What The Heart Wants

“Well, that’s even better than a bl*w job, at least for the District Attorney it is.” Nick laughed loudly and it was contagious as Jackson joined in with him. He was finally able to let it go.  The conversation kept moving and Jackson was happy to be a free man sitting down to lunch with his friend.

Nicks phone rang and when he saw who it was, he told Jackson that he had to answer it. It was Demetri. Jackson waved his hands in the air for Nick to tell him he wasn’t there but Nick ignored him on purpose. “Oh yeah, Demetri, I’m having lunch with Jackson right now. He just got out and is looking for legitimate work.”

Jackson snatched the phone from Nick angrily. “Hey Demetri, how are you?”

“I’m doing well, but let’s skip the bullsh*t. I got a job for Nick tonight and would love to have you on as an extra hand,” Demetri told him.

Jackson sighed heavy, ready to reject his offer when Demetri reminded him, “Listen, Nick is in my pocket for a few lifetimes after all the sh*t I just got him out of, but you? You, my friend, owe me one Mercedes G Wagon that I believe you torched the night everybody got arrested.”

“I’m sorry about that, sir,” Jackson apologized. “I have some cash stashed away and can get you that money to cover the cost of that Mercedes.”

Demetri’s laughter was loud and obnoxiously so, as Jackson held the receiver away from his ear until he finished. “Do you think this was about the money? I needed that specific one. You burned it along with all of the product I had hidden inside the compartments you numbskull. So, if you really want to make this about money we can! Pay me one point five million to clear your debt, or go on the job with Nick and the boys tonight. You can clear it with one car.”

“Fine,” Jackson agreed reluctantly. He had a suspicion this decision was going to come back and bite him in the ass, but he sucked it up as he handed the phone back to Nick. They finished up their meals and headed off to meet up with Demetri’s guys to plan the heist for the evening. Jackson couldn’t believe he had gotten sucked in on this gig. Every time Paula rang his phone or sent him a text message, he simply replied he was out looking for a job.

Paula wanted to be happy that he was doing that, but she could hear it in his voice that he wasn’t. So, she just left him alone for the rest of the day hoping that he would find something he was good at that wouldn’t land him in prison. Unfortunately for Jackson, it wasn’t that easy.

Jackson sat in the driver’s seat of a BMW coupe waiting for his instructions from the rest of the crew. He didn’t want to burn this car, but something about this night just didn’t feel right to him. He finally received his directions and drove the car to where his chop shop used to be. He heard the sirens in the air and it felt like déjà vu all over again. He pulled the car over and walked around the back of the warehouse to see what was going on. Demetri’s men were in the shop arguing with two uniformed officers.

“He’s supposed to be here in a few minutes! Turn those god damn sirens off and wait for him to get here,” he heard one yell. That’s all he needed to hear as snuck away from that warehouse and that life for good. He drove the stolen car to a bar he knew Demetri often visited. He was done as he walked up to the bouncer with the keys to the Beemer in his hand. “This is a gift for Demetri.”

The bouncer stepped aside letting Jackson into the club. Demetri was the only one inside at a back table. “Well, seeing as you’re not in handcuffs, I gather you did not return back to the shop?”

“You set me up, you son of a bi*ch!” Jackson spat, wanting to lunge across the table and hit him.

“No.” Demetri held his finger up. “Nick set you up. We needed a fall guy tonight to take the heat off the other cars and that happened to be you. It would have been somebody else, but Nick saw you first. But since you are here, I guess Nick will take your place then.”

Demetri waited for Jackson to object but he didn’t. It was in that moment that he realized Nick wasn’t really his friend. He was an opportunist who used him at any cost. He was done.

“Listen, do what you want with Nick? He’s in your pocket, not me. Trust me when I say I only did this job because my lady was petrified when your goons ran up on her before. She wanted me to get a real job without the hazardous conditions so I agreed to do so. I’m a man of my word, which is why I agreed to pay you back for the G Wagon. I need a clean slate, Demetri. Please just tell me what I have to do to walk away from my debt to you.”

Demetri sat back, pondering the question before him. He liked Jackson and had always been an upfront business man with him so he returned the favor this one last time. “Okay, here’s what you do. Transfer $150,000 to this account,” he snapped his fingers and a man brought out a small business card to hand to Jackson, “Transfer the money into this account, and once your shop is cleared from the police investigation, sign the deed over to me. It will be my shop from now on.”

“That’s it and I can walk away from your debt?” Jackson wanted to be clear.

“Yes,” Demetri nodded. “Your debt to me will be paid and our business will be done. I wish you well, Jackson, in all that you do.”

“Why did you let me off?” Jackson asked out of curiosity.

“That has to be some kind of woman to make you walk away from all of this,” Demetri smiled. “I had a woman like that before. She begged with me. She pleaded with me to step away but before I could she was taken from me. I don’t wish that kind of pain on anyone. This life is no good for the likes of you, Jackson.”

“Thank you, Demetri,” Jackson waved as he left the club.

“Farewell, my friend,” Demetri called out. It was the last time Jackson heard the Russian’s voice. He was content with the terms of his release. Even though it hurt him knowing that he had to give away everything he had built, he knew it would be best for him to start his new life with no old strings attached. Jackson stepped into the fresh night air feeling like a new man with a new life to live. He took a deep breath ready to walk away from it all.

Two men approached him in dark clothing. Before he could run, it was too late. Two other men had come at him from the other side. They were yelling at him as they threw Jackson onto the ground. It wasn’t until he felt the cold steel of handcuffs wrapping around his wrists that he could hear what was going on. “Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?”

“Man, fu*k you,” Jackson yelled violently.

His outburst was met with the blunt ends of the police men’s clubs and other assorted accessories. He was taken down to the station immediately where he instantly regretted going to get lunch with Nick earlier that day. He didn’t know who else to call as he sat at the police station waiting to be booked. When the officer asked him for the last time who he would like to call, he begrudgingly gave up Paula’s phone number. He knew she was going to be mad. He knew that there was no way to explain himself out of this, but it was a chance he needed to take. He was in violation of his probation getting arrested and only a good attorney could get him off without further sentencing.