The Gangster's Angel

What Happened?

Jess

—

Alex kept pulling me until we reached his car, he put me in the front seat and then got in the driver’s side. He locked the doors and then just sat there for a few minutes.

“Alex, what is going on?” I asked him. “What happened with your dad?”

“Jess, I’ve tried for years to warn him to stop what he was doing. I can’t tell you everything, but he has seen this coming for a long time. Tonight is his final warning, if he continues, there will be no more warnings,” Alex told me while staring out the front window.

“Alex, do you know those men?” I asked him.

“Yes, and so does father, he has.. worked with them since before he met your mother,” Alex said.

I was a little shocked, I know what he did wasn’t exactly on the up and up, but I didn’t know he was involved with violent men.

“This is why I’ve been trying to get you out of there, this isn’t going to end well. If you happen to be home when..” he trailed off.

I didn’t answer him, I just stared out the window now too. We saw a few black vehicles pass by us.

“That was the last of them, if there’s anything in the house that you need, let’s get it now, you don’t want to come back here after tonight,” Alex said as he started the car.

He pulled up in front of the old house. For some reason it didn’t feel the same. I held onto memories, and now all those seemed to be overshadowed by darkness.

I got out of the car and Alex came with me. The front door was unlocked and all the lights were turned off. I could see broken furniture and glass everywhere. I didn’t see my stepfather though. I wondered if they had taken him with them when they left.

I made my way up the stairs to my room, Alex followed closely behind me. When I got to my room I saw that it had been destroyed as well. My clothes and belongings were all over the usually tidy room.

I went to my dresser and pulled out a drawer, and reached inside to find my envelope with cash inside. I then went to my closet to grab a backpack and duffle. It wouldn’t take me too long to pack a few clothes and pictures from when Mom was alive.

When I was done packing Alex took my duffle bag for me.

“Anything else you need?” He asked me.

“No, this is it,” I said to him.

“Ok, let’s get out of here. There are people probably watching the place, so we don’t want to stay too long,” he told me.

As we were making our way downstairs we heard some shuffling around in the kitchen. Alex pressed his finger to his lips as a sign for me to be quiet. He motioned for me to stay put and he proceeded to head to the kitchen.

I could here Alex’s voice talking to someone, but I didn’t recognize the other voice.

“Alex, what are you doing here,” said the stranger’s voice.

“I was just helping my little sister grab a few things, she is still in high school and doesn’t know what’s going on,” Alex said to him.

“Did you clear it with him?” He asked Alex.

“She isn’t involved in anything, like I said, she’s still a kid and doesn’t have anywhere to go. She doesn’t have any other relatives,” Alex said.

“Fine, but I know nothing about any of this. It’s all on you if he finds out,” said the man.

It seemed that was the end of the conversation. A few seconds later Alex came back out of the kitchen. He looked up the staircase for me and waved me to come down. I carefully started back down the staircase, glancing occasionally towards the kitchen door. I was hoping that that man wouldn’t make a sudden appearance.

“You’re not going anywhere,” I heard my stepfather’s voice as my arm was jerked behind me.

“I took care of you for all these years, and now you’re just going to leave?” He said to me.

“Dad, leave her alone,” yelled Alex. “She didn’t do anything.”

“She owes me money,” he said. “As you, you ingrate, you dare to turn on me? You would be nothing if it weren’t for me!”

I looked behind me at my stepfather, his face was a bruised and bloodied. His clothes were ripped.

“You wan’t to leave?” He asked me. “You can leave but you’re not taking a dime of my money.”

Even though that was everything that I had, it didn’t seem worth the fight. I would figure something else out. I started to take off my backpack to give to him.

He started to release my arm to grab my backpack. I was going to leave but he grabbed my arm again.

“Not so fast, if Alex wants to take you with him, he’s going to have to pay for your freedom,” he said.

“I’m not your belonging,” I said as I tried to jerk my arm free from him.

He laughed, a dark low chuckle. He spit some blood out of his mouth. He tightened his grip on my arm so hard that I winced.

“Alex, what will it be?” He said with a sinister smile. “Not that I expect much of you, you’ve only ever looked out for yourself, but if you want to save her, it’s going to cost you.”

Alex gritted his teeth, “What do you want?”

“Give me your cards and the keys to your car,” he said. “Then I will consider handing her over.”

Alex and my stepfather didn’t move for a few moments just keep staring at each other. I saw Alex nod his head.

“Well well, look who developed a conscious,” my stepfather taunted.

Alex pulled his keys and wallet out of his pocket and tossed them up the stairs to my stepfather. It didn’t make it to his though.

“Hurry up and go get them now,” my stepfather shouted at me.

I was going to go and then he turned me around.

“Just in case you decide to do something sneaky remember, you won’t get far.” He said as he pulled a gun from the back of his pants.

If I wasn’t scared before, I was now almost completely frozen with fear. How had my life come to this?

“Did you hear me?” He said as he pointed the gun at my head.

I nodded my head and went to grab the keys and wallet.

“Hurry it up!” He screamed at me.

I tried to move faster, I could hear Alex yelling at his father, I have no idea what he was saying. The only thing I could think about was, that this might be the end for me.

I saw something move from the corner of my eye, I saw a man coming from the kitchen. My stepfather saw him as well, His head turned to see what it was and he turned to point his gun at the man coming from the kitchen.

I heard the sound of guns c*****g and Alex running up the stairs. I couldn’t even breathe, everything seemed to be happening at once, Then I felt a sudden pain to the back of my head, I could feel my body falling down the stairs and everything went dark.