Chapter 7 – It’s still midnight

Spinelli stood there silent and still watching for any sign of movement from the men inside. His whole body seemed to be shaking as he glared through the window where a little boy with spikey hair sat calmly as he rolled toy trucks across the wooden floor as two men sat diligently to the side, watching. Jason had a plan and Spinelli had great confidence that Stone Cold would succeed however he also had great fears that this would not end quite as he had planned. He saw Jason’s signal and he tapped on the window to turn the men’s attention away from Jake and from the door. Spinelli tried to remind himself to breathe, because he knew now wasn’t the time to get scared. Jason needed him and so did Jake.

Spinelli shut his eyes for a brief moment and her face appeared. Her lovely eyes that had drawn themselves into his soul. And although this image filled his heart with warmth, his shoulders slumped because he knew she was hurting right now and he had sent her away. He remembered her tone when she spoke to him but before his thoughts could get any deeper he heard two loud shots coming from the window mere inches from him.

He looked up nervously, afraid he had failed until he saw Stone Cold holding Jake, Spinelli smiled in relief once Jason came to meet him outside, with his smiling son.

Maxie walked over to the counter and sat two seats away from the stranger; she looked at him and held the stare for about three seconds after he spotted her. Then she turned to Coleman, “I’ll have what he’s having” She pointed to his drink and Coleman nodded a little unsure of what Maxie Jones would be doing there ordering a beer. He had seen her there plenty of times before, with Spinelli of course. He silently wondered to himself what this blonde was up to.

She looked over again at the man sitting to her right. He was handsome, typical handsome. And once he spoke she knew she had been right, he was cocky and came to bars like this to meet women for one thing. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?”

She looked away and rolled her eyes before she turned to him and played into his little game “who said I’m alone?” she took a drink of her beer and had to control her impulses to spit it out. She remembered at that moment why she didn’t drink beer anymore and all she wanted was orange soda.

Maybe he could tell “You don’t strike me as much of a beer drinker” or maybe this was the continuation of a series of questions “do you come here often?” either way she continued to play along.

“I like to surprise people” she smiled as she took the liberty to occupy the chair next to him “and no not really, but when I do I know exactly why I come”

“And why his that” she saw his eyes darken as he looked her over.

“I come here when I don’t wanna be alone” she then looked down and took another drink, the taste was wearing on her. Either that or she didn’t care anymore. Or the more she drank the less she remembered her words to him and the image of him closing the door. Either that or the taste of “I love you” was being drowned away.

Spinelli waited in the car as he watched his mentor hand the young child over to Elizabeth. He tried Maxie again, getting nervous as to why she hadn’t picked up the last seven of his phone calls. Spinelli was glad to see Jason returning to the car so he could go find Maxie.

Immediately when Jason entered the vehicle he turned to Spinelli “I can’t thank you enough” he spoke directly to the man he appreciated and valued more than Spinelli ever realized “I couldn’t have done it without you tonight, you helped save a life, my son’s life.”

Spinelli listened to his words and was so glad that little boy was safe, but so unsure why this business would kidnap a child, he looked up at Jason and didn’t know how to begin. How to explain to a man he thought of as a mentor, a friend, a brother, who took him in and was like family, that he didn’t know if he could do it anymore. He knew he was on the good side, but it was still the good side of a bad business. But before he could say anything Jason spoke up.

“I know I’m done too” He watched him look back to the house where he left Elizabeth and little Jake. Spinelli smiled at he saw Stone Cold’s feature somehow soften. Spinelli knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he knew Stone Cold would figure it out. They knew they might not be able to get the mob completely out of their lives but they were going to take their lives out of the mob, one way or the other.

They reached the penthouse and Spinelli continued to try and reach Maxie, but there no luck. He didn’t have any more time to waste, he had to find her and make sure she was okay. Grabbing his computer he did one of the things he did best and he found her place of occupancy quite quickly. Now all he had to do was reach her.

