Treading Water

33 - Dangerous Rapids

Hayley's POV

Today is the day.  I've been working at Clover part time to make sure I'm seen in public, sticking to my cover story to a T.  When I'm not at Clover, I've been making preparations.  Staking out this Casey person.  My target.  My pay day.  It's too bad really, that he's such a piece of fucking shit, cause man he is one hot son of a bitch.  I'd love to sample the package for a day or two but I have my instructions and we need to keep this clean.

I know the back story, I've seen the evidence, I've met Emerson.  She is quite literally the sweetest person I've met and she definitely didn't deserve this.  I can't bring her mother back, but I can see that justice is served, well, essentially.  I know my methods aren't legal and honestly, I really don't give a flying fuck.  I get the job done when it failed to be taken care of the right way.  I served and protected, I did my time on the right side of the law so I know how this works.  What I also know is that the system will always play out in favor of assholes like this.  

It's Thursday, I'm parked out front a coffee shop as I wait to see the dashing Casey make his usual trip to the local "masseuse" like he does every Thursday afternoon.  It appears he's not even satisfied with his current girlfriend if he's paying for it.  It will a few more hours until I make my move, but I need to make sure he's keeping his same routine.  Arden's Private Investigator did a great job establishing a pattern for me.  They saved me weeks of work getting his routine laid out.  Now I've only had to spend a few weeks staking out certain places in his travels to really lock in my plans.

I like to bide my time, savor the moment with my target.  It's only the best laid plans that succeed so there's no reason to rush.  I may enjoy my work a little more than I should, but where's the sense of any job if you can't take pleasure in it.  

I take out my phone to send a text -

ME: Boss, not feeling too well, think I'll pop to the pharmacy then snuggle up in bed.

ARDEN: Thanks for the update, I'll organize cover, rest up!

ME: Thanks Boss

Seems pretty standard right? Wrong.  I'm a freaking professional, I don't leave a trail anywhere.  I pre-planned this message which truly tells Arden- it's on tonight.  The last thing he needs is any tie to this that can back to him.  I throw the car into gear and pull out, he'll be out again soon and I need to make sure he doesn't see me.  Not until I am ready for him to see me... soon, very soon.

Arden's POV

I place the phone back in my pocket, nodding in Kai's direction.  We've been waiting for this day a long time.  I'm not a criminal, I've always run my businesses above board and legal.  I respect authority and I pay my dues.  That being said, not everything can be handled legally.  We looked at options, but without the solid evidence that no doubt Casey's long since destroyed, we had no chance of putting him away.  Honestly, I'm not even sure putting him away would have been enough.  His actions cost Emerson more than he will ever know.  He cost Em the life of her mother, the relationship with her father and worst of all, it almost cost Em to take her own life.  She tried, she almost achieved it too.  I thank god everyday that she didn't succeed.

"You all good there, mate," Kai asked, sitting across the bar from me.  I'd decided to spend some time out of the floor, the office feeling a little closed in for my liking this week.

"Yeah, mate.  Feeling fantastic actually, just wish it was me delivering the final blow," sliding Kai a beer, I just shook my head, "She'll be rid of the last of her nightmare once and for all but she won't even know."

"In time she will mate, you haven't changed your mind have you? I've got time to pull Hayley out still."

"NO" I almost yell, "Fuck no Kai, no regrets."