His Score by B.L. Brooks
Cliff
“Like I said,Calabrese, I’m done,” I grate into the phone, my eyes shifting to the window where I find Carmen standing in my kitchen, humming a tune.
We ended up crawling out of bed around noon today, finally deciding it was time to get up and get the day moving. But I’ve been enjoying this early afternoon watching my baby girl walk around naked, her thighs covered in dry cum and the streaked remnants of her innocence.
I could look at Carmen like this all day.
I’ve already made her mine. Now, I need to convince her to stay. Forever.
I’m done living in the shadows. I want to live in the light baby girl brings out in me.
“Cliff, you know the score,” Michael Calabrese states lowly, and unfortunately, I do.
“And you knew Kelly was my last job,” I drawl, my jaw aching as I hold my breath.
“May I remind you how you came to this point? Recalling the time I found you digging through the dumpsters as a young kid, I knew there was something about you, Cliff. Don’t ever forget who took you in, giving you what you have today.” He’s telling me shit I’ve heard for years.
I won’t ever forget. I never could.
Sometimes, despite the fact I had a home, warmth, food…despite it all, I’ve oftentimes wished Michael never came across me that one night when I was out searching for food. If he had just kept on walking past the alley, never noticing the eight-year-old boy starving out of his mind, I never would’ve become the man I am today.
Then again, maybe I just would’ve died from starvation or the freezing winters in the city if he hadn’t come along. But on the other side, maybe the struggle would’ve pushed me to find a better path in life.
Keeping my eyes on Carmen, I watch as she glances up, giving me a shy smile and wave.
I grin, loving how she looks walking around my house with her bare little body. I’d keep her like this all day if she agreed to such a ridiculous request.
Maybe if Michael hadn’t found me, I would’ve gone on to make something of myself other than the dark man I’ve turned into. I could’ve very well gone off to college, earning my degree in some lackluster field and then taking the first office job I could land. Either path, I would’ve found Carmen Veil. Because under all circumstances, that girl is mine.
And no matter what life we’re in, I’ll always find her.
But Carmen still has little idea of the man she just gave herself up to last night. I’m a killer. Everything earned in this house is gained from the blood of others. Most of the men I’ve killed have—
“Cliff, we agreed the Kelly’s were to be your last job. But the issue lies in the job going unfinished,” Michael argues, reeling in my focus.
Are you fucking me?The man knows what happened.
“You know the difficulty it can bring when your boss changes his mind every hour,” I rasp. “I delivered the fucking message. It wasn’t easy finding the little prick later on as you called the search off right when I was in place. This job’s incompletion is on you,” I remind him, my voice rough as I’m over the Kelly’s. I couldn’t give a fuck at this point.
“And now you have new orders.”
“Orders to track them back down and bring them in, but as I’ve said before, I’m good, Mike. You know my policy on women and children,” I snarl, knowing what he has in mind for the Kelly’s now that they’ve skipped town.
“All I said was to bring them in, Cliff. No need to make assumptions now.” He tries acting like an innocent man when we’re both no fools here.
“I’m not understanding why.”
No man in his right mind would dare to question Michael Calabrese, but I’m not just any man. I fear nothing besides Carmen leaving me, and he damn well knows it.
They don’t call me the boogeyman for nothing. It’s known that if I want you dead, you would be fucking dead—no matter who or where you are, including old mob bosses of mine who once thought they held my leash.
But my leash is now held by Carmen, my baby girl. Like it or not for some, I’m done with this fucking life.
“Fuck, you’re pissing me off now, Cliff. Just do as you’re told and you’re done, just as we agreed upon. Shit, you’d think you’ve grown a fucking conscience,” Michael snarls, bringing me to grin as I’m beginning to feel the same.
I glare back towards the kitchen, finding Carmen out of sight. Though I’m tense, I’ll get to her soon. I need to end this now.
“Promise me the kid and wife are safe,” I bargain with the asshole. “I don’t give a fuck when it comes to Drew Kelly. He skimmed the pot, that’s on him. Take it or leave it,” I grumble, my blood turning to ice as Michael chuckles in return.
“How about this? You do as your told and maybe I let that cute little girl of yours go untouched? Sound fair?”
He wouldn’t fucking dare. Because the second the jerk-off decides to cross me, I’d tear his whole fucking world apart just to watch him build it back up for me to destroy.
“Big mistake,” I warn, hanging up the phone before I fucking lose it. My pacing comes to an abrupt halt as my eyes land on Carmen, trembling as she stands in the doorway with wide eyes filled with horror.
Shit.
