Misfits - Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Cal

I take another shot, pushing the empty glasses out of my way as I reach for the liquid. I down the shot quickly, enjoying the burn as it trails down my throat. I motion for the bartender and he walks towards me with wide eyes. I grab him roughly around the collar, pulling him in close to me.

“Just bring me the whole damn bottle,” I growl.

He nods his head quickly and scurries to bring me the whole bottle. I place my fingers against my temple trying to staunch the budding headache I was beginning to get.

I’ve never felt this before. This guilt for another human being. I’ve always done as I pleased, not caring what my actions would entail. But now, my recklessness may have cost me the love of my life. The bartender sets the bottle of tequila down in front of me. I glare at the bottle.

The look on Rue’s face... the way she looked at me, it was as if she was staring at her father. And I hated that. I was supposed to protect her. No matter what. And now she saw me as the villain.

“I can never see you as anything other than who you are.”

Her words flash through my head. At the moment she saw me as her knight in shining armor. The man that had rescued her. And loved her. She didn’t know who I really was. Damn. I was such an idiot. To think that she’d ever accepted what I really was. For a second, I really truly believed in my head that she would. That I could go about my ways and she would still look at me with all the love and adoration of a king.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see Vitale’s name lighting up the screen. I groan in irritation. This was the last thing I needed right now.

“Yeah.”

“So I’m assuming the Rawlings hit was a success?” Vitale’s voice comes back through the phone.

“Yeah,” I say numbly.

“Glad to hear it. You sound down. Which is unusual for you after a hit.” I let out an irritated sigh.

“I just made a mistake with Rue is all.” Silence comes back through the phone.

“Rue? Oh! You mean your little flower," he chuckles.

“Why don’t you stop by the club and we’ll have a little chat about it.” He says. He hangs up the phone before I can respond. I groan aloud again. I did not need this today. I’ve been so scared of seeing Rue’s disappointed gaze, I’ve been avoiding her. And by that, I’ve been keeping her body in an unconscious state.

I bitter chuckle escapes me. I don’t think I’ve ever cared if someone was disappointed in me. Or scared of me. Or even hated me. But with Rue, it was a whole other ball game. I cared. And Vitale could see that. And it was fucking with me.

* * * * *

I step into the pulsating club, letting the loud music and scents overwhelm my senses. My eyes drift over the crowd of people. Women were dancing, some of them even topless and piss drunk all over each other. There was a time when this was my domain. I would search for the night's conquest and never look back, but since I had met Rue that had all changed. I longed for only her touch.

I step through the crowded area, heading for the stairs that would lead me to the V.I.P. room. This was Vitale’s club. One of the many he owned. But it just happened to be his favorite. It was where he did all his dealings and meetings. It was also where he liked to wind down and have a nice drink from time to time.

I step through the archway, heading for the metal door. Clyde is standing and doesn’t make a move to stop me as I enter the room. Vitale and his men are all in here. Drinking, smoking, and having a good time together.

In the center of the room are two strippers on the poles. One has already begun to take her top off while the other is sliding provocatively down the pole.

As soon as I enter the room their eyes fall on me. The topless blonde sends me a wink and the brunette eyes me as she puts her hand down her panties. I scoff, rolling my eyes at the dumb bitches, making my way to Vitale.

“Cal! Took you long enough!” Vitale shouts at me from across the room.

I can tell by the slur of his words he’s already got a light buzz. He stands giving me a tight hug and kissing each of my cheeks. I hated it when he was in an overly excited mood. It just meant he was going to lay some heavy job on me. I walk to the empty sofa in the corner of the room, plopping down.

“Oh, I know that look, something bothering you Cal?” he shouts across the room.

“No. Just tired,” I say. I hear Vitale chuckle at me.

“Tired? Since when are you tired after a big job like that? If anything I expected you to be a little restless," he says with a laugh.

“Remember Natalia?” he says with a wink.

I laugh sarcastically at him. I remember Natalia. I met her in the club right after I took out the head of an organization. I was on a high that night and wanted more. I saw her on the pole and wanted her. And I had her. Many, many times. Until I got too carried away and almost killed her. She ended up in the hospital the next day with no recollection of who she even was.

