The New Barber

CHAPTER 26: Raiden

I was real worried about when she asked me because I honestly wasn't too sure if rather or not she really would accept me telling her but I guess once again, I assumed wrong.

The next day, after everything, Frankie was worried about losing her job due to the assholes and Nielsen last night in what all they had planned to do in setting her up and everything but I tried to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about and that if she wanted, I had to meet up with Hayes anyways today and could ask for her.

She had told me no and that she would do it later but that she just needed to rest a little bit. So while she slept, I had Markus and a few of my other guys start to stay on top of Nielsen and this guy I was wanting to do this deal with soon and knew that I needed to talk to Giovanni soon also.

However, knowing how protective I am and everything, I decided that although I told Frankie I wouldn't talk to Hayes about her job and seeing if she still had it or not, I needed to explain to him as a friend, what had happened so that he knew what kind of people were working for him.

So I decided to head on over towards the shop and when I got there, the place was thrashed. Furniture had been tossed and moved along with stations that the stylist worked at long with some clippers and other things had been scattered all over the place. It was as if a twister had come in here and threw everything around the room.

Right away I began immediately calling out for Hayes and heard a faint moaning coming from back office and knew it was Hayes so I quickly ran back there and found him laying on the floor, moaning in pain and noticed he had been badly beaten so I ran to his side and tried to help him up.

"I'm alright." He insists as he winces in pain while slowly struggling to sit up and leans back up against the wall.

"What the hell happened?!" I asked.

"I'm sorry kid." He begins.

"What? Why are you sorry? Who did this to you?!" I asked and notice that he's holding the side of his stomach where blood is coming out.

"You now, I'm actually glad you came because I've been thinking about a few things and you're the only person I've told." He begins.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A buddy of mine that I used to know back in the day when I was a teenager up until my early twenties, we used to do business together and one day, a deal went south and shit hit the fan." He began.

"What are you trying to say? You need my protection? Because if that's the case, then you got it! You know you do." I reassure him.

"It's not that, I know I do but, there comes a time in every man's life when they have to face the music and own up to shit they did in their past." He started to ramble on.

What the hell is he talking about? Now I like this guy as a father and consider him family but right now he is freaking me out a bit.

"You're not making any sense. What the hell is wrong?" I asked him again.

"I'm not what you think I am, Kid." He states. "And it seems my time has run out."

"What?" I asked him confused.

"You remember the man's title you took along with his life? You remember him?" He asks me.

"Of course I do. He was a sick fuck. I like to think I did the world a favor by getting rid of a sick bastard that he was." I mention.

"Did you know he had a daughter?" He asks before downing the last of his drink.

"Yeah. Don't know much about her, why?" I ask. "She wants revenge or something and is coming after me?" I joke at the last part, seeing as how I know the daughter is Frankie but am not telling him that in case he is about to tell me something I don't know yet.

He looks at me for a moment and then holds the bridge of his knows as he lets out a sigh.

"No. In fact she doesn't know how he was killed. She just knows that he died in a car accident and my old friend from way back called me up last night telling me he needed help in finding her." He says.

"Okay...." I reply still not sure in what he's trying to get at.

"I need your help. This old buddy of mine, he explained to me that the man you killed, his daughter left town. He told me she wanted to start anew and wanted to be away from that kind of a lifestyle."

"Alright. So what do you need my help with?" I ask.

"I need you to help protect her. You see, her father happened to be a great friend of my buddy's and uhm, well, he needs my help in making sure she never goes back to the sick family her father left her with." He finishes.

"You want me to give her protection or something?" I asked to confirm.

"Please." He tells me.

I think about it for a moment and then let out a breath and start to try and figure out what he means. Her family would like to see her, I know that because I have had my guys contact them a couple weeks ago and we have stayed in touch although I haven't told her that yet.

"Of course I will protect her. But why do we have to look out for her family?" I ask him.

I notice his eyes begin to close until he gasps his last breath. I didn't want to believe it. I just lost my father all over again it felt.

What the hell just happened?!?

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)