Knocked Up by the Killer

He raised an eyebrow. “They didn’t do a good job.”

“He decided not to,” I said. “But I saw the gun. He was mafia. Said the Leone Crime Family sent him.”

My father’s face clouded over. “Sit down,” he said.

“No,” I said. “I’m not staying long.”

“If the Leone sent someone after you, they’ll try again,” he said. “What the hell happened?”

“He got cold feet.”

“Fuck,” he said and grinned. “I thought the Leone were better than that.”

“You’re going to get me killed,” I said. The words came out a roar. “I worked so hard to get away from you and now you’re back and you’re going to get me killed.”

“That won’t happen.”

“It almost did. Last night. And I got lucky.”

“Sit down,” he said.

“No,” I said. “I’m not sitting. I’m not staying. I don’t want your help. I just want you to know that when I turn up dead, it’s your damn fault.”

“Elise,” he said. “You’re being irrational. I’ll post guys outside your door. I’ll watch you.”

“You won’t,” I said. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“Then why are you here?” He grinned at me and spread his hands out. “Come on, Elise. Sit down and talk to me.”

“No.” I took another step back. I felt myself panicking. What the hell was I doing? I shouldn’t have come to see him, but Tanner’s words were like an infection in my brain. He wanted me to come seek my father’s help and so I went to the old bastard’s address.

And now I regretted it. I shouldn’t have come here. Because now my father thinks he has power over me, and I know he’ll never let that go.

If I give him an inch, he’ll take everything I have and ruin it.

“At least have some coffee,” he said.

“I’m here to beg you to leave the city,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

I was improvising, but I went with it.

“Leave the city,” I said. “Get out of here. Drop whatever you’re doing. Tell the Leone family you’ll just… you’ll go away. Tell them to leave me alone. That’ll work, won’t it? They just want you to leave?”

His face darkened. “That won’t work.”

“It will,” I pressed “They just want you gone, so go. Go back to New York, run your business there. What do you even need to be in Philly for?”

“I don’t need it,” he said. “But I’ve worked hard to have it. I carved out my own territory, I’ve bled for this and—” He stopped himself, shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just sit down and we can work it out.”

“Leave,” I said. “Please, Dad. I’m begging you. Get out of this city and never come back. If you stay, I’ll never be safe.”

“If you stay with me, you’ll be safe,” he said. “You can come home. Be with your old man again.” He grinned and gestured at his messy place. The walls were exposed brick. There were no decorations hanging from them. “I could use a little help around here, you know? Your old man’s a mess.”

“My old man’s a fucking psycho,” I said.

“Elise.” His face darkened again and he dropped his hands. “You can’t talk to me like that.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I walked backwards and almost tripped over a stack of magazines. National Geographic, bright yellow. “Why don’t you care that someone came to kill me?”

“Of course I care. But you’re not dead. So it’s hard for me to believe the Leone were serious.”

“They were serious,” I said. “The guy just— he just—”

“What was his name?” Dad asked.

“Tanner,” I said.

He froze. Went still, like an animal playing dead.

“Say it again?” He spoke each word carefully.

“Tanner,” I said. “Do you know him? What’s wrong with you?”

“Tanner,” he said. “Jesus Christ. The Leone sent Tanner to kill you?”

“That’s what he said his name was,” I said.

“He’s known all over the East Coast,” Dad said. “I’ve used him before. Reliable and steady. Always kills and hasn’t been caught yet. He’s been active for years and I can’t imagine how many deaths he’s responsible for.”

I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back. I spent the night having incredible sex with a maniac.

“Leave the city,” I said. “Just leave, okay?”

“They’ll send someone else,” Dad said. “You have to let me help you.”

“No.” I shook my head. “No, I can’t.”

“Elise.”

“Please, just leave.” I turned, fled into his kitchen. More pizza boxes on the counter, dirty dishes in the sink, puke-green cabinets. I ran to the back door, unlocked a row of bolts and padlocks, threw it open.

“Elise!” he called, coming after me.

I ran into his backyard, my heart hammering. I felt trapped. I ran to the back fence and jumped at it, not sure what I’d find.

Another alley, this one barely a few feet between the brick wall of the houses behind and the backyard fences.