A Rush to Violence Read Free Page B

socks and then looked for his shoes. “Two days ago.”
    “And you’re telling me now?”
    “If I told you when she called, you would have been like a dog on a bone and I never would have got you into bed.”
    “That’s probably true. And you were especially attentive last night, so I’ll let it pass. If there’s anything good, will you share it with me?”
    “I’m not supposed to.”
    “But you will if I can help you?”
    He found the pair of shoes he was looking for and put them on. “That’s generally how it goes.”
    They left the dressing room, finished in the bathroom and left the building. When they married, they each sold their former apartments and they now lived in one of the penthouses of a new high-rise on Sixty-Third and Fifth.  Marty was so busy now, he couldn’t remember the last time he reviewed a movie for his website, which was the one hobby he loved.
    On the street, it was warm and bright. Across from them was the park, which after his dream last night, stopped Marty cold. Already, parents were taking their children there for a day in the sun. The sidewalks were busy. New York had jumped headlong into summer and on a beautiful day such as today, it was especially alive.
    “Are you all right?”
    He shook his head. “I was just thinking of the girls.” He nodded over at the park. “I used to bring them there when they were young.” He looked uptown for a cab. “Do you want to share one? I can drop you off.”
    “You’ve only got forty-five minutes to get there. We’d each better take our own.”
    She stepped onto the street, tossed back her hair and held out her hand. Within a minute, she snagged a cab.
    “Why can’t I do that?”
    “You need these shoes,” she said.
    “And apparently your legs.”
    They kissed each other on the street just as quickly as they always did. But this time, before she could pull away, he drew her close and gave her a more meaningful kiss.
    She smiled at him in surprise. “What was that for?”
     As much as he wanted to kiss her again, to hold her and to tell her how much he loved her and how much she meant to him, he got inside as casually as he would have on any other day. He couldn’t tip her off. She was too bright and knew him too well. “Just because,” he said. “I’ll call you later.”
    “Hopefully sooner, stud.”
    He leaned toward the driver. “West Eighty-Sixth Street. Drop me at the park.” He said it so she could hear it. As they pulled away from her, he looked over his shoulder and watched Jennifer step back into the street. Her hand went up. A cab pulled toward her and she got inside.
    He watched her until she faded from sight. His stomach seized up and seemed to collapse when he realized that if he didn’t handle this correctly, he might never see her again.
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    He checked his watch and asked the driver to take him to a different address. “I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “Drop me at East Fourteenth.”
    It was the morning rush and traffic was heavy. He took out the TracFone he purchased yesterday and made the call that would protect Jennifer until the people he hired were instructed to back down. “She’s on her way to Channel One now,” he said. “Nothing happens to her. Nobody touches my wife or gets near her. Are we clear?”
    “We’re clear.”
    “Don’t fuck it up.”
    He was uneasy trusting anyone now, but he had no choice. He could only hope they treated the situation as if it was their wife or a member of their own family being threatened.
    He hung up the phone, rested it in his lap and prayed for it to ring. Five minutes passed and it did. He looked down and read the name on the screen—Gloria, his ex-wife. She was on time and knew the drill. One ring meant she and their two daughters were away and safe, at least for now. Two rings meant he needed to answer because they were in trouble.
    One ring, her name flashed off the screen and the screen went dark. They were safe.