I hear Vitale clap his hands together and open my eyes.

Just in time to see a whole lot of strippers walking in the room. I let out an irritated sigh, pulling a cigarette out of my pocket and lighting it up.

“So what did Toby say? Was he difficult to kill?” Vitale asks over the music. I take a deep breath, immediately feeling my nerves calm down, and blow the smoke in the air above my head.

“No. He was actually begging for more time,” I say. Vitale laughs aloud.

“That bastard. I’ve given him so much time, and you know what he told me that last time I spoke to him? I told him his time was up, and he had the nerve to tell me, that I needed him! And he’d deliver when he was ready!”

I chuckle to myself. Toby was asking for a visit from me the moment he smarted off to Vitale. He may seem like a boisterous, happy man, but underneath the expensive suits and jolly laugh, was a madman craving power. Which is why we got along so well. I had no interest in power. I wasn’t a threat to his position. If anything, I secured his position with every hit I made.

A stripper takes a seat next to me, eyeing me and jutting her breasts out towards me. I don’t give her the time of day. She had a body, I’d give her that. But she wasn’t Rue. Rue’s body was perfect. She didn’t have oversized breasts or collagen-filled lips, and she didn’t have to try so hard to be sexy. Hell, all she had to do was lick her lips and I’d get a raging hard-on.

The stripper moves even closer to me, obviously not sensing my distaste. I know everyone in the room is watching me. Waiting to see my reaction. In the past, I would have enjoyed it. Hell, I would have taken her to the nearest broom closet and fucked her to my heart's content. But this wasn’t the past. And I had Rue now.

She moves her hand down my chest, towards my dick, and as soon as she places her hand over the area, I put my cigarette back in my mouth, taking a long drag, before snatching her hand roughly, and bringing it down on her skin. She cries out in pain and tries to jerk away, but I’m in a bad mood as it is. So I stand with her hand still in mine and squeeze until I feel the bone popping within my fist. The loud pop sounds throughout the room, and she screams.

I let go of her hand, and as she falls down I kneel down next to her. Her eyes widen and she tries to scramble away from me.

“Don’t ever touch me like that again,” I growl. She’s staring at me in terror and eventually, one of her friends scurry over to the scene, helping her up and exiting the room. Vitale’s booming laugh echoes through the room. I can see some of his men looking at me in disbelief.

“Come, Cal. Speak to me.” He motions to the chair in front of his desk. I walk begrudgingly to the seat, sitting and pulling out another cigarette.

“So, tell me what is bothering you.” He says. I can see amusement twinkling in his eyes. He loved it when I was irritated. It meant he could throw just about anything at me and I’d handle it.

“I took Rue with me. To the Rawlings hit. I let her watch the whole thing.” I say. Vitale’s expression is serious as he listens to me.

“I just wanted her to accept me for me. And now, she’s terrified of me!” I say. Vitale is resting his hand on his chin, watching me with a serious expression. He lets out a laugh.

“Callum. What has this girl done to you?” he asks. But I can see that he really wants to know what she’s done. What it is about her that’s changed me so.

“I’ve never seen you so distraught over a female before,” he says in disbelief.

“Let me ask you a question. Do you think it’s love that’s driving your actions for her? Do you think you love her?” I sit up straighter in my seat, giving him a confused look. What was the point of this conversation?

“When you love a person, Callum. You put their needs before yours. You consider all consequences for that person that your actions will entail. This feeling you have towards your little flower is not love. It’s an obsession. Possession. Need.” He laughs sitting back in his seat.

“Do you really think you are capable of love? You, the man that has murdered countless amounts of people, because you wanted to. Not because you had to. You already had a pretty big name for yourself before I found you. Or should I say you found me?" He gives a bitter laugh and I know he’s thinking back to when we first met.

“Let me ask you something.” He leans in closer to me, over his desk, staring me straight in the eyes.

“The first time you killed. Did you lose any sleep?” I think back to the first life I ever snuffed out. I didn’t even bat a lash. Vitale takes my silence as an answer. He sits back smiling at me.

“The first time I killed a man, I couldn’t handle it. It weighed on my conscience. Taking a life is a big deal, Callum. You’re cutting someone’s life short. Preventing them from experiencing the rest of their life. Taking them from their loved ones and friends. All of that weighed heavy on my mind.”

