She opened the door as Logan couldn’t believe she had told him to hide. He never expected her to open the door either. He asked himself what was going on?
He could hear talking but needed to get a closer listen and as he did, he heard a man say, “where is ya brother? We need him for a job.” Logan silently ran to his gun. The roughness of man’s voice sounded too much like a bandit and he knew what the word job meant. He found his dear pistol next to his clothes and it surprised him that it was still there.
The door closed as he turned around the corner. Annabelle, who was poised, stared at Logan as he said, “have they really just left? Aren’t you gonna tell them I’m here?” He began to wave his pistol as his tone became more hawkish. “I know they are a part of the gang or some gang. Work with ya brother, do they? I bet you’re saving me for the gang’s boss. Well, you ain’t killing shit, I will put you down like the dogs you are!”
He could see her worried face; though, he wondered why she Hadn’t told them. She manged to scramble words, exclaiming, “Wait! Please… my brother doesn’t….”
He cut her off, “I know he does! A job is what they said and I know what a job means. In fact, I know they were a part of the gang. I just know!” He slowly aimed his weapon and vehemently said, “you better tell me or a bullet will be lodged in your skull.”
Her words couldn’t have come out quicker. “He’s a spy, a spy for me,” He questioned her further, using his confused face as she rapidly continued speaking. “We take scores of the gang. We’ve been at it for years… but I reckon they were planning to leave soon, yet that changed when you and your friend killed their magnificent leader.”
He quickly replied, “how do you know this?”
“My brother knew they were planning to rob a bank soon. We wanted to beat them to it but we changed our minds and are planning to rob their poker game. They were all gonna leave after robbing the bank but I think killing the boss had changed their plans. And as you say, the person to take charge is your old buddy. And I checked with my brother, he is named Clay.”
He knew she wasn’t lying as she would have sent him to his death five minutes ago, he thought. He was not speaking a word, yet his gun was now aimed at the floor and he could see that it brightened her face. He wanted to trust her but he couldn’t, he couldn’t trust anyone, yet leaving wasn’t an option either. His thoughts turned to anger, anger for Clay, anger that wouldn’t go away and with his options limited, he went to the bedroom in silence.
Logan stood in his fury, his heart raced and raced, until he punched the wall; the knuckles on his hand cracked. The only thought to protrude his mind was to kill Clay, using his bare hands and strangling him until his very last breath was watched by his eyes. The fire in his eyes was beginning to melt his soul. He wanted to kill everyone in the world, even innocents but he knew that wouldn’t happen. He wanted it but didn’t believe it. He looked to the bed as it called his name.
A trail of light came through the window that stopped on the end of his bed. It calmed Logan’s thoughts as he stared at it. Yet, his anger was as fresh as the morning he had just woke up on. He hated early mornings but had always subsisted with them; the dangers and opportunities were enough motivation. He got out of bed, thinking how he slept with them around. They were not to be trusted, he thought. He wiped the sleep out of his eye as he crept out the room.
The smell of beans hit his nose and his grumbling stomach let him know what to do next. Yet, he moved cautiously to the living room, thinking how much he could murder a tin of heated beans which made his mouth water like a puddle.
He seen Annabelle preparing breakfast which consisted of beans and bread. The tempting thought of running towards it came flying to his mind. She seen him and asked if he wanted any. He was never declining, he thought.
They both sat on separate wooden chairs, with Logan eating like she wasn’t in his presence, until she coughed twice. He knew the signal as he said, “thank you,” he had another bite and spoke while chewing, “it’s… good. This is in apple pie order, I’ll tell ya.” He didn’t even chew the last bit of his bread before he said, “I needed that.”
“I can tell but it’s only beans,” she gave him a small chuckle, yet she stopped almost instantly. He could tell he had upset her but how could he trust her. He didn’t want a friend either and he knew how friendships ended, either misery or betrayal. He hoped she would force him out because it was becoming harder to leave.
Logan had an enough of chilling, so he, once again, began to leave his room. He could see that she was planning something. Planning what, he wondered? He had to know. His voice went soft as he asked her. He knew, he had troubled her. Yet, making it up to her felt harder than just pretending he had done nothing wrong. He didn’t ask for their help, he thought. His gaze didn’t move from her, thinking how elegant her body was, with her jaw curved majestically as she showed nothing but focus.
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Finally, he asked louder, “what are ya doing?”
“Are you sure you want to know?” Her reply was cold and distant, making him want to try harder, yet he didn’t like that feeling. The feeling of trying to get with someone that didn’t want to be tried for. He continued anyway, trying to see the paper that she had written on, and to his surprise, there were steps for a robbery.
