by Baron Sord
Yeah, right. You probably didn’t even try. She smirked at me and looked damn cute doing it.
Believe me, I thought with a chuckle, I tried.
As annoying as Kristy could be, she wasn’t entirely annoying. Now that I knew she was safe — she was practically in my arms, which was the safest place I could think of — I was no longer keyed up and ready to fight. I finally relaxed and realized I enjoyed being here with her. Especially here, where the two of us were hidden away in this tiny booth, safe from every care in the world…
SHRIK!
The curtain whipped open.
“There you are,” Gray Eyes said. “I thought I saw you two lovebirds walk in here.”
—: Chapter 54 :—
Four FwCK thugs stood behind Gray Eyes: a tall and very muscular African-American man, a Hispanic dude, a half-Asian, and a white guy. They all looked dangerous in their own right.
I glared at Gray Eyes.
Kristy snarled.
Suddenly, one of the Flashbacks bouncers walked up behind the thugs and said, “You gentlemen can’t be back here unless you’re getting a private dance.” This bouncer was the biggest one yet. He had a high-and-tight haircut, a thick neck, and arms big enough to stretch out the sleeves of his white button-down shirt.
Gray Eyes smirked at him, “Did I ask you?”
High & Tight scowled, “I’m telling you. Find yourself a girl and pay for a private dance or go back to the main floor.”
“Boys,” Gray Eyes said to his men, “would you be so kind as to explain the situation to this nice gentleman?”
One of the FwCK thugs opened his leather jacket, revealing the butt of an automatic.
High & Tight looked at it, his eyes big as he thought, How’d he bring a piece in here?
My thoughts exactly. Hadn’t the bouncer outside frisked Gray Eyes and his men? I guess not.
Gray Eyes said to High & Tight, “I know you’re itching to get on that walkie-talkie of yours and tell your compatriots that you have a problem, and are in desperate need of police support. I promise you, there will be no problem. Unless you call them. Then we will have a very sizable problem, friend.” He smiled. “Am I making any sense whatsoever?”
High & Tight looked completely at ease with the situation. “Oh, I’m hearing you. Sir. Are you hearing me?”
“What’s your name, son?” Gray Eyes said calmly, extending his hand.
High & Tight ignored the hand and stared at Gray Eyes.
“I’m not going to bite, son. I’m just trying to shake your hand. What is your name?”
“I’m Dominic.” Dominic glanced at Gray Eyes’ hand, but still refused to shake.
Instead of lowering his arm, Gray Eyes put it casually around Dominic’s shoulders. “Dominic, this is a matter of personal business between me and them. I would like to conduct it with the utmost haste, after which, my men and I will be out of your hair.” He glanced at Dominic’s buzzcut. “What little there is of it. I’m sure you understand.”
“I can respect that, sir. But if it involves one of my girls, it’s between me and you.”
“I admire your fatherly concern, Dom. Can I call you Dom?”
“Sure,” Dominic nodded.
“Dom, I assure you, this is a business transaction you do not want to be caught in the middle of. Things could get very… uncomfortable for you if you did. Do you catch my meaning?”
Dominic’s eyes were darting back and forth, searching Gray Eyes’ face. Dominic thought, Who the hell is this guy? He’s not one of Gino’s crew. I know all those guys. They’re in here every night. This guy I’ve never seen before.
Gray Eyes grinned like the devil, “That’s good, Dom. Think it through. You don’t want to make a mistake you might not live to regret.”
“What?” Dominic narrowed his eyes, parsing Gray Eyes’ words carefully.
Gray Eyes merely smiled.
Unlike with Dominic, whose thoughts I could easily read, Gray Eyes’ thoughts were fuzzy and vague. It was almost like trying to get a read on a professional poker player.
“Yeah, okay,” Dominic nodded. “You won’t make any trouble?”
Gray Eyes smiled, “No trouble at all, Dom. I will respect the sanctity of your fine establishment. On that, you have my word.”
“Okay, sure,” Dominic nodded.
He had cracked.
