The Joker

47.3K 826 30
                                    

A/N: Happy friday! I know I promised juicy and then went and took yesterday off. So here's an extra dripping wet and juicy chapter just for you guys for being so awesome! _______________________________________________________________________________________

The Jeeps that they were doing the island tour in could seat four people, and surprisingly enough they let anyone with a driver's license take the driver's seat. No one in West's jeep even bothered to object when hesaid he was gonig to be the driver. Romeo knew better and a couple of his b-boy cohorts sat in the back, more than content to not have to be the designated driver. They'd drink his shots for him if he really wanted to be the sober driver. Considering just how many of them were doing this tour and guzzle tequila fest, there was a rather impressive line of jeeps all in a convoy.

Which is how West spotted the one vehicle in the line of cars that didn't belong. When you have pretty much twenty-five nearly identical jeeps with students hanging out of them and screaming, the one expensive luxury car in the line-up REALLY sticks out.

"Romeo, check four back and tell me what you think." West asked his best mate, trusting the Trinidadian's instincts. He could see Romeo using the side mirrors to look back without being obvious, and the moment the brown man's shoulders stiffened up, West knew what he was going to say.

"One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong." Romeo dryly quoted an old children's rhyme that West hadn't heard before.

"What are you guys going on about?" Jackie-boy from the back seat leaned forward and asked. Romeo glanced at West's face for a moment and knew what his friend was thinking; don't tell the cannon fodder.

"Some poor sucker is stuck in the line up with us. Guess he realized that trying to pass a line of jeeps over a score long is harder than anticipated." The Trinidadian explained, bending the truth. Jack nodded, believing the lie and settled back. Just because someone was your friend didn't mean that you could trust them to not do something stupid in a high stress situation. Panic breeds bedlam.

Aware of their tail, West was already planning how to handle it while surrounded by far too many witnesses. He'd thoguht he'd buried that part of him that enjoyed this kind of thing, but the thrill and rush of the danger sang through his veins like a drug addiction fullfilled. And yet a part of him felt bad for settling back into old ways so quickly when he was supposed to be trying to get a real life, one where he could actually tell his girl he loved her and not have that immediately put her life at risk. Still, he was pragmatic enough to realize that just because he'd left the old life behind, didn't mean the old life had left him in return.

"See if he sticks to the conga and we can get a good look at?" Romeo asked, intentionally making his statement vague so the oblivious duo in the back wouldn't figure it out.

West nodded, that was a far better plan than his desire to pull the jeep out of the line, fall back and confront the cabron. Romeo's calm practicality in a crisis was the main reason West put up with his friend's mercurial moods sometimes. So he drove, one eye on the road ahead, one eye watching the mirror for the car behind them. The longer the car stayed with the group, the more likely it was that someone else was going to notice that it really didn't belong and start to question its presence. West gritted his teeth as he frustrated over it, wanting to smack someone for sending such an inept tail to follow him. Seriously, it was as if Joao had no understanding of what West was actually capable of. Guess the Perros Rabiosos weren't too good at training a spoiled rich brat to be a gangster. The Cuban was just obscenely grateful that this was happening now, the one day he was willing to spend without his Angel. She was back at the resort, safe and sound where a tail like this would stick out like a sore thumb. No way would the guy with the fully automatic rifle restricting access into the resort allow such an obvious thug in. Unless he offered an obscene amount of money...... West's figners gripped the steering wheel, a knot of worry in his gut making him clench his jaw. If they went after Maddison, he'd kill them all, promise to himself or not.

"Bro, you kill that steering wheel and you'll have to drive this thing like the flintstones do; with your feet." Romeo warned, seeing the death grip West had and the shine of murder in his eyes.

Taking in a deep breath, West actually reached for that part of him that felt nothing when he did things that burned a good man's soul. He needed it to function and not fly this jeep back down the highway to go check on his Angel and make sure she's alright. Letting the killing quiet fill him was like taking the hand of an old friend after many years apart. It felt good and he knew it shouldn't.

"Esto tiene que terminar." West growled, not realizing he'd switched back to his native tongue. (This has to end)

Romeo raised his eyebrows, not understanding the words, but knowing what the tone of voice meant. Blood and screaming or an even more terrifying silence. He watched the suddenly relaxed looking Cuban as if only just realizing how much of that violence West normally held back. "Whatever you just said, you know I'm gonna back you, right?" he asked, deciding to throw in with the Cuban anyways.

The luxury car tailed them around like a favourite blankie after a small child. To Romeo's astonishment and West's delighted pleasure, not a single one of the students around them even noticed that it was odd for the car to be going to all the same places they were. They just accepted that it was there and never gave it another thought. It must be nice to spend their lives in Canada where it is safe to assume someone isn't out to get you, but West knew better. He'd grown up where you learned real quick to never take your safety for granted. The Cuban gangster was carefully trying to spot the actual man driving the car, wanting to know the tail's face in case he followed after them on foot once they reached the tequila factory. If not he was gonig to spend every moment looking over his shoulder for a knife in the dark.

When the jeeps all stopped outside a massive tequila factory, the car parked a bit away from them. When the students piled out of the jeeps and herded inside en masse, the man in the luxury car stayed hidden behind the tinted windows. West stood staring at the dark car, clearly aware of the tails presence. He wanted them to know he was aware; wanted them to start watching their backs as much as he had to.

"You're about as sublte as a train wreck and twice as pretty, come on." Romeo cajoled his friend, pushing him lightly to get him started inside. Low under his breath, he added on, "He's gotta follow us inside, there's too many ways we could slip out once out of sight." he reminded. West grunted and went in with him, silently agreeing with his friend's assessment. Once more he was reminded that his friend had the mind of a gangster but still managed to be a decent man. So they followed the oblivious herd inside and West was careful to not look like he was trying to spot the tail, and also thankful to have an alli to watch his back while there was someone gunning for him. It was one of the things he missed the most about Los Santos, having someone to always watch your back felt great.

"Why do you think they sent a tail to follow us here?" Romeo asked softly, ignoring the tour guide blathering on and on about the how's and whyfors of tequila.

West stayed silent, knowing why but not wanting to expose his friend to that. Just because he had a good head for trouble didn't mean that he could handle everything about West's life with equal equamity. For some reason, most normal people really dislike knowing that there's someone out there planning to kill them. That's the only reason that Joao and the Rabid Dogs would send a tail after West and Romeo all the way to f***ing Mexico. To eliminate a threat. "Wait and see. If he does anything you think is a bad sign, get your ass into a crowd of people." West warned, not divulging anything else.

Romeo frowned at his friend, knowing there was information the Cuban was holding back. If that's the way he wanted to play this thing, then the Trinidadian was just going to have to go find answers himself. "Let's split up and see which one he follows." West suggested, fitting right into Romeo's own plans.

The Trinidadian nodded and slipped away, wandering over to a far corner of the building, trying to lure the tail away. West stayed on the outskirts of the group, a plain to see target trying to keep his friend safe. Things might have turned out differently if West had divulged to Romeo his suspicions on their tail.....

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Oh yeah, I think I might get a little hate mail for this one :D

King of Hearts (House of Cards Series 2) [Student/teacher]Where stories live. Discover now