“Ya gonna do that poker game then.” Her eyes gave him daggers. “Can you handle it; I mean for a girl.” He could see she wanted nothing to do with him; though, he wondered why she hadn’t kicked him out yet. Maybe she had a good heart but he didn’t believe anyone did, there was always a reason for a person to be an angel, whether that be money, materials or power. He knew how people worked.
She snapped at him, “are you just gonna stand there. I’ve got stuff to do, can’t ya see?” Her voice began to get more aggressive, “we have treated you nice, cared for you and what do you do for us in return, you threaten my brother and me! And accuse us of backstabbing you, when that doesn’t even add up. Stop… stop with your grand delusions! I saved you.” She looked to her plan and said to the air, “God, some people.”
Logan’s stomach twisted inside, his chest felt like a tree without its roots and his heart ached. Though, he knew what had to come next. It had to be done, he thought. “I am sorry.” Annabelle looked at him, puzzled. He could tell she had expected him to hurt her but that would have made his soul void. His voice got louder, “and thank you for saving me, it has been too long since someone saved me, and I mean… truly save me.” He stopped her words, once more. “I can make it up to you, though. I can help you with this poker game, if it’s the last thing I do.” His heart, suddenly, felt like someone had let go of it. A pressure had been lifted.
She got up from her knees, looked straight into his eyes and spoke softly and passionately, “oh, it will not be the last thing you do. I can promise you that.” The tension had been put to a stop. Though, a different tension appeared in front of him and he enjoyed the feeling. He felt like he could trust her but he would still have his guard up.
He didn’t have a single word to say to her, his eyes did the talking, yet he ignored temptations and reverted to the poker game. “So… what’s the plan? I mean… do ya even have one?”
Her eyebrows turned upside down and then spoke with confidence, explaining her plan in full. He was surprised by her competence, especially for a girl, he thought, someone, surly, had to teach her such skills. He was more confident with his planning skills, especially because he had three people to use in the plan. Logan kindly offered his changes to the plan, hoping she wouldn’t take it the wrong way, considering he was thinking about her brother’s safety. And he knew his changes to the plan would do that.
Yet, to his surprise, she took to it straight away, giving him props on the changes. She began to smile at him but not for long as she turned back to the table. He was surprised by how well he felt about the job. It was like he was sinking to the bottom of the ocean before every job but this one was different. He felt trusted and trusted them; though, he didn’t want to like them. He couldn’t lose that again, yet life was moving too fast for him to think.
“This might actually work, ya know. What do ya think?”
He responded in confident manner, “yeah… I think we may be rich after this. But what’s your brother gonna say?” She shrugged at him, and it was clear to him that she ruled this house which he couldn’t understand. He only knew men as leaders; although, he had met cowards before but not someone who was less cowardly than a woman, he thought. Yet not many had been in his company long, nor did he ever know a women’s life quite like this before. Though, something was different about this girl, rough but not pretending, beautiful but not scared. She was wild, Logan thought.
They had both been sat in wooden chairs for a while; though, he was relaxed and she looked on edge, like she was waiting for someone. He sat and wondered but as he did, the front door opened. Annabelle’s brother slowly walked in, timid and tired, he began to sit on the floor. She instantly walked towards him and her face showed nothing but relief. They both began to hug as she thanked the sky for his safety.
Logan thought it was all moronic. He chuckled to himself. What a coward. What kind of man, Logan thought. Though, he had nothing but admiration for her, a woman he had not come across, he thought, she was one of a kind. He couldn’t help but like her. But he had to ignore them feelings because he knew they would betray him and make the feeling of being alone brand new. That feeling had become numb and he needed that to continue, no matter what.
Suddenly a voice came from Jim, a soft and timid one, “why does he have to help? I don’t trust…” he noticed Logan was listening to him and his voice turned to panic and shut off.
Logan laughed out loud, and confidently replied, “I will help you do this. I will help us get that money. I need it just as much as you. And I ain’t no snake in the grass… understand that.” He had nothing else to prove and started to walk to the bedroom while he said, “I just hope you’re ready for the job, huh?”
He left their line of sight, thinking whether the job was the right thing to do. His arm was still hurting and hadn’t recovered to where he could fire a gun with both hands. Yet he wanted it, needed it and nothing felt clearer.
The plan satisfied him, especially since his changes had made it safer for everyone and mostly her brother. He kept going through the plan but eventually could no longer, the only thing that crossed his mind was her eyes. Eyes that couldn’t be ignored as they shined through his soul. His tired mind couldn’t be stopped, images came flooding of her. She stood beautifully as bags of money hung of her, bags of money that he enjoyed. Her beauty stood above him. He began to drift to sleep, only seeing her as he said, “Annabelle.”