Without any actual violence, Dominic had caved to the commanding presence Gray Eyes wielded like a surgical blade. On top of that, Gray Eyes’ calmness was catching. Even I felt at ease, but I knew it was a ruse.
Gray Eyes slapped Dominic’s shoulders affectionately. “Are we good, Dom?”
“Yeah. We’re good.” Dominic nodded and walked away slowly. As he went, he glanced back several times, uneasy with the situation, but he did leave.
“Well now,” Gray Eyes said, smiling at me and Kristy. “Look at you two. The picture of young love. I should be so fucking lucky.” His eyes crawled over every inch of Kristy’s skin. “And look at you, Legs. Mmm, mmm. What I wouldn’t do to you if I had the time…”
This guy is gross, Kirsty thought to me. Who does he think he is?
I thought, The shit, obviously.
Ha ha ha, she laughed telepathically and smirked slightly.
Hey, are you bulletproof? I wondered telepathically.
Why?
In case they try to shoot us. I am. Are you?
Totally.
If you aren’t, you should get behind me in case they pull their guns out.
I said I am.
Is that what totally meant?
Yes! she thought with an irritated laugh. You are such a man sometimes.
“Do you two need a minute alone?” Gray Eyes grinned. “It appears you have some unfinished business.”
Kristy glared at him, “What do you want already?”
“I like that, Legs,” Gray Eyes said. “Direct and a little bit of a bitch. Tell me something, are you two fucking?”
Kristy growled, “No, we’re not fucking.”
“Because I bet you fuck like a hellcat. Am I right?” He looked over at me.
“I, uh… no, we’re not having sex.”
“Too bad. You should be. Lord almighty, look at her. Isn’t that right boys?” Gray Eyes chuckled and glanced at his men.
The four men never took their eyes off me. They looked more like robots than actual men. But that was silly. Goon robots? No. Just, no. Super powers were one thing. Super robots masquerading as men? No way. The technology wasn’t there yet. Maybe in 50 years, but not now. The proof of their humanity lay in their lascivious thoughts:
Tightest tits I ever saw.
I could tap that ass all night and it wouldn’t quit.
Finest piece a pussy in this here joint.
I would pay any amount of money to fuck this bitch.
Obviously, they had taken a good look at her before locking their eyes on me. But they weren’t robots, that was for sure.
Gray Eyes smiled at Kristy, “Legs, as much as I would love to stare at you all evening, we have an issue that needs immediate resolution.”
“We?” Kristy snarled.
“Yes, we.”
“What issue?”
“My money,” Gray Eyes said with icy calm.
“What money?”
Gray Eyes smiled wide, “The money that would be in my possession right now if you hadn’t interfered, young lady.”
“What, at that warehouse the other day?”
“Yes, Legs…” Gray Eyes purred. “…at the warehouse.”
I wanted to tell him to stop calling her Legs, but the situation was tense enough already.
Kristy snorted, “That wasn’t your money. You were gonna steal it.”
Gray Eyes grinned, “It would have been my money if it wasn’t for you, I assure you.”
I said, “Didn’t your men take it? They were all waking up at the warehouse when we left.”
“Would that they did,” Gray Eyes nodded thoug
htfully. “But it appears law enforcement arrived just in the nick of fucking time.” Now his frustration was showing through. “If it wasn’t for you two and your side-shit friend… How is he, by the way? Did that fat fuck make it?” He meant Arnold.
“He’s fine,” I growled.
“Good, good.”
Like he fricking cared. My anger was starting to fester. This asshole had almost killed Arnold. And he was blaming me for losing his stolen money? He was insane.
Gray Eyes smiled pointedly at me, “Now, about my money. How did you want to pay it back? One lump sum? Installments? What would be most amenable to you two?”
Kristy and I exchanged a glance.
She thought, I’m not paying this guy.
Yeah, hell no, I thought. But we need to get him and his men out of here so they don’t start shooting. I don’t trust this guy and I don’t want anyone getting hurt or killed by accident.
I agree. Any ideas?
Can you fry his ass with electricity?
No, I’m not juiced up. What about your fire? Are you juiced up?
