A Savage Kinda Love

by Kiki Leach

  "They let you keep that on before coming in here to see me?" he asked. Nikko nodded. "Guess with us being the only two muthafucka's in here, doesn't matter as much. Must be nice to finally be on the other goddamn side too. Even if the purpose is to have me taken out." Rox casually slid his eyes across every angle of the family room and sighed. "Who was that calling you up just now -- Cheyenne?" He turned back to Nikko and shrugged. "Anything important?"

  "Can't say 'til I listen to her message. But I'm guessing whatever it is has to do with your club, which is why I'm here."

  Rox smirked. "You're assuming as much?"

  "You gave me nothing else to go on with your own goddamn message used to get my ass here in the first motherfuckin' place."

  "Hey." He dropped back and opened his hands in fury. "Where's this hostility coming from?" he said. "Why the fuck are you so goddamn pissed off when I'm the one Ronaldo and his brother want dead at your hand?"

  "I'm pissed that shit wouldn't even be an option for my ass had you never gone to 'em for money in the first goddamn place."

  "I wasn't given too many choices on that shit, young buck," he spat, the whites of his eyes burning red with ire. "Had there been more than one, maybe they wouldn't have been so muthafuckin' high on my goddamn list."

  Nikko eyed him for a few seconds in silence and deeply exhaled. "Chey mentioned you telling her that Chino is the one who had your ass tossed around back there."

  "I backtracked after she pressed me on it."

  "Yeah, she told me that shit too. Who the fuck had your ass knocked around?"

  "Doesn't fuckin' matter anymore."

  "I bet the fuck it does," he said. "You're not willing to tell, much like Marleena has been quiet on who the fuck tried taking her out... Guessing you don't know that shit either?"

  "I only know what the fuck I'm told from the inside, and not a goddamn thing about what happened to Marleena has passed through the gates from anyone but Chey."

  He glared. "Who the fuck had you knocked around back there, Rox?"

  He looked aside and swallowed hard, then rested his elbows on top of the table and folded his hands. "If I tell you this shit, and a single goddamn word of it gets back to Chey, I'm dead before the Gambiano's want me down by your hand as a result."

  "Why the fuck would that be?"

  "'Cause you were right in shit leading straight back to the club like every other goddamn thing -- including the reason she's back... especially the goddamn reason she's back."

  "What the fuck are you tryna tell me here?" asked Nikko.

  "I called you out here 'cause I know she's been digging around about this shit with Lena and won't stop 'til she gets what the fuck she's looking for; always been that goddamn way with her -- never mattered if she was bound to suffer for it as a result..." He pinched his brows and anxiously shifted his eyes across the table; he gulped. "Snake had me thrown around to keep me quiet on what the fuck I'm about to say." He brought his eyes back to Nikko and dropped his hands. "The night all this shit went down, I was coked out, but not by choice."

  "You saying one of 'em drugged you?"

  "I'm saying me being out of it wasn't by any goddamn choice of my own. I kept quiet in the hope it'd turn around, but after seeing Chey back out here this last time, I knew it wasn't bound to happen when needed."

  "Why wait 'til now, and with me?"

  "Cause I had to bide my fuckin' time, and I'm damn near certain you'll be more calm about this shit than she would."

  "Depends on what the fuck you've gotta say."

  "What the fuck I've gotta say is that Lena is Deborah."

  Nikko flinched. "What?"

  His eyes twitched as Rox made a face and continued.

  "That name she used belongs to her mother," he said, "not some random club whore from back in the day or whatever the fuck they've been tryna sell your ass and everybody else's since it happened--"

  "FUCKIN' CHRIST! The goddamn mother of your club's motherfuckin' VP is the fuckin' link between all this shit?!" he snapped. Rox bobbed his head. "Jesus fuckin' -- shit -- FUCKIN' SHIT!" He slammed his hand on top of the table, sliding it forward, then jumped to his feet and crossed the room. "SHIT!" He stopped near the window after gathering himself and dragged one hand across his mouth; he balled the other into a fist and crunched his heel against the floor. "If Lena is fuckin' Deborah, she's the goddamn reason my old man is being locked up. The motherfuckin' reason we're all in this shit to begin with."

