Garden of Sins

28. Chip ‘n’ Dale

Carter

Just out of the shower, I stroll out of my bathroom rubbing my hair dry.

I have to leave again today and that’s good because Caden has barricaded himself in with Alayna again and it’s slowly getting on my nerves. From time to time, I’ve been spending time with Melissa, but nothing replaces my bro, that’s why I’m out a lot and always on call.

Yawning, I stand in the walk-in closet, searching the shelves. I don’t sleep much at the moment, but Caden is sleeping better. Also good.

A lot has happened over the last few weeks and then again, nothing at all. I haven’t touched Queen Alayna again. I have to admit, since Caden has her to himself, he is much more balanced and somehow himself even if he still plays his mind games in between. And to prove to him that he doesn’t have to be afraid of me stealing his chick, I stayed away completely. Entirely. I didn’t even ask to borrow her. And I notice he’s becoming more and more relaxed, but with Caden, it is tenuous and can change at any moment, so you have to be careful.

I know my brother doesn’t get along well without me. I don’t either. We don’t spend every day together at the moment, but knowing that the other is in the same house or seeing each other briefly is usually enough. However, if I’m without him for too long, I throw myself into total emotional chaos and I fuck up the most because I don’t think about it. And if Caden is without me for too long, he loses his heart and switches to psycho mode. He then becomes an absolutely ruthless bastard.

The two weeks he was at Granddad’s, we couldn’t stand to be without each other either. After two days, I went to him and we smoked pot in the basement. Keaton allowed it and Olivia provided us with lemonade. She was so happy that her grandchildren came to visit. If Dad thought he was punishing Caden, he was wrong. We had a perfect vacation. I was only away occasionally and sometimes my brother left too when we were called.

Like now.

Sighing, I put on black jeans, a thin black sweater, and the same colored denim jacket. My hair is still damp, but it is not bad. Although it has grown cooler outside because autumn is approaching, I am usually hot. College has started again and I can imagine better things to do than wasting my time there. I go less often than Caden and as I said, he is the one who still has a chance in life. I think I’m starting to see a pattern for my future.

I slip into dark chucks and stuff my things in my pockets before I leave my bedroom and lock it. Yes, I have a door again. Thanks, Dad. Even though he cursed, he did it. He was pissed off because I was sleeping while he was drilling and hammering.

I walk down the stairs and stroll out into the balmy autumn night.

As I pull down the noisy garage door and lock it, I hear Caden’s voice.

“Where are you going, bro?” he asks unenthusiastically. He’s never thrilled when I leave without him, especially because he knows I’m back with Melissa. He is always afraid I am going to see her and she is a real thorn in his side.

I take a deep breath and turn to him. Caden has apparently also just taken a shower because his hair is wet. His arms are crossed in front of his chest and he is leaning casually against the porch railing.

“There’s a new delivery arriving today, Caden, you know that,” I explain casually, but not too loudly because of Dad. He’ll kill us if he finds out what we’re doing. Or he’ll lock us up.

As I walk backward, I pull my car keys out of my pocket.

Caden looks at me for a while. I realize he knows what I’m up to because we have this crazy co

“Will you be coming home afterward?” he asks with a raised eyebrow. He also seems to know that this is exactly what I hadn’t intended to do and I know why it matters so much to him. He is my head, but I am his heart. Without me, he is as fucked as I am without him.

“I don’t know,” I answer evasively and move toward my car. This between him and me is so intense. I bet he only woke up – and I see that he was asleep – because I decided to leave the house.

“Take care of yourself,” he says in a voice that not many people get to hear from him. That nobody gets from him, not even our parents.

I glance over my shoulder and grin. “Always, bro,” I reply and he smiles too. I get into the car feeling a bit shitty. Only when I can’t see him in the rearview mirror anymore do I calm down and breathe again.

I know I left my head at home and he doesn’t have a heart anymore, and that’s not good at all. Not for anybody. But what has to be has to be. And we have to, don’t we?

* * *

As always, there is not much going on at this time of day. I’m in an abandoned parking lot where the streetlights are mostly broken, so most corners are dark. The black Mercedes is already waiting in the shadows and flashes me when I turn into the parking lot with my BMW. Most of the time, I do not know the people I meet. It’s all about collecting the suitcase and getting it from A to B as quickly and safely as possible. Sometimes, there are two or three suitcases and sometimes the whole trunk is full. What can I say? Sometimes there are drugs in it, sometimes there are weapons or other things that my brother and I don’t even want to know about and are not allowed to know. Nevertheless, Caden always knows since he has a good rapport with the men we deal with.

Caden and I have been doing this kind of job for four years and the boss loves that we are twins. The boss is a mob boss. He doesn’t just use us for transport, sometimes he uses us just to get his way, to rough up a bar, to collect money, all those things that errand boys do. That Caden is so manipulative and I am unscrupulous plays is a plus for the boss. That’s how we got this type of job. It was so fu

We were in a club that we didn’t know the boss owned. Back then, we used to rough people up a bit, like we do when we’re bored. We were approached by one of his goons, his name was John Guerra, and he asked us if we wanted to work. Well, it was the kind of work we really wanted to do. It’s perfect for letting off steam and we are paid for it. And we are paid well for it.

Today, it’s a suitcase that I have to take to the South Quarter, which belongs to the boss. If the competition gets wind of his shipments, they might try to pull some shit. It’s not without danger because the boss is involved in Chicago’s underground at a high level and naturally, my dad is involved in investigating him. After all, my dad has a significant position in the FBI. The boss knows that too and he likes to take advantage of it.

I take the cigarette out of the corner of my mouth and flick it onto the hood of the Mercedes. Whoever is in there will not like that, but today, I’m looking for trouble because I’m bored without Caden and, as I said, I don’t think much.

The two gorillas getting out are the usual ugly sight, believing that just because they are as wide as cupboards nobody will fuck with them. Yes, the boss won’t be amused if I have my fun here with his goons now, but damn, life would be so boring otherwise. Anyway, they are merely the errand boys from another family that the boss does business with.

“So you are Chip ‘n’ Dale,” I greet cheerfully. These cute little Italians in their Italian suits and gold crosses around their necks stare at me emotionlessly.