Sadly, no. I thought briefly of Heph’s fire coffin, which was sitting unused in Arnold’s yard. We really needed to get that thing operational. If only propane and propane storage tanks were free. Slightly frustrated, I thought, Even if I was charged up with heat, I wouldn’t want to burn the building down. I wonder if I could…
Gray Eyes said, “Do you two have anything to say? I don’t have all night.”
I said, “Can we talk outside?”
Gray Eyes smiled, “Do you have the money outside?” It was a challenge and a threat.
I said, “No, but… how much money is it?”
“Well, I don’t have a precise figure, but I would say a quarter million and we’ll call it even.”
If that was an accurate number, and if I were to tell Arnold I had left that much money behind, he would lose his shit, and rightly so. I almost lost mine and blurted, “$250,000?”
Gray Eyes frowned with a hint of annoyance, “I believe that’s what I said.”
“How much?” Kristy laughed.
“Do I need to write it down?” Gray Eyes asked smugly.
“No…” she chuckled, “…it’s just… are you crazy?”
Gray Eyes smiled, “Some would say yes. I tend to disagree.”
I said, “We’re not paying you $250,000.”
“No?” Gray Eyes said. “I think that’s rather a fair price after the trouble you have put me through with Javier’s people.” He was obviously aiming that comment at me.
“Who’s Javier?” Kristy asked. “I don’t know any Javiers.”
“I do,” I grumbled. Gray Eyes was referring to the late Golden Grill and indirectly to his late brother Sumo Miguel.
Kristy thought, Sumo who?
Long story, I thought. And stay out of my thoughts, would you?
Fine, she thought with a sigh. She glared at Gray Eyes and snorted, “We’re not paying you, so you can stop asking. We didn’t take your money.”
“That is correct. You did not. My understanding is that San Diego PD now have it in their possession. You can either get it from them, or procure the funds using another method of your preference.”
I thought, Do we fight our way out of this or tell him we’ll pay and worry about it later?
There’s no way I’m paying him! Kristy thought with hasty rage.
Me neither. But we can lie and tell him we will. It’s that or fight.
Kristy thought, Something tells me if we start fighting, you’ll destroy this place. I can see you throwing these guys through the walls.
Ha ha. Yeah, probably the ceiling too.
If you break anything, she warned mentally, the owners will make me pay for it. They’re total assholes. Maybe you’re right. Let’s tell these jerks we’ll pay and deal with it later.
Gray Eyes said, “What is it with you two and the knowing looks? If I didn’t know better, I would say you were reading each other’s minds.”
“No,” I snorted guiltily. I wasn’t someone who could hide his thoughts like Gray Eyes apparently could, but I suspected he wouldn’t deduce the truth because it was too far-fetched.
Gray Eyes grinned, “Are you sure you’re not? Because that would be a helluva trick if you could.”
Kristy snarled at him, “Are you always this annoying?”
“Annoying?” Gray Eyes chuckled. “I thought I was the picture of politeness and patience.”
Kristy rolled her eyes, “We’ll pay you your stupid money, okay?!”
“Oh you will?” He smiled big. “That’s all I wanted to hear. I’ll send someone here in a week for the first installment.”
“What day?” I asked.
He smiled impatiently, “Does it matter?”
I smirked, “I’m going to pay half, so yeah. It does.”
“So chivalrous of you. And here I thought you were going to leave your girlfriend on the hook for the entire amount.”
“No,” I frowned. “How should I pay?” I couldn’t decide if I was digging my own grave by extending the lie, but if we could bluff our way out of here tonight without inciting mayhem and destruction, I was all for it.
“I prefer direct deposit,” Gray Eyes smirked. “That was a joke. Cash only. No personal checks.” He glanced at one of his thugs, “Do people write checks these days? Or has that gone the way of the horse and carriage?”
The thug shrugged.
Gray Eyes smiled at me, “I’ll tell you what, Zippo. You be here same time next week. Have $25,000 cash between the two of you and I’ll be happy as a clam. Call it the first of ten installment payments. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” I grumbled.
He turned to Kristy, “And you, my dear?”
