"GODS ABOVE, WOULD you stop screaming? My head is killing me."
"Ow! You fucking bit me! You little shit- You know what..."
The gag stuffed into his mouth muffled Silver's growl. He squirmed against the makeshift cloth ties around his wrists and ankles.
Jay would die by his hand. It didn't matter if he had to plan it out meticulously for the rest of his life. He would do it.
Silver let out a muffled curse as Jay handed him over to a tattooed goon.
"Careful, he's feral right now."
Positioned over a large shoulder, he wiggled in defiance as the two exited his house. Silver's eyes burned as he kept his gaze on the now lifeless body of Erik. He wouldn't look away. He needed to remember this, no matter how badly it hurt to watch.
Silver let out a pained huff of air as he landed in the back of a pickup truck like a sack of potatoes. Face stinging as it slapped against the dusty surface.
"So, where to?"
Ajax slammed the door behind him before bringing the engine to life.
"The Drug God himself."
"You got it."
Silver didn't bother listening to the rest of the conversation. Between his head hitting against the bed of the truck and the visual image of his father being killed on repeat, he wasn't too keen on keeping up with the assholes up front.
By the time the truck finally came to a stop, Silver had long receded to the dark corner of his mind, the same place he went when he was getting beaten into the pavement.
Turning away from the picture of a smiling family, the image of Erik dead on the floor. He didn't want to see it right now. He lost all his anger and need for vengeance somewhere on the street behind him, at least temporarily.
Now he was just tired.
He didn't even flinch as Ajax hauled him over his shoulder once more and they entered a concrete building that was a long-abandoned arcade center.
Dust and a tarp covered the vintage arcade games pushed against the walls. In the free space was a group of men sitting around a miniature, old-time TV.
The crackled voice of a zealous announcer buzzed through the air as the screen displayed the fuzzy image of a football match. Men hunched over on small stools or flat on the ground had bowls of food balanced on their laps. Eating as though they had never seen food before.
Only one looked up to watch the trio's entrance.
"Ronan down in his dungeon?"
That caught everyone's attention. None of these men had the status or balls to call their Capo by his first name.
They stood as they recognized Jay, attempting to appear more respectful.
"Yeah, Capo is down there. Stupid son of a-"
One of them, who had remained seated answered. He cursed as the image flickered out into static before returning to a clearer picture as he slapped the top of the TV.
"Who's winning?"
"Until a minute ago, Brazil."
Jay hummed as he walked toward the back rooms that held the stairway to the basement.
"My money's on them."
"You haven't heard who they're playing."
"Doesn't matter, I like Brazil. The women are beautiful, and the beaches are nice."
Ajax glanced at him, adjusting the suspiciously pliant load on his shoulder.
"Not because of their football?"
"Eh, I like basketball better."
Ajax snorted.
The basement was completely different compared to its upper level. The bare concrete walls and floors were sterile. Thick plastic screens separated it into sections where men and women in masks stood hunched over tables portioning, weighing, mixing, and packaging stones and white powdered substances.
No one stopped their work to address the two as they made their way to the far back, where Ronan's personal lab was located.
Jay burst through the door, where he waltzed into the chemistry lab his brother practically lived in. He didn't come here often, but when he did, he always messed around and left the door wide open when he left.
"What did I fucking say about knocking?"
The man in a white coat was bent over a glass beaker filled with an opaque substance, writing scribbles in a book before he stopped to observe it.
"Hello to you too. Please tell me you're sober enough to hold a proper conversation."
"I do not get high, I conduct experiments."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night. Some day I'll come in here to find you OD'ed on the floor."
"And what a glorious day it will be."
He straightened to his full height, which was just a few inches taller than Jay, something that continued to piss him off to this day.
Ronan had a more childish look about him, it was easy to tell they had some blood relation by the shape of their nose and lips, but the similarities ended there. Ronan had almond-shaped tired brown eyes and an unruly mop of shaggy brown curls he never bothered with.
"What is that?"
Ronan's eyes zeroed in on the passed-out Silver, now hanging like a limp rag over Ajax's shoulder.
"That is a lead, or it was. Now it's just a loose end that needs tying."
"Whatever it is, don't put it down anywhere. It's filthy."
Ronan turned back to his desk of instruments, seeming to be done with the conversation.
Jay groaned into his hand. He could probably bring a dragon in here, and Ronan would just blink at him.
"I get you didn't like Lucky all that much, but this is a big deal. He was Dad's friend for the longest."
"Yes, Dad's friend, not mine or yours. Why are you getting so worked up?"
"Because he taught us everything we know."
"No, he taught you, he taught Ruben, he didn't give a shit about me. I couldn't care less that he died."
"He's a fucking cop, a well-respected detective who was about to retire comfortably. The police are gonna be all over the case once the autopsy reports his murder."
"The New Sable City Police Department is overworked and underpaid. It will die out and become a cold case. Just like all the other suspicious cop deaths."
"This is why Ruben nags you for being so disinterested."
"Careful brother, you're beginning to sound just like him."
Jay sighs, rubbing his head as he dropped the subject entirely. Arguing with Ronan was useless in all scenarios.
"I better go tell Dad, he'll want to send someone to be there for Lucky's wife and daughter when they go see the body."
"What are you gonna do with that?"
Ronan jerked his head at Silver, who was still very much passed out.
A slow, soft smile took over Jay's face.
"I'll take him to the daycare, I promised him an opportunity after all."
Ronan rolled his eyes.
"So you're still doing that? If Dad found out what you were up to in the city, he'd shove a stake knife in your eye.."
"All for the good of the family dear brother. Besides, if he found out what you were up to down here, he'd probably cut your tongue off."
Ronan looked over at his experiments. Many of which he was conducting without the Family's authorization.
"Touché."
"I'm off, thanks for lending me some men."
"You had them killed, send me new ones if you're so thankful."
"I'll see what I can do."
Ajax passed the child over to Jay.
The jostling woke Silver from his sleep, he lifted his head wearily as Jay maneuvered him.
He could make out the dim image of a man in white waving him goodbye as the door was closed in his face.
Disoriented and confused, he allowed his heavy head the hit the shirt-clad back of Jay as the man walked out.
Jay only waited for a few moments outside the building before a sleek, black car came to a stop before him.
It stuck out like a sore thumb, even with the black paint blending in with the surrounding darkness. Daylight would be on the horizon soon and all Jay wanted to do was sleep.
The driver nodded as he positioned Silver on one side of the backseat while he took up the other.
"Where to?"
The man at the wheel spared a glance at Jay from his mirror.
"New Sable City, Bucky's Diner just off St. Lucia Street."
"Yes Capo, but most diners don't open until six."
"Just find a parking space when you get there. I could use the sleep. Did you get something to eat before coming here?"
"No Capo."
Jay gave a noncommittal hum as he watched Silver sleep. His dreams seemed to be anything but peaceful, judging by the permanent frown on his face.
"Guess breakfast for the three of us is on me then."
"....Thank you."
Jay leaned back into the buttery-soft leather.
He took another moment to look over at the child. Silver was protectively curled in on himself, as if by instinct. He meant what he said to Ronan, he had high hopes for Silver.
Jay turned his head toward the tinted window where the sky was just barely beginning to lighten into a new day.
He patted his pockets before letting out a soft sound of annoyance.
I could really use a cigarette.