I stare at him in confusion. None of that ever crossed my mind when doing a job. Even before I got paid for it, It never bothered me. Vitale motions for a stripper to bring him a drink. She scurries over, and I take notice of the fear in her eyes as she looks my way. She sets the drink down and turns to leave, but Vitale grabs her arm.

“What is your name, sweetheart?" she swallows.

“Candy.”

“No sweety. Your real name," Vitale asks.

“Tricia,” she says. Vitale begins to rub his finger along her thigh.

“Why do you do this, Tricia.” He motions to the club around us.

“I.. need the money. And no one else would hire me.”

“So.. this was a last resort?” he clarifies. She nods her head.

“Do you have family, Tricia?” he asks. She nods her head.

“I have a 5-year-old son,” she says. Vitale raises a brow.

“I assume he doesn’t know what you do.” She drops her head.

“No... He only knows I work at nights.”

I look at Vitale in confusion. He nods his head to the girl, letting her stand to walk back across the room. He looks at me and pulls out a gun pushing it across the table.

“Shoot her,” he says watching me. I raise a brow at him. This was random. But I never question him. I just know he asks and I do. I reach out grabbing the gun, taking note that it feels light in my hand. I aim at the back of Tricia’s head as she walks away, and pull the trigger.

‘Click’

I look back to Vitale in confusion and he’s watching me with an amused expression. He holds his hand out for the gun, and I place it back in his palm. He opens the bullet chamber, revealing one bullet.

“Do you know what you did wrong, Cal?” he asks. I narrow my eyes at him. I hated it when he tried to teach me morals.

“No,” I say.

“You didn’t hesitate. Not in the slightest. You were going to kill her, knowing she had a son at home, waiting for her each day to return home. You didn’t think of why you shouldn’t and you didn’t think of who would be affected by her death. You were going to just because I told you to.” He gives a light chuckle.

“You didn’t even ask me why I wanted her dead at least.” He says. I don’t know how to respond to him.

“My point is, Cal, that you are incapable of feeling empathetic emotions. I don’t know why that is. It’s good for, the world you live in. But in the world your flower lives in, you have a serious problem. You aren’t what is considered normal.” He begins to put the gun away.

“So, what you feel for her, I’m afraid is not love. At the moment, it’s just a small need. But I will tell you this. As your friend. Be careful. It only takes a spark for someone to get burned.”

* * * * *

Rue

Rain. I can hear the patter of it on the rooftop. I don’t have to move to know I’m alone in bed. If I weren’t alone, Cal would be squeezing the life out of me. My eyes fly open, and I sit up quickly in bed, as the thought of Cal triggers my memories. I lay back in bed, pressing my fingers to my temples as I recall everything that had happened.

Cal had murdered a room full of men in about 60 seconds. Not only that, but the chilling smile that was plastered on his face was one that would haunt me in my dreams. What had I gotten myself into? Cal was a murderer! I didn’t even know who he truly was.

He had lied to me all this time, about who he really was. He would go to his jobs and come home and touch me with the same hands he murdered people with. I look around the room but Cal is nowhere to be found.

My mouth is unbearably dry. I sit up, throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, making my way into the kitchen. I head to the fridge, pouring a glass of water and downing it quickly, enjoying the refreshing cool it leaves in my mouth. I look around the living room, and it’s empty as well. Where was Cal?

I perk up as a thought enters my head. Cal wasn’t here. I set the glass down, and head straight for the front door, but as soon as I try and turn the handle, nothing happens.

“What the hell?” I whisper aloud. I try again, but it refuses to open. Did he lock me inside the house?

“I’m afraid the door won’t open unless I type in the code.” I jump and squeal, whirling around to find Cal standing in front of me, in his signature black. His hands are stuffed in his pockets as he stares at me with his calculating gaze.

I don’t know what to do, so I turn around again and begin violently jerking at the doorknob, trying to just get away from him.

“Princess.” His voice comes out of the silence, and I feel my anger flare at him. I whirl around quick, stepping to him so that we’re chest to chest as I point in his face.

