Page 36 of Plain Jade

Instead, he had continued to fuck and make love to her throughout the night only to be gone in the morning. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, but he had no choice. To enact his plan, he had no choice but to leave her behind. Once this was fixed, he could then go about trying to work on his and Jade’s relationship, if she was ready for that. He took another bite of the apple and chewed.

Braxton sat there waiting for over an hour before the car pulled into the parking lot. It didn’t matter how long he had to wait. He tapped on Grumio’s computer and smiled.

There were two other men with him, and they caught sight of the dead body welcoming them a little too late. He held his gun and knife ready with a clear shot of the office. He shot the first guard who came around the corner in the head. The next one came around, and he was tempted to use his knife, but instead he shot him as well. The knife could be used to handle Grumio.

“I don’t know who you are, but you are making a big mistake,” Grumio said.

Braxton didn’t even entertain the warning with a response. He sat still and finished off the apple, and of course Grumio turned the corner and looked at him.

“Surprise,” Braxton said, and this time he did get to his feet.

“You’re dead.”

“Not quite. I don’t suppose your men showed you a body, or did you just go on their word?” Braxton asked.

Grumio went pale.

He tutted. “You see, that’s why you are a crap leader and why we’re in this position. Never in all my years of dealing with pricks like you have I ever met a lazier dick.”

Braxton didn’t like to talk to the men he worked for, but this one was getting careful attention, purely because he was tired of him. Tonight, Grumio wasn’t leaving this house in anything other than a body bag. Plain and simple.

All the guards were dead.

Grumio liked to act tough, and in a way he was, but he also overstretched his reach. He wasn’t one of the biggest and scariest men he worked for. He was a coward, plain and simple, and he knew how to take care of those.

“What do you want?” Grumio asked. “I’ve got money. Cars. Women. You name it. You can have it all.”

“There is nothing you have that I want,” Braxton said. “What you should have done was left me alone … allowed me to do my work and not attempt to kill me. That was your mistake, not mine.”

“Look, this is just business.”

Braxton fired his gun, taking out a kneecap.

Grumio went straight to the floor and began to scream and cry. The sounds he was making were grating on Braxton’s nerves. Getting to his feet, he rounded the desk and of course, Grumio reached into his pocket, intent on trying to kill him, so he took care of that pesky little problem as well. This time, he threw the knife with expert precision, and it went straight into his palm, causing him to drop the gun. Leaning against the desk, he looked at Grumio and waited.

“There must be something. Anything,” Grumio said. “I’ve got all the pussy you can find. Dicks, if you want them. I don’t care. Don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me. There are people that need me. If you kill me, you’ll be signing your own death certificate, that’s for sure.”

Braxton sighed and moved closer to him. “Do you think I’m as sloppy as you, that I wouldn’t do my own homework?”

Grumio stared at him and there was sweat beading on his forehead. Fear and panic were starting to take over and he couldn’t help but feel that it did look cute, very cute.

“You can’t do this. They need me.”

“It would seem, Grumio, you’re not a very popular guy and there are a lot of people who want you dead. You’re a liability. A problem. A big mouth. Killing you will be a pleasure to a lot of people.”

“Then how about you and I go into business together? I can help you. I can make all your dreams come true.”

And Braxton looked at him. “You’ve got nothing I want.”

Staring into Grumio’s eyes, he held the gun against his temple. Everything he had done had brought him to this moment. There was a woman waiting for him, a life he could have.

It was like his life flashed before his eyes. The moment he was sent to the farm, working his ass off, and then when his world changed. When he was held down and scarred up out of jealousy. How his rage manifested.

Leaving, learning to fight, to take care of himself. Teaching himself how to hunt, how to be the best, and how to not give a fuck. Dealing with his own teacher, taking out the farmer, and all of those who turned their backs.

He fired his weapon as he came back to that alley, seeing Jade. The only dream he wanted was waiting for him.

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