  "She's some of the reason for it, yeah; that'd be the goddamn truth."

  "FUCK!" Nikko turned back to Rox and soured. "What the fuck do you know about her current relationship with my old man?"

  "Not a goddamn thing... Are they having one--?"

  "You said Snake had you knocked around for this shit in fear you'd spill it all to Chey. What the fuck do you think I'm gonna do with it?"

  "I told you that I'm dead if he knows I snitched again."

  "What about the goddamn cameras in this room? The shit they pick up on the mics will crucify your ass before either of us could even think to do it first."

  "I had to bribe a motherfucker with a dick to mouth job from another asshole that owes me a favor to keep 'em off 'til we were done."

  Nikko stepped back over to the table and stared into Rox's face as rage swept across his own. "Does Taz know the truth about this shit?"

  "I don't know--"

  "Yeah, old man, I think the fuck you do. Keep talking or I'm out to get the answers from his ass my goddamn self, and that shit won't include words over fists."

  "Christ, you two are one and the goddamn same." He shook his head and lowered his shoulders as guilt heavied his chest. "Taz knows," he mumbled. "It's why he wanted Deborah back out here when he learned about you and Chey getting married for the money; he was certain she still had what was stolen from the club."

  "Is that why your ass is locked up instead of dead?"

  He nodded. "Taz learned the truth from Deborah and told me what was up in her throwing blame my way as an easy ass target; I let Chey think he was the one to suggest I be thrown in here, but the facts are that I told him to convince Snake it was a better option or Chey would know what the fuck was up too."

  "Jesus Christ. He did this shit for himself," he replied, "along with Snake, when they could've admitted what the fuck they knew otherwise; none of this shit would've come to pass as a result. Unless they were both behind it to begin with."

  "Taz had no idea about Deborah being involved 'til after shit hit the fan with the club confronting me about that stolen money the next morning."

  "And that charge was led by Snake?" Rox shut his eyes and swallowed hard. Nikko grimaced. "Deborah stole from your club for that motherfucker -- you get that's the shit you're telling me?" He stopped. "What the fuck kinda relationship does Snake have with her outside of Taz being V.P.? What the fuck would have her jumping through so many goddamn hoops of theft for this asshole?"

  Rox leaned back and flexed his chin. "There's no doubt Cheyenne told you about Taz being Snake's kid; all you want is me confirming that it's true." He arched a brow. "And they're fuckin' around again which is what led to her doing this shit for him, among other reasons I don't know yet." Nikko crossed his arms and blinked. "No doubt she's with your old man again too, which is why you were asking if I knew what was up with it. And since the only reason she snitched on him was for Snake to get his money..."

  He dropped back and groaned. "Christ--"

  "It must mean they made some kinda side deal of their own." Nikko became quiet. Rox laughed aloud and nodded. "Wonder who the fuck else she's managed to let up in there since being back for the second time; never got another fuckin' taste for myself, even with all this shit."

  "I need to know the truth about that money from the Gambiano's," said Nikko. "If you handed it over to Snake like you claim."

  "I did. He wants you and Cheyenne married to get more of it for himself, just like I said; 'cause not a single muthafuckin' dime of what
she's meant to hand over after signing those papers would be given to the Gambiano's, or the rest of the club."

  He wagged his head. "This shit was just to get him paid and nothing else?"

  "You got it."

  "But that overall deal made with Chino to get it rolling... Either Deborah snitched on her shit with Snake, leaving my old man with some time to strike back before my wedding, or he's got no goddamn clue that Snake set him up to be taken down."

  "It's the former from what I've heard," he said. "Your old man knows full well what's up with that asshole and his motives. And given that he's got some shit up his own goddamn sleeve when it comes to what will soon be your money too... or what it was supposed to be."

  "What the fuck are you talking about?"

  "Chey signing on that dotted line..." He stopped and shook his head. "It was name only shit. There was never a promise of you or Snake actually getting those funds in hand once it was all made official."

  "Who the fuck did you hear all this shit from? Elias?"