“Don’t call me that! Don’t ever call me that!” I scream. I can feel tears of frustration already spilling over. Hurt flashes over his features as he takes in my words. He opens his mouth to speak but I beat him to it.

“No! Whatever you have to say, just don’t! You lied to me! All this time you lied! You... killed all those men!” I stare at him in disbelief, trying to figure out how the hell this man did all that damage, without even breaking a sweat.

“Please, prin- Rue.. just hear me out,” he says. He reaches out to grab ahold of my arms but I jerk away from him.

“Don’t touch me,” I hiss. I look at him, trying to calm my nerves. Trying to find some kind of positive in any of this. He was my hero. He had saved me. He loved me. I gave him all of me, everything I had to offer I gave it to him under the assumption that he was just a man. Not an assassin. I turn away from him, leaning on the nearest wall and sliding down so that I’m on the floor.

The room is silent, and my sobs can be heard as clear as day.

“I.. trusted you...,” I whisper. I hear footsteps, and I know Cal is walking near me.

“Remember when I asked you to promise me. I asked you to promise that you would never see me as the bad guy. You promised Rue,” he says. I look at him, in anger.

“That's because I didn’t know you were the fucking bad guy,” I hiss. He glares back at me. He slightly narrows his eyes at me.

“Ok fine, I am the bad guy Rue. Ok? But not to you. I can’t have that from you. You can’t do this to me... I need you,” he says. I can feel my heart aching at his words. At that moment he sounds like my Cal. He sounds hurt. I slowly turn to look at him, and he’s watching me with desperate eyes.

“I can’t look past the fact that you... murder people for a living, Cal. How can you ask that of me?” I say. He looks confused, then he begins biting down on his jaw, and I can tell that he’s grasping at straws.

“I know I can’t ask that of you. I’m asking you to accept me.” He slowly reaches out, placing his palm against my cheek, never wavering eye contact.

“Please, Rue. I need you. I don’t want to live in a world without you.” I look away from him.

“Why? Why do you do it?” I ask. I’m afraid to know the answer, but I know if I don’t ask now, I never will.

“At first, it was because I could. I could control something in my life. Then it was because I wanted to. And people began to see my talents in that area. And now I do it because Vitale asks me to.”

I stare at him in horror. How could this be the same man that has protected me all this time. The same man that saved me from so much horror. How can you kill someone, because you want to?

“Cal, do you hear yourself?” I ask. He looks at me in confusion. He didn’t understand that what he did was wrong. I stand.

“I can’t. I can’t do this, Cal.” I move to walk past him and stop when I feel his hand around my arm.

“Wait... Please,” he says. I slowly turn around. He’s still on the ground. He looks up at me with so much pain in his eyes.

“I’ll give you space. I’ll give you time. I’ll give you whatever you want, just... don’t do that please. Don’t say it’s over between us. I’m begging you.” I look down at him, my feelings were fighting against each other. He looked so broken at that moment. He was still the same man, I just knew who he really was now. But I don’t think that I could accept a killer in my life.

“I don’t know Cal. I don’t know what to do," I whisper. He stands from his spot on the floor.

“I don’t either," he says. His phone vibrates in his pocket. I can tell he’s reluctant to answer it. But he pulls it out of his pocket.

“Yeah.” He pauses as he listens.

“Ok.” He hangs up and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“It’s Vitale. He wants me to bring you over.”

* * * * *

We arrive at Vitale’s 30 minutes later. I was terrified, to say the least. Obviously, Vitale wasn’t a simple businessman. And he used Cal for a lot of things he wanted to have cleaned up. We eventually arrive at a restaurant. Cal was silent the whole way over, but I can tell from his demeanor he was tense. And Cal being tense around people wasn’t a good thing.

We pull up and Cal parks. He turns to me, offering me a smile.

“Everything is going to be ok, I promise," he says. He gives me a small kiss on my knuckles. I want so badly to kiss him. To hug him and have him hold me and tell me everything was alright, but the fact that I now knew the truth about him was holding me back. I can’t see him the same as I once did.

He gets out, leading me into the restaurant. It was very elegant. With a giant double staircase and a crystal chandelier. Cal pulls me in close to him, but I take his hand moving it from my back and putting distance between us. I see him out of my peripheral, look at me, but I don’t dare look at him.

