Beg Me

“I’m fine with that, until shit hits the fan,” I say. “But once it does, I’m going in with all the force I can muster.”

“Rocco, you’re not a criminal like he is. You’re a businessman. What’re you really going to do to him that he can’t do to you?”

It’s time to really let her know who I was back in my golden era. It’s time to let it all out. I knew this day would come.

“I know what you think, but you have no idea. I grew up on the streets. Remember?”

“That was ages ago. I’m serious. We have to just wait this out. We need a better plan,” she says, full of worry. I’m going to fight him, no matter what. I know it in my heart. I can feel it in my gut. This shit won’t end without a fight.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “We’ll see. For now, I think I can afford to play hooky for a couple of days. Eventually, I’m going to have to face him. You know it in your heart. I know it in mine. I doubt he’s going to agree to a sit-down meeting anytime soon.”

“Just try and settle down,” she says, teasing up my back. “It’s not worth the fight. Trust me.”

“He’s essentially saying we can’t be together. Do you get that?” I ask. “I can’t let him get away with that. I want you too bad.”

“You have me,” she says. “You have my heart.”

“We don’t have each other until he’s out of the picture. Look, I’m sorry for getting worked up. I promise I’ll try to chill. But you did say he has grown increasingly more paranoid, right? He uses drugs?”

“He likes to enjoy himself. Cocaine. Alcohol. Violence. I don’t know what he’s doing,” she says. “I really hope you’re wrong. That man is willing to die for his causes.”

The question is, am I willing to die for her? Will I put my life and everything I’ve worked so hard for on the line just to destroy him?

The answer is yes.

If I don’t, he’ll never go away.

“I hope I’m wrong too,” I say. “I really do.”

The next day, we head to Dasha’s house.

There is nothing on our agenda besides avoiding the obvious issue. It’s good to get out of the house to a safe spot.

Without her knowing, I grab my pistol and put it in the back of my jeans. For protection. To make sure the woman I love is safe.

I want to tell her to stay here, to stay out of the way for a while. I can handle my own. I can make sure this all ends quietly. All I have to do is call the right people. I’m still one of the wealthiest people in this city.

Dasha is more concerned than Madison is. Madison thinks we can ignore the problem. I’m guessing her friend is more apt to gear up than think of a business solution where both parties are happy.

“There’s no way Byron is going to go down without a fight,” she says. “You’re talking about his business. He won’t let you take that from him.”

“We’re not saying we should bring him down,” Madison says.

I beg to differ. We’re most certainly saying that. “Uh, yes we are,” I interrupt. “How else is are we supposed to live free?”

Money talks. He’s got millions.

“He’s never insinuated any type of violence,” she says, turning red.

I guess I’m not supposed to give my two cents. Still, I’m not backing down from this. I want him out of the picture for good.

“He has. In the park that one day, he said something,” I admit. “I forgot about it until now.”

“What? What the heck did he say?” she asks.

Her daughter is quietly playing with some toys in her room, and I doubt she even knows we’re here.

“I don’t remember the exact words,” I sigh. “It was something about nature and natural selection. Something about a jaguar. He was implying he was a predator.”