Happy Together

Malaguena

“Get a grip, Victoria,” she muttered to herself, setting her phone down and biting into her sandwich.

Still, no matter how much she tried to push the thoughts away, they lingered. She couldn’t stop wondering where Lucius was or what he was doing. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, part of her liked the idea that he might be thinking of her too.

Lucius pulled off the highway into the traffic of Honolulu. His thoughts returned to how Victoria sounded as she told her story. The shame,fear and anger she felt melded with his own feelings and his anger swelled like a North Shore wave. He saw the Spectrum office ahead and he parked across the street. A couple of teenagers were skateboarding in the parking lot. He took notice of them as the semblance of a plan formed. Ghost was always better at this but I do know how to improvise he thought.

He got out of his car walking to them. “HUI!” he called out waving them over as he reached in his pockets grabbing his burner phone and his wallet. The boys came over tentatively. “Yeah uncle?’ They asked. “Ho you boys wanna make twenty bucks each? I just need you to go into the Spectrum office ask for DJ and use this phone to take a picture of him and bring it back to me.” he said matter of factly opening his wallet producing 40 dollars. “For real that’s it?’ the boys asked confused “Yup” Lucius said with a smile. “Alright uncle we’ll do it” he handed them the phone and headed to the trunk of the car. Opening it he moved some blankets and items around lifting up a flap in the bottom he produced a suitcase and opened it inside were the tools of his trade. A couple knives, two pistols,gloves, a balaclava with a wolf face printed on it, A couple bottles of liquid ,some rags, some zip lock bags, zip ties, rope and other assorted items were inside. Once he confirmed the contents of the case he c;osed it placing it in the passenger seat he looked around and closed the trunk.

Inside the two boys laughed and carried on looking at the tv’s and picking up pamphlets. The larger Caucasian man with short blonde hair, khaki pants, a dark blue polo with a name tag stood up from his desk and walked toward them “Can I help you boys?” as he got closer the boys laughed as they saw his name tag. “Say what uncle I can’t hear you.” said one of the youths as the other one snapped a couple pictures and started to video the interaction. “I said can I help you? What do you kids want? Are you here with someone? If not, I am going to ask you to leave bud.” trying to sound intimidating, his chest swelling up. This only made the boys laugh more. “Nah nah uncle we’re good.” turning and chuckling as they walked out around the block and across the street.

Lucius stood there leaning against the car as the boys walked up to him. “Here you go uncle.” He took the phone looking at the five or so pictures and the embarrassing video and he smiled “You know what boys here is 60 each and you found it on the street and never saw me” they took the money excitedly “Raj uncle! Holy s**t boy!’ The boys, happy to make easy money, ran off. He smiled as he got back in the car and moved to a spot he could see the parking lot. After waiting for a couple hours he saw his mark. Showtime he thought as he turned the car on and watched as DJ got in his car and started to pull out. Lucius counted to 20 then pulled out behind him. He methodically tailed him, being careful not to be too close or too far behind. After driving 40 minutes he found himself in a residential neighborhood and watched as he pulled into his driveway. He drove past taking note of where everything was—the driveway, the layout of the street, the neighbors' houses. Lucius's mind worked with the precision of a hunter as he analyzed the scene. The driveway was secluded enough to avoid prying eyes, and there were no cameras on the street that he could see. Perfect.

He parked two blocks away and sat in the car, letting the engine idle while he planned his next move. The house was modest, a single-story structure with a patchy lawn. DJ got out of his car, his movements casual and unaware. Lucius could feel the adrenaline beginning to course through him, his senses sharpening as the predator inside him took over.

"Pathetic," Lucius muttered under his breath, watching DJ unlock his front door and disappear inside.

Lucius leaned back in the seat, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He needed to bide his time, wait for the right moment. Bursting in now would be reckless, and Lucius was anything but reckless. This was going to be methodical. Precise.

He reached into the glove compartment, pulling out a small notebook. Flipping it open, he jotted down notes about the house, the neighborhood, and DJ's routine from what Victoria had told him. Patterns were everything. People were creatures of habit, and Lucius knew that if he watched long enough, he’d find the cracks in DJ’s life.

"This isn't just for her," Lucius said quietly to himself, his voice low and cold. "It's for us."

He sat there for another hour, watching the house, noting the lights that came on and off, the way DJ moved inside. It was almost too easy.

When the time felt right, Lucius stepped out of the car and began walking toward the house. He didn’t approach directly; instead, he circled the block, getting a closer look from all angles. A few people were out walking dogs or jogging, but no one paid him any mind.

As he came back around to the front of the house, he noticed something that made him grin—a side gate, slightly ajar.

"Sloppy," Lucius whispered, shaking his head.

He walked back to his car, his mind buzzing with possibilities. Tonight wasn’t the night, but soon. Very soon.

As he sat in the driver's seat, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Victoria:

"Heading home soon. Hope you’re okay. Miss you."

For a moment, something softened in him. Her words pulled at the part of him that Alistair usually occupied, the part that cared deeply for her.

He texted back: "I’m fine. Miss you too. Be safe."

But as he put the phone down, the darkness crept back in, his grin returning.

"Don’t worry, Victoria," he said to himself as he started the car. "When this is over, you’ll never have to think about him again."

The engine roared to life, and Lucius drove off into the night, his plan unfolding piece by piece in his mind.

After a long shift at the coffee shop, Victoria was relieved to finally be home. She kicked off her shoes by the door, dropping her bag on the counter and sighed as the quiet of her apartment settled around her. It was a stark contrast to the bustle of the mall, and for a moment, she just stood there, soaking it in.