffed, “Harold’s a pain. I need to put him in his place.”

Ken warned, “Calm down, Harry’s not the enemy.”

Dan laughed, “We’re brothers, but Harold? I don’t trust him.”

Bosco stood, a shadow crossing his face. “I have a hitman appointment. We’ll plot revenge on Jx and that girl. No matter how long it takes, once their guard drops, we make them pay.”

He melted into darkness.

Ken shook his head. “I’m just a casino owner. You drug lords and assassins should leave me out.”

Dan grinned. “You’re one of us now, bro. We die together.”