He leads the way to a glass elevator, pressing the button that leads to the top floor.

“Rue.” He speaks to me while the elevator begins its trip.

“Rue, please talk to me,” he says. I only ignore him, looking out at the view beyond me. I hear him sigh.

“I still love you, Rue,” he says right before the elevator stops its trip, opening the doors to a hallway.

There’s a man standing watch outside the massive double doors. His gaze falls on Cal and he immediately steps aside, opening the doors.

Inside is a large room that looks like a lounge. There are couches, a bar, a table for eating, it was very nice.

There were others in here, harmlessly speaking to each other, And at the forefront of it all is Cal’s boss. Vitale. His gaze falls on us.

“Cal! And his delicate flower,” he says with a smile.

“Come!” He motions for us to take a seat. Cal sits down on the long couch and I sit on the one separate from him. Vitale takes notice.

“Ah. So it seems you’re aware of Cal’s occupation.” He comes and sits next to me with a glass of champagne in his hand. He reaches out, placing a hand on my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“What is it about him that bothers you so, flower. I warned you did I not,” he says.

“Vitale.” Cal’s voice comes across the room, and Vitale immediately lets go of my chin.

“I asked you here, to speak with you. Alone. I’m sure Callum won’t mind,” he says looking at Cal. Cal’s gaze shifts between me and Vitale before he leans back in his seat nodding his head.

Vitale holds his hand out to me, and I slowly place mine in his, in fear of what would happen if I didn’t. Vitale leads me to the other side of the room to a door, and opens it, gesturing for me to go inside. I take one last look at Cal, and he’s watching me with a blank expression, then I head into the room.

“Please. Take a seat,” Vitale says. It was an office of some sort, so I take a seat in the chairs in front of the desk, expecting Vitale to sit behind the desk. But he does the opposite. He sits on top of it so that he’s right in front of me. He studies me a moment before taking a sip of his drink.

He reaches out, placing one of my curls between his fingers, letting it slip through. I don’t dare move.

“Such a delicate flower,” he murmurs.

“Cal is not a normal man. He is different. Special,” he says. He has such a serious expression on his face.

“Usually I make it a point to stay out of his affairs, but this one is... intriguing to say the least. He lacks... empathy, flower. He doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong, good or bad. He just knows pleasure. And does whatever it takes to get that pleasure for himself.” He looks down at his glass, swirling the liquid.

“Before I took Cal and made him my own, I feared him. We all did. He isn’t ruled by a moral code. He’s ruled by personal emotion. Agenda. Want. Everyone wanted to get him because they knew that if they had him, he would be the perfect muscle. And they would be safe from him.” He takes another sip of his drink.

“I tell you this because right now, you are the center of his personal emotion. He wants you. And there’s no telling what he’ll do to the rest of us if he can’t have you.” My eyes widen as I take in the meaning of Vitale’s words.

“You’re afraid of him?” I ask. Vitale chuckles.

“Afraid is such a weak word. I prefer... wary.” He stands, walking around my chair.

“I’d like to tell you a story. Cal once almost killed me.”

“He had me tied down, my men dead, and an ax in his hand.” He laughs bitterly as if remembering the incident.

“He showed up at my drop-off location and took out all my men in a matter of minutes. He even had a bullet in his shoulder, and his arm.

He took some rope and chains, strapped me to the front of my own car, and was about to hack me into pieces. I’m sure since you watched the Rawlings hit, you saw his little hobby. He had a jar specially made for me. I thought for sure that someone had ordered a hit on me. But you know what he asked me before he collected my blood?”

“He asked me, my name. And I realized he didn’t know who I was. As it turns out, that split second bought me enough time for reinforcements, and after losing 13 of my men to Callum, I managed to subdue him and talk him into working for me.” He stands, downing the last of his drink and meeting my gaze.

“When I got comfortable enough, I asked him, why he was going to kill me that day. Do you know what he told me?” He laughs a big boisterous laugh.

“He told me, I knocked him down on the street. And I laughed. And my men kicked him while he was down. He told me, I needed to be knocked down a peg. And that was when I knew. I had a true psychopath on my hands.”