Page 510 of The Tempted

“You know I’m getting sick and tired of you all up in my business, Gold,” Blackie sneered. “First you walk in on me getting head and now you charge in here when I’m looking for Connie,” he added.

I knew in that instance why my father shielded me from his world. It was ugly and unapologetic.

“Connie. That’s Jack’s wife.”

“Ex-wife,” Blackie corrected.

“You have a thing going on with Jack’s ex-wife?”

“What? You going to sit there and tell me you haven’t thought about banging Grace Pastore from time to time? I saw Vic’s old lady, man, she’s quite the piece of ass, even at her age. Tell me, how many times have you tapped that shit?”

There was silence.

So very ugly.

So very unapologetic.

“Come on Gold, tell me. Oh, you poor bastard you never got a taste did you?” Blackie continued.

“Shut him, up!” The other voice roared.

“Come on, man…” Blackie started.

“You’re going to understand something Blackie. You and your club aren’t calling the shots anymore. It’s time to teach Jack Parrish who the fuck the boss is, and it’s time for you to become my puppet,”

“Not the needle. No more drugs, man,”

“But this is what you want. This is what you know. You said so yourself,” the man taunted.

I heard Blackie groan and my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. I closed my eyes and pictured his face, the pain that was always so evident in his features, and the tears escaped from the corners of my eyes.

“That’s it, all done,” the cryptic voice said.

Silence.

Then a thump.

My body shook as I envisioned the scene beyond the door.

“Grab him and let’s go,” the man ordered.

I heard Blackie moan one last time before I heard nothing at all.

I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out.

He’s gone.

You lost him before you ever had him.

He will finally go to the one he wants.

The one he loves.

The one he misses.

Christine.

You’ll never have him.

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