Maxie giggled loudly as she took another shot as her efforts at quarters became painfully worse. She watched him get another one into the shot glass “I think you’re cheating” she said with a laugh as he nodded his head no and went to tuck the hair behind her ears.

She jumped up quickly at his touch “wanna play pool?” she grinned seductively and he nodded according and they headed to the pool table.

Coleman leaned against the back wall of the bar and watched the exchange. He was familiar with Maxie Jones and he knew this wasn’t her. Not since Spinelli. He reached back toward his phone and dialed his good friend Jason Morgan.

Spinelli pulled up and parked his vehicle across the street from Jakes. He spotted her car right away and was grateful that she was safe. Getting out of his car he began to cross the street and he saw her smile through the window. Her smile next to a man he had no clue of, who was showing her how to play pool. Hearing his phone ring he saw that it was Jason and answered it without taking his eyes off of Maxie.

“Spinelli Coleman just called” Jason paused and Spinelli somehow knew what was coming next “he told me Maxie was at Jakes”

Spinelli sunk his eyes towards the ground “of that I am painfully aware Stone Cold”

“Spinelli” Jason paused and tried to think of what would be helpful in this situation and really, he had nothing “just be careful.”

He hung up the phone and continued to watch her. He went back to his car and didn’t know what to do. She was laughing, smiling, and occasionally throwing her arms around this stranger. She looked happy to him. So he decided to watch her from afar, and make sure she got home safely and didn’t do anything she might regret. It hurt him to see her with another, but he didn’t feel like he deserved her to just understand why he wasn’t there for her, she shouldn’t have had to be alone.

Her laugh brought him out of his thoughts as he looked up and saw that they were walking to a black sedan together. Shaking his head quickly he got out of the car and ran across the street. “Maximista” he yelled to her but she didn’t seem to hear “Maxie” he yelled a little louder and this time he saw her turn around and her smile and laugh subsided, but she turned around and kept walking. She couldn’t look at him, she hated herself right now, she didn’t even know what she was doing anymore, all she knew was she needed something to make her hurt less.

Spinelli ran to reach them and finally succeeded “Maximista” he paused catching his breath “The Jackal would be glad to give the Fair Maximista a ride home.”

“Who is this clown?” The guy looked down at Maxie as his hand wrapped tighter around her waist.

Maxie didn’t even acknowledge the man’s question “Spinelli you need to go home” she looked down at the ground, she felt awful.

“Maxie” he could see her face, he could see her hurt, she was broken standing there next to somebody who didn’t have the slightest clue of what kind of magic he was in the company of “what are you doing?” it wasn’t a question of what she was doing to Spinelli, it was a question of what she was doing to herself. His voice was soft and he ached that she was with this man, but he ached more that she was hurting.

“I’m doing what I should have done a long time ago” Maxie paused and noticed his confused face, his compassionate face, his amazing face. The face of someone who accepted her and loved her just as she was. The face of someone she would ruin. “Mac was wrong you’re not the dangerous one Spinelli, I am.”

“Maximista that’s not true” pausing he stepped closer to her “you have filled the Jackal’s world with goodness”

She interrupted him, the contrast between them was too much. He was kind, she was selfish, he was honest, she was a liar. He loved, she ruined. “I’m letting you go Spinelli” her eyes closed for a brief moment and she fought back the tears “I’m letting you go” she said a bit louder.

He stood there and shook his head no and the guy said something, after his patience and buzz were staring to wear off “so are we gonna go or what?” his ignorance was overflowing and Maxie answered him quickly.

“Yeah, I’m ready” she said and walked to the passenger side as the man unalarmed the car and walked around to the driver’s side.

Spinelli quickly stepped in front of her and placed his hand on the door “Maximista don’t do this”

“Go” she whispered so softly he could barely hear “just go” her voice got a little louder and she was about to say it again.

“Maximista please”

She interrupted him this time and it was much louder and much more painful “Just GO” her voice seemed to echo through the streets and radiate through him. He didn’t know what to do, but he felt her grab the door and get in. And with that she was gone.