Swiped: A Romance Thriller

Becoming the Boss

Angelica was not spotted, but he knew this was the location. After all, the bodies have been numerous, and never had she given misinformation.

So Stevie waited, eyes spotting the windows, flicking over each one. Just a single shadow would do. A small idea that Angelica was okay would make him feel okay. Just okay. There was nothing more in the world he hated right now in not knowing if she was well.

But then, a man arrived. Stevie kept watch as the vehicle pulled up roughly to the curb. The beaten car had a limp of a spare tire at the rear. With the rust building at the lower fenders, he predicted that this man lived out in nowhere town, or a place with a gravel lot with large potholes.

The man had stepped out, but instead of knocking on the door he moved to the back of the home with determination. His T-shirt from the back was ripped, doted with small holes. A used shirt, worn out by time.

"What the fuck is he doing," Stevie blurted out.

This could still be the wrong home. But the man fit the profile of Angelica's victims. He had the fucking face that said I-touch-small-girls.

Stevie lost him for a second, but then he reappeared with a wide-ass smile on his face. Lips moving, happily talking to himself as he approached the massive, wooden door.

The man waited. This, Stevie knew, had to be Phillip Yesson.

Stevie readied his cell. The gofers were not your typical I-carry-your-duties-no-questions-asked type of guys. These were real buddies. Assholes that Stevie knew for too long a time— time that slowly molded Steve into an unrecognizable mirrored version from the child he still remembers from inside. Whatever happened to little Stevie?

Whatever happened didn't matter. He was the boss. That's what life is all about at the end of the day. Working yourself at some job to become the boss, then, apparently, you've made it.

He dialed the number and waited...

"Hello," the voice came in.

"Aye, we got a new clean up. I'll shoot you the address by message. Should be ready to head in no later than 20 or 30 minutes," Stevie announced.

"Send the address, I'm heading out anyway, just ate breakfast. Good thing too. Damn jobs you've been giving us lately have been fucked up man. Fucked up!"

Stevie grunted and hung up, pinging the location and passing it through by message. If there was another reason to adore Angelica, it was for all the knowledge she gave him. It came limitless to techy stuff.

Even his radio plays more music now because of her.

Stevie dumped the phone to the passenger seat and waited to the background of commercial free music.