  "Dog," he said. "Right before he was taken outta here and put down like one."

  "Fuck." Nikko fell back and swallowed hard, recalling his last conversation with Dog, now certain Rox wasn't full of shit in the way he hoped; he rolled his eyes to the ceiling and held back his next breath as what felt like a brick shattered through the center of his goddamn chest. "Did my old man have Dog put down for what he knew?"

  "I don't know that shit for a fact, but he was aware of something coming as he was being led out -- enough to give me that much to pass onto you when I could."

  Nikko's phone buzzed before he could respond. After reaching for it and taking note of another message from Cheyenne, he dialed his voicemail and listened to both.

  "Shit." He snapped his phone shut and bolted around the table. "If I need anymore from you," he called out to Rox, "I'll make my way back out."

  "What's going on with Chey?!"

  "Nothing you can solve from in here."

  Nikko knocked on the door and sped from the room as soon as it opened, then flew outside while calling Green for a ride straight to Benny's office.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Bill or Be Billed

  The three of us barreled into Benny's office like a set of bowling balls in search of pins, startled to find him pant less, blindfolded and tied to the chair behind his desk with Marleena perched on his lap, as Chino lay duck taped to a leather couch with the head of a pistol pointed at his left temple, courtesy of Deborah.

  "Oh my God," I muttered.

  "Christ." Loco lifted the back of his hand to his mouth to hold back a full on laugh, then shook his head and pointed. "Fuckin' Loony and her favorite hanger-on, Big Bin over here."

  "Which is which?" asked Deborah.

  "Fuckin' pick one, you crazy cunt."

  "Hey," I snapped.

  He glanced at me and sighed. "Sorry."

  As Deborah's finger brushed across the trigger, she dropped one foot to the floor and snickered. "You weren't the ones I was expecting to come flying through that door."

  "Better us than 5-0," said Loco. "Be lucky nobody else of rank inside this building saw fit to come past the third goddamn floor on a fuckin' Saturday." He pushed between me and Brandi and stepped to the center of the room. "What the fuck is this shit -- What the fuck is your ass even doing with a gun tapped to the side of Chino Girabaldi's goddamn head?! You hate breathing as of late?!" His eyes scaled across Marleena as Benny sweat through his shirt and suit jacket; water dripped from his fingers, splashing across the wheels of his chair. "And what the fuck is this dominatrix type shit you've got going on with this asshole over here?! Tied the fuck up with him half dressed and you on his goddamn lap."

  "He's hard," said Deborah, her speech slurring with each word, "or at least he was -- let them be."

  "She's still drunk," I mumbled.

  "I can smell her from here." Brandi pushed her brows together and eyed Deborah with a scowl. "Who the hell were you expecting to come through that door instead of us?"

  "My son."

  "You called Taz? Because..." She looked between the four of them and swallowed hard as her face darkened with disgust. "You think it's a good idea for him to see you being an obvious train wreck before 6pm?"

  Chino rolled his eyes toward Deborah as she lowered the gun to his cheek, then looked to me and tightened his jaw. "I know you called up Nikko," he said.

  "I did -- he's on his way."

  "Jesus." Benny tapped his heels against the floor and rattled his head. "I need my goddamn pants and for this crazy, stupid BITCH to get the fuck off my lap!"

  "Hold on." I brushed past Loco and rested my hands along my hips while staring into what I could see of Benny's face. "Why the hell are they out here to see you?" I questioned. "And how the hell did they manage to get you two tied up like a pair of low level crooks from Kindergarten Cop?!"

  "Who the fuck is this bitch talking -- Your boy's girl?" he shot back in Chino's direction; he lowered his head to peek beneath his blindfold, and huffed.

  "YO!" Loco reached for the Glock inside his cut and growled. "Who the fuck do you think your ass is talking to like that?!"

  "Whatever bitch was throwing her shit at me first."

  "FUCK this asshole."

  "Hey!" I dropped my hand on top of Loco's arm as his hand jerked. "We didn't come here for all that, chill out."