She didn’t answer.
He said, “You know, Legs, you really do have the prettiest blue eyes.”
“They’re cyan,” she grumbled and winked at me.
You remembered, I thought.
Gray Eyes said to Kristy, “Pardon me? Your eyes are what?”
Kristy glared at him, “They’re cyan. It’s a shade of blue.”
“I’m sure it is,” Gray Eyes grinned. “Well, Blue Eyes? I haven’t got all night. Do you agree to my terms? Yes or no?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “We’ll have your money.”
He nodded, “One other thing. If you choose to involve law enforcement, we will have a very serious problem. Very serious.” He leveled a hard look at Kristy and I. “Well? What say you?”
I sighed, “No cops.”
Gray Eyes arched his eyebrows expectantly at Kristy.
She rolled her eyes, “Fine! Whatever! No police!” She thought to me, Not that we need them. I could handle these jerks with both hands tied behind my back.
How? I thought.
She smirked, By kicking them all in the balls.
I stifled a snicker.
Gray Eyes said suspiciously, “Then we are in agreement?”
“Yes already!” Kristy blurted with absolute exasperation. “How many times do we have to tell you?!”
“One more than you prefer,” Gray Eyes smiled indulgently. “I do hope that you two are as good for your word as am I. I solemnly promise, if you pay me what I am due, you will not have a single problem with me or my men in the future. If you do not pay me… well…” He shrugged and his voice trailed off dangerously, “You can imagine what happens then.”
“What?” Kristy taunted. “You’ll what? Can’t you say it?”
An evil smile slithered onto Gray Eyes’ face and he chuckled, “I will leave that to your imagination, Blue Eyes. If it’s as impressive as the rest of you, I have no doubt you will come up with something suitable. And on that note, I bid both of you adieu. Boys?” He turned to his men.
The four thugs nodded and the five of them walked away peacefully with Gray Eyes in the lead.
Kristy and I both heaved a sigh of relief.
I said, “What do we do now?”
She held out her palm, “Now you pay me eighty bucks.”
“What?! Why?!”
“We’ve been in here for at least four songs. I have to give half to my boss.”
“For not dancing?”
“They don’t care. I need eighty bucks.”
“I don’t have eighty. I’ve only got forty.” It was all the cash I had remaining in my wallet. “Will that at least cover their half?”
“Eighty bucks is their half. It’s forty bucks for a booth dance. We did four for one-sixty. Half of that is eighty. I have to pay them eighty.” She still held her hand out and smiled, “A girl’s gotta work.”
“You’re serious,” I smirked.
“Yes, Doug,” she grinned.
I pulled out my wallet and handed her my two remaining twenties. “This is all I’ve got. Seriously.”
“Thank you.” She folded the money into her hand.
“Aren’t you going to put it in your bra or bikini or something?”
“No.” She stood up. “Let’s go. We need to get out of the booth before the next song plays or I’ll have to pay my boss another twenty.”
I stood up and we wandered past the other busy booths. I leaned over and muttered in Kristy’s ear, “I can’t decide who are worse criminals, your bosses or Gray Eyes and his goons.”
She said, “My bosses, definitely.”
“Correction,” I grinned. “I think you’re the worst criminal of all.”
“Damn straight,” she winked.
“I didn’t even get a real dance.”
“Poor baby,” she giggled.
I chuckled at that. “So, uh, I’m going back to Jeff’s trailer. To make sure he’s okay. If he hasn’t gone to the hospital already, I’ll take him there myself.”
“Would you?” she said with obvious relief. “I’m really worried about him.”
“Yeah. I’ll go right now. Are you going to be okay here?”
“I think so. I can handle those jerks if they come back.”
“Are you sure?”
She smirked, “Please. I could kick your ass and theirs at the same time.”
“With or without your hands tied behind your back?”
She arched an eyebrow, “You’ve got balls, don’t you?”
I chuckled, “Last time I checked. The question is, could you kick all those balls without falling out of your bikini top? It doesn’t look like it could handle all the jiggling,” I finished with a satisfied grin.