  He released his grip and pointed at Benny. "This Grimace looking son of a fuckin' bitch ain't talking to your ass any goddamn way he feels he should, Cheyenne. Asshole here is gonna respect the fuck outta you or I'll get him on his goddamn knees in front of the pussy on his lap and show him how the fuck it's done."

  "Please don't." I turned back to Benny and peered. "Why the hell do Tweedle's Dee and Duh over here have you two hogtied?"

  "Bitch on my lap worked for me, alright?!" he finally said. "I fired her for a batch of shitty photos and next thing I know, she's rolling in here with the other one today. Fuckin' Thelma and goddamn Louise back from the cliff they drove off."

  "Zombies then, hm? Come on." I waved my hand toward Marleena. "Let's go." She peeked at Deborah as if looking for permission to move, then gulped and eyed the floor. "Leena!" I snapped. She lifted her attention back to me and glowered. "Let's go -- Snake needs to talk to you back at the club."

  "Talk to her about what?" asked Deborah.

  I ignored her question while stepping to Marleena and physically dragged her from Benny's lap. Brandi stepped forward and reached for her other hand.

  "Get her down to the truck and let her know what's up regarding why Snake needs to see her, and what the hell her response should be to him as a result," I said.

  Brandi bobbed her head and walked Marleena out of the room.

  Deborah dropped her other foot to the floor and snarled. "What the hell does Snake wanna talk to her about, Cheyenne?"

  I glanced at her before rolling my eyes back to Benny. "The president of my club knows that you had her attacked and later shot her in the face, but has no idea as to why," I said. "The bullet that was lodged in her jaw is one he kept and had examined. Turns out the gun it came from could be traced straight back to you."

  "There's no fuckin' way that shit is possible." He leaned back in his chair and jerked his wrists against the arm rests. "'Cause I didn't fuckin' shoot her--"

  "Oh, no, that's right -- You paid some idiot who used a gun registered in your name to do it for you, my bad -- he knows that too."

  "There ain't no fuckin' way you're telling me the truth about this shit."

  "Why wouldn't I be? Given the current circumstances."

  He snapped his teeth together and gulped. "You've got no goddamn proof of this shit."

  "But I've now got your word recorded on Loco's phone that some exists; aside from the bullet on Snake's desk, of course."

  "Stupid muthafucka!" Loco bellowed and tapped the front pocket of his cut.

  Benny grunted. "The shit wouldn't fly in court."
/>   "We both know that is not what you're looking for, so either tell me the truth or I take that recording to Snake and allow him and the rest of the brothers to do whatever the hell they want with you until there's nothing left to play with."

  His Adam's apple seemed to lodge in his throat as he attempted another swallow. "Chino still in here?"

  "Where the fuck else am I going, asshole?!" he replied.

  "Why the hell did you try to have Marleena put down?" I asked.

  "Not put down," muttered Benny, "just shut the fuck up."

  "Why?"

  "'Cause I didn't need her running that goddamn mouth to you or the club about working for me as a PI."

  "That's it?" My shoulders sagged as my head dipped forward. "You had her shot for something that would've cost less by asking? That's psychotic."

  "That's my world," he said. "Only two shakes of vanilla different from yours."

  "Three, according to what the fuck's in this goddamn room right about now," said Loco, his tone full of rage. "And we don't go around shooting women in the goddamn face just to shut their asses up over some shit our dicks can't manage to control on their own. We fuckin' ask first just like she said."

  "And if that shit doesn't work?" asked Benny. "What the fuck then?"

  "Where the FUCK is Nikko?!" hollered Chino.

  "On his way, like I already told you," I said.

  "That's what you keep saying and I don't see my kid out here yet."

  "Well, you can always call him up yourself if you're so eager to wrestle away from Miss Pistol to Your Jaw. Something you've yet to explain."

  "He wasn't supposed to--" started Deborah.

  "I'm not talking to you about anything right now, psycho bitch," I replied, my mouth moving much faster than my brain. "Shit."

  She lifted the gun from Chino's face and stormed toward me with a batch of fire pouring into her eyes, pointing it directly between my own. "That mouth of yours could finally see the other goddamn side of that wall in about two point three seconds if you don't shut it, quickly."